Chocolate Beauty for Easter

With Easter just around the corner, a few of us at The Amazing Blog are starting to crave those Easter chocolates and sweets, and we figured you might be feeling the same way. However, none of us can afford to eat all of that excess sugar, so instead we’ve prepared a few alternatives: chocolate inspired beauty products! All of these products either have cocoa infused in them or smell deliciously of chocolate, but have none of the calories so feel free to indulge. 

Christopher Courtney offers a luxurious Anti-Oxidant Chocolate Spa Body Scrub that you can use for a decadent pampering session at home. This exfoliator is rich in anti-aging properties and multi-vitamins to rejuvenate and revive dull skin. Key ingredients include: Cocoa Extract, Mango Powder, Pineapple Powder, Honey, Aloe, Apricot Kernel Oil, Dead Sea Salt, Calendula Oil, Marshmallow Extract, Nettle Extract, Rooibos Extract, Sweet Orange Essential Oil, and Mandarin Essential Oil. Your skin will be left feeling buttery soft and smelling like cocoa.

Pick up a jar of this luxurious scrub for yourself or as a gift to friends or family here for £31.

Everyone knows about the cult favorite Chocolate Bar Eye Shadow Palette by Too Faced, but have you seen the newest member of the collection? Introducing the Chocolate Bon Bons Eye Shadow Collection, a palette filled with 16 matte and shimmer eye shadow shades in the shape of little hearts. So cute we could just eat it! Each shadow is infused with anti-oxidant rich cocoa powder, so it smells absolutely divine too. The palette gives you 11 neutral shades plus 5 pops of color so you have plenty of room to experiment with loads of different looks. If you’re not that adventurous or just not sure where to begin, Too Faced also includes three looks in their signature Glamour Guide to help you get started.

These Chocolate Bon Bons are guaranteed to last you much longer than a few pieces of chocolate. Get it here for £37.

We know everyone goes crazy over Lush‘s holiday themed products, and we love them too so we definitely recommend picking up a few new bath bombs—but what we’d really like to focus on is the Cupcake Fresh Face Mask that’s available all-year round (you’ll be glad about this). It features Rhassoul mud, a highly absorbent ingredient that works with cocoa powder to draw out dirt and impurities—leaving you with a deeply cleansed face. Fresh mint stimulates and tones the skin whilst linseed and cocoa butter do the moisturising work for you. Only 10-15 minutes are needed for you to see a significant improvements in the texture of your skin!

This vegan friendly and cruelty-free product is available for £6.75 here.

We all hate the toxic smell of nail polish remover, so why not swap out yours with one that’ll satisfy your sweet tooth? Ciate’s new Choc Pot Dark Chocolate Nail Polish Remover is a nourishing and gentle formula that will quickly remove your existing nail polish so you can switch up your mani in a matter of moments. The non-drying acetone-free formulation is enriched with intensely hydrating Marula Oil, Vitamins B5 and E to condition and care for nails while leaving behind a deliciously chocolately aroma!

Get rid of that nasty smelling polish remover and get a chocolate scented one here for £6.

Halloween Feature

Now that Halloween is right around the corner, we at The Amazing Blog are feeling particularly festive and ready to celebrate. What better way to celebrate one of our favourite holidays than with a carefully constructed goodie bag full of spooky treats? Once we came across companies such as LUSH, Choc on Choc, SockShop and Chamilia, we now believe we’ve found the perfect products to make your holiday that much better.

First and foremost, you will need a splendid outfit for the big night. Whether you already have a costume or you are seeking the perfect accessory to top off your spooky get-up, the fashion brand SockShop has launched a new collection of Halloween inspired tights, perfect for any creepy crawly occasion. This collection consists of tights that are far from your average pair, for they are both extra smooth and pleasantly comfortable. Created out of 90% polyamide, 10% spandex and a comfy waistband—these special stockings will give you the ability to boogie down all night! The collection includes tights with a variety of creepy creatures on them, ranging as far as Black Cats to pumpkin patterns. Take a look at the Sock Shop website for the Halloween tights and other fun undergarments.

If you are looking to add a little glam to your accessory assortment, take a different approach and spice up your costume with some jewellery. In attempt to find the perfect jewels for our glamorous get-ups, we stumbled upon the Chamilia 2014 Halloween collection. Thanks to this company, our accessory anxiety has finally come to an end. The greatest thing about the Chamilia charm bracelets is that you are not obligated to wear the same jewellery everyday. If you are feeling spontaneous, you can purchase a variety of charms and switch up your look as much as you'd like. Feeling fierce? Try the Halloween Cat Eyes charm. Eager for a spookier addition to your arm party? Take the Skull Beads up for a spin. Or, if you are having trouble deciding which beads to choose, you can wear them all. The Chamilia Halloween collection includes Halloween inspired jewels of all kinds, are all available for purchase here.

Now that you have gotten all of your accessories straightened out, who doesn’t love a good treat every once and a while? Choc on Choc Halloween bars are passionate about providing a chocolate that is intricately designed, pleasing to the eye and simply delicious. This sweet snack is made from only the finest Belgian chocolate and prepared by layering chocolate on top of chocolate, making it truly unique and guaranteed to please even the pickiest trick-or-treaters. Take a look at the variety of spooky sweets this brand has to offer here. 

Finally, after a big night of trick-or-treating and getting all dressed up for this splendid holiday, it is only assumed that a long soak will be much needed by the end of the weekend. Thanks to the new LUSH Halloween collection, you can indulge in a relaxing past time while staying in the holiday spirit. Who would have thought that was even possible?

The collection contains an exciting list of bath bombs, which come in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes. Looking to add sparkle, fizz and a little extra colour to the water of your bath? Try either the Northern Light, Sparkler, or Lord of Misrule bath bombs. Each of these bombs results in a unique fizzing effect or change in bath water colour that will simply leave you in awe. If you prefer the presentation of the bomb over the effect, LUSH has you covered with a collection of bubble bars which are shaped like some of your favourite Halloween characters. This collection includes Pumpkin, Wizard and Fairy Ring bubble bars that not only add character to your bath but are simply delightful to look at. Having trouble deciding which to include for your Halloween gift exchanges? Not to worry, LUSH offers a clever Wizard Hat Gift, containing the Wizard Bubble Bar, Star Light Star Bright Bath Melt and Sparkler bath bomb. Take a look at the Halloween bath bombs along with other LUSH bath products for a variety of prices here.

Friday Favourites: Our Lazy Summer Weekend Reads

With the summer season comes summer holidays, and with all of that free time, we here at The Amazing Blog plan to settle down with a good book. Being the good Samaritans that we are, we thought we’d take the legwork out of finding the good reads for you, and list the best reads for a long weekend of relaxation.

So you love writing, you may even have a blog where you spend your spare time posting away. Sounds familiar? Well have you ever thought about writing a book? The mere thought of it is intimidating, but here at The Amazing Blog, we have discovered it is easier than you might think. The talented British author and entrepreneur, Lisa Newton, has written a book which can be used as a guide to create your first literary success. The book is filled with handy tips to help you reach your goals and this easy step by step guide allows you to write down your notes, organise your ideas and get writing. Lisa wrote ‘How to write a book in two weeks’ to answer the questions of prospective writers out there. If you want to start your writing journey, Lisa Newton’s book is available here from £3.99.

If you feel that writing a book in 14 days is too far into the deep end for you, Lisa Newton’s other literary creation ‘Cosmic Ordering With Vision Boards’  may be a better place for you to start. This book is designed to banish those dusty to-do lists and replace them with boards depicting what you want, ‘vision boards’ to help bring you closer to your desires. ‘Cosmic Ordering With Vision Boards’ can be ordered from Amazon here for £6.02.

For the beauty buffs among us, we’re sure that you’ll be more than familiar with cosmetic store, Lush. Renowned for their cruelty free, aromatic beauty products, and their friendly, hands on approach to retail, they’re now expanding into the world of publishing. Their book, Danger: Cosmetics To Go, tells of the rise and fall of Cosmetics To Go, the company that came before Lush. Filled with the most wonderful retro photography, interesting insights into the ranges and products provided by the postal order service, I really enjoyed flicking through its pages. I particularly enjoyed exploring the origins of much loved products like bath bombs and massage bars, and seeing how the packaging has evolved throughout the years, but has never lost its eccentric essence. It’s exactly how you would imagine Lush to be in book form, and is a must read for any fans of the quirky store. You can get your hands on the book in store at Lush, or on their website, here for £19.95.

For any of our younger readers looking to get into the fashion industry, keep your eye out for From Intern to Stylist by Celebrity Stylist and presenter, Charlene Campbell. A short, simple exploration into one girl’s journey up the fashion ladder, it’s a great beginner’s guide for anybody considering a career in clothes when their school days are over. With everything from the working order of season shows, to a handy list of references and agencies in it’s final pages, it’s the ideal starter, giving you the contacts you will need to explore the industry further and get your stylishly adorned foot in the door. The book is newly available to buy in appropriately fashionable Topshop, or online, here for £9.99.

Finally, for anybody who is concerned with the price of beauty, we’d highly recommend that you check out No More Dirty Looks. An in-depth expose into the dangers of our everyday beauty products, and their ill, this book will have you determined to detox your collection and embark on a new clean routine immediately. Casually written, and structurally sound, it breaks down into chapters those nasty ingredients that are actually making us look worse, and recommends friendly alternatives. Initially it’s quite scary to read about how little regulation there is in the cosmetics industry, particularly in the US. An excellent read, I’d proceed with caution if on a budget, as we had a shopping list as long as our arm when we put it down, ready to cull our cabinet in favour of healthier options. Purify your prettiness by buying the book online, here , for £6.29.

Friday Favourites - Easter Holidays

With Easter weekend finally upon us, most of us excited for the celebrations ahead! However, for those who have left things a little late, or even those who just want to try something a bit different this year, there’s still time to go out and grab some more Easter treats! We here at The Amazing Blog have found some Easter-themed gifts to help you impress your friends and loved ones during this Spring holiday.Lush never fails to deliver quirky gift ideas for the holidays, and they certainly haven’t let us down this year with their creative selection of Easter cosmetics. This season, they are offering an array of ‘Egg-ceptional’ Easter themed handmade products, including bath melts and bubble bars in the shape of eggs and carrots! Made from fair trade and organic ingredients, Lush’s Easter cosmetics include a Golden Egg Bath Bomb, Bunny Bubble Bar, Carrot Soap, and Brightside Bubble Bar just to name a few. If, like us, you are struggling to choose from the wonderful selection of products on offer, Lush are also offering the Funny Bunny Rabitty Wrap – an organic cotton knot-wrap containing four of the most popular limited edition Easter cosmetics. Because the Easter Bunny is packaged by hand, the selection of goodies inside each wrap is different!  However, if a gift you are planning is one item short of complete, the holiday products are available to buy individually for very reasonable prices! Find the Egg-cellent collection here. To add some chocolate with a twist to your Easter celebration, Demijohn has created a Chocolate Orange Cream Liqueur.  This alcoholic chocolate is the adult version of a creamy dark Easter Egg, and the addition of Devonshire Cream, Apple Brandy and Orange Zest make this the perfect springtime tipple.  The thick and creamy liqueur would be a great option for those Easter family gatherings; something for adults to enjoy as the children tuck into their Easter treats.  Demijohn recommends serving the Chocolate Orange Cream Liqueur directly from the refrigerator and over ice for the best taste. Be the life of the party this Easter and present your family and friends with a 500ml bottle of Demijohn Chocolate Orange Cream Liqueur, available here for £24.60 (500ml). You may have noticed our attempt to stray from the typical Easter gift, but who are we to keep your loved ones from indulging in chocolate this Easter?  Charbonnel et Walker offer a new twist to the traditional chocolate egg with their Pink Marc de Champagne Truffle Easter Egg.  Combining their finest milk chocolate with their best selling Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles, this treat is so much more luxurious than your typical Easter Egg.  Housed in a pastel coloured window box with a pink ribbon tied around it, this delicious Easter Egg would make the perfect gift any loved one. It can be purchased here for £35, along with a selection of other delicious chocolate creations, including a Dark Chocolate and English Rose Easter Egg.

Feel like doing something different this Easter? Horniman Museum and Gardens, with their Easter Fair, could be the perfect option if you are looking for activities that are fun, yet educational. Take part in the Easter Egg Hunt, learn more about the rabbits that live in the Animal Walk and enjoy some live country music. If you fancy a bite, you can head towards the food stalls, where you will find a selection of tasty treats; whether you fancy pizza or some Austrian specialities, you will definitely find the perfect nibble to satisfy your taste buds. The Easter Fair takes place on Saturday and Sunday, from 10.30 am until 4.30 pm, and you can find the detailed program here . Finally, what would Easter be without an Easter Bunny? Demarquette offers beautifully hand painted Easter Rabbits in dark chocolate and milk chocolate to complete your traditional Easter gifts. The dark chocolate bunny is made from Demarquette’s award winning CacaoLux blend of chocolates from The Dominican Republic and Ecuador, while the milk chocolate bunny features chocolates from Venezuela and Madagascar. Each bunny is hand painted with bright spring colours, making it unique with it’s own colourful pattern. Demarquette Easter Rabbits are available here for only £5.50. Demarquette also has a lovely selection of chocolate bars and truffles if you are still craving sweets after the holiday is over!

Friday Favourites- New Years Eve Make Up

It’s not long until we will welcome in the New Year with either a wonderful party or celebrations with friends. We only have a few days between now and then to prepare, so we thought that we'd offer a few suggestions for you to have a splurge with your Christmas spending money. At The Amazing Blog we've picked a few of our very favourite make-up finds to help you create that perfect eye catching look to see in 2014! The Rouge Bunny Rouge make-up collection is just the place to head with that Christmas spending money. One of my personal favourite products is the Loose Glitter Pigment in all its girly, baby pink glory. It’s just what you need to add a little sparkle to your outfit and jazz things up a bit on this special evening. The pigment contains pearl, making it extraordinarily luminescent on the skin. It also has added Sodium PCA which is a natural moisturiser, this means that the pigment is not drying on your skin so it is extremely soft and creamy and can be applied to the skin with ease. The bottle contains a built in applicator wand to prevent any of the pigment from being spilled and the wand is tipped with a soft sponge for easy application of the pigment. It applies to the skin lightly and evenly giving a soft and delicate look with a gorgeous shimmer. This pigment is perfect to wear either alone or blended with other eye shadows. The Loose Glitter Pigments are available in six other colours and you can get your hands on your own from the Rouge Bunny Rouge Website for £19.34.

           

Cozmetic Lab has a great selection of loose powders for the face. They have created an 'Intro Pack' which comprises of a foundation, eye shadow, bronzer and blush so you can create your complete look. This Australian mineral make-up for women who want to be noticed. The powdered foundation is light weight and sets well, making it useful for concealing, coverage and setting. It’s also oil free which makes it much better for keeping your skin in tip top condition. I was surprised at how well the powder covered imperfections as usually I need to use a liquid foundation for more coverage. I particularly liked the fact that it has an SPF 25, no talc and has a fabulous illuminating effect on the skin - unlike may other mineral brands which have left my complexion rather dull and flat. This product was a big hit with The Amazing Blog team. The bronzer also blends seamlessly in, giving you a natural glowing tan. It has a subtle effect which means you look tanned, rather than looking like you’re wearing make-up. If you prefer to go with the rosy finish then the blush is just the thing for this. It sits well on the cheeks and has a slight shimmer but nothing too unnatural. When you’re out in the cold this New Years you’re bound to get some pink skin, so you may as well make it a more flattering cheek colour with this blush. The eye shadow creates an attention grabbing smoky eye to give you a seductive and mysterious edge for these celebrations. All the powders stay on the skin really well, there’s no slipping and sliding with this make-up. The ingredients also mean shine won’t be a problem so you can stay looking glam and fabulous all evening. The Intro Pack is £42 and can be found here.

If you are a loyal reader of our blog then you will already know how much we love Eye of Horus because of our post here.They popped into our heads as soon as we started thinking about getting striking eyes for New Year. Two colours that we suggest for this occasion are the Teal Malachite Goddess Pencil and the Smokey Eye Goddess Pencil, either alone or blended together. The Smokey Eye Goddess Pencil is a classic black with extreme definition. The exotic pencil glides effortlessly with no smudge because of the ingredients and creamy formula. They are waterproof too which is ideal because the weather is very unpredictable. If smouldering is the look you intend to create then smouldering you will get with these pencils.  The teal is a little more creative and adventurous, we love this bright colour which can be applied either as a subtle line around the eye or smudged to create more of an eyeshadow effect. It will certainly enhance and illuminate your eyes with its hypnotic shimmer. The smudger tip gives you a lot of leeway when deciding on the style you want to create. They are only £13 and will last all night long and more. These currently can be found on their UK website Eye of Horus , in store at John Bell & Croyden or online at cocktail cosmetics

For a more simple make-up looks this New Year, try the pressed  Miners Fresh Faced Powder. You can read our post on the Miners liquid foundation here, but this powder is something a little lighter and understated with a matting effect. These form a brand new collection of powder shades designed to even out skin tone and conceal imperfections, to create that all important flawless finish. The powder comes in Translucent Ivory, Soft Sand, and Warm Honey. They are only £3.99 and found on the Miners website here.

As well as making yourself look glam, it’s always important to smell the part too. Lush have just released a new collection of limited edition scents. Our favourite is the Rose Jam; a fruity but strong scent guaranteed to get you noticed. The scent is made from real Turkish rose oil and rose absolute, blended with a hint of zingy lemon and a dash of geranium oil. This mixture helps to create this gorgeous sweet and floral scent. Unlike other rose scented perfumes, that may remind you a bit of your granny, this one from Lush is rich, powerful and modern, and a spray or two will last you all night. They are at a very affordable £30 for 30ml, and only available online from here, and are also in limited quantities, so get them while you can!