July 2022 Favorites + Happenings
Man, there’s just nothing like a summer in California. I think June and July of 2022 were some of the most defining months of my life. I’ve never felt more myself—chasing my dreams, working hard, and smiling oh so much. This month was like no other.
OUTFIT OF THE DAYS
One thing that I really loved about interning was that it gave my day some sort of structure. Working for myself, I find a lot of days result in me wearing my bedtime tee shirt until noon. Interning forced me to get up and dressed first thing each morning. I worked in a little shoe store just a block from the beach so I was able to wear just about anything I wanted. Some days I’d wear a mini dress, others I’d reach for cut-offs and a simple tank.
It felt so good to finally have a reason to wear all of my cute clothes! This month I loved bright colors, straw shoes, and basic tanks. Oh, and can’t forget my Louis Vuitton Neverfull. I bought this on my 21st birthday and carried it almost every day to work—I don’t photograph it often but I swear it’s always with me. It truly does fit everything!
I also got to wear my fair share of swimsuits, which if you know me, is the life I always dreamed of. There’s just nothing better than wearing a different bikini every day. I had favorites from SheIn, Cupshe, Aurelle, Kotomi Swim, and more. I just can’t get enough! Toss on jean shorts and a button-front top and I was good to go. I’ll miss this part of my daily routine so much in August.
BEAUTY
I’m hooked on the same beauty routine all summer. A whole lot of moisture and minimal makeup. I left my daily lineup in last month’s favorites post but I’ll drop it below in case you missed it!
Post shower (evening)
- Banana Boat Aloe– I sit out in the sun almost every day and while I’m not someone who burns, I do still put aloe on every single night after the shower to keep my skin hydrated. I put it in the fridge beforehand so it’s nice and cool upon application. I’ve done this for years and swear it’s the reason my tan lasts as long as it does.
- Banana Boat After Sun Lotion- After I apply the aloe, I slap on a layer of this lotion. It has aloe and Vitamin E in it so it helps keep my severely dehydrated skin in check! If you’re sunburnt this will also help.
- Cerave Healing Ointment- I’ve talked about this stuff one million times. I use it all year round; ironically, I find my skin is dry from the cold and just as dry from the sun. I cake on a thick layer of this 2-3 times a week to keep my face from peeling + clear up my skin.
- Babe Lash Serum– I’ve been using this for almost two full months now and can def see a bit of a difference. It hasn’t thickened my lashes much but they are definitely longer. Will continue to use the rest of this bottle!
In the morning
- Brazilian Bum Bun Cream- I have been dying to try this lotion for years now and finally got a sample of it to try— I’m obsessed. This is one of the only scented lotions I’ve ever tried that actually keeps my skin hydrated. Big fan.
- Blistex DCT- I wear Blistex year round but in the summer their deep conditioning treatment with SPF is like, the only thing I’ll use. This is nongreasy and unlike every other sunscreen chapstick, doesn’t taste like shit, lol.
- SPF- In general, I’ve been wearing more sunscreen than ever before. I have a bottle in practically every purse and smell of it at almost any given time. I love the sun but I also like to sit in it safely. To be honest, I just use whatever’s available. This month I used Neutrogena Hydro Boost, Sun Bum, BTan, and my personal favorite Bask. Whatever works!
ENTERTAINMENT
Being at the beach every day also means I’ve been reading almost every day. It’s by far my favorite form of entertainment while I’m there. This month I read Layla and Reminders of Him both by Colleen Hoover. Layla was so different from her normal books. It was very dark at the beginning and turned out to be more of a mystic/spirit type of read. Although weird, I thought it was very interesting.
Reminders of Him, I thought, was incredible. An amazing, heartfelt storyline with characters that you truly ached for. I thought this was one of Hoover’s best. Oh, and how could I forget, I also read Beach Read by Emily Henry. I really enjoy her books—light, easy, feel-good reads. They have a romantic element but they aren’t super gushy which I appreciate.
Music this month was Luke Combs on repeat. I swear me and my roomies listened to The Kind Of Love We Make more times than we’d care to admit. I will forever think of my Beverly Hills summer when I hear that song.
Sharing some of this month’s most played via my Spotify down below.
JULY REFLECTIONS
My YouTube growth has been extra slow these days but I’m reminding myself that these months always are—people are outside enjoying life, and there’s hardly time to watch. It doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop posting, but it did mean I reallocated that energy into something else. Instead of dwelling on slow YouTube growth, I channeled my energy into Tik Tok posting tons of different videos—GRWMs, Europe clothing hauls, and sorority recruitment outfits. I gained almost 8,000 followers this month thanks to several viral videos.
I also hit 40K on Instagram which was another big milestone for me. July also marked one month since I signed with my management team, Lola & Ivy. They have been incredible so far—I’m busier than ever, working with so many brands I’ve worn and loved for years. I couldn’t be happier with my decision to sign so far! Please know how grateful I am for your kind words and support following that decision!
AUGUST GOALS + MANIFESTATIONS
I always struggle with how to set goals for the month of August. There’s so much change that comes with the month that I never quite know what to expect. This year more than ever, as I begin my semester abroad in Florence, Italy. Hoping to just keep my momentum and find some type of routine.
I am more nervous about the future of Styled by than I ever have been before. How will my audience respond to me in Europe? Will people still be interested in my content? Will I even be able to make content? Will I be able to post three times a week still? There are so many uncertainties. And of course, so many outcomes—I’ve run the possibilities through my head a million different ways and I’ve settled on we’ll figure it out together when we get there.
MONTHLY TRAVELS
The first week of July my sweet college roommate Olivia came to visit me. It was so much fun getting to show her around my new home and to see California through her lens. We went to Rodeo, Hermosa, San Diego, and more. We swam drank, and laughed. It felt so good to be able to do all the things we love doing together in a new place. Her visit gave me a lot of hope for post-grad life.
At the end of the month, my new roommates and I road tripped to Vegas for a fun little weekend trip. I worked with my first Virgin hotel and it was amazing! We didn’t have a super rowdy trip—we took lots of photos, ate a lot of yummy food, and walked around a ton. We had a blast together but my gosh was it scorching hot!
LIFE LATELY
Oh, how crazy life has felt lately. July was busier than I ever could have imagined with constant visitors and weekend plans. I’ve never been happier. So many of you have noticed this through my summer content and so the question of the hour seems to be—will you move back to California after graduation?
Truthfully, I would love nothing more than to come back. I would love to wake up to sunshine and saltwater every single day. California brought me a sense of creative energy I truly never felt before. It also brought me roommates that felt like family. We had so much fun together. Simple, easy fun.
However, I’m still not 100% sure. So much can happen in six months so I suppose time will tell. But I will admit, I have started scoping out places for January. I wouldn’t go back to Beverly Hills, but the West coast is calling my name.
I finished up my summer internship working for my aunt’s shoe store in Hermosa Beach. If you’ve been keeping up with my platforms then you’d know that wasn’t the original plan. I was supposed to be working for Bleusalt but plans changed and school credits needed to be met so I ended up fulfilling my hours elsewhere.
It turns out that a little bit of redirection was life-changing. Tiff may have been my only family member in California but she was truly all I needed. She became my very best friend. It’s been so long since I had that relationship with an aunt, and my gosh did it feel good. She taught me the ins and outs of buying and I taught her the ins and outs of social media. We created viral reels and ate açai bowls for lunch.
It was a simple way of life—working till four, changing into my bikini in the backseat of my car, grabbing my book, and walking down to the beach to avoid rush hour, driving home as the sun slipped behind the skyline. Not one day passed where I didn’t feel so god damn lucky.
What was supposed to be an epic last week living in California, was simply not. I ended up needing emergency surgery to remove my appendix just days before moving out. Admittedly, I was not scared one bit, just majorly inconvenienced lol. After a couple of days in the hospital, they sent me home, and instead of resting, I packed up my apartment and said goodbye to the first roots I planted in California. And then I got on a plane and flew home.
Sometimes writing about my life feels like writing fiction. What a stark realization that my dreams are my reality. Pretty cool, huh?
All my love, McKenz
THIS MONTH ON STYLEDBYMCKENZ
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- The Best Selkie Dress Dupes
- Weekly Wrap Up #27 2022
- 10 Summer Business Casual Outfit Ideas
- 5 Shoes I’m Wearing This Summer + Back To School Season
- 16 Summer Date Outfit Ideas 2022
- Weekly Wrap Up #28 2022
- 8 Outfits To Wear On You Trip To Vegas
- Las Vegas Travel Guide Summer 2022
- Everything You Need For College
- Weekly Wrap Up #29 2022
- 10 Outfit Ideas For Open House Round of Sorority Recruitment
- 10 Outfit Ideas For Sisterhood Round of Sorority Recruitment
- 10 Outfit Ideas For Preference Round Of Sorority Recruitment
- Weekly Wrap Up #30 2022
Loved reading your post-summary. Sending you love as always.