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.

Gift Fripery Workshops

We have all been in that position where we have spent ages carefully selecting a gift for a loved one, only to gift wrap it and find that it looks anything other than special! At The Amazing Blog, we believe that appearance matters, and so we think every pressie should look perfect. If, like us, you struggle with your gift wrapping skills, don’t panic, because professional gift wrapper, Amanda White, from Gift Frippery, is on hand to teach you everything you need to know. Amanda hosts regular gift wrapping workshops that can turn even the most novice of gift wrappers amongst us into a wrapping extraordinaire.

Amanda offers two or five hour gift wrapping courses that can teach you all the basics from how to create bespoke gift tags to the wrapping techniques to master awkward shaped gifts – we are all thinking of wine bottles! Her course also involves teaching different styles of gift wrapping – including upcycling techniques to recycle old materials and transform them into beautiful gift wrapping.

Don’t worry if, like me, you are a useless wrapper, Amanda believes that, ‘what most people lack is inspiration, but I think I’m quite good at unlocking that creativity, then there’s no stopping them!’ So there is hope for us all. With Christmas approaching faster than we would like to think about, now is the best time to improve your gift wrapping skills.

 If you would like to find out more about attending one of Amanda’s workshops than visit the Gift Frippery website for more information, a five hour workshop will cost you only £50 per person and includes all the materials you will need. Gift Frippery also hold DIY Wedding crafts workshops to teach you how to create beautiful, personal touches for your special day.

Lunaling Capri Exercise Pants & Giveaway!

The sun has been shining brightly in London recently, which means 3 things: lathering on sunscreen, attempting to get a proper tan and getting my body beach ready. The latter is, unfortunately, easier said than done. When I was given the opportunity (or well… I actually was the only one that was willing) to trial Lunaling Capris for The Amazing Blog, I saw that as an opportunity to finally make use of my newly purchased running shoes and the start of my weekly running routine.

Lunaling exercise pants are famed to aid in weight loss and getting smoother, softer skin, which come in 3 types: Shorts, Capris and Leggings. They are made of very thick, stretchy fabric that is breathable and very comfortable to wear. The ‘technology’ behind this collection is that the pants use your natural body temperature to increase the heat around the areas where it's hard to tone up: legs, bum and tum – simply brilliant.

As I’m just in my twenties and am lucky to not have dimples on my body (yet!), I can’t say if it helped in getting smoother skin. However, for a girl that doesn’t sweat much working out normally, wearing these Capris have definitely stimulated the ‘troubled areas’ to sweat… buckets. Good thing is that even though you sweat, you won’t feel or see it through your pants because of this specially designed fabric.

Now 6 weeks later, I can say that not only have my thighs and tummy toned up a bit, I also feel more energised and awake after my morning work-out. Maybe it’s the endorphins, maybe it’s the sun – I don’t know. One thing I do know is that I’ll definitely continue using these pants when working out and it’s a no-brainer I’ll be getting the Leggings for winter.

The best bit? We've teamed up with Lunaling and are giving away 2 pairs of Lunaling Capris (worth £50 each!). The only thing you need to do is email your size (S/M/L), name, address details to info@amazingpr.co.uk. The competition will run until 19th June 2013. Worry not if you don't win – you can buy your Lunalings from their webshop (worldwide shipping), prices start from £40.