Jadu Luxury Tea

Here at The Amazing Blog we love nothing more than a good cup of tea, and when we say ‘good’ our palettes certainly do appreciate a spot of luxury! We, for that reason, loved nothing more than to receive a selection of the luxurious Jadu tea to try.

Jadu Tea (pronunced jah-doo) is an independent global luxury tea brand based in the UK, sourcing their tea leaves from India, China and Sri Lanka. Their herbs and fruits come from all around the world. Their selection of tea blends range from the traditional English Breakfast to the elegant Mademoiselle Grey and the healthy China Green, with each tea being infused with a unique identity to give it that sophisticated edge.

Our absolute favourite was the Mademoiselle Grey, a take on the classic Earl Grey tea using the refreshing Sri Lankan Uva black tea as a base and finished with bright citrus note and aromatic bergamot. One cup was just not enough, we found ourselves getting up and putting on the kettle again as soon as we were finished the first.

Jadu Teas are priced at £16 for 12 tea envelopes or £19 for 100gr whole leaf tea and can be purchased from the Jadu Tea website here.

Friday Favourites - Cookbooks

Here at The Amazing Blog we love to cook. Experimenting in the kitchen, trying out new recipes and creating delicious meals is one of our favourite pastimes. Although the internet is awash with recipes aplenty nowadays, there’s something quite special about discovering your favourite cookbook, dipping into it again and again. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of our favourites, which will hopefully inspire a few stints in your own kitchen.

First on our list is the work of national treasure and Great British Bake Off veteran, Mary Berry. To coincide with Mary’s latest TV series, her new book, ‘Absolute Favourites’, is packed full of delicious meal ideas for any occasion.  With over 100 recipes, there’s bound to be something that tickles your fancy, and the recipes are so simple, that even a cooking novice could follow them. We tried out the Fish Pie with Souffle Crouton Topping and found it delicious and super simple to prepare. An interesting twist on the classic fish pie recipe, it’s perfect for a family dinner. Pick up the new book from our ‘absolute favourite’ homecook here for £8.99.

If you’re looking to venture into the daunting world of Superfoods, we think that Julie Montagu’s ‘Superfoods’ cookbook is a wonderful place to start. Full of healthy, nutritious yet delectable meal ideas, you’ll have no excuse for raiding the biscuit tin. Julie understands that, when it comes to eating healthily, food is certainly not a ‘one size fits all’ deal. Nutritional needs and lifestyle effect what and how people eat, so we were happy to see that this tome suits everyone! With a range of amazing plant-based recipes to pick from, you’ll be feeling like a superhero in no time!  Naturally, we had to check out the ‘Sweet Treats’ section, and stumbled across her ‘Black Bean Brownies with Chia Seeds’ recipe. Perfectly gooey and wonderfully chocolatey, they’re the perfect guilt-free alternative to our favourite baked good. Grab your own ‘Superfoods’ book here for £12.91

If you’re stuck in a teatime rut then the ‘The Five O’Clock Apron’ is here to help you to cook with creativity and ease. Written by chef and mum of three, Claire Thomson, the book is full of nutritionally inspired, relatively easy recipes that your little ones will love! Full of fresh, exciting and versatile meals, the recipes are also flavourful enough to please everyone around the table including the Lamb & Quince tagine and the delicious Arancini. Our favourite recipe has to be the wonderful ‘Snail Bread’ - an interpretation of the delicious Chelsea Bun – which will have everyone coming back for more! Get stuck into Claire’s inspiring book here for £20.

For those who love rich, exotic flavours, we can’t think of anything more suitable than the delicious recipes in Vanessa Bolosier’s ‘Creole Kitchen’. Inspired by Vanessa’s French Caribbean roots and drawing inspiration from her very own childhood kitchen, the pages are filled with 100 mouthwatering Caribbean Creole recipes that just scream sunshine to us! We cooked up the Sweet Potato and Ginger Cream Soup, and loved the creamy concoction that also packed a really good punch – a hearty, warming dish perfect for a rainy day. Treat yourself to a little taste of sunshine and buy the book here for £25.

For those hardcore foodies out there, we can’t quite get enough of the ‘Scook: Complete Cookery Course’ by Anne-Sophie Pic. Overflowing with exquisite French dishes, Anne-Sophie’s main aim is to teach and share her love of cooking. We’re certainly eager to learn, and found that her book is filled with 40 step-by-step guides to overcome even the trickiest of techniques, all fully photographed so that you can see how each method is performed - perfect for impressing people at dinner parties. One recipe that really caught our eye was the White Chocolate Fondant with Passionfruit and Chocolate Coulis. Easier than we expected, these are great for preparing ahead of time, as they need to freeze for 4 hours before baking, making then an ideal finishing touch when entertaining. Teach yourself how to cook the French way, and pick up a copy here for £40.

Elim Spa – Mediheel Range

Elim Spa – Mediheel Range

Here at The Amazing Blog, we spend hours perfecting our make-up, as well as applying a plethora of lotions and potions to our bodies in order to look our best. Unfortunately, due to the somewhat chilly, often damp English climate, our feet often get a little neglected. Now that it’s flip-flop season, we’re regretting not taking as much care of them as the rest of our skin. So we were glad to receive some great Mediheel products from Elim Spa; a fantastic treat for your feet!

Firstly, whether we had it before, or have gained it from prolonged sandal wear, we all suffer with dry, hard skin on our feet. So we were intrigued to test out the Callus Removal Kit. Soaked on to the hard areas of skin and left on for 10 minutes, Elim Tonic easily softened the skin, making it super simple to use the included pumice to remove. After neutralising our feet, we then applied wonder product, Foot Perfector. The gel-cream hybrid helped to nourish and cool our feet, as well as giving the skin a bright, smooth finish, that had us itching to slip on our favourite sandals. It may sound rather unglamorous, but the end result certainly had us feeling like a million pounds, and ready to strut our stuff in our best heels. Top it off with a generous spray of the Rejuvenating Gold Spritz, and our feet have never looked more beautiful!

Browse the Mediheel range here http://www.elimspaproducts.co.uk/medi-heel, and treat your feet to the Callus Removal Kit for £30, the Foot Perfector for £22.50 and the Rejuvenating Gold Spritz for £17.50. 

Make Believe - Instant Tan Wash Off Bronzer & Self Tan Mist

With that bout of heat hitting London in July, and many of us jetting off to sunnier climes, some of us in The Amazing Blog office are sporting pretty impressive tans. Unfortunately, some of us are on the paler side, and although we embrace this English Rose look most of the time, it would be nice to achieve a sun-kissed glow, without risking the inevitable sunburn. Thanks to Make Believe Self Tan Skincare, we can stick to our trusty SPF 50, and perfect the look of those bronzed goddesses we envy.

For a longer lasting tan, we really enjoyed using the Self Tan Mist. Infused with Argan Oil, it’ll make your skin feel as good as it looks, and the super dark colour was great for achieving a deep golden bronze. Our favourite, however, was the Instant Tan Wash Off Bronzer. Often wash-off colours can have a bit of a shimmer, but this matte cream is perfect for a natural looking tan. The streak-free formula goes on so smoothly and easily, and, although it is wash off, it takes quite a lot of washing to budge it, so there’s really no worry of a sweaty festival or rainy day dampening your tanned style. We used the Medium Dark shade, and loved the sun-kissed effect. We haven’t braved using it on our face yet, as we think that may take a more experienced hand. However, it is suitable for both face and body, if you have more tan expertise than we do. With none of that horrid biscuit smell (the tell-tale sign of a self tanner), it’s perfect for an inconspicuous holiday look.

Join us pale girls in playing ‘make believe’ this summer and cheat the perfect tan with the Instant Tan Wash Off Bronzer and Self Tan Mist. Grab the bronzer here for £2.00 (it's on special offer!) and the mist here for £14.99.   

Benefit Cosmetics – Roller Lash Mascara, Watts Up! Highlighter & They’re Real! Push-Up Liner

Although we often champion smaller brands here at The Amazing Blog, and love to discover hidden beauty gems, sometimes we feel it’s only right to rave about the well-known brands that are certainly worth the hype. Here in the office, we have a bit of a penchant for all things Benefit, so when they sent over some of their best loved beauty products, we were positively jumping for joy.

First in our bag of goodies was the Roller Lash Mascara. The brand’s latest release, it has been all the rage here in London, and for good reason. Designed to work as a hair roller would, the cute pink wand is equipped with tiny hooks, which lift and curl the lashes, negating the need for eyelash curlers. As well as looking more wide-eyed, we loved how fluttery and soft it made our lashes look. It’s the perfect addition to a girly make-up look.

As much as we loved the mascara, our favourite product was Benefit’s classic highlighter, Watts Up! We adore a glowing complexion, and find this to be perfect for giving a soft focus shimmer to our visage. Nothing says old Hollywood glamour like a screen siren glow. As strobing is the latest craze, what better product is there to invest in than this. 

Last but not least, Benefit’s They’re Real! Push-Up Liner takes a bit of getting used to, but with a bit of practice, it’s a great tool for creating a feline flick. The thing that impressed us most was just how black it is. There’s nothing worse than ‘black’ eyeliners that are actually slightly grey, or have a bit of a translucent pay off. This liner is jet black as can be, and a perfect consistency for staying put all day long.

You’ll surely benefit from one of these fabulous products. Treat yourself to the Roller Lash Mascara here for £19.50, the Watts Up! Highlighter for £24.50 or the They’re Real! Push-Up Liner for £18.50.