Mackenzie Billington

48 Hours in Paris: Day Two

July 29, 2015 by Mackenzie

For the last day of our Paris getaway, we decided not to let the bad weather stop us from seeing the Eiffel Tower. Luckily, the rain did not hit before we got there, so we were able to enjoy an hour or so checking out this magnificent tourist favorite. When we went to Paris a few years ago we climbed to the top, so we decided not to climb it again this time. After snapping a few pictures, we headed to a local cafe for lunch. Our friend that recommend Angelina to us also recommend to check out Amorino, where we could get beautiful, flower-shaped gelato. We just couldn’t pass that up! Our gelato was not only gorgeous, but it tasted so great as well! Allie tried a combination of coffee, chocolate, and raspberry. Shortly after eating our gelato, the intense rain hit (which probably explains our lack of photos after the gelato trip). We took a cab to the Catacombs, something we both had been dying to see. Allie read that the lines are always very, very long, so we had our fingers crossed that they wouldn’t be as long with the rain. However, when we arrived, we noticed hundreds and hundreds of people in line- all with umbrella in hand. We spent a second or two contemplating if we wanted to wait in line, but we decided we wouldn’t have enough time because we needed to head to the train station in just a few hours. Next time I go to Paris, I will definitely wait in line to see the Catacombs. Though it sounds a little creepy- ‘The World’s Largest Grave’- it definitely seems really cool and interesting. Allie and I decided to hit the Musee d’Orsay instead! We have actually never been to this specific museum before, so we decided it would be the perfect activity on this rainy day. After waiting in line for 30-40 minutes in the rain, it was finally time to enter this incredible museum. The Musee d’Orsay is actually housed in a former railroad station, which is something so unique. I really enjoyed this museum because I love Impressionist paintings (almost as much as I love Surrealism). Last year in college, I studied Degas a lot and did several master copies of his work. I really enjoyed all of the Degas pieces that the Musee d’Orsay had to offer! We also got to see tons of beautiful Van Gough pieces including the famous ‘Starry Night Over the Rhone’, ‘Self Portrait’, and ‘The Bedroom’. With an hour left before our train, we stopped by a chaotic Starbucks to hide from the rain. People were sitting on the floor in the Starbucks- willing to do anything to get out of the storm and have some warm coffee. We made a friend in the Starbucks, and we shared stories of our favorite things that Paris and London had to offer. Allie and I ran back to our hotel through the pouring rain to collect our bags and catch a cab to the train station (the tubes near us were shut down due to the Tour de France). I was really wishing I hadn’t worn a maxi dress because it was completely doused. I was so ready to get back to my dorm so I could shower and put on some warm pajamas. We sat near my two LSE friends on the train ride back, and I took a great nap. After we got back to my dorm, Allie ran to Chipotle in the rain and brought us back some tacos to eat in bed. Does it get any better than that? I can’t imagine a more perfect weekend in Paris!

48 Hours in Paris: Day One

July 28, 2015 by Mackenzie

Hot chocolate at Angelina

The Louvre

Oh so candid

‘Is my finger on the pointy part?’

Okay, I tried.

Rebecca Minkoff purse (c/o)

Picked up Crepes on our way to Champs-Elysees

Heaven on Earth

We wanted to try the Laduree ice-cream, but it was a little too chilly

Raspberry, Chocolate, Coffee, Rose Petal, Marie-Antoinette Tea, and Vanilla

Arc de Triomphe

Just a little excited about my Laduree macaroons

Half up-half down + bun

Sacre-Coeur

48 hours in Paris. In an incredible city like Paris, it can truly be hard to narrow down your exploration ‘wish list’ to 48 hours. Is two night really enough? My sister, Allie, and I headed off to France for the weekend to find out.

After running through London in the rain, we finally made it to our train just in time. About two hours later, we arrived in Paris. Even though our hotel was less than a five minute walk from the tube station, we managed to spend hours aimlessly wondering around the city at night to find it. Our hotel was called the Hotel du Louvre, a Hyatt Hotel. It was in a perfect location and was very nice. When we got to our hotel room, we spent a few hours digging on Pinterest and the internet to plan out our two full days in the city. We started by making a list of everything we wanted to see during our time in Paris, and then narrowed it down. Luckily for us, this wasn’t out first time in Paris. We have seen mostly everything, but we spent time deciding what we still had left to see and what we wanted to see again. I took a nice bubble bath, and then it was time to sleep.

The first morning we woke up pretty early to get a good start on our day. My friend, who recently studied abroad in Paris, told us to go to a restaurant called Angelina to try their hot chocolate. It was very chilly that morning, so we decided to head to the small restaurant to pick up some hot chocolate and a pastry before heading to the Louvre. The hot chocolate was very good, but very sweet/intense. We really enjoyed our pastry through! When we arrived at the Louvre, we waited in line for 20-30 minutes, which was a much shorter queue than we expected. Allie and I have been to the Louvre before, so we didn’t feel the need to spend hours exploring the huge museum. There were incredible artifacts and paintings, but we found it to be a little overwhelming. It is so hard to see the entire Louvre in just a few hours! We of course saw the Mona Lisa though, which is always fun. After we left the Louvre, we headed to the Champs-Elysees for some lunch and macaroons. We couldn’t resist picking up some crepes on the way though for a ‘pre-lunch snack’. We had a great time people watching at the Champs-Elysees while we enjoyed our lunch. However, the whole time we couldn’t stop talking about our excitement for our macaroon dessert! The line for Laduree macaroons was possibly longer than the line for the Louvre. I have to say it was definitely worth the wait though. We tried six different macaroon flavors, which were all incredibly delicious. My favorite was definitely the vanilla. Next was the Arc de Triomphe. We snapped a few pictures in front of the large arch, and then headed off to our next two destinations- the Espace Dali museum and the Sacre-Coeur. It was not the shortest walk to Espace Dali museum as it is located up on a hill. However, it was definitely number #1 on my Paris list because Salvador Dali is my very favorite artist. I really enjoyed seeing all of his beautiful watercolors, sculptures, and sketches. I couldn’t resist buying another Dali book from the gift store on my way out. He’s such an interesting and incredible man, and I always enjoy learning more about him! I would highly, highly recommend the Espace Dali museum for any Dali fans! It’s worth the trip! We decided to check out the Sacred Heart Basilica of Montemarte (Sacre-Coeur) because it was less than five minutes away from Espace Dali. The Sacre-Coeur was so gorgeous! We decided not to go inside though for the sake of time. At this point we had already walked eleven miles, and my feet were killing me. We took a cab back to our hotel and found dinner near by. Allie has spaghetti, and I had some great risotto. After dinner we got some ice-cream and headed back to our hotel to get some rest after our long- but exciting- day!

I will be posting about our ‘last 24 hours in Paris’ tomorrow! (P.S. A lot of y’all asked on instagram about my outfit, and my top is from Topshop and my shorts are from Show Me Your Mumu!)

Thank you for checking out my blog!

London Life

July 21, 2015 by Mackenzie

Dress • Sandals (similar) • Backpack • Earrings • Bracelet (from Old Navy – but similar)

Hello friends! It’s a beautiful day in London, so I thought I would fill y’all in on my week. I am not going to lie- my first two weeks here were not easy. Moving to a foreign country by yourself is terrifying, but completely exciting at the same time. This has really been a time for me to reflect on life, my goals, and myself, as cliche as it sounds. It’s been nice to learn independence from a completely new perspective, and I’ve honestly learned a tremendous amount. I finally feel completely like myself, and it is truly the best feeling after being so sick. It’s crazy how fast time goes by. It feels like just yesterday I was arriving to this amazing city, and now I am marking my calendar for week four. It’s crazy! I am having the best time of my life though, and I don’t ever want to leave!!

This has been one of my favorite dresses of summer. I kinda wear it weekly because it is so easy and versatile. Y’all may remember it from my previous post ‘Little White Dress‘ because yes, I own it in two colors. I feel like whenever I really, really love a piece, I buy it in every color. No big deal. And guess what- it is on sale! Yayyy! I paired it with my favorite white & neon sandals and a glamorous backpack (hah). A lot of y’all have been asking about which backpack I will be using for my junior year of college, and this is it! Northface backpacks are seriously my favorite, and they are so durable. I also paired this dress with some white earrings (which are now on sale here!) and a simple gold bracelet for a casual look. However, I think you could definitely dress it up with some bold turquoise statement earrings and neutral wedges!

My little sister, Allie, is coming to visit me in London this week, and I am beyond excited to see her. We are going to take a weekend trip to Paris with my friend! If any of y’all have any Paris recommendations, please, please let me know! I would love some fun suggestions!

Thank you so much for checking out my blog!

Skin Care Routine

July 20, 2015 by Mackenzie

* Updated Skin Care Routine here! *

Hey y’all! I get asked all the time on my tumblr about my current skincare routine. I’m constantly trying different products and testing out new things. Just to give y’all a quick lowdown of my skin- I have very oily, very acne-prone skin. I have finally found a skincare routine that I am happy with! Here is what I’ve been using & loving the past few months

The morning:

When I wake up, I start by washing my face with the Lush Fresh Farmacy cleanser. I reviewed it a few months ago along with my other Lush skincare products, and I still really, really like it. It’s very soothing on the skin and really helps calm any redness. It also lathers very nicely, which is something I like. After washing my face, I spritz a little of the Lush Tea Tree Water on. I am honestly not sure if this product makes the world of difference, but it definitely feels refreshing. Tea tree is awesome for keeping breakouts away and oil at bay. I then apply my Lush Imperialis moisturizer. I have almost finished the entire tub of it, but I don’t think I will repurchase it. I absolutely love the way it makes my skin feel, and it’s definitely a fantastic moisturizer. However, I would rather find a morning moisturizer that has SPF in it and is a little better for oily skin! I would still highly recommend it though!

The night:

At the end of the day, I remove all my makeup with some makeup remover. Then I wash my face with my Lush Coalface cleanser and warm water. I then wash it for a second time with Coalface, but this time, I use my Clarisonic skin cleaning brush. My Clarisonic is probably the best beauty related investment I have ever made. It really does the most awesome job of getting every inch of makeup off your skin. If you don’t cleanse your skin thoroughly enough and get all of the makeup off, it will lead to serious breakouts. I’ve only been using the Lush Coalface cleanser for about two weeks now, but I think I prefer it to Fresh Farmacy. It doesn’t lather very well, but I think it is much better suited for breakouts and acne. I would highly recommend it if you are looking for a good cleanser for acne prone skin that is perfect for traveling. After really cleansing my skin and removing all of my makeup, I apply my Burts Bees Herbal Blemish Stick to all of the breakouts on my face (I definitely plan on reviewing this product in detail soon). When that dries a little, I apply my Clean & Clear moisturizer to my entire face. I have only been using this moisturizer for a few weeks now, but I do really like it. I was previously using anti-aging products at night. Because my skin has been so angry these past few months, I’ve decided to switch to a nightly moisturizer that that is better suited for acne prone skin. I really do think it helps keep the breakouts away!

Once to twice a week, I use my Glamglow Powermud facial mask. After seeing tons of reviews and raves about Glamglow, I decided to give it a try. I do think it does a great job of really cleansing the skin and helping my pores. It’s not the very best face mask I’ve used, but I’m trying to finish it all up before purchasing another mask. When I finish this small container of Glamglow, I am going to head to Lush (shocker) and pick up on of the fabulous face masks they have!

So that’s my current skin care routine at the moment! Let me know if y’all have any product suggestions for oily/acne prone skin. I always love trying out new things!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Wishlist

July 17, 2015 by Mackenzie

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

Y’all. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is here, and I am in love. Lately, I have been a little obsessed with matching pajama sets- so I couldn’t help but add these two pairs to my ‘wish list’ (especially the one with the doughnuts!! Does it get any cuter?). I was so excited to see that my fave Rebecca Minkoff ‘ Mini 5-zip’ purse was live on the sale- in five fabulous colors! My personal favorites are the Ash and Latte, but I could see the Port being gorgeous for the fall. I was also excited to see the Clarisonic brush up on the sale! It has honestly made the world of difference in my skin, and I would highly, highly recommend picking one up while it’s on sale. The shoes this year on the sale were rockin! From Tory Burch sandals to fun fringe heels, there were tons of options to suit every style and occasion. I also loved these classic riding boots that come in both black and brown. I will let y’all know what I end up purchasing from the sale, but for now, this is my wish list!

Let me know what your favorites from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale are! Hope you all are having a great week!!

Easy & Breezy

July 15, 2015 by Mackenzie

Dress Red Dress Boutique • Necklace Kendra Scott • Sandals Jack Rogers

Looking for that easy, breezy, perfect summer dress? Well Red dress boutique has it- in several colors and patterns. I of course had to purchase it in both blue and red (though I really wish I owned it in every single color). This casual dress will definitely be the perfect game day piece when college starts again in the fall. I love it with sandals in the summer, but I can totally picture it with cowboy boots and a denim jacket for chilly games! It’s also very comfortable, versatile, and flattering. The ‘Color My Soul Dress‘ is definitely one of my favorite sundresses for summer, and I would highly, highly recommend it!

P.S. I actually made it onto the Red Dress Boutique site earlier this week (bottom row, far left), and I almost had a heart attack! I was so excited they posted my picture on their site!

Screen Addiction

July 13, 2015 by Mackenzie

‘Screen addiction’. It’s a struggle for so many millennials, myself included. We are glued to our phones and laptops, constantly checking our texts and twitters. In our generation, we have become so technology-dependant, which sometimes causes us to miss out on reality. The average teenager spends around 7 hours a day using technology- that’s almost 1/3 of our entire day. We seem to spend so much time focused on comparing ourselves to others, obsessing over how many likes on instagram our photos get, how many ‘friends’ on Facebook we have, and how long it’s been since that boy has read our text without replying. Our lives become consumed in this technology trap that we have grown so comfortable with.

I didn’t really realize I had a ‘screen addiction’ problem until this past summer. When I headed off to Tanzania with my family, I was more concerned about ‘not having wifi’ than not having running water or air conditioning. I noticed my happiness was so dependent on my technology, which is so incredibly sad to admit. Sometimes I feel like I miss out on life because I am too busy behind the glowing screen of my iPhone. The internet is a wonderful thing, don’t get me wrong, but it seems to be one of those things best used in moderation. I’ve been thinking a lot over the past week- about everything. About life, my goals, my friends, my perception of the world, and my worries. I started to realize the source of a lot of my stresses and concerns. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our ‘technology’ world that we forget to really enjoy and appreciate the world around us. I have decided I want to make it my goal to limit my time spent on the internet a little less. I want to read more, walk more, shop more, do yoga more, cook more, draw more, meet new people more- I want to do it all. But how can I appreciate these things to the fullest when I am too busy checking my phone every ten minutes? Our obsession with technology really can cause so many more unnecessary stresses to our lives. When I sat down and really thought about my worries and stresses in lives, the majority of them were centered around technology. I am making it my goal for the next few weeks to try to limit my technology use a little, and live life a lot more. I’ve actually decided to delete one of my instagrams, which I know may confuse some of you. I think having two is really just unnecessary for me right now with how busy life has been. Instagram consumes too much of my time as I find it hard to resist scrolling and scrolling for hours. In addition, I feel like technology distracts me so much from my studies. When I go to the library, I always bring my laptop and iPhone. However, I find myself checking every social media platform every ten to twenty minutes for a ‘study break’. I can’t imagine how much more I would learn and soak in if I could just make it an hour or two without needing to check my phone. Also, I need to stop sleeping with my electronics in my bed with me. I am an insomniac, but I really think my ‘screen addiction’ is to blame. When I was in Africa without technology, I slept so much better and never had a hard time falling asleep. But now that I am back in the land of internet, I realize I don’t go to bed until 3:00 or 4:00 am on average. As much as I would love to blame it on the time change or loud city night life, the truth of the matter is, it’s my technology.

So in summary, here are my goals for the next few weeks:

Spend less time on the internet, and more time enjoying life
Limit the time I spend each day checking my phone/social media
Turn off my phone when I go to the library- don’t just turn it on silent
Don’t sleep with my phone or laptop in my bed, and limit my technology before bed
Try new things and explore new places

I recently saw this video, and it really made me self-reflect on my time and my life. If we’re being completely honest, it actually made me tear up to realize how little free time we actually have in this life. How much time have I wasted completely wrapped up in my online world? What else could I have been doing with that time? “The Time You Have” video really, really inspired me, and I hope you all enjoy it too!

I’m sorry if this post was a little negative/personal, but it was something that I wanted to share. It’s been on my heart these past few days. Hope you all are having an awesome, awesome Monday!

Favorite Summer Purchases

July 12, 2015 by Mackenzie

At the beginning of this summer, I did some serious closet cleaning. I went through everything in my closet that didn’t fit anymore or I hadn’t worn in the past two to three years. It felt good to finally de-clutter my life and get organized. After selling some of my old Lilly Pulitzer pieces that didn’t fit anymore, I had money to do a little shopping and purchase pieces that fit, and that I could get great use out of. This season I’ve been all about off-the-shoulder dresses and tops, pom-poms, bold colors, tassels, cut outs, crop tops, versatile, pieces, and heels/wedges! London has some great shopping, and I absolutely love living in the city. If any of y’all have any London shopping recommendations- let me know. So far I’ve been loving Topshop, Zara, and Mango!

Thank you so much for checking out my blog. I hope you all had a great weekend!

Topshop Sandals

July 10, 2015 by Mackenzie

I am obsessed with Topshop. It’s true. There are so many Topshop stores here in London, and they are just too hard to resist going into. I decided I wanted to get two new pairs of sandals for the summer, and after trying on probably ten different pairs, I narrowed it down to these two. I chose these brown ‘gladiator-esque’ sandals because I love that they are like a casual version of a heel. I also love the metallic part on them. They are also super, super comfortable! As for these white ones, I founds them on sale at Topshop, and I just couldn’t say no. I love the white and neon combination, and how easily they can be dressed up or dressed down. The lime green probably wasn’t the most versatile color selection, but they surprisingly match the majority of my wardrobe! I am definitely going to head back to Topshop soon because I really want some of their fun wedges, platforms, and heels. Topshop shoes are seriously the bomb.

I couldn’t find the jeweled ones online anymore, but here are similar options:

Here are some of my Topshop favorites:

I hope you all are having a fabulous weekend! I am finally starting to feel better, so thank you again for y’all’s kind and encouraging messages and comments!

Pink & Green Dream

July 8, 2015 by Mackenzie

Dress • Sandals • Earrings • Clutch (not available- similar) • Book

Whenever I am stuck on what to wear, I always reach for this easy dress. I have already worn it 4-5 now, and I just purchased it last month. I love it because it is not only super comfortable, but it is very versatile. Before heading to Africa, I stopped by Anthropologie with my sister to shop. I had no intentions of actually purchasing anything, I just went with her to browse. Allie tried on this striped green dress, and I fell in love. I am sure she was less than pleased that I ended up purchasing it too, but I just couldn’t help it! When we were checking out, the employee working at the cash register told us that our ‘new favorite dress’ was actually a tunic! She said that her favorite way to style it was to pair it with jeans or shorts and tie it at the waist. I definitely plan on wearing it as a shirt by knotting it at the waist and pairing it with a white skirt. However, I absolutely love it as a dress though! It comes in so many fun patterns- and it runs petite. This dress/shirt/versatile piece was definitely more of a splurge for me, but I would totally repurchase it another pattern in the near future. I find myself constantly wearing it this season.

I decided to pair this dress with my favorite pink tassel earrings (that are now back in stock here!!), neutral sandals, and a hot pink clutch. I purchased this clutch in three colors several years ago at Jcrew. It is such a fantastic clutch that easily works for both day and night!

P.S. These photos were taken back in TX before heading off abroad. I took several pictures back home before heading here that I forgot to post! I will be catching up on posting those photos over the next few weeks! Also, I have been loving this fabulous London tour book from Anthropologie. It has so many fun places and sites recommended by locals! I would definitely recommend picking it up if you are heading to London this summer.

Thank you so much for checking out my blog!