Ted Baker - Sugar Sweet Range

Here at The Amazing Blog, we love to wear strong, beautiful prints. We often lust after beautiful designs from the likes of Ted Baker, longing to add them to our wardrobes. Beauty is more our forte, however, so we were so excited when they introduced one of their most popular floral prints to their new Sugar Sweet range of beauty products, adding a touch of luxury to our bathroom shelves.  

Although it’s never advisable to judge a product by it’s bottle, the contents of this stylish packaging are equally covetable. The entire range is scented with a beautiful aroma of Vanilla, Patchouli and Amber, as well as some delicious fruity top notes, perfect for summer. Of the range, we tried the Body Wash, Body Souffle and Body Spray.

Our favourite was the Body Souffle. It has a luxuriously creamy texture, and, although its mint green shade looking a little off-putting it first, it soon melts into the skin, leaving it feeling sumptuously soft. The Body Spray is great for freshening up on the go. In a handy plastic bottle, there’s no risk of it breaking in your bag. The fine mist provides a wonderful veil of delicious aroma, ideal for jetting out for dinner straight from the office. Last but not least, the Body Wash lathers into a decadent foam, allowing you to freshen up and start the day right.

Pick up the Ted Baker Sugar Sweet range here, with the Body Wash costing £8, the Body Souffle, £10 and the Body Spray, £7.

Friday Favourites - Fragrances

Here at The Amazing Blog, we love summer in London. However, offices without air conditioning and stuffy tubes can often lead to assaults on the senses when the weather heats up. For this reason, we always like to make sure we’re smelling our best, and I’m sure you do too. Of course, this isn’t limited to the warmer months, but we wanted to share with you our favourite summer scents.

The first of our fragrance favourites is the new Les “White” collection from French brand, Jul Et Mad.  Positively oozing Parisian sophistication, the brand was born out of the love story of Julien and Madalina, whose relationship inspires all the perfumes they create.  Of the three aromas in the collection, Nea, Nin-Shar and Garuda, Nea is our favourite. A rich, fruity fragrance, it contains Date and Dry Plum, as well as Damascan Rose and Caramel. It feels so opulent, and is such a treat to wear. The perfect heady scent for those hot summer evenings, it’s inspired by the Ancient civilization of Byzantium. Modern day Turkey, it certainly evokes feelings of the East and the Orient. A little on the pricey side, the Nea scent is available to buy here for €165.  It’s also available to buy at Harrods, Fenwick Bond Street and Harvey Nichols, and it certainly is the ultimate luxury.

A little more affordable, but no less special, are the Industria fragrances. You may recognise the brand from our candle feature, and the fragrances are no less chic. With three beautifully crisp looking fragrances to choose from, each looks so clean and fresh. Although we love the sharp citrus notes of Bergamotto and the more musky scent of Ambergris, Cardinalis is the shining star for us.  As with the candle, the notes of coconut and mandarin oil perfectly evoke holiday feelings in us, making it a wonderful summer aroma. You can pick up the Cardinalis perfume here for £59 along with others from the collection.

Another little spritz of luxury can be found in Eutopie perfumes. With each numbered bottle documenting part of a journey, the brand story is just as interesting as the scents themselves. Our favourite was No. 7. Influenced by the Palace of Versailles, the opulent scent takes inspiration from the Kitchen Garden of the King, filled with the delicious scents of blackcurrants, peaches and strawberries. Combined with Marigold and Pink Pepper, this subtle scent is perfect for a soft scent this season. Pick it up here for €155. (They are featuring free international shipping on their website until 31/08 with purchases of €155!)

Last, but certainly not least is the innovative creation from Perphone. We love to carry a scent with us on long days, so that we can freshen up when needs be. We always rely on sample sizes however, as carting around a bottle of your signature scent is a little cumbersome. Perphone have come up with the genius idea of merging your scent with your phone. Their chic iPhone cases house cartridges of a range of fragrances, which swivel up, turning your phone into a makeshift spritzer. Available for both men and women, we’ll never have to worry about forgetting our perfume again. Grab one of these fun cases here on their website or on Amazon for £28. 

Friday Favourites - Candles

Candles are often associated with winter months, adding a sense of warmth and comfort to any room. Here at The Amazing Blog, however, we don’t adhere to seasonal stereotypes, and believe that fresh, scented candles are the perfect accessory, whatever the weather. With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite candles for the summer months.

We love the scent of fresh flowers in our home, but sadly the effort and cost of keeping the office stocked with bright bouquets mean that it’s more hassle than it’s worth. For this reason, we love the Flower Market range of candles from US company, Paddywax. With a range of wonderfully scented, hand-poured candles to choose from, they’ll have your house smelling as divine as a country garden in the time it takes you to strike a match. Our favourite is Peony & Clover; its deliciously sweet floral scent is perfect for summer mornings. Coming in a range of sizes and styles, there’s something to suit everyone. Pick up this Paddywax products here from only £15.

If you’re looking for a scent a little more unorthodox and true to life, Corpo Sancto have an interesting range of scented candles for any taste. The Biker Jacket fragrance caught our eye. Its leather scent would be perfectly at home in a library or study, with its sleek black packaging making a subtle addition to your home. Made with rapeseed wax, the candles promise a burn time of around 48 hours. Most exciting of all, the brand offer a bespoke service, so if Log Fire or Coffee & Bread aren’t to your taste, you can ask them to make a fragrance that is! Treat yourself to the Biker Jacket candle here for £28.

For the ultimate in clean, chic candles, look to Industria. Combining inspiration from Italian science and alchemy, Industria have come up with a blend of unique, clean scents that are ideal for summer. Our favourite is Cardinalis. Inspired by the Florentine Renaissance, the soft sweet smell reminded us of summer getaways. The simple packaging adorned with alchemic symbols will add a touch of class to any room, and they certainly brightened up our office. Treat yourself to an Industria candle here for £40. Be sure to explore the corresponding perfumes too!

For a quirky addition to your décor, Vineyard Candles have thought up an inventive way to recycle old wine bottles. The artisan brand have craftily filed the bottom of the bottles, filling them with beautifully scented natural wax, inspired by our favourite summer tipple. There’s nothing like lighting a Gin & Tonic scented candle at the end of a long work day. Go teetotal and grab yourself a Vineyard candle here for £19.50.

Perfumerie Fragonard - Le Jardin De Fragonard collection

Here at The Amazing Blog we love a good scent, especially one that comes from a great heritage. Founded in 1926 by entrepreneur Eugène Fuchs, Perfumerie Fragonard was established to sell perfumery products directly to tourists who were discovering the French Rivera’s charms. Fuchs chose the name after the famous Grasse-born painter, Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806), as a tribute to the town of Grasse, the refinement of 18th-century arts, as well as representing his desire to run his business in accordance with traditions. This spirit has been loyally perpetuated by the three succeeding generations who have run and are still running the company.

We love how Perfumerie Fragonard combines tradition with a modern attitude, and we were delighted to receive their Jasmin Perle de Thé eau de parfum (£30 for 50ml) and Jasmin de Fragonard collection (ranging between £10-£18) to try out.

Jasmin-Perle de Thé translates to Jasmine-Pearl Tea. This beautiful and elegantly feminine scent is reminiscent of flowering jasmine, and with additional notes of lemon, bergamot, honeysuckle, green tea, white cedar, guaiac wood and white amber, which makes for a wonderful summer perfume.

We also loved the Jasmin de Fragonard collection, an exclusive range that pays homage to the town of Grasse. Topped by head notes of bergamot and orange blossom, “Jasmin” eau de toilette develops heart notes combining three jasmine varieties (Grasse, Egypt and India) on an amber base. The collection comprises of soaps, candles, toiletry bags, gift sets and decorative objects. Both the Jasmin Perle de Thé eau de parfum and Jasmin de Fragonard can be purchased from the Fragonard website, or from Marks & Spencers.

Heathcote & Ivory - Lily of the Valley Collection

Our team here at The Amazing Blog love a good British brand, and Heathcote & Ivory is one of our favourites. They produce quintessentially British toiletries and are renowned for their fine fragrances and design.

 The Lily of the Valley collection is one of their latest releases. The invigorating scent instantly transports you to a fresh spring day in a field of white, dewy flowers. The floral scent is fresh, green and delicate with woody undertones.

 Another great thing about Heathcote and Ivory products are the beautiful, modern designs. This collection utilizes white and green shades, as well as adorable photos of lilies, on the packaging of the products. The pretty and feminine design make the collection a very welcome addition to your bathroom or vanity. The products offer a luxurious scent, but are still affordable compared to their competition.

 To get your hands on some of these floral treats, head here to purchase whichever products from the collection you desire. Our top picks are the Luxury Hand & Nail Cream (£5) and the Eau de Toilette (£8).