Homes and Gifts

Celtic Herbal - Balms and Candles

We at The Amazing Blog tend to opt for peaceful scents that lift our mood, and Celtic Herbal certainly does just the trick. Celtic Herbal is a Welsh artisan company, who incorporate both their love for natural ingredients, and the surrounding Welsh landscape, the one in which they source some of their key ingredients. What makes each product all the more special, is the fact that they are handmade, and not tested on animals.

We tried four products from their range: two balms and two candles. The handy-sized balms offer a simple solution for dry and cracked skin and fit perfectly into our handbags to use on the go. Celtic Herbal’s Peppermint Lip Balm is made from 100% natural beeswax and has a cooling effect. It’s made up of lovely ingredients, like peppermint oil, sweet almond oil, castor seed oil, sunflower seed oil, and calendula officinalis flower extract. We loved the piquant of the mint which gave a teeny bit of a tingle, and we found that this balm kept our lips moist and supple throughout the day.

With the Celtic Herbal Sleep Balm with Mandarin & Ylang Ylang, we found that when applied to the pulse points it helped to relax our mind. This Sleep Balm is made with warming mandarin oil to ease pressure and Ylang Ylang for calmness. It’s 100% natural and contains mandarin orange peel oil, beeswax, sweet almond oil, castor seed oil, and cananga odorata flower oil. Good to apply at the end of a busy day to bring peace and harmony.

Aromatherapy harnesses the power of botanicals and essential oils, and there are so many different ways to utilise it. Celtic Herbal has created candles from ethically sourced soy wax which are made in small batches to ensure the highest quality. Their Natural Rose Geranium & Grapefruit Travel Soy Candle comes from the Refresh range, emitting a sweet and floral scent that is connected to the balance of the nervous system. It’s said to help lift depression and relieve anxiety - we found it very mood enhancing.

The final product that we tried was their Natural Mandarin, Lime & Basil Travel Soy Candle. This comes from the Purify range. Its warm and uplifting scent intends to bring clarity and fresh perspectives. Perfect to help you unwind after a long journey. The 30g travel candles have a clean burning time of four hours, and the 105g candles can last up to twenty-five hours. Time to breathe in and relax! Purchase the Celtic Herbal Peppermint Lip Balm 15g here for £4.00Sleep Balm with Mandarin & Ylang Ylang 25g here for £5.50Natural Rose Geranium & Grapefruit Travel Soy Candle 30g here for £5.50Natural Mandarin, Lime & Basil Travel Soy Candle 30g here for £5.50.

Christmas at Clifton Nurseries

If, like me, you want to get into the festive swing of things but are filled with dread at the thought of the inevitable crowds drawn to Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland, or need to make a start on your Christmas Shopping but with rather gorge your eyes out with hot forks that pay Oxford Street a visit, then luck is at hand. Tucked away in a pocket of London beyond the hives of tourists in Covent Garden and Leicester Square is Clifton Nurseries, London's oldest and most beautiful garden centre, which dates back to 1851. Located in Little Venice (nearest tube is Warwick Avenue) it's known for being an oasis of tranquility that provides everything from outdoor plants to exotic indoor arrangements, and this year for the first time, Clifton Nurseries will be opening their doors to an enchanting Christmas Market. Held in the outdoor seating area, the nursery will be dressed up in all its Christmas finery and showcase seven independent and very stylish companies that will offer Christmas shoppers brilliant gift ideas and inspiration, in addition to those already found at the nursery.

The stalls will be able to satisfy even the most choosy of shoppers and there will be Christmas merriment a-plenty! For anyone with a sweet tooth, Baruzzo Fine Italian Chocolates offer an exlusive selection of the finest Italian chocolates, while Westbourne Grove resident Tom's Deli will be bringing oodles of Christmas treats including hampers and a selection of their favourite unique confectionary.

The handmade furniture and gifts from Emily Readett-Bayley include carved letters and her bespoke 'posh graffiti', both of which make perfect presents for someone wanting something a bit different. And with stalls including Tamara Fogle: Bags and Accessories, RS Currie & Co. Traditional Toyshop, Runaway Coast: Homes and Gifts and Prometheus Bound Books, there'll certainly be no excuse to dishing out novelty socks this Christmas.

The Clifton Nurseries Christmas Market is open on the first three weekends of December from 12-5.30pm on Fridays, 10-5.30pm on Saturdays and 11-5pm on Sundays and even better entry is free. See you there!