My sister’s wardrobe | navy on navy

I’M SO excited to introduce this new feature!

I love creating outfit posts but I missed being behind the camera… So I called on the most stylish person I know – my sister Lois.

My Sister's Wardrobe part one - navy hat, dress and gold lettering necklace | Extraordinary Days

I’m so excited about this feature!

The premise is simple: double the wardrobes means double the amount of awesome outfits I can feature!

I love her seemingly effortless sense of style and how she puts a look together, coordinating from head to toe.

My Sister's Wardrobe part one - navy hat, dress, white Michael Kors handbag and gold lettering necklace | Extraordinary Days

Talk about a million-dollar smile!

Lois described this outfit as something she’d wear for an outdoors lunch in warmer weather or a low-key event.

“I’ve previously worn this outfit to a 30th birthday event at a cider house,” she said.

“It’s good if you know you’re going to spend a long time outdoors or for sitting on the grass under a marquee.”

My Sister's Wardrobe part one - navy hat, dress and gold lettering necklace | Extraordinary Days

I love the matching gold necklace and hat band.

She said the dress was a frequent go-to item in her wardrobe because of the potential to dress it up or down.

“I’ve worn this dress just to the shops before with a pair of flats or sandals – it’s really versatile,” she said.

“Wearing it with this felt hat makes me feel like a lady. It’s not a hat I would wear on a really warm day though because it is quite thick.”

She paired it with a bright pink pair of floral pumps and a white and gold Michael Kors tote.

My Sister's Wardrobe part one - pink floral pumps with cork | Extraordinary Days

These pumps are bright and fun.

My Sister's Wardrobe part one - navy dress and white Michael Kors handbag| Extraordinary Days

This Michael Kors handbag is just immaculate.

My Sister's Wardrobe part one - navy hat, dress, white Michael Kors handbag and gold lettering necklace | Extraordinary Days

This pink NYX lipstick gives a pop of colour.

Dress: ASOS | Bag: Michael Kors | Hat: Target | Shoes: ASOS | Necklace: Lovisa | Rings/midi rings: Topshop | Lipstick: NYX Cosmetics in Louisiana

I hope you enjoyed part one of this new feature!

 

I love navy as an alternative to black — do you feel the same? Let me know in the comments!

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!

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!

MAC Saint Germain lipstick vs Savvy High Shine lipgloss

I CAN’T get enough of light, bright pink lip colours right now!
Today I wanted to review two very eye-catching lip products in my collection that are similar shades, MAC’s Saint Germain and Savvy High Shine Paparazzi.
Let’s start with Saint Germain.

MAC Saint Germaine lipstick and Savvy High Shine lipgloss | Extraordinary Days

Can you tell that lipgloss has rolled around in my handbag for a long time?

When I first picked out this colour I was intending to match it to the dress I wore to the Melbourne Cup last year.
Needless to say I should have actually brought the dress with me to the shops that day because while it would have gone well with the fluoro pink (can you tell yet that I’m a huge fan of fluoro?) it’s not quite what I was going for.

Melbourne Cup fluoro pink dress | Extraordinary Days

This was an amazing day!

But I’ve since teamed Saint Germain with other outfits like a little black dress and I really love how bright it is!
As far as lip liners go I’ve worn this shade just by itself with MAC’s lip clear lip primer underneath, with a rose-coloured liner and also with a bit of concealer on my lips to make the colour really pop.
My favourite was the concealer just for that boost to the colour but I really enhancing my Cupid’s bow when I don’t wear lip liner so I’ll probably just continue to change it up depending on how I feel.
I love how bright this is when you first put it on but unfortunately, I’ve found the vibrancy just doesn’t last.
That said, it’s still a lovely rosy colour when it does fade and I think there’d be people out there who would prefer that to how full-on if is when it’s first applied but I’m just not one of them.
Of course, there’s always the option to just keep applying it to keep the colour vibrant but that wouldn’t be my first choice.
Before I found Saint Germain my go-to product for that sort of shade was Savvy High Shine gloss in Paparazzi.

MAC Saint Germaine lipstick and Savvy High Shine lipgloss | Extraordinary Days

These two are a bright pair.

When I first saw the two side by side I thought they were very similar and it wasn’t until I put them together on the back of my hand that I saw Paparazzi is much darker.
Still, I think it gives that punchy colour I was aiming for on my lips and the thicker consistency makes the coverage a bit more even.
In terms of how long they last, in my books a lipstick will usually always win and this is no exception.
While I like lip glosses sometimes, at the end of the day if can’t stand up to me having a meal then it’s probably not going to be one of my favourites.
(My ultimate go-to lipstick/liner combination for THE LONGEST wear in my collection can be found here.)
So for my final verdict, both of these products are great if you bear in mind the colour-fade issue.

Would you wear either of these lip products? Let me know in the comments!

Black and white striped dress

HELLO summer! I wore this outfit out to lunch last week so I didn’t melt in the heat.
This striped dress is something I’ve had sitting in my wardrobe for months but I’d never worn it.
The tags were still on and everything!

Black and white striped dress | Extraordinary Days

The weather was great that day!

As part of my plan to get in control of my finances this year (more about this in my 2015 goals post) I’m trying not to buy any clothes and shoes, which means digging through my existing wardrobes instead.
(Yes, you read that correctly, wardrobes plural. I have a lot of clothes, okay?)
I was fun to pick this out and remember why I bought it – it’s adorable! It’s from a store called SES but unfortunately they don’t have an online shopping section! (What a shame.)
I was worried about looking about like a prison inmate or someone in pajamas but after wearing it, I think it’s a winner.

Black and white striped dress | Extraordinary Days

A high bun is definitely my go-to hairstyle for a lazy day.

I wore a black Cotton On long singlet dress (find it here) and threw in my usual fluoro pink Aldo bag and fluoro pink sandals.
The small belt attached to this dress helps give me a waist despite the stripes but, as it’s brown, I will probably change this for a black belt in the future.
A high bun to keep my hair out of my face and off the back of my neck is also one of my go-to hairstyles.

Black and white striped dress | Extraordinary Days

Fluoro pink every day!

Would you wear vertical stripes? Let me know in the comments!

Three ways to make your outfit sparkle on NYE

NEW Year’s Eve is almost upon us!
Aside from freaking out about where the year has gone, I’m starting to plan my outfit for the big night.
I’m a huge fan of sequins, glitter any anything else that shines but it can be daunting to put these into an outfit without looking like a walking disco ball, especially for more casual events.
Here are three easy ways to throw in a bit of shine into your look, to get 2015 off to a great start!

blue maxi dress ootd NYE

We’re set for a warm NYE! I’ll be by the pool.

A sequinned belt:
I paired this gold belt with a floaty maxi dress and sandals for a low-key bit of sparkle.
NYE is usually hot even after the sun goes down in Australia so this would be great for a barbecue or a few relaxed drinks with friends.
It’s not too over-the-top but is still fun.
I threw in a plain white clutch so the belt would be the feature and my gold Juicy Couture charm bracelet – a gift from my lovely sister on a recent trip to Hong Kong. (There’s a close-up photo of these jewellery pieces at the bottom of this post.)

blue maxi dress ootd

This outfit is perfect for a more casual shindig.

blue maxi dress ootd NYE

Gold accessories bring the whole thing together.

The showstopper:
This gold sequinned top is definitely in my top ten favourite items in my wardrobe.
You’re not going to be missed in this thing!
This shirt has a black faux-leather (pleather) back and sleeves so it’s not full-on sequins the whole way around.
I paired it with a plain black skirt and minimal accessories – this top does all the talking.

gold sequin top ootd NYE

The faux-leather backing makes this shirt a bit warm, though.

Shiny accessories:
If you’re searching for something minimal to add to your outfit, simple, shiny accessories are always a good option.
This cat ear headband is a bit silly and fun but definitely cute!
Make-up wise I’m going to be keeping things pretty simple – just pink lips and liquid eyeliner.
For this look I used MAC’s Magenta lip liner and Max Factor’s Flipstick Colour Effect in Boreal Mauve 15.

cat ears headband ootd NYE

I love this headband!

Let’s take another look at the accessories I used for these outfits.
The big silver necklace from my dolphin skirt OOTD post would also be a winner, especially if paired with a little black dress.
You can pick up a Juicy Couture charm bracelet just like mine here.

So many shiny things in one image.

So many shiny things in one image.

This bracelet just gets me.

This bracelet just gets me.


What are you wearing on New Year’s Eve? Let me know in the comments!

Silver and sequins and (faux) leather, oh my!

ON THURSDAY I snagged an amazing haul of clothes in an unusual place.
A workmate sporting an incredible metallic gold jumper told me about a giant sale at Supre.
Yes, Supre. (They’re still around!)

Supre dress top metallic sequins
The place is known for horrific booty-exposing short-shorts and fluoro crop tops — but it turns out they still have some nice things!

tartan metallic silver leopard print sequins fluoro pink
The tartan top, silver jumper and silver skirt were only $5! FIVE DOLLARS. (I may or may not have gotten so excited about buying all these that I ended up having an asthma attack.)

silver skirt 1
I can’t wait to wear all of these pieces out – I gave the faux leather pencil skirt a run at work yesterday. (Full outfit post to come for that.)

hand
I can never resist a bargain!
What’s the best thing you’ve ever picked up on sale? Let me know in the comments!

For the love of summer dresses

THE warm weather is definitely here to stay! (Northern hemisphere notwithstanding.)
I love this silky blue patterned dress – it flows and is light-weight which makes it perfect for any day spent out in the sunshine – preferably with a glass of wine in hand.
I picked it up at Forever 21 a few years ago – the cinched waist and collared top are just perfect.

This might prove tricky on very windy days!

This might prove tricky to manage on very windy days!

Shiny accessories are practically a staple for me.

Shiny accessories are practically a staple for me.

Pink lipgloss brings the whole thing together.

Pink lipgloss brings the whole thing together.

Dress: Forever 21.
Shoes: ASOS.
Clutch: borrowed.
Lips: Savvy High Shine Lip Lacquer – paparazzi.