Room Diffusers by Lilou et Loic London

Is there anything better than a beautifully scented room? We at The Amazing Blog can’t think of much that rivals the feeling you have after a long day and arriving to a home bursting with comforting, delightful and perfect smells. A room filled with a beautiful aroma can be more than just comforting but can completely relax you, and in our opinion, our friends over at Lilou et Loic London have mastered this art. 

Having a room diffuser in your home is an excellent way to be welcomed as you enter a room. Unlike other room diffusers which can be somewhat unsightly, the diffuser that Lilou et Loic sell makes for great décor as it is a stunning glass decanter. With six different scents that you can choose from, you are sure to find one that suits your needs. They are perfect for any room in the house.  Whether you like a lighter Wild Neroli and Water Jasmine bouquet in your bedroom or a Moroccan Wood & Fine Leather fragrance in your living room, you are bound to find a unique scent that meets your style. With products as wonderful as this it is not surprising that they won an award at the 2017 Beauty Shortlist Awards. 

Clear out all the negative outside vibes and make room for a room diffuser from Lilou et Loic here, now for £45.

Argan & Orange Blossom Elixir by SoapNSkin

At The Amazing Blog, we think that everyone needs a go-to product. For us, our number one go-to beauty product is the handmade Argan and Orange Blossom Elixir from SoapNSkin, which is as versatile as it is effective. We cannot live without this product, it is 100% natural, effective on all skin types and can be used on your face, body and hair. Before we discuss the many ways you can use this product and the reasons behind its versatility, we have to tell you a little about SoapNSkin, which is one of our favourite brands. Founded by two mothers, SoapNSkin aims to empower women in any way they can, so not only is their Argan Oil Soil Association Certified, but it is also sourced from a supplier that is dedicated to looking after 600 Berber women that it has employed at its mill. This supplier only employs women and pays them a fair wage as they are often the sole supporters of their families, as well as providing free crèche facilities and education programmes.

Made with ethically sourced organic Argan Oil and Orange Blossom Oil, this beautifully fragranced elixir has a multitude of uses. This is because the Argan Oil moisturises, heals and renews lost vitality in skin and hair, while the Orange Blossom Oil helps to create an enviable glow. The ingredients are packed full of Vitamins A and E, Omega Fatty Acids and anti-oxidants which mean that your skin doesn’t just look better but is actually healthier on a cellular level.

To use this on your face, we would recommend gently massaging a few drops into freshly cleansed skin. The Argan oil is non-comedogenic which means it won’t clog up pores but will leave skin looking more radiant than ever. If you want to heal dry or damaged skin on your body – which can especially occur in the winter months – then we suggest applying the elixir directly to areas of concern and watch skin heal within days. Otherwise merely apply after showering for softer skin. Our favourite use for the elixir has to be when it’s used on hair.  If applied like a serum it will help to control frizz and leave hair glossy, but it also will soften hair and treat an unruly scalp if used as a leave-in conditioning treatment before showering.

We love this product and brand and hope you do too. The product only costs £42.00 and can be purchased here. All profits made from selling the elixir are given back to the communities who help mill the Argan Oil. 
 

Anti-Ageing Perfect Teint II, Vinolift Skin Tightening Cream, Lip Lines Cream and Eye Cream by M.Asam

In the past The Amazing Blog may have said that wine was our favourite grape-based product on the market but now we have a very different answer; anti-aging cosmetics. M.Asam Cosmetics is Germany’s first producer of anti-aging products developed from the ingredients found in grapes. 10 years of intense research into the anti-aging properties of grapes lead M.Asam to develop their high quality skin care line, which aims to battle against signs of premature skin aging. We managed to get a few samples of these brilliant products, including the Perfect Teint II, Vinolift Skin Tightening Cream, Vinolift Eye Cream and Vinolift Lip Lines Cream. 

There’s a huge amount of complicated science behind the range, so we’ll try and sum up what makes it so fantastic. The Perfect Teint II acts as a temporary filler, providing a mattifying base for makeup. The product wears evenly throughout the day and is easily removed with a facial cleanser. The formula contains a retinol-peptide complex meaning that it joins up the forces of retinol and peptides. Retinol works on preventing collagen loss, treating fine lines and acting as an antioxidant, while the peptides stimulate collagen production. M.Asam combines these two agents in the Perfect Teint II, producing a makeup base that expertly blurs facial lines and enlarged pores to produce a matte complexion. It’s easy for us to see why they call it their ‘hero product.’

The Vinolift range is specifically designed for mature, dry skin and combines grape stem cells, resveratrol and OPC extracted from grape seeds. The Vinolift Skin Tightening Cream intensely hydrates the skin both morning and evening, reducing signs of aging all over the face. The Vinolift Eye Cream and Lip Lines Cream target their specific areas to reduce fine lines and wrinkles in the delicate eye contour and providing a plumping effect to the lip contours. The Eye Cream also has the benefit of being fragrance free, a bonus for those with particularly sensitive areas around the eyes.

We love these products and hope you do too. The Perfect Teint II (50ml) retails for £23, The Vinolift Skin Tightening Cream 100ml retails for £29.50 and 50ml for £24, The Vinolift Eye Cream (30ml) retails for £21 and The Vinolift Lip Lines Cream (30ml) retails for £15.50. 

Organic and Fair Trade Wholefood Snack Bars by Geobar.

The Amazing Blog are big believers in supporting fair trade farmers and we all jump at any opportunity to try a new fair trade snack whenever we can. So discovering Geobars fair trade wholefood snack bars has made our week. Their bars are filled with organic ingredients farmed from all over the world including Cocoa from Ghana, Raisins from South Africa, Cashews from India and Walnuts from Pakistan. The Amazing Blog tried the Carrot and Ginger, Apple and Kale and Cocoa and Beetroot bars.

These delicious fruit, oat and nut bars use ingredients from trusted suppliers to ensure they stay fair trade, they're also high in fibre and contain no added sugar. The Carrot and Ginger bar is made mainly from oats, raisins and dates, with the flavours of carrot and ginger to add a hint of spice. The Apple and Kale bar contains dried apple, dates and cashew nuts, with the kale balancing out the zesty apple flavour. The Cocoa and Beetroot bar is made with a similar combination of oats, raisins and dates, but includes both cocoa powder and nibs. We think these bars make for a delicious snack choice while maintaining a healthy diet and supporting fair trade. All the bars are suitable for vegan diets.

They are available to purchase from Ethicalsuperstore.com and Traidcraft for £1.40 per bar (40g) or £26 for a pack of 20.

Friday Feature - Breadren Cooking Classes

Bread. It’s perhaps one of our favourite comfort carbs not only at The Amazing Blog but for most of us, and the Breadren Cooking Class will teach you how to make it but with an artisan twist. You can learn how to make artisan bread from the comfort of your own home, which sounds fantastic to us. You will be taught by the bread-master Baker Max Tobias at the London-based artisan bakery, Breadren. Breadren, is holding cooking classes with dietary restrictions in mind. They understand the daily struggle if you’re gluten-free, vegan or even vegetarian, and they’re here to broaden your horizons. Their ethos is to promote natural, unpretentious food. You won't learn just how to bake, however, as some of their star recipes include roasted cauliflower with tahini, quinoa with roasted brussel sprouts, crispy kale & fresh pomegranate, Vietnamese-style summer rolls, charred sprouting broccoli with harissa, and matcha and coconut mochi cake.

We’ve often pined for the baking abilities of those we see on the British Bake Off, and now the abilty to shape round loaves, rolls and batards, to knead and proof dough, and manipulating temperatures for the ultimate loaf is at our fingertips. Both sweet and savoury baked goods are incorporated into the classes, and both naughty and nice recipes! You needn’t be trapped by trendy food fads and uninspired ‘free from’ diets. Their recipes naturally forego ingredients like eggs, sugar, wheat or dairy so you can keep to your diet restrictions if necessary, whilst cooking and eating some tasty food.

Vegan Cornbread

There are classes once a month throughout the year, ranging from ‘Vegan Seasonal Cooking and Baking’ to ‘Seasoning & Spice’ classes. However, if you prefer cooking around your loved ones you can book a private cooking class on everyday cooking or a themed cooking class for you and your friends and enjoy the experience. Breadren uses local and seasonal ingredients wherever possible, sourcing primarily from London and the South East, an added bonus.

You can book a cooking class here from £55, and book a private cooking tutorial here for a small group of 2-5 persons for £60 per person.