TOP FIVE RUNNING PRODUCTS

I'm training for a 10K at the moment and am getting into the flow of this running malarkey! I'm taking it pretty seriously, with a range of cardio as well as weights (as I want to get a little toned along the way).

Nike Gait Training

So, the best thing I've done is get myself a really amazing pair of trainers. I went to Nike Town on Oxford Street to find a pair, where a very helpful assistant took me for a gait test. This test looks at how feet land when they hit the ground. Apparently mine land well - a lot of people's land a bit inwards, apparently - so they suggested a pair of Lunar Glides. I love them, they add a spring to my step for sure!

Sweatbands

I'm not a fan of the sweaty look, so I've grabbed myself some sweatbands to wipe my brow with while pounding on the treadmill. The best couple of pounds I have spent recently.

Sports bra

Primark, for sports gear? Hell yes... I picked up a sports bra in there for £4 and it worked a treat. No bouncing boobs for me. It's brilliant.

The Deep Freeze and Deep Heat range of products are widely available 

It's hard to get the balance right between training hard and training too hard. I learnt this lesson the hard way, and for this, I found Deep Heat. Deep Heat contains a mixture of pain killers, warming and soothing ingredients to generate heat, improve blood flow at the site of pain and bring fast relief from muscular pain. It works wonders. The smell is pretty pungent, but I quite like it ; ). There's also a Deep Freeze range, which contains a mixture of cooling ingredients to also relieve pain, reduce swelling and helping to shorten the time to recover. Keep some by your bed to put on after a hardcore session at the gym!

Isklar water

For me, there's nothing more refreshing than water. Oddly, my gym doesn't have fountains, so I bring my own bottled water. Chilled sparkling water is my preference, and Isklar is  my favourite... I know some people think all water is the same, but I can taste the difference (I think it must be all the minerals!!)

4 weeks til my 10K eeeek!

TOP FIVE FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS

So, peeps are heading to Glasto, loaded up with tents, wellies and bottles of beer! I was having a think back to the festivals I've been to, and these are my top five festival essentials...

Radox Clean & Moisturise
www.be-selfish.co.uk

I am a bit of a hygiene freak, and the thought of festival toilets turn my stomach. If you can't blag your way into VIP, where you can be guaranteed a continuous flow of water to clean yourself with, then hand sanitizer is essential. The Radox Clean & Moisturise hand sanitizer kills 99.9% of bacteria AND contains chamomile & jojoba oil to moisturise palms! It smells lovely to - add it to your raving bag! 

Organic Surge Kiss & Make Up wipes, £3.49www.organicsurge.com  

Although I have to shower at some point during a festival (I know you're supposed to slum it, but I can only go so far, I'm a princess), I'm quite happy to keep clean the rest of the time in other ways. Face wipes are the ideal solution. Organic Surge Kiss & Make Up wipes are fab, as they clean away all the make-up and dirt from your face (and perhaps body too) PLUS they moisturise - perfect for packing light. What's more, these wipes are organic and biodegradable, so if you can't find a bin, throw them outside the tent! 

Nature’s Plus Red Lightningwww.naturesplus.com

I am rapidly making my way through my twenties, and with this, comes hangovers (the deadly enemy of the festival goer). Nature’s Plus Red Lightning is the perfect pick-me-up after a heavy, tiring, booze filled night. Packed with anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals, these little sachets (mixed with water) taste bloody good, and take the edge of your pounding head to get you ready to face the fields for another day. Bliss. Pack one for every morning (just in case).

Wicked Wedge, £14.95
www.midasity.co.uk

As well as an airbed (SO worth making the extra room for in your backpack), somewhere comfy to lounge near your tent is an ace idea. Whether it be when you're waiting for you best pal to apply all her make up/face paint OR for when you've come back after a long night partying to share a few night caps with your mates, an inflatable lounger such as the Wicked Wedge, will bring home comfort to the campsite. 

Ear Plugs
www.superdrug.co.uk

The best money you will spend on your festival kit will be on ear plugs... my tent-mate bought them along last year and they really are genius. I totally am not a whiner when it comes to noise usually, but when you get to bed at 5am and have a four-five hour window until the sun will wake you up in your sweaty sleeping bag, you want to sleep as soundly as you can without the 'lads' in your neighbouring tent waking you up at silly o'clock! Sleep soundly my friends, with earplugs Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

TOP FIVE REASONS I LOVE MY TONI&GUY STRAIGHTENERS

 TONI&GUY Touch Control Digital Straightener, £59.99

www.toniandguy.com

Oh I love a new toy, particularly if it will make me look good! Here are five reasons why I love my new straighteners...

1.  They're great value - just £59.99 for top quality ceramic straighteners. It's a fab price for such a stylish little product - particularly when GHDs cost twice as much!

2. They work for everyone - some people, like me, need the highest temperature to straighten thick, unruly hair, but people with thinner, tamer hair can turn the heat on these bad boys down (as ultimately heat = damage). This makes them great to take share with friends on nights out or to take away on holiday in a group ...

3. Speaking of holidays, this is a fab product to pack. It's quite small and light, but best of all it locks. There's a little lever to lock the plates together to prevent damage in transit. I've never seen this before, but it's a great function

4. IONS: These help tame hair, and this beauty tool releases them as you straighten, to give the hair moisture. You can vary the setting for this too, as flyaway hair needs less to control it than crazy hair!! 

5. Handy hints.. The straighteners come with a handy book to show you how to create a variety of styles so you can make the most out of the gadget! 

I'm looking for hints for products to give great curls for thick hair, any ideas, please leave a comment below...

TOP FIVE STEPS TO FABULOUS NAILS

Customer service... it makes all the difference. I was browsing Selfridges recently, and tried a nail transfer called Incoco. I was told by the assistant that the french manicure she had just transferred onto my fingertips could last for a couple of weeks. I was dubious, and said I'd think about it. Five days later and the transfer didn't have a scuff, so I returned to purchase some. I asked the assistant if she would mind re-showing me how they were applied, and she did - and then she let me have a go too, so that I was confident re-doing my own at home. At £40 for a set of three (which I've been told will do six sets of nails) it's very reasonable. Applying them does take some time, but the effect is brilliant... Here's five steps to applying them:

Step one: Peel the white tip from the backing,  once you have it in place, rub on.
Then file your nail  so there's no over-hang. 

Step two: Peel the pearl varnish strip off the backing

Step three: cover the nail in varnish and press out so there are no air bubbles

Step four: File to shape

Step five: Repeat x9!

Head to Selfridges to try them out for yourself. I can't wait to try the leopard print set I bought.

What new nail items do you love?

TOP FIVE BREAKFASTS

It's supposed to be the most important meal,set you up for the day and kick start your metabolism... but what are the best breakfasts on the market? These are the top five things I reach for to aid morning hunger pangs...

Belvita Breakfast Biscuits, £2.19
Most supermakets

I'd heard a few adverts for Belvita breakfast biscuits, so I bought a box of the fruit & fibre ones. They don't look tasty, but they are delicious - a bit like McVittie's Fruit Shortcakes. They contain whole grain and a selection vitamins and minerals... but they taste far too nice to be good for you in my opinion! The problem I have is I eat all four biscuits (they come in sachets of four) for breakfast, and then I tend to eat another pack in the evening after dinner as a snack (fattie). 

White's Apple & Cinnamon Crunch, £2.45
www.waitrose.com 

I would seriously consider doing a Waitrose shop just for this joyous breakfast treat. It is heavenly. I could happily eat nothing but this for a very long time... and I tire easily! Try it, you will love it - delicious light granola with little flakes of apple and a hint of cinnamon. They don't sell it everywhere, but they should!!

Mmmm chocolate croissants

Chocolate croissants - not Pain au Chocolat (although I do like these too!) are a fabulous morning meal. My personal favorite is the Tesco one, but I more regularly buy the Pret ones, as I work in London, and you can't move anywhere without passing one! Warm rich chocolate goodness encased in delicious pastry. Yum. 

Rumblers Oat Clusters and Yogurt (Raspberry), £1
Various stores

I blame eating on-the-run for my indulgent chocolate snacks, when I could just as easily eat grab something that's healthy. Rumblers Oat Clusters with Raspberries and Yogurt are delicious and available at most shops (and almost all branches of Boots). The convenient tubs contain low fat probiotic yogurt, into which you can pour the nutritious wholegrain oats with little dried raspberries. It even comes with a spoon.  Perfection in a little plastic bowl. 

Kellogg's Crunchy Nut Clusters Milk Chocolate Curls, £2.97
www.tesco.com  

I am a Kellogg's Crunchy Nutter. I go particularly nuts for the Milk Chocolate Curls variant. It combines tasty clusters of oats, wheat and corn, wrapped in honey and nuts with milk chocolate. It is somewhat of a dessert, but who cares!?

What's your favourite brekkie?