I have to start off by saying that 2014 was probably the best year I had in a while. It was definitely the most life changing year by far; so many wonderful things happened to me, so many incredible moments that I will cherish forever.

It's safe to say that 2014 has completely altered me forever, for the good. On December 31st, of every single year, I would look back on the past and hope for a better one in the future. When 2013 ended, I was content with how it went but there was something inside me that said 2014 is my year.

I could proudly say it was. 

Everything I have ever wanted happened in 2014. As good as it was, it was a big reflection year and I know 2015 is going to be just as challenging, in the best way possible.

Between traveling out of the country for the first time, becoming sorority woman of the year, graduating college, getting my first job...I can't even begin to explain all the life changing things that happened this year and all the lessons I learned. Some things I knew already and were just reaffirmed this year and others I was learning for the first time.

1. Always say 'I love you': Back in February, my dad had a massive heart attack and the doctors said there was no way he'd make it. It was the worst two days of my life and I've never felt pain like that. I've never been so scared. He made it through and it really opened my eyes that life is very short and you should always say how you feel, don't hold back, and make sure the people you love know it. Also, never be afraid to say 'I love you'. The best things come from those words and hearing them never fails to make you good.

2. Work for what you want: Ever since I was a sophomore and I became a sister of Phi Sigma Sigma, I wanted to be sorority woman of the year. It's a special honor given to one Greek woman every year and I wanted it. I wanted to make a change to Greek life at Iona and to my sorority and this was the year I did. I never did the things I did for recognition, I did it because I cared. Getting this award proved that hard work does pay off and if you just do things you love, people will take notice.

3. Open yourself up, be yourself: There are always going to be people who love you for who you are. Whether it's in a romantic way or just in friendship, be yourself. There's no need to put up walls or pretend to be someone you're not. If people really care about you, your true self will be enough. I was lucky enough, this year, to see that firsthand. Also, if you love people for who they are and never try to change them, everyone wins. 

4. The unknown is scary: Graduating college is the scariest, most exciting thing that will ever happen to me. As you know, I'm a Type A planner and organizer. There has never been a moment of my life that has not had a plan a, b, and c. That all changed on May 17th, 2014. The day I walked across the stage at Madison Square Garden and became an Iona alumnae. I didn't know what was coming next and to be honest, I still don't know what's coming. Becoming comfortable with the unknown future is the biggest lesson I learned, but it's also something that I'm still struggling with. I don't like not knowing what's going to happen but it's life and we have to deal.

5. It's never too late: By the time you're a senior in college, you have your set group of friends. Whether you go to a huge university or a small liberal arts college (like myself), you may feel like there's no need to expand your horizons. I learned the complete opposite this year. I cannot begin to explain how many new friendships I formed this year that have effected me more than words. From my best guy friends in my favorite fraternity, to the boy who I have admired since freshmen year, to my senior year roommates and my new sorority sisters...2014 was the year that I realized it's never too late to form a friendship or a relationship with someone new. There will always be someone new who can teach you something about yourself...or about life.

2014 was incredible. I met new people, formed new friendships, found out a lot about the type of person I am and want to be, and realized that the future is a scary place but if you have people who love and support you, you'll be okay.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2015 treats you just as well as 2014 treated me :)

I already told you all about why I dislike New Years and I honestly don't even know what I'm doing tonight—probably just going out to dinner with my mom. Even though my plans are less than eventful and I won't be wearing a sparkly dress and heels, I still want to be somewhat festive.

I really have been loving sparkles lately...eyeshadow, eyeliner, and nail polish. I have no shame in wearing sparkles all year round, if the occasion is right, but the holidays really bring it out in me. I have a few sparkly nail polishes on hand but some of them were dried out and gross. I recently picked up another top coat that has lots of blue and silver sparkles and I've been wanting to use it.

Essie's "On a Silver Platter" caught my eye at the drug store, even though there were tons of other topcoats and glitter polishes that were just as beautiful.

I haven't bought a new nail polish in quite some time and I just couldn't resist the blue and silver sparkles. 

I also been wanting to paint my nails with the metallic Essie shades I have but was unsure if the glitter would look nice on top of a metallic color. I tried it as an accent nail first and then loved the way it looked so I figured it was a great NYE nail!

Is that title too pessimistic? It might be but it's the total truth. While everyone else is running around making plans for New Years Eve, getting their hair done, and planning out sparkly outfits, I'm being a complete scrooge and don't even have any set plans yet. 

I've always hated New Years Eve...like despised the holiday. When I was younger, I'd go to huge parties with my family and it was ok, I didn't even realize it was New Years Eve. As I got older, the pressure was on...find a nice dress, go to a party, have fun. You MUST have fun! 

That's the #1 reason I hate New Years Eve...it's overrated. I love the idea of starting fresh and leaving the year behind you but why do I have to put on uncomfortable heels and get drunk with people I don't know or people I don't like to honor it?

I'd much rather sit at home in pajamas, eat frozen appetizers that I heated up in the oven, and watch Ryan Seacrest on Dick Clark's Rockin Eve...but that's unacceptable. 

I'm a huge homebody, if you haven't already found that out and the thought of going out on a night that is basically telling me I have to have a good time no matter what, makes me not want to have a good time.

I don't need some crazy party to signify the end of the year and ring in the new one. I hate feeling pressured to have fun and hate holidays like that...4th of July, Memorial Day Weekend, Labor Day Weekend...like dude, just leave me alone. 

Last year me and a few friends from my hometown had a party and it was honestly the best New Years Eve I had in a while. We dressed nice, ate food, drank, sat around, watched TV and spent time together. It was the perfect little get together. 

With that said, who knows where I'll be tomorrow night...I'm ready for 2015 and all the goodness it will hopefully bring me. I don't need strangers, sparkles, and champagne to make it happen.

This is my first ever fashion post, with real life pictures of me in outfits I styled...guys, this is a huge deal. I've definitely held back with "fashion blogging" because I kind of just wear what I have and what I'm comfortable in...and I'm kind of shy when it comes to taking photos and posting them here.

The holidays, especially holiday parties, are a time to glam up, put on your best outfits and feel good. Holiday outfits, in my opinion, should be comfortable (comfort is always my #1 go to) but look stylish and glamorous.

Dresses, sparkles, heels...it's all great for the holidays. Whether it's your holiday office party or Christmas Eve dinner at grandmas, you should always dress confidently and sparkly.

I don't wear a ton of dresses in the winter, mostly because I haven't found that perfect one, and I'm generally just more comfortable in pants. I would love to style a dress for the holidays but I went with an outfit that is tried and true for me, and added my favorite pair of lace heels for added glamour.

This is a go-to look for me, holidays or not. It's very sophisticated, but can still be considered casual. You can dress it down with flats or boots or wear regular blue jeans instead of black. I've worn this shirt so much over the past few years but I feel so nice in it. Between the sheer material, the peter pan collar, and the sequins, it's by far my go-to dressy top.

I obviously don't wear a necklace with this look because you have built in sparkle with the collar but wearing black and gold jewelry is nice for some added glow. 

Also, with makeup, I love keeping my eyes and face makeup simple but then going bold with the red lip. Red lips are perfect for the holidays, definitely my favorite go-to lip color around this time.

 

Don't judge me too hard...this was my first attempt at being a "fashion blogger". It felt very odd to dress up to take photos but it was kind of cool as well.

This is a collaboration post with Allie from Miss.Glambition. Head over to her blog to check out her gorgeous holiday outfit!

Shop my outfit and other holiday party picks below!

Influenster is really such a great resource and website. It's a resource in the sense that you can log on and look up reviews of pretty much every single product in the universe. The other side of Influenster is that you have the chance to win free stuff!

VoxBoxes are Influenster's speciality which are curated boxes of items, anything from food to beauty. I've received VoxBoxes in the past but I was really excited to qualify for another one. It's been a little while since I received a curated box—back in June I was eligible for a Victoria Secrets Sport VoxBox which was awesome but I always appreciate fun products!

The Frosty VoxBox is perfect for the holidays and all the winter fun you'll have. Between beauty, hair, and food, you can't ask for anything better.

I was really excited to receive it and waited patiently for the mailman to drop this off at my front door. I got it a few weeks back but wanted to try some products before posting my review.

The box felt and looked kind of light, compared to my first VoxBox but it wasn't much of a disappointment. I was still really happy to have all these products to try out. 

Here's what was inside my Frosty VoxBox:

//Boots No7 Protect and Perfect Serum: This was a foil packet and I haven't used it yet but it's for your hair so I'll be trying it soon!

//Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover: This was a really generous size product that I wasn't expecting at all. I never use makeup remover, only wipes, but this is really great. I would've never bought this if I saw it in the store but I'm glad I have it. It really gets rid of all your eye makeup and makes for smoother skin.

//Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner: At first glance this is a regular black eyeliner but my goodness, it's incredible. I've never tried Rimmel eyeliners but I've heard great things. This is hands down the creamiest, smoothest, blackest eyeliner I have ever tried. It's a regular pencil eyeliner but so pigmented, you would think it's a liquid. I'm obsessed and have been wearing nothing else.

//NYC Expert Last Lip Color in Sugarplum: I tried one of these from my last VoxBoxes in the spring and I was obsessed. This shade though, oh my goodness, I'm obsessed. It's the color I've been wearing nonstop all season and I'm glad to have another great option. It's super creamy, moisturizing and pigmented. It's not super pigmented like a true lipstick which makes for easy application and wear. 

//Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Decaf Green Tea: I'm obsessed with tea and I always want to try new flavors but I'm always skeptical...also tea is really expensive. I was so glad to have a small sample of a holiday tea. It's delicious and not too strong; also I love that it's decaf since I could have it late at night while watching Christmas movies.

//Fruit Vines Bites: These taste like Twizzlers but even better. They were gone within an hour, inhaled by me and my mom. They were so fruity and chewy, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

//McCormick Gourmet Thyme: This was a huge bottle, obviously full size, and a little odd. I mean, I know it's the holidays so people are using smokey spices such as this one and it can be used a variety of different ways but I won't use this. My mom will so it's a nice addition.

//EcoTools Hair Brush: I didn't even know EcoTools made hair brushes but this was a great addition to the box. I never use round brushes and the ones my mom has are really old and worn out so it's nice to have a brand new one. I used this while blow drying my hair and it was easier than ever. It's a light brush and has spaces in-between the bristles so it makes air flow better, drying your hair faster. 

This box was truly filled with great holiday items. From the makeup and beauty products to help you style a holiday look to the fruit vines to make it sweet, the thyme to make it warm and the tea to top it all off with relaxation.

This was such a great surprise and another reason I truly love Influenster. Join Influenster to review products and a chance to win VoxBoxes in the future!

"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

God, this week sucked. Anxiety was on another level, one crisis after another, and I'm pretty sure I'm getting sick. The only thing getting me through is knowing Christmas is in a few days and the fact that I've watched 6 seasons of Californication in one week. (Seriously, Hank Moody is awesome)

I also have so many gifts to still buy this weekend, hence my post on last minute gift ideas, so the stores are calling my name.

I don't want to ramble so here are some things I loved this week:

Ariana Grande and Michael Buble and Christmas music=perfect.

These may be signs that you're in love. #awwww.

I'm way too neurotic to read about how neurotic I am.

Love is a drug, Ke$ha wasn't lying.

Almost boyfriends are...eh

One dimensional female character, SNL does it again.

Happy weekend before Christmas everyone :)

It's the week before Christmas and I still have a few gifts to get. This weekend it is on, though, I need to get it all done.

There's nothing like a last minute shopping trip right before Christmas. Usually these gifts are for your friends or people you forgot about (not in a bad way) or for a hostess of a holiday party you're attending.

Last minute gifts are kind of my favorite because they're nice but you don't have to put too much thought or spend a lot of money...almost like stocking stuffers. They're things that are probably in boutqiues in your neighborhood or can easily be found in a mall.

You may not have to spend a lot of time on picking out the perfect gift but they're still really nice. They don't have to be super personal, just items that pretty much anyone would like and appreciate.

Here are my ideas for last minute gifts:

Shop my ideas here:

Good lord, the weekend I had. Santacon forever does me dirty. I think next year I may have to skip out on it. We never have a good run and this year may have just done it for me.

It was fun for a bit, though. I mean, day drinking in the greatest city in the world, with your best friends and everyone is dressed as Santa? It's a recipe for fun and disaster.

For the occasion, I needed to make my nails more festive, of course. It's the week before Christmas and my nails need to be as festive as possible. 

In my December Birchbox(to be reviewed later this week), I received a Ruffian nail polish in Ruffian Red. I've seen this brand in other Birchboxes and have been waiting for my chance for one to pop up in mine.

I used this Ruffian Red with my trusty Sephora by OPI "It Looks like Rain, Dear" gold sparkle polish and created my classic, holiday nail look.

What are you wearing on your nails this Monday?

I apologize for last week not having a Links to Love post up...it was a bad week. I know I'm really vague about my personal life on the blog and I don't know whether that bothers anyone or not. I don't know whether or not you guys want to know about my problems or if I really want to put my real life problems out into the world this way.

Anyways...this week was a whole lot better and Christmas is in two weeks! I'm so excited! The energy in the air is so cheery and I think I like Christmas so much better this year because I'm not in school. I could enjoy December 1st-25th without suffering through all nighters and finals. 

I've been spending my nights sitting by the Christmas tree, watching Christmas movies and unwinding from the day. It really is so nice to not have to study for finals for the first time in years. 

Another thing about this week that was fabulous was that I got all my Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases...and continued to shop along with getting a new Influenster VoxBox and Birchbox in the mail. 

Tomorrow I'm going to Santacon (read my post on last minute costume ideas) and I'm so excited to see my friends, it's actually ridiculous. 

Enjoy the weekend and here is some light reading for the weekend!

This little boy dressed up as a UPS man for a day and I've never cried harder.

29 Lessons From Your 20s...this is incredible. Thank you Hallie!

I never thought to cook an egg into my oatmeal but this makes it sounds good.

Kate Middleton was in NYC this week and I didn't see her #boo but she wore J.Crew and it was wonderful.

This baby has no idea how twins are a thing and it's adorable.

I hate everyone.

Love like the movies doesn't exist. 

Marry the complicated girl, we're so much more fun.

Happy Friday and enjoy the second to last weekend till Christmas!

A few months back I told you all about how I was trying to save more money and I've been really great at it. I haven't gotten myself into a crazy amount of debt, been paying off my credit cards, and started paying my student loans. I've honestly been really proud of myself...

That is until the biggest shopping weekend of the year came upon me and I went a little nuts. I definitely could've done a lot more damage but my wallet definitely felt the hit. 

I decided to treat myself to a few products I've been wanting and items I knew I needed...but like I said, it's not as bad as you think.

As big of a shopaholic as I am, I don't really follow through on all my purchases. I can't tell you the number of times I filled my cart up with goodies, entered my credit card info, and then just cancelled out the entire window. Sometimes, my buyer's remorse gets the best of me before I even purchase something.

I'll stop rambling and share my purchases. Everything I bought was truly a steal, whether it was 30%, 40%, or 50% off, plus free shipping. I wasn't messing around!

Aside from my own frivolous purchases, I helped my mom pick out my Christmas presents. With all the deals going on, you couldn't pass them up. I picked out this C. Wonder Monogrammed Tote and two Baublebar necklaces. (1 2)

Sidenote: USE EBATES! I know you've all probably heard of the site but may have thought it was a scam. I kid you not, this site is a godsend. All you have to do is create an account and whenever you want to shop online, just go to Ebates first to see if you can earn cash back. Some sites will have more cash back than others but during Black Friday/Cyber Monday, some sites had DOUBLE the cash back.

Your cash back earnings are stored in your account and Ebates will send you a check in the mail. You actually are getting paid to shop. This is incredible.

This was my one treat to myself, along with some other frivolous purchases from Target and CVS that I may haul but for now, this is it. Back to saving money!

Shop all my purchases here!

What did you all get during the big shopping weekend? Please share in the comments!!

With the holidays come holiday bar crawls....

Or is that just me and all the people in NYC? A bar crawl to celebrate the most wonderful time of year seems weird but not to the thousands of Santas who every year, run through the streets of Manhattan, drunk and disorderly.

Santacon is a beloved tradition in New York (and they try to shut us down but they can't) and I know there are definitely other Santacon-like bar crawls across the country.

I blogged about my first Santacon experience last year and I'm tackling it again this up coming weekend with all my alumni friends.

I'm honestly really excited about it this year, mostly because I know what to expect, I'll be with all my best friends that I haven't seen in a while, and I'm in need of alcohol, desperately.

The one thing I struggle with in times like this is finding a fun outfit to wear. These types of events always sneak up on me and I never have time to prepare nor do I have the motivation to think of creative ideas.

As of right now, I'm wearing a Grinch sweater and a Santa hat. We'll see if my plans change...

If you're on the fence with your costume or are unsure if you're going to actually be attending, here are some last minute ideas.

Santacon 1 by royallypink featuring Revlon

//Ugly Christmas Sweater: I think I may be the only person who doesn't have an ugly Christmas sweater in their wardrobe but if you're stuck on a creative, Santacon idea, go simple. Grab that sweater, jeans, boots, and a Santa hat and you're good to go. No one will judge your decision.

Santacon2 by royallypink featuring leather handbags

//Character or movie: This sort of goes along with throwing on an ugly Christmas sweater but throwing in your favorite holiday movie into your costume is a really fun option. It's still really simple and easy to throw together but will still give you the holiday impact.

Santacon 3 by royallypink featuring a brown purse

//Reindeer: This is another really easy costume that you can make as outlandish as possible. I was a reindeer last year and we went as 'holiday' as possible. Grab yourself a pair of reindeer ears, a white shirt, brown leggings, brown boots, and a cut ton drawn on nose and you have yourself a Santacon outfit.

These outfits are also great ideas for fun, holiday parties that invite you to dress up. They're just fashionable and fun enough to be acceptable on all accounts.

What are your costume ideas for holiday parties and events?

This is a sponsored post but all opinions are my own.

I mentioned this in my November favorites but I've been addicted to candles lately. I got my family hooked on them too. There is hardly a moment in my house where a candle is NOT lit.

Big, small, Christmas scented, or regular scented... it doesn't matter.

I've been buying candles every time I go shopping...it's actually a problem. I just love how serene they make me feel and the ambiance they add to a room. Sitting on my couch, watching Christmas movies with the Christmas tree lit along with some candles is how I've spent the majority of my nights recently.

When I had the opportunity to receive candles for review, I jumped at the chance. I mean, hello? What better way to find new scents and brands?

Old Factory Candles scent(see what I did there) a pack of three candles that I got to chose from a variety of scents. I couldn't find any seasonal scents so I chose the "CoffeHouse" set which comes with "Coffee Bean", "Chai Tea", and "Hazelnut."

I ordered my candles with the special coupon code from Amazon (Old Factory Candles is sold exclusively at Amazon) and I received them in no less than 2 days. It was so fast, I couldn't even believe it.

For some reason, I didn't know what to expect from these candles. I've never seen this brand before and sometimes, I'm skeptical but I was kind of blown away and super excited when I opened the package.

Old Factory candles are made in the USA and all natural. They're made with natural soy wax, self trimming cotton candle wicks, and premium fragrance oils. On the website, it says that the candles burn for 20 hours—I haven't gotten that far yet but we'll see.

The jars are so tiny and adorable. I was shocked that they were so small but not disappointed.

For a small candle, the scent is really powerful, which is always a good thing. I hate candles that don't smell till after you blow them out.

I was skeptical about the coffee scents but my goodness, how have I never fallen in love with a coffee candle before? They smell exactly as the name says but it's not so fragrant that it's not overpowering.

The first one I burned was the Chai Tea and it smells like I've been letting my Chai Tea Latte sit out for a while...the smell is just enough that I get a whiff every so often.

I don't really have a bad thing to say about these candles. I want more, I want every set. I think they are so adorable, between the size, the packaging, the way the set comes in three related scents...I'm almost positive these are my new favorite candles.

The best part? Old Factory Candles is giving one lucky Royally Pink reader the chance to win their own set, in the scent of their choice.

Enter in the Rafflecopter below!

*You must live in the US to be eligible for this giveaway. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I tackled the girl who has everything but now we're going to talk about a special type of lady...the one who really doesn't care for material things or doesn't have a particular taste. She doesn't wear much makeup (or has her tried and true favorites), doesn't wear much jewelry and just likes what she likes.

I have a person or two like this in my life which makes their birthdays and Christmas a little more difficult. I break out the big guns and need to get creative when it comes to picking out gifts.

My #1 go to for a person like this is an Alex and Ani bracelet. There are so many different types and can represent anyone's taste...they're personal without being overly personable. I love them!

The key for me when picking out a gift like this is to think of something practical that the person can actually use but also has that "gift" feel, so something fun that the person may not think to get for themselves. 

Here are my other picks for the girl who likes nothing:

Pandora Charm//Pinch Provisions//Makeup Bag//Tech EarMuffs//Fun, Christmas Socks//Phone Case

Check out my other gift guides:

Girl Who Has Everything

For Mom

For Him

Beauty Lover

What are your gift picks?

Your mom is probably the most important person to buy the right gift for. She does so much all year round and never expects anything in return. She's the superhero, the knight in shining armor, and she deserves something beautiful, sparkly, and something that will light up her Christmas morning.

I never have a problem buying for my mom because she usually tells me exactly what she wants but sometimes I do like to surprise her with a little extra something.

Whether you know exactly what to get or are completely clueless because your mom is one of those "Oh I don't want you spending money/I don't need anything" types, here are some great gift ideas for the most amazing woman in your life!