moondust – Mackenzie Billington

Hello, hello & HAPPY HALLOWEEN! So over the past month (which may I add went by so, so quickly), I have received tons of positive feedback on my ‘September Favorites’ post! A lot of y’all really loved the casual chat style, so I decided to share my October favorites from this past month now that October is coming to an end. October was definitely a great month for me. I got to spend a lot of time with my family and friends & met some new friends along the way.

Without farther ado, here are my October faves:

S T A R R Y E Y E D

[star wrap choker]

My mom bought me this amazing star-embellished choker this past month, and I love it (and wore it in my last ootd blog post). What I love about it is that it’s very unique, but because it is neutral, it goes with everything & is very flattering. I think it’s a great pick for somebody that is looking to get into chokers, but doesn’t want anything too basic or anything too harsh/dramatic. I know I will be wearing this one all season!

C A C T U S B L O S S O M

[bath & body works cactus blossom candle]

When I went home to Dallas last weekend, my mom had this Bath & Body Works candle burning in my room & I immediately fell in love. It isn’t a fall scent by any means, but it has such an incredible scent with notes of cactus flower petal, coconut, vanilla, and lemon. It’s the perfect combination of cozy, bright, and clean that I personally think works year round. After my plane landed in Memphis last Monday, I went straight to the Bath & Body Works store and purchased this candle to have in my room in Oxford. I had several friends come over last week, and every single one mentioned how amazing my room smelled-all thanks to this amazing candle! Next time you go into Bath & Body Works, definitely check this one out.

O V E R T H E M O O N

[Urban Decay ‘Moondust’ shadows]

If you have been following me for a while (or follow me on snapchat @ mackenzieken), you know the Urban Decay Moondust shadows are my favorite things on the face of the planet, and I have been collecting them for a while. My current faves (from left to right on dry hand swatch) are ‘moonspoon’, ‘space cowboy’, and ‘zodiac’. I have especially been wearing the heck out of my moondust shadows this month. I picked up ‘moonspoon’ last week, and I have been obsessed with it. It’s a gorgeous grey with silver sparkles that I think looks amazing all over the lid. I would definitely recommend applying them wet over a base (the NYX jumbo pencils & the liquid Maybelline color tattoos are my favorite products to use under these shadows). I personally love these moondust shadows for night time, concerts, and special events. If you are torn and want to get just one color- you can’t go wrong with Solstice or Zodiac. Both are SO unique, but still wearable. I definitely have the ‘moondust palette’ on my wishlist this holiday season!

L A C E M E U P

[lace up hoodie]

Over the past few months, I have actually been on the hunt for the ‘perfect hoodie’, but I am just so picky. When I stumbled upon this one on Revolve, I was excited to actually find the perfect hoodie, but I was beyond depressed to see that it was sold out (boo). Luckily, I found it on another site in burgundy, AND on sale. Score. I love the lace up detail, but I also love the fit of this hoodie. It has cool slits on the side and is longer in the back, making it perfect to throw on with leggings and converse. I definitely would love to get this hoodie in another color because I seriously love it!

B A C K T O T H E F U T U R E

[MILK holographic highlighter]

I looked at this holographic highlighter for weeks- reading tons of reviews and watching more YouTube videos than I can count. I eventually gave in and ordered it from Urban Outfitters, and boy, do I love this gem. I love highlighters a ton, and I am constantly buying new ones. This holographic highlighter from MILK is so unique and different from anything I have in my collection. It looks a little weird, but on the face, it has such an amazing effect. It is also great to layer with powder highlighters (specifically the Anastasia Beverly Hills ‘moon child’ highlighter palette). My roomies and sister have all tried out my MILK holographic highlighter, and it looked stunning on all them as well. Even though Halloween is today, I think this highlighter could work year round. I can’t wait to wear it for all of next month as well!

Honorable mentions:

song of the month: Lovesick (feat. Felix Snow) by Caroline Pennell

album of the month: Mothership by Dance Gavin Dance (see my photo with the lead clean singer here)

starbucks drink: strawberry acai refresher

photography/photo editing: tone curves on lightroom

book: ‘Pendulum: How Past Generations Shape Our Present and Predict Our Future’

tv show: mad men

I hope you enjoyed this little post. Have a great and safe Halloween! Let me know what you are being for Halloween & what your October faves were.

xoxo,

Mackenzie

Moondust Eyeshadow (in ‘Solstice’) | Better Than Sex Mascara | Revolution Lipstick (in ‘Rush‘)

Sephora is my happy place. It would be probably be impossible for me to leave that store without my hands covered in hundreds of swatches. When I was shopping with my sister this weekend, it was too hard to pass by Sephora without trying out a few new things (and picking up an old favorite).

I absolutely love Urban Decay, and their eyeshadows are probably my very favorite out of all the brands I have tried. Even though I am an avid collector of the Naked palettes, I have never once purchased any of their individual shadows (mostly because they are around $20 a piece!). However, after swatching all of the Moondust Eyeshadows in my local Sephora, I just couldn’t say resist picking one up for myself. They are so incredibly unique and gorgeous, making them worth the $21 price tag, in my opinion. I decided to go with Solstice, a gorgeous duo chrome. I love this shade because I’ve never seen anything just like it before. From one angle it looks like a berry, burgundy tone, and from the other angle it appears to be a bold turquoise/teal. This eyeshadow totally makes a statement, and I plan on wearing it packed into the center of my eyelid. In the pictures above, I just did one light swatch on the back of my hand. If you apply the eyeshadow with water or MAC Fix+, it creates a stunning, ‘wet-like’ effect that is incredibly pigmented. This eyeshadow can also be worn as an eyeliner, which I think would be super fun on the upper lash line. My sister decided to pick up one of these Moondust Eyeshadows as well, and she was torn between Zodiac and Ether. She decided to opt for Ether, which is another duo chrome shadow. We decided the light purple 3D glitter in Ether would make her green eyes really pop. We both plan on purchasing Zodiac next!

The name of this mascara may be a little ‘out there’, but this mascara totally rocks. One of my best friends raved about this mascara to me for months. I eventually gave in and tried it out for myself not too long ago. It was love at first swipe. Unfortunately I was not blessed with naturally thick and beautiful eyelashes, but this mascara really makes the world of difference for my lashes. It adds tons of volume, drama, and length without any clumpiness whatsoever. I love the formula because it isn’t too wet, but it isn’t too dry either. Mascaras that are too wet can end up in a clumpy mess and all over your eyelids. Mascaras that are too dry, on the other hand, can flake throughought the day, also leaving a huge mess. The Better Than Sex Mascara has such an awesome formula that honestly looks great for hours and hours. It is very rare for me to repurchase a product, especially a mascara, because I love trying out new things. However, this mascara is a product I will constantly repurchase.

Over the past year or so, I have become something of a lipstick addict. Lipsticks can totally change up your entire look and are fun to add to your makeup collection. I’ve been on the hunt for a perfect everyday, neutral lipstick- something not too nude, but not too bright. After swatching probably thirty lipstick shades on the back of my hand, I decided to go for the Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in ‘Rush’. ‘Rush’ is pretty much a ‘your lips, but better’ kind of shade. It has a pinkish-mauivish tone that pairs perfectly for day or night. I think it’s especially great for winter because it has a very cool undertone which goes great with any cool toned eye look. I absolutely love the formula of this lipstick. It is very pigmented, but also very comfortable to wear. It goes on smoothly and lasts on the lips for several hours. I also find it to be very moisturizing, which is always a huge factor for me with finding the perfect lipstick. The Revolution Lipsticks also have a nice sheen to them, making them very flattering on the lips. They also don’t have any scent whatsoever, which is something a lot of people prefer. I also love the price of these luxurious lipsticks. They are not drugstore price by any means, but they are a lot more affordable than a lot of other lipsticks at Sephora (Dior & YSL, I’m looking at you). I would definitely purchase another one of the Revolution Lipsticks in the future. There is such a great shade selection, and the formula is just awesome.

Let me know if have been trying out/loving any new products lately! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend & a great Thanksgiving.

P.S. – who else is excited for Cyber Monday in just a few hours?!

Mackenzie Billington

Tag: moondust

October Favorites

Mini Sephora Haul