Benefit Air Patrol

There is nothing worse than blending your way to the perfect smoky eye, for it to fade throughout the day. Here at the Amazing Blog, we swear by eyelid primers to keep those shadows in place, but there are so many to choose from. Behold, the innovative Benefit Air Patrol BB Cream Eyelid Primer. In case that was too much to absorb in one go, that’s a creamy eyelid primer with the added benefits from a BB Cream. We could barely contain our excitement to give it a try.

Eyelids are the most delicate areas of our face, and often the last place we protect. Benefit are changing that with the EnviroDefend complex within the Air Patrol primer, it guards against the harmful external forces we come across in day to day life. We were also happy to discover that it contained SPF 20, it’s so important to protect our skin from sun damage, even on our lids! The primer is super creamy and glides easily onto the skin, the soft Cushion Calm tip keeps pressure light on the delicate eye area. Benefit really did think of everything. We loved the chic, grey tube with Benefit-style detailing, their packaging is always bright and beautiful.

We found the Air Patrol very hydrating and it kept our shadow locked on for the whole day, our blending skills finally didn’t go to waste. We would recommend setting the primer with a translucent or neutral powder before going in with your eyeshadow to avoid any tackiness. For those days where we prefer a ‘no make-up’ look, simply use Air Patrol alone over the lids and wait for the colour corrective magic. The peach undertones reduced the appearance of our dark circles, while also combatting redness on the lids. Get your hands on the protective and long lasting Air Patrol primer here for £21.50.       

Urban Decay - Naked Smoky Palette

Here at The Amazing Blog, we often find ourselves drooling over the latest cult make-up releases. Ever a fan of Urban Decay’s Naked offerings, we were overjoyed when their latest creation, the Naked Smoky Palette landed on our desks. Every bit as dreamy as its trio of predecessors, we had trouble tearing ourselves away from dabbling to get a days work done!

With 12 gorgeous shades to choose from, the palette contains everything you need to perfect a smoky eye. With some of us here in the office being a bit of a novice when it comes to shadows, the inclusion of a ‘cheat sheet’ was a welcome addition. Our favourite look was Smoky Cat, which combines some fabulous bronze shadows, perfect for a winter warmer look. We had so much fun experimenting with the fabulous mixture of shimmers and mattes. The double ended brush was a must have for applying, With a fluffy blending brush on one end, and a denser smudger brush, it’s all you need to create your cat eyes for a night on the town. Beautifully blendable and wonderfully long-wearing, it’s safe to say we’ve found our favorite winter palette to take us through to Christmas and bring us into the New Year.

Make your dressing table the envy of your make-up maven friends by adding the Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette to your collection.

 Not that you’ll need convincing the palette is available to buy here for £38.

Sunshine Hats

Despite the unpredictable British summer weather, we here at The Amazing Blog know the importance of having good SPF products all year round.

Based in the UK, Sunshine Hats has an extensive range of UPF50+ headwear imported directly from Australia. Not only are their hats stylish, but they all come with a Skin & Cancer Foundation Australia accreditation which ensures that each hat is 100% protected against harmful UV rays. Yes, you read that correctly, an accessory scientifically proven to protect you from the sun.

We also love how they’re crushable, washable and water friendly, making them the ideal suitcase friendly hat for your summer travels. The hats can also be tailored to each individual head with an adjustable drawstring to achieve that perfect fit. These hats are truly a summer hols essential.

We love hats with big brims, and the Hayman Big Brim is perfect to cover up those bad hair days, plus it has wire in the brim so you can make it look exactly how you want. Or the Naples Ivory hat is a more casual alternative, perfect with a sundress or with a bikini and sarong.

To view the whole range and purchase a Sunshine Hat, please go to their website. They have kid’s hats for £10, visors for £16, and the women’s hats range from £20 - £32.  

V&A Exhibition- Shoes: Pleasure and Pain

Christian Louboutin once famously said: “A shoe is not only a design, but it's a part of your body language, the way you walk. The way you're going to move is quite dictated by your shoes.” At The Amazing Blog we could not agree more.  From June this year all the way through to January 2016, the V&A will be home to a very special fashion exhibition exploring the transformative power of extreme footwear, our fascination and obsession with shoes as well as their agonising aspects.

 
In this exciting exhibition, there is an unrivalled collection of more than 200 pairs of historic and contemporary shoes from around the world. Some are as old as 2000 years and have never been seen before.  The collection includes shoes worn by high profile figures including Marilyn Monroe, Queen Victoria, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kylie Minogue and the Hon Daphne Guinness.  There is footwear for men and women by 70 named designers including Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Prada.

Exhibition curator, Helen Persson, said: “Shoes are one of the most telling aspects of dress. Beautiful, sculptural objects, they are also powerful indicators of gender, status, identity, taste and even sexual preference. Our choice in shoes can help project an image of who we want to be.”

In addition, the exhibition reveals the evolution of shoes and how little style, material and shape are so much more symbolic than you realise.  This exhibition is a must for any fashion lover or someone passionate about history.  You can find out more about it here.

Frederique's Christmas Wish List

I’m the type of girl who loves to experiment with different kinds products and gadgets and companies. This is why I find working with the girls at The Amazing Blog so fun… who doesn’t love trying something new? My Christmas wish list consists of a unique bundle of a different kinds of products, ranging from as far as chargers to liquor. So without further ado, let the shopping begin!

The first thing on my Christmas list is The Kissable Charger. Nowadays, hardly anybody is able to live without their phone, myself included. I always thought to myself, why can't I have cute charger that is a little girly or that will add some sparkle? Then I came across FBG: an innovative technology company with the newest chargers, including my new love; The Kissable Charger. This charger is both cute and creative for it looks like a real Coco Chanel Lipstick. Both chic and functional, the charger is able to charge your phone for 2 to 3 hours. Buy your charger here for only £29.99, and be charged all day long.

As I’ve said before, I’m definitely a girly girl. In order to make my girly look complete, I love to wear some cute bracelets along with a watch. So you can guess how excited I was when I came across these Birambi bracelets made by two enthusiastic Dutch Girls. Being from Holland, I obviously have a soft spot for this company. Not only are they Dutch, but they’ve made a great ‘Make-your-own-bracelet’ concept that is fit for any girl like me who loves to accessorise on a regular basis. Here’s how it works: You choose a card. You select a bracelet, colour and write a personal message. And that's it. That's really all there is to it. What better gift is there than one that is personally made from the heart? Starting at €4 they are affordable as well. Visit the website to take these bracelets for a spin! 

Besides my hand jewellery, I wanted to add a little bit of sparkle to my eyebrows. So I came across the Bling Brow Kit created by Benefit Cosmetics. With the Bling Brow Kit, you can decorate your brows and light up the room with a sparkling set of Swarovski crystals. Each set comes with 52 crystals and a pair of mini tweezers. They also come in different colours including my favourites, Rose Gold and Greige. Just pull the black backing sheet off and pick up the crystals with tweezers to place them either on the skin near the brow or directly on the brow. Although I’m not one to decorate my body with jewellery, the brow crystals really enhance the appearance of your eyebrows and show off your edgy side.

You can purchase the artsy Bling Brow Kit for £19.50 at selected Benefit Brow Bars and wear them on a fun night out with the girls. All eyes will definitely be on yours. 

Not only do I love to dress up, but I also enjoy going out and grabbing a drink with my girlfriends. Recently I came across Snow Leopard Vodka, which I’ve slowly but surely fallen in love with. For starters, the bottle looks absolutely great. Additionally, 15% of the profits made go to the ‘save the leopard' charity. When I saw this stunning looking bottle of vodka, I could not resist putting it on my Christmas wish list. Cheers, take a shot and donate to a cause! You can by purchase a 70cl bottle of vodka for £36.00 RRP  at Waitrose, Harvey Nichols and Ocado.com, as well as all good independent drinks retailers OR on their website.

I've also discovered a delicious selection of chocolates from Sweet Dreams Ltd. called Choc Nibbles. We received two different flavours: Original Choc Nibbles and Toffee Crumble. The one I really loved was the Original Choc Nibbles. The taste of these tiny chocolates was just divine, and you could taste that they were made with quality chocolate. It's almost like eating real chocolate milk! Purchase chocolate at your local confectionery, convenience or discount stores, and share these delicious chocolates as a treat after your Christmas Dinner.