Edwina's Christmas Wish List

With a week to go until Christmas Day, it’s time to put some pep in your step and get that Christmas shopping done! If you're still looking for good ideas, here are a few products that have made my wish list this Christmas.

As anyone here in The Amazing Blog office will tell you, I’m always on the lookout for tan enhancing products. So it’s no surprise that first on my wish list this year is Prtty Peaushun’s Skin Tight Body Lotion. Not your conventional tanning product, the potion gives a beautiful golden sheen, and is far better than a lot of other products I’ve tried. The brand offers a few shades, dark being great for those who already indulge in a little fake tanning, and medium being a wonderful way to give a fabulous sheen to a paler complexion. It would be the perfect addition to any tan lover’s Christmas list. Prtty Peaushun is available to buy here for £30.

I love Christmas food, but there are some dishes that are a little too much. A serving of Christmas Pudding at the end of the meal, although delicious, is a little too rich for my liking. If you want something a little lighter, and slightly unconventional, then I’d definitely recommend looking at Patisserie Maison by Richard Bertinet. The recipe book is filled with the most delicate cakes and snacks, great for entertaining all year round. With a particularly delicious looking Lemon Trifle recipe that’s sure to impress this Christmas, it’s the ideal gift for any culinary fans, and has made its way on to my wish list. You can buy the book here for £13.60.

Whilst on the topic of food, one of the things I associate with Christmas is the beautiful citrusy scent of oranges. So when I got a sniff of the Nourish Protect Duo, I knew it would make a fabulous gift for Christmas time. Organic and cruelty free, the gift set contains an Uplifting Shower Gel, as well as a Nutri-Rich Body Butter. As dry skin is a common problem during the festive season, the inclusion of omega rich Shea Butter, Hyaluronic Acid and collagen enriched Vitamin C make this lovely gift set a godsend to see nestled under the tree. The set is available to buy here for £25.

After all of the excitement of a hectic day, I always struggle to doze off come Christmas Eve, so Kiss The Moon's Love After Dark Gift Set is a welcome addition to my wish list. A combination of Rose, Frankincense and Ylang Ylang, the soothing ingredients help you to drift off into a peaceful night’s sleep. The beautifully packaged products also promote cell renewal, so I can wake up on Christmas Day looking young, fresh and ready to greet the festivities. ‘Sleep Beautifully’ and buy the gift set here for £82.

Of course, despite a restful night’s sleep, Christmas Day is no excuse to not look bronzed and glowing, so Crazy Angel is also making an appearance on my Christmas list this year. The brand’s Bronze Desire Instant Airbrush Self-Tan is perfect for giving a quick and easy glow, which develops as the day goes on, so by the time Christmas Dinner is served, you’ll be looking as angelic as Christmas expects. The 360 spray can prove a little messy, so I tend to spray it onto a mitt to apply, giving me moisturising and even coverage for the holiday season. Get the Self-Tan here for £14.99.

We hope this has inspired a few gift ideas that might have been lacking. Merry Christmas and good luck with all of your last minute shopping.

Sarah's Christmas Wish List

It’s the most wonderful time of the year here at The Amazing Blog and I for one am having a fantastic time putting together Christmas lists for myself and my loved ones. Aside from the mouth watering food, gift giving is my favourite part of the holiday season. I love the feeling that finding the perfect present brings, and the excitement of handing it over to be opened on Christmas Day! With this in mind, here’s my list of the best gifts for friends and family this Christmas.

As soon as I set eyes on Nanshy's beautiful make-up brush collection, they shot straight to the top of my Christmas list. My particular favourite was the Large Shader Brush. Densly packed bristles make it easy to pile on the pigment, giving the power to create effortless shadow looks. I’m a huge fan of a smoky eye, so I praise any tool that will make the job easier. The PETA approved brushes have super soft synthetic bristles that feel like heaven on your skin!  The brushes are available to buy here, along with the rest of the wonderful brush range, with the shader brush costing £5.95. They would make the perfect gift for any make-up lover this Christmas.

If make-up isn’t your cup of tea, then maybe skincare will be at the top of your list. Sensational skincare brand Spiezia Organics has a great range of products, and I think that skincare fanatics would be super pleased to see their Body Softening Oil tucked under the Christmas tree. The beautiful blend of almond oil, Mandarin and Geranium essential oils is certainly a great way to maintain velvety, glowing skin come Christmas Day. Spiezia Organics also recommends this as a massage oil, perfect for relaxing over the holiday break! You can buy the oil here for £23.95.

Less about under the Christmas tree, and more about the beauty buys amongst its branches. I love the recent trend for tree trinkets from well known beauty brands. Decorating your tree with all manner of beauty products seems like a wonderful idea to me, with the added bonus of a few little treats when it’s time for the tree to come down! As fragrance is always a fail-safe gift, one of my favourite decorative presents this year is this adorable selection of perfumes from Ted Baker. The collection of mini fragrances includes 960, W, Woman and K20. All the beautiful scents look delightful on the tree, and are great for popping in your handbag for freshening up on the go once Christmas is over. The Hanging Treats are available to buy here for £23.

Of course, chocolate is always a welcome treat come Christmas time, and The Chicken Shed offer a scrumptious range of raw chocolate treats, the perfect snack to peck at during the season of overindulgence. Organic, and with no added sugar (it’s sweetened with raw forest honey), it’s a healthy alternative to your Cadbury’s morsels, taking away a little of the Christmas guilt! The flavour we really loved was Persian Blue Salt; the perfect blend of sweet and salty, but I’d be delighted if the Double Orange flavour turned up in my Christmas stocking. You can buy the bars here for £3.25, or from their high street stockists here.   

Christmas Wish List for Our Lovely Men

With Christmas right around the corner, we at The Amazing Blog have been frantically trying to gather the perfect gifts for our loved ones. Needless to say, we have found shopping for the men in our lives particularly difficult. We’ve looked long and hard for products that men will both enjoy and actually use. Fortunately for us, we received samples from companies such as Marvling Bros, Ted Baker, Below The Belt and Luscombe. The stress of shopping for our men has finally come to an end.

Instead of the usual stocking stuffer, we decided to turn it up a notch by buying a gift with a manly kick. Marvling Bros World’s Hottest Chocolate Bars are the perfect fiery gift for men. Unlike most tasty treats, this chocolate bar presents them with a challenge rather than a chance to indulge in more Christmas chocolate. In other words, the chocolate is so hot that the company actually has to send safety instructions with it.

Paired with a bottle of the world champion hottest chilli powder, Carolina Reaper, together with two bars of extreme heat chilli chocolate, this little bar of dynamite, in a very clever mini matchbox, is sure to leave you begging for a glass (or gallon) of milk.

We feel this product is perfect for boys because, let’s face it, what man doesn’t love a challenge? World’s Hottest is available from the In-a-Matchbox website, priced at £5.99. For chilli lovers, Marvling Bros Ltd have also produced ‘Hot Stuff In A Matchbox’, four bottles of the hottest chilli powders in the world, priced at £5.99.

Looking for more than a stocking filler or gag gift? We’ve found the perfect package deal of essentials that will last long, put your shopping stress to rest and smack a smile on your man’s face. The Ted Baker Personal Best Wash Bag Gift Set includes an array of men’s grooming products, including a hair and body wash, body spray, and wrapped soap. If your man is always on the go, this is an ideal travel set - chic, affordable and actually effective. You can purchase this gift at your local Boots Store or at any Ted Baker location for £22.00. Browse the Ted Baker website to and take a look at this gift set or anything else your man desires.

We want the men in our lives to feel fresh and exude total confidence every day. Below the Belt Grooming has created skincare products that celebrate, cherish and protect all aspects of a man’s body, especially below the belt, leaving him confident and comfortable in his skin. For the athlete, check out the Sports Lubricant for £7.95. Whether your guy runs, plays golf or plays football, this product will prevent chafing or any unnecessary discomfort.

Do you ever feel like your boyfriend is just lazy and you are constantly nagging him to take a shower? Or, is your man just busy and always on the go? Buy them the Waterless Shower Groin Cleanser for £6.95; he doesn’t even have to take his trousers off to use it. He just has to rub it around the groin and crotch area before heading out and he’s all good to go.

For any man that just wants to make sure he stays fresh at all hours of the day, you can buy Fresh & Dry Balls for £6.95. All he has to do is apply it after a shower and he should smell clean all day long.

These products can only enhance the every day life for all the men out there. You can purchase the products here and even buy a trio of the products for £19.60. 

If your man has decided to go teetotal this Christmas, we've also discovered a delicious selection of soft drinks from Luscombe Organic Drinks. With flavours like Cranberry Crush and Wild Elderflower Bubbly to choose from, the bottled beverage company have a great variety to spice up your Christmas. Our favourite is Hot Ginger Beer; a spicy drink with a hint of lime, this leaves a slightly peppery feeling after you take a sip, perfect for keeping you toasty warm this Christmas. You can get a pack of 4 here for £5.99, as well as variety packs, if you can't quite decide.

Who needs Santa when the men in your life have you to shop for them?

LighterLife - Fast 5:2

Eat low-fat foods. Exercise more. Skip meals. Don’t skip meals. Fast. We have all been given different suggestions for weight loss, but which ones actually work?

Here at The Amazing Blog we do not generally approve of dieting; however, LighterLife Fast 5:2 products provide a healthy way to lose or maintain weight through intermittent fasting.

Normally when we hear the word “fast,” we run for the hills because who wants to limit the amount of food they eat?

Intermittent fasting generally involves cutting calorie intake to around a quarter of what you would usually eat for just two days a week. The rest of the week you can eat how you always eat.

Why should you try this you might ask? Intermittent fasting is perfect for shedding a few pounds or keeping your weight in check. Plus, it’s easy and nutritious without the hassle of cooking, food shopping and calorie counting.

On each fasting day, you will be consuming 600 calories while still getting 100% of your recommended daily allowances of key minerals, vitamins, protein and fibre. With LighterLifeFastpacks, you have a choice between savoury meals such as Spaghetti Bolognese and Pasta Carbonara, Porridge, four shakes (vanilla, strawberry, banana and chocolate) and four meal bars (nut fudge, crispy peanut, cranberry & raspberry and toffee).

Our executive editor tried it for a week and was quite impressed that she didn’t feel hungry, even after consuming only 600 calories. She had a combination of all of the Fastpacks and her favourite was the bars. She felt they really stopped her snacking. She wasn’t so keen on the soups and shakes, but she did enjoy the porridge and pasta carbonara.

If you think this is a great way to maintain a sustainable lifestyle, you can purchase a box of four Fastpacks exclusively at Superdrug stores across the UK and Ireland for £7.99. A box of four is enough for one day of fasting. If you aren’t sure whether this product is for you, you can receive complementary media trials to sample the products first hand and then make your decision!

Skin Design London - Sleeping Beauty

Wish you could sleep forever and wake up looking like Sleeping Beauty did? Now you can with Skin Design London’s NEW Sleeping Beauty. We here at The Amazing Blog absolutely love it!

Skin Design London has introduced an innovative range of skin potions designed to specifically target ageing flaws. The Sleeping Beauty is an overnight mask treatment designed to boost collagen, reduce hyper pigmentation, thicken skin and enhance elasticity, hydration and vibrancy all while you sleep. Infused with Fruit Oil, Jojoba, White Tea, Acai Berry and Vitamins A and C, the moisturiser works to smooth and reduce the depth of wrinkles and fine lines and act as a powerful anti-oxidant to lighten skin tone for a fresher and more youthful glow. It also retextures and improves imperfection.

Because of my oily skin, I get nervous about switching up my moisturisers, but I absolutely love Sleeping Beauty. I like its subtle scent and the way the cream sinks into my skin. When I wake up the next morning, my skin feels completely hydrated and I am ready to begin my day! 

After cleansing and toning, apply a thin layer over the face and neck before sleeping. You can also use it as a 15-minute mask for a quick boost to the skin and then rinse with warm water.

Ready to feel like a princess? Go online and purchase Sleeping Beauty at £85.00 for 50ml.