Nouri Herbal Shots

You might associate Herbology with Harry Potter fandom, rather than health and wellbeing; and although we love Ms. Sprouts’ classes, the newly growing herbal community is showing us at The Amazing Blog, that it can work it’s magic even on us common muggles. Newly founded company, NOURI is proving it’s worth in this domain, taking us back to our natural roots, with a range of alcohol-free and highly concentrated herbal shots.

Founders, Lia Schmökel and Danielle Sheridan wanted to create products that help us to integrate a healthy routine into busy lifestyles. Their herbal shots make it easy to treat our bodies to some natural goodness without being dogmatic about it, allowing us busy bees to keep our bodies and minds at their optimum. The shots come in different forms, you can buy their Focus, Boost or Lust shots seperately, or you can choose from a ready-made pack. Whichever you choose, you can be sure that the contents have been designed to aid the human biorhythm.

We tried their individual shots, Focus, Boost and Lust. Focus contains energising ingredients, such as eleuthera and Siberian ginseng. These power ingredients help boost physical and psychological performance, without any side effects, while, green tea extracts help to awaken our senses. Limes, liquorice root and bitter orange create a powerful and refreshing taste that makes your mornings feel light and fresh, even if they are packed with invoices and tax returns.

Boost provided us with the will to carry on, after we had our third back-to-back meeting of the day. The use of Inca herb maca is noteworthy, a specialist ingredient when it comes to fighting against drowsiness, which creates an energetic outcome when combined with ginger, oregano, guarana and nutmeg. In addition, it also provides our aching muscles with the uplifting kick they deserve, boosting our energy levels for a sustained period of time, as opposed to the kick that we lose quickly after consuming sugary energy drinks.

Finally, we tried Lust, which contains the South African plant damiana, traditionally used as an aphrodisiac during shamanic rituals. This acts as a natural viagra for men and woman, and with additional ingredients like schisandra and cardamom, balance and stamina are notable. The use of chilli also enlightens inner fire, and rosemary, a known herb of passion, strengthens the libido naturally.

If you too would like to enlighten your senses, then visit the NOURI website here, where you can purchase your own bottles of Focus, Boost and Lust. They’re available either as a single purchase (a minimum of 6 bottles), or as part of a monthly package.

Blackbook Winery

Battersea was not the first place that sprung to mind when we heard about an exciting new winery at The Amazing Blog. However, that is precisely what Sergio Verillo and his wife Lynsey have done, underneath one of the many railway arches in the area, lining the commuter routes into London. Working with a select group of English vineyards, based in East Anglia, Essex and Oxfordshire, this entrepreneurial couple have introduced a range of wines of superior quality … but don’t just take our word for it - ‘Chez Bruce’ in Wandsworth is just one of the Michelin starred restaurants to carry their bottles of magic. 

Blackbook is part of a dynamic and growing wine scene in London. Urban wineries are fast becoming commonplace in major cities around the world. An urban winery sources its grapes from a variety of growers, and produces all wine on its site. Blackbook source their grapes from carefully selected English growers, in order to produce still and sparkling single vineyard English wines. Although their concentration is on pinot noir and chardonnay, they include some additional varietals each year. Blackbook follows a traditional winemaking approach with low sulphur wines, and indigenous ferments as a means to preserve the varietal character.

Blackbook’s inaugural wine was a 2017 English Rosé, made from pinot noir grapes from Clayhill Vineyard in Essex. This was awarded a silver medal at the Drinks Business Global Rosé Masters, and is now listed within a number of high end wine bars and restaurants across London. Following hot on the heels of the Rosé, comes a 2017 Pinot Noir, and a 2017 Chardonnay - all of which stem from the soil in our very own country. Nurtured by the micro climate which East Anglia enjoys, this is particularly good for the high sugar content in the Pinot Noir and Bacchus grapes, and similarly, the sandy loam soils of Oxfordshire are ideal for sourcing theur Seyval Blanc.

Sergio and Lynsey are justifiably proud of Blackbook, and are allowing us all the chance to go along and find out more from the founders themselves. They are currently running winery tours twice weekly: Wednesdays at 6pm and Saturdays at 4pm. The tour lasts for an hour and costs just £15 per person; all aspects of the wine making process are covered by Sergio himself, and each guest receives an exclusive ‘Cellar Door Discount’ on the wines available. Gift vouchers can also be purchased, and redeemed against any available date through their shop here.

The Blackbook wines are also available online with the 2017 Rosé priced at £17.50, and both the 2017 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at £18.50 each. For further details, contact Blackbook directly - understandably all visits are by appointment. You’ll find them located at the following address: Blackbook Winery - Arch 41, London Stone Business Estate, London, SW8 3QR, and the nearest station is Queenstown Road. Enjoy!

Ellactiva Collagen Chews

Our mothers have always encouraged us to take our vitamins, and here at The Amazing Blog, we take that advice very seriously! We recently came across, Ellactiva, a UK based company who provide Collagen Soft Chews that are easy to take on-the-go. These chews are boosted with 2.5g of bioactive collagen peptides, improving your skin from the inside, and making it feel as smooth as ever, in just four weeks.

With three different flavours (blended with minerals and vitamins), the Collagen Soft Chews not only make you look great, but you will also feel healthier. They give you all the energy you need from within, strengthening your immune system, and improving your bone health simultaneously. Additionally, the three different flavours provide benefits that go beyond skin depth.

The first, Collagen & Energy, contain bioactive collagen peptides that help improve the skin's structure and elasticity. They also include high levels of vitamin C and chromium picolinate, which maximise collagen synthesis, as well as prebiotic fibre and resistant starch, reducing hunger cravings and supporting energy release. What makes these chews even more irresistible, is that they come in a sugar-free orange flavour, to enhance our taste buds and boost our energy levels at the same time.

The second superpower is the Collagen & Healthy Bones pack, which comes in a sugar-free caramel cream flavour. With a base of bioactive collagen peptides, they help to give a younger look to our work loaded faces. Additionally, vitamin C maximises collagen synthesis, and with the help of calcium and vitamin D, we are packed with all the good stuff and are ready to take on the day.

The last powerhouse is the Collagen & Immunity package that helps to maintain the skin’s structural integrity and firmness, due to its blend of bioactive collagen peptides and prebiotic fibre. With the aid of zinc, selenium and vitamin C, our immune system gets the boost it needs to keep us healthy and fit, even on the coldest of days in the UK. The best part? These chews have a fruity blackcurrant flavour.

The elegant and light packaging makes it easy to take your vitamins on the go, helping you to live a healthier and more balanced lifestyle. The collagen infused chews give us back what we have lost over the years, allowing our skin and bones to strengthen, reversing the degenerating collagen process. If you want to take your mother's advice seriously, and treat yourself to some vitamins, then the three packages (including 60 sugar-free soft chews) can be purchased here from £29.99.

Elizabeth Grant - Suprême Cell Vitality Neck Creme

Since her Torricelumn has revolutionised skin-care, we at The Amazing Blog can’t get enough of Elizabeth Grant. She founded her Canadian skincare company 60 years ago, aiming to produce advanced and luxury skincare products. Her refined formulas have since proven to do just that, improving the skin of woman around the world. We have featured her brand several times, most recently in one of our Friday Favourites (see here), so you can imagine that we needed little persuasion to try her Suprême Cell Vitality Neck Crème.

Encased in an elegant and metallic golden jar, the light and soft scent of this cream hits you as soon as the product is opened. When applied, your skin immediately feels hydrated and soft. It relaxes and refreshes your neck, leaving your skin feeling nourished. Furthermore, the pleasant texture sinks into the skin quickly, thanks to the non-oily formula. The Suprême Cell Vitality Neck Cream contains Elizabeth Grant’s own creation, Torricelumn, a superior moisturising compound which boosts hydration levels (clinically proven) and plumpens the skins appearance. This is combined with Bupleurum extract, providing your skin with antioxidant properties and algae extract, hydrating and smoothing imperfections. If that’s not enough, then caffeine also stimulates the skin. Perfectly suitable for all skin types, it drastically enhances the look of slack and lined skin - we have certainly experienced a much firmer result, even within the shortest amount of time.

To apply, massage the cream in an upward direction, focussing on the jawline, neck and décolleté area. Do this twice daily, both in the morning, and before going to bed, and you’ll find firming and hydrating results in an abundance. Try Elizabeth Grant’s Suprême Cell Vitality Neck Creme for $80 (50ml) here.

The Magic Flower Company

We know you might not want to hear this, but, winter is well and truly coming. Although this resonates with dark early evenings, and dreary and grey days, we at The Amazing Blog try to marry up the cosiness of hygge, and brightness of limited daylight. When we came upon the Magic Flower Company, you can’t imagine our excitement at discovering that their fresh flowers last for up to one year! What better way to brighten up your home than with freshly cut flowers that don’t require water, remaining hassle-free all year round. We were more than rather impressed with their Magic Roses, Magic Foliage and Magic Flower Arrangements.

Based in a small village in Suffolk, The Magic Flower Company was founded by entrepeneur Jack Hinshelwood. His company harvests flowers at their peak, preserving them with a unique biodegradable preservation formula. On the website, there is a plethora of floral arrangements which are regularly updated on a seasonal basis. We received 12 Antique Cream Premium Magic Roses, which were delivered in a stylish black box through the post. As you can see from the photo (above), they are the perfect ‘winter white’ and 9 months on, still have pride of place in our office. We cannot urge you strongly enough to invest in these beautiful long-lasting roses - frankly for us, gone are the days of receiving half dead and wilted flowers from a florist’s delivery van!

The designs come in different sizes and prices, which are adapted to meet popular trends and styles, and we rather like the statement flowers of the Cream Hatbox Design. Furthermore, on their website, they offer different gifting options, such as the Mini Present Box or Presentation Rose, which offer more simplistic arrangements. The flowers are available here in different styles, all of which are updated on a monthly basis. To purchase your own Antique Cream Magic Rose, then click here. A single rose is £8.95, or treat yourself to a magic 12 for £94.95.