Happy weekend! This post is up way later than usual because of a few things: a massive anxiety attack Thursday night, a little bit of laziness, and an intense allergic reaction to a banana.

YUP. You heard that right.

I have always been allergic to most fruits (the only fruits I can eat are strawberries and blueberries). A lot of people don't believe me and I've never been tested but all I know is that when I eat raw fruit (or raw nuts), my ears and mouth start to itch and my throat gets very tight. Every so often I like to try to eat a fruit to test the waters and see if my allergy has gone away.

For the past two weeks I've eaten a lot of strawberries and suddenly had a craving for fruit. I decided to try a banana and see how it went because I love bananas. Well, I ate one today and after 15 minutes it was all over. I didn't have any symptons I usually have but my body rejected it. I got so sick and was out of commission for about four hours. After laying on the cold bathroom floor for about 15 minutes, I felt better and was able to function but I will never eat another banana as long as I live.

Now that we've got the TMI situation out of the way, let's dive into what I loved this week!

Links to Love

• Don't beat yourself up over a missed workout
• Why fashion burnout needs to be talked about
• Why beauty brands are releasing skincare for children
• A brightening eye cream that I need to try
• Where is your leopard print midi skirt?
• How to combat job search depression

What You Missed on Royally Pink

What I Bought This Week

Today is 7 years since I created Royally Pink. It was the summer going in Junior Year of college and I was bored as hell at home. I was missing my sorority sisters, after an incredible year of fun and I needed to do something to pass the time.

My mom, sister and I were living with my aunt and I remember stumbling across The College Prepster (now Carly the Prepster) and disovering the world of blogging. I was studying to be a journalist, really focused on my career and hoping I would get the internship of my dreams. I was working in the new frozen yogurt shop in town and making good money for once.

I created a blogger account, picked a name and started writing.



The name Royally Pink was the first thing that popped into my head; I was obsessed with England and the Royal Family (we already had one year of Kate and William as the Royal Couple, sans babies or Meghan Markle) and pink has always been my favorite color.

In that breath, my blog, my brand was born. I wanted a place to share my thoughts with people who might've cared. I had a lot to say about random things but no one in my real life really cared that much. I was going to use this blog as an outlet to talk about things I liked and didn't like. It was going to be a place to hone my writing skills and show future employers that I had passion for writing, was good at it, and could dedicate myself to something.

Back in 2012, social media and the blogging world were completely different. Social media wasn't a job yet, I was hardly using it to promote the blog and Instagram still looked like this. I don't know if anyone predicted that people would be full time bloggers and that influencers would replace traditional advertising.

Back then in 2012, the world was a very different place and it has been really interesting to document it here on Royally Pink.

I have never once thought about giving up this blog -- I don't care what happens or where I end up, this blog has been a lifesaver. Having something to do day after day, something to dedicate myself to and something to pour my heart into really helps me. It keeps me on track, it makes me feel like I have purpose. It's fun and carefree but also difficult at times. It's really fun to work with brands and bring a story to life... there is so much good in this blog, and so much is owed to you all who read it.

Thank you for sticking with me through the good times and bad... thank you for putting up with constant changes to the layout, my writing style, and different series my brain comes up with. It has been a wild, joyful ride and without you, I'd just be talking to myself.

As a token of my appreciation, here's a little giveaway; a few of my favorite things such as stationery and beauty products, the mountain that Royally Pink was built on.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I love you all, thank you for a great 7 years.. here's to 100 more!

xoxo
B

I can't believe June is this weekend and we're nearing the halfway mark of the year. We're closer to Fall 2019 than 2018 and that is just wild to me. The year is flying by but this past month has been one of the longest of my life.

I'm primarily working from home, after some tough career changes this month and it's pretty interesting. I can't say too much on here yet but I hope to be able to fully explain soon -- I know I keep saying that so I apologize for the vaguness.

I've mentioned a few times that I have gotten really back into beauty the past month or so and it continued well into this month. I am so excited about all things beauty related and it's so nice to love something again that I took a mild break from before.

May was also the month when I started up my newsletter again and actually found a clear vision for it. The newsletter won't be content you see on the blog but mostly touching on topics that are a little more philsophical. I will definitely be sharing

During the past month I've tried a few differnet new things but also rediscovered some old little luxuries that I simply adore. I shared my current favorite beauty products last week so those are definitely my favorites but these are a few other random things that really caught my eye this month.

Pilot Pens

I've used these pens in the past but it wasn't until reading The Skinny Confidential that I knew I needed to pick up a pack again. I came across an Amazon giftcard recently and these ended up in my cart. I have not stopped using them and they are truly the greatest, smoothest, easiest pens to write with. Go get some!

Select CBD Pen

Diptyque Candles

Rohto Ice Eye Drops

Maison Replica Under the Lemon Trees

I mentioned the Jason Wu fragrance in my beauty favorites post but I have to mention this one which I've been wearing even more. I loved using the "By The Fireplace" fragrance in the winter and really wanted a super summery fragrance for the summer. When I saw the "Under the Lemon Trees" on the New Arrivals page on Sephora, I knew it was the one for me. I have been obsessed with all things lemon lately so I knew no matter what, I would like this fragrance. It smells like a delicious, fresh lemon cookie and is ideal for all summer occassions.

What were your favorites this month?
xoxo
B

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone! I am very overwhelmed by the number of sales and I really want to buy everything. I already purchased a pair of Jack Rogers from their 30% off sale, scored a bkr bottle (or two) from the warehouse sale, and I'm gearing up for more shopping.

On the flip side, I have a really packed weekend and I am so excited. I have been working from home for the past month and it'll be really nice to get out of the house and have plans to see friends and just do fun things.

In other exciting news, I've been writing for a few more websites and had a few articles published this week. I'm so excited about my expanded repertoire and want to share it all with you! If you are ever interested in reading everything I've ever written in my life (besides the blog) head on over to www.brianaluca.weebly.com.

Also on that note, I'm going to relaunch my newsletter but this time, I have a clear cut vision of it. I'll be tackling more difficult topics, almost philosophical along with more conversational topics. Please sign up as the first one will be going out this weekend!

Here's everything I loved this week!

Links I Loved

I've wanted to write this post for a very long time but the moment never felt right. I started this blog in 2012 when I was going into my junior year of college. At that point, I had been in my sorority for almost a year and had big dreams of what I was going to accomplish in the sisterhood.

Ask anyone who knew me in college and they'll tell you I was very passionate about my sorority. I craved the friendship, the leadership, and the message that came along with being part of Phi Sigma Sigma, of being part of something huge.

When I was a junior, I had already won the position of Vice President of Communication on the Greek Board for the entire school, I was in charge of a committee or two and was on the road to do something bigger.

I knew I wanted to run for the Executive Board, it was just a matter of whether I was going to choose the president or vice president position. I wanted to be in charge, I wanted to make my sorority better. I was the girl on campus who made everyone go to the events, who wore her letters so much my friends had to tell me to wear normal clothes, and who wanted to be part of everything that the sorority did.

Eventually, that junior year, I ran and won for Vice President (unopposed but mostly because everyone knew how badly I wanted the position and how good I would make it) and for once, felt really at home.

I always had a pretty clear vision of who I was in my life, I was a little quirky, a little shy, and someone who was never the leader of the group. I was laid back in a sense that I just followed what others did or wanted to do -- if I really didn't want to do it, I didn't.

Being the Vice President of the sorority, standing in front of over 100 girls at my first meeting was nerve-wracking. I wasn't the girl who felt comfortable speaking in front of people, I didn't know what I was doing; while there was a handbook for the VP position, no one before me took it as seriously as I was going to, as seriously as I wanted too. After I left the position and groomed many young girls to take my place in years to come, they told me that I changed the way the VP operated and the position in the chapter. That was my legacy.

I loved Greek life so much I convinced the Greek advisor to let me on two executive boards at once and held the position of Vice President of Communication for my senior year as well. I loved Greek life so much and felt so at home that I won Sorority Woman of the Year in my senior year. I was fraternity sweetheart and really (not to pat myself on the back) a big lady on campus.

I felt at home in my sorority so much, like I had finally found myself and my place. I had never dreamed that I would have the skills to run an entire sorority, which is basically a little town of young women. I grew up in my sorority and learned so many skills that I've taken with me into my adult life, even five years after I graduated.

If you're in a sorority, or if you're thinking about rushing, these are a few lessons you might learn during your years and be able to take with you forever.

Leadership

I was never a leader before the sorority. As I said before, I went the flow and followed the rules. It was very weird for me to actually 'make' the rules. Being a leader I learned that it's important to listen to people, take constructive criticism, and work together. Just because you are in charge doesn't mean you get to lead alone... you need help. I learned to take charge of situations I knew I could handle but also delegate when it was important. I think to go into an entry-level or even mid-level position you won't necessarily be a leader but having those leadership skills and quality will help greatly in doing a good job and setting yourself up for success.

Work Ethic and Responsibility 

It might sound really silly but being on the Executive Board, or just being a member of a sorority will take a lot of work. There is a lot to do in a sorority; weekly meetings, events, mixers, conferences, recruitment... it takes a lot of responsibility to manage your time, plan events, and just help out with everything that it takes to make a sorority go round. I was never busier than I was in college and it really taught me time management, how to say no (sometimes there is just too much going on) and how to work hard to make something happen.

Small Talk

I am an incredibly shy person. I really do not like talking to people and I would much rather stay at home than be out. I'm not good at making friends and it takes a lot for me to feel comfortable in a social setting. However, in a sorority, from the first day of recruitment to your last day of college, you are kind of forced to be social. When you're getting ready to join a sorority you go through the recruitment process where you have to make a lasting impression on the sisters in order to get a bid. Selling yourself and stepping outside your comfort zone is essential and it can be quite the process for some people. Because of the small talk, I had to make, the public speaking I had to do, I feel a little more comfortable in my own skin. Without the sorority, I would still be the shy person I used to be. *I definitely am still a little shy but it is not as bad as it was. This helped me greatly with interview skills, conferences, and networking events.

Teamwork

No matter where you go in life there is going to be someone you dislike or don't get along with. No matter where you go in life, you will have to work with someone you don't like. A sorority is the perfect place to start honing in on this skill. Now listen, sororities have a reputation of being a catty group of women but that was so far from the truth in my experience. No one fought or were vicious to each other, but not everyone was best friends. However, we did all come together when it mattered and we all worked together to better the sorority and be the best we could be. Even if someone wasn't your BFF, you respected them because they were your sister and you were able to get things done. That is so important in life, to learn to work with people you don't necessarily want to work with and I'm so thankful for that lesson.

Whenever I have dealt with difficult situations, I try to remind myself that once I was a girl who was responsible for a hell of a lot more than I am right now and I got through that and did a great job.

All in all, this quote sums up how a sorority can help you become who you are and help you so much in life.

I received an advanced copy of "Red, White, and Royal Blue" from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

When I saw "Red, White, and Royal Blue" available for request from NetGalley, I was intrigued but it wasn't until I saw the book pop up on several 'Must Read for the Summer' lists that I knew I had to get my hands on it. From the publisher's summary alone I knew it was going to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

"What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?"




Um, sign me the EFF UP! Does that not sound like the most intriguing book of all time? Because I think it does and I read it in one sitting. Well, I read it in two sittings but I started it on Mother's Day, read a few chapters and then finished more than 90% of the book the next day. Once I started reading this and became invested in the characters, I could not stop.

The book is pure fiction -- the Royal Family in the book is not anything like the Royal Family we currently know and love. The First Family is nothing like any other First Family we've had -- it doesn't even seem loosely based on anyone in history, it is pure fiction and I love it that way. It was as if I were living in another dimension. However, there were one or two mentions of Obama as the current President, Ellen Claremont (yes, the first female president) won the 2016 election, and now the book takes place during the 2020 election.

The novel is told in the First Son's POV, Alex Claremont Diaz... the first Mexican-American First Son. His parents are divorced and he lives in the White House with his mother and sister, June... as well as the Vice President's granddaughter, Nora. They're referred to as the White House Trio and honestly, I wish I was their friend because they seem like they have a lot of fun.

We're introduced to Alex as a carefree, playboy who has his sights set on becoming a politician, helping his mother win the 2020 election and working on her campaign. The one character trait that we see immediately is that Alex has a true hatred for the Prince of England, Henry. He despises him with every fiber of his being and that is where the story begins.

While we know that the two are going to fall in love before the story starts, it's very interesting to see how it takes place. The hatred is so strong from Alex's POV that you can borderline feel the sexual tension through the pages. The way that the relationship comes together is very innocent -- after a bit of an international disaster, Alex and Henry are forced to showoff their friendship instead of the bitterness that the public saw -- the friendship eventually blossoms into something more, much to the surprise of Alex. 

The story rolls on and there is a lot of secrecy as well as familial issues that come along with the relationship. While I can't speak to the LGBT issues that the book touches on, I do think it did a good job at rounding out the story and not making it a true fairytale.

As I mentioned before, I read this book in less than 24 hours. I could not put it down because I simply needed to know how everything was going to play out. I wanted to see how Alex and Henry's relationship was going to develop and play out... and what would happen when/if the world found out about it.

It was a beautiful love story and touched really nicely on politics without getting too indepth or too political; I loved the marriage of American and English customs/protocol. It was just an incredibly endearing book that I think everyone would really enjoy. It's a modern love story, one that seems outlandish but at the same time, could actually happen. It was just so good.

Do you think you're going to read "Red, White, and Royal Blue"?


xoxo
B

I never liked summer clothes. I was too heavy for them, looked frumpy and I really just didn't feel comfortable. After losing 20+ pounds (give or take a few) summer clothes have become a lot easier. I didn't realize it until last summer but I wasn't as hot or uncomfortable anymore... and my mom reminded me that it's because I basically lost a small toddler worth of weight.