THE DUTCH BRAID

(Hair styled by myself)

Since I was young, I was never one to enjoy wearing my hair up and it was near enough only for the sake of PE in school where I would slick my hair back into a ponytail through gritted teeth and extreme reluctance. In terms of braids, I would only ever wear these overnight to achieve rather mad wavy hair in the mornings, but since the dutch braid has come into fashion and seems to take up 70% of my Instagram feed, I've become partial to the odd pair of plaits on a pretty regular basis.

For work I have to wear my hair up/out of my face for hygiene reasons, and I often opt for these braids for a more fashionable alternative than a regular ponytail that leaves me looking rather 'egg' like. I like the 3D effect a dutch braid gives, in comparison to the usual French braid. This is rather simply achieved by passing each strand under the others into the middle rather than on top.

I think what I like the most is that this works on any length of hair. My sister (pictured above) has a shoulder length chop and this still works just as well as those that have hair to almost their waist, and I personally find that its this versatility that makes it a go to style for so many. It also works a treat for when you don't have time to wash your hair; with the help of a few spritzes of dry shampoo.

Are you a fan of the dutch braid or are you yet to master it?

MAC VELVET TEDDY

This is a post that I promised myself not to mention 'Kylie Jenner' in, but it seems to be the surrounding connotation to the shade and has been for quite some time, so I'll get it out the way nice and early to spare any eye rolls. Velvet Teddy has been on my wishlist for a while now, and when my dad went on a trip of course I jumped on the duty free opportunity for him to get me one on his travels.

This has become one of my most regularly used lipsticks in my collection, and definitely is my favourite by a mile. I think the perfect mix between brown/nude/pink (I could not possibly give more of a vague explanation) paired with the matte formula is what makes this perfect. I firmly believe that if this was not matte, the colour wouldn't work for me. Lasting time is pretty long, even without a liner, and although sometimes I get a line around the lips if I eat a full meal with it on, this is only faint and the majority of the pigment remains on my lips. I would suggest if you have dry lips to definitely opt for a balm underneath else you'll struggle with dryness.

Out of the three MAC Lipsticks I've owned, although I haven't had the widest range of options this is definitely my favourite formula and shade in my drawers overflowing with variations, and I think the countless compliments and constant 'oh thank you it's MAC Velvet Teddy' responses I've dished out, it is pretty clear that this gets a gold star from me.

AMIKA HAIR PRODUCTS

I rarely venture outside the household's shared shampoo and conditioner when it comes to hair care products, and my standard heat protecting and shine giving sprays and serums, so when these Amika products* popped through my letter box, I was extremely excited to try them out.

The first of the trio is the Heat Defense Serum*, a nice alternative to the usual heat protective sprays. What I like most about this is that you can really coat all of the hair because of the serum formula, and it leaves my hair (which tends to go frizzy after blowdrying) feeling silky smooth and shiny looking. Because of this in comparison to my usual post-blowdry locks I am rather impressed with the protecting abilities of this one.

Usually when it comes to dry shampoo I am loyal to Batiste. I've ventured out to other brands before and missed out on that Batiste level of reliance and some even made my between-wash hair look worse than it did before applying anything. This however, is an exception to my 'Batiste only' rule; not only did it smell brilliant, it made my hair look extremely fresh with no powdery look or feel after a brief massage. This Perk Up Dry Shampoo* definitely ticks the boxes for me.

Finally we have the 'Haute Mess Texture Gel'* - the one I was perhaps most uncertain of. I rarely use products like this, as I fear I will be left with matted hair rather than beachy waves. I think the key is moderation, and the best method I have found is to apply a pea sized amount to the lengths of the hair and then do a french plait overnight, as by then it has done the work without me having to.

This brand has definitely surprised me, and I look forward to implementing these products into my everyday hair routine.

*PR Samples

L'OREAL INFALLIBLE MATTIFYING PRIMER

I never used to make the extra step of using a priming base for my makeup, until a few Chirstmas' ago I received a sample of a Smashbox primer, and I've never looked back. I've tried my fair share of high end and drugstore, with my favourite being the Benefit Porefessional, but last time it came to restocking my primer it was a while off payday and I couldn't justify the price so I settled for the L'Oreal Infallible Mattifying Base. 

One thing I praise this primer for is its ability to smooth the skin - it pretty much perfects the skin for foundation and helps product to settle really flawlessly into the skin. In terms of the mattifying claims, it does reduce the shine initially, however isn't something that lasts all day as I do tend to have to touch up my shine. Despite this, it does make my makeup last far longer in the day.

One gripe I do have about this is that if you apply too much and straight after moisturising it tends to form into little pieces (I'm sure you know the ones I mean although I can't quite explain it) so bear that in mind. For £7.99 though, this is a pretty impressive primer and is rather similar to other formulas I have tried from higher end brands, and is really worth the try.

I've heard great things about the matte foundation too, and I'm kind of eager to try that out too - does it live up to the hype?

2015 IN REVIEW

Onika Perfume / The Chambray Shirt / DIY Ripped Knees #2 / Sunglasses Season / KIKO Smart Lipsticks / New Balance Black Sonic Trainers

For me, 2015 had been the biggest and busiest year to date - I completed my GCSEs, got my first job, started learning to drive, and began the pathway into A Levels. If you couldn't tell already, all of those were the priority aside from blogging, and it became extremely difficult for me to balance all those things happening in my life with regular posts. Hopefully, it can improve this year but secretly I'm hoping 2016 is just as exciting and busy as the last. I'll try my hardest.

I've got a gym membership (classic move in the new year, let's see how this plays out) and I'm reading to head into 2016. Hopefully on the blog this year I want to even out the fashion and beauty aspects, with more lifestyle posts too. There's a certain style of writing I want to convert my posts to in the future, but I'm not sure how it'll go down so I'm testing the waters bit by bit.

One thing I do plan for this year is to work on my Instagram more, which I have been doing more recently so if you don't already, follow @petitedecember. As I did last year, the most popular posts from this year have been listed above, but surprisingly my 2014 Kylie Jenner Lips post has remained the top post throughout the whole year consistently, so it'll be interesting to see whether that stays the same this year or not.

Another roundup for Petite December, who knows what will be in the 2016 installment...