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Saturday 31 August 2013

Featured Blogger #12: August


It feels like absolutely ages since I last featured a blogger. This month things worked a little differently. Usually I choose a blog I've loved and followed for months and yet for the month of August I've chosen a completely new blog! I got Celia's link through the #bbloggers chat over on Twitter and new from the moment I clicked on I was going to love her blog! For one, her layout is incredible, she does it herself which is even better! Her blog is mainly fashion and lifestyle. I've been really getting in to fashion blogs at the moment, usually its all about the beauty blogs for me. Maybe I'm a convert? I asked Celia a few questions about herself and her blog which you can read below. Remember to go and visit Celia's Antics too!

In less than 50 words tell us a little about yourself and your blog.
Hello, I’m Celia. I’m 20 year old English student in London. I'm a geek at heart and can spend just as long in a bookshop as I can trying on shoes! Celia's Antics is a fashion-conscious lifestyle blog of a geeky girl where you'll find write-ups of my cultural pursuits alongside the outfits I wore doing them, beauty tips and shopping hauls. And all with a few recipes, rambles and reviews thrown in between! 

When and why did you initially start blogging?
I'm really a baby-blogger, Celia's Antics being only five weeks old! I've always had the odd outlet going on over the years (piczo and livejournal, anyone?) so I was aware of the blogging world and tempted to dip my toes into it for a while. I love documenting my experiences and having my own little creative outlet. Before I started I had no idea how strong the blogging community was - I've had such a great experience so far! 

Do you have any tips or ideas for someone wishing to start a blog?
Starting a blog is so daunting! You have to think about so many things, so I think it is so important to get it right. My top tip for someone wishing to start a blog is to take your time. Make sure your name is something you're still going to love two years on, make it unique but still personal somehow so it's more memorable. Have a clear direction of the sort of content you want to post - is it just going to be beauty reviews? Or just fashion? Maybe it'll be personal and mix a bit of everything like mine? And of course an attractive, easy-to-navigate layout is a must. If you don't know how to use Photoshop and HTML coding bamboozles you, it's worth investing in a premade layout and getting to know how it works before you open your blog up to the world.

Do you feel you've taken anything out of being part of the blogger community?
Something I've really loved being involved in through blogging are the chats. I've met some of the loveliest girls (including yourself, Rachael!) and found some great blogs to read through it as well as gaining more followers. You may have great content and a stunning layout, but if you don't join in with the community on twitter like in the chats, you're missing out not only interacting with tonnes of other bloggers but also learning the ins and outs of blogging! I'm looking forward to joining a lot more when I can, especially the themed topics. I always come away buzzing with enthusiasm and ideas for improving my blog!
 
What are your 5 favourite products right now?
'Big Blue' Bath Bomb from Lush is a must have for a pamper night! It smells divine and leaves your skin feeling so wonderfully soft. Body Shop make-up brushes are such good quality and last for ages (with a bit of TLC). Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner. As soon as I heard this was Kate Middleton's 'go-to' product, I was sold! It is so well pigmented, lasts for ages (both once applied and in the pot) and goes on so easily! 'Angels on Bare Skin' Cleanser from Lush. It's rare that I find a skin product that does exactly what it says on the tin. This ticks all the boxes for me! 'Benetint' from 'Benefit' - I couldn't live without having one of these in my make-up bag and the other permanently in my handbag! 

Who are your 5 favourite bloggers right now?
Lisette @ LisetteLoves – I love that her blog was set up as a positive outlet while her friend was ill. It’s lovely to read something so full of character, especially her ‘Thankful Thursdays’.
Bee @ VivaTramp – A girl after my own heart! A fellow English & Creative Writing student. I love how influenced her blog is by this too – she mixes the book reviews in really well between her lifestyle posts.
Clare @ FairysBeautyChest – This lovely lady is so supportive. Whenever I’ve put a plea for getting over blogging’s little hurdles she inspires me and always comments on the posts I’m most nervous about.
Liv @ What Olivia Did – It’s lovely to have such a kind-hearted, humble big blogger to look up to. 
Belphoebe @ Rags of Love – I met Belphoebe at a job interview a few months ago and (bizarrely) stumbled across her blog recently. Small world! I love her literary themes to outfits and could ‘favourite’ her witty tweets all day!

Where can we find you?
I'm @CeliasAntics on Twitter
Bloglovin: http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/9593475/celias-antics
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/celiabeech/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/celiasantics
And of course, my blog: http://celiasantics.blogspot.co.uk/
Do let me know what you think if you pop by – I would love to hear what you think!

Any final words of wisdom?
Goodness, I barely feel qualified enough! I would say a blog-reader though, 3 things are important for first impressions: name, layout and content. Your name will be the first thing people will see, make them want to click and find out more. Your layout should entice them to stay and have a browse. Your content must hook them to come back for more. The 'Holy Trinity' of blogging!


You can visit Celia's blog by clicking here!

Remember you can follow AIFA on Bloglovin' and Twitter!

Monday 26 August 2013

W.I.P #3: Results, Spending A Fortune Y Hablo Espanol, Prometo!


Wow it really doesn't feel like three weeks since I started writing these Week In Photos posts! This week was pretty much school orientated. If you read my previous post you'll know on the Thursday it was 'Results Day' which meant going back to school (which yes, meant spending 20 minutes finding room 14 because I got lost in my own school). It was a weird as a lot of people looked at me differently, as if I'd massively changed in two months. I haven't changed at all in my eyes! 
As soon as Thursday came my life suddenly moved at 100mph. I collected my results and was whisked off to enroll at a sixth form. It was all so quick I never really got to say bye to a lot of people. I start sixth form in a week so we went straight to Preston then the Trafford Centre to pick up uniform bits. While there I managed to spend a small fortune in H&M, oops!
Skip forward a bit and I spent the majority of the weekend celebrating. It was one of my best friends birthday so we all had a little party on Saturday. It was good to finally be able to see a few more people I had missed speaking to on Results, I probably won't see a lot of them again!
Skip forward again and right now I'm sat slathered in Origins Super Spot Remover, sorting through my language files. I've been slacking on the language speaking over the Summer and will probably get the shock of my life next week when I have to plunge back in to the work. Yesterday I forgot the Spanish word for FRIDAY!?! Can you believe?! I'm definitely going to suffer! ahahah
I'd love to know what you guys have been up to recently!

Remember you can follow AIFA on Bloglovin' and Twitter!

Saturday 24 August 2013

Results Day & College Update!


Originally I wasn't gonna do one of these posts, I was just going to include a bit about results day in my 'Week In Photos' next Monday. However, I know a lot of you on Twitter were in to the whole 'results' chat in earlier days so I figured I'd do one for those who don't chat to me on Twitter (@aisforaylablog). 
If you're a foreign reader, or your from the UK but have been hiding under a rock recently, 'Results Day' for GCSE students (age 16) was on the 22nd June. The grades determine what you go on to do at college or whatever. I came out with 2A* 8A  2B. As weird as it sounds, I was happiest about getting an E in my Physics module 3. You're probably thinking "whaaaat?!" but I feel as though its a sort of "you cant go through school without getting a detention" kinda thing, "you cant go through high school without having an epic fail result". We had a good laugh about it, I'll probably still laugh in a few years. I have a feeling my results aren't accurate though. In fact I'm 99% sure they've undermarked my French by around 3-5 raw marks, and I'm only 4 UMS away from an A*. I'm getting a few remarks. It's not ideal but It can't be helped.
I'm off to a sixth form now. Again for those who aren't familiar with the British school system, a Sixth Form is like an extension of school, but you sit your A Levels there, rather than at a college. I'm in the process of collecting all my uniform and stationary, I may do a post if I can find the time and natural light. I'm pretty happy to be moving away from those I went to high school with - time for a change! Although I'm not looking forward to spending 4 hours a day on a bus! Oh and switching to an ugly tie, I want my year 11 one back!:(
Well done to all those who got their GCSE results, and A Levels too! I'm sure you all did wonderfully!
Remember you can follow AIFA on Bloglovin' and Twitter!

Thursday 22 August 2013

A (Negative) Review | Benefit's They're Real! Mascara

benefit theyre real mascara false lashes lash effect claim review swatch eye negative positive bad review clumpy separate brush sensitive mini travel price uk

You've probably read 10 million reviews on this mascara, and truth be told this review was supposed to go up months ago, but bare with me! I've read nothing but positive comments on this mascara, and  yet I manage to find more negatives than positives. I first bought the miniature size back in February in the middle of the hype phase. It just didn't do what I wanted it to do and so being influenced by so many positive reviews, I bought another when they did a magazine offer in the hopes that the first one was a dud. I wish I'd have waited for the magazine offer the first time round as I've wasted double the amount of money I usually spend on my regular mascara. 

benefit theyre real mascara false lashes lash effect claim review swatch eye negative positive bad review clumpy separate brush sensitive mini travel price uk

Now I don't know whether I've just got the most un-cooperative eyelashes ever, or if this mascara really isn't  worth the hype. I'll agree that it is one of the blackest mascaras I've tried and the brush is quite good for separating lashes. Other than that I hate it! The brush is also very rubber-ised and harsh on sensitive eyes, I cringed every time I went to apply it! I hate the 'ball' on the end of the brush as it unevenly deposits the mascara on the lower lashes. I find the formula quite flaky at times and it requires a lot of layering to achieve any kind of 'dramatic' look. Flaky + layers = an absolute nightmare, as many beauty bloggers will know. 

benefit theyre real mascara false lashes lash effect claim review swatch eye negative positive bad review clumpy separate brush sensitive mini travel price uk

In terms of achieving a 'false lash effect' I'd say no way! Is it worth £18.50? - no! I'll definitely be sticking to my all time fave, Maybelline Falsies from now on! 

What were your thoughts on this 'hyped' mascara?


Remember you can follow AIFA on Bloglovin' and Twitter!

Wednesday 21 August 2013

My Summer Favourites!

After the birth of the #teenagebloggerchat over on Twitter, I've met tons of amazing teen bloggers. Two of those of are Alex and Jessica, who both run amazing blogs with similar content to A Is For Ayla. I absolutely adore both blogs and so was so happy to establish a collab with them! We decided as Summer is coming to a close, we'd 'review' the season and all the things in it. Almost like a monthly favourites post, only these are my favourites of the entire Summer!
Skincare
During the Summer I try to go bare-faced as much as possible to give my skin a bit of a break from the constant 'slapping on' during school term time. Of course, blemishes or spots can really decrease your confidence in going bare-faced so during the Summer I've been loving the Origins Super Spot Remover Treatment Gel, which reduces redness and the sight of spots quicker than anything else I've tried!
Body
Garnier's Intensive 7 Days Aloe Vera Moisturiser has long been my favourite moisturiser. It's especially good for Summer as its very light, absorbs really fast and contains Aloe Vera which can be good for sun burn. The softer the legs during 'shorts season' the better!
Hair
I had to have a good long think about this one. I don't think I've tried anything new that has been particularly outstanding. I've stuck with my normal routine which means Batiste's Blush Dry Shampoo is my 'cant live without' product. If you find you get oilier hair in Summer this is perfect for absorbing the excess oil and leaving a lovely subtle scent!
Face
I don't ever feature Bare Minerals powders on my blog but in the Summer they're definitely a staple for me. In Summer slathering on liquid makeup is the last thing I want to be doing. I prefer something light, undetectable and matte. I love all of the Bare Minerals powders, especially their Hydrating Mineral Veil, Tinted Mineral Veil, Foundation and Concealer all of which are in loose mineral powder form!
Makeup 
This was the hardest one to choose! After a lot of consideration I think I'd have to say Maybelline The Falsies Waterproof Mascara is my favourite. For me, switching to a waterproof formula is a must. Not only does it make your curl last longer due to a heavy oil based formula, but It stays on regardless of the climate or environment!
Nails
If you recently saw my second Week In Photos post you'll know I've been loving orange lips and nails recently. My all time favourite orange is Essie's 'Orange Its Obvious'. Essie have some amazing formulas, I'd go as far as saying this is opaque in one coat! I've also been loving Rimmel's Pear Drop which I recently bought!
Favourite Moment
This is really difficult to choose because in general this has been my favourite Summer to date! I left school, had my prom, (I will be having) results day, I spent lots of time with friends, I visited a lot of new places - on the whole it was amazing!
Something I'm Looking Forward To About A/W
I have to say the festive season. I'm never normally that 'in to' Christmas or New Year but after the freak heatwave in the UK I'm ready to get back to the traditional cold, wet, snowy England were used to. I especially cant wait to sit at home by the fire with some cinnamon scented candles, eating clementines in my tartan knitted scarf and plum coloured lipstick - I think I just went in to a day dream!
It's been a lot of fun creating this post, I think I might do one for A/W! If you've liked this post too, be sure to bob over to Alex's and Jessica's to read their versions! I'd love to know your favourites of this Summer too! 

Remember you can follow AIFA on Bloglovin' and Twitter!

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Layout Tips & Tricks #3 | Instagram Widget

This particular widget is one I love to see in blogs. I think it can look really sleek and clean on a blog. Mine lies at the bottom of my sidebar. There are tons of alterations you can make to produce an original widget, perfect for your layout and style!
This particular demo uses Snap Widget. To get started you should imput your account details in the appropriate boxes. It's all very safe and just simply means the site can 'fetch' the photos from your Instagram account. If you don't have an Instagram account but would like to feature the widget you can enter a hashtag. Tags like #bbloggers, #makeup or #ootd are good tags for displaying images related to style blogs. 

Once the photos have been fetched, you can play around with the various customization available. Personally I use a 2x3 grid with a 'fade in' hover to add a bit of flair to it. If you have a travel blog the map widget would be perfect to show images from your travels. The four widget types can be altered to fit in to any space on the blog, whether that be a sidebar, below heading or footer.
Once you've played around with the settings and utilized the preview button to no end, press the green button. Create a new 'HTML/Javascript' gadget in your blogs layout in an appropriate column. Copy the code given to you on Snap Widget in to the gadget and save!
You can refer to the images if you get lost at all. It's very simple and should cause no problems at all!


Remember you can follow AIFA on Bloglovin' and Twitter!

Monday 19 August 2013

W.I.P #2: From The City, To The Countryside ...To Hospital

To the cinema / I actually grew a lily!:o / orange lips & nails / I grew some more / Rimmel - Pear Drop / Preston purchases / Lived at McDonalds / Abbey
This has been the weirdest week of my life for a couple of reasons. The week started out basically normal, I did some shopping, did some blogging, ate my body weight in grapes - all the usual stuff. I managed to spend a bit more time with my friends earlier in the week. I went to go see The Conjuring which was well... an experience. I think my fainting episode pre-film was probably more frightening than the film itself. Have I ever mentioned I'm a horror movie junkie?
Later in the week I went to Preston for a bit of shopping. I managed to resist the urge to spend and only came out having bought a royal blue blazer and a chain necklace - something I've been waiting to buy FOREVER. On Sunday I went to my cousins to help him move house. He lives lived in the most beautiful house in the grounds of a local abbey. It was so weird seeing tons of random people walking around his back garden (the abbey) taking photos with their families, I couldn't imagine living there at all! Either way It was a shame to leave the house, our family would always gather there for a traditional 'English' Christmas.
If you follow me on Twitter you'll also know that yesterday, after returning home from a perfect day at the abbey, I had to rush to spend all evening in the hospital. After a few hours of panic and some amazing NHS staff, things are looking a lot better. Thank you for all your Tweets and emails, it was a really really crazy night!
Well done to all those who got their A Level results this week too, roll on Thursday for me!

Remember you can follow AIFA on Bloglovin' and Twitter!

Sunday 18 August 2013

August Boots Haul | Summer Drugstore Releases

august summer boots haul 2013 maybelline baby lips pink punch peach kiss rimmel pear drop lasting finish turquoise color show sugar crystals collection 2000 work the colour eyeshadow pencils hot chocolate vanilla sky
To cheer me up from the dull grey clouds that have been looming recently, I've got a few lovely Boots bits to share, strangely enough the shades are generally pretty Summery oops. I think part of me is trying to cling on to coral nail varnish and teeny denim shorts for dear life. I popped in to Boots as I had seen an amazing post on the new Collection Eyeshadow Pencils (a UK dupe to the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils) on Affordable Treats and really wanted to try them. I wasn't too sure on which shades I should choose. In the end I went for the same 2 as Louise - Vanilla Sky and Hot Chocolate. I'll 100% do a review as I do have quite a bit to say about these, whether its positive or negative you'll have to wait for. I also picked up a Baby Lips just to feed my curiosity. I went for Pink Punch and let me tell you it smells uhhhmazing! Do you guys want a post on that too? I might pick up more if you guys are interested in them. Lastly I picked up 2 nail polishes, Rimmel's Pear Drop and Maybelline's Sugar Crystal which both look really pretty on - not too Winter appropriate though, huh? Sorry this haul is smaller than usual, I'm trying to save my money and the majority of this was bought with Boots points!
What have you been buying recently?
Remember you can follow AIFA on Bloglovin' and Twitter!

Saturday 17 August 2013

NARS Laguna Bronzer vs Bourjois Delice de Poudre '52' Comparison, Review & Swatches

nars laguna bronzer bourjois delice de poudre comparison review post swatches chocolate bronzing powder dupe high street high end dupe blog

When I originally posted my review of Nars Laguna Bronzer weeks ago I said I'd do a comparison post with the Bourjois Delice De Poudre Bronzer aka good old 'chocolate bronzer' for those who were hesitant to pay just short of £30 for a bronzer. It's been weeks in the making but I've
 finally got the chance to write this post up! Excuse the photos, like I said this post has been sitting in a file for months, my photography has come on leaps and bounds since then - or so I'd hope.

nars laguna bronzer bourjois delice de poudre comparison review post swatches chocolate bronzing powder dupe high street high end dupe blog

In the pan, the bronzers look worlds apart. For me, formula is what sets the two apart. Nars Laguna is a very soft formula making it a lot easier to blend and contour with. Bourjois Delice de Poudre is much much harder and takes a bit of working at to get any pay off. I know a few bloggers don't share the same views as me on the Bourjois bronzer and for a while I did think I had a dud product, but I have spoken with other bloggers who experience the same problems as I do. My biggest problem is that Delice de Poudre has a 'layer' on top which makes the formula really hard, once you've scratched away the layer the powder is much softer and fine. The 'layer' of god knows what does reappear though. I can only image its some kind of oil separating from the pigments. You can see in the photo above where I've had to work at the pan to get any pay off at all.

nars laguna bronzer bourjois delice de poudre comparison review post swatches chocolate bronzing powder dupe high street high end dupe blog

Swatched, the differences in shade and formula are still apparent. Delice de Poudre is much more red-toned whereas Nars is more yellow toned. Laguna does have shimmer running through it, but no so much tat you look like a disco ball - think 'glow' rather than glitter. Delice de Poudre is a matte formula making it a great shade for contouring. However, has you can see below, where Nars is L and Bourjois is R, when blended down the shades are very very similar. And so, although I would choose Nars Laguna hands down on formula, shade and use, Bourjois Delice de Poudre is the perfect alternative for those who don't wish to invest too much money in to their makeup. I'm not under any kind of spell that makes me believe £30 for a bronzer is affordable.

nars laguna bronzer bourjois delice de poudre comparison review post swatches chocolate bronzing powder dupe high street high end dupe blog

Nars Laguna Bronzer aprox. £27 from Selfridges, ASOS or NARS online
Bourjois Delice de Poudre '52' £7 from Boots and Superdrug


Have you found any good dupes for a high end product?


Remember you can follow AIFA on Bloglovin' and Twitter!

Friday 16 August 2013

My A/W Fashion & Beauty Wishlist

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

I realised a little while ago that it truly has been ages since I posted a wishlist post for you guys. It's sort of like a pre-haul before the haul itself! You can get the general trend of what I'll be wearing in the upcoming season - lots of tartans and check prints and lots and lots of black! I've fallen head over heels from the red tartan skirt from New Look and likewise with check button up tunic from H&M which I think would look lovely belted with tights, a grey knit cardi and a leather jacket thrown on top! I've wanted a flute skirt ever since I saw Lucy Meck wearing a blue flute dress from Three Floor Fashion, and the off shoulder bodycon dress I think would be beautiful with bold red lips and shiny curled hair for the festive season. I'm looking to expand my MUJI storage to my nail polish too and I think I may have found the perfect piece. Lastly, Who can deny the beauty and intense pigmentation of the new Collection Eyeshadow Pencils? I want every shade!

What are you lusting for this upcoming season?

Remember you can follow AIFA on Bloglovin' and Twitter!

Thursday 15 August 2013

Layout Tips & Tricks #2: Removing Attribution Cheat!

Here's what we're going to remove
Many bloggers just accept that attribution is one of those annoying gadgets you cant get rid of. For me, I'm constantly desperate to reduce the page length of my blog homepage (I talk too much!) and so I set about removing the attribution. It's so so simple to do, even for those who dread the 'Edit HTML' button!
For the record I've used one of my test blogs for the purpose of this demo. Also, its always a good idea to back up your template and export your blog before you do any HTML work if you're not entirely confident. I'll do another demo on how to do that some other time, although its pretty simple to find.
Go to Template > Edit HTML and use CTRL+F to find the code
<b:widget id='Attribution1' locked='true' title='' type='Attribution'>
Press Enter and notice the word 'true' in the middle of the line. Change 'true' to 'false' and save! 
Now go to edit the Attribution gadget and notice there is now a 'remove' button. Click and remove!


TADA! Told you it was easy!
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Wednesday 14 August 2013

MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in 'Feline' Review & Swatches

mac kohl power eye pencil feline black cat review swatches tightline waterline safe smudge wing blend eye

Admittedly I was never a massive eyeliner fan. Having worn glasses for years, my eyes are very tiny and squinty and well, my vision isn't exactly tip-top enough to be applying eyeliner like a pro. I'm sure some of you will know the feeling of being *bullied* in to buying things you don't need by MAC artists who spend their time piling makeup on to your face after merely eyeing a product up. I'm not slagging MAC artists off, in fact I love what they do. I love this one in particular for making me buying this eyeliner!

Despite having never worn eyeliner on a regular basis, I have a few in my collection. I can confirm that MAC's Kohl Power Eye Pencil in 'Feline' is the blackest black of all I've seen. The formula is very soft and doesn't tug on the eyes at all. It applies to the waterline like a dream. I usually wear this in my tightline (for reasons I'll get on to in a sec) however you do tend to get transfer on the waterline after a while. I'm not sure if this is because I have particularly watery eyes, blink far too often or whether its down to the incredibly smudgy nature of this eyeliner.

mac kohl power eye pencil feline black cat review swatches tightline waterline safe smudge wing blend eye

As you can see in the swatch, it smudges out so easily but doesn't lose too much colour. Depending on what you look for in an eyeliner, this could either be a dream or a nightmare. For me, I enjoy using the dark pigmentation to enhance my waterline (being careful not to transfer), smudge out a smokey eye or darken the shade of an existing eyeliner by applying it on top. Overall I'm glad I bought this, I just wish it wasn't as high maintenance.
Whats your favourite eyeliner?
Remember you can follow AIFA on Bloglovin' and Twitter!

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Layout Tips and Tricks #1: Removing Captcha Comments


After my email box was inundated with messages from bloggers asking for help with their blog layouts, I decided it may be a good idea to start posting a few basic edits or blogging tips so they're public and everyone has access to them whenever they want! I asked for you guys'  thoughts on Twitter and everyone seemed pretty keen! Before we get in to the nitty gritty HTML, I figured it was probably the right time to publicly approach a pet peeve of most bloggers.
Now I'm not one for being negative towards people or their blogs, but I know for a fact having 'Captcha' puts a lot of people off commenting on a blog, including me. Personally, I think its better to open the comments to everyone, I haven't had spam (excusing traffic hungry bloggers!) for over a year now, it's really nothing to be putting people off commenting on your blog for! It's the simplest of things to remove, but I appreciate that not everyone has swotted up on the ins and outs of Bloggers many settings (I should know, it took me ages!). Here's how to remove Captcha from comments!
Go to Settings > Posts and comments > Show word Verification > No!
Tada!
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Monday 12 August 2013

Lifestyle: My Week In Photos #1

yes that is a flamenco dancer swimming in my tea / selfie central / homemade cupcakes / blog layout tears / #carselfie / M&S blood orange I LOVE YOU / Skipton / stupid weather
So recently I decided rather than do one big monthly round-up post, I'd try out doing them weekly. This is the first! What a great week to start on as its probably been the least entertaining week I've had all Summer. A lot of my friends are away at some sort of camp or holiday so this week has mainly consisted of doing some blog work, including trying out a new layout. What do you think so far? Participating in my first #teenagebloggerschat was pretty nice too!
Over the weekend I went to one of the local village's annual Ag show (an agricultural show, for those who were confused by my tweets @aisforaylablog). On Sunday we decided to pop out to Cliffe Castle in Keighley, Yorkshire but were pretty surprised to see the streets lined with hundreds of people with whistles. After a few confused glances we figured out that by chance we'd decided to visit on the day of the Gala, fab! The traffic was going nowhere so we stopped for a little while. 
Continuing on with the Grand Tour of Yorkshire, we took a trip to Skipton, "the Southern gateway to the Yorkshire Dales". We wandered around for a bit passing in and out of about 50 of Skipton's soap shops and apothecaries. A routine stop at Bizzie Lizzie's chip shop (which is hands down the best in the town) later and the temperamental Yorkshire weather had become unbearable, so we cut the day short. 
I'm planning on next week being a better week. I'd like to visit the new Manchester Trafford Victoria's Secret store that opened on the 8th and I've also got a trip to good old Preston planned. Hopefully next time I can offer you some better quality photos, rather than ones from my phone.
What have you guys been up to recently?


Remember you can follow AIFA on Bloglovin' and Twitter!

Thursday 1 August 2013

Jimmy Choo Perfume Review (Flowerbomb Dupe)

jimmy choo perfume original bottle buy uk sweet floral fruit wood musk vanilla nice evening night day everyday scent perfume review viktor and rolf flowerbomb dupe cheaper alternative designer

Its no secret to you all that Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf is my favourite perfume EVER! I've used it for years and got through a fair amount of bottles of the stuff. Despite finding my perfect scent I still continue to be a bit of a perfume addict. I buy a couple every year and not a day goes by that I'm not wearing anything.

When in search of a new perfume to change up your scent what do you do? that's right, go for the one perfume that is probably the closest to a replica of Flowerbomb. Everything about Jimmy Choo reminds me  of Flowerbomb. The bottle is a murano glass inspired angular sphere - quite like the original Flowerbomb bottle. The scent, a sickly sweet floral - just like Flowerbomb. Jimmy Choo contains notes of fruit, florals and wood. At first the scent wears as a very sweet fruity floral, but dries down to a woody scent. It's pretty long lasting for a floral/fruit but not so much so that it matches the strength of Flowerbomb. It's not the most subtle of scents, but you could get away with wearing this as an everyday scent, provided you use a light hand. Although a lovely scent and a cheaper alternative to my favourite, I would only ever repurchase in a small size. For me, its just too similar to Flowerbomb to spend so much money buying large sizes of both. If you're fond of sweet, floral, fruit scents but find Flowerbomb just too overpowering, Jimmy Choo by Jimmy Choo may be a cheaper, slightly more subtle alternative.

Have you tried either Flowerbomb or Jimmy Choo?