January 2020 Favorites + Happenings

I cannot believe the first month of 2020 is already over. I have a feeling this year is going to be a repeat of 2019 in terms of speed. Last year the months seemed to zip right by my eyes. January has been a whirlwind— the first half spent in Maryland for the end of my Winter Break and the second half in Ohio adjusting back to college life and second semester. I’ve had an awesome month in terms of Styled by McKenz and with it just being Christmas I’ve got tons of new favorites to share with you today. Let’s hop right in cause it’s going to be a long one.

Fashion 

When I went home for winter break I brought very few things from my Ohio closet back with me. I figured I would have plenty of clothes waiting for me at home and knew I would be receiving new things left and right anyways. Boy, was I right! I was pleasantly surprised by all the hidden gems I had left behind in my Maryland closet. SheIn killed it with the tops this month, this orange one and the wrap top being two of my favorites. I reached for white shoes constantly, especially booties and chunky sneakers! Since getting back to school, I’ve been wearing tons of joggers. I only have class a few times a week so, on my off days when I’m just lounging around the room getting work done, these are so cute and comfy. This blue set is from Boohoo but I’ve loved my cashmere one too!

I was excited to go back to school for the sole purpose of getting back to shooting around campus; there are so many fun places to shoot here in Ohio which makes stepping out of my comfort zone outfit wise that much easier. This black blazer romper was easily my favorite look I photographed this month. I almost didn’t shoot it but decided to on a whim and it made me feel like a total #girlboss. Sock booties have been my go-to! Clearly I could use some more color in my looks but besides that, this month was chock-full of fun content.

Accessories 

I placed a huge earring order in December and converted them all into clipons one of the first days of the year with the help of my dad. These thick gold hoops are tied for my most worn earrings now with my gold gongs. They give off such a classy vibe and look good with just about everything. I also grabbed these lighting bolts that I thought were just so fun— especially since my school mascot is a flash! And of course, what would my January favorites post be without the mention of my clear bag?!? I wore the absolute heck out of this thing when home for break and I’m seriously regretting not bringing it to school with me. It’s the perfect size bag for all of my necessities and sits so perfect on the crook of my arm.

Workout Wear 

I didn’t do a single ounce of physical activity when I was home for break so naturally, I was pretty excited to get back in the gym upon coming back to school. I’ve realized more than ever this month, how much I love my time at the gym. It clears my head and really just gets my endorphins going. Plus, I love the fashion. I came back to school with sooooo many new workout clothes. Like, I’m talking tomorrow will be the first day I won’t be wearing something new, lol. This Joy Lab set is a must— my momma picked it up for me since she knows I love their longer sports bras and that I’ve been eyeing it for ages now. This new Lilybod is easily my favorite fit from them. The high waist is so flattering and felt amazing as I stayed on the stepper. I’ve been trying SheIn activewear lately and have been so impressed with their seamless collection. I looked at Gym Shark and read that they are made of the exact same material, making these such awesome dupes for their expensive stuff. And this Old Navy set, so so good. I’m not a huge Old Navy girl when it comes to leggings but these two pieces fit me so beautifully and were the most breathable material for an intense workout. I am dying to grab this in the red!

Beauty 

It’s rare that I have as many beauty favorites as I did this month but with a gift card to Sephora, Ulta, and a super awesome stocking I stocked up on so many goodies this month. And to my surprise, I loved just about everything new I received. Like, loved.

• Elf Poreless Face Primer: My big put the travel size of this in one of my big-little baskets and I fell in love with it. I loved it so much that I decided it was time to go ahead and grab the full-size version. This blurs your pores so nicely and keeps my makeup in place and shine-free for hours.
• Loreal Infallible Fresh Wear 24HR Foundation: I used to love the Loreal Pro-Matte Foundation but picked this one up upon Tati’s recommendation. This is totally my new favorite foundation. Pump foundations are the best and the formula of this keeps my face matte all day long. I swear I will put this on for class at 8 am, go to the gym, and out at night, come home far past midnight and my makeup still looks good. This foundation has changed the game!
• Elf 16HR Camo Concealer: This was another Tati recommendation and I am obsessed with it. Aside from the primer, I haven’t loved an Elf product in years! This one is such a good drugstore dupe for the Tarte Shape Tape. It’s full coverage and hides blemishes so well. Definitely not meant for under the eyes though!
• Wet N Wild MegaGlo Dual-Ended Contour Stick: I have a love-hate relationship with this contour stick. The highlighter side is pretty useless but the contour side is so good for shaping my nose. I’ve tried using this to contour my cheekbones several times now and just don’t love the way cream contour looks in that area on me— too muddy for my taste.
• Loreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara Holiday Set: This mascara duo is fantastic. I’ve been a Great Lash girl for years now but this primer makes my lashes so thick and the mascara makes them extra dark and super long. I plan on grabbing this duo before they stop carrying it because it’s such a good deal!
• Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector® Pressed Highlighter: Finally hopped on the Champagne Pop train and I’m so glad I did. This highlighter is the perfect mix of pink and gold making for the most beautiful hue on my skin tone. This Becca highlighter is gorgeous and makes me feel so luxurious when wearing it on the high points of my face.
• Essence Soft Contouring Lipliner: Went back to lipliner this month and it has done me wonders. I have super tiny lips so lining them when wearing lipgloss is a must and makes them look so much fuller.
• Buxom Full-On Plumping Lip Polish: I got so many new Buxom lip glosses for Christmas this year! These have been my go-to products for years now. They have the perfect amount of minty to them and last longer than your typical gloss. So many fun colors that I’ve been wearing for photoshoots and going out!
• White Charcoal Mattifying MakeUp Setting Spray: My mom put this in my stocking and she hit the jackpot with it. I’ve never been one to use setting spray but this paired with my new foundation and primer has made for the best combination of products. This makes my makeup last through even the sweatiest of workouts— no seriously, yesterday the lady at the dining hall complimented me on my makeup as she made my taco after I had sat on the stepper for 40 minutes.

• Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream: I forgot this in Ohio over winter break and I’m not sure how I went the entire month at home without it. This moisturizer is so good. Super thick as far as moisture goes but it feels super light and airy.
• PRO Strength Niacinamide Discoloration Treatment: Thankfully, my acne has chilled out a bit lately but my skin is still super uneven. Unfortunately, my skin scars super easily but this new Peter Thomas Roth cream has been working wonders. I’ve been applying nightly and have noticed my scars getting significantly lighter.
• The Creme Shop Clear Skin Hydrocolloid Dark Spot Acne Patches, 24CT: These deserve 100 stars. Another product my mom grabbed for me and I wish I wasn’t out of them already. These little star patches are infused with witch hazel and are meant to be placed over your scars overnight. These work incredible!
• Batiste Original Dry Shampoo – Clean & Classic: I finally made the switch to Batiste dry shampoo and I’ve noticed such a positive change in my hair. I’ve only been washing it twice a week and with the help of this dry shampoo, my hair isn’t a total greaseball during those in-between washing days. My hair is so healthy right now and I’m trying to keep it that way.
• OPI Infinite Shine Long-Wear Nail Polish: Received two OPI nail polishes for Christmas and have been switching out my polish every five days or so, alternating these two colors. This formula is so good and the colors are the perfect everyday pinky nudes.

Entertainment 

Guilty as charged— I watched a lot of tv this month. I mean, a lot. I binged Virgin River and Spinning Out on Netflix while on Winter Break. Both of these one season Netflix originals were so good. I like something cheesy but I hate bad acting. These both had such good storylines and just enough suspense to keep me in front of the tv for multiple episodes at a time. That’s saying a lot for me since keeping my attention span for long periods of time is next to impossible. I also watched the two seasons of Good Girls in about two weeks once getting back to school. I’ve loved popping on an episode to unwind before bed or letting it play in the background as I get work done. I wasn’t expecting to love the series as much as I did but I can’t wait to watch season 3 on actual tv when it comes back on in February!

My favorite songs this month were What If I Never Get Over You by Lady Antebellum and I Hope You’re Happy Now by Lee Brice.

Looking Back On January 

I want to come on here and write that January was good to me. But it wasn’t. I was good to me which is why January was so good. It wasn’t luck that made this month so successful, it was hours and hours of hard work, creative juices, and freelancing that made this month so killer for me.

I started the month off celebrating four years of Styledby; an unreal experience! I still cannot believe it has been that long. I sat down and set some long term goals for the year and hit the ground running. My biggest battle this month was planning for Fashion Week. I leave in less than a week and have shows lined up for every single day I’m there. It took me more hours and emails than I can even count to get to this point but I’m so excited to watch my hard work pay off. I hosted a giveaway this month as promised, gained 300 Insta followers, and posted so many blog posts that I’m super proud of. I’d say it was a 10/10 month all around.

Looking Ahead To February 

February is going to be a crazy month here as far as my ~personal life~ goes so my biggest concern for the month is keeping up with my blog’s posting schedule. I have never been more consistent with posting than I have been in the last six months and man does it feel good. My posting schedule has become such a habit that I’m hoping to keep it going throughout the craziness of this upcoming month. I also am planning on shooting some fantastic content while in NYC and really taking in/capturing my first New York Fashion Week.

Other February goals include: hosting a giveaway, hitting 7K on Insta (this is a stretch, I’ll be honest, but it needs to happen if I plan on hitting 10K by 2021), 25,000 blog views, and getting a head start on my Prom 2020 series that I am so pumped for!

My Month At A Glance 

The start of this month feels like ages ago! Kicked off 2020 babysitting and celebrating my fourth blogging anniversary. The next two weeks at home were chock-full of relaxing, hanging with my momma, and seeing my second fam as much as possible before saying goodbye. I headed back to good ole Ohio on the twelfth and had my first day of the second semester the following day. I have Tuesday/Thursday classes with the exception of one 50 minute class on Mondays and so far this schedule has been so good for me.

It’s allowed me to work 30+ hours a week while taking 18 credit hours. Getting back into the constant go-go-go has been a lot but also a breeze at the same time. I’ve gotten back into my school routine and am appreciating all the weekend fun with my gal pals. You really have to watch my weekly college vlogs on YouTube to truly understand the craziness of my schedule, lol. I can hardly sit still for ten minutes here. PS: if someone could mail me a cowgirl hat ASAP that would be much appreciated.

I’ve got an exciting month ahead. Like I said earlier, I leave for NYC on Thursday and will be meeting my mom there. I’m so excited as this is a huge deal for me and it will be the first time the two of us have traveled just us. The following week I have my Alpha Phi Red Dress Gala and the week after Connor and his dad will be visiting! It’s going to be a crazy few weeks but I’m so excited for all of the fun that will be accompanying it.

All is well (and wild) in my neck of the woods! What about you? How has your month been?! I want to hear all about it and your favorites of January in the comments below. That’s all for now! I’ll talk to you on Sunday.

With love, McKenz

This Month On StyledbyMcKenz

1. StyledbyMcKenz Turns Four
2. Travelon Launches Essentials Collections 
3. Weekly Wrap Up #1 2020
4. Snow Season Is Soon
5. January Chicwish Styles
6. Trends To Follow This Winter
7. Weekly Wrap Up #2 2020
8. New Year New 90 Degree Gear 
9. Styling A Racer Tee
10. Outfits For School
11. Outfits For School
12. Weekly Wrap Up #3 2020
13. Making A Fashion Statement
14. Dressing For Your Body Type
15. My First Cashmere Pieces
16. Weekly Wrap Up #4 2020
17. Snow Boot Season With Jambu
18. Loving On Leopard

Chit chatting about some of my favorites in a just for fun Youtube video. Check it out and give it a like if you want to see more videos like this!