October 2016 – Mackenzie Billington

October Favorites

October 31, 2016 by Mackenzie

Hello, hello & HAPPY HALLOWEEN! So over the past month (which may I add went by so, so quickly), I have received tons of positive feedback on my ‘September Favorites’ post! A lot of y’all really loved the casual chat style, so I decided to share my October favorites from this past month now that October is coming to an end. October was definitely a great month for me. I got to spend a lot of time with my family and friends & met some new friends along the way.

Without farther ado, here are my October faves:

S T A R R Y E Y E D

[star wrap choker]

My mom bought me this amazing star-embellished choker this past month, and I love it (and wore it in my last ootd blog post). What I love about it is that it’s very unique, but because it is neutral, it goes with everything & is very flattering. I think it’s a great pick for somebody that is looking to get into chokers, but doesn’t want anything too basic or anything too harsh/dramatic. I know I will be wearing this one all season!

october favortites | www.mackenziekendall.com

C A C T U S B L O S S O M

[bath & body works cactus blossom candle]

When I went home to Dallas last weekend, my mom had this Bath & Body Works candle burning in my room & I immediately fell in love. It isn’t a fall scent by any means, but it has such an incredible scent with notes of cactus flower petal, coconut, vanilla, and lemon. It’s the perfect combination of cozy, bright, and clean that I personally think works year round. After my plane landed in Memphis last Monday, I went straight to the Bath & Body Works store and purchased this candle to have in my room in Oxford. I had several friends come over last week, and every single one mentioned how amazing my room smelled-all thanks to this amazing candle! Next time you go into Bath & Body Works, definitely check this one out.

O V E R T H E M O O N

[Urban Decay ‘Moondust’ shadows]

If you have been following me for a while (or follow me on snapchat @ mackenzieken), you know the Urban Decay Moondust shadows are my favorite things on the face of the planet, and I have been collecting them for a while. My current faves (from left to right on dry hand swatch) are ‘moonspoon’, ‘space cowboy’, and ‘zodiac’. I have especially been wearing the heck out of my moondust shadows this month. I picked up ‘moonspoon’ last week, and I have been obsessed with it. It’s a gorgeous grey with silver sparkles that I think looks amazing all over the lid. I would definitely recommend applying them wet over a base (the NYX jumbo pencils & the liquid Maybelline color tattoos are my favorite products to use under these shadows). I personally love these moondust shadows for night time, concerts, and special events. If you are torn and want to get just one color- you can’t go wrong with Solstice or Zodiac. Both are SO unique, but still wearable. I definitely have the ‘moondust palette’ on my wishlist this holiday season!

L A C E M E U P

[lace up hoodie]

Over the past few months, I have actually been on the hunt for the ‘perfect hoodie’, but I am just so picky. When I stumbled upon this one on Revolve, I was excited to actually find the perfect hoodie, but I was beyond depressed to see that it was sold out (boo). Luckily, I found it on another site in burgundy, AND on sale. Score. I love the lace up detail, but I also love the fit of this hoodie. It has cool slits on the side and is longer in the back, making it perfect to throw on with leggings and converse. I definitely would love to get this hoodie in another color because I seriously love it!

B A C K T O T H E F U T U R E

[MILK holographic highlighter]

I looked at this holographic highlighter for weeks- reading tons of reviews and watching more YouTube videos than I can count. I eventually gave in and ordered it from Urban Outfitters, and boy, do I love this gem. I love highlighters a ton, and I am constantly buying new ones. This holographic highlighter from MILK is so unique and different from anything I have in my collection. It looks a little weird, but on the face, it has such an amazing effect. It is also great to layer with powder highlighters (specifically the Anastasia Beverly Hills ‘moon child’ highlighter palette). My roomies and sister have all tried out my MILK holographic highlighter, and it looked stunning on all them as well. Even though Halloween is today, I think this highlighter could work year round. I can’t wait to wear it for all of next month as well!

Honorable mentions:

song of the month: Lovesick (feat. Felix Snow) by Caroline Pennell

album of the month: Mothership by Dance Gavin Dance (see my photo with the lead clean singer here)

starbucks drink: strawberry acai refresher

photography/photo editing: tone curves on lightroom

book: ‘Pendulum: How Past Generations Shape Our Present and Predict Our Future’

tv show: mad men

I hope you enjoyed this little post. Have a great and safe Halloween! Let me know what you are being for Halloween & what your October faves were.

xoxo,

Mackenzie

Back to Basics

October 28, 2016 by Mackenzie

Hey friends! It’s finally Friday (yasss)! I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve done an OOTD [outfit of the day] post. I absolutely love doing OOTDs, but they can be challenging to do during the busy school year. I wanted to share one of my recent OOTDs from this past weekend in Dallas!

Do you ever have those days where you feel like you have absolutely nothing to wear? I definitely do. When I have those days that I struggle finding something to wear, I go back to basics. Everybody needs those basic essentials in their closet that go with just about anything and can be thrown on when you’re in a bit of a hurry to get ready. For a day of shopping with my mom, I paired my favorite white vneck with a pair of black distressed AG jeans. These AG jeans are the ‘stilt crop’, and I think they are especially perfect for petite girls (yay for no alterations needed). To make the outfit a little more ‘fall’, I threw on an adorable warm-toned cardigan that I borrowed from my mom. This kimono cardigan is so cozy and would be perfect paired with a sleeveless mockneck swing dress and booties! For accessories, I added a layered wrap choker and cognac sandals with a matching purse (that I borrowed from my mom as well). Basics definitely don’t have to be boring!

xoxo,

Mackenzie

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LUSH Haul & Review

October 25, 2016 by Mackenzie

Texas State Fair

October 22, 2016 by Mackenzie

Happy Saturday! I am currently in Texas for the weekend, and I wanted to quickly share a few photos from yesterday’s Texas State Fair adventure.

xoxo,

Mackenzie

texas state fair

Bid Day Bliss

October 18, 2016 by Mackenzie

In a southern college town, Bid Day is one of the most exciting days of the entire year. One of my fondest college memories was definitely ‘running home’ to the Delta Gamma house during my freshman year. The friendships I have made in my sorority are ones I wouldn’t trade for the entire world. So for my last Bid Day, I decided to capture some of the beautiful moments and the new friendships. Apologizes in advance that there are a billion photos; Bid Day just makes me happy. [ezcol_1half]

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bid day

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bid day

xoxo,

Mackenzie

Paisley Perfection

October 14, 2016 by Mackenzie

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blue paisley skirt | white tie top | choker (on sale) | booties

Hello & happy Friday! I am not sure I could tell you when or where I fell in love with paisley. For the past few months, I have been gravitating towards anything and everything printed in paisley. So when I stumbled upon this adorable blue, paisley skirt, I knew I needed to add it to my growing paisley collection. I paired it with a white tie top, metallic choker, and neutral booties. I can definitely see it paired with a black turtleneck and black over the knee boots as it gets chillier outside.

Guess what? At this time next week I will be back in Dallas. I am so excited to see my family & enjoy the Texas State Fair.

xoxo,

Mackenzie

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Pumpkin Patch

October 9, 2016 by Mackenzie

“I am so glad we live in a world where there are Octobers”

-anne of green gables

pumpkin patch

When I was little, my mom would always take my sister and I to pick out pumpkins every fall. And every fall, I would always, always pick out a squash. Not a pumpkin, a squash. And every fall, I would literally glew a googly-eyeball to it. Don’t ask me why. I was a strange child.

So this week when my roomies suggested that we go to the local pumpkin patch, I was 100% on board. Mostly because I wanted to take cute pics and spend time with my friends, but also partly because well, I can’t resist a good fall squash. Let’s be real. We had so much fun photographing our little adventure and picking out pumpkins & squashes to decorate our house with! For the occasion, I wore a burnt orange romper, fringe booties, and a horn necklace. If only it would get a little cooler, I could finally break out some sweaters.

xoxo,

Mackenzie

September Favorites

October 2, 2016 by Mackenzie

F U N B U N

When I first saw the half-up, half-down fun-bun hairstyle, I immediately thought I could never pull that off. For months, I saw pictures on Pinterest and Instagram of girls rocking the half-up, half-down bun [specifically my girl crush, Amanda Stanton from the Bachelor]. During a visit to Wake Forest to see my sister, Alexandra, I ended up finally trying out the hairstyle just for fun. And I fell in love. I weirdly love this hairstyle, and I’ve been wearing it all the time. I think it’s really fun, and it’s perfect for second (or third.. or fourth) day hair!

G L O W U P

[becca ‘champagne pop’ & hourglass ‘incandescent’]

Yesterday at the football game, I got a few compliments on my highlight. I realized that I’ve tried out so many highlights over the past few months. My two favorites right now are definitely Becca and Hourglass. I love the Becca highlighter for special occasions and nights out. It gives you that ‘I can see your highlight from space‘ look, and it really pops. I also feel like it’s a pretty universally flattering color. I recently got this Hourglass ‘strobe light’ highlighter in the shade ‘incandescent’. I am really glad I decided to pick it up because I honestly do love it. It’s very subtle and is perfect for those that want to try highlighting’strobing, but don’t want anything over the top. It’s great for an every day look, especially for class. I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for the perfect ‘daytime’ highlighter!

C A N D L E S & C O A S T E R S

[‘Baltic Amber’ candle & geode coaster]

I’ve been adoring these two Antho purchases this past month. Voluspa candles are my absolute favorite. ‘Baltic Amber’ has been my favorite scent for years, especially in the fall & winter. It’s such a warm and cozy scent, and I love it when I am getting ready for bed or taking a bath. As for this coaster, I think it’s such a great decor piece. I feel like it really fits the ‘aesthetic’ of my room this year, and I totally want to order a few more. I love that ‘no two are exactly like’, and they would be such a unique gift for friends and family!

F R I N G E W I T H B E N E F I T S

[brown fringe jacket]

I absolutely love fringe for fall time. I picked up this suede jacket several weeks ago, and I think it’s stunning. It has a very vintage feel & it looks amazing in photos. I can’t wait to wear it all fall and winter with swing dresses and rompers. It also comes in black!

H E R B A L I S M

[herbalism facial cleanser]

Anybody who knows me knows that Lush is the love of my life. I’ve tried pretty much all of the Lush face cleansers at this point, and I recently repurchased the Herbalism cleanser. My face started breaking out at the beginning of this school year, so I thought I would start using Herbalism again. It’s really great for acne-prone skin, and I feel like it really does help clear up my skin. I personally don’t love the earthy smell, but it really is a great cleanser that I think is definitely worth the money!

I hope you enjoyed this little monthly faves- let me know if you would like to see more of these in the future!

xoxo,

Mackenzie