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August 2021 Recap + Favorites

Clothes, College & Catch Ups

As Taylor Swift says, August slipped away into a moment of time…. I’ve always loved August, in fact, it’s probably my favorite month of the year. Between the last-minute summer vacations and the excitement of reuniting with your friends + returning to school, it’s hard not to fall in love with it.

Admittedly, I’m not usually a big fan of change but something about this new season of life has been really good for me. School started last Thursday meaning I’m officially in work-life balance mode. It’s already giving me a run for my money and yet it’s reminding me just how much I’m capable of. We’ll chat more about that more under “life”—in the meantime, let’s hop right into the good stuff.

OUTFIT OF THE DAYS

: first day fit

: headed to the beach

: just the basics

If you want to talk about a closet that’s all over the place… I spent the first week of the month wearing clothes out of my unpacked suitcase, the second in a swimsuit, the third in my “reject, I’m not bringing these to college” clothes, and the fourth with my best foot forward. It’s safe to say my outfit of the days have been rather sporadic lately, lol.

Regardless, I spent a ton of time wearing sets and tees from Whitefox Boutique. This razorback tank has been on repeat all month long and is truly one of my favs. I also fell more in love with the Express Body Contour line than ever before, picking up five new styles in various colors. They pair so effortlessly with denim shorts, joggers, and jeans. I know they’ll be staples in my closet as we transition from season to season.

Of course, I’ve been wearing my white denim shorts a ton too. Got to squeeze them in while I’m still tan! This pair is from SheIn and has been on repeat all month long. Of course, my Spanx skorts are still going strong. I’ve been trying to get back in the walking groove here on campus—a cute outfit like this one makes me extra excited to do so.

FASHION

: todays fit

I haven’t shot nearly as many blog photos, as usual, this month. Back to school time does that to ya! I took dozens of cute photos while in the Outer Banks but now that I think of it, I never did get around to sharing my Outer Banks travel/outfit diaries. Perhaps, I’ll get working on those in the coming weeks. Anywho, SheIn bikinis and my tried and true TJ Maxx floppy hat got me through.

I did squeeze in a few moments with my favorite lace-up heels and pink chunky platforms. I was on a roll with the funky shoes all month long. Come the first day of school I sported the most adorable denim jumpsuit right outside the fashion school. Now that I’m back on campus I cannot wait to start shooting photos regularly again. There are so many adorable photo spots around us. I know I’ll have no trouble finding a cute photo op here!

BEAUTY

Truthfully, I got so tan my first week at the beach that I didn’t wear much makeup this month. I’ve been trying to preserve my tan and hydrate my skin hence this month’s favorites. It’s safe to say, ~beach babe~ McKenz mode was fully activated this month.

Banana Boat After Sun Lotion—My post-beach day routine consists of slathering on the aloe and then a layer of this after sun lotion. This was my first summer using it and I’ll never go another without it. It has Vitamin E and aloe infused in it so it keeps your skin hydrated while preserving your tan. Although I don’t ever burn, sometimes my skin will still peel from getting so much sun so quickly. However, this year I never did!
Cerave Healing Ointment— This is the most intense product I’ve ever used but it works better than anything else I’ve tried. For my super dry areas (face, chest, shoulders) I rub this on before bed and by morning my skin is like new. That week after returning home from the beach, I was constantly a lathered grease ball in this. It definitely has a weird consistency but I promise it works wonders.
Hero Cosmetics Acne Patches— I’ve used several acne patches in the past but this month was my first time trying the Hero Cosmetics one. These are incredible and work far better than any other brand I’ve tried. Honestly, there isn’t a product I’ve tried from them that I haven’t loved!
USmooth Crimper— I’ve left my hair natural for a good chunk of the month but the rest of the days I’ve been using my crimper from USmooth. I got this five years ago as one of my very first collaborations and I’ve re-fallen in love with it this summer. It gives my hair the perfect beach babe texture and scores me hundreds of compliments every time. I swear my guy friends are always nicer on the days I use it, hahaha.

ENTERTAINMENT

When I wrote to you last month, I had two episodes left of Virgin River and I finally knocked them out! It was such an unexpected ending—I can’t wait to see what they do with the next season! I saw that Outer Banks had a new season come out but I’ve been too busy to sit down and give it a watch. It is on my list though; I’m hoping to get to it at some point this month.

I’ve been listening to tons of music this month. As per usual, The Country Jams playlist is truly the only one getting any love/new suggestions. I added lots to it this month thanks to Kart’s recommendations and a few Tik Tok finds!

This Month’s Top 5: What Are You Listening To by Chris Stapeloton // Who I Am by Wade Bowen // Follow You To Vergie by Tyler Childers // Till You Can’t by Cody Johnson // When She Comes Home Tonight by Riley Green

AUGUST REFLECTIONS

I didn’t set too many goals for August, other than to find a system that worked for me. One that allowed me to enjoy the rest of summer, not be *too* stressed during my move, and appreciate the first few weeks of school wholeheartedly.

While I wouldn’t say I’ve found a “system”, I definitely got by. And my platforms grew! And I loved the content I produced! And I landed huge brand deals with companies I know and love! And that’s all I could ever really ask for.

SEPTEMBER GOALS + MANIFESTATIONS

Balancing Styled by with school is certainly nothing new but it’s still something that hits me like a bus with each passing year. It’s a lot to handle and it’s something that I don’t give myself enough credit for. I’ve got four huge brand deals lined up for month and a trip to New York City for Fashion Week on the horizon. Not to mention assignments piling up, sorority events on the calendar, and dates on the mind.

My real September goal is to find my rhythm. I would love to keep up with a Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun posting schedule on YouTube. That is the platform I’m trying to focus most of my energy on. I’ve been feeling down about my growth and performance on it, and I know if I pour my heart and soul into it, I will be rewarded at the right time. I just hit 57K, which means I’m just 3,000 away from meeting my 2021 goal. (aka it’s time to grind!!!). I’m also hoping to start posting to Tik Tok daily, sharing more mini vlogs, outfit of the days, and hauls. I just hit 20K and was thrilled!

I also want to start sharing more “real” photos on my Instagram. So many of you have asked for more moments with my friends + real college photos and I’m really making an effort to do so. I’ve been so overwhelmed with the positive response and it makes me so excited to see you love that side of my life as much as me. Fingers crossed we hit 25K by the end of the year. I’ve made immense progress towards my yearly goals, but it’s time to hustle this last quarter to make sure I get there!

LIFE LATELY

: dinner photos

: another sunrise morning

: annual twin photo

August was everything I had hoped (and needed) it to be. I started the month off with a week-long vacation to the Outer Banks. Per usual, we stayed in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina at Colton’s beach house. I made it to sunrise half of the week, lounging at the beach until the sun set behind the dunes the other half. We swam and played water games and ate tons of good food. We sang and walked and laughed. Most importantly we relaxed—and it felt so good. I wouldn’t trade this week for anything and wish so badly we could go back and do it all over again.

: my girls

: sissy

My only other travel this month was to Cannadaguia Lake in New York for my sweet cousin Katie’s wedding. She married her high school sweetheart and it was the most magical evening. Their venue was stunning as was she and the reception was a ball. We danced all night long, catching up with family we hadn’t seen since pre-covid days. It was the perfect weekend getaway.

: my babies

: roomie girls

We were home for less than a week before the moving madness began. Madison left for Marshall on a Tuesday and me on Thursday. I have to say, it was really bittersweet driving to Kent one last time. I cannot believe this is my last year in this cute little town. If you missed my school/life update you can catch up here. I’m living with three of my best friends in a cute little apartment off-campus. Sorority recruitment prep began and I’ve spent almost every day since surrounded by my big + littles. School started days later along with the madness. I’ve been working, completing assignments, and soaking up time with friends every chance I can get.

I feel so surrounded by love and am reminded just how many people make this place feel like home. And yet at night when everyone’s settled and rested I find myself left with that small twinge of homesickness. For days where I had just one priority and all the alone time in the world, a homecooked dinner made for me. We’ll call them growing pains. How lucky I am to have them.

With love, McKenz