TOP FIVE ROYAL WEDDING PRODUCTS

Did someone mention a wedding? Oh yes, a reet Royal one... I personally am very excited, and shall be going down to St James' Park to see the full 'show'. Because of all the excitement, I've put together a top five in honour of the Royal Wedding...

Warwick dining table £99, Set of two Warwick dining chairs £59, TU red stoneware roasters from £5, Red pepper mill £5, Tu red stripe porcelain 12pc dinnerware set £22, Tu blue dot earthenware 12pc dinnerset £30, Tu 16-piece stainless steel  striped cutlery set £15, 3m Union Jack Bunting, £2.50, Hand held Union Jack Flag 4Pk, £2

I absolutely love the idea of a Street party... cover the street in bunting and all bring a bit of booze. As I live in the middle of an East End council estate, a less pretty picture of this idea surfaces, but the theory is great! Sainsbury's have a fab selection of British razzmatazz to create the picture-perfect street party at a bargain price! You'll be able to pick up your food and drink while you're there too!



Sylvanian Families William and Catherine Wedding Set, £27.99
Amazon.co.uk

How cute are these? A Sylvanian Families William and Catherine Wedding Set. The six-piece set includes Prince William and Catherine Middleton characters, in addition to a wedding entourage including a page boy, two bridesmaids and a Reverend. If you've got any little ones, they're such a great gift - they'll be able to recreate the 'balcony kiss' scene for years to come!

Crest cushion, £17.00
http://www.sterlingfurniture.co.uk/

If you're friends with a traditionalist and want to get them a gift to mark the occasion (or just to treat yourself), this cushion is perfect. I think it would look right in place on a mahogany coloured Chesterton armchair. It will be your own little piece of memorabilia to mark the historic day.

Red White and Moo Royal Wedding with yoomoo frozen yogurt
http://www.yoomoo.com/

A delicious combination of juicy British strawberries, natural or vanilla frozen yogurt and freshly ripened Blueberries pay homage to the Kate and Wills wedding in the form of YooMoo's Royal offering. You can pick your delicious bowl of healthy, tasty goodness at Harrods (among other locations), then eat it as you watch the event on the Big Screens in Central London  (sipping champagne too, of course!).

One in 10 British women voted royal bride-to-be Kate Middleton as having one of the make-up looks they would most love to replicate on their own big day. To help you copy Kate's classic look, QVC's resident beauty expert and make up artist Alison Young has created a princess Kate makeup tutorial to show you how to replicate the sophisticated look. It's realy easy to follow her simple steps, so give it a go!

What are your plans for this big event?

TOP FIVE EASTER TREATS

 Mmmmmmm.Chocolate.

Heavenly Honeycombe Egg, £13.50

http://www.chococo.co.uk/

This Chococo egg makes a great present. The packaging is gorgeous, and its insides taste lovely. This milk chocolate egg is lined with chunks of Chococo’s delicious homemade honeycombe and the outside features hand- piped milk chocolate stripes decorated with edible gold lustre. Beautiful.

AERO bubbly Lamb, £0.61

How much cuter can chocolate get? This is a new treat from AERO, bubbly Lamb. This loveabubble novelty lamb figure makes a great snack  - if you can bare to eat it! At only 145 calories per lamb it’s a lighter chocolate indulgence - buy yourself a whole flock.

Giant Florentines, £8.99
http://www.fudges.co.uk/

If you're having guests round, serve up these delicious Florentines. They were a big hit when I served them up... They’re available exclusively from the Fudges online shop, give them a try - you won't regret it!

Cadbury Bunnies, £1 for 2
Poundland

Cadbury Caramel bars are definitely in my top five chocolate bars, and equally delicious are the Easter specials - Cadbury Caramel Bunnies. All the goodness of Caramel bars in cute bunny shapes - genius!
Buy them for your workmates/friends as a fun Easter treat - they're just £1 for two packs from Poundland!

Green & Blacks Butterscotch Easter Egg

www.greenandblacks.com



I am such a huge G&B fan...so this is the egg I have asked for this Easter.... The thick shelled milk chocolate egg has lots of tasty little pieces of butterscotch. I just have to be careful not to eat it all in one go, as it's 180g... which is a lot of (delicious) naughtiness!

TOP FIVE PRODUCTS TO HELP YOU RUN FOREVER

Aside from being another glorious day in the UK's April heat wave, Sunday was the marathon. It has really inspired me to get my trainers out and do a few laps of the park, perhaps even getting fit enough to do my own marathon (one day!). As well as being great all-round cardio, it will help me reduce my stress levels and tone my butt! Here are my top five products for people wishing to take up running...

SPIRU-TEIN GOLD, £28.50 for 545g
http://www.nutricentre.com/

Pre-run

To give yourself some extra energy before you run try using SPIRU-TEIN GOLD. It's a (veggie-friendly)  protein shake from Nature’s Plus.  Containing a blend of energising proteins, essential vitamins and minerals and live whole food enzymes - it ensures you are able to run for longer with a spring in your step.

TWIST N SIP, £2.99
http://www.waitrose.com/

On the run

Every runner knows that you need to stay hydrated for optimal performance. Muscle cramps, dizziness, fatigue and heat stroke are all problems athletes can run into (excuse the pun) if they don't take on the proper amount of fluid. Sistema have designed the ultimate water bottle to ensure you keep your water levels topped up on the go - the TWIST N SIP. Its unique design means that you don’t have to worry about spillages and it has a slender waist - just like yours after a few sessions - making it comfortable to hold while you speed through the park!



Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, £1.22
http://www.boots.com/

Pot of luck

I was told by a friend who did the marathon that she saw loads of disgusting things as she worked her way round the course, including people bleeding through their nipples! Yuck! Apparently chaffing is a real problem for long distance runners, so they should lube up with Vaseline on thighs and nipples! It has other uses for runners to, including on your heels before donning trainers -preventing blisters, to stop sweat interrupting your vision  and to keep lips moisturised and protected against the elements... So pop a little Vaseline in your kit bag essential to make crossing the finish line not only a memorable, but a pain-free experience!



Nike Running Arm Wallet, £10
www.wiggle.co.uk

The key to your success

The single most annoying thing about running is finding something comfortable to hold your keys! These little armbands are a lifesaver - you can usually fit an iPod in too, so you can run to the beat!



Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle, £20 50ml

www.aromatherapyassociates.com

Post race

If you're suffering from aches, pain, stiffness or tension, give yourself a rub down with Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Gel. It contains aromatic waters and essential oils of Rosemary, Ginger, Black Pepper & Lavender to deliver an immediate localised soothing and warming effect to release tension in aching muscles and joints. It is so lovely - you can also warm muscles up with this fab gel to prepare them for training.... your legs will love you if you spoil them with this!

TOP FIVE MAKE-UP BRUSHES

I do love make-up brushes. I wash them to keep them clean and germ-free, and replace them when they look tired. I have loads, as there really is a brush for every occasion. Below are some of my favourites....



Max Factor Foundation Brush, £10
exclusively at Boots. http://www.boots.com/

I was a lover of my MAC foundation brush, but it cost a bloody fortune, and my little sister one day decided she would paint with it - actual GREEN paint... it never recovered. Anyway, I've recently switched to the Max Factor Foundation brush, and I love it.  Famously Max Factor is the 'make-up of make-up artists', so it's no surprise that Caroline Barnes is a fan of this brush. It's really firm - great for precise application. It's made with smooth capra hair - it's lush, and at a tenner - you'll be able to buy one for your little sister to use for her art project (and still spend less than you would at the MAC counter!).

EcoTools Eye Shading Brush, £4.10
http://www.boots.com/

Renowned make-up artist Lauren Parsons (she's worked with Mario Testino!) says that 'looking good shouldn't cost the earth' - which I totally agree with. She's an ambassador for EcoTools brushes, which as well as being unbelievably soft, are one of the first to use sustainable resources to minimise the negative effect on the environment. I adore the Eye Shading Brush - it's really large - so is great for shading. The best part? You can feel good about spending money on make-up!!

Cosmopolitan TM Smokey Eyes Brush Set  £5.99

http://www.tesco.com/

Have you ever come a-cropper on a Monday morning, as you go to apply your 'day eyeshadows' for work... You go to apply a nice cream/brown shade and then spend twenty minutes rubbing the brushes on tissues/your hand/dressing gowns trying to get the dark colours off the brushes because you gave yourself a sexy smokey eye at the weekend!!? The answer? Get a special set for your dark eyeshadow with Cosmopolitan’s Smokey Eyes Brush Set. The trio of professional brushes have been specifically designed to create a truly smouldering eye. The base brush is there to layer and blend your desired colour, using deeper colour on the outer corners of the eye to make them appear larger. The angled brush can then be used to add a deep colour to your top & bottom lash line, finally the smudger brush can be used to add a white or silver shadow to the inner corner of your eye to make them appear brighter... and leave your regular brushes free for your pale shades!

Now, apologies that I don't have an image of this brush - but it's fab, so I'm going to talk about it anyway. It's a black Kabuki brush from Boots. It costs about £4/5 and is amazing for applying bronzer - you can use the side of it to apply to cheekbones, but it has a really big head, so if you want to apply to your whole face/shoulders, then it's great for this too. Boots don't appear to sell it online either : ( but I've bought about four... and loads of my friends have one too, so I doubt very much they discontinue it! Have a search....

Paint brush, cheap
all good art shops

I was on a shoot recently, and a lovely make-up artist was telling me that she uses artist paint brushes for applying gel eyeliner. What a great call. Good make-up brushes like this can cost £20, but art shops sell these tiny brushes for a couple of quid. Even an expensive brush won't last forever, as you need them to be so precise, so stock up on a few artist ones next time you're in an art shop - now that's what I call crafty!

Any brush suggestions from you?