June 2019 Favorites + Happenings

Today is a very special day, my friends. It’s StyledbyMcKenz’s half birthday!!! Now you may or may not acknowledge this sort of thing but I prefer to celebrate each milestone and any excuse to eat a cupcake. Cannot believe this baby of mine is three and a half years old; feels like just yesterday we were celebrating year three and now we’re already halfway through 2019! We’re sitting down today to chat all of my favorite things + happenings from the month of June.

FASHION

What’s ironic about my fashion favorites this month is that I have so many of them. Whereas in past summers I struggle to even get an outfit of the day picture. I’ve been so antsy to get dressed and do something with my days that I’ve quickly found some favorites. My top favorite of the month is Express. Yep, the whole gosh darn store. I’ve collaborated with them over the last two months and cannot say enough good things about them. I picked up several bodysuits, basic tops, and denim from them and have been wearing them like crazy. There’s something so easy about a simple outfit combination that you can dress up with a pair of sandals and earrings. That’s been my go-to for days where I’m not headed into work.

For days that I am working, I’ve loved getting a little more dressed up. I’ve worn tons of smocked sets from SheIn, this adorable black romper from ShowPo that is easily one of my favorite pieces in my closet, and this blue dress that scored me all sorts of compliments. Nothing better than feeling fancy; my black block heels have been my savior for three years now.

Other favorites worth mentioning are my white mules from DSW that are now three years old (they go with everything)! Scored tons of cute new tees when I went to Kent and cropped a bunch of them; I’m loving that style with high waisted shorts. Oh, and belts. I love belts all of a sudden.

SWIMWEAR

Usually, after Fashion comes a separate section for workout wear but let’s be real, I haven’t worked out once this month let alone thought about it so we’re switching things up and I’m sharing a few of my favorite swimsuits. I spent the first week of June in North Carolina sitting in a swimmie and testing out a bunch of them for reviews.

I reviewed all of these swimsuits in their own separate posts so you’ll have to check those out for specific details but I mean come on; how stinking cute are all of these?! The yellow tasseled one was so unique and fun, the orange suit has been the perfect cut for everyday tanning, the leopard is oh so trendy, and the red one is the most flattering swimsuit I’ve ever put on my body. It has been such a treat getting to try so many new swimsuits this month.

Oh my GOSH, I am adding this part in while revising this post because how could I forget about those gosh darn floppy hats?! Holy cow, did I wear these two hats to death. I posted with them like crazy and they were the best investment ever. Perfect for when my nose was borderline burnt after a nine-hour day in the sun. The black one is from Express and the tan one is from TJ Maxx.

BEAUTY

I’ve been keeping things mighty simple around here as far as getting ready goes. Just my same everyday makeup. I keep my hair natural a little more often in the summer but not by much. However, despite keeping things simple I’ve added a few products to my daily routine that I think are worth mentioning.

• Blistex Lip Medex Analgesic Lip Protectant — Yep, I’m the blogger recommending Blistex to you, lol! But seriously guys, this stuff has saved my lips. I’m addicted to it and lather up before bed each night to take care of my dry, cracked lips. If you’re prone to cold sores (like me), you’ll love this. It’s under $2; thank me later.
• Blistex DCT Daily Conditioning Treatment SPF 20 — Another Blistex product. However, this one does not taste medicated. It’s still awesome for your lips though and does just the trick. This one has SPF 20 in it so I slapped this bad boy on multiple times during the day when at the beach.
• Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream Unscented — I’ve used plenty of lotions, body butters, creams, etc over the years and nothing does the job quite like this one. I love how thick this moisturizer is. It doesn’t have a smell and is non-greasy also known as a life saver for my dried out skin. I use this on my face too if it’s in dire need!
• Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Soft Waves Tropical Banana Sea Salt Spray — Remember when sea salt spray was all the rage like five summers ago? Well yea, I haven’t stopped using it since. This stuff makes your dry hair feel even drier but in like a cool surfer girl, beach babe kind of way. I pretty much drench my damp hair in this upon getting out of the shower, scrunching my hair in my hands. I feel like this stuff makes my natural hair a little more acceptable. I highly recommend at the beach but to be honest I only use this lightly when at home if I’m missing the sand a little extra that day.
  
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ENTERTAINMENT

I’m back to my old ways of having commitment issues to starting a TV show even though it’s the middle of summer. So if I’m being honest, I started H20 after seeing Netflix added it and it’s been one of my better decisions. I read The Island by Elen Hildebrand while at the beach. It was the most predictable, cheesy, mushy gushy beach read possible and I loved every second of it. There’s nothing better than an overrated romance novel to keep me occupied while at the beach. Oh, and my favorite song has been Rumor by Lee Brice. I play it each morning on the Alexa until I get tired of it or until Madison yells from her room asking me to change it.

LOOKING BACK ON JUNE

June was crazy! I took a week off to relax and enjoy myself while on vacation and it was so good for me. I quickly realized there was no harm in allowing myself to step away from my work for the week. I mentioned that I wanted to hit the ground running with YouTube once I returned from vacation and I did! I’ve successfully uploaded three week in my life vlogs and have loved every second of capturing my summer on camera. Buying the Canon G7X after graduation was the best thing I ever did for myself. I reached 500 subscribers too which was awesome. I didn’t reach 5K on Instagram but with the constant change in the algorithm, I’m trying not to be too bummed about it. I’m pleased with the June I had. Not impressed, but pleased.

LOOKING AHEAD TO JULY

July, oh how excited I am to see you! I’m a sucker for a fresh start and want to start this month off on the right foot. Last year I blogged every day in the month of July and as much as I want to do this, I’m not 100% positive if I’m going to. Kind of late to still be deciding— am I right?! I’m going to try my best to keep up with it but if I miss a day here and there, forgive me. However, if I do miss a day on the blog, I’m hoping to make up for it on my YouTube channel.

After I publish this I’m headed downstairs to make my habit tracker for the month because it’s time to start working at it instead of simply talking about it. My habits this month will be posting on Instagram, posting on Instagram stories, and responding to comments on the previous day’s posts. These may sound silly to some people but they are crucial for engagement and growth. I hope to reach 5K on Instagram this month and hit 650 YouTube subscribers. It’s going to be a busy month! I’m going to stop talking here before I sign myself up for any more commitments, haha.

MY MONTH AT A GLANCE

As I said, I started the month off baking my body under the hot North Carolina sun and man did it feel good. I’ve never spent so much me time and wow was it refreshing. After that, I went straight to Ohio for my college orientation and got to meet my future roommates. I cannot explain how excited I am to have friends that are girls, lol. I came home after a few days and hit the ground running with blog/YouTube stuff.

I’ve been a busy bee! Working up a storm and heading to the baseball field every chance I can get. My Legion boys have been killing it and are headed into playoffs in just two short weeks and it’s been so fun getting to watch Ethan play again. I missed getting to watch him in person more than anything!

I’m excited for a busy July and my last full month of living at home. I cannot believe how fast time is flying! Thanks for joining me on this wild ride. Love you guys.

With love, McKenz 

THIS MONTH ON STYLEDBYMCKENZ

• Weekly Wrap Up #22 2019
• Weekly Wrap Up #23 2019
• May 2019 Favorites + Happenings
• My Best Summer Zaful Finds
• Weekly Wrap Up #24 2019
• AMI Clubwear Swimwear
• Smocked Sets For Summer
• Bring On The Blue
• Styling My Sugar Lips Finds
• Weekly Wrap Up #25 2019
• AMI Clubwear Clothing Review
• Terani Evening Gown
• Weekly Wrap Up #26 2019