lush – Mackenzie Billington

NEW Lush Jelly Mask ‘Just To Clarify’: Review

September 4, 2017 by Mackenzie

I have been reviewing Lush products on my blog for years now. Lush is definitely my ‘happy place’, and I absolutely love walking into any and every Lush store. Though I don’t get to go shopping there as often as I would like, it’s nearly impossible for me to resist browsing every time I happen to walk by one. So after my Soul Cycle class this past weekend, I decided to walk into Lush to pick up a new products to try out. What immediately caught my eye was the newest product- the jelly masks. I LOVE Lush face masks; they are my favorites (specifically the Cupcake and Cosmetic Warrior masks). They always make for the best ‘treat yourself’ gifts. Though I absolutely adore their masks, I do have a hard time justifying the price when they have a pretty short shelf life. Additionally, they have to be refrigerated, and I often forget to put them back in the fridge. So though I love the Lush face masks, I only buy them for myself a few times a year. When I saw these brand new, innovative masks at the front of the store, I was incredibly interested. Once learning that they didn’t expire quickly nor needed to be refrigerated, I was sold.

Little Black Jumpsuit

April 5, 2017 by Mackenzie

[ezcol_1half][/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end][/ezcol_1half_end]

JUMPSUIT lush black gauze jumpsuit (under $60, but currently sold out- linked similar options below) | NECKLACE squash blossom dupe (linked this season’s version) | SHOES black espadrille wedges (under $100) | PURSE louis vuitton neverfull tote

Happy Wednesday! I am a strong believer that every girl needs a little black ~~dress~~ jumpsuit in her closet. You know, the perfect little black jumpsuit that works for brunch with the girls, date night, and even that long plane flight you’ve been dreading. Jumpsuits are such a staple in my closet, and I typically find myself reaching for them more often than I do my flouncy sundresses. There’s just something about jumpsuits. They are casual and comfortable, but they still exude effortless confidence and make any outfit a little extra chic.

I can admit that I first saw this jumpsuit hanging in my mom’s closet back in March (can you tell raiding my mom’s closet is one of my favorite activities?). I tried it on & fell in love. I ended up hopping on Nordstrom and ordering the exact same one for myself! Unfortunately this exact jumpsuit is sold out at the moment, but fingers crossed it will come back in stock soon. I’ve noticed that this piece has gone out of stock more than once on Nordstrom, which is not shocking to me because it’s such a great find (especially for under $60!).

For dinner with my dad, I paired this jumpsuit with a statement necklace and black Steve Madden espadrille wedges (that I recently featured in brown). Though I do adore these affordable, espadrille wedges, I must admit that you do have to break them in. Definitely opt for a band-aid on your heel the very first time you wear them! Besides that tiny, initial downside, I am still not over how much I love them. As for this statement necklace, I purchased it from BaubleBar quite a while ago. In my dream wardrobe, I would definitely a real turquoise squash blossom necklace. The dupe will suffice for now! Though this exact one is no longer on the BaubleBar site, BaubleBar did create one with their Target collab that’s incredibly similar! If you haven’t seen BaubleBar’s collaboration with Target, definitely take a peak. Your wallet will thank you.

I think a black jumpsuit would also be perfect with neutral (or bright colored) sandals and a cross-body purse for a casual day of shopping or exploring. Would this jumpsuit not be absolutely amazing for a beach trip? I definitely think so! Hopefully this jumpsuit comes back in stock again ASAP because it’s wonderful. I have linked several other black jumpsuits for spring below! I hope you’re having a wonderful week.

xoxo,

Mackenzie

shop the post:

LUSH Haul & Review

October 25, 2016 by 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

Top 5 Favorite Lush Bath Products

February 4, 2016 by Mackenzie

Happy Thursday! As a blogger, it’s only natural to check your analytics. Over the past nine months of blogging here on mackenziekendall, I have noticed my most popular post ever is ‘The Lush Lowdown- part 1“. It makes me so happy to know I am not the Lush addict around here! Because so many of y’all are interested in hearing reviews about Lush products, I decided to share my top five favorite Lush products for the bath, which has been highly requested.

If you’ve used Lush products before, you know that they truly make your bath an ‘experience‘. Taking a bath or shower without any Lush products is just not the same; I am totally addicted. I’ve tried so many Lush products over the years, and these have been my all time favorites:

Lush Pink Peppermint Review

January 4, 2016 by Mackenzie

Hello, hello! It’s been a while since I’ve talked Lush on here, but I wanted to share one of my recent favorites with all of you. When I was in Maui, I couldn’t help but to stop by the Lush store there on the island. During the winter, my skin gets so dry (as I’m sure a ton of y’all can relate to). The ladies at Lush talked me into trying out ‘Pink Peppermint’, which is ‘more than just a foot cream’. On the container, this product is described as a foot cream that features ‘cool arnica, soothing etageres and zingy peppermint that gets you back on your feet pronto!’. The employees at Lush told me that they like to use this product for any soreness and cramps- and as a regular body lotion. I am always down for trying out versatile products that I can get tons of use out of.

I absolutely love this stuff. One thing I love about this product is the scent. It has a really nice peppermint scent that is ultra refreshing. I love to apply it after a workout for a quick ‘pick-me-up’. It does an awesome job at really soothing any aching/sore muscles. The scent also feels so fitting for the winter season. Some may not love the peppermint fragrance, but I personally love it. It is also very subtle too, which is nice. This product is so incredible moisturizing on the skin, and is very buttery to aply. It absorbs into the skin quickly, leaving it very, very soft. I apply it to my arms and legs, concentrating on any patches that tend to get the driest. It also works so well as a foot cream if you suffer from dry feet in the winter. Apply a generous amount before bed time and then sleep in cotton socks. You’ll wake up with the softest feet ever. I would recommend wearing colored socks because the pink can tend to rub off on white socks. This would be my only complaint about Pink Peppermint. I also really love it as a foot cream if you’ve been walking around in heels all day. My feet always ache after hours and hours in heels, and Pink Peppermint is the perfect product to really soothe any pain you might have at the end of the day. One last thing I love about this product is that I feel like it’s a pretty good amount for your money. It is $25 for 7.9 oz. This container will last me months and months. I took these pictures when I first purchased the product, but I have been using it several times a week for about three weeks now. Even though I’ve been using it so frequently, I have barely made a dent in it. I would definitely repurchase this product in the future.

[Tip: Keep it in the refrigerator for an extra refreshing experience]

Pros:

Smells amazing
Very creamy
Moisturizing
Soothing
Can be used as a body moisturizer or foot cream
Great for aching muscles- so perfect for athletes and those who wear heels often
Great for cramps
Nice packaging and product appearance
Price is pretty good for the amount of product you get

Cons:

Can rub off on white socks, so it might be best to wear them with darker socks if you decide to use it as a night treatment

Thank you so much for checking out my blog! Let me know if you would like to see more Lush reviews or posts in the future.

Check out my previous Lush posts:

Scents of Summer

July 29, 2015 by Mackenzie

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

I get asked so frequently about my favorite perfumes and body sprays, so I decided to a make a little list of my favorite ones for the season. In the daytime, I love a tropical body spray. They aren’t as heavy as perfume, but still add a nice fragrance. Bath & Body works makes my all-time favorite body sprays. They have such a huge variety of scents, but their ‘Hawaii’ line that came out a few months ago is amazing. It’s embarrassing, but I have actually been through three full bottles of the Oahu body spray. No joke. What I love most about the Oahu body spray is that it has coconut notes, but isn’t overwhelming at all. It smells like vacation in a bottle. I also love the Maui fragrance from the line as well! With notes of mango and hibiscus, I instantly feel like I am back in Maui! For nights out and special occasions, I love Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioia and Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. Both smell very fresh and beachy, and I love them for summer time! My last favorite scent for summer is Sun by Lush. It doesn’t have the best staying power, I am going to be honest, but I absolutely love the fragrance. It has strong citrus undertones and smells just like oranges. I always throw it in my purse or backpack because it is a solid perfume and is awesome for ‘on-the-go’ use. It’s the perfect mid day pick me up. I love all of the Lush solid perfumes, but this is my favorite for summer!

Let me know your favorite scents for summer! Hope you are having an awesome Wednesday!

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!

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..

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