The bag of essentials

I'm not someone who touches up their make up throughout the day. Mainly because I don't really go out anywhere for long periods of time - a quick workshop here, an hour long lecture there and I'm back home. However, I do like to carry a bag of essential products and items with me everywhere I go. I've done this since the beginning of summer and I believe it's about time I showed you the products that have ensured my life is that little bit easier.

Lady essentials

Of course, these had to be in there. The case comes with Bodyform packs from Boots which are currently on offer for £1 - a bargain if you ask me. The case makes sanitary towels discreet, pretty and easy to carry around with you.

Soap & Glory Mini Hand Food - £2.50

My hands don't tend to get all that dry but I do like to keep them moisturised and nourished. This is my favourite ever hand cream as it smells delicious and sinks into the hands pretty quickly. I love the mini version as it's perfect for carrying around with you and just to let you know, I have two bigger tubes of this dotted around the house as well. I just can't be without the stuff!

Halo Handy Hygienic wipes* - £1.09

A definite must! If you're going out for the day then you aren't always guaranteed a sink to wash your hands in. These hand wipes come in handy all the time and I love the Halo ones because they aren't drying on the skin and smell delicious. I love how convenient they are and although I was worried about the pack drying out, I haven't had any issues with it thus far and I used these all the time whilst on holiday. I've also stocked up as they're currently on offer at Boots.

Toothbrush Holder - £0.50

I do have braces so carrying a toothbrush around with me is most definitely essential. Inside my holder I carry a Boots Expert TePe 0.7mm Interdental Brush - £3.09 and a Wilko Kids Toothbrush - £0.70. The kids toothbrush fits inside the holder better and allows me to get a close clean when it comes to my braces. I also carry around a Boots Smile Mini Toothpaste - £0.50 as I like to brush my teeth after meals regardless of where I am.

John Frieda Full Repair Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer* - £10.99

This product is quite new to me but I absolutely adore it. As a fan of the Full Repair range, I was dying to try this out when I saw that it was released. It uses Inca Inchi Oil to smooth down flyaways and frayed ends to ensure that your hair is looking healthy and full of volume throughout the day. The applicator is the same as a mascara wand which makes brushing the product through your hair easy peesy and the small tube is perfect for my essentials bag. I have little baby hairs around my fringe and when I haven't blowdried my hair properly, they stick up like crazy which looks awful. This smooths the flyaways down without weighing the hair down or leaving it feeling crispy - perfect.

Trevor Sorbie Tease Comb - £4.79

I have long hair that gets tangled easy and lacks volume so a comb is a must. I'd love to have a brush in my essentials bag but unfortunately, one won't fit. This comb is compact and does a good job at backcombing my hair throughout the day. It takes a while to get the knots out of my hair but I can cope with that.

Fake Bake Bronzing Powder Brush* - £10.00

Like I've mentioned, I don't top up make up throughout the day but I do take a face powder and brush with me to eliminate any shine that manages it sneak its way onto my face. I love this bronzing brush as it comes with its own carry case so it doesn't get dirty in the bag. My face powder of choice is the No7 Crème Touch Face Powder - £8.50 basically because I need to use it up. It isn't my favourite but it does eliminate shine and add a teeny bit more coverage.

Dirty Works Emery Board and Case* - £2.99

My nails are pretty brittle which means that unfortunately, they break easily. This tends to happen when I'm out and about and for me, there's nothing worse than an uneven nail - they just look so awful and it makes me want to bite them even more, disaster! So I carry this nail file around with me for emergencies. I also love the fact that it comes with its own carry case.

Compeed Heel Blister Plasters* - £5.99

I suffer from blisters badly regardless of if I've been wearing heels or new shoes. I recently went on a Twitter rant about blister plasters as I've always used and bought Compeed ones which are quite expensive. I picked some up from Wilkinsons the other week and they were an absolute bargain at £1.35. However, they aren't the same as my trusty Compeed ones. The Wilkinsons ones were essential plasters but bigger and they needed changing everyday. Compeed Blister Plasters last forever and they won't remove themselves until the blister has heeled itself and disappeared. A complete must have.

Disney Princess Lip Smacker in Snow White* - £3.00

An essential bag wouldn't be an essential bag without lip balm and this is my current one of choice. It nourishes the lips, adds a bit of a sheen and tint and smells and tastes delicious.

Swiss Army Knife Victorinox travel spray holder*

This was a limited edition item that  PR company sent me and I absolutely love it. Not only is it pretty but it's also convienient and I use it to top up my perfume all the time.

Other essentials: a mirror, hair band & grips

Of course! My mirror is a Hannah Montana one that I've had forever, my hair band is from Primark and my grips are from Boots. Definite essentials.

What essentials do you carry around with you on a day-to-day basis?
*PR Sample

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STORAGE: Wilkinsons Crystal Drawers

When it comes to finding the perfect way to store your make up collection, it can be hard. It's taken me a really long time to sort of, perfect mine - especially because I'm constantly moving from uni to home - but now I have done, I love it. My most recent additions are these beautiful crystal drawers from Wilkinsons*.

I use these drawers for storing my most loved lipsticks and my most used foundations. They're really sturdy and look absolutely beautiful. I also love how you can stack them up or place items on top of them as I have done in the images above. It's as if they're the ever-famous MUJI drawers but a lot cheaper (they retail for less than £10 each). In the smaller drawers I have my MAC Please Me, Costa Chic, Saint Germain, Kinda Sexy and Lazy Day lipsticks, my Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipstick in Candy*, my Lancome French Touch lipstick in Soft Marshmallow, my Barbara Daly lipsticks in Coral and Tiger Lily*, my Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Ambre Rose, my Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie* and my No7 Moisture Drench lipstick in Starstruck. In the larger drawers I have my Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation, Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation, Liz Earle Signature Foundation*, Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24Hr, MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation, Nip + Fab CC Cream*, Maybelline Fit Me Foundation, Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation and two different shades of Liz Earle's Sheer Skin Tint*. For reference, the cats on top of the drawers were gifts from my friends and they're from a lovely shop in Lincoln. I then have a 30ml bottle of Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck and a smaller 5ml bottle of the same perfume as it's my favourite. And finally, I have a bottle of Estee Lauder's Perfectionist CP+R Wrinkle Lifting/Firming Serum*. So there you have it - this is how I store my "most loved" products. And I definitely need to get a few more of them for when I move back home properly. I would get more now but at university I have my make up in drawers in my desk.

xxx

*PR Sample

CHRISTMAS: Wilkinsons

Another Christmas post for you today! And this time it's from a store that I love because the quality of the products don't reflect on the price. You can get some amazing bargains from Wilkinsons and the quality is on par with the more expensive brands. You can follow my Christmas 2012 series with this label. 

Rebel False Eyelash Set* (£2.00) - This set is such a bargain! £2.00 for two pairs of eyelashes is so cheap. I've tried the lashes out and they're not the best lashes that I've tried but they're certainly not bad. Also, the glue is clear which is great as you don't have to wait for the glue to dry clear. One of the lashes is quite natural while the other one is very dramatic so there are two different looks to try out.

Rebel Lip Gloss Duo* (£1.50) - When I first saw this set I immediately thought that this would make a lovely little gift for a young girl who was first getting into make up. But after I'd tried the lipglosses, I actually ended up loving them myself. The colour payoff isn't great and they don't last that long on the lips but they aren't ticky in the slightest. They're actually one of the most moisturising lipglosses that I've ever used - competing with higher end brands. I actually keep one of these in my bags now because they're great for slicking on the lips and not having to worry about your hair getting stuck in your lipgloss.

Little Birds Bath Crystals* (£1.50) - Unfortunately, I haven't been able to try these out yet as at university, I don't have a bath. But this packaging is so cute and once again I think that this would make a lovely stocking filler for pretty much any female. Young girls will love them but then so will your grannies!

Wilkinsons do some lovely Christmas gift sets for him, her and even pets. You can check out their entire range here. I'm also going to go to Wilkinsons for Christmas decorations for my flat as everything is so cheap! You can see their decoration and tree range here and here. Here are some more of my favourites -

Top to bottom, left to right - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

What do you think of Wilkinson's Christmas range?

xxx

*PR Sample

BARGAINS: Wilko Fruity Tropical Range

I'm hoping to start featuring a lot more bargain posts as since coming back to university, I've discovered so many cheap products that are just as good as those that are more expensive. A lot of these are from Wilkinsons. First up in this soon-to-be series is the Wilko Shampoo Fruity Tropical Shimmer,* the Wilko Shimmer Conditioner Fruity Tropical* and the Wilko Hair Mist Shimmer Fruity Tropical*.

First of all, these products smell amazing. As always, I'm not very good at describing scents but this takes me right back to summer and makes me feel happy. They're great products to use in the morning and if you use the entire range, I can guarantee you that whenever the wind blows your hair everyone around you will be able to smell your beautiful hair. They work nicely too. They're not heavy products which is great for my oily/flat hair and I love the shine that they give off. They're cheap and cheerful products and they're great for everyone in the family. I definitely think they're hair essentials/staples.

All three of these together retail for £1.48. You can view Wilkinson's full range of shampoos and conditioners here and they're all on offer for 2 for £2 so you can mix and match across the ranges.
Have you tried the Wilko's range of shampoos/conditioners before?
xxx
*PR Sample

Refreshing/Spray Toners

I would really like to apologise for this picture first of all. No matter how hard I tried, these products just didn't want to be photographed at all. And unfortunately, this is the best picture out of a really bad bunch. I thought to myself; 'should I do this post? Is it worth it?' And in the end I decided that I'd rather have a post and a bad picture than no post at all. So here it is! 

If you're from England then you will probably know that the weather hasn't been that great recently. It's been rainy, it's been horrible but it's still been pretty humid so I've been enjoying using refreshing toners lately. I think these toners are great for waking your skin up in a morning and also refreshing them at night time after a hard day of wearing a full face of make up.

Angela Langford Freshen Up - Rose, Geranium & Orange Blossom Toner* - £10.35
I'm a huge fan of Angela Langford as I believe she has great customer care which I think is very important. This toner is wonderful and it gives the skin an instant wake up call. The scent immediately makes you feel more alert and awake whilst the product itself brightens up the skin. Recommend for: those who have dull skin and want waking up.

Avene Eau Thermal Avene Water Spray* - £6.50
For me, this is the best spray for setting your make up. The aerosol can is really lovely and finely sprays the water evenly over your skin. Essentially, this is just very good water but the thing for me that makes me love it so much and say that it's worth the price is that the packaging keeps the water really cool so it's great for a summers day and also, as I mentioned before the aerosol can really does spray amazingly well and it doesn't coat your skin in a thick layer of water. Recommend for: setting your make up/hot, summer days.

Proactiv Revitalising Toner* - £39.99 (for a set of all three products)
The thing that I love the most about this toner is that it works very well (with the other two products in the kit) at combating acne and spots but it doesn't dry the skin out at the same time. As the name suggest, it's a revitalising toner that awakens the skin, tightens pores and removes any traces of dirt/make up that you have on your skin. Recommend for: those with blemish prone skin.

Care Witch Hazel* - £3.56
A very cheap product! This may not look all that glamourous but the beauty is within the product. This cleanser/toner is great at removing make up and although I originally thought that this would be drying, it wasn't. Witch Hazel is also known for it's relief of cuts, sprains, bruises and minor scalds so it's very handy to have around the house. Recommend for: those who want a multi-tasking product.
Skin Therapy Toner* - £0.98

This is so cheap! I was very shocked when I received the press release with this product as it's very rare that you'd find a toner for this price. Don't let the price fool you though, it's very lovely. I'd love to decant this into a spray bottle as I think it'd be great to refresh make up with. But I've been using it just a nighttime toner as it's wonderful at removing traces of make up. It's also suitable for sensitive skin and relieves tight skin and softens it up. Very lovely and a bargain for the price! Recommend for: those on a tight budget/those with sensitive skin.

Rhodes to Heaven Juniperberry Cleanser and Tonic* - £17.00
I really love this product. It's a great cleanser and removes make up exceptionally well - as much as most facial washes. I adore the smell of this product.. It's not one that I can describe but it's pretty strong yet natural smelling. It's quick and easy to use and calms, soothes, cools, balances and tones the skin all at once! This also is available in a travel friendly 50ml spray bottle which is refillable so you can top it up with your bigger bottle. Recommend for: those who don't have a lot of time.

Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist* - £21.50
This is my favourite out of them all. Citrus scents are my favourite scents so I knew almost immediately that I was going to fall in love with this. It smells beautiful and it really refreshes the skin and make up. It's perfect in the morning, it's perfect throughout the day and it's perfect at nighttime too. The only problem I have with this toner is the packaging. It's beautiful, glass and very classy but it's not very good for travelling. Especially because I'd love to pop this in my bag to refresh my skin throughout the day but I can't. So I'd love for Jurlique to do a travel version of this toner. Recommend for: those with oily skin.
What's your favourite refreshing/spray toner?
xxx
*PR Sample

My Must-Have Summer Products!

With the sun shining beautifully down on England today I thought that today is the perfect day to show you my summer must-have products! If you click on the product names then you can see some past posts where I've mentioned these products. Some of them are full reviews and even have swatches!

 Back Row L-R 

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist* This mist is perfect for taking in my handbag on long days out. It really refreshes the skin and also balances it out. In summer, I tend to get very oily skin and this keeps it shine free throughout the day.

Wilko Suncare Facial Sun Cream SPF 15* My skin is very fair and I burn exceptionally easily. I've been loving this sun cream for the face so far as it isn't greasy and sinks instantly into the skin. I apply it after my moisturiser and before make up and it keeps me protected throughout the day.

Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint SPF 15* In summer, I never want a full face of make up so when my skin is looking half decent, I turn to this skin tint. It provides sheer/medium coverage that can be built up and it doesn't cake the skin. It's really lovely and even lasts throughout the day.

Britney Spears Fantasy Perfume A beautiful, girly perfume that lasts throughout the day and makes me smell really sweet! I love this for summer.

ProActiv Daily Oil Control* Like I previously said, my skin is very oily in summer so I use this daily oil control cream with my foundation and it ensures that my skin doesn't look greasy. I also don't like powdering in summer so this and the balancing mist work great together to keep shine at bay.

Wilko Suncare Scalp Protector SPF 15* My hair is very delicate and in the summer, it falls out and breaks even more. I've started using this scalp protector to make sure my scalp and hair doesn't burn and so far, it's doing a lovely job!

No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Me! Me! Me! A really bright in-your-face pink that is perfect for summer. When I'm wearing this, I just feel happy and ready for summer!

Front Row L-R

Boots Extracts Brazil Nut Body Butter This body butter smells beautiful and it lingers on the skin throughout the day aswell. It smells just like summer and reminds me of sun tan lotion. It's also wonderful for keeping skin soft and supple which is a must have for when you have your legs out in summer!

JML Ped Egg* In summer, I always wear sandals so I use the Ped Egg daily to make sure that my feet are in tip-top condition. It buffs away dead skin and reveals smooth skin without causing any pain. It also collects all the dead skin inside the egg so it doesn't get everywhere.

Vaseline Sun Protection SPF15 Of course, the lips need protecting in the summer and this one is lovely. It's just like the other Vaseline's and it keeps the lips feeling soft.

He-Shi Fusion Multi Bronze* I don't tan very easily so I use this bronzer on my cheekbones to give me a lovely, healthy glow. It's a really pretty colour that adds a little bit of shimmer and doesn't have a hint of orange inside it.

Lancome Juicy Tubes in Fraise This lipgloss is wonderful in summer. It's not too bright but it adds a nice shimmery colour to the lips that's an instant perk-me-up. It's also not sticky so you don't have to worry about getting your hair in your lipgloss.

Nivea Glamorous Gloss in Natural This lipgloss is wonderful for moisturising the lips and keeping them glossy. I also have a few matte lipsticks that for in winter are lovely but in summer, I want a bit of gloss so I use this as it's a clear colour.

And finally of course, you want your nails to look beautiful and tidy in the summer so I use the Dirty Works Cuticle Trimmer* to get rid of any nasty, unwanted cuticles. I was a bit worried about using this at first in case it hurts but it's completely pain free. I then use the Dirty Works Fingernail Clipper* to cut my nails down so they're not too long. I don't like long nails as I find it hard to type and text. I also use the Dirty Works 4 Sided Buffer Block* to file and shine my nails. It ensures that nail polish applies lovely and it makes sure that it doesn't go on streaky. It's also great for when you don't want to wear any nail polish as it buffs away any ridges. 

What are your must-have summer products? Have you tried any of the above?

xxx

*PR Sample but this doesn't affect my review at all!

What's In My Shower?

I absolutely love these as YouTube videos but as always, I don't think I'll ever be ready to put up with the negativity on YouTube so I'm bringing 'What's In My Shower?' to blogger! Click on the links to either see my full review of the product or find out where to buy the product.

I love having a variety of different shampoos in my shower and the reason for this is that my hair changes its type all the time. Sometimes it'll be dry, other times it'll be flat and sometimes, it'll need reviving. The shampoos I keep in my shower all the time are the TRESemme 24 Hour Body Shampoo as it's great for not weighing the hair down. It adds beautiful volume and also smells fresh. I usually use this before I'm going out at night as it helps hold the volume all night. I also keep the TRESemme Split Remedy Shampoo and Conditioner* and the TRESemme Split Remedy Intense Recovery Masque* in there too. My hair is very fragile and it's constantly breaking. So in between hair cuts, I use this range as it helps to cover up split ends and repair the hair. It's my daily shampoo and conditioning range. I also love the Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo for when my hair needs shine adding to it. It doesn't weigh the hair down and really adds a beautiful, glossy finish to the hair. I use a lot of product in my hair and I often get nasty product build up in there so the VO5 Revive Me Daily Shampoo is great for pre-washing my hair in order to remove any of the product. And finally, I will always have a Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Luscious Long Deep Treatment in my shower. It's a wonderful treatment mask that leaves hair feeling silky smooth.

I don't keep many face washes in my shower as I prefer washing my face after I've been in the shower so that I can remove any shampoo from the skin. But I do keep the OXY Seaweed Power Clear Pore Exfoliant* in there as it's such a wonderful exfoliator. After using this my skin feels super soft and it's the perfect thing to use before applying face masks. I use this 2-3 times a week and my skin looks clear after using it. When it comes to body washes, I always have a Soap and Glory Clean On Me Shower Cream in my shower as it's my all time favourite body wash. It smells beautiful and leaves skin feeling gorgeous and soft. The scent also lingers on the skin and I use a lot of Soap & Glory products and it's sort of become my 'signature scent.' I also have the Wilko Fruity Berry Shower Smoothie* in there at the minute as I received it at the Wilkinson's event. It smells incredible and also exfoliates the skin at the same time as washing it. My all-time favourite body scrub is the Soap and Glory Pulp Friction Foaming Fruity Body Scrub. A little goes a long way with this scrub and it's great for using before applying fake tan. It also has a lovely smell to it and really scrubs the skin without being too harsh. And finally, I have the JML Shower Feet* stuck in the bottom of my shower. I absolutely love this little product. It's perfect for after I've been on a night out and my feet are killing me. It massages the feet whilst also cleaning them and is great as you don't have to bend down. It sticks firmly to the bottom of the shower and doesn't move so it means you won't slip. There's also a pumice stone attached to the heel which smooths away dry and damaged feet.

I also have a lot more products in my drawers next to my sink but I'll take them into the shower with me. These are just what are in my shower permanently. I also use this shaver in my shower but it's stuck on my wall and therefore I couldn't really take a picture of it. I keep all of the above products (except for the shaver and the JML Shower Feet) in this shower tidy from IKEA which is unbelievable cheap but also very sturdy.
What products do you keep in your shower?
xxx
*PR Sample

How To.. Refresh Your Hair

If you read my blog often then you'll know that I usually have to wash my hair daily as it gets greasy very, very quickly. It's also pretty dull looking and flat. So I will literally do anything to make my hair look 'alive.' I've tried products upon products but I can always feel the product in my hair and it usually weighs my hair down making it look even more tired and flat. But this morning I decided to try out my new Wilkinson's products and I was pleasantly surprised by them!

I last washed my hair on Friday morning and normally by Friday evening my hair will already look an absolute mess - and it did. Being a lazy student, I didn't go out yesterday (I was doing work so maybe I'm not that lazy) and this morning I had work. I didn't really want to wash my hair as I'm trying to wash it less often so I decided to use 3 Wilkinson's hair products and to my surprise, my hair looked as if it'd just been washed and blowdried!

Salon Styling Thermal Defence Protection - This heat protection protects hair up to 220 degrees and it also adds strength. It's also great at smoothing down frizz. The thing that I love the most about this is that the spray nozzle is incredible; one spritz of this is enough to coat one side of your hair. It's amazing!

Fruity Tropical Hair Mist - My favourite product that I received from Wilkinson's on Thursday. This hair mist refreshes the hair and adds shine. So when you have a day old etc hair, this just gives it that glossy 'just-walked-out-of-the-salon look.' It also smells absolutely incredible and when I get paid, I'm going to pick up the other scents!

Salon Styling Express Refresh Dry Shampoo - This dry shampoo has been compared to Batiste but I believe it's better. I do love Batiste dry shampoo but for me, it does leave residue that you can feel in your hair. This one doesn't. It literally feels like there is nothing in your hair. It adds volume and mops up oil incredibly and I can't recommend it enough! 

So as you can see from the pictures above, my hair looked incredible and I can't thank these products enough. I wish I'd have taken a picture beforehand but I wasn't planning on writing a blog post but the end result amazed me so much that I just had to. The greatest thing though is, all three of these products equate to the grand total of £3.46!

Have you ever tried any Wilkinson's products?

xxx

* These were all given to me free of charge at the Wilkinson's event but this does not affect my review in any way.

Wilkinson Health & Beauty Exclusive Preview Evening‏

If you follow me on Twitter then you'll probably know that yesterday, I took a casual stroll down to London for the Wilkinson's Health and Beauty event. It is pretty much my first event that I've been to - other than the TRESemme one which was in Nottingham so it was a lot easier to get to. And doubt about it, I was very nervous. For starters, I had to navigate myself around two train stations and for me, that's as bad as it gets because quite frankly, my sense of direction is shocking. But surprisingly, I managed it! I then had to find my way around the tube (which cost me £7 by the way) which could've resulted in a disaster. I have been to London before with my sister and I got on pretty well with the tube but back then, I wasn't alone. Luckily, I did it perfectly. Not bigging myself up here or anything but I waltz around the tube like I was a seasoned Londonder. But then came the hard part; finding the venue. No joke, it took me a full hour to walk from Covent Garden underground station to The Hospital Club. Now, if you're a true Londoner (like I myself now am) then you'll know that the walk from those two places is around 10 minutes. So yes, it took me a very long time to find it. But nevertheless, I made it. In one piece! And in fact, I was early so I was allowed to have a 'sneak preview' at the items before anyone else was!

Walking into the beautifully decorated room felt like a magical experience. It took me back to being on holiday back in September and of course, who doesn't want to be on holiday?! All the products were surrounded by tropical fruit and the TV was playing a lovely sea tune - definitely a relaxing and chilled atmosphere. I was also offered some champagne and of course I said yes - who would pass up on that offer? So I wandered around the room looking and sniffing all of the products, drinking champagne.. I definitely felt very professional. 

First up is their wonderful bath and body range. One great thing I learnt at the event is that the buyers of the products actually go to a lab and hand pick every single scent themselves. This means that the smells of these products are 100% exclusive to Wilkinsons - how amazing! And because they're exclusive, you definitely need to pick them up from there because I can confirm that they smell incredible. The great thing about this range is definitely the price; prices start at 68p and go up to no more than £1.48. Plus there are '2 for..' offers on the majority of them so you're definitely saving a lot.

The Skin Therapy skin care range is a big hit and includes one of their biggest selling the products - their skin wipes which retail at just 57p! The whole range is designed for those with sensitive skin. The range includes a cleanser, toner, moisturiser, hand & nail cream, chin & forehead strips, nose strips, face was, eye make up remover, shower cream, bath cream and shower gel. So a lot to choose from! And once again, the most expensive product in the range is £1.48 for 200ml of hand and nail cream.

The hair ranges are really beautiful. One range is very bright whilst the other range is more professional looking. The Salon Styling range includes a heat protectant that protects hair up to 220 degrees and also improves smoothness. There's also a setting lotion, a hair serum and a dry shampoo. All of these are on par with more high end hair products and the dry shampoo has even been compared to Batiste! Prices start at just 98p and go up to just £1.75. The hairsprays and mousses have been specially formulated to contain Pro-Vitamin B5 which gives hair added strength, extra shine and protects against UV damage. These start at 55p and go up to £1.17 for 450ml of hairspray.

And finally, the suncare range which surprisingly, I was most interested in. I'm very fair skinned so when it comes to sun protection I'm willing to spend a lot. But thanks to this range, I don't have to. Each product has a 5 star UV rating (which is on par with Sol-Tan and higher than Nivea) and prices start from just £1.50. There are lotions, sprays, aftersun lotions, gels, body butters, scalp protection, lip butters and even a kids range to take your fancy! Each product ranges from SPF 15 all the way up to SPF 50 for the kids. But the real gem in this range is the £10 family care pack which is has everything you need - SPF 15, SPF 30, aftersun lotion and SPF 50 kids lotion all in a plastic travel bag!

In true tourist style I took a picture of the underground. But I actually got shouted at by the 'underground man' for taking flash photography on the underground. I apologised but he felt the need to tell everyone on the platform just in case they followed my lead because I'm so influential you see!

The goody bags we received were exceptionally generous and I received a Fruity Berry Shower Smoothie, Extra Firm Hairspray, Skin Therapy Face Wash, Thermal Defence Protection, Fruity Tropical Hair Mist, Express Refresh Dry Shampoo, Facial Sun Cream, Total A-Z Multivitamins & Minerals, Scalp Protector and Skin Therapy Fragranced Facial Wipes.

And I thought I'd leave you with a few things I found out whilst on my journey to London -

• Trains don't have seatbelts. Sounds obvious yes but I was genuinely shocked by this revelation!
• Trains do have plugs. And the plugs they do have are very handy. Unless the girl next to you is sleeping and blocking the plug.
• Try not to listen to music on headphones whilst travelling on a train because you probably will miss your stop.
• No flash photography on the tube!
• In London you have to pay to use the toilet. They charge you for natural urges.
• London is posh. It took me forever to find a McDonalds and it was tiny.
• It's hot in London. A lot hotter. I know it's closer to the equator but only by a teeny, tiny bit! 
• Trains go really fast. I thought I was going to die when one shot past me at Newark station!

I'd just like to say a big thank you to all of the lovely PR girls and Wilkinsons team. They truly made the event special and their hospitality was outstanding. It was lovely being able to chat about beauty products and get all excited about new products and ideas!

xxx