Cities at Dawn by Anthony Epes

 

The Amazing Blog team is based in London, but luckily our working hours are pretty normal which means we don’t venture out at dawn that often. We have however, just been introduced to the splendid sight of London at Dawn by photographer Anthony Epes and we're now planning on paying more attention to this beautiful time of day.  He also photographs Paris, and consequently created the book Paris at Dawn, both filled with stunning and surprisingly emotional images.

Paris at Dawn is filled with exquisite photographs, some of which are quite moving as they show the city as if it were still asleep itself, just like most of us are at dawn. It’s very still and there are hues that we aren't exposed to on an average day so these photos allow you time to appreciate it. I love seeing Paris at this peaceful time, there’s no human disturbances like traffic or loud children, it’s literally just land before we make our mark and I find that very tranquil to see. Each image does just what brilliant photography should do, it tells a story or presents us with a journey. I feel like it makes you consider how everything in the image got there. If there is an old man sat outside his little shop then you take the time to think about him and why he sits outside at this time of day.

The London at Dawn book is just as intriguing, and may be more interesting for some of you as you can really compare it to the way you see London every single day. The photos are simple, with some beautiful, vibrant colours. For me, flicking through this book gives me the same kind of secret satisfaction as when you can see through a home window at night time and they have their lights on, it provokes a sense of curiosity in you. You will find yourself amazed at how involved you can become in these photos and seeing somewhere you think you know so well, from a wholly different perspective.

It doesn’t stop at these lovely books either. Between the 18^th and 29^th of November there is an exhibit of the project, and this takes place at The Gallery & Café, Foyles Bookshop, 113-119 Charing Cross, London, WC2H 0EB. The books are available to buy here  and at Foyles Bookshops.

The Spirit of Christmas Fair

 

It’s already nearing the time to start filling your diary (and children’s stockings) with wonderful Christmassy things, and we have the perfect day trip suggestion for you guys to enjoy between the 5^th and 10^th of November. The Spirit of Christmas Fair is an event The Amazing Blog team loves to explore every year in preparation for Christmas. Located in London’s Olympia, this fair is filled with beautiful gifts, boutiques, workshops, foods and so much more to encourage your Christmas creativity. The date is placed perfectly in the calendar to make sure can enjoy some peaceful Christmas shopping without the stress of having to buy everyone’s presents in a rush. Keep reading to find out how to win a ticket to the fair.

During the day there are plenty workshops held, tailored to the interests of a variety of shoppers, which means you are bound to find something for you and your friends to enjoy. This year there is the opportunity to learn of the Champagnes and Vineyards of Louis Roederer with Mark Bingley, master of wine at Louis Roederer. There are Flower Arranging Workshops with Phil Hammond, and Festive Beauty experiences with Graziella Vella, Space NK. Cowshed will be making an appearance with their holistic range and treatments. If Cowshed’s exciting variety of botanical products is something of interest to you then this year you can purchase the Cowshed gift ticket, which includes entry and some goodies from the collection. You can read about the different ticket offers here.

For those of you with more of an admiration for fine foods than gifts, then The Spirit of Christmas Fair will not disappoint. With an exciting collection of food and drink, the fair brings together a delicious mix of flavours from around the globe. You will find leading Artisans, Independent Producers, Royal Warrant holders and Great Taste Award-Winners, all at the fair to help inspire some fabulously creative Christmas feasts and gifts. Not only does the fair help with Christmassy ideas to prepare you for next month, but there are also restaurants and bars to stop off at whilst you are there. The Mossiman’s Winter Restaurant will be at the fair for when your taste buds need a little attention after browsing so many wonderful food stalls.  Sit back and take a well deserved break from shopping for other peoples Christmas presents, it’s only fair you dine in style if you’ve been thinking of others all day…

The Luxury Travel Fair takes place between the 7^th and 10^th of November. It’s always good to multitask, with two fairs for the price of one, you have no excuse not to pay a visit. Conde Nast Traveller has bought together a collection of holiday and high end travel experiences for you to discover. There is plenty to do and lots of time to mingle with experts from the travel industry. Leading brands bring incredible destinations and experiences with them to the show, and they are more than happy to chat with and advise you on adventures you’d never even thought of venturing on before.

If you’re looking to treat your friends and family with gifts this year that they wouldn’t normally find on the high street then take a stroll down to the London Olympia between the 5^th and 10^th of November. With tickets for adults beginning at £18, and for children (13-16) at £10.50, there’s no reason not to. If you think you will need more than one of the days to explore; which you might because there is so much there, then for £29.50 you can buy an unlimited ticket. All tickets and information can be found on their website. 

TWO FREE TICKETS TO BE WON FOR THE FAIR. EMAIL US WITH YOUR NAME AND CONTACT DETAILS TO BE ENTERED INTO OUR DRAW TOMORROW. WINNERS REVEALED TUESDAY 5TH NOVEMBER. Email press@amazingpr.co.uk

Friday Favourites: Health Supplements

We all know the importance of looking after our bodies with regular exercise and a healthy balanced diet, but there are additional ways of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and ensuring your body is in tip top condition. Here at The Amazing Blog, we have been trying out a range of health drinks and supplements to improve your health, and we wanted to share with you our favourites. Sigma Foods has created a small collection of instant powders with health benefits that you can add to any drink and even your food to boost your overall wellbeing. There are four varieties on offer: Chaga, Reishi, Cordyseps and Lion’s Mane, each offering distinct health benefits. Chaga can be taken to boost your immune system by fighting pathogens, and it is a very strong antioxidant. Reishi can reduce your stress levels, improve your night’s sleep and increase blood circulation. Codyseps is used to increase energy levels and speed up recovery after exercise and can boost your sexual performance! Lastly, Lion’s Mane is used to protect the nervous system, improve cognitive ability and improve your memory. The powders are made from medicinal mushrooms, herbs to improve digestion and absorption of essentials nutrients. They are vegan friendly as well as being gluten and lactose free. While the powders don’t taste great mixed with just water, they are just as effective mixed into a smoothie or even cake! You can find plenty of recipes on the Sigma Foods website. The Instant Beverage sachets are available from Inspiral to buy singularly at £1.35 or in a box of 20 from £16.95.

When trying to gain muscle, protein shakes can be a good supplement to aiding muscle growth and repair. Purition have a 100% natural whey protein supplement shake to use in conjunction with your training. The shakes are filled with essential nutrients and proteins as well as being full of natural fibre to increase your metabolism and improve digestive function. They are also gluten free, with no added sugar and absolutely nothing artificial added in. The shake is idea to use pre or post workout or as a meal replacement. We love the wonderful instruction illustration on the packaging which gives the option to make the mixture into a smoothie with added berries and banana, which we think looks amazing! The Body Pro shake is available in three flavours Chocolate, Pistachio and Coconut, and can be bought from the Purition website for £19.95 for 500g.

With our hectic modern lifestyles it can often be hard for us to ensure we are always getting enough of the nutrients that our body needs. Ovivio Wellness is a liquid based supplement drink that made using the leaves of the Olive tree, which is well known for its health benefits. The Olive leaf is rich in antioxidants that are vital in dealing with pollutants, additives from poor diet, excess sun, smoking and alcohol as well as reducing signs of aging. It has also been proven to be antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal so can actually work with your immune system to keep you healthy and ailment free. This wonderful supplement can improve blood circulation, decrease blood sugar levels and reduce tiredness. The drink doesn’t taste that great, but it can be mixed into fruit juices, smoothies and tea to make it more palatable. You can purchase Ovivio Wellness from Holland & Barrett or the Ovivio Wellness website where you can buy a two week supply for £28.

To ensure we get all the essential nutrients to help our bodies to function correctly, Revive Active have created supplement sachets that contain over 26 active ingredients that work in synergy to effectively and efficiently boost your body’s key functions. Revive Active is caffeine and sugar free, but provides an energy boost to keep you going throughout the day. It looks after your heart and cardiovascular system and boasts anti-aging benefits for not just your skin, but hair and nails too. The supplement helps to promote an improved immune system as well as boosting focus and cognition. Our Executive Editor, Edwina, has been taking these supplements religiously and have since found that they have increased her metabolism and energy levels resulting in weight loss as well as feeling healthier. We can’t argue with that! To discover all of the wonderful health benefits of Revive Active, visit their website where there is a wealth of information as well as scientific evidence of the positive effects of this supplement. The Revive Active sachets are available from the website where you can buy a months supply for £59.85.

You may remember being force fed cod liver oil as a child to provide you with essential Omega 3. We remember well the awful fishy taste and, even worse, when it repeats on you. However, Omega 3 is such an important supplement to take as our body does not make EPA and DHA fatty acids which our essential for our bodies. So if you do not eat enough oily fish, taking a fish oil supplement such as Bare Biology Lion Heart is one way to ensure you get all the nutrients you need. Fish oil that tastes fishy is actually rancid, so unlike the fish oil of our youth, Bare Biology Lion Heart has a pleasant lemony taste. One 5ml spoonful of this oil is contains the same amount of Omega 3 as ten 1000mg fish oil capsules, so what you are taking is much purer and thus you get more for your money. I’m surprised at how much I liked this oil compared to other varieties that I have tried and would definitely continue taking it. The Bare Biology Lion Heart Omega 3 Fish Oil can be purchased from their website for £47.50 for 150ml.

For many of us weight loss is part of our healthy lifestyle concerns, so when we find out about supplements that can aid us in our plight to lose weight and get fit, we just have to try them out. Aspire Drinks are carbonated cranberry flavour drinks that are sugar free, fat free, and even calorie free. They work to increase your metabolism so you burn off extra calories. Aspire have recently launched their Two Week Little Black Dress Challenge, inspiring us to get in shape for the upcoming Christmas party season. Just two weeks of drinking Aspire can lead to weight loss between 2 and 10lbs. We think that these drinks are the perfect way to rehydrate after a workout, as they taste delicious and are very refreshing. You can get your hands on these wonderful Aspire drinks from Tesco for just £1 each.

Time Out Top 100 Cheap Eats in London

As many of our readers from London might know, London is an expensive city to live in. Those of us who live in this amazing city, face the struggle of having big living expenses… the most outstanding one? Rent. Nevertheless, London is renowned for its wide restaurant and gastronomy offering; so bearing in mind our budgets and our love for going out for either breakfast, lunch or dinner, Time Out have given us a wonderful solution in the form of a book. Time Out Top 100 Cheap Eats in London has become a book that  The Amazing Blog always take a look at for recommendations whenever we want to treat ourselves to an affordable, yet high-quality meal.

The fantastic thing about Top 100 Cheap Eats is that the restaurants are organised by area; so if you want to have lunch with friends in South London, the suggestions are easy to find. In this book you can find the best places to get burgers, burritos, pie and mash… it even introduces you to the most popular food markets of the city; including my personal favourite, Borough Market.

Whenever me and my friends plan on going out for a meal I take this gem of a book with me just because I know that I can genuinely rely on it for a good and affordable meal. Each restaurant included in the book has been handpicked on the basis of quality for money, and has been tried and tested by the Time Out’s review team themselves.

Covering everywhere in the city, Time Out offers this essential guide to the Londoner who wants to go out without breaking the bank… because we all know that is quite easily achievable in the Brit capital.

If you'd like to expand your tastebuds on a strict budget, you will find the Time Out Top 100 Cheap Eats in London available from Amazon for £4.99.

Friday Favourites: Think Pink for Breast Cancer Research

As you might already know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and with breast cancer being the most common form of cancer in the UK currently it has never been so important to raise awareness of the symptoms of this horrible disease. Here at The Amazing Blog, we have been collecting a range of our favourite products that are currently raising money for this wonderful cause by donating a portion of their profits to breast cancer charities. Bodhi are an eco-luxury skincare brand based on the philosophy that a good natural skincare routine will not only boost your skin, but also your wellbeing. The Bodhi products use traditional botanical remedies as the basis of their skincare range, using only 100% natural essences. To support the cause of Breast Cancer Research, Bodhi have created the Desert Rose Rejuvenating Face Oil Limited Pink Edition. This is a luxurious facial oil is based on the Bulgarian Damask Rose and features Argan Oil, which has skin renewal qualities and Rose Hip Oil which has anti-aging properties. Bodhi founder, Elijah Choo says “Our aim is to empower and inspire women to support this tremendous cause by helping to reinforce body confidence during breast cancer.” To support the work of this fantastic charity, Bodhi are donating £10 to Breast Cancer Research from every sale. You can purchase the Desert Rose Rejuvenating Face Oil for £38 from the Bodhi website.

Dell’Ugo have created a very special pasta to raise money for Breast Cancer Research this October. The new edition to their fresh pasta line is the exciting Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Fiorelli, which not only sounds delicious, but looks it too as this pasta is pink! We think that this would be a very quirky choice to serve up at a dinner party as the pasta offers up complex flavour combinations because the beetroot has been tenderly marinated in a relish consisting of pomegranate and mint. You are in safe hands with Dell’Ugo as they have been creating delicious new recipes in the UK since 1929. You can try the special pink pasta yourself as it is available now from Waitrose where it is retailing for £3.49. Dell’Ugo will be donating 10 pence from every pack that is purchased to Breast Cancer Research.

This October, OPI has launched its seventh annual Special Edition Pink of Hearts 2013 nail duo to promote breast cancer charity Look Good Feel Better. The set contains a gorgeous baby pink polish 'Pink-ing of You' and a Limited Edition glitter polish 'More than a Glimmer' that can be worn over the top of the pink shade. As an added bonus, OPI are giving away free nail decals within the set so you can add crystals and pink ribbon embellishments to complete your look. For every Limited Edition Pink of Hearts kit sold, OPI will donate £2 to Look Good Feel Better. You can purchase your own kit from the OPI website for £18.80.

 To support the work of the Pink Ribbon Foundation, haircare brand Paul Mitchell have created a limited edition collection: 'The Girls are Alright'. The collection includes the Super Skinny Serum, the Super Strong Daily Shampoo and the Super Strong Daily Conditioner, which are all presented in limited edition packaging to raise awareness of breast cancer. The range aims to improve the appearance and quality of your hair by strengthening and conditioning it. We love the colourful and fun packaging of these lovely hair goodies. You can get your hands on these special products from the Paul Mitchell website where the Super Skinny Serum is available for £17.25 for 150mls, the Super Strong Daily Shampoo is £11.50 for 300ml and the Super Strong Daily Conditioner is £14.25 for 300ml. Clinique have released a special edition Pink With a Purpose lipstick in the shade 'Pink Ribbon Honey'. The lipstick is a lovely pink colour that will give you a sheer coverage so it will enhance your natural lips without being too heavy. The lipstick also comes with a limited edition pink ribbon case which is perfect for storing makeup essentials in your handbag for reapplication on the go. We love the sleek and luxurious packaging and think it is the perfect size for girls who are always on the move. For every purchase of the Pink With a Purpose Lipstick, Clinique will be donating £2 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and you can show your support now by getting your own from the Clinique website where it retails for £16.