acne – Mackenzie Billington

Current Skincare Routine | August 2017

August 28, 2017 by Mackenzie

Hello & happy Sunday! I have been getting so many questions lately via Tumblr about my skincare routine. The last time I shared a thorough skincare routine on my blog was 2015, and I recently realized how much my routine has changed in the past two years. Back in high school, I started diving deeper into skincare, specifically into the world of anti-aging products. I know what you’re probably thinking – ‘Girl, why are you using anti aging products in your early 20’s?!’. I am a big believer that it’s better to start preventing skin damage and aging now than to try and reverse things twenty, thirty years down the road. Though there are a lot of factors that come into play when it comes to skin aging (i.e. genetics, lifestyle, diet/health, sun exposure), I believe that taking care of your skin externally is also very important! I crave routine, so for me personally, having a skincare regimen is essential.

I could ramble on about skincare forever (even though I am no expert or dermatologist by any means); it’s always been such an interesting top for me personally. Today, I wanted to share my favorite skincare products, my current routine, and a few tips I have learned over the years. So without further ado, let’s get into it, friends!

Updated Skincare Routine

December 30, 2015 by Mackenzie

Happy Tuesday everyone! I’ve been getting a ton of questions lately about my skincare routine. As a lot of y’all know, I have struggled with oily/acne-prone skin for as long as I can remember. My skin has always been my biggest insecurity, and for the first time in my life, my skin finally gives me confidence. I actually have been getting so many compliments on my skin these past few weeks, which is such a huge, huge thing for me. I posted a skin routine a few months ago (read it here), but I wasn’t 100% happy with it as a long term thing. It was working fine, but I was still struggling with frequent breakouts and very excessive oil.

When I first started noticing my oily skin back in grade school, I did every thing I could to fight it. I used any ‘anti-shine’ product I could get my hands on to try and mask any trace of shine. I also avoided moisturizers at all costs. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that your skin can actually overproduce oil if you are not properly moisturizing it. I feel like by adding more moisturizing products into my skincare routine instead of using drying, oil fighting products, I’ve seen major improvement in the quality of my skin and its appearance. (If y’all would like to see a more thorough post on oily/acne prone skin and my tips for getting rid of acne, just comment below & let me know – I have before and after pictures).

I started adding anti-aging skincare products in my weekly routine about four years ago. A lot of people look at me weird the second I tell them that- most because I already look incredibly young for my age. I always reply with my same-old, same-old joke, “I want to look 12 forever!”. I know that aging is a lot easier to prevent now than to try and reverse it down the road. Now that I am in my 20’s, I’ve started to use a full routine of ant-aging products. I’ve been loving my skincare routine lately and thought I would share it! Though anti-aging skin care products are great, the best thing you can really do is to stay out of the sun and wear SPF- on your face, neck, and hands. I recommend keeping a little bottle in your car!

In the morning, I start by washing my face with the Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Cleanser. I purchased a little skincare set from Ole Henriksen at Sephora several weeks ago just to try out some of the best selling products from the link. The set was only $25, and I couldn’t resist picking it up to try these mini products. The African Red Tea cleanser is probably my favorite product from the entire set, and I will definitely be repurchasing another one soon because I am almost completely out. I love that it is foaming and that it has a nice scent. After cleansing my skin, I apply some of the Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster. It makes my skin feel a little tighter, and I absolutely love the scent. It has a very strong fragrance to it that smells exactly like oranges, which some people may not enjoy. The scent doesn’t last long on the skin, but I do actually love the way it smells. After applying the Truth Serum, I finish my daytime skin care routine by applying my Neutrogena Triple Repair moisturizer to my face, neck, and hands. I love this moisturizer because it is very thick and creamy on the skin, but doesn’t make me feel overly greasy. I also find that my skin doesn’t get too oily throughout the day either. I love that this moisturizer has SPF in it, and I find it doesn’t wash me out in photos (always a plus!). My only complaint is that I wish it had a pump as I don’t find it very sanitary to stick my fingers in the jar. In addition to my Neutrogena moisturizer, I also apply Clinique All About Eyes. I got this sample size of the product in a Sephora ‘500-point’ set, and I would definitely repurchase it in the full size. It really makes a big difference when it comes to under eye circles and any darkness. I also find that it helps with applying my undereye concealer and really creating a smooth base. Make sure that you lightly tap it around the undereyes so you don’t tug at the sensitive skin!

At the end of the day, I usually remove my makeup with makeup remover first. I then apply a pump of the African Red Tea cleanser on my Clarisonic brush. I have been using the Clarisonic for over a year now, and I honestly think it has made major improvements on my skin. It does a fantastic job of really removing every inch of makeup off of my skin, thus preventing additional breakouts and clogged pores. I have the ‘acne brush’ on my Clarisonic and has been my favorite brush out of all the different ones I have tried over the past year. If you don’t own a Clarisonic brush, you should definitely look into investing in one. They are pricey, but I promise you won’t regret the purchase- especially if you struggle with skin problems like I do. I’ve been told before that it’s actually not good to apply moisturizer before you go to sleep, so I usually only apply moisturizer if my skin is feeling extra dry. I’ve been really loving the Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation moisturizer because it is very light on the skin and doesn’t break me out. It is packed with Vitamin C and Vitamin D. I don’t wear it during the day because it does not have SPF in it. Once a week, I use the Ole Henriksen Invigorating Night Treatment. It’s a really nice nightly treatment that leaves my skin feeling mega soft. I also find that it doesn’t cause any breakouts whatsoever, which is something I am always fearful of when trying out new products.

I’d love to know what skincare products y’all have been loving lately!

P.S. – Two full days of 2015 left!! That is beyond crazy to me. My New Years Resolutions post will be up on Thursday- stay tuned!

Shopping Haul

August 2, 2015 by Mackenzie

Cleanser • Toner • Lotion • Pore Minimizer (primer) • Tea Tree Oil • Naked Palette • MAC 224 Brush • MAC 150 Brush • White Dress • Romper • Pom-pom Top • Bardot Top • Black Top

I love shopping. With only one more weekend left in London, I decided it was time to do some retail therapy before hitting the library to cram for exams. After leaving my dorm around 10:00 or so, I visited The Body Shop first. I have actually never been in The Body Shop before, but I recently read some great reviews on their tea tree products for acne prone skin. I’ve been struggling with angry breakouts the past few months, so I’ve been trying a ton of different products in hope of finding some that will help my acne. I picked up these five Body Shop products in two little sets that totaled around 30 pounds. The products I got include the tea tree facial cleanser, toner, lotion, pore minimizer (primer), and treatment. The products claim to make a difference in your skin in just three days, so I am going to put them to the test! I’ve only tried this new skin care routine twice so far, but I really like it so far. I will review these products in more detail once I use them a little more and get an opinion. Next stop was Topshop. I’ve been really obsessed with the store, Topshop, lately because I love their variety of styles, great quality, and petite line! When you are 5’0, it can be really hard to find clothes that fit perfectly without needing alterations. Luckily for me, there is a 3-story Topshop right here in London, and it’s incredible. They were having a huge sale this weekend where I was able to purchase this off the shoulder top, pom-pom top, and beige romper all for about half-off each! I actually have the pom-pom top in black already, but I’ve been wearing it pretty much weekly. When I really love a clothing piece, I always get it in every color! I was really excited when I saw my favorite pom-pom top came in white and was on sale- I just couldn’t resist. I also really liked the beige romper I found on sale. I’ve been really into tie-front tops/dresses lately, so I thought this romper was really cool. Something else I love about Topshop is that they actually offer a 10% student discount, which does help save you a bit of money!
Next stop was Victoria’s Secret. When you walk down Oxford Street in London you see hundreds of people with the pink, striped Victoria’s Secret bags. I decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check it out. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I walked in- it was huge! Never in my life have I been a four story tall Victoria’s Secret. I ended up purchasing a nude, strapless bra, which I felt would be a smart investment because I actually do not own one. It’s also multi-way, which makes it super versatile and practical. I was really glad I stopped by to check it out! Across the street from Victoria’s Secret were some makeup counters. I picked up two MAC brushes. I chose the MAC 224 brush because I felt like it would be an awesome brush for blending eyeshadows. I do not actually own a blending brush, so I felt like this pick would help make my daily makeup routine that much easier. I also splurged on the MAC 150 because I knew it would be an awesome brush for applying finishing powder. I also read reviews that raved about what an awesome brush it was for applying and blending bronzer! I also stopped by an Urban Decay makeup counter to get my favorite palette. I got the UD Naked Palette for Christmas a few years ago and fell in love. You really do get your money’s worth with any of the Naked Palettes, and they have awesome pigmentation! I actually used up my entire first Naked Palette, and I have been procrastinating buying a second. I don’t usually repurchase products because I love trying out new things, but I loved this palette so much that I decided it was worth it to purchase another! I would highly, highly recommend it if you are just getting into makeup or looking for that perfect, versatile day-to-night palette!

My last stop was Lush. I *no joke* spent almost two to three hours in Lush Oxford Street because I knew it would most likely be my last time to visit. I have been saving up my money all summer for my big Lush shopping spree, and I didn’t spend as much as I originally assumed I would. I walked out with tons and tons of awesome products to try out and gifts for my friends and family back home. I am going to do a thorough post and review on the products once I get home, but I don’t have anywhere to photograph them here in London! I am really excited to share my huge Lush haul with y’all, and if you follow me on Snapchat (mackenzieken), you probably already saw some of my snaps on some of the things I picked up! Lush is actually bringing in some new products to the states, so I hope to see some of the Oxford Street exclusives in all of the stores over the next few months! I am so glad I got to check out the flagship store! It was unbelievable to see a three story Lush store, and I absolutely loved the amazing staff and products there. So stay tuned for my Lush haul in the next two weeks (I included a little sneak peak below)!

Here are some pictures of my purchases:

Thank you so much for checking out my blog! Hope you all are having an awesome Sunday!

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!