Friday Favourites - Club Soda 'Mindful Drinking Festival'

With the rise of the mindful drinking movement, London is hosting its first alcohol-free drinks festival; the Club Soda: Mindful Drinking Festival. The demand for alcohol alternatives has never been higher and Club Soda, a community of mindful drinkers, are here to provide some delicious options. Club Soda has partnered with Eisberg alcohol-free wine to bring you a unique event, held at Bermondsey Square Hotel on 13th August 2017. If you want to cut down on alcohol, quit completely, or simply broaden your horizons, then this event is the one for you.

If you’re partial to a cold pint of beer or a glass of wine, Heineken’s pop-up bar featuring their '0.0' beer that has gone through gentle alcohol removal whilst maintaining its famous flavour, or Eisberg’s alcohol-free wine and cocktail bar, are must-sees. Local brewer, Big Drop, is there to provide an intriguing array of alcohol-free craft beers. Enjoy the delicious taste of these much-loved beverages, but without the sluggish side-effects that alcohol sometimes punishes us with!

If you’re not a fan of the taste of alcohol, perhaps attend some master classes with the Kombucha (fermented tea said to have originated in Ancient China), Teetotal Gin & Tonic, Shatler's Virgin Cocktails, Fentiman’s botanical drinks, or Club Soda’s craft soda stalls will all take your fancy. You can enjoy a fun-filled afternoon in the summer roof garden, relish in tutored tastings, flavour pairings, mixology masterclasses and learn from beer experts and wine sommeliers, all without the dreaded hangover the next day. The fun doesn’t stop there. Grab some grub from local street food stalls while musicians provide the entertainment. Entry is free, which to us is an absolute steal!

Register for the festival here, which takes place between 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM.

Beauty Kitchen:Seahorse Plankton 5 Minute Miracle Mask & The Beauty Boosting BB Cream

Organic, natural and cruelty-free are the three things we value above all else at The Amazing Blog, not forgetting to add the word 'effective' then they’re our top four. We think that there is nothing as important as treating your skin with carefully chosen and natural products, in particular for those of you with sensitive skin. Beauty Kitchen is a brand who are dedicated to this quad of beliefs. We came across this new brand at the CEW product showcase for their 2017 awards earlier this year. They only make 100% effective, natural and affordable products that are tested on people never animals. We were lucky enough to be sent two products from their Seahorse Plankton Skincare Treasures collection, where a percentage of their profits go to The Sea Horse Trust. The two products were The Beauty Boosting BB Cream and the 5 Minute Miracle Mask.

The Beauty Kitchen Seahorse Plankton 5 Minute Miracle Mask is 100% natural. It contains biologically proven seahorse plankton microalgae for an instant skin detox which will cleanse, stimulate, firm and plump the face, neck and décolletage. This product was a finalist at the CEW Awards 2017 and we know why. The mask left our face looking refreshed and glowing and was the perfect way to aid a chill-out on a rainy Sunday afternoon. To use, just apply a thin layer to the face, neck and décolletage before sitting back and relaxing for 5-15 minutes. Remove with warm water and for further skin stimulation uses a linen face cloth or a Konjac sponge. Applying the Beauty Boosting BB Cream before makeup, led to perfectly even coverage and tone for our foundation. By using it alone it added a slight tint to the face and it effortlessly balanced our complexion. Providing excellent coverage, the BB Cream also compliments all skin tones and types, acting as a base from which to add.

To purchase your next new sustainable beauty products click here. Both the BB Cream and Mask are available for £14.99.

Red Hedy and So Mod Pink by Rodin Olio Lusso

No makeup bag is complete without a perfect red and pink shade (or four!), but it can be a complicated and long process finding the perfect colour to suit your skin tone or even the season. Suddenly, the shades you’ve been using for months and months are too deep and wintery; they clash with your new summer wardrobe and sit heavily on your recently tanned face. All of us at The Amazing Blog have discussed how annoying this realisation can be.  So when Rodin Olio Lusso was brought to our attention, we were immediately entranced by their classic colours. All of their shades have that all important summer pop and brightness without washing you out or turning you into a caricature. 

What we truly love about this brand is the simplicity of it all, they have chosen quality over quantity, and sometimes this very simple truth is too often forgotten in the beauty industry. The desire to create a brand defined by simple beauty stems from their founder Linda Rodin, who was a successful model in the sixties and now in her sixties is the model of spare elegance. Her entire ethos is the simpler, the better, which is entirely evident in her lipstick collection. Only five fabulous shades are available, but all of them are perfect. We tried the Red Hedy and the So Mod Pink in hopes of finding the perfect summer shades. Those hopes were happily met. The Red Hedy, combines old Hollywood glamour with a pop of modernity, to make the perfect blend of nostalgic and contemporary beauty. The lipstick was named after the compelling and painfully beautiful 1930’s and 1940s actress Hedy Lamarr. More than a pretty face, Hedy invented technology that helped defeat the Axis power’s jamming of Allied Radio Communications during WWII. A gorgeous lipstick also named after an amazing woman with brains and beauty is enough to give us a much-needed confidence boost. The So Mod Pink combines the vibrancy of the sixties with the muted statement pieces of the Mod trend. The shade is a muted almost nude rosy pink, that is the perfect shade for those light summer days, where you want your lips to assist with a look rather than be the focus. 

You can purchase Red Hedy here for £28.00 and So Mod Pink here for £28.00. While you’re there, definitely have a look at the other colours and let us know what you think!

Aloe 24-7

Here's a trick that the The Amazing Blog loves, use Aloe Vera to prevent the worsening of, and help cure sun burn. Living in a usually cloudy country more often than not results in fair skin, and as we all know fair skin and the sun are natural enemies. Even those of us who religiously apply sun cream, lotion or oil can burn by accident, so having an effective Aloe Vera in your backup arsenal is a must.

The reason we favour Aloe 24-7 is because of the amazing combination of ingredients in their gel. Not only does it contain Organic Aloe Vera, but it also contains Lemongrass oil, Kalahari oil, Rosemary oil and Chamomile, which we know is a natural soother. This combination of natural ingredients alongside the gel means that while it heals your sunburn it also helps to make skin softer and smoother, by encouraging cell regeneration. Due to the effectiveness of Aloe 24’s Aloe gel the Western Cape department of Health has approved it to be used in all government hospitals and clinics in South Africa. This gel is the doctor’s choice, it feels amazing and smells fantastic.

Purchase the Gel here for £8.99 and thank us later.

Fairfield's Farm Tortilla Crisps.

There’s nothing better than sitting down with your favourite savoury and crunchy snack after a long day. Of course, you don’t want to eat too many, so eating crisps that are low-fat helps curb our appetite without the guilt. Which is why we at The Amazing Blog were excited when Fairfields Farm sent us two of their Tortilla Crisp packs: Jalapeno & Lime and Nacho Cheese.

Fairfields Farm specialises in making vegetarian and vegan-friendly products that are low in fat and high in protein. Their crisps are also gluten-free. Not only are these crisps healthy, they’re also delicious! We loved the refreshing taste of the Jalapeno & Lime. The cool lime mixed with the spicy jalapeno is the perfect combination to wake up your mouth.

And with the Nacho Cheese pack you don’t have to reach for the tortilla chips and dip because this pack has everything you need from mouth-watering nacho cheese to crunchy crisps.

Snack without the guilt with Fairfield's Tortilla Crisps. Purchase the Nacho Cheese here and the Jalapeno & Lime here.