March was very long.

I know everyone always starts their favorite posts (myself included) saying that the month flew by but I think it went very slow. It feels like St. Patrick's Day was 100 years ago.

Honestly, I'm glad that the month went slow. I needed a breather, I needed some time. I hate feeling like time is flying by and I have nothing to show for it.

I can't believe it's April, and in another month I will have been out of school for a year. Now that my friends is a scary ass thought. It feels like just yesterday I was living in my off campus apartment, counting down the days till graduation and savoring every moment. I won't get too sappy because I'll save that for the one year post grad mark post. Just the thought of that sends shivers up my spine.

March was a good month. I don't know if anything truly significant happened but it feels like things are changing. It's a very odd feeling to feel like something is looming in the distance and not know what it is or when it's going to pop up. I'm sure I'll do a life update whenever that life altering moment occurs.

Anyways, I was a lot better about keeping track of my favorites this month. I need to create categories and pick my favorites according to them... let's see if I remember to do that next month!

Here we go...



//First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream: In another episode of "Briana's Dry Skin Woes"... It was getting really bad at the end of February and I couldn't take it anymore. Nothing was working and it was really starting to get on my nerves. My makeup looked weird, my skin was constantly tight and uncomfortable. I needed relief. After some research, I rushed out to Sephora and bought the travel size of the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. It's supposed to be for your body but it's safe for your face as well. Within a few days, it cleared up my dry skin and I've been totally okay since then. I apply it as my night cream since it's really thick and I wake up with super moisturized skin. First Aid Beauty is everything if you have sensitive skin.

ChapStick Dual Ended Hydration: Okay, on that same skincare note, my lips were also super dry and crusty (beautiful image) and nothing was working. I needed something moisturizing for the night so a night lip balm was what I was searching for. Fun fact: I haven't bought a ChapStick brand lip balm in probably 10 years. I'm always attracted to other brands at the drugstore but I remembered that ChapStick came out with a night lip balm. It's a dual ended lip balm with day and night on either end. Within two days of using this, my lips were back to their normal self. This proves that you should always stick with the originals!

Sephora iPhone App: This is really random but I downloaded the Sephora App in the middle of the month and I've been loving it. I don't usually like/download shopping apps because the website is easier but this is a gorgeous one. It's easy to navigate and access your account and you can find a lot more promo offers on the app than just on the website... and they're pretty great offers. Also, I bought a subscription to Sephora Flash Shipping that allows your free two day shipping, no matter the minimum amount. LIKE HELLO! THIS IS LIFE CHANGING. For $10 a year, it's totally worth it.

Dessange Haircare: I blogged about this earlier in the month as I received it free for review from Influenster. I was not expecting to love this as much as I did but I need to repurchase this immediately. My mom and sister adore it too and we have a lot of hair so we've gone through both bottles in record time. It leaves my hair smooth and shiny. I've never loved shampoo and conditioner so much.

Hangover RX Primer: I purchased this during the Too Faced Valentine's Day sale and it didn't come till a few weeks later. I've been lusting after this primer for months and I'm so happy I finally decided to buy them. It's a moisturizing primer and I can't really tell if it makes a difference in my makeup longevity but I love it anyway. It smells like coconuts and is a little tacky at first but it is a great hydrating primer (which I desperately needed). I also like how "gimicky" it is... how it's a hangover reliever for your skin. I just love it!

Yoga: I've been doing yoga like a feen this month. It's been my go-to work out a few times a week and I find that it really does center me. It calms me down and makes me feel refreshed and less anixious. I'm actually obsessed and will do it even if I am beyond exhausted. I can't miss a day, I'm that into it. We got a Smart TV for Christmas so I watch yoga videos on it in my living room, lay out my mat, and get to work! The video I've been living by is Tone It Up Love Your Body With Yoga. I've noticed a change in my body and how I'm able to do moves in the video that I wasn't able to do on the first day so it's pretty cool.

Honorable Mentions: My Acer Chromebook and Nerve Tonic Stress Relief, both which will reviewed on the blog next week!

Here's to a more sunny, beautiful, snow free April!

What were your favorites this month? Tell me in the comments below!

Oh another Manicure Monday so soon?

Yup, #sorrynotsorry.

With spring in full bloom (not really because it's currently Saturday and it snowed this morning in NYC), comes new spring nail polish colors.

When I was looking through my spring collection, I noticed A LOT of my polishes were getting old. It's probably because they're not stored upright (someone buy me the Color Clutch, PLEASE) and a lot of them are a few years old.

Because of this, I know that I need a lot of new colors... I also have a weakness for pastel nail colors. I love dark polish but I literally count down the days till spring so I could break out the purples, light blues, and pinks.

Anyways...

I've been wanting to get my hands on the Essie Spring 2015 Nail Polish Collection because it's in partnership with Rebecca Minkoff and it's also full of stunning, bright colors.



I finally bit the bullet and bought Petal Pushers, a grey, purple, blue toned nail polish. The color is so unique, I can't really describe what it truly is.



The formula is pretty great, it's very opaque, goes on really smoothly, and it didn't smudge during application. It's a standard Essie formula, which is always a plus.

I need to get my hands on the other shades, especially Blossom Dandy and Picked Perfect.

I just need all the nail polish! Give me all the pastel colors, please!

What are you wearing on your nails this Monday?

It's been a while since I finished a book. Sometimes I just get caught up in life and blogging and the Internet and forget that one of my favorite things to do is to read.

It's the perfect way for me to get lost in something else, in another world. It clears my mind and puts everything into perspective, no matter what book I've got in my hands.

Sometimes, I'll be reading a book and I get to a certain point where I sit for hours and feverishly finish it, without doing anything else.

That's what happened a few weeks ago. I had "Welcome to the Real World" by Lauren Berger (AKA the Intern Queen) sitting on my nightstand for months, my bookmark just moving a few pages every few weeks.

Finally, I was super bored one Saturday. Nothing on television, not in the mood for Netflix or Youtube, and Pinterest was boring me. I decided to pick up the book and I sped read it.

This is a bible.

I never put it past Lauren Berger to give the best career advice but this book knocked it out of the park.

It was perfect, the answer to all my questions. It was a reassuring pat on the back for all the worries I've ever had. It was your friend telling you "It'll be okay" but your friend is a very successful entrepreneur who has seen it all.

I enjoyed how this book was set up. It had 10 chapters, each with a different theme and it traveled through your first day on the job to what you should do each day. From the rules of the workplace to actually working to organizing yourself to making mistakes.


Lauren introduces the chapters with her own story of her own career journey, introduces a few lessons, and gives hypothetical situations to prove the lesson.

It's very similar style to her first book, "All Work, No Pay" which makes sense because this is almost the sequel to that in a way.

Lauren wrapped up each chapter with a quick list in bullet form of all the lessons from the chapter, making for quick reference if you need advice in a pinch.

Some lessons were more important than others, to me right now, and sometimes I was reading stuff that I already knew. Some lessons were things I don't need at this very moment but in the end, every piece of information is useful, whether you need it now or later.



It definitely lit a fire under my butt and inspired me to get moving, in all aspects of life. Berger is someone with such a drive and determination to be the best she can be and help others who may be struggling that it's impossible to not feel that through the pages.

This is definitely going to be a book I keep close by at all times just in case I need some inspiration or advice. I've bookmarked my favorite pages, for what I feel is most useful to me at this moment and I've already flipped to them a few times since finishing the book.

If you're a recent graduate, someone graduating from college soon, or even if you're making a career move in the near future, this is a book that will be of great help to you. In my opinion, there's no one better than Lauren Berger. They don't call her the Queen for nothing!

What's your favorite book at the moment? Tell me in the comments!

Another recipe Wednesday because I have an addiction to Pinterest recipes...especially breakfast ones.

I've seen a lot of variations of this particular recipe but the one I followed was easiest and virtually took no time.

I made this last Tuesday because I needed to kill some time and on Sunday because I was in the mood for a big breakfast.

Honestly, these are really similar to the breakfast cups I make (I use the same exact ingredients) but just in a different form.

This is the original recipe but I changed it up very slightly.



Ingredients:
1 can of crescent rolls
4 eggs
4 slices of bacon
Shredded cheddar cheese
Salt & pepper

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Lay out crescent rolls on aluminum foil covered cookie sheet; grease aluminum foil with cooking spray
3. Divide the crescent rolls into to separate pieces


4. Seal up the openings of the crescent rolls and roll up the sides about an inch in, creating little walls
5. Crack two eggs on each crescent roll; place bacon strips on top, sprinkle as much cheese as you'd like, and add salt and peppers to taste



6. Place in preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes or until crescent rolls are browned


And then enjoy!

It's not the healthiest breakfast but it's delicious and a special treat.

What's your favorite Pinterest breakfast recipe? 

This post is sponsored by InstaNatural and Brandbacker. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

A few months ago, I received some products from InstaNatural and have been testing them out since then. I have a lot of hair and skincare products so I'm always alternating between them, hence the reason this review is super late.

Also, because my skin was acting up, I had to stop using one of the serums I received, just to see if it was irritating my skin (it wasn't)

InstaNatural is an all organic skincare brand that has everything from mud masks to face serums to essential oils. I've been obsessed with skincare lately so I thought it'd be cool to try out some organic, natural products. I am always a little weary of trying brands I've never used but so far so good.

The products I received were an Argan Oil Hair Mask, Argan Oil, and a Vitamin C Serum.



I've heard so many incredible things about what Argan Oil does for your hair and skin so I knew I wanted to try it. I had a small sample bottle of Argan Oil from a Birchbox and I used it to nourish my cuticles so I was really excited to have a huge bottle to use for different things.

I've been using the Argan Oil from InstaNatural really only on my cuticles because I forget to use it for other things (#bloggerfail) and it does an incredible job. I will say that my mom has been using this religiously and has gone through half the bottle. She's obsessed and uses it for everything. She uses it to shave her legs and slathers it on as an in shower moisturizer. It really is an all in one product.

The Vitamin C Serum I have been using sparingly. This is supposed to brighten your skin, even out your skin tone, and fight the signs of aging. It's combined with other oils such as Argan, Rosehip, Sea Buckthorn, and many more. It's very light in texture and melts into your skin. I use this every so often (mostly because I'm afraid of adding anything else into my skincare routine) but I never notice an irritation. I do however, notice that my skin does look more even and bright after a few days of using this. A Vitamin C serum is a definite A+ in my book and should be incorporated as best as possible.

Now for the Argan Oil Hair Mask... this I was not too pleased with (my mother is though). It made my hair feel goopy, dry, and brittle. It didn't leave my hair soft and honestly made my hair feel dirty. I used it once and that's it but my mom started using it and loves it. She says it makes her hair easier to brush and a lot softer. That goes to show you that different products affect everyone differently.

Conclusion... InstaNatural has some amazing products and I think I'll be trying out some more soon. All organic products are really great and oils do wonders for your skin!

What are your favorite all natural beauty products? Tell me in the comments!

I've never been a lover of white nail polish... in reality, I love the way it looks but I always forget about it because it's so plain.

I never buy white nail polish because there's so many other colors that catch my eye.

I've seen a lot of Instagram photos of white polish and Youtube gurus were raving about the trend and thought I had to get in on it.

I saw a new line of nail polish in CVS a few weeks back for $1.99 but because it was so cheap, I passed it up. I'm always weary of really cheap nail polish that's from a brand I've never heard of.

That is until I saw one of my favorite Youtubers, Nicole from YoungWildandPolished gush over this brand...Poparazzi.

The next time I was at CVS, I saw that they had a white nail polish so I decided to pick it up.



I also purchased a new quick dry topcoat from Orly and I'm very very pleased with it. My Essie to Go was no more and I figured I'd try something new (and a little cheaper).



To start off with, I liked the nail polish. It was opaque and got the job done. It definitely chipped after a day or two but wasn't worst than any other polish.

The formula was a little goopy and streaky at first but after the second coat, it was definitely better.

I'm officially a white nail polish convert and I think I'll be rocking white nails a lot more this Spring and Summer... and I'm awfully happy about it!

Would I buy another nail polish from this brand? Yeah probably. For $1.99 you really can't beat the price and the quality is better than expected.

I've also made the official transition to Spring nail polish colors and I couldn't be more excited!

What are you wearing on your nails this Monday?

March Madness is upon us and coming from a school that lives and breathes basketball, I'm programmed to like March Madness.

Iona doesn't have a football team so basketball is our main focus. While I was in school I loved getting dressed up for games in my best Iona gear and cheering on our team. Also, it was always so exciting to watch the championships to see if Iona actually gets a chance to compete in March Madness.

I remember two years ago, the entire school in our local bar, watching the Gaels compete in the first NCAA game. We're an Irish school so we obviously have a pipe band and having the pipe band stand on the bar and play as we all cheered on the team is such a great memory.

Even this year, as an alumnae, I watched eagerly at home on ESPN to see if Iona beat our rivals, the Manhattan College Jaspers to score another ticket to the NCAA. Unfortunately we didn't but I still love game day.

It's so much fun to be dressed head to toe in school spirit. Sometimes, I'd throw on jeans and an Iona T-shirt and call it a day but other times I wanted to be a little more fashionable and stick a gold bow in my hair and throw a cardigan over a maroon tank top.

I know some people at really big schools go all out for game day; they paint their faces and coordinate outfits from their makeup to their shoes. Something along those lines that's really cool, fun, and easy is temporarily dyeing your hair.

Wait, just hear me out.

A hair dye that comes in your school colors, that you can apply within minutes before the big game, and washes out in 3 shampoos? The Garnier Color Styler is the perfect product for that.

I've seen so many hair chalks on the market lately but those rub off on your clothes and can be messy; this temporary (2-3 shampoos and it's gone!) hair dye is not like that at all.

If you want to make a bold statement, if you want everyone to know how much you support your school and how dedicated you are, this is the way to do it.

Just think, if you walk into the game decked head to toe in school colors, including your hair, no one will ever question your fan-hood. Plus, it's always nice to test out a different look and play around. What better to do that with than temporary hair dye?

The Garnier Color Styler is a water based, quick drying hair dye that comes in a variety of colors (you'll have plenty to choose from depending on your school). It doesn't rub off onto your clothes, like a hair chalk might, and it washes out in 2-3 washes so by the time class comes on Monday, your blue or yellow hair will be gone.

Everything you need before getting started

Right after I dyed my hair OMG

I wish I knew about this when I was in school because I would've rocked it for March Madness and other events like Spring weekend or homecoming! That's the great thing about the Garnier Color Styler, it's perfect for any occasion.

The application is super simple (I've never done an at home hair dye before and it was a breeze for me). All you have to do is apply a dollop of the dye onto your glove covered fingers (gloves included) and apply a thin, even coat to your DRY hair. If you want a deeper color, you can go back and apply another layer.

Let your hair dry (whether you let it dry naturally or use a hair dryer) and viola! your hair is ready for game day!

I showcased my game day style and my newly dyed hair using the Garnier Color Styler in red. Iona's colors are maroon and gold so I thought red was a nice touch! I decided to do two looks, one more casual and one a little more fashionable.

The red is a little hard to see (and excuse the terrible background, I am NOT a fashion blogger by nature)

More selfies to capture the Color Styler

True school spirit #Gaels

Add a bow for a girly effect (or the sorority effect)

Garnier & Her Campus have been kind enough to offer Royally Pink readers a coupon to purchase your own Garnier Color Styler, in the color of your choice! Go to your local drugstore to pick up a Color Styler in your school colors. They have bronze, red, pink, blue, and purple so the possibilities are endless.

What colors will you be rocking on game day? What do you think of temporary hair dyes? Tell me in the comments!

It's that time of the month again!

This month for Birchbox, I didn't choose the curated box nor did I pick any sample products. It was a total surprise and I'm always super anxious to see what I get when I know everything is a complete surprise. All of the sample choices were hair products and I had a feeling I'd be receiving one of them anyways, whether I chose it or not.

I was in fact, right, and I was so happy that I got what I did.


Most of my box was skincare and one makeup product. I didn't mind this because I've been kind of obsessed with skincare lately.





Here's what I got in my March Birchbox!

//Elite Therapeutics Rosemary Eucalyptus Body Creme: I love a good lotion and this was a pretty nice sized sample. It has an odd smell, very herbal, but after one or two uses you barely notice it. I've been keeping this in my desk drawer and it's very hydarting, nourishing but not greasy in the slightest. This is a definite plus for me!

Full size: $19
Sample Size: 4/5

//It's a 10 Miracle Leave in Product: This is what I was most excited about! This was the sample I would've chosen if it wasn't sold out when I went to go choose. I've used this product before and it's incredible. I've been looking for a great leave in conditioner that won't weigh my hair down and honestly, this is it. It smells fantastic, leaves your hair shiny and soft, and I'm basically obsessed.

Full size: $18
Sample Size: 5/5





//Jelly Pong Pong Glow Getter Highlighter: I'm all about highlighters and I'm always willingly to try out new ones. This is unlike anything else I have. It looks like a nail polish and it's a rose gold, bronze color. I haven't applied this to my face yet but when applied to my hand, it gives such a great J.Lo type glow. I don't have many liquid highlighters so I'm happy to add this to my collection.

Full size: $12.75
Sample Size: 4/5



Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser: Okay, I've been wanting to try something like this since I found out about this type of product. What you do is, when you're ready to wash your face, rub this cleanser all over your face (with a full face of makeup), let it sit and it'll break down your makeup. Then you go in with the cloth (soaked in hot water) and rub it all off. It's sort of like a cleansing balm and I think it's pretty cool. It really does dissolve all my makeup, replacing a makeup remover wipe which I think is a great alternative.

Full size: $25.50
Sample Size: 3/5



//Roloxin Lift Revitalizing Facial Masque Treatment: I haven't used this yet and I'm skeptical because it's supposed to reduce the signs of wrinkles and being 22 years old, I don't have any yet. I will be using this soon because it's there and it's a face mask and I love face masks.

Full size: Set of 10 $110 (IS THIS A JOKE)
Sample Size: 2/5

See? Lots of skincare! Anyways, I was really happy with this box and already can't wait for April's!

Do you subscribe to Birchbox? What did you get this month?

Last year I hosted an awesome giveaway with a great company called Decor 2 Ur Door. The website is filled with lots of beautiful accessories, all that can be customized with your monogram, which is basically the best part of anything.

The shop is filled with gorgeous, feminine bedding, and you can even design your own which is perfect if you're decorating your dorm or apartment. I think my favorite thing is Customize Your Own Headboard... how cool would that be?

They have everything from bedding sets to throw pillows to curtains... everything you could ever want to decorate a bedroom in your personal style.

Something that I discovered when I went away to college were wall decals. Everyone had one in their dorm or apartment, I even have one on my wall at home of a lovely little quote.



A wall decal that I've been lusting after and really regret not getting while I lived in my own apartment at school is a monogram decal.

Decor 2 Ur Door has so many monogram wall decals, everything from traditional monograms to one initial, to your full name.

Because my last giveaway was so successful, Decor 2 Ur Door and I have teamed up for another giveaway to give one lucky reader the chance to pick the monogram wall decal of their choice! Any style, any color--it's all up to you!

Add a little personalization to your bedroom, whether you live in a dorm with roommates, in an apartment by yourself, or even with your parents! The possibilities are endless :)

Enter through the rafflecopter below! The giveaway will last one week. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I have never been a fan on my dull brown hair. I have dull brown eyes to match so it makes it even more unexciting.

I've put light brown highlights in my hair, blonde highlights, and even dyed my hair black two years ago. I've never cut my hair a drastic length so really the only drastic thing I've ever done was get a Keratin treatment done (#lifechanging).

A lovely selfie with my natural colored hair (after I got my Keratin treatment done)

I've been meaning for a change, especially with all my hair issues that I talked about in yesterday's post... but that's a whole different story in itself.

As I grew older, I learned to appreciate my "dull" brown hair. It's not just a regular brown but from the chemicals and hair dye, it's kind of changed colors. Sometimes there speckles of red or blonde or caramel. It's pretty good.

When I dyed my hair black, I felt like a totally different person. I felt like I was wearing a wig, it took weeks to get used to it.

Black hair don't care ;)

With my "dull" brown hair, I feel like me.

When I discovered Madison Reed, a hair care company that specializes in hair dye, I thought their take on "hair personality" was pretty cool. I've heard a little bit about Madison Reed products and after looking at their website, you know they take hair seriously.



The campaign from Madison Reed is all about hair personality. Your hair is yours forever and as you grow and mature, you can change it to how you feel at that specific time.

I think it's really interesting to know that depending on how you feel, you can alter your hair to reflect that. Some people may go their entire lives without changing their hair and other people change the color every few months.

When you take all of that into consideration, how does your hair really reflect who you are as a person?

There's always hair stereotypes; blondes are ditzy, black haired are emo, brown hair is boring and then you have red heads.

Do you fit your hair stereotype? I'm sure you don't because that's why they're called stereotypes.

Personally, sometimes I do fit my brown haired stereotype. I could be shy, nerdy, low-key, and Type A, but then there are other times when I'm really outgoing, fun, funny, and quirky.

Sometimes I do think that if I had a different hair color I'd be more bubbly, all the time, but then realize that hair color doesn't define you-- that's why you have the ability to change it whenever you want!



As the summer draws near and just with the mood I've been in, I want a change. Madison Reed's Color Advisor allows you to take a quiz based on your current hair color and skin tone to see what hair color works best with you. After I took mine, it told me just what I suspected...a light brown or red.

We'll see if I go through with it but for now, I'm perfectly fine being myself in my "dull" brown hair! At the end of the day, it's the hair I was born with and it makes me who I am!

What's your hair personality? Do you break your own stereotype? Tell me in the comments!

I'll admit that I've been having trouble with my hair lately. The winter always brings out the worst because I have very dry skin and that translates to a very dry scalp. I usually use a dry scalp formula and it's always worked well for me but I think now, it's making my hair oily.

I have never suffered from oiliness or greasiness because my hair is so thick and coarse. Probably within the past 6 months, I've noticed my hair feeling weighed down after a few days of not washing it. I don't think it's ever as bad as someone with naturally oily, thin hair but for me, it feels dirty more quickly.

Because of all of this, I've been looking for a new shampoo/conditioner combination. I never spend a lot of money on my hair care nor am I too picky about what I use.

That is until now...

When I got an email that I was receiving the Dessange Oleo Miracle Treatment VoxBox, I was super excited. I was really interested to see what I was getting since I've never heard of Dessange hair products before and knew it was time for a change.

The VoxBox came with the Replenishing Shampoo, Replenishing Conditioner, and Replenishing Oil and they all looked so fancy and smelled good so I was really excited to try them.

Spoiler alert: I'M HOOKED.

My sister is hooked as well and I almost didn't let her use any of it because I wanted all the products for myself. We agreed we'd go buy more from Target when we ran out.



#HolyGrail right here.


The products are made with three oils: Argan, Camelia, and Pracaxi. It also has notes of orange, gardenia petals, and sandalwood and is specially made for damaged and over-processed hair, which is the definition of my hair (and my sister's).


Even with all the oils infused into these bad boys, it doesn't weigh my hair down. After using, my hair feels stronger, healthier, and looks shiner. After styling, my hair was super soft and felt like I had just left the salon... and honestly, that's exactly what these products smell like. They smell like a hair salon, which is always a plus because you know you've got the good stuff on hand.

Excuse the ridiculous selfies but I needed to show how these products do their thing!

But yeah, my hair is super shiny!

You were definitely able to see a noticeable difference in my hair after the first use and anything that gives me immediately results like that is good in my book.



I was a bit more hesitant to use the oil because products like this scare me. I never put argan or mocorran oil in my hair because, despite me having thick hair, I still always feel like it makes my hair dirtier faster. I've stayed away from oils for a while and stick to my styling or finishing cremes.

I knew I had to give it a try and my goodness, I'm glad I did. It's really lightweight and honestly, the littlest bit goes a long way. I put this in (almost) everyday to make my hair shiner, hold the style, and tame my frizz. It works like a charm and I feel like I'll have this big bottle for a while.

I'm really glad I got this VoxBox because it opened my eyes to a new world of hair care. I never buy matching sets so I probably would've never picked this up in the store but I finally found something that works at taming my crazy mane of horse hair.

What hair products do you swear by and could never be without? Tell me in the comments!








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