February 2020 Favorites + Happenings

And just like that, we’re wrapping up the month of February! Besides October, this month was easily the busiest of my freshman year of college. With a little bit of traveling for New York Fashion Week, several big sorority events, and just the typical balancing of school and Styledby has left me feeling both so proud and drained. As much as I love the chaos and fun of being kept on my toes, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to just chilling out today. That is after I finish telling you all about my favorites and recapping such an awesome month!

Fashion 

Typically I start off with my mirror outfits but today we’re switching things up because that’s how much I loved these looks. Being at New York Fashion Week inspired me in a whole new form. It was so fun getting to wear all of my fun, “out there” pieces. Truly, anything goes in NYC so I had a ton of fun experimenting with some western fringe, china blue, and the most adorable royal blue dress. There were so many other looks I shared throughout blog posts this month that I loved but the ones from my trip just take the cake. I wish I had a reason to dress like this every month but I’m trying to tell myself that you don’t need a reason to dress this fun!

When I wasn’t wearing super extravagant things, I found myself wearing a lot of sweats this month. Part of me hates that I’ve become that girl who wears joggers on her days off and the other part of me is like “if I look cute, what’s the difference”. Either way, Boohoo clothes have been my jam. I have four different pairs of joggers from them now and I am obsessed; I already have a few more pairs in my cart! As far as getting dressed for classes, I’ve been wearing black jeans pretty much every day. I don’t know how I ever went without black denim prior to coming to college. I have three different pairs from Express and they are constantly being rotated! My last fashion favs are these Yeezy look-alike sneakers from SheIn (so cute and comfy) and sock booties (for dressing up a look and elongating the legs).

Accessories 

Throughout the winter months, I tend to stick to just my usual gold earrings. I have a rotation of about three pairs, including these thick hoops, that I go through. However, as spring nears I tend to start breaking out some of my fun pairs. These yellow evil eye earrings I had to pull out last week. They are so fun and made me excited for warmer weather so I can start wearing some of my unique pairs. This month also fell in love with western belts, these pink faux glasses, and my stainless steel Apple watch band. Sort of a random mix of things, but definitely items I felt were worth mentioning.

Workout Wear 

Thanks to collaborating with Yogalicious and 90 Degree By Reflex, I had the pleasure of testing out a handful of new workout pieces this month. The Powerflex material from 90 Degree has easily become my favorite material to wear to the gym. This fabric is super breathable and yet it’s thick enough to withstand a high-intensity workout. From Yogalicious, I’ve been loving the mesh accents on their Lux leggings. I reached for so much color when it came to the gym this month— it was a nice change of pace wearing something besides navy and black. Throughout the month of March, I’m hoping to pick up a red set and a brighter blue!

Beauty 

If you missed my January Favorites post, check it out here. I shared a laundry list of new beauty favorites. I’ve been loving on those same products all month long in addition to the few listed below!

• This month I’ve been mixing the Loreal Infallible Pro Glow and the Fresh Wear foundations. I’ve been self-tanning a lot this month and these two foundations mixed together make the perfect shade for me. I also love the formula of these two products mixed together. The finish is the perfect mix of matte and dewy, making my makeup last for hours!
• Nars Orgasm Blush: I always switch back and forth between my blushes and lately I’ve been reaching for my Nars blush. It’s a brighter pink and has lots of sheen to it making it one of my favorites for a fresh, flushed look.

Entertainment 

Baseball started this month so you know what I’ve been up to during my free time— although I haven’t had a whole lot of that lately. If you guys have been keeping up for some time now you would know that I spent tons of time watching the Gaithersburg Giants this summer which is a  collegiate summer team in my area.

I made tons of baseball friends who are all scattered across different states throughout the United States so obviously I’ve been tuning into their games in addition to Kent! It’s so exciting watching them do such big things and makes the game 100x more interesting. Oh, and my favorite song of the month was by far Hey Cowgirl by Randall King— shoutout Sam for that one.

Looking Back On February 

Despite not meeting my February following or viewing goals, this month was nothing short of incredible. As I mentioned earlier, I started the month off in New York City for my first-ever New York Fashion Week and my gosh was it amazing. It was such a learning experience. I met tons of people coming from every corner of the industry while doing tons of networking and watching first hand as my dreams turned to reality.

While traveling to NYC I heard from InfluenceHer that I was placed on the ballot for “College Influencer Of The Year”. I cannot tell you how full my heart felt knowing that enough people felt called to nominate me to even be placed on the ballot, let alone to have the chance to win. Voting closed on Monday and winners should hear back in early March. And while the odds that I am selected aren’t very high, I cannot even begin to explain how touched I am by the kind words, wishes, and votes that my friends, followers, and family have sent my way throughout this process. It has touched my heart in every way to see the ever-growing community that stands behind me throughout this journey. Fingers crossed that I’m headed to LA in the Spring as your 2020 College Influencer Of The Year!

Looking Ahead To March

March is probably my least favorite month of the year. It feels like such an awkward transition time, especially for blog content but I’m hoping being at school will help keep my creative juices flowing. I’ve got some exciting content planned. In fact, next Friday will be the start of my 2020 prom series. Aside from those posts, I’m hoping to start sharing some spring break options, a few bikinis (call me crazy but I am craving summer, lol), and a few travel essentials.

My biggest goal for the month is to hit 7K on Instagram. This was my February goal and I didn’t even come close to it. However, I’m hoping this month I can reach this one! I’m sure being home for a week of Spring Break will give me some more time to work on this one. Other goals for March include uploading to YouTube twice a month, landing a dorm room collaboration for the next school year, and hopefully getting good news back regarding the InfluenceHer awards!

My Month At A Glance 

As I’ve said a gazillion times now, I started the first weekend of the month off in NYC. Not only was the trip such an amazing experience work-wise, but it was also so good getting to see my mom and experience the week with her. College really does give you a whole new appreciation for that time together! And while, playing the catch-up game of school and blog work after my excursion wasn’t necessarily ideal, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat if I could.

The following weekend was my sororities annual Red Dress Gala and the next week, King of Hearts where we learned we raised over $72,000 for Women’s Heart Health. I also had a few visitors in town– seeing Connor and his dad was such a treat; having a piece of home here for the weekend was just what I needed.

School has been chugging along; this semester has been much more demanding for me and yet I cannot believe we’re already halfway through! Seems like just yesterday I was moving in. I’m hanging in there and trying to find a balance between school, work, and social life. Bumble and Pink have both picked back up and I’ve been considering taking on a couple more roles around campus. I won’t lie, this month has been a lot on me but I couldn’t be more grateful for the chaos. I dreamed of this life and I’m working my booty off to keep it that way. I am, however, so ready for spring break. I am in dire need of seeing my fam and soaking up some time in Maryland.

Alright, folks. That’s going to be all for today’s post. From the bottom of my heart thank you for all your continuous love and support; I truly would not be where I am today without you all. Cheers to a fantastic February and many many more months like it in the future!

With love, McKenz

This Month On StyledbyMcKenz

1. Weekly Wrap Up #5 2020
2. Travelon Launches Addison Collection
3. Party Outfit Ideas
4. Valentine’s Day Outfit Inspo
5. Weekly Wrap Up #6 2020
6. New York Fashion Week Recap Part 1
7. New York Fashion Week Recap Part 2
8. Weekly Wrap Up #7 2020
9. Everything To Know Before Attending New York Fashion Week
10. Spring Workout Gear From Yogalicious
11. Shoes To Get You Through
12. Weekly Wrap Up #8 2020
13. I Can’t Stop Buying Shoes
14. Swooning Over Sweats