EFG London Jazz Festival 2017

From the 10th of November to the 19th of November London is going to get a little jazzier and we at The Amazing Blog couldn’t be more excited. The EFG London Jazz Festival is back again and will be showcasing a wonderful mix of international and British artists for you to enjoy. Events and concerts will be organised in different stunning London venues including legendary concerts halls such as the Barbican Centre and The Royal Festival Hall.

This music-filled event can be enjoyed by all, from jazz enthusiasts to newbies, to families; there truly is something for you all to enjoy. On Friday the 10th the Southbank is holding a Jazz for Toddlers so you can introduce your little ones to the magical and surprising world of jazz. Or why not stop by the London Jazz Café to listen to Moses Boyd and experience the genre from a new breed of artist not bound by any tradition.

Whether you’ve enjoyed jazz your whole life or the recent movie La La Land opened you up to a new and creative world the London Jazz Festival is not to be missed. Have a look at what’s on here and purchase yourself a ticket. If there is one thing we can guarantee about this exciting festival, its that you will have a swinging time.

The Make-Up Manual By Lisa Potter-Dixon

Whether you’re a makeup novice or a regularly wearer looking to learn a trick or two or shake things up a bit, Lisa Potter-Dixon’s Make-Up Manual has some pearls of wisdom for you. Lisa is Head Makeup Artist and Brow Expert for Benefit Cosmetics, so she knows what she’s talking about. This book breaks down makeup to the basics, to show you step-by-step how-to’s. It presents the do’s and don’ts in a completely fool-proof way. Here at The Amazing Blog, we devoured the book within minutes and were amazed at how uncomplicated Lisa makes makeup.

Lisa covers a whole range of topics, such as how to apply blush for your face shape, what colours are best suited for your eyes, how to achieve the much-coveted Feather Brow and how to perfect the feline-flick. Each chapter focuses on a different facial feature, starting with taking care of your skin (combination, dry, normal and oily), to covering imperfections, to brows and the various forms they can take, to cheeks and bone structure (blush, highlighter, bronzer and contour), how to navigate different eye shapes and colours, and finally to the lips (covering nudes, to glosses, to mattes). Importantly, Lisa addresses those of all ages, skin tones and complexions.

What you take away from this book is that makeup doesn’t have to be complicated, even the looks that seem to be more complex. Anyone can achieve a plump pout or a colourful smoky eye.

Purchase The Make-Up Manual here for £10.49.

Shampoo Bars by AA Skincare from Amphora Aromatics

At The Amazing Blog we like to take great care of our hair as such, we love discovering new products designed to help us have healthy, shiny and flawless hair. AA skincare a body and hair care brand recently launched their shampoo bars for all types of hair. Some of the products from the range include an almond shampoo bar, an intense coconut bar and the twilight shampoo bar. At The Amazing Blog, we were lucky enough to try the Zing Fresh and the Botanical Boost Shampoo bars.

The Botanical Boost shampoo is made to suit all hair types and provide them with the care they need. Formulated with various essential oils and natural ingredients this shampoo hydrates hair and gently cleanses the scalp. The Shampoo bar is enriched with frankincense oil and avocado oil, and together they act as hair growth stimulator while calming scalp irritation. In addition to the frankincense and avocado oils, the Botanical Boost is infused with argan oil, rose oil, rose geranium oil, coconut oil and sweet almond oil making it a highly nourishing shampoo that protects hair and gives them a new life and radiance.

If you enjoy a little dose of freshness, the Zing Fresh Shampoo bar is just what you need.  Essentially formulated for oily, dry or damaged hair this shampoo enriched with peppermint essential oil and coconut oil rejuvenates hair and leaves them moisturised and silky smooth. While coconut oil deeply nourishes hair peppermint on the other side deeply cleanses the scalp, refreshes hair and helps control oil excess. The fresh and minty scent of the product is both pleasant and invigorating.     

Both bars are paraben free and are easily portable and travel-friendly.

You can purchase the Botanical Boost here for £5.94 and the Zing Fresh here for £5.94.

Topp Box - A Monthly Subscription For Men

We are huge fans of the monthly subscription boxes at The Amazing Blog, but we know it can be hard to find the right one for you as the internet is awash with potential options. As great as it would be to subscribe to them all unless you have a bottomless pit of funds it’s a little fiscally unfeasible.  However, having spent a long time scouring the internet, we think we have found the Holy Grail for male subscription boxes, Topp Box. It’s the perfect blend of premium male beauty products and cosy accessories that will leave you feeling pampered and prepared. 

Each month Topp Box will send you an assorted box with 4-5 products selected to suit you and your needs. The boxes are filled with premium grooming and lifestyle products from top brands. The box we received contained a talc-free men’s body powder from Fromonda, an S5 Skincare Resilience Mask, a Henri Lloyd ocean Mineral Spray Sun Defence Cream, a Pits and Bits Rinse Free Body Wash, and a pair of delightful socks from TOPPSOCKS. It’s hard to choose a favourite item from the box, but we are especially fond of the sun cream which had an amazing scent. For only £16 a month it is a steal as the retail value of the box would come to over £40.00; four out of the five products were full size. 

This is the perfect way to treat yourself, it also makes a great gift, and with Christmas around the corner, it’s a fabulous present that keeps on giving. Click here to sign up to the subscription box of your dreams. 

Bath Oil – Olverum

After a long and busy day, we here at The Amazing Blog love to turn off our working minds by taking a soothing and relaxing soak. When we do so, we like using bath products that we are sure will provide us with the care and relaxation we seek. So, when we received the Olverum's bath oil, we couldn't resist the temptation to experience them. The recipe for Olverum’s Bath Oils is a family secret that has been passed down over decades. In the early 20th Century in Germany Franz Otto Klein, a fine-wine maker, together with his wife, an accomplished pharmacologist, travelled the world to source rare and exquisite essential oils.

Through passion and specialist knowledge, they created a luxurious bath oil made with a mix of carefully selected plant extracts each renowned for having specific therapeutic benefits. The natural essential oils include Eucalyptus, Siberian fir Needle, Verbena, Juniper, Geranium, Lavender, Lime, Rosemary, Lemon and Lavandin. Siberian fir Needle is a long-used ingredient used by native women in the forests of Siberia to soothe aching limbs that Franz and his wife discovered on their travels.

The highly-concentrated oil helps to ease muscle and joint pain, and soften the skin. The aromatherapy benefits of the oil relieve stress, relax the mind and body, and promote a good night sleep, which in turn helps to repair the immune system. The unisex fragrance of the product is universally pleasant and is sure to uplift your mood during your evening bath. This oil offers the ultimate bathing experience, your skin soaks up all the benefits of the oil and is left nourished, relaxed and pampered.

Purchase the Bath Oil here for £29 (125ml), £53 (250ml) or £19 for the travel set (3x 15ml).