ARK Skincare - Derriere Facial

Although beach season in London is quickly coming to an end, there is still plenty of sun abroad for us to soak up. Here at The Amazing Blog we are seriously looking at all of those resort towns in Bulgaria, Greece, and the south of France to continue to live out our summer dreams. In order to properly enjoy that fun in the sun time, we need to have our beach bodies in tip top shape. Now, thanks to ARK we can start from the bottom up, literally! ARK skincare has a whole Derrière "Facial" that starts with a body brushing to boost circulation and diminish cellulite, followed by cleanser, and an invigorating body scrub. The scrub contains fruit acids and menthol to lift dead skin and unblock pores followed by a steaming and serums to lift, firm, and purify the skin. The last step is an application of nourishing body lotion to leave your bum plump soft and radiant. This innovative treatment will leave you confident and ready to strut down the beach! Perfect to boost your confidence and give you the courage to wear a barely there Brazilian thong bikini on some exotic beach.

Once your bum is in order for the beach, be sure to check out ARK's cleavage treatment and you will be good to go for a wonderful holiday full of envious looks and cocktail filled nights. . The ARK Derriere Facial, £49 for 45 minutes is available from July 1st at the ARK Flagship Salon in Putney. 

L’Artisan Parfumeur - Batucada

Here at The Amazing Blog we love new summer fragrances. So when L'Artisan Parfumeur sent us a sample of their new Batucada fragrance (in gorgeous packaging) we couldn’t wait to try it and get into the Brazilian carnival feel.

Getting its name from an African influenced Brazilian percussive sub style of samba, this fragrance is in perfect tune with Notting Hill Carnival 2014. The strong lime and mint top notes are reminiscent of the tropical, fruity drinks of a warm, sunny climate. The middle notes of ylang ylang subtly give the fragrance a beachy undertone. Finally, the bottom sea salt note, so reminiscent of holidays, purifies the senses with its salty fresh fragrance, as if we were on the famous Ipanema beach. Light fresh fragrances are available in abundance, but the citrus notes in Batucada transport you to the Brazilian beaches, giving this fragrance an edge on the competition.

L’Artisan Parfumeur is one of France’s most iconic fragrance houses and has been creating gorgeous scents to suit the seasons since its formation in 1976. L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Batucada is available here for £85 for 100ml.

Acqua Di Parma – Rosa Nobile

Here at The Amazing Blog, we love Acqua Di Parma and regularly feature them on our blog. We were thrilled when we heard about their new Rosa Nobile fragrance, and it quickly became our favourite summer scent.

Rosa Nobile is the newest fragrance from the Italian house. As the name suggests, the key note is Rose, a special sort of Centifolia Rose at that. It grows and blooms only in Italy, making the fragrance every bit the Italian gem we would expect. The composition of the fragrance means that Rosa Nobile opens with a luminous, juicy, Italian-style signature of bergamot and mandarin, which immediately emphasizes the fruity floral notes. This is then spiced up with a touch of black pepper to capture the attention and imagination of your senses. This mix of citrus, floral and tart notes is enriched with lily of the valley, velvety violet and gentle peony. As the ingredients suggest, this is a floral fragrance lover’s dream. Some floral fragrances can seem weak, however the sheer number of floral notes combined with the dry, sophisticated woodsy notes of cedar and ambergris means that this fragrance lingers for hours. This fragrance is one which all of us here in the office absolutely adore.

The new perfume Rosa Nobile comes in the same, recognizable bottle as the previous Nobile editions, and its pink fluid looks even more vivid in the golden bottle. The fragrance is available in 50ml and 100ml Eau de Parfum, accompanied by perfumed body care products. It can be bought here for £70 (50ml) or £98 (100ml).

Rani's Mixture

We are always in the market for a tasty new snack here at The Amazing Blog and we were delighted to come across Rani’s Mixture. A mixture of spicy fried noodles and various other ingredients put together to form a delicious and nutritious snack, the Bombay Mix contains some of the finest exotic ingredients, including peanuts, cashews, cassavas and fried curry leaves to delight your taste buds. Rani’s Mixture is often referred to as one of the ‘seven wonders’ because all the ingredients taste so good together! The mixture is hand cooked using pure sunflower oil, and they only cook small batches to ensure quality is maintained. The good people at Rani’s do not believe in doing things by half, which is why they won The Good Taste Award in 2013. If something doesn’t look, taste, or feel great in your mouth, then it is not good enough for them. Rani’s Mixture distinguishes itself from other Bombay Mixes in the supermarket because their mixture is fresh, simple, and does not contain any added preservatives or colouring. Suitable for vegetarians, Rani’s Mixture comes in a resealable bag so you can carry it around with you all day, and have a bite whenever you feel the urge. Although we wouldn’t count on it lasting long enough to be resealed!

We love to indulge in snacks during the day so it helps that Rani’s Mixture is healthy and packed with many different flavours to satisfy the snack urges of everyone in our office. Purchase a bag of Rani’s Mixture from their UK distributor here for just £1.50.

Friday Favourites - Yummy Cookbooks

With SO many cookbooks out there, it sometimes becomes hard to choose which one to use when craving something delicious to eat. We happen to be quite indecisive here at The Amazing Blog when we’re looking for a recipe to whip up, however, a few cookbooks tend to always stand out from the crowd. These books include everything from Mediterranean to whole foods recipes, and have been supplying us with much needed inspiration in our kitchens!

‘One’ by Florence Knight is an exciting and unique book. Florence made her name as the head chef at London’s Polpetto, and has now brought out her first book. She turns her attention to the kitchen cupboard to create imaginative, honest food from her favourite ingredients. Each of the 10 chapters in ‘One’ focuses on recipes built around one particular ingredient, such as olive oil, flour, mustard, vinegar, salt, ketchup, nuts, eggs, honey, and chocolate. The result is a host of modern European dishes that have appeal, longevity and a touch of elegance. Florence proves just how much can be achieved with just a bottle of ketchup and some imagination. These simple yet delicious recipes are easily achievable and embody her motto of ‘less is more’. So if at the end of the month you are left with only a few choice staples, pick this book up and see what you can create! ‘One’ can be purchased here for £22.88.

Eleanor Ozich’s ‘My Petite Kitchen Cookbook’ is a complete menu of more than 100 simple, nourishing, wholefood recipes that Eleanor designed herself. Each recipe is written and photographed by Eleanor, and she has annotated each one indicating whether it is gluten free, dairy free, suitable for vegetarians and vegans or a combination of these. When a recipe is not gluten or dairy free, Eleanor has suggested an alternative ingredient to make it that way. Each recipe has thoughtful tips, and the ingredients have conveniently been listed in cups, grams, and ounces. Almost all of the recipes in the book are new, however, she has included a handful of her old favourites. The book includes everything from breakfasts and light meals to warming drinks and a fantastic basics section with a handful of simple recipes. ‘My Petite Kitchen Cookbook’ comes in handy when we need to cook for our friends with different eating habits and likes, or dare we say it - picky eaters. ‘My Petite Kitchen Cookbook’ can be purchased here for £45.00.

Nina Parker has a passion for food. Her cookbook, ‘Nina St. Tropez,’ includes recipes from the south of France, as Nina is dedicated to bringing a taste of her childhood to the heart of London and beyond. She explores the real St. Tropez, and the surrounding area through its secret, scenic walks, markets, vineyards and communities of artists and fishermen. The book is filled with classic French recipes for gourmet breakfasts, picnics, lunchtime snacks and dinner parties to impress. This book represents family cooking from across the south of France and is perfect for unique meals, like our favourite ‘Le Mistral Stuffed Vegetables.’ Le Mistral can be served as a starter or side, and the recipe is so versatile that you can use all types of vegetables. Purchase ‘Nina St. Tropez’ here for £13.44.

After our trip to France with Nina we are whisked away to Greece with Maria Elia. Greek cuisine has a long long history of delicious recpies, and now you too can enjoy these thanks to Maria Elia bringing the traditional flavours and ingredients of Greece into the 21st century with her thoroughly modern take on classic dishes. Smashing Plates, as the name suggests is an adventurous book, in which Elia explores exciting new flavour combinations and showcases what Greek cuisine has to offer. The 120 recipes are a product of a summer spent cooking and experimenting at her father's tavern in the picturesque Troodos mountains of Cyprus. We loved the Marinated Lamb here at the office, but the collection also contains delicious vegetarian dishes such as Carrot Keftedes and Tomato and Runner Bean Baklava for our meat-free friends! With something for everyone, Maria's inventive recipes will open your eyes to a whole new world of Greek cooking! Transport yourself to Greece with Smashing Plates by Maria Elia available here for £13.59 

Last but not least we come to our yummy dessert book. ‘Ice Cream Sandwiches’ excited us very much because just like us, everyone loves ice cream; anyone who says differently is lying to you. Donna Egan shows us how to make gorgeous ice cream delights in the form of Ice cream sandwiches, which are the scrumptious new hit with foodie lovers everywhere. Inside this prettily packaged book are 50 easy-to-make recipes for ice cream fillings and simple cookies in a variety of tempting flavours with instructions for preparing and assembling them into delicious, unique sandwiches. When we gave it a go, we loved the Peanut Butter Dreams and fresh 'n' fruity Rose Meringues. They were so easy to whip up and were a hit with everyone here in the office. Fully illustrated with colour photography throughout, this cutesy book keeps you on task so your treats come out correctly and looking amazing. Not only for summer, this is the perfect gift to scoop up and use even in the winter months. For desserts or special creations, it’s the ultimate icy indulgence, for all year round.

Ice Cream Sandwiches by Donna Egan can be bought here for £ 16.99