The Magic Flower Company

We know you might not want to hear this, but, winter is well and truly coming. Although this resonates with dark early evenings, and dreary and grey days, we at The Amazing Blog try to marry up the cosiness of hygge, and brightness of limited daylight. When we came upon the Magic Flower Company, you can’t imagine our excitement at discovering that their fresh flowers last for up to one year! What better way to brighten up your home than with freshly cut flowers that don’t require water, remaining hassle-free all year round. We were more than rather impressed with their Magic Roses, Magic Foliage and Magic Flower Arrangements.

Based in a small village in Suffolk, The Magic Flower Company was founded by entrepeneur Jack Hinshelwood. His company harvests flowers at their peak, preserving them with a unique biodegradable preservation formula. On the website, there is a plethora of floral arrangements which are regularly updated on a seasonal basis. We received 12 Antique Cream Premium Magic Roses, which were delivered in a stylish black box through the post. As you can see from the photo (above), they are the perfect ‘winter white’ and 9 months on, still have pride of place in our office. We cannot urge you strongly enough to invest in these beautiful long-lasting roses - frankly for us, gone are the days of receiving half dead and wilted flowers from a florist’s delivery van!

The designs come in different sizes and prices, which are adapted to meet popular trends and styles, and we rather like the statement flowers of the Cream Hatbox Design. Furthermore, on their website, they offer different gifting options, such as the Mini Present Box or Presentation Rose, which offer more simplistic arrangements. The flowers are available here in different styles, all of which are updated on a monthly basis. To purchase your own Antique Cream Magic Rose, then click here. A single rose is £8.95, or treat yourself to a magic 12 for £94.95.

The Lakes Distillery Gin

In recent years, the gin market has boomed, emerging a plethora of different tipples that we certainly enjoy exploring at The Amazing Blog. Recently, we were introduced to The Lakes Distillery's offerings, and I suppose you could say that our Friday afternoons have become much more interesting in the name of research!

From Cumbria myself, I was thrilled to introduce The Lakes Distillery to my colleagues. The company is based near Keswick, in the heart of the North Lakes, where co-founder Paul Currie and his team operate their distillery. The team compromises of multiple industry experts; production is overseen by whisky expert Alan Rutherford and distilling by Scottish expert Chris Anderson. You can therefore be safe in the knowledge that the Lakes Distillery's spirits are produced to the highest standard. Equally, the distillery is environmentally conscious - only fuel from sustainable sources is used, and barley waste from their whisky production is fed to local cattle. The considerations even go as far as to bear in mind the transport routes, choosing to refurbish an old barn on the main bus route to and from Keswick, encouraging staff and visitors alike to minimise the use of cars.

We tried The Lakes Gin, part of the Lakes Distillery’s core range, including 'The One Whisky' and 'The Lakes Vodka'. This gin is a special one; it is the only gin with true Cumbria provenance, made from local Cumbrian juniper, as well as a multitude of other specially selected botanicals, such as bilberry, heather and hawthorn. These are steeped overnight in both wheat spirit and Cumbrian water (sourced from the River Derwent), creating a truly Cumbrian outcome. Once steeped, the gin is distilled for up to 8 hours in a traditional and handmade copper pot, creating a smooth and refreshing taste. We found this gin pleasantly fruity in taste, with a citrusy zing that makes this tipple particularly fresh. The packaging is also sleek and elegant, the perfect addition to any spirit cabinet. I like to chill this gin and drink it neatly over ice. However, if you're feeling less adventurous, then it is equally delicious when mixed with a good quality tonic, and garnished with pink grapefruit.

We were also fortunate to try The Lakes Rhubarb and Rosehip Gin Liqueur, a liqueur with a fruity and floral taste that is delicious when mixed with apple presse. It can also be mixed with prosecco, for a sophisticated twist. As with the traditional The Lakes Gin, this liqueur is made with Cumbrian juniper and 13 other native Lake District National Park botanicals. We're sure this is one of the reasons that this gin was a Silver award winner in The Global Travel Retail Spirits awards this year. We must also point out the pretty packaging of this product, characteristically pink in colour; it is both enticing and aesthetically pleasing. This liqueur could easily be added to a vast array of cocktails or is particularly refreshing when mixed with ginger ale.

If you would like to try these Cumbrian delights for yourself, then you can purchase The Lakes Gin here or the Rhubarb and Rosehip Gin Liqueur here, both for £15.00 (20cl). They are great as a present for Christmas (if we're allowed to mention that yet) or simply to treat yourself as the cold weather creeps in!

Les Rêves De Revuelesque: Burlesque Showcase

It is time to treat ourselves to some sizzling entertainment, flashing lights and beautifully manufactured costumes. You heard right; we at The Amazing Blog, are returning to the Clapham Grand this November for the City Academy’s premier burlesque show - RevueLesque.

This show combines cabaret with can-can, with a cast of 23 powerful women performing a range of mind-blowing dances from traditional to modern burlesque. The artists are business professionals during the day that seek to inspire their audiences at night, offering a new perspective on burlesque and female freedom of expression. We have no doubt that your senses will be enlightened. With its 5th show right around the corner, the revival of the burlesque is hard to unsee. The City Academy is known for its adult creative and performing arts courses across London, including two burlesque companies.

Suzy Molnar, founder of RevueLesque and Head of Commercial and World Dance, tells us “We return to Clapham Grand for a second time- with brand new content that we’ve been working hard on all year. I believe this will be our best show yet.”

If this sounds as promising to you as it does to us, you can join the show on Tuesday 13th of November at 19:30 at Clapham Grand, 21-25 St John’s Hill, London SW11 1 TT.

Tickets are available for £19.50, click here to purchase your own from the City Academy website. If you can’t wait to see the girls in action, you can also click here for a little sneak-peak of their latest work.

The Great British Porridge Company

We all have the same problem, we’re running late, the meeting is in half an hour, and there is absolutely no time for breakfast. Tut tut, naughty us, the start to our day at The Amazing Blog should be fuelled with nutritious food to give us the energy to kick start our day. However, we are not alone, a recent survey revealed that a great deal of the British population decide to skip breakfast, as they regard it as time-consuming and unnecessary. This can now all change…with the rise of 100% instant, and naturally sweet porridge, made by The Great British Porridge Company.

Full of delicious ingredients like fruits, nuts and seeds, a bowl will provide you with all the energy you need. Packed with the best of British, and containing completely natural, gluten free and wholegrain oats, the porridge is free from added sugars, high in fibre and contains 10+% protein. If that isn't enough, then these porridges are also vegan. The brand says goodbye to boring breakfasts, and welcomes a new era, with the addition of protein and fibres, all of which are dairy free (just add hot water). And there you have it - porridge in just 60 seconds!

The Great British Porridge Company offer three different flavours, each in a 385g pack. The Goji Berry and Pumpkin Seed porridge is made from gluten free wholegrain oats, dates, coconut milk, pumpkin seeds, goji berries and chia seeds; and tastes delicious with a sprinkling of extra goji berries (and pumpkin seeds for a bit of crunch). For the banana lovers amongst us, the Blueberry and Banana porridge proved to be a winner. It contains the same base ingredients as above, but with the additional zing of blueberry and banana. This was a popular choice in the office, and made a delicious overnight oats base for those of us who like to spend a little less time making breakfast in the morning. Finally, and the firm favourite in the office, the Strawberry and Peanut Butter porridge is a scrumptious way to add a bit of sweetness to a cold morning. Simply top with fresh strawberries - or frozen if you’re feeling exotic - and enjoy a filling and wholesome breakfast.

The 100% naturally sourced ingredients, including the wonderfully delicious oats, make up these tasty bowls of porridge, all of which are handmade in small batches in Sussex. They are available online, on their website for either £4.99 a pack or as part of a monthly subscription. Yummy!

Ashley Juhl - Anti-Ageing Range

We’re always on the lookout for the latest and greatest in woman’s skincare, especially when it comes to anti-ageing techniques. The Amazing Blog came across Ashley Juhl Skincare, a luxury American skincare range formulated by medical aesthetician, Ashley Juhl. Ashley opened her first skincare clinic at 24 years old and has devoted her career to helping people attain beautiful skin. Her dermatologist-formulated and tested skincare range is designed to have clinical results. Each product includes medical and botanical ingredients and is intended to correct, restore, and protect the skin. We we fortunate to have the opportunity to try four of their products.

Firstly, we gave the Ultra Benefits Firming and Brightening Moisturiser a go. This is an antioxidant-full moisturiser that helps to prevent and reduce visible ageing changes. As well as its hydrating and evening skin tone abilities, this moisturiser contains Chromabright, which decreases the appearance of age spots and uneven pigment. It also contains peptides that help to strengthen the skin’s collagen and reduce the appearance of fine lines. The added bonus? It has a lovely floral-scent.

Next, we tried the Advanced Retinol Wrinkle and Skin Tone Corrector. This serum is packed full of retinol, phospholipids, and glycolipids, ingredients which help to firm skin and reduce the look of wrinkles and pores. What makes this serum unique is the use of lipids, which do wonders to decrease dryness and repair the skin’s moisture barrier, preventing dry and irritated skin. This serum also contains advanced retinol, a combination of retinol, bioidentical phospholipids and glycolipids. Hello, younger-looking skin!

Ashley Juhl’s Vita Soothe Protective Replenishing Serum effectively smoothed our skin, giving it the extra plumping that it sometimes needed. This serum contains vitamins E and F which provide the skin with a beautiful glow. It can be used on all skin types, including acne-prone skin. One of its most important ingredients is the lipochroman antioxidant which protects the skin from ageing caused by UV rays, toxins, and pollutants. We loved the silky feel of this serum on our skin.

Lastly, we tried the C-Stem Concentrated Anti-Ageing Serum. The lilac stem cells help to lessen inflammation and give the serum a light floral scent. The vitamin C and marine extracts help to brighten the skin, as well as diminishing deep lines and pores by decreasing the skin’s ageing protein. If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution to slow down ageing, then this is the serum. What caught our attention, is the ability for this product to reactive genes, once again helping with the production of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin.

If these products sound like they could help you, then they can be purchased here. You can also use the code AmazingB15 for 15% off when you purchase a skin system, or 3 or more products. Happy shopping!