I have never been so happy to see Friday. I can't even begin to tell you how EXCITED I am that it's the weekend. 

Do I have exciting plans? No. Am I going out for Halloween? No. 

My plans are to not move from my couch starting right now till Sunday night. After the exciting, fun October I had, I am in desperate need of a resting period. 

November is going to be quite exciting (MY BIRTHDAY #22) and I need a transition weekend.

This week went so slow and I don't think it was just me who felt like that. It was Wednesday and I was watching the clock constantly, praying for Thursday night. It was actually painful.

Anyways, mix exhaustion and a slow week and you have an unhappy Bri. I am going to do be doing some retail therapy today so that will definitely make me brighter :) I will 100% do a haul post because that's what bloggers do.

This is the first Halloween in 4 years (#sadcollegegrad) I'm not getting drunk or dressing up and I could actually care less. 



Enough blabbering, here is what I'm loving this week:






What are your Halloween plans? What are you dressing up as? Tell me in the comments :) Happy Friday and Happy Halloween!


Tomorrow is Halloween. It feels like October went really fast but when I think about it, it really hasn't October was such a fun month for me, so much better than September. I was happier this month, things went my way, and I just had the best time.

It's always great when I have days, weeks, and months like that. It makes life so much sweeter.

I'm sad to see October go but November is definitely my second favorite month, since it's my birthday month! Just as good things happen in October, great things happen in November as well.

I don't have too many exciting things planned this month but I'm sure it won't disappoint. 

I'm getting the hang of taking note of my monthly favorites and what I've been reaching for and loving through the weeks.

I think this will be better than September favorites but lets see, shall we?


NYX Concealer: This was in my Ulta Haul earlier in the month and I have to say, I haven't used another concealer since. It's easy to apply, covers my dark circles, and is just light enough to add a little highlight to my under eye area. I don't know if I'll ever buy another drugstore concealer again. I have been debating though, to purchase my Erase Paste again or try Benefit's Boing concealer. Any suggestions?

100% Pure French Lavender Hand Buttercream: I ordered this last year with the last of my Birchbox points and I've been loving it lately. With the cooler weather hitting NYC, my hands have been super dry. A little bit of this thick buttercream for your hands goes a long way and it doesn't leave my hands feeling greasy. It also smells heavenly.

Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle: I received this in my October Birchbox and haven't stopped using it. It's a leave in conditioner that also detangles and it's my go to hair product of the month. My hair is back to it's natural state after a nice run with the Keratin conditioning treatment so I need all the help I could get. I spray this in my hair after a shower, let it sit for a few minutes and then brush it out. My hair is smooth, shiny, and easy to tame. I will 100% be purchasing a full size of this baby.

Soy Body Whip: This is the definition of an oldie but goodie but I just found it again and I'm loving it. Like with the Pure French Buttercream, it keeps my hands soft and smooth without feeling greasy. I didn't realize it until I was examining the packaging that this is "body" whip (uh, duh Briana) but I've solely been using it on my hands. When I run out, I may purchase a full size to use as body lotion because my skin is going to dry up with the cold weather.

Whitney English Day Designer: I know I raved about this during the summer, when I received it at the Smart Girls Group Conference but once I started working, it just was a hassle to use two planners. I liked having one planner for everything and that was my Lilly Pulitzer agenda. Well, this month, I started getting more serious about blogging and have been using the Day Designer as a scheduler for the days I'm working or blogging from home. I schedule out my days and it has been really helpful. I'm in love with it again!

Also, my favorite days from October were definitely my Little's 21st birthday, Homecoming 2014 and my first football game!






What are your October favorites? Tell me in the comments :)


When I went to my college's homecoming two weeks ago, some of my sorority sisters were kind of enough to let me stay with them.

In return, I brought them alcohol and muffins--what more could a college student want?

I had bought a box of Pillsbury Pumpkin Quick Bread a few weeks ago and it was burning a hole in my pantry. I was waiting for the perfect time to whip up some pumpkin muffins and I thought this was a good idea.

I've always loved Pumpkin Spice Lattes but pumpkin flavored food freaked me out..until last year when my roommate made pumpkin bread from scratch. I had never tasted anything so delicious so I was officially converted.

I knew creating pumpkin bread from scratch wasn't in the cards for me so this Quick Bread box was the next best thing.

I have to say, they were delicious muffins and super easy to make. Muffins are by far one of my favorite breakfast pastries, I don't know why, I just love them.

Anyways, I totally forgot to save the instructions but hey, they're on the box if you decide to make them. Because I could never do anything without chocolate, I added some chocolate chips to a few of the muffins and the added sweetness made the muffins so much better.






Yes, I burned them a little bit but they were still delicious. 

There are so many other Pillsbury fall desserts I want to try--if only my supermarket has them! 

Here are some other recipes that I think would be perfect for a fall day. 





See all my favorite recipes on my Nom Nom Nom Pinterest board :)


I'm going through an intense skincare obsession. I have been obsessed with trying new products and trying to get my face back to it's normal self. Seriously, maybe it IS because I've been trying new products but I mean, I don't have sensitive skin but who knows.

I really enjoy skincare products because unlike make-up (which I still love), these products are actually doing something for your skin. These products are repairing your skin and making it healthier. I love it!

A few weeks ago, in our Birchbloggers Facebook group, I saw a deal to receive three samples of this new product that was featured in the Birchbox shop and people had received in their boxes. With three samples and only paying $6.00 shipping, I immediately ordered.

That skincare product is the "Real Chemistry Luminous 3 Minute Peel" and it's one of the coolest products I've used.


I love weird products that do something different to your skin and this "peel" definitely falls into that category.

It's not so much a "peel" as you would think; I initially thought it was a mask that you peel off your face but that is certainly not the case. 

You squeeze a very small, dime size amount of product in your hand and apply it to a clean face. You leave it on for 20-30 seconds and then gently start to massage your face. At this point, small solid balls will begin to form under your fingertips and this is your dead skin combining with the gel.

HOW COOL IS THAT.


Seriously, I'm obsessed with the fact that you can feel and see the dead skin cells being removed from your face. That truly proves that the product is working.

My skin also looked a little brighter and was smooth and soft after washing it off. There was a difference in my skin from before and after and it was apparent. 

The great thing is you can order a trial size (the sizes I received) for 5.75 plus shipping. It says to do the treatment once a week and with the small amount you're supposed to use, one trial size will most likely give you multiple uses. 

I'm really excited to keep using it and after the first time, I kept looking forward to using it again. Like I said, I'm addicted to skincare. 

What is your latest skincare discovery? Give me recommendations please :)


When I was younger, Halloween was my favorite holiday. I loved dressing up, going to parties, and watching Halloween movies all month long. 

I used to really get into the spirit but as I got older, I kind of lost it, mostly because Halloween became a day to dress up like a slut and get drunk beyond words but nonetheless, I still enjoy the holiday.

When I received my October PopSugar Must Have box I was hoping for some Halloween goodies and I was right.

When I saw the Nailed Kit  Halloween nail decals I jumped for joy. They were the cheapest item in the box but I was so happy to get into the Halloween spirit.

I thought about which color polish to pair with the decals and I decided on my favorite fall color "Fall in Line". It was dark enough to coincide with the holiday but light enough to have the decal stand out.


I chose the least Halloween of the decals, mostly because I did this last week and wanted to do a test run first. 


They're super easy to apply; you just peel the back paper off, place on your nail and then hold a wet cotton ball to it for a few seconds. Apply one-two coats of clear nail polish to set the decal and viola, there you have it--decorated nails! 

The good thing about these decals are that you don't feel them on your nails. They just feel like regular nail polish, nothing tough or heavy about them. I've tried nail polish decals in the past and I hated how they felt and they were more difficult to apply than I thought but these are super fun.

I love jazzing up my nails, especially when it comes to holidays so I feel like I'll be purchasing some more decals for the holiday season from Nailed Kit. 

What's on your nails this Monday?


Happy Friday! I cannot believe it's already Friday. I feel like this week flew by, did anyone else? Maybe it's because I had the best weekend last week--the best one I've had in a while. 

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you might've seen that I returned to my alma mater for Homecoming weekend. Homecoming is a HUGE deal at Iona. We have no football team but that doesn't stop us. 

Little and Big :)

The whole dam fam #TSM

My sisters are the greatest, most beautiful ladies I know
We day drink, have fun with campus activities and root for our friends who are running for Homecoming Court. Usually, this is the first weekend that alumni come back and the Class of 2014 took over campus. It was glorious.

It was wonderful to be back in my element with all my sorority sisters, my favorite fraternity men, and all my former classmates. It was just what I needed...a weekend acting like a college student.

I think homecoming started off my week on a great note and aside from an anxiety attack or two, it was a pleasant week.

Next week is Halloween and I have zero plans. Anyone have any ideas? As of now I'm planning on being cuddled up on the couch with some candles, a book, and Hocus Pocus playing on repeat. That sounds lovely compared to my days of dressing up and drinking at a bar. 



Anyways, here is what I LOVED this week.








But really, who else is excited about Bethenny coming back to the RHONJ?! I LOVE HER!

Happy weekend everyone! What was the highlight of your week?


Yup..you heard right. Birchbox is back in my life and I couldn't be happier about it. My poor college student bank account couldn't afford the tiny $10 a month price tag but now, I see this as a special treat to myself once a month.

I've been trying to curb my spending and a lot of the time, most of my money is spent on new beauty products that I want to try. I'm justifying this subscription because I feel that if I know my Birchbox is coming, I won't go out and buy new things. 

That's my reason and I'm sticking to it. We'll see how it works out!

Also, Birchbox has so many perks and the best customer service out there, I had to come back. Being part of the Birchbloggers network showed me how much I needed to get back to Birchbox. Nothing else really compares.

Between the Aces program, picking your monthly sample(missed out on that this month), Birchbox points and the book club, you cannot go wrong. I'm obsessed with all things Birchbox and I don't care who knows it!

I received my October box about two weeks ago but wanted to take the time to use the products a bit and see how I felt. Also, I had my editorial calendar planned out and didn't want to disrupt the flow of things. 

I was following the October sneak peeks and saw that one of the items you could receive in your box was a BeautyBlender and a BeautyBlender solid(a cleanser for your spongy friend). Even though I have a BB already, I would've gladly welcomed a second one and the solid cleanser but no such luck.

Despite that disappointment, I was thrilled with my box. Simple but I have/will use everything I received. 



Lets dive in!

Beauty Protector: Protect and Detangle: I've seen this all over the Birchbox world for the past year or so and I've secretly wished I would get this. Waiting paid off and I received it this month and I'm so happy.  This is a detangle leave in conditioner. I always leave my conditioner in after a shower and am searching for a nice "leave in conditioner". This is a good choice because it also detangles my hair and it works like a dream. I would 100% purchase this in the future because it does exactly what it says it would: silky strands, great smell, and really detangles my hair. 

Sample size: 5/5
Full size: $21.95


Coastal Scents Revealed 2  in Ballerina: I was hoping I would get this so I was thrilled when I did receive it. I love the way CS does their samples, they're easy to use and a really nice size. It's an eyeshadow sample that you will actually use and there's enough product to know if you enjoy it. Well, I really really love these eyeshadows. They're super pigmented and perfect for the fall season. I love burgundy shadows and this quad has a great one. You can get an entire look just from these four shadows so it is a really great sample. I will be putting the Revealed 2 palette on my wish list because these shadows are great. 

Sample size: 4/5
Full size: $34


LuMesh Hydrating LipGloss: I'm not a huge lip gloss lover and this sample is super tiny so I wasn't thrilled by this. The smell isn't that great but the color payoff is nice and it's not super sticky. It has a tingly sensation that you find in plumping lipglosses which I like. It's also a really nice mauve-pink color, perfect for fall. I'll definitely find some use for this little guy!

Sample size: 1/5
Full size: $24

Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser: We all know how much I love to exfoliate my skin so I was happy with this as well! The smell is heavenly: pure lemon. It smells like lemon pledge but I love that so it doesn't matter. You need the teeniest, tiniest bit to wash your face because it foams up pretty drastically. I made the mistake of putting close to a quarter size amount in my hands and it was a foamy mess (in a good way but still, you don't need a lot of product). This is is a really incredible product, my skin was so smooth and soft after I used it. I'm kind of obsessed.

Sample size: 2/5
Full price: $32.95

Tocca Crema de Mano, Bianca: This is another product I've seen in a lot of other Birchbox's and was happy to receive it. I love a good hand cream (my favorite is this one) but this Tocca cream is a lot lighter but smells heavenly. It's green tea and lemon scented with coconut oil, Shea butter, and aloe. It's really moisturizing and soothing but not heavy or slick, which allows me to use it throughout the day and not feel greasy. 

Sample Size: 4/5
Full price: $10

I was really happy with this box. I would've loved the Beauty Blender but between the eyeshadow and the hand cream, I'm really, really happy.


Birchbox continues to amaze me and they just get better and better! Click here to subscribe :)

Do you subscribe to Birchbox? Which subscription boxes do you receive? Tell me in the comments!


I received an email last week about the skincare company, Skin Inc and their exclusive offer in two NYC Sephora stores this coming weekend.

Being a beauty junkie and a resident NYC Sephora lover, I thought this would be a nice little tidbit to share with all of you.

Skin Inc is a skincare brand based out of Japan and is the first brand to use customized ingredients to meet your unique skincare needs. 


They will be hosting an exclusive facial event at two Sephora stores this upcoming weekend.

Friday October 24th: Sephora, 130 W 34th St between 7th Ave and Broadway
Saturday October 25th: Sephora, 5 Times Square (200 W 42nd St) 

Both events will take place between 12pm and 6pm. If you attend, you'll be treated to a customized facial with Skin Inc products and find your perfect, ideal matches.

I'm really excited for this and if I find the time, I may pop in. I am going to be looking into some Skin Inc products because we all know how obsessed I've become with skincare.

Let me know if you're planning on going and IF you go! I'd love to hear about your experience :) Either comment below or shoot me an email at lucabriana@gmail.com


I love jumping on bandwagons. Seriously, I'm so basic when it comes to stuff like that. I live for popular culture so when there is a huge movie series, book series, or a new boy band on the block, it immediately becomes the object of my affection. 

Twilight, the Hunger Games, 50 Shades of Grey, Jonas Brothers, One Direction.. you name it, I've loved it.

That's why, it was no different when I heard everyone and their mother talking about "Gone Girl". I had seen the book around bookstores before the movie was announced and considered picking it up but wasn't sure if I would be able to handle the storyline. 

When the movie was announced, I knew I was going to have to read eventually. I put it off till this summer when I was looking for a new book to read and took the plunge and bought "Gone Girl" on my iPad. 

I didn't actually read it though because I got distracted. However as the movie release came closer and more of my friends were reading it, I knew it needed to be done.

After finishing "Big Little Lies", I wanted something just as suspenseful and thrilling so I decided, why not! I started the book on September 30th, the week of the premiere and finished on October 2nd. That's really fast reading and it's kind of ridiculous.



I've always been known as a fast reader, especially when something is pulling me in and my oh my, did "Gone Girl" pull me in.

Let me start off by saying that yes, "Gone Girl" IS as good as everyone is saying. It's enticing, thrilling, suspenseful, crazy, insane, confusing, and borderline scary. I scare very easily so don't take my word but yeah, I didn't sleep the night I finished the book.

The book is separated into parts, present day Nick and then "past day" Amy, writing in her diary. 

I won't give away any spoilers but basically, the book is about Nick and Amy's marriage and how things were rough between them and suddenly, Amy disappears on their 5th wedding anniversary. The whole thing seems really sketchy and Nick eventually becomes public enemy number one. 

It's very eery, reading Amy's diary and seeing how her and Nick's marriage fell apart. It makes you second guess everything happening in the book. I had really mixed feelings while reading the first half of the book and that feeling was proven right when the second half of the book happened.

I was shocked at the twist, (you'll know when the twist happens) and had to stop reading to get a grip. It was just bat shit crazy. I can't even explain my reaction.

Anyways, I don't want to give too much away but the ending was a cliffhanger. It was so much of a cliffhanger that I googled if there was a sequel being written. There isn't and Gillian Flynn wanted to leave the ending open on purpose.

As I said in my "Big Little Lies" review, I don't like suspense novels but after reading that and now "Gone Girl", I'm pretty hooked. 

"Gone Girl" was the perfect combination of romance, Law and Order SVU, humor, and thriller. I would honestly re-read this again (I NEVER re-read books) because it's that good. 

I can't even explain how incredible this book is written, how well it was planned out, and the story just flowed beautifully. I love a good twist in a novel and this was the twist of all twists.

I love "Gone Girl" so much, I'm going to read Gillian Flynn's other book "Sharp Objects" which I won in the October Birchbox Birchbloggers Book Club so look out for that review soon!

FYI: I haven't seen the movie yet so yeah, that needs to happen ASAP.

Have you read "Gone Girl"? What were your thoughts?



This blog may be called Royally Pink but there is nothing I love more than a good red. Whether it's a red dress, a red lipstick or a red nail, I'm obsessed. I may actually have to do a whole post on the color red haha.

Anyways, fall, to me, is the best time to rock whatever red you're feeling. As for me, red nails are always in and I finally found a great red nail polish. While looking through my fall nail collection a few weeks ago, I realized I didn't have a simple, straightforward red.



In comes in "Dress to Kilt", the new red from Essie's 2014 Fall Collection. There's something about a brand new, fresh to the collection nail polish that I love. I usually only buy new colors (mostly because that's all my drugstores have) and there didn't seem to be a better time to buy this new red.

It's been burning a hole in my nail polish bag for a few weeks now. It was too early to paint my nails red at one point and then I fell in love with "Fall in Line" and thought this red could wait.

Well, last week I tried it out and my goodness, this is one of the best Essie nail polish I've ever used.


The formula is orgasmic (yes, orgasmic). It's very opaque but glides on incredibly smooth. Maybe it was because my nails has been bare for a few days so they were fresh and smooth but 'kilt went on like a dream.

The color in the bottle compared to on my nails is pretty much identical. It's always disappointing when the bottle color is completely off but that's not the case here.

"Dress to Kilt" is red. It's red but with undertones of burgundy and wine colors. It's rich, deep and truly perfect for fall. I will be wearing this color through and through; I don't know if I need any other color this season.


What's on your nails this Monday? Give me your suggestions in the comments :)



As you're reading this, I'm in my car, headed to my college campus for HOMECOMING WEEKEND. As an undergrad, homecoming was one of the greatest events of the year. Iona doesn't have a football team but there are still so many fun events on campus, a Rugby game, a basketball pre-game, and of course, day drinking.

It was the first time you saw a lot of the alumni that graduated the year before but alumni from years and years ago are traipsing throughout campus. It's glorious.

For the first time, I will be going back as an alumnae with all my underclassmen and graduated friends. It's the first time I'll be staying the night at school since I graduated and there is an odd bittersweet feeling about it. Nonetheless I'm super excited and this week felt like a huge pre-game to the event.

Anyway, with all of that, this week went by pretty fast and was quite nice. I love how great of a mood I've been in lately, less anxious, not as crazy--it's a nice change of pace.



Here are all the links I loved and adored:










Have a fantastic weekend everyone :)




POPSUGAR provided me with a complimentary POPSUGAR Must Have box. The opinions I have shared about the box are my own and POPSUGAR did not tell me what to say or how to say it.

Being part of the PopSugar Select Blogger Program is a lot of fun, for many reasons. One of the reasons is this bad boy right here...getting the chance to review Must Have Boxes.

This is a subscription service for $40 a month which may seem pricey but all the boxes exceed $100, and you get all full size products. 

Each month is clearly themed and you get a goodie bag delivered right to your door. It's so much fun and I've considered subscribing myself.

For now, I'll stick to occasionally getting a box to review!


There was a lot of hype over this month's box mostly because there were no spoilers or reviews to be found until this week. Seriously, no one knew what was coming and people on social media/the internet were freaking out. 

I walked into my house Saturday morning, after running a few errands, and saw the box sitting on the counter. I literally let out a squeal, I was so excited to see what was inside!


I immediately opened it and dug in.

I wouldn't say I'm disappointed with the box because I'm certainly not...there just wasn't one product that wowed me. For example, in the August box, subscribers received a piece of Kendra Scott jewelry--that is a wow factor.

This was however, the most perfect fall themed box. So.Much.Fall.Goodness!

Shall we start?


//Happy Socks: The most adorable pair of high socks ever! I love fun designed socks, especially for the winter. These have an adorable animal print design and are dark colored (my favorite) so I can't wait to use these. (Retail price$12)

//Nailed Kit Halloween Decals: I love holiday nails but Halloween nails are something I never got into. I will definitely be trying these out once I redo my nails. They're really cute and seem easy to use! Be on the look out for a manicure monday--Halloween edition! (Retail price $8)



//butterLONDON Wink Eye Pencil: This was my favorite item in the box, because hey, it's an eyeliner. I've always wanted to try out butterLONDON beauty products but can't justify the price tag so I'm really happy I got this. It's a dark, metallic grey color that is super creamy and smooth. It's also really long lasting because I ran my hand under water and scrubbed to get off the swatch and it did not budge. This will be a fall beauty staple, for sure. (Retail price $18)



//Isaac Jacobs International Acrylic Frame: This is a precious home item and I think it's super cute. I won't be keeping it for myself but rather keeping it in my living room for my mom to decide what picture to put in it. It is a nice addition to the box though. (Retail price $36)


//Mine Design Chalkboard Candle: I was really really excited for this when I saw it! I LOVE candles, they're my new thing, and my Autumn Harvest candle is almost gone. The candle is held in a chalkboard container and comes with chalk to write on. It's the most precious idea ever and super fun and creative. The scent I got was pomegranate and it smells really nice. YAY for candles! (Retail price $24)


//Dean & DeLuca Pumpkin Spice Malt Balls: I haven't tried these yet but they look scrumptious. I'm an avid pumpkin lover so yeah, I'll try anything pumpkin. Add some dark chocolate into the mix and you've got yourself the perfect fall snack. (Retail price $5.75) 


//K.Hall Designs Shoreline Shea Butter/Olive Oil Bar Soap: This was a Popsugar extra which is always a nice surprise. I'm not huge on bar soap because I don't like the residue it leaves behind but my mom does so I'm sure someone will get use out of this.

Overall, I was satisfied with this month's box. It was filled with lots of sweet and cute fall items and I'm already looking forward to the next box I get to review!


If you want to subscribe to PopSugar Must Have, there's currently a discount code for $10 off a 3-month subscription! The code is: OCT10SELECT and expires November 2nd. 

What's your favorite subscription box? Tell me in the comments!



COPYRIGHT © Royally Pink · THEME BY WATDESIGNEXPRESS