get your backpacks out...

Hello boys and girls, I know it has been a long time but I literally got back from my month long adventure in beautiful Thailand 2 days ago. Now the jet lag is waring off and I have all the time in the world so blog my heart out.

My prep for my trip to Thailand involving lashings of fake tan (didn't last), resisting a hair cut (the humidity would just ruin it again!), veeting, shaving, sit ups and my new favourite tinting. I went to Shavata, 3 days before flying, in Harving Nichols and got my lashes and brows tinted. For a student it is a little pricey but they did a really good job - I wouldn't have gone anywhere else for my first tint as I was really nervous I was going to walk out with slugs on my face. They did a gorgeous job and I ended up getting a shape too (which once tinted I realised I needed!). Result? No more invisi-brow and non need for mascara on the beach.

Picking what to put in my rather massive backpack for my travels was quite difficult because I am so used to having piles of beauty products and a sack full of make up with me at all times.. So I had to narrow it down and adjust it to what I needed instead of what I wanted to take (this was very hard for me!). I managed to narrow it down to the above - after lots of deliberating with myself. While I was away my beauty regime changed and adjusted so I brought back some things I couldn't live without out there.

To start I obviously needed my sun cream, Soltan Factor 30 is normally perfect but it seemed it just wasn't strong enough to protect my ginger skin from the Asian sun. So I had to upgrade to Soltan's Invisible dry Factor 50 - (even using this I managed to burn my back red raw... ). When I packed I was determined not to be my milk bottle self and so I found the best and longest lasting fake tan I could find, St Tropez Dry Tan Oil - it (in normal weather conditions) lasts up to ten days. I unfortunately over estimated the stuff though, as it just sweated off in the humidity of Bangkok as soon as we arrived! So I remained pale, now I am back in English weather I have a healthy natural looking glow ;)

Then there is the essential tropical holiday things you need, like Insect Repellent (from Boots) and Bite & Sting Relief Cream (Boots again) that I couldn't have lived without considering the amount of bites we got out there.

Then things I convinced myself I HAD to take, like my long lasting Mitchum 24 hour deodrant (totally essential), and GOSH Forever eyeshadow for Half Moon and Jungle Experience, Super Stay Maybelline Gel Polish in Berry (melted off but I still reapplied it several times before it peeled away a day later) and GOSH mineral powder (again for partying but again sweated off ever so attractively).

While I was out there I got myself Nivea Dry Skin Therapy Serum as my skin was dry from the lashings of insect spray and sun lotion and 2 showers a day. This as well as Nivea After Sun Lotion were must haves for me the past 5 weeks. I also was absolutely fascinated by the amount of whitening make-up, moisturisers, serums and washes there were in the pharmacies in Thailand, it was extraordinary but then when I thought about it look at how much bronzer and fake tan we have over here! So I bought Pond's White Beauty Lightening Facial Foam - I don't want to try it yet given my recent fake tan top up but I will in a couple of weeks and pop up a review with some of the other products that were in the whitening ranges so you can see the extent of it.

As for my hair.. God knows it was a state and still is due to my desperate need for a hair cut.. but for those nights where I kept it down for an hour I smoothed it out with Shauna's Blow Pro Smoothing Spray (it did the job until the humidity kicked in)

So that's basically it! That is what I tried to survive with while out in the jungle (slash in cosy little hostels and cheap restaurants). It wasn't much but it got me through and compacted into the side pockets of my backpack rather well.. that is until the shampoo I got while I was out there burst.. oops.

I have to say it's so nice to be back after a hour long bath I feel clean, freshly blow dried silky hair, a full face of make up to make me feel pretty again and nice clean clothes that I haven't had to wear for 5 weeks. But it was an incredible trip that I could do again in a heartbeat.

Remember all the product names are links to where you can find them and more info about them! :)