We're hours away from the new year and I'm feeling a little indifferent. I don't feel nostalgic in any shape or form , which is weird because New Years Eve always brings out the nostalgia. Maybe it's because I've been caught up in work or because I am very happy to see 2015 go.

This was a difficult year, in a few different ways. It was the first full year I was out of college and I felt the post grad crisis hard. I was confused, anxious, nervous, worrisome, and not happy in many ways. I was struggling with a lot of things and didn't know which way was up.

It wasn't until a few months ago that I finally felt calm. I didn't feel like I was crazy nor did I feel like I didn't have my shit together. My anxiety calmed down, I calmed down, work was good, my social life was good...everything finally felt like it was falling into place.



I'm looking forward to the new year in a way that I hope will be a little calmer than 2015. I need some stability and I hope 2016 will be even better in that sense.

I classified 2014 as the best year of my life, and in so many ways it was. 2015 was less than perfect, and I hope we can go back to basics in an even number.

In 2016, I hope that I can achieve what I've been wanting to achieve in work, in the blog, in my personal life. I want to start writing more, both freelance and creatively. I want to put more time and effort into my blog and into my own social media.

I want to save money instead of spending it. I want to travel a lot more, and go out and see the world. I finally have the desire to have more of a social life and make plans with my friends and go out and actually do things!

There are so many things that I want to do and I think 2016 may be the year that I do it.

Happy New Year everyone!!

Let me start off by saying how much I've always disliked soups. A weird introduction, right? But it's true! I never ate soup or stew because the texture freaked me out. What's the point of eating flavored water??

There was only one type of soup I liked and that was Baked Potato Soup (because it's fattening and delicious). I realized that the reason I liked it was because it was hearty and thick. I started to wonder what other types of soups I could whip up that I would enjoy...and was also healthy enough for my mom and sister.

I've gotten into the habit of cooking dinner for my family on Sundays since I'm home alone and both my mom and sister work.

I was searching Pinterest high & low for a soup recipe that seemed suitable for November weather and finally decided on this Chicken and Dumpling recipe.  I followed it pretty closely, if not exact.

The major plus side of this recipe? It's made for the Crockpot. That's usually what I stick to on Sunday afternoons because even though the prep is a little much, I can just sit back and let the meal cook without worrying about it.

Spoiler alert: this soup was DELICIOUS and I need to make it again ASAP.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp of butter
• 2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup
• 14.5 oz of Chicken broth
• 4 Grands Flaky Refrigerator biscuits

2015 was a great year for all things lifestyle, beauty, fashion... in my opinion. I think I really came into my own with style and knowing what I like.

This was definitely also the year of shopping and boy did I shop. With my first real time job, first real paycheck, I went a bit crazy. In 2016, I vow to slow my roll with the spending. If 2015 was the year of shopping, 2016 HAS to be the year of saving.


I have to admit that with all my shopping came some great favorites. I bought ALOT of stuff this year but also had a lot of non materialistic favorites. I want to tell you ALL about my favorites and would love to hear what kind of favorites you fell in love with this year as well :)

Let's get started!

//Matte Lips: These were a huge trend at the end of 2014 and for the entire 2015 year. I definitely jumped on the bandwagon and I would be lying if I said half of my lipstick collection is matte at the moment. From liquid lipsticks to regular matte lipsticks, both were all the rage. Below are some of my favorite colors/brands.






What products did you adore and love in 2015? 

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It was almost a year ago that I finally sat down and posted in 101 in 1001 list. A list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. The idea was originally inspired by Mackenzie Horan of Design Darling and it was something I had been wanting to do for a while.

I still have more than a year to accomplish everything and I'm pretty confident that I can get almost everything done. (October 4th, 2017 is the end date) I figured since it's been almost a year and I've accomplished a lot already, I wanted to give an update on how I'm doing!

I encourage everyone to create their own list. It's sort of like a bucket list but with mundane and extraordinary things all mixed together. From saving money to getting published to visiting museums,  I put everything I could think of on this list.

 I'm really proud of everything I've done in the past year and I hope I can achieve more in the next!

(Everything in bold is what I have accomplished)



 1. Come up with 101 things and inspire someone else to do the same

I love when I start to see new things at the drugstore, Ulta, and in Sephora. It makes my beauty loving heart so incredibly happy!

I was browsing Ulta's website the other night and saw all these new items from drugstore (and a few high end brands) being released!

A lot of the items I was interested in are from Maybelline (my favorite drugstore brand).

I'll probably place an order on Ulta's website soon because while it's not super convient, I know they'll have everything I need and could just get everything in one shot.



The one item that I have already purchased and have been LOVING is the Loreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation. I ordered it a little less than 2 weeks ago and have fallen head over heels. I'll be doing a post focused solely on that product soon!

UGH, I'm not supposed to spend money but all this drugstore makeup looks amazing!

What new product are you excited to try?


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Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates! I hope you have a lovely day with your loved ones! Remember why we celebrate but enjoy the day nonetheless. I hope Santa brought you everything on your list :)

I think having holiday traditions is such great part of family and the holiday season. I've always loved hearing about what other people do on the holidays and also how traditions that may be common to everyone differ from family to family.

Some people open their gifts from "Santa" on Christmas Eve while others wait till the night of Christmas Day. Some people don't celebrate Christmas Eve or may celebrate a day or two after the 25th.

I never know what to blog about on holidays and I thought this would be a nice change of pace for me and Royally Pink.

Being Italian, I have a lot of different traditions and a lot has changed over the years. After my parents got divorced, a lot of the traditions changed but some new ones were formed.

As the years go on and I get older, a lot of the traditions are no more because Christmas does change (which is super sad) but a lot of things stay the same.

Like I said before, I'm fully Italian so Christmas Eve is the real holiday. We always have 7 fishes; this year Christmas Eve is at my house and my mom is making the seven fishes and it's honestly always my favorite part of the holiday.

On Christmas Eve, we always open gifts after dinner. Never, ever before! That is such a huge thing for my family. I don't get any of my parents' gifts on Christmas Eve, we always open that on Christmas morning.

When I was younger, it was a lot harder to wait till after dinner to open gifts but now it's only slightly easier. I still get super excited for gifts.

A little TBT action :)

Another tradition that we used to do on Christmas Eve, mostly with my dad's family, was watch old home movies before dessert and after presents. I loved watching these and learning more about my family. It was one of my favorite traditions.

A few times, Santa would also visit on Christmas Eve, right as we were opening presents. It was sometimes someone my family hired, or one of my uncles but it was so great to see my sister and cousins get super excited for Santa.

On Christmas morning, a tradition used to be that my dad would go get us all breakfast before we opened gifts. My sister and I used to torment my parents (and my aunt & uncle when they would sleep over) to wake up so we could open gifts.

One of my rules is that I open my stocking last, and my sister usually follows suit. I'd open my presents from Santa, then my parents gifts, and then my stocking.

Also when I was younger, I used to leave "reindeer food" on the front lawn and maybe a carrot next to the milk & cookies.



The last tradition that I stick by, whether my mom likes it or not, is putting the baby Jesus in the Nativity Scene on Christmas morning --no earlier. We have a gorgeous Navitiy set that my grandmother MADE and gave to my mom. It's so beautiful and hands down my favorite part of Christmas.

Those may not seem like traditional traditions but they're mine and they make Christmas special!

What are some of your Christmas traditions?

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Where has the time gone? Christmas Eve is tomorrow and New Year Eve is next week. 2016? Is this serious? I cannot believe it.

I'm officially on Christmas vacation and it was glorious only going into work 2 days this week. It was a much needed moment of rest and relaxation and I'm really looking forward to the holidays.

I'll be honest in saying I didn't have the motivation to blog this weekend or at the beginning of the week but with the little down time I have, I'm hoping to make some strides.

Christmas Eve is at my house tomorrow and being Italian, Christmas Eve is the main holiday. My mom has the Seven Fishes ready and my sister is in charge of the Antipasto. Me? I'm on baking duty.

I've been so excited to bake all season but this is my first Christmas holiday where I work full time so I haven't had the chance to really get into it. Thankfully I'm off today and can get things done!

When thinking about what I wanted to bake, I wanted it to be easy but festive. I didn't want to do typical cakes and cookies. I searched Pinterest for a few good hours before deciding on making these Magic Cookie Bars.

They seemed tasty, different, but easy enough to whip up myself.

Incase that doesn't come through, I've learned to have a backup plan. Who doesn't love Snowman Cookies by Pillsbury? Easy and no fuss!

With that being said, I also wanted to try my hand at an appetizer I've been drooling after. Brie Cheese wrapped in puff pastry. I did a taste test this afternoon to make sure it was good enough for Christmas.







Unfortunately it was not.

It was delicious, don't get me wrong but it was just too cheesy and too rich. I probably won't even make it tomorrow for Christmas because it was just too much. Yes, there is such a thing!

Now that that taste test is out of the way, I could get down to baking!

What is your favorite thing to bake for Christmas?

Good morning! I'm actually writing this as I post which is different for me because I always write my posts the night/few days before. Last night I didn't get home until 10 PM and was out like a light by 11:30. 

I don't usually post Thursday Inspirations but it's Wednesday night, I'm exhausted and didn't post on Wednesday and didn't want to not post on Thursday.

It's been quite the week at work, and I'm feeling kind of down and just not up for blogging. I hate that...when I have so many great posts planned and then I get thrown off by something and don't have the motivation or energy to put into it.

I am excited for the weekend (I'm off tomorrow) and Christmas next week so I hope that'll brighten my mood a little bit!

For now though, here's a little inspiration to get you to Friday!

Ah the final Birchbox of the year. I am unsure if this will be my last Birchbox for a few months but we'll see eventually...I'll probably wait to see the January sneak peek video that Birchbox posts every month on Youtube and then decide if I'll cancel or not.

I just look all the perks of Birchbox :( #firstworldprobs

Anyways...believe it or not, this Birchbox was actually pretty great, mainly because I picked out everything in it. I love anything with the word "essentials" in it (fun fact). I don't know why but I love feeling like I NEED something.




When I saw that this month's pre curated Birchbox was called "Winter Essentials", I knew I had to have it. I figured knowing what I was getting in my Birchbox was better than having it be a surprise because lately, when it is a surprise it's less than satisfying.

I've tried most of the things in the box and I'm pleasantly surprised with them.

//Coastal Scents Eyeshadow Duo: I was supposed to get the formaleyes duo which was a rose gold & pink shade but instead got the styleeyes, which is gold and blue. I originally didn't want this one when I saw it online but in person the shadows are so pretty and so outside my comfort zone. I could've emailed Birchbox for the correct one (everyone got the wrong shadows) but I'm too lazy and have enough pink shadows. These shadows are pigmented but not too much and are perfect for the holidays. I'll definitely get some use out of them.

Sample size: 4/5
Full size: $12



//eSalon Perfect Ending Leave in Conditioner: I've been hoping to get a leave in conditioner in a Birchbox so when I saw this bad boy in the sample choice box, I had to get it. I used it over the weekend and it was great. At first, when my hair was wet, it felt a little stringy and tangled but that could've just been me. After blow drying and straightening, my hair was soft and silky. This conditioner you put in after you're out of the shower and your hair is towel dried. It feels just like a regular conditioner and I'm pretty happy with the results.

Sample size: 5/5
Full size: $25

//dermae Microdermabrasion Scrub: Another thing I love? Scrubs! DermaE is a great brand that's easily available in CVS and that's a plus for me. This is a thicker consistency, it almost feels like a balm and has a lot of little beads in it but that's what I like about it. It's slightly harsher than you would expect but sometimes that's what I prefer in my scrubs. My face feels so clean and fresh afterwards--this is my new favorite

Sample size: 4/5
Full size: $32.50 (OMG)

//Juara Coconut Illipe Hand & Nail Balm: My cuticles have been a disaster lately and on Sunday while I was home, I realized I had this handy dandy item. I was expecting it to feel like petroleum jelly but it was definitely not that. It is a very lotion like consistency and I just spread it on my nails and cuticles. Within minutes, my nails felt smooth and soft. This is something I'll for sure keep in my handbag and at work because my nails are always dry. I may even buy the full size!

Sample size: 3/5
Full size: $20

//Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain: I didn't realize what this was until I just read the description of what it does. It adjusts to your skin's temperature and PH to make your own customized shade. I have the It Cosmetics lip stain that does this and it's pretty cool. I'm excited to use this one!

//Chuao Chocolatier Cinnamon Cereal Smooch: This was a little extra in the box and I'll take any kind of food extra! I didn't taste any cinnamon in it but it tasted just like a fancy crunch bar!




This month I also added a Birchbox Plus kit to my monthly subscrtion. I won't do a whole post on that but I got the Completion Perfection Sampler which came with a full size beauty blender, Marcelle BB Cream, Benefit Porefessional Primer, The Beauty Crop Lightning Cream, and a W3LL PEOPLE Brightening Powder. I didn't need it but I really wanted a new beauty blender and the kit was $20 which is the prize of a new beauty blender so mind as well!

Dam you Birchbox, just when I want to give up you pull me back in!

Did you like your last Birchbox of 2015 this month?

Since the fall/winter season has started, I've stepped up my mani game. At the beginning, I had almost no good colors in my collection. I love dark reds, browns, and purples but a lot of my nail polish had gone bad. I was in desperate need of new colors and I've gotten them.

One of the newest colors I got that I wore all week last week is part of the Essie Winter 2015 Collection. I have one other color from this collection, Virgin Snow, and the formula of that polish is amazing--probably one of the best Essie polishes I've ever used.

This new polish from the collection, Apres Chic, was no different. It's a gorgeous, metallic silver color that looks perfect on the nails. It's unlike anything else I've ever seen.



At first I thought it was too similar to the color, No Place Like Chrome but it has little specs of glitter in it that the other silver metallic doesn't.

It's super smooth, didn't chip too easily, and applied like a dream. I think the Winter Collection has the best formula of any collection I've ever used. It's like they put magic into the polishes.

I don't think I'll get another polish from this collection because I have similar colors to what is in there but I do want to get my hands on the Luxe Effect top coat in Fringe Factor. How cute?!

What is your favorite nail polish color this week?

I'm currently sitting at my desk, in a freshly cleaned room, organizing my drawers and watching Michael Buble's Christmas special. AND tomorrow is Friday...does it get much better than that? I think not my friends!

This was an incredibly long week for many reasons; I didn't feel 100% health wise, I was a little more on the anxious side, and I was just incredibly exhausted every single morning. I'm happy to see the weekend arrive and be one step closer to Christmas... even though the weather has been less than cheerful.

60 degrees in NYC during December? No thank you! I'd like some snow, Mother Nature!



Before I get really heated (pun intended) about the weather, here are the links I simply adored this week!

I am a shopaholic. This quiz proves it. *weeps silently*

Who would have thought that by the end of the year the entire world would be Beliebers?

The founder of Huda Beauty's office is my dream office

I would surely like the facial treatment that the gorgeous Victoria Secret's Angels get!

Timing is a BITCH.

I love hearing what business owners & creative minds think--Loren Hope is no exception. 

Don't like the mornings? These beauty products will make mornings easier & prettier

Someone please buy me all of these anxiety books

Happy weekend everyone!

While I haven't been loving my Birchbox monthly boxes lately, Birchbox is still killing the beauty game.

They have been turning out awesome exclusive kits lately and on Black Friday, I just couldn't resist anymore.

As I've said all this week, I've been obsessed with skincare lately and while browsing the Birchbox website, I found the best kit I could ever ask for. It has satisfied my skincare needs and it is amazing.

The Skin Recovery kit is available on the Birchbox website for $28 and comes with lots of full size and deluxe size sample products. I was itching to receive this kit and I don't think I've been this excited about a package in quite a while.

I also ordered the Amika Blowout Spray & got a cute littlemystery pack

The kit came in an adorable blue envelope package and was filled to the brim with all these new and exciting products.

I think what I was most excited for was the MicrodermaMitt which helps you remove your makeup, instead of using wipes or a washcloth. I haven't used this yet but I'm really excited to try it out.



The kit comes with the Avene Thermal Spring Water which I have from a past Birchbox and I am obsessed with it! This will be great to have in my collection as a backup for when I run out of my current one.

Something else I already have tried before getting it in this box is the Borghese Fango Delicato mud mask. It really does leave your skin smooth, soft, and feeling deeply cleaned.

I haven't tried the Malin + Goetz Lip Balm, the Shamanuti Charcoal Cleanser, or the Wilma Schuman Hydrating Eye Pads but I know they will all be amazing. I have never met an eye mask I didn't like and I have a sick obsession with charcoal cleansers so those will for sure be great!



There was one last product in the kit, one that seemed ordinary and didn't spark my interest before I tried it but it is by far my favorite product in this kit and I don't think I've ever loved a moisturizer the way I love this one.

The Air Repair Complexion Boosting Moisturizer has completely changed my skin in the short week that I've been using it. It's pretty thick so I've only used it at night and it has a nice refreshing smell which I can appreciate. It feels amazing on the skin and I almost feel like I can feel it working as soon as I apply it to my face, but that could just be my imagination.

I wake up in the morning and my skin feels supple, soft, and smooth. It helped with the texture on my face and my skin looks brighter and healthier the day after too. I've never felt this way about a moisturizer before and I will for sure be buying it again. This is holy grail status--thank you, Birchbox!

This kit was a definite HIT for me. The value is insane--$77? Yes please! I've never loved a skincare kit so much, I could talk about it forever!

Beauty week has come to an end--Links to Love will commence tomorrow. I definitely enjoyed getting all my beauty posts out of my system in one week but I definitely have some more coming for you in the usual blogging schedule!

Did you enjoy beauty week? Is this something that would interest you as a series on Royally Pink?

This is a sponsored post but all opinions are my own

I have extremely dry, thick, unruly, and frizzy hair. It's always been an issue for me and I've tried every product under the sun. I've had my hair relaxed, had two Keratin treatments, and learned how to manage my hair, but when I was younger--it was the bane of my existence.

Growing up, and even now, I was never too focused on my shampoo and conditioner. I thought any old duo would work. I was heavily focused on the treatments I put in my hair; hair oils, hair masks, frizz creams, etc. I thought that these were more important than the shampoo & conditioner but as I became more well versed in the beauty world, I found out that that is quite the opposite.

Shampoo, conditioner, and treatments are all important.

In recent months I've definitely tried my fair share of shampoo & conditioners and they all worked great, but these products from a brand I've tried before & loved.

When I was presented with the chance to try out some products from Hask's Macadamia Oil line, which caters to hydrating hair, leaving it nourished, shiny, and glossy, I was excited. My hair is dry, especially during the winter and it needs all the help it can get. Also, with the all the heat I apply to my hair on a weekly basis, it's very damaged so I needed help in that department as well.

The Macadamia Oil Moisturizing products, of course, have macadamia oil in them to help hydrate and restore damaged hair. Those special antioxidants that are infused into the products leave your hair soft, silky, and no longer dry.



Well, I can attest to all of those things. I used the shampoo & conditioner (as did my mom and sister) and I have seen a significant change in my hair. It's a lot softer and smoother-- it looks healthier, and it stays clean longer (that could just be in my head but I don't feel like my hair gets as greasy).

I haven't used the Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment yet but I have never met a deep conditioning treatment that I DIDN'T like! I tried a little bit of the Revitalizing Shine Treatment and it's not too oily but still adds the perfect amount of shine to your hair, helping smooth down the baby hairs and frizz that pops up.

Another really important aspect, to me, of this line of haircare? It's sulfate, paraben, gluten, and drying alcohol free. I'm more focused on the sulfate aspect because when you have keratin, you're supposed to use a sulfate free shampoo & conditioner. My keratin isn't that active anymore but I know it's still lingering my hair and the longer you use sulfate free products, the better the keratin stays.



After doing some research, I saw that Hask has a lot of styling products, like a blow dry spray and a curl controller and I'm really eager to try those!

I'll definitely be picking up this shampoo & conditioner again, since it's available in local drugstores, and I have a feeling I finally found a duo that works for me and I'll probably continue to use for weeks and months to come.

What do you look for in a shampoo and conditioner?