THE ANNUAL LUSH STOCK UP

I don't often go to Lush, mainly because there isn't a local one for me, and also because sometimes I simply can't justify £4 odd for a one use bath bomb, which is why I tend to stick to the multi-use bubble bars once the Boxing Day sales come around. This year me and my family endured the sales on the 27th and there was still plenty of Lush smelling goodness left over, and all this stuff cost me a mere £8.21 of Christmas money.

The first thing I found was one I haven't used, the Snowman FUN - a blatant novelty interpretation of the regular FUN that can be used as bubbles, a shower gel alternative, and also as shampoo. I tried FUN last year and this big chunk only cost £2.50 so I thought I'd give it a go. It's fruity sweet scent makes me love this even more. Will I be sculpting a snowman family on the side of the bath? We'll see.

So White was the only bath 'ballistic' I could justify, simply because it's my all time favourite. The crisp apple scent makes my heart skip a beat and it is always exciting to watch this one unveil its pink tint in the depths of my bath water.

A more nourishing alternative is the Melting Snowman - a slightly spicy, cinnamon bath melt that not only looks adorable (despite the lacking carrot nose) but also leaves the skin feeling soft, and the comforting warm aroma of this makes it perfect for the evening relaxation in the colder days. This one was rather cheap, coming in at about £1.20.

Another repurchase from previous years is the Christmas Eve Bubble Bar. This smells rather basic; think soap with added sophistication of ylang ylang and jasmine, making it the perfect remedy for a good nights sleep.  For £1.48 I couldn't resist.

Finally, a personal favourite although not to everyone's taste - Candy Mountain Bubble Bar. This is the one I always set out with the intention to buy; not only is it pretty to look at but personally I cannot resist the sweet, sugary candy floss bubbly scent, and for something short of £1.50 I probably should have picked up another, as I do think the Bubble Bars have the best value, and this one is a bit of a guilty pleasure.

I look forward to my upcoming weeks/months of bathing in the evenings and I might even crack one out tonight...

THE PETITE DECEMBER 2014 ROUND UP

What. A. Year. It seems to have just flown by, especially in blogging terms. I started the year as 'The Beau Bow', progressing into the step of buying a domain under 'Petite December' and really getting to work with my layout, content and pictures, and I've had absolutely no regrets about that step.

This year I've really come to terms with blogging; thinking about my content as well as planning ahead. I've changed up my personal style rather dramatically as well as improved my makeup application alongside my knowledge and I feel far more capable of writing good quality posts (although a tight budget makes things a little more difficult). In the recent months I've fallen in love with fashion and can't wait to (hopefully) get a more 50:50 fashion and beauty regime going on post-wise.

My most popular post of 2014 was the 'Kylie Jenner Esque Lips' in which I explored the slightly overdrawn, staple pink-brown nude lip that Kylie has been coveting over the year. Following that is the 'Half Up Hipster Bun' show and tell in which I expressed my love for a hairstyle introduced to me by Lily Melrose. At the beginning of the year I declared a battle between some of the well known Drugstore Foundations around - some of which I still love today. And one of my favourite post titles of the year, 'On Wednesday's We Wear Pink', of course, exploring my pink beauty selection with a few harmless Mean Girls references.

I've recently got back into Intragram, so for more regular pictures and updates, follow @petitedecember . I've been so proud of my post consistency throughout 2014, and I hope 2015 will see the same, although it is my year for GCSE exams so we will see how things pan out, but scheduling will always be by my side.

I've already been planning plenty of posts for the new year (I have a notebook, and I'm being pretty bloody organised), and can't wait to see where 2015 will take Petite December.

SHORT HAIR SAVIOURS

Since getting 'the chop' a few months back, I've come to notice that for me my shorter hair takes more work on a daily basis, and with a strict weekly school routine I don't have the time for curling and I don't own any straighteners, so I have to have a good group of products to fall back on.

The Tresemmé 24 Hour Body Volume Spray is a good one for spraying on damp hair before blow drying to get some extra volume. I find this works especially well if you blow dry it upside down and you get a lot more root volume that way, and it seems to hold rather well too. This is only a mini but it's lasting well as only a few spritzes does the job.

For some hold on any hairstyle I opt for, I tend to use the Bumble and Bumble Classic Hairspray. if you can get over the fusty smell, this does a decent job at holding the hair in place without being crispy, but due to the smell I am hunting for an alternative.

As my roots lack volume but I have quite thick hair, it tends to resemble some kind of triangle where the ends are much bushier and the top almost sticks to my head. To combat this I have recruited the VO5 Give me Texture Dry Texturising Spray that I spray at the roots and give a good ruffle and it seems to do the job. To add a little more texture and also some hold, I use the L'oréal #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray and scrunch up the hair in my hands a little for a bit of gritty-ness.

Finally, after years of using it and a love-hate relationship throughout, it's Batiste Dry Shampoo. This is the Oriental one, but I recon I've tried most of the range and get the same effects from them all. If you use it properly you avoid that powdery feeling and white roots dreaded combo and instead have fresh looking hair with added volume, a doublet of effects everyone loves.

What have you been reaching for to spritz on your hair recently?

WINTER LIP BALMS

When it gets to Winter I think all of us crack out the more intensive skincare, the nourishing masks, and the thick body creams, as well as the lip balms. If anyone is like myself, the balm section of your lip drawer is overflowing and you aren't quite sure which ones you should reach for. I have 2 budget friendly recommendations that I use constantly to keep my lips ready for whatever weather (and lip stick) is thrown at them.

The first is one I've used numerous tubes of - Nivea Milk & Honey. It's thick, smells really natural and almost somehow cosy, and does one hell of a job at keeping the lips nourished. I use this in the morning before makeup application, as well as in the evenings among my skincare routine upon makeup removal. This is usually about £3 so doesn't break the bank and lasts quite a while.

The second is the Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm, in just the regular formula/scent. It's minty and refreshing and isn't as thick as the Nivea offering. This is the one you could use during the day when we want a bit of a kick of nourishment as well as a minty flavour. This is £4-5 and so isn't that expensive either and could do well as a little stocking filler this Christmas.

Honestly, lip balms are one of my biggest necessities in Winter as the feeling of sore chapped lips genuinely makes me shudder.I know the Nuxe Reve de Miel is on my wishlist but until then, these serve me more than well.

WHAT TO BUY FOR A TEENAGE GIRL

* PR Sample

I'm not one for writing gift guide posts, generally as it depends on the situation, the person, and the budget. But this year, as I am a teenage girl myself literally hitting 16 years a couple of days ago, I thought I could perhaps a few of you out that are struggling for a friend or relative.

I think for most of us, when you struggle on what to buy, or need a little filler present, we all opt for the body spray. I don't know why, but I know it's always my backup option. I got sent this set of So...?! Body Spray Set* and if you needed you could split the range, or even just do it as the set.

Sticking with fragrance, I also received the Britney Spears Fantasy EDP 30ml* which is the perfect scent for someone my age. It's rather sweet, but also is balanced out by a slight musk and really is just a youthful scent that I'm sure so many girls would love. For body, most people I know adore Soap & Glory, and so buying a Righteous Butter would be a nice gift perhaps alongside some other minis, as a sweet pampering gift.

For those that are wanting something a little more high end, I 100% recommend an Urban Decay Naked Palette. I have Naked 2, but any would be perfect. I personally would opt for 1 or 2 as they are more neutral rather than the pink tones in 3, as it is a little safer and those two suit most eye colours. Another makeup item is the Maybelline Baby Lips. I don't use these too often, but the amount of people I see at school using these is unreal, so if they happen not to own them already, you have a perfect stocking filler.

For the girl that doesn't particularly like makeup nor beauty, I would suggest buying The Wet Brush*. Mine is in a cute mustache print, and I've had this for such a long time and use it daily. It honestly is the best brush I've ever used and even the girls furthest from beauty lovers would appreciate it.

These House of Holland Polka Dot Nails would also appeal to a nail fanatic. If you don't want the glue aspect, pick up some Elegant Touch Adhesive Tabs, as they just make the process as little less damaging and longer lasting if I say so myself. These are 3D, monochrome and stiletto shaped; I would be pretty bloody pleased to receive these myself.

Finally, this Trim Brow and Lash Set*. If your mates are eyebrow obsessed like mine are, this would be a great present. You get a mirror, a spoolie, some scissors and tweezers in a travel pouch - and only costs you about a fiver. I know a lot of girls that would appreciate this present a LOT.

Hopefully I gave some ideas, and if you have any more please do leave them in the comments!

A FESTIVE GLITTER POLISH

I think it's safe to say that as the Christmas and party season comes around, almost everyone loves a good glitter manicure, whether all over, an accent nail, tips, or a gradient effect, it's just something we all crave.

I found this one from Essence from the Special Effect Topper range for a couple of pounds in the shade Circus Confetti. You get a variety of small round glitter and slightly larger hex glitter in an array of colours, basically like rainbow glitter housed in a clear base. This looks amazing layered over coloured polish, as well as nude and white, and also on it's own layered up for a full on glitter nail (a few coats gets it almost opaque).

As it is quite a heavy glitter, the drying time is a little longer than usual, but a fast drying top coat will get you though it (I'm loving the Ciaté Speed Coat), and I can't get over how sparkly and festive it looks. It even managed to catch the eye of the science teacher whilst he was in the midst of talking as it was that sheeny and reflective!

Definitely one to try if you are looking for a budget rainbow glitter rather than splurging on the likes of OPI.

FAKING IT

After a recent nail break, I decided I needed immediate action and rather than having painted stubs, I decided to locate the fake nails section in Superdrug. I had a £5 Love to Shop voucher from a survey I did a while back, and decided that in an emergency I should use it and get something good for my money.

These are the Elegant Touch Totally Bare Nails in 001 Square and cost £4.65. I filed them down a little, made the the shape I wanted and then painted them in Nails Inc Porchester Square to make them look really chic and something that matches with any outfit so I can reuse these multiple times. They look really natural and with the filing they don't restrict me in any way.

You get 48 nails of 10 sizes in each pack, so you get around 2 uses from each, unless you file the edges down to make them fit a little better and you could squeeze for 3. But I really like the fit and you also get a decent sized glue that is rather strong and quick drying, that claims to last for 10 days if used properly.

I know Nailene have a 200 pack similar that I might be getting my hands on soon as I think as long as you take care of your natural nails before and after application, you can have some really effortless perfected manicures that don't cause any damage like acrylics might.

FESTIVE SEASON

It has begun again. The first of December marks my true excitement for Christmas (although my present shopping did begin beforehand as I have rather busy collection of weekends coming up). I thought I would just put together a little post together on what I'm doing this year present wise and how I'm wrapping.

Between my close-knit group of friends we have organised a Secret Santa so we don't have to buy each other a separate present as budgets are low this year (I don't really know why but we all seem to be a bit short on money), so we are each getting a £20 present instead rather than lots of little bits. Of course, some of the girls slipped up and gave it away meaning a few of us 'cryptic' gals could suss out who has who, but I'm still excited to see what we all buy for each other. That means I have more money to spend on family, as some of my other friends and I just promised each other chocolate and so we wouldn't have to spend much more either.

As for wrapping, I decided to go for what I was going to do last year (but Mum got ahead of the game and had already purchased various rolls of printed paper). The idea is to wrap everything in brown paper then decorate it with bakers twine, bows, ribbon and elastic cord, and so on, to make it really customised. I've gone for a red, gold, green theme and managed to get most of my supplies in Wilkinson and Home Bargains to save some pennies. I think buying presents is my favourite part and seeing others open them, and I'm really pleased with my finds this year.

If you celebrate Christmas, how are you planning things this year?

WET N WILD LIP PRODUCTS

If there's one thing I have way too many of, make it lipsticks. In a recent trip to Florida I took advantage of the non-UK products and got myself a quartet from Wet n Wild, the majority of which I love.

I'll start with the one I don't wear very much, which is Think Pink (3rd Clockwise). It's too pale for me and just washes me out and looks too barbie, but it is a stunning colour for those who can pull it off.

Starting back from the top is my absolute favourite of them all, Purty Persimmon. A punchy orange red that I never would have guessed would suit me, but boy does it. This has quicky become my favourite bright lipstick and I often even reach for it more often than my nudes at the weekends - it really is a 'feel good' colour for me.

Another nice one from the same line is Mauve Outta Here, a subtle pink purple that appears slightly more plummy on the lips, but still everyday, neither too bright or dark. I really like the formula of these too, they are really thick and almost matte, and although it takes some work for application, the finish and lasting time as well as gorgeous colour wins me over time and time again.

From the Fergie Centre Stage collection is Ferguson Crest Cabernet. It has a more eccentric packaging and a glossier finish to the actual lipstick. This is a deep purple, reminding me slightly of MAC Rebel but a little lighter in colour (although it does show a little darker if layered on the lips) and I'm coming to terms with this one slowly but surely.

If you live in the US and want some budget friendly lipsticks, definitely go and check out the Wet n Wild stand, and have a browse among the endless colours.