Helmies – Nail Helmets

We girls at The Amazing Blog  love having beautifully manicured hands and it's a rare occasion to spot any of our team without perfectly preened nails. Some of us get a little more adventurous than others dabbling in amateur nail art (currently rocking the reverse French Manicure look). However, there is nothing more annoying than when we are on the dash, and our nail polish is still drying. You know the scenario, last minute manicure, late and hastily digging deep into our handbags to find house keys and - yikes - you guessed it, smudging!  This is when someone suggested these clever little Helmies Nail Helmets.

In the box, we found ten white little helmets plus two bigger pink ones for the thumbs or toenails. Helmies are reusable, soft and elastic so they can fit easily over each finger/toe. Yes they do look a bit quirky and we all got the giggles when we wore them. However, they serve a purpose allowing you to go about your household errands or in our case, typing in the office. Helmies are ergonomically designed fitting perfectly over each finger/toe with three little holes on top which lets the air flow through allowing the polish to set properly. They're made of silicone gel and are hypoallergenic. In fact, they have thought of everything including the open back which allows your fingertips to be free for making phone calls or texting.

No more ineffectual waving of hands or blowing on your fingertips, time to invest in a set of these practical little Helmies Nail Helmets available for £7.99 here .

Portlebay Popcorn

These cold January nights are prime time for snackaholics, here at the Amazing Blog we are no exception. We wanted to find the perfect sweet snack for our movie nights that won't leave us feeling too guilty. Portlebay Popcorn have revolutionised popcorn with their new delicious Cappuccino flavour, we couldn’t wait to give it a try.

Portlebay Popcorn are a Devon-based crew that focus on bringing us a totally natural sweet treat, by simply popping the finest corn in small batches. It is easy to see that they do not compromise on the quality of their handmade products. The corn is simply popped with a little rapeseed oil and a sprinkle of raw cane sugar for that characteristic crunch that we love so much. Coffee lovers will be glad to know that the Cappuccino seasoning is delicious, it leaves you feeling as if you’ve had a shot of your favourite expresso without the caffeine hit! What we loved is that this popcorn has a unique flavour, and for only 115 calories per bag. We found it great for a lunchtime treat or poured into a big bowl for a movie night.

No need for expensive cinema popcorn when you can get a healthier and tastier option at home. If you want to try the Cappuccino popcorn, or various other flavours from Portlebay, then get yours here for only £6.80 for a pack of eight.

Friday Favourites - Beauty Boxes

Christmas is over and we're in freezing wet January! Most of us have already broken our 'good intentions' for our New Years resolutions. With all these grey days, we thought that we'd  share some beauty box ideas to cheer you up. Here at The Amazing Blog, we're big fans of these boxes as they give us a much needed variety of beauty treats each month and we have chosen our favorite boxes which will provide you with some spoiling treats.

Whether it’s a much needed pamper session or ready to hit the town, Dollibox has got you covered. From eyelashes to face masks, it’s a beauty addicts dream. As soon as our box arrived in the office, we couldn’t wait to indulge and try out all the products. DolliBox will send you five luxury treats to your door every month, prepping you with tips and tutorials. Dollibox will give you the opportunity to test out different  products to help you find that personal favourite.

Starting with the Freemans Charcoal and Black Sugar Polishing Face Mask and Avocado and Oatmeal Clay Mask, a must have for a pamper night in with the girls. Oil Arganic is something every girl should keep in their beauty treasure chests. 100% Argan oil, this product will moisturise and hydrate, giving your skin that natural boost as well as replenishing your hair. Also great for lips, nails, hands and feet, the benefits are seemingly endless. If you are having more bad hair days than good, Wonder 10 is what you need, transforming your hair in ten different ways to give you smooth and shiny hair. TanTruth will give you that summer glow, pulling you through the winter months. If you are ready to hit the town but forgot to pick up your eyelashes, Dolli Box has you covered. Eye Candy gives you those fluttery eyelashes, great for finalising that smokey eye effect. A beautiful sparkly nail polish is all you need to finish your look this season and Dolli Box has given you Little Ondine, a natural nail polish which is easy to peel off after use. 

Dollibox will reveal to you their beauty secrets for a bargain price and we love the idea of a flexible plan, no pressure or worries. A month to month package is just £10, 6 Month suscription £9 and for 12 month plan £8.50 plus £3.25 extra for Delivery on all plans. Click here to start receiving your Dollibox now.

We love finding new and upcoming products and Cohorted is here to provide us with those monthly must-haves. Giving you the choice of two boxes; White edition or Black Edition.

The Black edition is full of all your favourite luxury beauty brands we all jumped around in glee when the postman arrived. The award winning nail polish, Nails Inc. has already won us over before with their amazing shades of choice, however we loved the colour shades Cohorted had given us; Chelsea Flower Show and Colville Mews. Chelsea Flower Show, a bright and bold orange shade is great to light up an outfit in these cold winter nights whilst Colville Meadows a delicate beige shade will compliment any outfit you wear, all year round.  Lighten up your eyes with Bare Minerals instant eye reviver to help reduce tired looking eyes. Contouring is taking the beauty world by storm and Laura Mercier’s Facebook Palette is an essential. A complexion for flawless skin, the palette offers two concealers to cover those blemishes, a tinted moisturiser and mineral pressed powder to set the look. To bring some drama to your eyes, Cargo’s eye palette will give you that smoky eye effect. Richly pigmented colours, this palette is a winter must-have.  To finish off your gorgeous new appearance, Cohorted gifted us with a spray of Chloe, a fresh, floral scent, giving you that elegant smell. Cohorted Black Edition is available here for £35 a month. A giveaway for what you get!

Once you have got your make up looking flawless, all you need is a fragrance that matches your new look. Whether you want fun and zesty or something sensual and warm, Cohorted white edition has something for everybody. As soon as we lifted the lid, inside was a full sized 100ml Guerlain Shalimar L’eau bottle, staring at us in all its beautiful glory. From the elegant packaging to the spritz of its fresh and citrus notes, Shalimar is perfect for daytime wear and for an evening with the girls.  If that wasn’t enough to please us, a small bottle of Boucheron Paris Perfume was perfectly placed to the side in stunning white packaging. It’s orange blossom tones and rose essence is a great fragrance for spring time, smelling heavenly. Cohorted surprised us with a mini bottle of Versace Crystal Noir, a seductive and ultra-feminine scent dominated by notes of Gardenia, Donatella’s favourite flower. Last but certainly not least, a little sample of Annick Goutal Petite Cherie, which was actually made for Goutal’s daughter herself. A floral and fruity perfume with notes of pear and rose, great for daytime wear or the perfume for the summer season. Box value at £120 its silly not to grab it for only £35 a month here.

If you are a fragrance fanatic then the Perfume Society is for you. It works a little different to the other boxes. Inside is full off mini samples from a variety of companies. Ranging from Atkinsons, Floriental to Noir Exquis, The Perfume society box has got you sorted for finding your perfect scent. Accompanied with smelling notes and sample blotters, you can test out every one. Also provided is a beauty treat hidden amongst the glorious scents. Sarah Chapman’s Intense Hydrating Booster will leave your thirsty skin moisturised and rejuvenated.

To grab your own Perfume Society Box, you can buy a VIP subscription which includes eight editions of ‘The Scented Letter,’ an online fragrance magazine and you’ll also receive the Perfume Society all for just £25 a year here.  Alternatively, you can buy the box individually for £17.50 here.

Salted Caramel Milkshake - Shaken Udder

We love indulging in our childhood memories at The Amazing Blog; whether it’s remembering making sandcastles on the beach on a hot summer day or getting muddy in the park and climbing up that big oak tree. After tiring ourselves out we would go into the kitchen and our mothers would make us a delicious cold milkshake. So, you can imagine our excitementwhen we receivd the new Shaken Udder’s Salted Caramel Milkshake.

Using only the finest of natural ingredients, Shaken Udder has produced a collection of heavenly milkshakes and their newest addition is no exception. Blended with Malden sea salts, smooth caramel and Semi Skinned British milk, Shaken Udder provides a mouth-watering combination of sweet and salty. We had the first heavenly taste just opening the bottle when a sweet and embracing smell met our senses. Every sip is a pleasant discovery of milky creaminess and aromatic caramel with that unexpected hint of Maldon Salt. We loved the packaging just as much as the product and their clever cow mascot was enough to tempt us. We love indulging in things that are 'slightly' naughty but nice!

This time Shaken Udder really wanted to run the extra mile and we think they truly made it. Make your palate sing with joy; you can get a single bottle of milkshake here for £1.30 or create your own selection of milkshake here. 

Foot Expertise – Regenerating Cream and Blister Shield

We at The Amazing Blog  certainly put our feet through their paces whether its hobbling around in 6" heels or giving them a good pounding at the gym in well-worn trainers. This is where a trusty foot care brand like Foot Expertise comes to our rescue.

The secret behind happy feet is to keep them supple and moisturised which why Hydra Recharge Cream can really make a difference. We all know how different the skin of our feet is from the rest of our body. So this cream has been created to be richer and thicker because it needs to penetrate and be effective to the deeper layers of skin. What we liked is the fact that we didn’t have any slippery side effects and noticed that it absorbed immediately into the cracks and desquamation (sorry that doesn't sound very sexy!) It has an emollient complex which is unique and patented to the brand called 'XpertMoist' which supports long lasting hydration and minimises trans epidermal water loss. The other key ingredient Vitamin E contributes to skin softness, elasticity and restructuring. 

The other 'must have' product from the range is the Blister Shield. It can be used as a barrier and a preventive method against developing painful blisters. It is an invisible protective film that when smoothed onto the skin helps to cushion the bruising and prevents the formation of blisters.  How it works is by a little ball on top that smoothly rolls on the skin creating like an invisible film; initially we were a bit doubtful. However, our tester said with a twice daily application it really helped to dampen the burning sensation she had from her new shoes.  The key ingredients are XpertMoist (as per above) and Sodium Hyaluronate, creating powerful humectants attracting and retaining water onto the skins surface giving it the cushioning effect the helps prevent any abrasion. 

NB something worth mentioning is that both products are diabetes friendly. The Hydra Recharge Cream is available here and The Blister Shield here both products are priced at £11.99.