ADVENTURE #1: ITALY

Hello strangers! 

I'm awfully sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything here, I happen to be very forgetful and also very lazy, as well as my life being very hectic as of late. In the wee hours of yesterday morning, I arrived home from a month long trip to Italy, first with my pals and a few teachers on a school trip for art and language students, then with my mom for a bit of girl time. The trip was incredible, spending 4 weeks in a country I have always wanted to visit, learning more of the language, eating a hell of a lot of food, admiring the fashion and experiencing the Italian culture. Here's a rundown of my trip.

#1: VENICE

After roughly 26 hours in transit, Venice was the first stop on our itinerary. We spent two nights in this beautiful labyrinthine city, and although it wasn't a highlight for me personally, it was still an amazing place to visit and explore.

(This last colourful picture isn't actually Venice, it's a small island called Burano that we visited while we were staying in Venice. It's famous for its colourful buildings and the beautiful lace which is produced on the island.)

#2: BASSANO DEL GRAPPA

Bassano is a tiny town where our sister school is located, and this was one of my favourite places. Everything was so lively and the people we met there were so lovely, the two days we spent here were super fun and the town is so charming and there is always something to do.

(While we were in Bassano, we spent an afternoon in nearby Marostica and climbed a mountain!)

#3: TUSCANY

Next on the agenda was two nights spent at a farmstay in the mountains of Tuscany. While we didn't spend much time at the actual farmstay, we did go on a day trip to Siena, where I did some SERIOUS shopping. It was a charismatic town with great shopping and beautiful old buildings. Tuscany was a really enjoyable part of the trip.

#4: FLORENCE

Without a doubt my favourite place we visited, the four nights spent in Florence were a highlight for the whole group of students, since we finally got to see the other group of kids who had been doing the trip backwards and spend a few days catching up, while enjoying the food, art, shopping and history of one of the most famous and charming places in all of Italy. The Duomo building was incredible, the art museums were mind-blowing and the shopping was super cheap and there was a huge variety to choose from. Florence is famous for its cheap and beautiful leather, and I could not have loved this place any more.

#5: SORENTO

Sorento is a small beach town in Naples, with crystal clear blue water and adorable hotels. Here, we did day trips to Positano, Capri and Pompeii. It was great to relax for a few days after being flat out for the entire trip. The beaches were beautiful, the water was warm and Capri was a highlight for everyone - we took private boat tours around the island in small groups, and stopped midway in a small cave and swam for around 45 minutes. Pompeii, of course, was amazing, and such an interesting and historical experience. I was definitely sorry to leave here.

#6: ROME

The final stop on my trip with school was a hectic one, there was so much to see and do in Rome! We visitied the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Spanish Steps, the Capuchin Crypt, the Pantheon, Circus Maximus, La Bocca Della Verita, and so many more. Rome was interesting to see all the famous historic monuments, but it was also charming and exciting. While it was easy to get lost, that wasn't exactly a bad thing - often we stumbled upon things by accident. It was a favourite for many people.

#7: MILAN

Milan was my final and most anticipated destination. As a young person aspiring to work in fashion, visiting the high fashion capital of the world has always been a dream of mine, and after spending just a few days there I can already see myself living there. Milan was edgy, laid-back and exciting, and visiting Da Vinci's Last Supper was a highlight for me. The fashion was crazy, the nightlife was super cool and the people were awesome. I will definitely be back there someday soon. 

And that's it! As amazing as it was, I am glad to be home, but I'm looking forward to going back there when I finish school. Sorry that this post was so long, hopefully I'll be able to continue this "Adventure" post series soon! 

Until next time,

LILY XXX

BIRTHDAY WISHLIST

my birthday is coming up, and i want many things. here are some of them. links to purchase all items can be found on my polyvore - tequilaanddaisies. find this set and click on the item to go to the link. 
enjoy xx
brogues: asos
vintage camera
b&w boots: kenzo
eye dress: zara
bralettes: alexander wang
tattoo choker: pretty much anywhere
mesh sweater: alexander wang
sunglasses: net-a-porter
purse: marc by marc jacobs
tee: isabel marant
shorts: levi's (vintage)
socks: country road
backpack: dangerfield
fedora: avenue 32
boots: balenciaga

3 WAYS TO WEAR A BOLD LIP (ON A BUDGET)

Unintentionally, I have somehow made bold lips my trademark. I generally don't leave the house without colour on my lips unless I'm going to school. Here's 3 of my favourite, well-priced bright lip colours and how to rock them.

(BY THE WAY: SPORTSGIRL TOP & CARDIGAN // ZARA JEANS // RUBI EARRINGS // CHOKER BOUGHT AT VIC MARKETS, SILVER PENDANT IS PERSONALISED)
(FOR ALL MY BASIC MAKEUP, I USE RIMMEL MASCARA AND BB CREAM IN MEDIUM, SPORTSGIRL EYESHADOW PALETTE, STILA BLUSH,  GLOMINERALS CONCEALER IN GOLDEN, KEVYN AUCOIN BROW PENCIL IN BRUNETTE, BYS LIQUID EYELINER AND RIMMEL SCANDAL EYES PENCIL EYELINER)

1. ORANGE CRUSH (SPORTSGIRL)

Matte lips are a favourite of mine for any time of day, and this bold tangerine colour is perfect to give any simple outfit a modern twist. Looks best on tanned skin. I keep my eye makeup fairly simple with this colour - the lips are the feature. I blend a base colour all over my lids, a champagne gold colour on my lower lid and blend it with a dark brown on my outer lid, so the colour fades from dark on the outside to light in the corners. A little bit of mascara finishes the look. I usually wear my hair back with this colour, as well as this sleek low pony it looks nice with a high messy one and even winged eyeliner.

2. AIRBORNE UNICORN (LIME CRIME)

So this is probably the most out-there colour I own, and I usually save it for things like going to the city, where people are less likely to make fun of this amazing vibrant purple - it doesn't ever bother me if people like what I wear, I dress only for myself, but on an off day it can bruise my confidence a bit, like anyone else. These are really moisturising and smell amazing, which automatically puts them at the top of my list of favourite lipsticks. I used the same eyeshadow techniques for this look and just added a little black liquid liner to make my eyes pop. I've always kinda liked undercuts but been too scared to ever actually do it, so I just pinned parts of my hair back and flicked it to the side to create a fake undercut. For an even more futuristic look, try space buns. Add winged eyeliner and fake lashes to really make this colour pop.

3. PINK VELVET (LIME CRIME)

First of all, everyone reading this who has never used a velvetine needs to get their butts over to limecrimemakeup.com and buy one NOW. I have them in three colours and they are my go to lip colour for every occasion. The liquid-to-matte formula goes on like a lip gloss and dries as a matte lip stain. Plus it smells AMAZING. This vibrant colour is the perfect pink and it's perfect for day and night. For my eyes, I used all the same colours but used the dark brown and a piece of paper to create a smokey wing, then used chocolate brown eyeliner on my top and bottom lash lines and blended it outwards to make my eyes pop. A tutorial for this look can be found here: Get the Look: Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Runway Makeup. Soft, fluffy curls add to the girly effect. (If you aren't a fan of matte lips, the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Apocaliptic is almost the exact same colour with a glossy finish.)

Bold lips are always in fashion, and they are one of my favourite ways to really spice up an outfit. Make sure to pick colours that compliment your skin tone, outfit, eyes and hair, and keep the rest of your makeup fairly simple - too much going on can make you look a bit like a drag queen. Hope you all enjoyed, more beauty posts coming soon.

ADIOS FOR NOW, LILY XX

PS: this post is not sponsored. all products were purchased with my own money and all opinions are truthful and my own.

MY TOP 3: ARTISTS OF THE MOMENT

So it's no secret that I love music more than most people. I would rather stick my headphones in and do nothing but jam out for seven hours straight than attend any kind of social event. I have more favourite bands, singers and songs than there are babies in China, but these are my top three bands of this very second, because there's no doubt I'll have new favourites by the time this has even been uploaded.

1. DISCLOSURE

So I saw these guys live at Groovin' The Moo in Bendigo on May 3 and they were the last act of the night, so by this time I was hot, claustrophobic, and all the other unpleasant things that come along with being in the mosh for a little too long, so by the time they came on I was well and truly ready to go home, but within 5 minutes of their set starting I was jamming out again. Their stuff is so unique and perfect for dancing, getting ready to go out, and pretty much anything else you would ever have to do, I'm in love with their stuff! Also I adapted the famous Disclosure face for an art project for school recently, if you want to see it there's a photo up on my instagram page - @lilychanter (good self promo Lily).
FAVOURITE TRACK: Confess To Me feat. Jessie Ware

2. THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

It literally pains me that these guys aren't more popular because I'm yet to hear a song of theirs that I don't love. Think modern day The Smiths. Such an amazing band, listening to their stuff makes me want to keep my head down and my middle finger up for the next three years straight. If they don't get insanely big in the next few years I'll probably move to Jupiter.
FAVOURITE TRACK: BABY CAME HOME

3. DAUGHTER

I'm not going to pretend that I'm some kind of super fan who knows every single song and every member's great uncle's name or anything, but I do know a few of their songs and they're all amazing. Great for studying, relaxing or falling asleep, the lead singer has a beautiful soft voice and their tracks are mostly really chilled, quiet tunes that can make you think really hard about love and the universe and everything in between.
FAVOURITE TRACK: YOUTH

So I can pretty much guarantee there will be more of these sorts of posts up on here in the future, I love music and I hope I can introduce all of you lovely people to some new beats. Stay tuned,
ADIOS FOR NOW, LILY XX

THREE WAYS TO: WEAR MONOCHROME

Probably one of the most versatile trends to ever exist, monochrome has no limits. So, for my first post, here are three of my favourite ways to wear black and white. Mostly. Because who doesn't love a pop of colour?

TEE - AM MERCH // JEANS - BLANKNYC // SHOES - LIPSTIK // RINGS - SPORTSGIRL & MARKETS // HAT - UNKNOWN

1. CASUAL. Black and white is acceptable for literally anything, from red carpet events to going grocery shopping. Here, I paired my favourite band t-shirt with black leather panel jeans, Birkenstock-style sandals and an abundance of rings - my fingers were heavy. Then, purely because I was feeling lazy, I wore a five panel to cover my awful hair.

JUMPSUIT - SPORTSGIRL // JACKET - FINDERS KEEPERS // SUNGLASSES - DIOR // BOOTS - PEEPTOE // LIPSTICK - MAYBELLINE IN 625 ARE YOU REDDY

2. CLASSIC. You can never go wrong with black ankle boots or faux fur. Ever. So why not put the two together? This cropped cream jacket pairs perfectly with my black jumpsuit and lace insert boots for a dressy look. Add a red lip and slick hair and it's an amazing dressy ensemble. Now I just need somewhere to actually wear it.

TOP - MANNING CARTELL // BRALETTE - MINKPINK // BOWLER - SPORTSGIRL // JEANS - FACTORIE // BOOTS - WINDSOR SMITH // LIPSTICK - LIME CRIME VELVETINE IN 'WICKED'

3. EDGY. Sheer can be a tough trend to pull off and still look classy, but bralettes always swoop in to save the day. This sheer button up can be made a little more modern with a bit of cheeky lace and statement boots. Boyfriend jeans, a cute bowler hat and matte burgundy lipstick kinda revamp this classic top and make it a little more 'fresh'.

So I hope this wasn't so lame that you maintained a continuous cringe throughout, and that you maybe thought this was actually kinda cool. Watch this space for more.

ADIOS FOR NOW, LILY XX