Smith & Cult is back at it! It's not a secret that this pricey nail polish turned makeup brand has some of the best (in my opinion) polishes on the market. The formula is smooth and glides onto the nails easily; the brush is thin but not too thin so an even application is really easy to achieve.

The silver cap is very heavy which I think helps give you better control over how you're applying the nail polish, or at least it helps me.

Over the past few years I've built up my Smith & Cult nail polish collection and I have at least one of every color family; pink, nude, blue, red, and glitter. I'd really love to add Bitter Buddhist to the collection, especially for fall because a green shade would look awesome.

I wasn't planning on another Smith & Cult purchase but I saw on Birchbox's Instagram that they had a special Do Not Disturb limited edition box. It is themed around the Hygge trend, which is the idea of happy living and coziness. It's something that is right up my alley so I felt like I owed it to myself to buy the box.



Well, I received it last week and ugh, it's even better than I imagined. A picture of the box is below but one of the highlights was, of course, a Smith & Cult nail color that I didn't have. It's called "Exit the Void" and it's the perfect summer periwinkle blue shade.

It's very similar to Essie's 'Bikini So Teeny' which is an all time favorite of mine.




This is also really, really similar to another Smith & Cult shade I have 'She Said Yeah'. This is a little darker than "Exit the Void' but I probably wouldn't have purchased Exit the Void on its own, but since it was included in the box, why the hell not!

This will definitely be a summer staple and I'm so excited to have another great polish in my collection!

xoxo
B

I have never been a huge lip lover. I'm not drawn to lipsticks as I am other beauty products, like concealers. Lipsticks, glosses, none of it used to intrigue me.

And then, all of a sudden, one day I woke up with 100 different lip products (not actually 100) ranging from lip scrubs to liquid lipsticks and everything in between.

I love them all, pretty much equally. There are some lipstick formulas I prefer over others, some lip balms I love to death, and there are certain brands of liquid lipsticks that I will only purchase.

However, I switch them up on the daily. Some days I'm feeling a tinted lip balm and the next day I am Kylie Jenner with my matte liquid lips. I do not discriminate... until now.

I have found a lip product so incredible that it deserved it own blog post. YUP-- I don't think I've ever done this before.

I've developed a love affair with Smith & Cult as a brand, but that is no secret from my many Manicure Mondays including their nail polishes. Last year I realized that the brand also made lip glosses, which I enjoyed enough to wear continually.

A few months ago I saw on their Instagram page that they had two different color lip stains. Lip stains seem like an old school idea, especially this day in age where there are liquid lipsticks, transforming glosses and lip oils. I was intrigued and looked for them online-- the only place I could find them were Neiman Marcus, a retailer I have never shopped before.




I put off the purchase for weeks and weeks, until recently where I had the sudden urge to try something new. I took the plunge, ordered Linger Sigh, and the rest is history.

I don't really know what I was expecting but it was love at first sight. The stain is not sticky like a gloss, feels like a balm, and has a slight tingly sensation. It has the ever slightest hint of color that actually does stain your lips, but not in the "get this stuff off of me, I look like a clown" kind of way.

It is a very unique product, something I have never seen on the market before.



Linger Sigh is supposed to be the nude shade, wile Sweet Suite is the more pinkish color of the two shades. Maybe someone mixed up the labels, because you can clearly see, it is pink.

I think this is the perfect everyday lip color/product, especially on those days when you don't want to think about what to put on. If you're having a true no makeup makeup day, but want something on your lips, this is your product. Sometimes I feel like wearing a slight lip color but feel silly slapping on a bright pink matte lip when my face is bare.

This solves that problem in one swipe.

I am truly obsessed and addicted and will never be without this product. At some point, I will buy the 2nd shade and I pray that Smith & Cult releases more shades!

What is your new favorite lip product?

Let's get the elephant out of the room, shall we? I have a new look on the blog, AGAIN! My banner was messed up for about a week and a half, and I was getting bored with my design and felt like Royally Pink needed a face lift.

This is a temporary design purchased from The Blog Shop on Etsy. She has pre-made blog templates so it's perfect in a pinch! I will be trying to find a blog designer to make Royally Pink a custom design, but in the meantime, I'm kind of in love with the new layout!

What does everyone think?

Ok, so let's get into it!

The first Manicure Monday of the season and I couldn't be more excited. I always get to a point in the summer where I'm bored of bright nail colors and long for dark reds, browns, and plums.

Well, I found the best color to kick off fall and that is Smith & Cult's "Lovers Creep". I bought it when I went to the Birchbox Soho store last week but I had full intentions of purchasing it online as well.



Smith & Cult nail polishes have become my addiction and I only had light colors for spring & summer, so I knew I needed at least one dark color. Why not start the fall season with a bang and a deep, dark red?

The formula is just like the other Smith & Cult nail polishes. It goes on gorgeously, it's very smooth, and the chipping is a minimum. The photos I have are a little blah because I couldn't find my original photo so this is four day chipping. My nails have been really bad lately; they peel and are very weak which is why no nail polish is staying good.



My mom used this polish and her nails look like she just walked out of the nail salon, so it is a great polish.

This is such a good red --it's the color of red wine, it has the slightest hint of plum and it seems like the color of fall leaves.

This is a color that will be in constant rotation and I can't wait to get my hands on more fall colors. I'm eyeing up Bitter Buddhist & Stockholm Syndrome next :)

What's on your nails this manicure monday?

After I tried my first Smith & Cult polish weeks ago, and my mom also tried it, we immediately fell in love. It is hands down the most incredible nail polish formula I've ever tried. It's smooth, opaque, gel like, and doesn't chip. It's everything you want in a nail polish...

And it comes with an $18 price tag.

Not ideal, but if you save up some Birchbox points, you can get a discount.

Which is exactly what I did the first & second time around.

The first color "City of Compton" was a pale-ish pink, which is great for my mom, but I like a more intense, exotic color... especially for the summer months.

My mom agreed that since I was using my points, and an extra $10 of my own money, that we could get a more fun color.

I decided on "She Said Yeah" (weird name) which is deathly similar to "Pret-A-Surfer" by Essie
(another favorite of mine). The colors look really different online so I was surprised when I received it and it looked too similar to the Essie polish.

I don't like having too many similar polishes in my collection, I feel like its a waste and it takes away from the fun of owning so many nail colors.

I got over it quickly the moment I applied it to my nails.

Before top coat

UGH, it was just as amazing as the first!

Super sleek, smooth, applied like a dream...everything and more.

After top coat

I paired with my new Essie top coat "Gel Setter", that everyone and their mother has been talking about. It gives a gel like effect to any polish you apply it too and I have to agree. It's insanely shiny and thick, adding that extra layer of protection to the polish. It's not too expensive, $10, and it's totally worth it.

This time around, my polish chipped a little more quickly than with "City of Compton" but it was nothing compared to my usual 1-2 day chip of a regular, Essie or other polish.

My mom took this color, along with the Gel Setter top coat to the nail salon and her color stayed on for over a week. Now that is impressive.

Expect to see a lot more Smith & Cult on the blog because yes, it's $18, but I will splurge for the prettiness and the staying power.

What's your go-to polish? Tell me in the comments!

Once again, June flew by and I can't believe July starts this week. Where is time going??

I asked one of my co-workers the other day "Is this how life is now? Time just flies?" And their response was a resounding "Welcome to the real world"-- great, that's just great.

In just a few weeks, summer is over and then fall comes along and this cycle continues. I really am surprised at how time is passing, it's going too fast. I feel like I don't even have enough time to do everything I want or need to do. I mean, in less than 6 months I'll be 23 years old. It feels like just yesterday I was going to high school.

How and why does this happen?! It's starting to make my think and rethink life choices and decisions.

I've come to realize, with time moving so fast, that you have do everything to live a life you want, a life that makes you happy. Nothing else really matters, as long as you're content with everything you're doing. This is something I'm working on, something that has come up recently.

Anyways, I'll stop rambling on philosophical notions of time and life and get into my favorites. I've been trying so many new products and things this month, and I have a few things that have really made an impact on me.



1. Colourpop: I haven't used any other eyeshadows since I got these. I am addicted and obsessed in so many ways. I placed another order that will be up on the blog within the next few weeks and I want more. They're easy to use, one swipe and instant eye-shadow look. Sometimes, especially in the summer, I don't feel like putting on a lot of make-up (and especially early in the morning before work). Eye-shadow is my least favorite make-up item to apply because it takes so much time and it's hard, for me at least, to get it to look good. These cream, mousse like eye-shadows are so easy to use, and make your make-up look appear pulled together. If you haven't checked them out, you really need too.

2. Smith & Cult: Another beauty brand I've been loving. After posting this Manicure Monday, I knew I needed another one ASAP. It's one of my best nail polish formulas I've ever tried. It's expensive at $18 a bottle but with Birchbox points, you can get them for cheaper. They're smooth, opaque, and incredibly shiny--they give a gel like effect to your polish. I have another Manicure Monday coming up with my new polish "She Said Yeah".

3. Rumba Watch: The watch that I got as my Birchbox Plus item in my June box has not left my wrist. It's the perfect size for everyday wear, I almost forget that I'm wearing it. It adds a bit of flair to any outfit and I love it. I've been looking for an everyday, yet dressy and slim watch and this is it.



4. Kimonos: I don't love clothes as much as I love beauty or accessories, but I have been trying to invest in more clothes so I have more options for a 5-day work week. The summer is especially hard for me to shop for because I like to be comfortable and the heat makes that so difficult. In comes Kimonos. This is a trend that I have missed out on the last two summers but finally got on board. I have three that I keep in rotation, and wear with colored pants. I'm obsessed. They're so comfortable but dressy, and aren't heavy in the slightest. They keep me cool and are perfect for work, if you have a more casual corporate office. Give me all the kimonos, please. Here are a few that I'm looking at for the future: One Two Three Four

5. Elite Daily: I've been obsessing over the site because it's constantly inspiring me and opening my eyes to new things, and new feelings. It's inspiring me to write more and figure out what I really want out of my life. Some of those writers are really incredible, it's so admirable. Snaps to Elite Daily for killing the game lately!

There weren't too many beauty "products" this month because I've been loving so many different things, and trying so many new things, I can't pick just one! Keep an eye out for your daily dose of beauty coming up in the next few weeks. I have a lot of reviews + hauls coming up!

How was your month of June? What were your favorites?









Shop my favorites below: 

I have never spent more than $10 on a bottle of nail polish. I don't see the point. Essie or any other drug store brand works just as good as anything else. Why fix something that isn't broken?

I do though, own three Deborah Lippman bottles that I won in a raffle and it's definitely nice to have something luxurious but I don't really see a difference between those and my Essie polishes.

That doesn't mean I haven't been intrigued by the idea of a gorgeous, expensive bottle of nail polish.

That intrigue was brought to the surface when I started to see a new brand of polish on Instagram, mostly from Birchbox, and it sparked my interest.

Smith & Cult was founded by beauty veteran Dineh Mohajer, who is a creator of worldwide brand "Hard Candy"--which is really impressive. The brand was founded back in 2014 so it is fresh on the beauty scene, but seems to be gaining some more attention since being added to the Birchbox shop ever so recently.

The company formulates their polishes without Dibutyl, Phthalate, Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin and Camphor, which is definitely most of the appeal.

The bottles are very uniquely shaped and sized--they are pretty big, yet short and stout. I think that's what initially intrigued me, the bottles were so different! They look expensive, luxurious, and fancy. I feel cool owning one.

Yes, that is right, I used my much savored Birchbox points on a whim, on an $18 bottle of Smith & Cult nail polish by the name of "City of Compton." It's a gorgeous pink, somewhere between a baby & hot pink. 



My mom used the polish first and she was immediately impressed. She doesn't do her nails herself very often and she looked like she had just come from the salon, with a gel manicure. 

I tackled applying my nails with the uniquely shaped handle the day after my mom did hers. 

It was a little difficult to get a grip on the handle since it's so big but after a few nails, it was fine.

The formula is SMOOTH! It has to be one of the easiest polishes to apply. One coat was pretty opaque and shiny-two coats were even better. (I always do two coats, always apply a base & top coat so this was no different). There were zero streaks, no spilling onto my nail beds. 

The color is bright and perfect for summer. It seems that a lot of the brand's colors are super bright. In the same breath, the colors are also really unique. I don't think I have a pink like this and I am lusting after this bad boy named Vegas Post Apocalyptic. They also have the best names ever! 

I don't think I've ever been so intrigued by a brand or so willingly to shell out $18 of my own hard earned cash on a bottle of polish.