london – Mackenzie Billington

Tbt + Life Update

August 28, 2015 by Mackenzie

Hey y’all! This is a little #tbt outfit from London! I paired this bright red off the shoulder top with white shorts and cobalt earrings. I am going to be doing some more throwback outfits from London over the next few weeks!

I just wanted to apologize for being MIA these past few weeks or so. I have been so busy with moving back from London, moving back to college in the US, and getting settled in during my first week back for classes. More than anything, I am so ready to be back into a daily routine. I decided this week that I am actually go to apply to LSE to study abroad for an entire semester this upcoming spring. I had the most incredible two months at the London School of Economics, and I am dying to go back. I’m also considering King’s College because it is located in the same area as LSE and actually offers a spring semester. The study abroad program at my university does not offer a spring semester for LSE, so it is going to be difficult to jump through hoops and make it happen. However, I am very optimistic about the chance that it may fall in place and that I will have the opportunity to be back at my favorite school. I can make a post about my study abroad experience if that is something y’all would like to see!

As for this current semester, I am taking 3D art, art history, accounting 2, intro to marketing, and supply chain management. I am glad that I’m finally getting into classes for my major. I’m also living in the sorority house again this year, which I really, really love! Living in the sorority house my sophomore year was the most incredible experience, and I am so lucky that I get to live here again. I am planning on posting pictures of my room sometime next week! It’s really different from my room last year, but I’m glad I finally decided to switch things up.

I am sorry that I haven’t posted in a while. I am going to start posting regularly when I finally get a solid routine in place. I hope you all are having a fabulous week!

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!

White Midi Skirt

July 30, 2015 by Mackenzie

midi skirt (not available anymore • similar & similar) // chambray shirt // sandals // earrings

Never did I ever think I would wear a midi skirt, let alone fall in love with one. A few months ago I was shopping for skirts online and stumbled across this one on forever21. I hesitated for a second or two before putting in my cart because I wasn’t sure if I would end up actually wearing it. It was such a good impulse buy and has easily become one of my summer staples. This is a little bit of a ‘tbt’ post because I wore this outfit back when my mom was visiting me in London. I paired this white midi skirt with my favorite chambray button down for a night out in the city to see Mama Mia, one of my favorite musicals. I really, really enjoyed all of the lively songs and costumes.

Sadly this exact skirt is not available anymore online, but it might still be in stores because I purchased it about two months ago. Below I posted some different ways that I plan on styling my white midi skirt over the next few weeks.

Thank you so much for checking out my blog! Hope you all are having a fabulous week!

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!

Lush Oxford Street.. Round Two

July 7, 2015 by Mackenzie

Oops.. I did it again. Couldn’t resist Lush Oxford Street.

‘No, you can’t eat it’

Y’all. Living a mile from Lush is seriously dangerous. It’s so hard to resist my favorite store every time I walk down Oxford Street. I picked up a few more things this week, and I have been loving them:

1.) ‘Shark Infested Custard’ bath melt

Is this bath melt not the cutest thing you’ve ever seen? An awesome Lush employee recommended that I give this fun little bath product a try, and at £2, I just couldn’t say no. Plus- it totally puts me in the mood for Shark Week! This bath melt smells incredible. It has a strong, and beautiful scent of vanilla/custard. It also has a slight scent of lemon. I haven’t used it in the bath yet, but I can already tell it is going to be extremely moisturizing. It melts just at the warmth of your fingertips, and I can’t wait to try it!! Sadly, this is an Oxford Street exclusive product, so it can only be purchased at that location!

2.) ‘Yuzu and Cocoa’ shower cream

Another fabulous Oxford Street exclusive product that smells just like the Yuzu and Cocoa bubbleroon. It has the most gorgeous orange and chocolate scent. This shower cream also has such a moisturizing and creamy consistency. I got the smallest size just to try it out, but I know I will totally be purchasing the full size (along with Lord of Misrule) to take back to the states.

3.) ‘Daddy-O’ shampoo

I forgot my Daddy-O shampoo back in TX, and I have been dying without it. This shampoo is rockin’. You can read my review on it here!

4.) ‘Sympathy for the Skin’ body cream

I have actually never tried a Lush body cream/lotion before. When I was chatting with one of the Lush employees about his favorite Lush products, he recommended this one to me. Not only does it smell soothing and amazing, it makes my skin feel so soft. This body cream has great ingredients like almond oil, fresh bananas, lemon oil, vanilla, and cocoa butter. I purchased the smallest bottle, but a little bit definitely goes a long way with this product. I bet it will last me the entire summer! One of my favorite things about this product is that the scent definitely lingers on the skin all day. I’ve tried so many body creams that smell nice for a few minutes, and then disappear. But Sympathy for the Skin definitely lasts all day! I would highly recommend it (and they sell it in the US)!

Thank you all for checking out my blog! I am sure I will be back at the Lush Oxford Street very soon..

Check Out my LSE Dorm

July 7, 2015 by Mackenzie

My lovely view haha

Hello hello! I have finally moved into my dorm, and I absolutely love it. All of the rooms for my dorm are singles, so I do not have a roommate. However, we do have a community bathroom/kitchen. I have finally moved everything in (though I could use some more decorations/color in my room). Our room came with pillows, linens, and towels, which was very nice. I actually just ordered new bedding and pillows for my room in the sorority house this fall, and I can’t wait to post pictures as soon as I get those in the mail. For this fall, I’ve decided to do a solid colored bedspread with fun & bright pillows!

As a lot of y’all know, I actually spent yesterday in the emergency room. Two nights ago, I woke up around 3:00 am with the worst pains in my right side. They were so excruciating that I could not stop screaming. I went down to the front desk of the dorm, and I collapsed on the floor. The staff at the front desk called the ambulance, which came almost three hours later. When I arrived at the hospital, they had to hook me up to morphine, which still didn’t completely fix the pain. After several blood tests, they found out I had a very severe stomach infection/bug that I most likely picked up in Tanzania. I had to miss my first day of classes yesterday, which honestly was a bummer. I hate getting behind in school and missing assignments. I was able to make it to class this morning, but I still don’t entirely feel like myself yet. I hope I start feeling better so I can start enjoying my time here at LSE. Sorry if this post was a little bit of a downer, but I just wanted to let you all know what’s been going on in my life! I am just very fortunate that I am recovering and that I don’t have to surgery or anything crazy like that. Things could have definitely been worse, and I know I will appreciate my good health in the future. But thank you all so, so much for your love and support on tumblr. Y’all’s encouraging messages made my day!

I went to Lush Oxford Street again a few days ago, so I will be posting about my mini haul later today (or possibly tomorrow).

Thank you for checking out my blog! Hope you all are having an awesome, awesome week!

Fourth of July

July 4, 2015 by Mackenzie

Dress • Sandals • Earrings

Happy 4th of July, friends! This dress has actually been my favorite piece for summer. Off shoulder tops and dresses have definitely been my ‘go-to’ this season. I paired this patriotic dress with some white stone earrings and white sandals for a day spent exploring the city. However, it would look awesome with wedges and a clutch for night!

These photos were taken at Neal’s Yard in London. My friend recommended that I check out this colorful cluster of buildings and shops. This little spot was difficult to find at first, but well worth the trip. I loved the bright walls and all of the fun restaurants. My mom and I had a fabulous time visiting this unique part of town. I am having such an incredibly time in London so far, and I’m almost positive that I’m not ever going to leave. Tomorrow I move into my dorm, and it will be nice to not live out of a suitcase anymore. I couldn’t be having a better time in this perfect city! Words can’t describe how much I love it here.

I hope you all are having a fabulous 4th of July and enjoying the holiday!

Lush Oxford Street

July 3, 2015 by Mackenzie

I was just a little excited about visiting Lush Oxford Street

The Comforter bath bomb in a shower cream version

Lush shampoo bars are amazing

Are these Flamingo bubble bars not totally adorable?

Lush staff helping me select a face cleanser

My Oxford Street goodies

Lord of Misrule, HUGE bottle of H’suan Wen Hua, and Coal Face

Green magic in a bottle

Lush is my guilty pleasure. No shame. If you walk into the Lush store with me, it usually takes over an hour to drag me out. As soon as my mom and I arrived in London, I begged her to let me swing by the Lush Oxford Street just for five minutes. I was completely overwhelmed by the store and beyond excited. I will definitely be heading back next week to spend a full hour (or five) really checking out the three story oasis. My wish list from the Oxford Street location includes:

Lava Lamp bath bomb
Experimenter bath bomb
Supertramp bubble bar
Shark infested custard bath oil
Zen soap
Yuzu and cocoa shower cream
Comforter shower cream
Cup o’ coffee face mask
Key Lime lip balm
Damaged hot oil treatment
Waves solid shampoo

For this first visit to Lush Oxford Street, I picked up 3 products:

1.) ‘Lord of Misrule’ shower cream

I immediately went straight to the shower gels/creams and checked them all out. I was so excited when I heard they made ‘Lord of Misrule’ into a shower cream. I just had to try it out. It is very, very green in color, which is a little scary at first when you use it in the shower. Lord of Misrule has the most amazing fragrance. It is actually very hard to describe the scent, but you can definitely pick up the vanilla and pepper notes. Essentially, it’s magic in a bottle. I know I will totally be purchasing the largest size possible before I head back to the states at the end of the summer.

2.) ‘H’suan Wen Hua’ hair treatment

This wonderful product is probably my favorite hair treatment in the entire world, and that is no exaggeration. I can’t tell you how many times my sister and I have both repurchased this product (read my review for it here). The Lush Oxford Street location actually carries this amazing hair treatment in a huge size. If you purchase H’suan Wen Hua in the US, you can only get it in the 7.9 oz. size. However, in the UK, you can purchase it in a 15 oz. size! I hope they bring the larger version of H’suan Wen Hua to the US soon because it is heavenly!

3.) ‘Coal Face’ face cleanser

I love the Lush face cleansers, especially paired with my clarisonic skin cleaning brush. It’s a fantastic combo. I’ve been using Fresh Farmacy cleanser for the past few months, and I really do love it. However, my acne has been flaring up for the past 2-3 weeks, so I decided to change up my skin care routine. The friendly staff at Lush Oxford Street gave me a sample of Coal Face to take home and try. They told me it would be better for my oily, acne prone skin, so I decided to give it a try. I have really been enjoying Coal Face these past few days, and when my sample runs out, I will definitely be purchasing it! I surprisingly enjoy the fragrance of it, and it makes the skin feel very clean and clear (without over- drying).

I can not wait to check out Lush Oxford Street again this week. It’s incredible in there, and I am almost positive I will be broke by the end of the summer. If you are from the UK, let me know if you have any Lush Oxford Street recommendations! I will be sharing more pictures from my first week in London later this week! Hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

(P.S. Here are the details for my outfit because I got asked about them several times on my tumblr/personal instagram)

Romper (purchased here last summer) • Sandals • Earrings (back in stock!) • Sunglasses

Packing for London

June 14, 2015 by Mackenzie

I only have a few more days before I head off for my summer abroad adventures, and I couldn’t be more excited. Packing for two weeks in Tanzania wasn’t too difficult, but seven weeks in London was no easy task. As a chronic over-packer, it’s hard not to try to shove my entire wardrobe into one suitcase. Here are some packing tips I have learned over the years:

Check out the weather for the trip. Look at the monthly averages for the country, and then pack accordingly. London weather can be all over the place, so I packed things I could layer. I packed a fleece, a sweater, a kimono, and a denim jacket that can all be easily worn over any outfit I packed if it gets chilly.
Type a list. Before I begin packing, I always type a list of exactly what I want to pack. I put things in categories like clothes, toiletries, etc. This really helps me know exactly what I need for the trip and ensures I won’t forget anything important.
Pick outfits that you can mix and match. Dresses are always easy to put in your suitcase and make for an easy outfit. I also pack shorts/skirts first, and then I select two tops for each bottom. Before packing a certain piece, think about what it would actually go with and how you could stye it.
Roll things! I always roll my clothes in my suitcase because it does actually save more room than folding!
Don’t overpack when it comes to shoes- they really add lots of weight to your bag and take up tons of space. Be realistic and pick comfortable shoes that you will actually end up wearing during the trip. Always wear your heaviest shoes on the plane to save space in your bag. When I study abroad in Europe, I always wear my rain boots on the flights because they are quite large.
For packing, I always bring a large suitcase and a duffle bag for my carry on. Always go for a suitcase with wheels. The duffle bag is awesome because if I decide to take a weekend trip to another country, I can bring that big instead of my huge suitcase. I always bring a crossbody purse to Europe for everyday use as well!
Really think about what you actually need. I am a huge overpacker, but I try to think realistically. “When am I really going to wear these heels? Where would I actually wear this maxi dress”. If you really think about each piece you are packing and being realistic, you will not overpack as much!
It’s always good to make sure you leave a little extra room in your suitcase in case you decide to shop there or bring gifts home!

I posted some pictures of the clothes I packed. I will probably add a few more things (like socks, a rain jacket, etc.), but this is a general basis for the outfits I am bringing with me for the London School of Economics.

In summary, here is what I packed (clothes-related)-

4 rompers
5 dresses
4 shorts
2 skirts
1 pants (going to pack another white pair soon)
12 tops
denim jacket
sweater
kimono
fleece
sandals
wedges
converse
rain boots
crossbody purse

Thank you all so much for checking out my packing post! I head off to Tanzania later this week, and then I go straight to London two weeks later! I can’t wait to share my adventures with y’all!

Safe Travels!