Lindsey's Christmas Wish List

This the season to eat, drink and be merry! Like most, Christmas time is one of my favourite times of the year. During the holiday season, I truly enjoy indulging in the most pleasurable pastimes: eating sweets, browsing for new beauty products and attending fabulous holiday parties. Although I’ve already been out and about shopping for the perfect gifts to give to my friends and family, I have compiled a small list of some things I would love to see in my stocking this season. Whether it be food, skincare or make-up, these products would make the end of 2014 nearly perfect.

The holidays are just the right time to allow yourself a few extra sweets than usual. Thankfully, Merangz is offering a limited edition gift pack of tasty treats for Christmas. The Christmas Decadence Bites package features a selection of six festive flavours: brandy soaked fruit Christmas Pudding, Irish Whisky Gold, Dark Chocolate and Sicilian Orange, Vanilla Sherry Trifle, Chocolate and Cherry and finally, Peppermint Dark Chocolate.

Though my go-to choice for a bite-sized sweet is usually a macaroon, I was pleasantly surprised with the unique flavour selection this company was offering for the holidays so I decided to give Merangz a try. My initial reaction after trying these treats was shock—I did not expect them to taste so light and airy! The mallowy centre allows the treats to be enjoyed with no regrets. I did not feel guilty after eating them because unlike most sweets, they didn’t taste so heavy. The unique flavours and delicious taste of this collection made it impossible to just have one. Treat yourself this Christmas or purchase Merangz as a gift for a loved one online for £5.95 per box.

Holidays mean one thing and one thing only…party time! This season, I’m planning on attending a number Christmas parties, along with a big New Years celebration. When it comes to themed parties, I like to go all out with my make-up. My make-up routine for special occasions usually consists of a bold smokey eye paired with a bold lip. This year, I am looking for a lip brand that is chic, affordable and long lasting. Luckily, Couleur Caramel sent us samples of lipstick, because one I tried this product I knew I had found my New Year lip shade. Take a look at the lipstick along with a range of other make-up products on the Couleur Caramel website.

Though the end result is fabulous, taking all of my make-up at the end of a long night tends to be a pain. Sometimes, I even fall asleep with it on! This unfortunately causes irritation around my eyes, which is why I’ve included Dry Eye Gel on my wish list. This product is a natural gel that includes a plant extract of Cardiospermum which is sure to soothe and heal any unwanted irritation. The gel has been tested on those who suffer from eye allergies as well, making the development of the product extremely gentle with the skin, which I find essential for around the eye skincare. Dry Eye Gel costs £6.95 for the 15ml and is available from Skinshop. 

Another product which I'm always on the lookout for at this time of year is the perfect perfume. We were so excited when The Perfume Studio sent us this Design Your Own Fragrance - The Ultimate Collection set. No longer will I have to hunt for my favourite fragrance - with this thoughtful kit, I can just make it myself! The set contains a collection of base, middle and top note scents, as well as pipettes, an atomiser and a beautiful perfume bottle. With the huge range of aromas to pick from, including Amber base notes, and Fruity top notes I can make a bespoke fragrance for any occasion. You can buy The Perfume Studio's beautiful Design Your Own Fragrance - The Ultimate Collection here for £95.

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.   

Lara's Christmas Wish List

Christmas is just around the corner, and if you’re still sorting out your Christmas shopping, fear not, as I have a few suggestions sure to please over the festive season. From perfume to chocolate, we here at The Amazing Blog have a few ideas for everyone.

Perfume is such a thoughtful gift for friends or family, and I really love those fresh, universal scents that suit any personality. One that I’d be thrilled to see in my stocking is St Kitts Herbery’s new Bergamot Perfume. The musky scent contains base notes of patchouli and amber, as well as orange and, of course, bergamot. The beautiful fragrance actually makes a great unisex aroma, one that I’d happily gift to someone special, whether male or female. The perfume is available to buy here for £24.95.

It’s also the time of year to immerse yourself in gift sets, and Korres offer some great selections. In particular, their Wild Rose Brightening Collection is a great introduction to the brand, and a wonderful present for any budding skincare enthusiasts. Consisting of the brand’s signature Wild Rose 24H Moisturising & Brightening Cream, and the new Wild Rose Advanced Repair Sleeping Facial, this limited edition set smells divine, and is great for keeping your face moisturised during the colder months. The set is available to buy here for only £10, making it a fantastic stocking filler.

Of course, everyone loves tasty treats, and InSpiral have just the thing to keep your friends and family happy this Christmas. Their Goji & Purple Corn Raw Superfood Truffles are absolutely delicious, with their melt in the mouth texture being just like a decadent chocolate brownie, only with a lot more health benefits. The raw vegan treats contain cashews and are coated in wonderful coconut flakes, ideal for sharing with your loved ones, although I found it difficult not to eat the lot myself! You can buy them in packs of 4 here for £3.95. We only wish they came in a bigger size!

There's nothing better than curling up and keeping warm after a long day. And Christmas is the perfect time to sit around family and friends, sipping on a hot drink or two. The East India Company offer a wonderful selection of winter beverages, perfect for buying to share this Christmas, or for gifting to someone who loves a good cuppa. The brand offers a wide selection of Christmas drinks, including Spiced Chai Drinking Chocolate and Christmas Tea. My personal favourite was Christmas Coffee; a delicious blend of hazelnut, chocolate and cinnamon, I'd be happy to sip on this seasonal delight all year round. The Christmas Coffee is available to buy here for £12.95, as well as the rest of the brand's festive infusions.

Hopefully, you'll find something to suit all in this festive gift guide. Happy shopping, and Merry Christmas.