Review: Lime Crime Carousel Gloss in Cherry on Top

PRETTY please with a cherry on top!
This Lime Crime Carousel Gloss is something I’ve wanted to try for ages and I just couldn’t go past Cherry on Top, with its bright colour and glittery finish.

Lime Crime Carousel Gloss Cherry on Top | Extraordinary Days

Such a lovely colour!

The colour pay-off is pretty good and I didn’t feel like I needed to use half the tube to get an even coverage.
That said, I’d seen other people say it lasts better if you put lipstick underneath it.
I tested this with Tony Moly Kiss Lover lipstick in Summer Orange (for a lighter red/orange) and Australia Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Cha Cha (for a deep red).

Lime Crime Carousel Gloss Cherry on Top | Extraordinary Days

From top to bottom: Cherry on Top by itself, over Tony Moly Kiss Lover in Summer Orange and Australis Colour Inject in Cha Cha.

Although the difference wasn’t that stark, I think it would stand the test of time and food to have a decent lipstick underneath.
This lipgloss doesn’t feel too sticky (although I’ve yet to wear it out with my hair down and in a strong breeze!) and is a nice change to matte-look lip colours.

Lime Crime Carousel Gloss Cherry on Top | Extraordinary Days

This lipgloss isn’t too sticky.

I still want to try the rest of this collection, which includes an icy white/blue glittery gloss (Snowsicle), a deep red (candy apple), a deep purple shade (Present) and, in a shade that’s not for everyone, emerald green (Hollygram).
Keen for more red lip colour love? I wore the deep red Australis lipstick with an incredible black lace dress.
And did you catch my last Lime Crime review? I wrote about the awesome hot pink lipstick, Centrifuschia.
This is a makeup brand I just can’t get enough of!

Have you tried any Lime Crime products? What did you think of it?

My ultimate outfit and a holographic handbag

Every now and again you put together an outfit that just ticks all of the boxes.
As I mentioned in my holiday wrap-up post earlier this week, I found  the most incredible handbag.
While shopping with two of my loveliest gal pals in Melbourne this week I spotted it in a little store called Kinki Gerlinki in Brunswick.

Holographic Bao Bao geometric bag | Extraordinary Days

I. Am. Drooling.

The brand is Bao Bao and this extraordinary bag crumples and reflects the light in an innumerable amount of ways.
I paired it with an outfit that combines two of my favourite elements: leopard print and faux leather!
I picked up the cardigan and skirt the day before at H&M. Can I just say I am SO EXCITED for them to finally come to Perth this year?! We’re catching up with the rest of the world!

Melbourne holiday - leopard print, faux leather and holographic bag | Extraordinary Days

My ultimate outfit.

The cardigan is quite flowy so I tucked it into the skirt to accentuate my waist. I also put on my Samantha Wills necklace – I just can’t get enough of it right now! (Have you seen the other ways I styled this? Click here and here.)
I finished it off with my comfiest pair of flats – perfect for walking around the city all day! MAC’s Rebel lipstick felt right for this trendy city. (I reviewed it a while ago here.)

Melbourne holiday - leopard print, faux leather and holographic bag | Extraordinary Days

I can’t get enough of this bag!

Let’s have another look at that bag! I decided it was an early birthday present for myself and now I’m just trying not to buy everything else in the collection!

Holographic Bao Bao geometric bag | Extraordinary Days

Bao Bao handbag.

Holographic Bao Bao geometric bag | Extraordinary Days

Look at how it crumples!

Holographic Bao Bao geometric bag | Extraordinary Days

When I saw it in the shop window I KNEW I needed it to be mine!

Holographic Bao Bao geometric bag | Extraordinary Days

I have a feeling I’m going to be leaving this in the sun a lot just to watch it shine.

Holographic Bao Bao geometric bag | Extraordinary Days

It also came with a wrist strap that can be attached instead of the chain.

I can’t stop looking at it!
Would you wear a holographic-material bag? How would you style it? Let me know in the comments!

A wonderful trip to Melbourne | photos

I’VE just got back from a few amazing days in Melbourne!
One of my lovely friends Kelsey moved there a few years ago and since her wedding is fast approaching and I’m one of the bridesmaids, I headed over with our friend Lisha to help her begin looking for wedding dresses.
It was a jam-packed few days but I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Today I wanted to share some of my photos with you and take a look back at this trip.

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

Oh Melbourne!

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

This is a good way to fly. An incredible magazine, too.

Plane views over the clouds | Extraordinary Days

I love getting the window seat.

Holographic handbag and black floral dress | Extraordinary Days

I love holographic bags.

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

It’s not Melbourne without a funky cocktail bar – this was at Cabinet in the CBD.

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

A sequin skirt and sandals for a busy day of shopping!

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

I love dessert!

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

Arthur’s Seat views. Breathtaking!

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

The beautiful restaurant at Arthur’s seat.

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

I was asked if I was a make up artist when I bought all of this! Needless to say I was VERY flattered.

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

Out for breakfast!

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

I love a big breakfast.

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

The Tea Salon in Emporium. This place is just adorable!

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

Cakes at The Tea Salon.

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

Luxurious ice tea from The Tea Salon.

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

Beautiful!

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

I love these ladies!

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

MY FAVOURITE PLACE.

Melbourne holiday - black sneaker heels | Extraordinary Days

I wore these new babies on the plane and felt pretty cool.

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

I kept busy on the flight home with A Beautiful Mess’ blogging course and Firefly.

Melbourne holiday | Extraordinary Days

Sort of caught the sunset.

I had such a good time! The wedding dress shopping was successful and we got our bridesmaid’s dresses sorted.
We also took a trip out to the Peninsula Hot Springs – this was an absolutely incredible experience and deserves a post of its own – so stay tuned for that.
If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen I bought an incredible handbag while I was away… but this also deserves a post all to itself! It’ll be up as a bonus post this week.
And best of all I got to spend lots of quality time with two of my favourite friends, who always know how to have a good time.
Every time I visit this city I just want to pack my bags and move over there. Maybe I will, one day.

Have you ever been to Melbourne? What did you think?

 

Festival fun in a bright orange kaftan

SUMMER means it’s the festival season!
Just a quick post today as I’m flying off to Melbourne today to see some lovely friends who are lucky enough to live over there!
(I’ll be bringing you photos from my trip later in the week so stay tuned for that.)
I went to the H2Overflow event held in the Perth CBD yesterday afternoon/evening with my friend Hayley and it was such a great experience!

Festival outfit | Extraordinary Days

Time to party!

Festival outfit | Extraordinary Days

This kaftan is in such a fun colour!

I was definitely easy to spot from a distance!
I kept my hair simple with a tidy bun to keep it out of my eyes and threw on a cross-body bag and minimal silver accessories.

Festival outfit | Extraordinary Days

I really need to bring out these sunglasses more often.

Sunglasses are always a must for outdoor events and I picked out this really cute Dotti floral pair for the day.
My silver glitter jelly sandals brought the whole thing together. I’ve said in a previous post that these are really comfortable and easy to wear all day – they’re my go-to summer footwear, especially when there will be lots of dancing and foam involved!

Festival outfit | Extraordinary Days

Shiny nails to match my shiny sandals!

Festival fun | Extraordinary Days

A foam pit with very little foam left!

Festival fun | Extraordinary Days

Silent disco!

It was such a good day!
What are your fashion go-to items for festivals and concerts? Let me know in the comments!

Second Liebster Award!

HERE we go again!
I was lucky enough to be nominated by the lovely Chanelle from Chanelle Hayley.
If you’re not familiar with this award it’s a great way to find awesome new bloggers and support each other, while learning a little bit more about the person behind the blog!
(I only just ticked over to 200 followers on my Bloglovin page but I still wanted to answer these questions!)

The rules:
– Link back the person who nominated you.
– Answer the questions they put to you.
– Nominate 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers.
– Create 11 questions the nominees can answer.
– Notify your nominees via social media or their blogs.

Without further ado, here are my answers to Chantelle’s questions!

What was the last book you read?
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Biology, evolution and the history of mankind really fascinate me (I actually did a few biology units at university for fun in my first year) and this book covers everything from the start of our universe to the evolution of modern humans and right up to where we began to dominate the planet. A fascinating read and it’s written in a way anyone can understand.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
I have so many places in mind! Paris, Venice, London, Santorini… They all have rich histories I could spend years uncovering and visiting them once is just not enough! (If you’re dreaming of Paris like I constantly am, I wrote a list of 10 awesome things to do in the city of love.)

Favourite item of clothing?
This is a tricky one. It would depend on my mood on the day but probably something either covered in sequins, fluoro pink (like this amazing skirt OOTD) or shiny and metallic!

What motivates you? (Blogging, daily life etc.)
I love setting both short-term and long-term goals for things I really want. By keeping what I’m working towards in mind, this helps me take those first steps and continue on when things get tough. (If you want a bit more of a sticky beak into my goals for this year, I wrote a post on them.)

A fact about your personality?
I can be quite competitive! Sometimes I let this get the better of me when I feel like I can’t be as good as someone (incredible, successful bloggers for example) but I’m trying to turn this into my best asset and compete against my past self instead.

Your idea of a perfect date?
A warm evening, a few drinks, an amazing dinner and strolling around hand-in-hand with my lovely boyfriend. Possibly followed by ice cream!

What did your last text message say?
“Ok” – it was from the aforementioned lovely boyfriend. He’s not one to mince words!

Three of your holy grail beauty products?
These are all ones I’ve featured on this blog – I always love sharing my absolute favourite products with you!
– Lime Crime Unicorn Lipstick in Centrifuschia
– Nutrimetics Moisturising System (this SAVED my dry, irrated, eczema-raged skin!)
– Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (no more scrubbing to remove my make up!)

What nail colour are you wearing right now?
I’ve got light pink glue-on fake nails at the moment! I bought them from a discount store for THREE DOLLARS – making them so much cheaper than acrylics! (If you want to see how I make these look like a $50 set of nails, let me know in the comments!)

Do you have a favourite smell?
Probably some rich, masculine scent – I could breathe that in all day! Nurtimetics has this incredible cologne for men that I got for my boyfriend for Christmas.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?
There are so many things I could mention! In five years I want to have a house, be married and be preparing to head back to Europe for another holiday. I see my blog being stronger than ever and myself being in a job where I can utilise my creativity and writing skills. (A magazine would be ideal!)

And that’s me done!
Now I nominate the following blogs:
1. So About What I Said…
2.A Blog for Amy
3. Re[Styled]
4. Almost Apricot
5. Little Grey Box
6. MarahCAR
7. Leather & Lipstick
8. Bubbly Beauty
9. Blame it on the Rain Beauty
10. Juliette Stephenson
11. Eleanormae

My questions are as follows:
1. What is the best holiday you’ve ever been on and why?
2. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
3. What is your favourite song?
4. If you could pick any celebrity, blogger or well-known person to be your best friend, who would you pick and why?
5. Is there a television series you can’t get enough of right now?
6. Who or what inspires your blogging?
7. What time of day do you create the best content for your blog?
8. If a movie was made about your life, who would you want to play you?
9. What is your favourite social media? (Eg: Twitter, Instagram etc)
10. Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
11. What’s your drink of choice?

I can’t wait to see your answers! Good luck!

Red lipstick and a long black lace dress

IT’S party time!
I wore this little black lace number to the engagement party of two lovely friends of mine recently. (It was a big week – we also attended a wedding too!)

Black lace dress and Samantha Wills rose gold necklace | Extraordinary Days

I love this bright red lipstick against the black.

I found this dress is a little boutique on a cobblestone street in Florence, Italy, when I was there last year, but you can see similar styles here, here and here!
I wasn’t looking for anything in particular but it caught my eye!
I am so in love with the high-low hem and the shape of the dress.
While I was initially worried I’d end up looking similar to Morticia Adams, the higher hem and the front and the fact it’s sleeveless take away some of the harshness.

Black lace dress and Samantha Wills rose gold necklace | Extraordinary Days

This was a GOOD hair day!

The waistline fits like an absolute dream and the skirt is so fun to swish around!
I took along an adorable owl face handbag from H&M that was a gift from my lovely friend Catherine!

Owl face handbag with Samantha Wills necklace | Extraordinary Days

I love owls!

Owl face handbag | Extraordinary Days

It’s hard to take photos with a kitty who wants attention!

Unfortunately it’s sold out now but there are some other owl bags here and here.
I also wore my Samantha Wills white howlite mineral necklace, as I wanted something with a long but dainty chain to break up all the black.
Did you catch the last time I wore this necklace?
The black stiletto heels were a holiday purchase from a tiny shoe store on Santorini. (Similar style here.)

Black lace dress and Samantha Wills rose gold necklace | Extraordinary Days

This is a very good dress for swishing around in.

And finally, a slick of red lipstick brought the whole outfit together! I wore Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Cha Cha.

Would you take on a black lace dress? How would you style it? Let me know in the comments!

Little make up sponge – big results

GOODBYE, make up brushes – I’ve found a replacement!
As I don’t wear foundation every day (BB cream usually provides enough coverage), there is nothing I hate more than getting to the weekend, going to put on my make up before a night out and finding my brushes really need a wash.
The result ends up as a streaky mess!
I don’t have that problem any more though!

Chi Chi makeup blending sponge | Extraordinary Days

This little sponge gives great results.

I spotted this Chi Chi Make Up Sponge while killing time browsing in the beauty aisle and as it was only about $6, I decided to take the chance and buy it.
I won’t lie, using it for the first time was a bit daunting so I read the instructions carefully and watched a few YouTube videos before I tried to apply my make up with it.
When using it you first fully submerge it in water so the sponge can expand to its full size.
You then squeeze out as much of the water as you can (using a towel helps) and start using it to apply your make up.
I pump my liquid foundation (MAC Studio Fix Fluid) on to the back of my hand and use the wide, round end of the sponge to pat it onto my face in a stippling motion.
The pointed end is for around your nose and eyes – harder to reach places.
It feels a bit weird at first but the effect is seriously amazing.
These types of sponges were designed to give an airbrushed look and that’s exactly what it does.
I’ve also started applying my powder (MAC Mineralize Skinfinish) with the sponge and my blush and highlighter too.
I’d read not to drag the sponge through pressed powder as it picks up too much product and I’ve found this to be true – it’s especially noticeable when you end up with a cheek full of blush!
After using it I wash it with warm water and goat’s milk soap because I’ve used it on my face before and I know my skin can handle it.
The packaging says not to use anything too harsh to clean it because it could irritate your skin.
One thing to keep in mind is it seems to take ages to dry properly, even when wrung out properly and left in the open. I’ve previously washed it before going to bed and it was still slightly damp in the morning.
The original version of this product is the Beauty Blender but it’s $27 for a single sponge and I found the Chi Chi version works perfectly well without the price tag.
In the long run the Chi Chi version probably won’t last as long but the price is something to keep in mind, especially if you don’t know whether you will like putting on your make up on this way.
I have heard from people who still prefer using brushes.
All in all I really love this sponge though and definitely won’t be going back to brushes any time soon!
Bonus points – they don’t test on animals!
Get more info here.

Have you used a make up sponge? What did you think?

Flowers and lavender dresses and weddings, oh my!

WEDDINGS are so much fun!
Last week I was lucky enough to attend the wedding of two old friends of mine, Sarah and Leslie.
They sure know how to put on a good party!

Lavender formal dress | Extraordinary Days

This breezy lavender dress was perfect for the hot weather.

As the ceremony was on a really warm day I wanted to wear something that would keep me cool so this little lavender dress fit the bill.
The flowy skirt wasn’t restrictive and the ruffled straps added something a bit different to the dress.
I wore silver sandals for the ceremony as it was on grass but donned a pair of incredible white Windsor Smith heels for the reception. (See them here or a similar style here.) I want so many pairs of shoes from their collection!

Lavender formal dress, silver glitter bag and white platform heels | Extraordinary Days

These chunky white Windsor Smith heels were easy to walk in.

I knew I wanted to wear my hair up to keep it out of my face and off the back of my neck but I jazzed it up with some adorable K is for Kani flower hair clips.
I bought these quite a while ago and have also worn them with more casual outfits. See them here and check out the rest of her amazing headband and flower crown collection here.

Lavender formal dress and floral hair clips | Extraordinary Days

These flower hair clips are just adorable!

For my accessories I stuck with shiny silver druzy earrings, a glittery bag and my staple chunky silver watch that was a birthday gift a few years ago.

Silver watch, earrings and floral hairclips | Extraordinary Days

Accessories from the day.

All in all it was a lovely day!
The reception was at the Aquarium of Western Australia and included time to walk around and check out the aquatic creatures before the party started.

Photobooth fun with the blushing bride!

Photobooth fun with the blushing bride!

"Hot couple"!

“Hot couple”!

Congratulations to the bride and groom!
What would you wear for a summer wedding? Let me know in the comments!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water review

THIS is a product that I’ve been wanting to try for a while now but I honestly didn’t know if it would live up to the hype.
According to the creators it “removes makeup, cleanses and soothes” and is for use on your face, eyes and lips.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water | Extraordinary Days

Way more than just water!

It also promised “no vigorous rubbing or rinsing required”.
Those are big claims in my eyes!
But I thought ‘how is it going to clean my skin if it’s just water?’
How wrong I was!
Apparently the key is the active cleansing ingredient, the micells, which “act as a magnet to capture impurities makeup and sebum”.
This has really changed my cleansing process.
Up until now I’ve just been using goat’s milk soap to cleanse and remove makeup because for a long time, that was all my sensitive, eczema-prone skin could handle.
Now I’ve got my skin under control, though (more on that here) I could reassess what I use.
I wanted to use something gentle, that wouldn’t clog up my pores and that I wouldn’t have to roughly scrub my skin with just to get my makeup off.
To put it simply, this cleansing water just works.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water | Extraordinary Days

This has changed my cleansing routine.

To use it you put a bit on a cotton pad and wipe your face with it.
Foundation, lipstick, eyeliner and long-wear concealer have been no match for this product.
It usually takes about four cotton pads to remove a full face of makeup, including all of my mascara and liquid eyeliner.
The impressive part is there’s no residue left behind.
My skin feels cool and refreshed after I use it and not tight and dry like it does with a lot of soaps or other cleansers.
And, true to their word, I didn’t have to scrub heaps to get my makeup off.
I first spotted this in a chemist and really liked the look of the packaging (this happened with another Garnier product I reviewed here) – so their marketing people are doing a good job.
To sum up, this product is awesome, perfect for sensitive skin and I will definitely buy this again.

What’s in your makeup removing routine? Would you try a cleansing water?