It's officially my 24th birthday and it's very odd. I wasn't excited about it all month, and I haven't been excited about a birthday since my 21st. I guess that's what happens when you get older, birthdays are just less exciting because the milestones are pretty much over.

I'm depressing, aren't I? Such a happy birthday girl I am!

But, as the week went on, I got a little more excited; I got a special, delicious cake & my mom is making my favorite meal: Macaroni Pie.

I guess the reason I'm not that excited for my birthday this year is because I thought 23 was going to be a great year; I had some good feelings at this point last year and honestly, 23 was the worst year of my life.

Because of that, I guess part of me is happy that it's going away, and I much prefer even number ages anyway ;)

24 seems like a big deal -- is that considered mid twenties? I feel like it is, and that's a scary thought. I haven't been shy about my post-college struggles, but I think I finally got the hang of this thing. Yes, I'm still at home, and yes I'm single but my career is pretty good. I know what I like doing, and I love my job. Freelance writing is taking off, and I'm pretty happy with how the blog is going.

My mood ALWAYS

I learned a lot this year too... in the words of Kylie Jenner, it was the "year of realizing stuff":

• Say I love you when you mean it: Tell people you love them, because you never know when the last time will be the last time.

• Say what you want: This was the year that I started speaking up a lot more. I am very shy, believe it or not, and I kind of said fuck it, and went with it. I defended my political opinions, and how I feel about certain things from family issues to clothing choices, etc. 

• Don't apologize: This goes hand in hand with the previous. I'm the type of person who likes to do what she wants, but I also apologized a lot for the person I am. I don't like to go to bars, and I don't like people telling me what to do with my life. I don't want to feel bad for staying home and organizing makeup instead of being at a crowded bar. If I didn't want to go out, I made excuses, but this year I stopped the bullshit. I'll do what I want, when I want, because it's my life. #SorryNotSorry

• Go after what you want: If you have nothing to lose, go after what you want. I mean, it's your life and things aren't handed to you. Whether in work or love, just do what you want! It is what it is and you have every right.

• Who I want in my life: I was very into energy this year, and getting rid of negative energy. I can be a very pessimistic person, but my bad moods weren't as bad as they have been in past years. I think it was because when I was surrounded by negative energy, I removed myself from it. If someone was annoying me, I just got away from the situation. I don't take as much crap as I used too, and I'm proud of myself for it. I also rekindled friendships this year that mean the world to me, and I'm very grateful for that.

My other favorite month has come to a close. It was a really emotional one at that, one of the most emotional months I've had in a while but I've come out the other side and I'm ready for Christmas.

Tomorrow is my 24th birthday, and I'm very melancholy about it. I'm not excited, I'm not dreading it, it's just there. Maybe I'm feeling this way because it's one step closer to 25, the big milestone birthday. Maybe I'm dreading it because it's been a rough year, and I'm looking forward to starting anew. Maybe I'm so so about it because I didn't celebrate with my friends.

It's just a weird feeling, but I've had that feeling all month long.

It's been interesting, but that hasn't deterred me from rounding up my favorites of the month.

First off, I'll get this out of the way; my two ultimate favorites were Thanksgiving & Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. I dedicated an entire podcast episode to the revival of Gilmore Girls, so definitely take a listen.



There were plenty of other favorites this month:

1. Kate Spade Activity Tracker: After writing this post, I was desperate for my Kate Spade tracker. I was over my fitbit; it needs to be charged too much, and has all these features I don't use. I just wanted something cute & fun. I decided to repurchase my Kate Spade tracker, and got the black polka dots. Also, it was almost $30 cheaper, since it's been on the market for a while. I love this little thing so much. It's adorable, useful, and gives ms exactly what I'm looking for.

2. Kittenish Heart Sleeve Sweatshirt: I've been loving Jessie James Decker's clothing line "Kittenish" for the past few months now. She releases a new collection every few months, and for the "fall" collection, I fell in love with this Heart Sleeve Sweatshirt. It's very comfortable, and the elbow patches are soft and great quality. I get so many compliments whenever I wear it, and it's a must-have for me this winter season!

3. Interior Design: I live with my mother, and am single AF so I'm not NESTING but my goodness it feels like it. I've been obsessed with interior design and making my house nice for the holidays, and decorating. I've been reading all the house magazines, like Martha Stewart Living, Good Housekeeping, and Domino. I just have become a homemaker and the holiday season has definitely brought it out in me.

4. DryBar 3 Day Bender & Tress Press Styling Iron: My obsession with the Drybar has continued this month and it resulted in two big purchases. I was in the market for new hair tools because my mom, my sister, and I have ridiculous coarse, thick hair so we go through tools pretty quickly. My curling iron broke, and the straightener is going soon, so I opted to by these two that I've been lusting after for a while. Both of them are INTENSE; they get hot really quickly and I can do my hair within 10-15 minutes. It's insane and I love them. Two of the best purchases ever.

Enjoy the final days of November, everyone!

Well, Thanksgiving is over and it's officially the Christmas season! My mom and I spent the weekend decorating for Christmas, and I ventured out on Saturday to Target and Bath & Body Works to grab some Christmas decor & candles.

The entire house is decked out and I'm so excited!

Also, did anyone notice a new look here at Royally Pink? I did some sprucing up and I'm VERY happy with it!

Now that we got that out of the way, the real reason for today's post is to talk about my favorite foundation, possibly ever.

I've been having a love affair with Charlotte Tilbury's products. I only have 2, because they are very expensive, and very luxurious but I just love everything about the products. From the packaging to the quality, everything about the brand is stunning.

A few months ago, the brand released their Magic Foundation. It comes in 15 shades, has SPF 15, and claims to leave a radiant finish but also gives a full coverage, weightless finish. The Nordstrom website says that the foundation is also good for dry & mature skin. It has anti aging properties so I think this is a foundation that anyone, any age can use. It's not geared toward one specific age group.

When I saw this on Nordstrom's website, I knew I had to have it. I was shopping around for a new liquid foundation and this is Charlotte's first "real" foundation (she has the Wonderglow, which is more like a tinted moisturizer), so I jumped at it. The $44 price tag is a bit high, but it's on par with other foundations.



I got the shade "4 Fair" and it's a pretty decent match. The bottle is frosted glass, with a gold cap and is totally luxurious. It's one of the prettiest, if not THE prettiest, foundations I own.

When I first applied it, I used a beauty blender and the finish was seamless, flawless, and medium-full coverage. It claims that it's a radiant finish and I can attest to that, but it's not super dewy or glowy. I have other foundations, like the Laura Geller Baked Liquid Radiance Foundation, that is ultra dewy but this "Magic Foundation" would work for someone with oily skin, in my opinion.

My skin looked flawless with this foundation, and that day, at work, I got so many compliments on my SKIN, not my makeup. People were in awe of how my makeup looked, and I don't think any foundation has ever given me that effect.

This foundation plays well with all other products, and it makes everything look better. It IS weightless and doesn't feel cakey or heavy on my skin.

If I had to choose one liquid foundation to own forever, it would surely be this one. My skin/makeup never look as good as it does when I where the Magic Foundation. It's definitely called Magic for a reason!

What is your holy grail foundation?

The Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life is coming back in a few hours and I don't think anyone understands how excited I am.

Well, if you follow me on Twitter you know how excited I am because I haven't really talked about much else since November 1st.

Gilmore Girls was my favorite show growing up. I felt connected to it in so many ways. While I have a sister, I still always thought of my mom and me as Rory & Lorelai. I was always a little more responsible and my mom has a girl like behavior about her, and sometimes the roles were reversed.


But also, I just love Rory so much. There have been a bunch of articles this week about how she was a bad journalist and a bad friend to Lane, and I just don't give a shit. They say the same things about Carrie Bradshaw and I refuse to listen.

Rory is my spirit animal in so many ways; she made it ok to like to school and like reading; it meant you could still care about those things and like boys and be that girly girl with boy drama and friend drama. One didn't mean you had to give up the other.

Gilmore Girls is so many things; it's a show about family, about love, about a quirky town and how you can make your own family. It deals with teen pregnancy, family drama, growing up, and everything in between. It's one of the most rounded shows I've ever watched.

When it ended, I wanted more, and now we're finally getting more. I probably won't be able to do anything until I watched all 4 episodes, and be sure to listen to my podcast, "Basic Bri" next week because I most definitely will be recapping the entire series. I also talked more about my love for the series there this past week.

Starting last Friday, November 18th, the TV channel "UP" started a Gilmore Girls marathon. They have played every episode starting from the pilot, day and night. It's all I've watched since then.

That got me thinking... I knew I wanted to do a Gilmore Girls themed post, and I thought about doing a "host your Gilmore Girls party" but then I thought that I wanted to talk about my favorite episodes.

If you haven't watched any of the series, and you're not sure if you want to, try these episodes on for size.


1. The Third Lorelai: I love when we get to meet Lorelai's grandmother. Emily freaks out and is so out of character, it's really fun to watch. It's a great episode to have in the first season because we're still breaking down all the walls to Lorelai & her parent's relationship. Also, Gran is a HOOT, and a fabulous character.



2. The Bracebridge Dinner: Ugh, I LOVE this episode! Season 2 is a wonderful season and probably my favorite, for so many reasons. I love any episode with snow, but I really love when the entire town is together. We also get really sweet Jess & Rory moment in this episode, and I think this is where their relationship really picks up. Having the town together in one place, all their quirks come alive; add in some Dean/Jess drama and Richard & Emily, you've got yourself a FIRE episode.


3. Nick & Nora/Sid & Nancy: The main reason I love this episode? The arrival of resident Stars Hollow bad boy Jess. He comes in like a wrecking ball and wrecks havoc on the entire town, mostly Luke. It's fun to see Luke out of control, and I think this is one of Lorelai & Luke's first fights. Jess' chemistry with Rory is apparent from the moment they meet and you can tell something is brewing. "I wanted to put some notes in the margins for you" -- the most romantic line ever.



4. They Shoot Gilmores Don't They?: The dance competition! One of the best episodes of the entire series. You once again, have the entire town together at some weird Stars Hallow event. Everyone looks like they stepped out of a war painting, and they're dancing for 24 hours. You have their weird quirks, a few sweet moments between Luke & Lorelai, and of course-- what we've been waiting for since Season 2, the breakup of Dean & Rory. It comes to a close, and finally, Dean stood up for himself. It was a sad and satisfying moment at the same time.

5. Dear Emily & Richard: I love a good throwback episode, and I'm #TeamChristopher, so seeing Lorelai & Chris' relationship come to life as a younger version of themselves is really cool. It's also nice to get an insight into what Lorelai & Emily were like when Lorelai was a teenager. It's an interesting but similar dynamic. On the flip side, you have Sherry giving birth to Christopher's baby and it's kind of sad for Lorelai. You get both sides of the coin with this episode.



6. Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out: I think all fans can agree that season 6 was PAINFUL. Rory & Lorelai aren't speaking AT ALL, Rory dropped out of Yale, and everything is a MESS. That is, until Jess finds Rory and snaps her back into reality. See? This is why Jess is the best! He woke her up, and she finally saw what she needed to see. "I couldn't have done it without you" -- Jess KILLS me. #TeamJess

Honorable Mentions: The Pilot, That Dam Donna Reed, and Love & War & Snow.

Are you excited for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life?

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!



Have a great day with your loved ones, everyone; I'm thankful for all your love & support!

This box was sent to me by POPSUGAR in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own

Another month, another Must Have Box. I'm adoring all of these boxes; it's really a fun treat filled with items you wouldn't buy for yourself. Especially with the holidays coming up, it's something fun to look forward to while you're buying presents for everyone else... but it's also great because the boxes are themed and are filled with items you can use for the holidays.



That's why I was really looking forward to the November box; I knew that there would be a few things I could use for Thanksgiving dinner.

And I was right!

The November box was filled with great holiday items to be used all season, but also a few goodies for yourself.

While I was excited to receive the home items (I always am), I was very, very excited to get a rose gold Kendra Scott bracelet. It's very dainty and beautiful, just like all Kendra Scott jewelry. It's the perfect accent to any arm party, and gorgeous for all year round.



We also received a Stowaway Cosmetics eyeshadow palette, which is so tiny it fits in the palm of my hand. It has gorgeous colors; everything from mattes & shimmers, neutrals to jewel tones. It's a perfect travel palette, which is the point of Stowaway Cosmetics. Everything they sell is mini, because when do you ever use an entire palette or lipstick, but also great for travel and on the go beauty.

Next, were home decor items! There was a Pehr Chambray Runner in a wine color, and I think I was really excited for this. It's neutral enough that you can use it all year round, and it most likely goes with your decor. I also think a runner is something not a lot of people have (or maybe it's just me), but I think it was a really good idea to put in the box.


There was also a Nest Wire Bowl from AJ Goods, which is perfect for chips, bread, or just to put some decorative items in, to create the perfect centerpiece. I think that's what I'm going to be using it for on Thanksgiving.

Two little extras were the food item & a bit of a dessert accessory; Meri Meri Star Party Picks; these have more of a Christmas feel so I might save them for next month. They're such cute little picks for appetizers or desserts, and a great addition to the box.

Finally, the food item: Oogie's Snacks: Gourmet Toffee Butter Popcorn; I didn't get to taste this because my mom ate the entire thing, but it smelled good & looked good. Clearly it was a big hit with her so it was probably delicious!

There you have it; another month, another box!

If you're in a pinch and don't know what to get someone for Christmas, I think a subscription to the POPSUGAR Must Have Box is a good idea. It's a few gifts rolled into one, and I think everyone would like it, because it has something for everyone. If you're thinking of that, use the code SHOP5 for $5 off the box!

Enjoy :)

Thanksgiving has always and most likely will be my favorite holiday. I think it has to do with the fact that my birthday falls near Thanksgiving, and I always had a cake & presents. I also love the weather, the food, and the fact that it's the ultimate fall day.

I'm oddly obsessed with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and my favorite thing in the world is waking up early and cuddling on the couch to watch the entire parade.

Thanksgiving is also the beginning of the Christmas season, and the end of the parade whenever Santa comes out used to make me and my sister SO excited. My mom used to cry every year because it's so exciting to see Santa on the float.

I just adore Thanksgiving!

I said before that even though I shouldn't be celebrating the holidays the way I am, or want to, because of my dad's passing, I'm not abiding by that rule. I don't want to become the person who is jaded and sad around the holidays. I want to still enjoy the holidays, no matter what.

Also, I'm very excited to have a new house & a new room to decorate and get into the spirit. Because of all of this, I've been super into decor lately. I live with my mom and sister, and my mom is an incredible interior designer and our houses have always been beautifully decorated, but I have my own taste and sometimes our taste overlaps.

I've been paying more attention to interior design and noticing what I like, and how I want the house & my room to feel.

We're also having Thanksgiving at my house this year, and that's always my favorite. I love having the holidays at my house!

I got these cute food little cards from Brit + Co

The place cards & 'thankful' lists are from May Designs

When you combine all of this, I wanted to go all out and decorate the table for Thanksgiving. It was a rough few weeks and I was all over the place, and was putting off buying any decorations for the table. However, at the last minute it all comes together.

With some last minute purchases, something from my November POPSUGAR Must Have Box, and fun printables found online, I think it came together.

I also think part of this came from me wanting to be a real blogger... because what lifestyle blogger doesn't have a post dedicated to decorating for the holidays?

Expect to see a lot more of these posts around here. I don't live in an apartment alone, but there is a lot you can do in your room and family home. I promise you!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving -- two days early ;) 

Brunch is the only kind of social drinking atmosphere I like now that I've graduated to the adult world. I don't care for crowded bars or crazy, loud clubs; brunch is the perfect mixture of friends, drinks, and food. It's better than going out to dinner, because it's socially acceptable to drink a little heavier.

Also, breakfast food is better than dinner food & that is always a plus in my book.

I am the queen of brunch, and I attended a really great brunch this weekend, a Friendsgiving brunch to be exact. My sorority sister who planned it had little pilgrim hats, and fun Thanksgiving accessories.






I also wore my turkey flats from Jack Rogers, and it was the perfect touch of festive fun.

I've been all about being festive this holiday season; something has just sprung up in me when I want to be in the holiday spirit, decorate my house and be a homebody. You can read all about this little phase in tomorrow's post... a truly Thanksgiving themed one.

Because of all of this, mixed with a mutual love of brunch (I think everyone feels that way about brunch, am I right?), the holidays are the perfect time to host a get together. That's usually the consensus around this time of the year... lots of holiday parties, lots of little get togethers.

It can get tiring, to go to these dinners, because mostly these secret santas, holiday gatherings are at night & in a dinner setting.

If I host a holiday gathering, which I'm hoping too, I think I'll go the brunch route. It's fun, different, and you don't have to shelp to Manhattan, or whichever city is near you. Sometimes it's nice to have brunch right at home, with your closest friends. Make that a Christmas theme and you've got yourself a party.

If you're thinking of throwing a holiday brunch, there are a few things you need:

• Invitations
• Decorations
• Food

Coco Tub Invite

Christmas Tree Cream Cheese Danish

Gingerbread Muffins

Slow Cooker Vanilla Latte

Grinch Juice: OMFG I need this!!

A little decor inspiration

Christmas Brunch Tablescape

I've been feeling super festive lately, and getting really into all the holidays. From clothing to decorating my room, and transitioning my makeup look into fall & holiday, I've been having a blast.

My favorite way to reflect the holiday season is through my nail polish. It's so fun, easy to do, and shows your love of whatever holiday is around the corner.

I have a lot of orange, brown, and nudes so when November started, I knew what I needed to do. I took my new favorite trend, the ombre nail look, and put a Thanksgiving spin on it.




I used my OPI colors in Inside the IsabelleTway & Meet Me at the Piazza; a gorgeous nude & a dull orange.

It screams Thanksgiving to me, and I'm slowly starting to enjoy OPI polishes more & more.



I'm actually obsessed with these two colors alone, but putting them together makes them look even better.

I'll be rocking this nail look all week long, to celebrate my favorite holiday!

We're less than a week away from Thanksgiving and I can't wait! It was a truly emotional week for me, and I feel like a new person. Wherever there is rain, there is sunshine, remember that.

I have a brunch with my sorority sisters this weekend, and then I want to do some shopping for last minute Thanksgiving decorations and hopefully some Christmas decorations. I just want to feel as festive as possible this year. I have a new house, a new room, and I just want to be in the Christmas spirit.

It is kind of odd that I'm so into Christmas this year, since my dad passed away this past March, and usually, especially in the Italian Catholic heritage, you don't even put up a Christmas tree when there was a death in the family. I know my dad wouldn't want that though, and I know he'd want me to enjoy myself. It is my favorite time of year, and I want to try to be joyous and merry.

Anyways, like I said, this was an emotionally bad & good week for me, but I'm ready to say goodbye to it and hello to my favorite holiday ever!

Credit

Here's what I loved this week:

• The best way to use YSL's brightening concealer
• How to change up your skincare routine for winter
• The best Linkedin tips out there
• Estee Lauder is buying brands left and right
• A great insight into how social media managers deal with brand trolls 
• The new Beauty & The Beast trailer premiered this week. OMG

I've cut back on beauty buying lately. My shopping has decreased significantly but I just don't feel the need to shop for beauty items as much as I did a few months ago.

I haven't stopped completely; there will always be items that come out that catch my eye, that I need to have, and that I count down the days till they are released.

The Master Palette by Mario from Anastasia Beverly Hills was one of those items. When I found out months ago on Instagram that Mario was releasing a palette, I knew I'd need it.

If you don't know, Mario is the Kardashian's makeup artist, mostly Kim's and he does beautiful work. He is truly an artist & one of the best in the business. When the best partners up with the best aka Anastasia (her shadows are heavenly, spoiler alert), you know you're going to get something good.




The packaging is the regular Anastasia packaging, cardboard with a pretty good mirror & an excellent brush. It does feel a lot sturdier than the Self Made palette which I purchased last year, which soon fell apart and I had to depot all the shadows. This is definitely more high quality!

This palette came with 14 shadows, all brand new & curated by Mario himself. The palette colors are GORGEOUS! They're all neutral (which are my favorite), with some gorgeous mattes and pretty shimmers. The pigment payment and blend-ability of all shadows are really superb.






Anastasia makes some of the best shadows out there, and even though I have some of her single shadows and purchased a palette, I think these are the best so far.

My favorite shades are NYC, Kim, Muse, and Paris -- they are very warm, but still have a pop of color. I'm obsessed.

(Also, who else isnt surprised he named a shade Kim, I mean, COME ON! I love it!)

Even though you get mostly warm neutrals, you have a few great matte, transition shades, a gorgeous highlight that can be used for the brow bone in "Hollywood", and Claudia & Bronx are muted pops of color.

All in all, this palette is a really great buy. It's has a moderately high price tag, but you are paying for the quality of the shadows and packaging. I really haven't reached for another palette for the past month, because it has a really good group of shades and you can make a slew of different looks.

Now, the problem is that this is limited edition; It's available RIGHT NOW on Ulta.com (check your local stores as well). It is however, listed as out of stock on Sephora and Macys, which could mean that it will be restocked, but if you can't get it at Ulta, try all your local stores (Sephora, Ulta, Macys, etc!)

I highly suggest/demand that you buy this palette before it's gone. If you don't like it, you can always return it but I DOUBT that you will NOT like it.