Christmas Special - Alternative Gifts for Him

Christmas shopping is fun when you go out for the day and pick everyone’s present, but it can be a struggle when you have a family relative or a close friend who is slightly picky or you just have no clue what they would like. At the Amazing Blog we can definitely relate to this so we've decided to put together an 'Alternative Guide'.

During Christmas day to keep the entertainment going, it’s nice to play games with your relatives and friends. The first product which would make a good small gift is the Rubik Sparks. It’s a new Rubik's cube that has six new games with 25 unique levels, and each level will challenge your mind, speed, memory and logic. We saw this and thought it would make a good family activity for the kids and parents to get involved with and see who the best gadget player is. This Rubik's cube is also upgraded with a new revolutionary way to control the game: there is no buttons or touch screens, and you control the spark by tilting and turning. You can play this game either in a single or multiplayer game play.

You can purchase this cube here for £24.95. 

The second alternative we find is this luxurious brand that specialise in the finest tableware called The Posh Trading Company. Each product is beautifully made and we were really impressed with their Luminescent Coasters. Mixed with the old and modern interior design, they come in a variety of colours you can choose from. They are presented in a clear acrylic box or a silver leaf lacquered box to show off the beautiful design of each coaster. We loved the modern twist to the coaster display that will definitely enhance your dining room décor and will look lovely if you or someone were hosting a dinner party or a corporate event. 

Our team’s favourite is the gold coaster box that you can purchase here for £135.00.

Celebrations and enjoying yourself with your family is the best time on Christmas day surrounded with your loved ones. We have found a company that specialise in 'special' gifts that you would give to someone over Christmas to add that bit of humour.  The company is called Barbuzzo.  We loved their motto of  'life is too short to be serious' and here at The Amazing Blog we definitely agree on that. A silly joke or a gift you may see that reminds you of a relative will always work over Christmas, but if you are finding it specially difficult to purchase a present for a male we definitely recommend going to their website. Our favourite product was the Beer Hammer, a real hammer that actually works but that you can also use as a bottle opener. It is the perfect 'two for one' funny gift if you know anyone in your family who loves DIY's and a good beer

You can purchase the beer hammer here for £7.38.

The final alternative product that we think would make a really good and useful present is by the brand Udoq. They have come up with a Docking station that is suitable worldwide for any brand of mobile phones. We were also really impressed with Udoq's vision of helping to protect the environment, stopping tons of electrical goods going to waste by just using one device. You can customise each docking station which we find even more intriguing and impressive.  The team here really liked the idea, specially as it is sometimes common to have two phones or a phone at home for back up. This will make your life easier as you can even use other kind of devices such as iPads and it will also help  protect the environment, what's not to like?

Grab this, either for yourself or as Christmas present here for £ 89.84. 

Make Up Feature - Friday Favourites

At The Amazing Blog, make up is an everyday essential in the office we love to experiment and have fun with different products to create flawless looks. Here our some of our favourite brands that we recommend trying: Spectrum, Poni Cosmetics, Sleek, Pierre Rene and Beauty Boulevard.

To create a beautiful base you need to have the right brushes to apply the make up with, Spectrum are known for their pretty collections and quality make up tools that won’t break the bank.  We recommend trying the 4 Piece Contour Set we're sure this will change the game in your make up. The contour set is made up with four make brushes including a Flat Top Buffer, Domed Buffer, Tulip Powder and Angled Powder. It is recommended to begin using the flat buffer tool as this brush creates an even base. Once you have applied the foundation, the domed buffer brush can be used for an airbrush finish by gently blending and buffing product into your skin. Next if you want to create angles and accentuate the cheekbones and jawline you can use the angled powder brush.  Lastly, the tulip powder brush can be used with a powder to finish the look off. These brushes are made from a high quality synthetic hair, which is why they feel fluffy and soft that feel great on the face, plus they are cruelty free.

To create an airbrushed natural look you can purchase this set here for £29.99. 

Good brows is an essential for women and there's still no sign of this trend leaving. For the perfect brow, we recommend trying Brow Magic by the brand Poni Cosmetics. The pencil is ultra slim with a super fine tip making it easy to apply and to create a defined look. Brow magic comes in a twisty pencil packaging so there's no wasting time needing to sharpen, the pencial has a light brown, is highly pigmented formula which you can build more until you get the shade desired. For that eyeliner flick that stays all night, we recommend the smudge proof Liquid Liner from Poni Cosmetics.  This felt tip eye liner is perfect for beginners as it has a thin tip that will help to create a sharp, sleek wing. If you want the perfect brows you can purchase the Brow Magic pencil here for £21.91, and for the perfect winged liner you can get the Liquid Liner here for £21.91.

We always have imperfections that we want to hide whether its dark circles from lack of sleep or a spot that has appeared- just at the wrong time. The solution? The Colour Corrector from Sleek.  This palette will be your every day go-to, it is the ultimate professional tool with six colour correctors that will balance, neutralise any blemishes and hide any unwanted flaws.

With six colour correctors that work different ways including green, lilac, blue, rose yellow and orange, Sleek has outlined what each colour does on the back of the packaging so beginners can learn how to use this palette easily. The product is small enough to travel easily and is simply blended into the skin.  There's no need to let any imperfections bother you; why not pick up this colour corrector here for £7.99.

The third brand from our make-up feature is Pierre Rene, we were sent two sophisticated lip-glosses to try from called Be Fabulous and Trendsetter.  Pierre Rene is known for the high quality of their makeup products, and these glosses didn't disappoint. These lip-glosses are semi-permanent coverage with an intense shine that compliment well over lipsticks.  Be fabulous has a really nice pink gel texture to the gloss whereas trendsetter is a pink sparkle that looks gorgeous on the lips. 

These miniature lip-glosses are a really good travel size to pop in your handbags and apply through out the day. Keep your lips popping throughout the day; pick up these lip-glosses here for £9.25 each. 

Last but not least was a team’s favourite we loved this brand and had a fun time experimenting with the brand Beauty Boulevard and they’re product Glitter Lips, it was very exciting. Glitter lips has a variety of glitters in several colours we received the colour Cherry Pie, was a really pretty purple which is great for the winter look, and a product we recommend having in your make up collection. If you like to play dress up and want to have an awesome selfie you need this product in your life.  As its December times its definitely an excuse to bring out the glitter, it will be a nice festival look for the celebrations soon coming especially as Christmas and New Year is round the corner. What we find really impressive about this product is how long-lasting the glitter lasted, it’s not like a lipstick that you have to top up constantly after drinking or eating something, we personally tried this product and find it only came off when ourselves wiped it off. Plus it has only four easy to steps to take and the instructions are on the back which is really helpful and easy to do.

Get yourself party ready with glitter lips you can purchase here for £12.50.

Hair accessories - Friday favourites

Sometimes it’s good to have a complete overhaul of hair products to revamp tired routines and remind you of why you love styling your own hair. At The Amazing Blog we have a roundup of our favourite hair accessorises from the old-reliable paddle brush to the new straightening revolution.

The Invisibobble is your new best friend, when you’ve got to the office and the wind-swept look isn’t quite what you want to stick for the rest of the day, or you just want to get your hair out of the way on the sweaty commute then this hair band is for you. It’s made of rubber rather than elastic and can be used just like a normal hair band, however this little genius leaves behind no kink when taken out. It exists 3 different sizes according to you hair type and mood. As the band is less straining on the scalp it’s been said it can reduce headaches caused by strained skin and is kinder on your hair. Unlike the conventional hair band this mini wonder doesn’t pull on hair, allowing hair to grow thick and full, need any more reason the buy?

You can get your Invisibobble, in the size you'd prefer here starting from £3.95.

We know all too well bed hair can be too much hassle in the morning, our solution? Silky Hair days cap from Gold class, the black silky cap can be used to keep hair (natural hair and extension hair) from matting and will also help eliminate any frizz from hair. Made from Mulberry silk, we love the design of the black silk can lace- the cap even adds a shine to hair, meaning waking up, your hair is ready to style.

Wake up with immaculate hair everyday and purchase the overnight miracle here for £30.00.

If you’re looking for new hair brushes then Denman is the go-to, they have a wide range of sizes and styles to suit all hair types. The colourful range includes their signature tangle tamer paddle brush, aimed to ease the process of brushing hair; we tried the purple Tangle tamer ultra. The super- soft nylon bristles gently glide through the hair, removing the tangles and ready to style. We also tired the large Thermo-neon curling brush, this large barrel is perfect for blow-drying, to create big bouncy curls to last all day.

The whole Denman range can be found here including the Tangle tamer ultra  at £12.50 and the thermos-neon curling brush at £15.00.

Finally, we looked at the latest styling revelution; the heated straightening brush from Babyliss. The idea of straightening and brushing hair seems slightly too good to be true, however Babyliss have created the ultimate tool and we love it! The brush features a unique bristle combination with heated ceramic straightening fins, which work to smooth strands from the root to the tip leaving hair shiny and straight for the day. The simple design resembles a paddle brush meaning it’s easy to use and a convenient size for traveling.

Change your hair routine by using the Diamond heated styling brush by Babyliss available here for £80.00.

Cookbook Feature - Friday Favourites

At The Amazing Blog we enjoy a variety off delicious food all year round! It can become a routine in the kitchen to cook similar dishes each week when you have a hectic lifestyle that’s why we decided to do a cookbook guide for you. So when you’re at home you can mix it up in the kitchen and refer back to innovative recipes. Here are several essential cookbooks we recommend: Nina Capri, Miso Tasty, Dinner Tonight, Fish and Vegetable Perfection.

Nina Parker dazzled us with her first book exploring St.Tropez after wich; she had her sights sets on the beautiful location of Capri in Italy. Her new cookbook explores the magical part of Italy; through this book you experience the intimate journey Nina went on, exploring the old and the new parts of the city. This book is a representation of Nina’s love and passion for Italian cuisine presenting to us with over 100 original recipes. This is Italian food at its finest this book offers a lighter, healthier approach to cooking also they are gluten free and dairy-free options to choose from in this book including dishes such as breakfast, lunch, appetizers, starters, mains and desserts. Unlike some other cookbooks, this is shot on location of the stunning Amalfi Coast of Carpi alongside the deep blue sea which make the book full of beauty and colour. 

Explore the finest Italian dishes from Nina Parker's book here for £25.00.

The second cookbook we recommend trying is Miso Tasty, for adventurous cooks who would like to explore and expand their repertoire of Japanese dishes. With over 60 recipes to explore there are flavorsome dishes to try from other than just soup. This book shows of versatility of miso, including dips, dressing, marinades and exceptional desserts to discover. This book is an introduction into the history of eating miso regularly and how you take this lifestyle and recipes into your own life, it introduces the heritage and health benefits of Japanese food and focuses on wholesome and nutritious ingredients. The miso expert Bonnie Chung shares his tips and tricks and his expertise's into this book.

If you want to explore the best of Japanese traditional dishes, grab yourself this book here for £14.99.

Dinner can always be a struggle when you’re not sure what you want to eat or bored of eating the same thing. Why not try the book Dinner Tonight by the British food author Lindsey Bareham, this book is a collection of mouth-watering recipes, easy and accessible quick dishes that you can make after a look day at work or a busy day out with the family. This book will become your go to for delicious foods. It is packed with exciting recipes including main dishes and desserts such as polenta with lemon mushrooms, pulled chicken, or a strawberry almond crumble. The book offers a good combination of tasty and imaginative recipes that will be great dishes for your family or your friends to enjoy.

Grab Dinner Tonight for delicious dinners, available here for £20.00.

The last two books have been written by the same author Mat Follas and are exceptional. Mat Follas, winner of UK Masterched show in 2009 wrote Fish which has over 80 inspired dishes sharing his love for fresh fish and seafood. This book is ideal for people who want to explore their cooking skills and learn uncomplicated dishes but taste delicious. Mat touches upon his wealth of experience in cooking down to the basics of preparation whilst enjoying fresh healthy food.

Vegetable Perfection, has over 100 inspired vegetable dishes; Mat shows his passion for vegetarian and vegan recipes. Mat approaches new cooking techniques that modern chefs are embracing adding ingredients to boost texture and flavor, usingvegetables options like kale, cauliflower, humble carrots to cook up a storm.

If you look for sea food and fish made dishes then the book Fish is the one for you, available to purchase here for £16.58. You can also get the Vegetable Perfection here for £14.88.

Hand Cream Feature - Friday Favourites

At The Amazing Blog, we our essentials beauty products everywhere with us, in our handbag and one of these products is a hand cream. Creams in a women’s handbag is an essential as you never know when you need to moisturise your skin, we live by this rule so we decided to do a hand cream feature with the following products we loved: Outdoor Hands, Hopes Relief, Aurelia Probiotic Skincare and Believa. 

The first option to our hand cream guide is an Intense Hand Cream by Outdoor Hands, we would highly recommend this product because it is more than just a fragrance cream with no purpose unlike most of hand cream out there. This is an intense lotion which relieves cracked or chapped hands plus you can use this cream on your elbows, feet and any dry areas of your body. This hand cream is a unisex product and suits perfectly to those working outdoor whom hands normally require more attention than others. The intensity of this product is magic on damaged skin. The lotion is easily absorbed with a non grease finish and has nourishing ingredients such as vitamin E, aloe vera and natural butter to treat the skin.

Grab your Intense Hand Cream from Outdoor Hands for smooth soft skin here for £6.95.

The second product that works well with itchy and dry skin or for people who suffer from eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis is a product by the brand Hope’s Relief. The Intensive Dry Skin Rescue is suitable for everyone, including babies and adults. For people who suffer from severe dry skin it is recommended to use this product 3-4 times a day daily to achieve good results. If you are consistent using this product, studies have shown a significant improvement after using this product for three weeks as the ingredients inside such as aloe vera are natural active ingredients which are beneficial to your skin.

Avoid skin irritation with the Intensive Dry Skin Rescue from Hope's Relief and get it here for £13.50.

Hands are a noticeable part of our body that we use everyday and sometimes neglect it. The third product is from a luxurious brand Aurelia Probiotic Skincare, they’re Aromatic Repair & Brighten Hand Cream  improves the appearance of your hands by deeply hydrating and nourishing the skin for brighter, softer, young-looking hands and the cream helps strengthen your nails too. It is recommended to use this product twice a day after cleansing your hands and massage the lotion into your cuticles to improve your nails. This product is suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin, but you can also use this product in other areas such as elbow, knees and heels as it hydrates and moisturizes the skin. It contains various ingredients which help and benefit the appearance of your skin such as sea daffodil to reduce the pigmentation of your skin and lighten any dark spots.

Keep your skin looking younger with Aurelia Prebiotic and get your Aromatic Repair & Brighten Hand Cream here for £28.00.

The final product is an intensive hand care cream by the brand Believa which works effectively to skin with eczema, dermatitis and psorasis. This hand cream will only be effective if you use it daily and several times a day to achieve maximum effect. It include natural ingredients  and active substances that help soothe the skin and reduces any itching and irritation of the skin. 

Grab the Intense Hand Care Cream here for £19.99.