Friday Favourites - Nail Feature

We at The Amazing Blog always pay close attention to detail. We just insist on feeling fabulous from head to toe. This is why we love nail products, and Nailmatic, HJmanicure, butterLondon and The Ultimate Fix have left our fingertips looking flawless.

Nail polish has taken the search for your perfect nail shade to an entirely different level. Nailmatic has created the world’s first vending machine for nail polishes. All you have to do is choose your colour and press a button; it’s as simple as that. In addition to this creative idea, the product is made in France, making the quality beyond compare. Nailmatic nail colours can be purchased at vending machines for an affordable £6. Add some color to your event and find your nearest stockist at the website.

Another nail product we have grown to love it the new HJ Manicure range. This luxurious brand is inspired by the most essential aspects of the fashion industry, and creator Helen J. takes pride in providing a beautiful colour selection for your nails. Additionally, this product is cruelty free and vegan friendly. To find out more about Helen and this special product, please visit SixtyOne or Helen J.'s website for manicure work. 

If you are looking for a great gift for your loved ones this holiday, search no more. The brand butterLondon is offering a special Brick Lane Lacquer Set, featuring six unique shades. What’s so special about this set is that the nail colours East End and Chocka are set exclusives; you can’t get them anywhere else! Purchase this perfect gift and take a look at other butterLondon Lacquer collections on their website.

Now that you’ve got your colour selection set, The Ultimate Fix will act as a spectacular finishing touch to your manicure. The Ultimate Fix is a high-speed polish fixer. This product will provide just what you need to dry your nails quickly and maintain your mani. To use, spray lightly from around 30cms over each layer of base coat, enamel and top coat. Overall, the product truly sets your polish, allowing enamel to resist all chips and marks. It will also give your nails extra shine…what more could we ask for?

The Ultimate Fix is available at Selfridges London (Beauty Workshop Ground Floor), Urban Outfitters (Oxford Street),  BeautyNarcotix  and Sally Express. The Ultimate Fix (50ml) will treat approximately 12 manicures or pedicures, and retails at £9.50. It is also available in 200ml size, treating approximately 50 manicures or pedicures for £17.

My Relationship With Food by Lisa Roukin

Here at The Amazing Blog we are always down to test out and discover new and delicious recipes, which is why we were ecstatic when Lisa Roukin invited us to her launch party for her newly released cookbook, My Relationship with Food.

On November 25, we sat at work watching the clock slowly tick away as we thought about the launch party (and the food) that evening.

We arrived at Opso Restaurant for the launch party, and as soon as we entered, Lisa was right there and ready to give us her cookbook and a goody bag for each of us.

This goody bag might just the best one I have ever received. It had products from The Groovy Food Company, Chi London, The Foods of Athenry and Revolution Tea. I use the gluten-free honey in my tea every evening and the coconut oil on my face at night. Definitely check out these companies and their products if you have the time!

We made our way to the food table with delicious crackers, spreads and salads. While we cleaned our plates, Lisa sat down with us to explain the process of her cookbook. She made this entire cookbook in 3 months, working about 17 hours a day. Can you imagine? She even had to hire a food stylist. Just sitting there and listening to Lisa talk about her book, I could sense her passion for food and her hope that people will buy her book and develop a healthy relationship with food like she has.

My Relationship with Food features 100 recipes, each mirrored by beautiful photography. All of the dishes featured in the cookbook are virtually gluten-free and see minimal use of dairy and refined sugars. Plus, the recipes are organized by season. It also features the personal story of Lisa and her own journey to developing a better relationship with food, discussing her bad food habits and the ways in which she overcame them.

With recipes like Chicken Satay Skewers with Spicy Peanut Sauce, Raw Blueberry Cheesecake and Sweet Potato Hummus, you can find something both you and your entire family will enjoy. I tried the Sweet Potato Hummus at the launch party and I couldn’t get enough of it! This would be the perfect thing to serve at a family or friend gathering.

After getting the chance to sit down with Lisa and hear her story, we wish her the very best as she officially becomes a cookbook author. She has so much passion and she knows how to make healthy food delicious. We can’t wait to try the recipes in the cookbook and we hope all of our lovely readers try it too.

In the words of Lisa, “Eat what nourishes your body, do what nourishes your soul, think what nourishes your mind.” Now go online and purchase the cookbook here for £22.00 and you can start your healthy relationship with food today!

The Great Gift Company - Smartphone Projector

Ever wish your life was like a movie? Well, we here at The Amazing Blog discovered a way to make this dream come true! Say hello to the Smartphone Projector from The Great Gift Company.

Nowadays, everyone takes pictures on their phones and they cannot wait to share them with family and friends through social media. But what if we told you there was a cooler way to share your memories? The Smartphone Projector is a light and easily portable box that allows you to project images onto a blank wall or background. With a magnification of 8x, you can now share your memories on-the-go or in the comfort of your own home. There are no wires or batteries to worry about. You simply invite your friends and family to gather around, indulge in some popcorn, and watch your life on the big screen.

The Smartphone Projector can be used with iOS and Android compatible smartphones. For the best results, the phone brightness needs to be turned up to 100% and you need to be in a dark room with a blank, white surface.

You can purchase this incredible gift here for £15.50. You will need to assemble the projector yourself, but don’t worry, full instructions will be included; however, you will need to purchase your own superglue. Get ready for your 15 minutes of fame on the big screen!

Vandotsch - Speculaas Spice Mix

Who doesn’t love biscuits, especially around Christmas time? Here at The Amazing Blog our Dutch colleague introduced us to The Speculaas Spice Company and its Vandotsch Speculaas Spice Mix, and we may never look at Christmas biscuits the same way again.

Steven Dotsch, director of The Speculaas Spice Company, was inspired to launch the company using his Dutch grandmother’s recipe of delicious, warm and sweet tasting speculaas, because he missed the flavour and scent after moving to the UK. And we're so glad that Britain can now get a taste of the delicious Dutch delicacy.

The company prides itself in supplying people with only the finest spices in their speculaas spice mix, which does not include any artificial flavours, colours or preservatives. The spices are either organic, Fairtrade sourced or both.

The Vandotsch Speculaas spice mix consists of a perfectly balanced mixture of nine spices, including real, high grade, cinnamon from Sri Lanka, cloves, ginger and six other spices that give the mix a unique kick. The spice mix can be used in most recipes where regular cinnamon is used as a main flavouring ingredient.

Traditionally, speculaas biscuits come in the shape of a windmill or male or female figurine, known as ‘lovers.’ However, these days they can take any shape. If you’re going to order the mix, you should definitely consider ordering the mould, because speculaas biscuits are supposed to be the mirror image of the carved wooden moulds they are baked in. Plus, we always find it more fun to bake in shapes.

You can discover a variety of recipes that use the mix here. Check out the website and order the Vandotsch Speculaas Spice Mix and a mould for £9.99. It’s the perfect time of the year to chow down on some delicious Christmas biscuits.

LighterLife - Fast 5:2

Eat low-fat foods. Exercise more. Skip meals. Don’t skip meals. Fast. We have all been given different suggestions for weight loss, but which ones actually work?

Here at The Amazing Blog we do not generally approve of dieting; however, LighterLife Fast 5:2 products provide a healthy way to lose or maintain weight through intermittent fasting.

Normally when we hear the word “fast,” we run for the hills because who wants to limit the amount of food they eat?

Intermittent fasting generally involves cutting calorie intake to around a quarter of what you would usually eat for just two days a week. The rest of the week you can eat how you always eat.

Why should you try this you might ask? Intermittent fasting is perfect for shedding a few pounds or keeping your weight in check. Plus, it’s easy and nutritious without the hassle of cooking, food shopping and calorie counting.

On each fasting day, you will be consuming 600 calories while still getting 100% of your recommended daily allowances of key minerals, vitamins, protein and fibre. With LighterLifeFastpacks, you have a choice between savoury meals such as Spaghetti Bolognese and Pasta Carbonara, Porridge, four shakes (vanilla, strawberry, banana and chocolate) and four meal bars (nut fudge, crispy peanut, cranberry & raspberry and toffee).

Our executive editor tried it for a week and was quite impressed that she didn’t feel hungry, even after consuming only 600 calories. She had a combination of all of the Fastpacks and her favourite was the bars. She felt they really stopped her snacking. She wasn’t so keen on the soups and shakes, but she did enjoy the porridge and pasta carbonara.

If you think this is a great way to maintain a sustainable lifestyle, you can purchase a box of four Fastpacks exclusively at Superdrug stores across the UK and Ireland for £7.99. A box of four is enough for one day of fasting. If you aren’t sure whether this product is for you, you can receive complementary media trials to sample the products first hand and then make your decision!