The London Art Fair returns for its 30th Anniversary

So here we are, the tinsel is packed away, 2018 has started with high energy, and we here at The Amazing Blog are raring to go and soak up something new and vibrant. Just as well then that the annual London Art Fair  opens it doors on the 17th January, and keeps them open for all us culture vultures until the 21st - book your tickets before the 15th January and you get 40% off … now let’s keep that queue orderly shall we?

Whatever your taste in Contemporary Art, there will be something here for everyone - check out Beaux Arts Bath on Stand G20 for some seriously intriguing work, or Charlie Smith London on Stand 38A for selection of something a little darker. We will be making a bee line for Galerie Olivier Waltman  on Stand G06, as they are showing some seriously delicious pieces, and with a base in both Miami and Paris - what’s not to love?

Of course alongside all the fabulous art on show, being situated at The Business Design Centre in Islington, also means a plethora of choice in restaurants and bars in the surrounding area for refuelling. But of course inside there is the obligatory Champagne Bar for those of us who feel the need, as well The Photo50 and Jack’s Café offering something altogether more wholesome … However, if people watching is your thing - it certainly is ours - then Jack’s Café with views over the whole shebang is also on the menu. We'll look forward to seeing you there!

Friday Favourites-Skincare Feature

Today at The Amazing Blog, is our final post of 2017. With this in mind, we thought that we'd cover great skincare products for healthy skin to take you into the New Year. Regular readers will know, we're firm believers that a good skincare routine is the key for a glowing complexion. As such, we love to indulge our skin with the most efficient and hydrating skincare that we can find; and here are just a few of our favourite 'go-to' products:

The Hayo’u Treat-Rite de-stress Beauty Oil is one them. Hayo’u is a skincare brand that prides themselves on making fantastic skincare products inspired by ancient Chinese rituals. This face oil is a concentrated treatment that intensely nourishes skin while tackling signs of anti-ageing. The product is packed with essential oils including almond oil, Karanja oil, rice oil, camelia oil, white lotus oil, frankincense oil, lavender oil, ylang-ylang oil, jasmine oil and cedarwood oil. Together these most hydrating and relaxing ingredients work for a younger looking and rejuvenated skin. Purchase the Hayo’u beauty oil here for £33.

For those of you that like that luxurious packaging with a unique touch then Elizabeth Grant is the brand for you. Her glamorous Supreme Face Cream duo are a big hit at The Amazing Blog. Formulated with gold extracts, these creams promote a healthier, stronger and younger-looking complexion. The Day Cream is packed with botanical ingredients including blue-green algae, gold, yeast, lupin, olive oil, avocado oil, shea butter and vitamin E to name but a few! Gold extracts are well-known for their rich anti-oxidant properties as well as illuminating and revitalising the skin; while the avocado oil, shea butter and olive oil provide intense nourishment. 

The Night Cream also formulated with these gold extracts repairs and improves skin structure during the night. The moringa seeds, peptides, shea butter, olive oil, avocado oil, marula oil, vitamin E, ceramide and aloe vera included in the formula; makes the cream a highly hydrating product that protects, repairs and prevent skin from ageing. What make this product really stand out is the blue-green algae infusion; these algae help reduce the appearance of lines, wrinkles and skin pigmentation thus making it a must-have anti-ageing product. You can purchase the day and night duo here for £19.99.

What could be better than a multi-use product that cleanses, tones and hydrates the skin? Nothing immediately come to mind. Here the Botanicals Nourish Hydrating Mist seems to do it all. Formulated to suit all skin types, this mist helps promote a clearer and more balanced skin tone. Enriched with essential extracts and anti-oxidant such as rose oil, lavender oil, camellia oil, palmarosa oil and white tea; the mist gently cleanse skin while nourishing it. Perfect for keeping on our desk gently spritzing on our face against the dehydrating office central heating. The Nourish Hydrating Mist can be used on its own or to prepare skin for other treatments.You can purchase the Botanicals mist here for £20.

For those looking for that extra-hydration Kudu’s Squalane natural hydrating treatment oil is one of the best solutions. Made with pure Squalane derived from Mediterranean olives this oil nourishes, replenishes skin and works for a firmer and more even skin tone. Its lightweight formula is good for all skin types and it is easily applied and quickly absorbed. In the longer term, Squalane oil helps reduce lines and wrinkles and improves skin texture. This product is good multi-purpose oil and can be used on both the skin and hair.

Another favourite from the brand is the Bio-Active Hydration serum, specially crafted to provide extra-nourishment to the deepest layers of the skin, this serum pampers and repairs dry skin and sensitive skin. The blend of organic oils infused in the formula are bursting full of nutrients: Squalane, Gotu kola, jojoba, coconut, rosehip, grape, and marula oils. Not only do these ingredients moisturise skin, but also boost collagen production for a more supple skin. This effective mix promotes a more radiant, hydrated and replenished skin. Purchase the squalane here for £20.88 the bio-active serum here for £19.52

That's it from us. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!

Christmas Candle Feature

As winter envelops us here in the UK, we all at The Amazing Blog, are looking to create that cosy warm hygge atmosphere. There is always something very special about lighting a heady and atmospheric candle. Not only the flickering light casting shadows but the gorgeous evocative aromas that help to create the right ambience. And we can't wait to share with you some of our  favourites candles to get you in the mood .

Breathing the scent of flowers when arriving home is the ideal way to start the evening. Sloane Home Topiary Garden with its fresh and floral notes help you create the peaceful atmosphere we are all craving for during those cold nights. The Sloane Home candles are all handmade, cooled, labelled and packaged. The Topiary Garden candle is made with mineral wax and beeswax, the top notes include apple and bergamot, the heart notes are juniper berries, patchouli, rose and jasmine and the base notes are vanilla, moss and ambergris. These ingredients make a modern, classic yet wonderfully scented candle. Purchase the Topiary Garden Candle  here for £32.00

When looking for a more luxurious and relaxing ambiance The Wakefulness candle by Aurelia Probiotic Skincare is our favourite. Specially crafted to energise and uplift your spirits this candle instantly install a sense of well-being in your home. The candle is made with a unique blend of oils including rose geranium oil, palmarosa, neroli and ylang-ylang oils. To complement the floral notes, the brand added grapefruit and mandarin to bring a fruity and fresher scent to the candle. The combination of these most relaxing and revitalising oils instantly put you in a peaceful and relaxing mindset. The candle is made from natural wax and is contained in an elegant ceramic vessel that perfectly complements your room décor.

Purchase the Wakefulness candle here for £55.

Strawberry Thief scented candle is a rich, earthy grounding candle made by Morris & Co’s. The candle is a rich and luxurious blend of scents including amber, sandalwood, patchouli, incense and vanilla, the heart notes include rose and violet, and the base notes are red berries, mandarin and bergamot. More than the delightful scent, what make us love this candle is the wintery and festive packaging it sports. The candle is contained in a colourful and printed glass with Morris & Co signature design and it  burns for up to 50 hours. Purchase the Strawberry and Thief candle here for £25.

In our opinion, Skandinavisk makes some of the most beautifully scented candles you can buy. We sampled their SKOG  candle which instantly transported us to a Scandinavian forest – in fact, Skog is Norwegian for forest.The Boreal forests cover half of Scandinavia. Unbroken, the forests stretch right from the far south to the arctic circle. The rich and natural scent of the pine candle is complemented by notes of subtle leather and lily of the valley. SKOG candle is hand-poured and made with 100% cotton wick. This candle is the perfect way to add a sophisticated festive and scandi feel to your home. Welcoming and warm, the mini candle will instantly transport you to somewhere a little more beautiful and peaceful. Purchase the Skandinavisk SKOG candles from Cotswold Trading here £15 for the mini candle (16 hours burning time) or here £29.99 for the regular candle (50 hours burning time) there is also a SPECIAL DISCOUNT of 10% at the time of publishing this feature - enter code CANDLE10 at checkout. 

Is there anything better than having a nice beauty sleep and a peaceful night after a long working day? Scentered candle after a year of research and creation created a therapeutic and most relaxing candle that they named Sleep Well. The name says it all; the candle is specially crafted to help you relax, calm your mind and uplift your spirit, thus helping you to have a good night sleep. Formulated with 100% natural ingredients including lavender, chamomile, palmarosa, Ho Wood, Geranium and Ylang Ylang this sophisticated candle combines all the soothing and therapeutic benefits of its components. Fragrance your room with these calming scent, relax and have a good night.You can purchase the Sleep Well candle here for £32.95.

Last but not least, and probably the most glamorous candle of all is the delicious new ‘Bacca’ scented candle from Ancienne Ambiance . This is a must-have when it comes to Christmas candles. ‘Bacca’ which is Latin for small ‘small round fruit’ perfectly describes the vibrant and fruity scent of redcurrants, blackcurrants and an array of freshly picked bursting berries in the candle. This candle is truly 'berrylicious' and has an excellent burning time or 60-65 hours, which from our experience has a scent lasts throughout. The beautiful and sophisticated scents of bursting berries were loved by the Romans, Etruscans and Greeks as they were thought to have medicinal properties. We just love the added bonus of this feel-good factor.

The candle comes beautifully packaged in hand-crafted luxurious gift boxes made in the UK, making them a perfect gift or a gorgeous mantelpiece. Each candle is hand poured in the UK using a unique slow burning natural wax blend and a lead free wick. We want one of these candles burning on our Christmas Day! Purchase the Ancienne Ambience ‘Bacca’ Candle here for £40.

Whether you are looking for just a gently scented relaxing candle, or a rich and luxurious fragrance to set the party scene; we certainly think you'll that find one of these here. 

The Cockney'tivity – A Very Cockney Christmas Story

We love Christmas at The Amazing Blog. It is a beautiful and loving time spent with all the people you love most in the world, especially family. But before the big day, we like to have a special dinner with our best friends where we exchange gifts, play games, laugh and drink a bit too much. As fun as this is though, it can be a bit tiring, especially if you are the one cooking and even worse if you are cooking again a few weeks later! So we were positively giddy when we came across the Cockney'tivity – A Very Cockney Christmas Story.

This event is utterly unique, it will make you a Christmas hero, and everyone will remember it for years to come. The Cockney’tivity is a Christmas dining experience that features three short acts of hilarious festive drama surrounding a delicious three-course meal in an authentic east end pub. As you enter The North Star, you’ll take a seat at the Christmas dinner table and enjoy your meal as the drama unfolds around you, ending with a hilarious and raucous finale that will have you dancing on your chairs.

The menu sounds brilliantly festive. Starting with roasted vegetable soup with herb oil and garlic croutons Or Smoked Salmon, Pickled Radish Salad with Horseradish Cream. There are two mains; the first is Herb buttered roasted Supreme of Chichen, Roast Spuds, Glazed Carrots, Maple Roast Parsnips, Gloucester Old Spot Pigs in Blankets, Gloucester Pork and Apple Stuffing, Buttered Greens with Nanny Bill’s Gravy. The second is a vegetarian option, titled Nanny Bill’s Nut Roast with Cauliflower Cheese pots, Veggie Stuffing and all the trimmings. Dessert features the classics, Handmade Mince Pies with Brandy Cream and Christmas Budding with Lemon Sorbet. 

The event runs from the 1st – 22nd of December and tickets cost £55 a person. Private bookings are also available here for up to 60 guests.  Get your tickets here and make a Christmas memory no one will forget. 

Friday Favourites - Winterville

As we may have mentioned before, at The Amazing Blog we absolutely LOVE this festive period! Mulled wine, fairy lights and layers are among some of the best things, so being able to enjoy all three in one event is certainly an evening we won't be missing! This year one of our favourite festive events, Winterville, is taking place in South London at Clapham Common. 

What we like about Winterville is that the event offers Londoner’s an alternative festive experience that’s accessible and enjoyable for all. Go ice-skating on the outdoor ice rink, take the kids to the fairground or head to the roller rink with some friends for an active and fast-paced day.  If you would rather relax and be entertained then head to their famous Spiegeltent which is hosting one-off events such as comedy, cabaret and family Christmas shows.  What’s more, the event is the part-time home to some of London’s best street food at the Feastopia, full of option and delight. 

Entry is free, but attractions and events are priced individually. Winterville is open from November 23rd until January 5th, so there is plenty of time for you to go and no excuse for you not to. NB:  Due to weekend popularity for all these individual events, Friday and Saturday night you will need to book your tickets here.