September Faves | Beauty, Fashion, Food

Just the thought of Fall makes me excited. I know we don't get to witness the majestic fall foliage here in Hawaii but the overall atmosphere, including the cozy vibe is something I always look forward to. My home office for one smells like pumpkin spice with a hint of caramel (reed diffuser I got from Pier Imports yesterday). I also bought a pumpkin spice powder which I sprinkle to my coffee for some fancy zest. You can tell, I pumpkin spice all the things! But before I get distracted, let's just recap some of my September favorites one last time!

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Red is a trend this fall and the easiest way to rock it is to wear it on your lips. I know some women who are afraid to wear red lipstick. I say don't be! Red is as flattering as neutral or pink shade. A true red is universally appealing, such as Bad Blood Comfort Matte from Urban Decay. Currently sold as a set at $22 including the lip liner, I got both for only $17 when Nordstrom was running a sale!

Get fall-ready with skincare. I have always been a fan of Derma-E products including their Microdermabrasion Scrub. The texture is quite gritty yet not as harsh as the other brands because the main ingredients are volcanic sand and sea salt mixed with natural and organic oil such as citrus, jojoba, sunflower, orange, to name a few. I use this twice a week, usually on my pamper-nights (Wednesday and Sunday) when I spend longer time as far as my beauty routine goes. The trick with at-home "microdermabrasion" is to not to apply force as you massage or rub the product against your skin. Wet your face, scoop out pea-size then gently rub (like rubbing your puppy's belly with so much TLC). Another skincare must-have is Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial. Note, I don't combine both at the same time because too much exfoliation can actually lead to more skincare problems such as irritation, breakouts and dryness. I have been using this product for many months now but never got to do a formal review. Offhand, it combines AHA (25%) composed of glycolic/tartaric/citric and lactic acid and BHA (2%) which is salicylic acid. AHA or alpha-hydroxy acid helps enhance and brighten the face. Anecdotally, it can help diminish dark spots (beginning stages of sun spots or uncomplicated hyperpigmentation). BHA or beta-hydroxy acid is salicylic acid which helps keep oil at bay, unclog pores, exfoliate and manage mild acne. This product does sting for a few minutes but it's one of those skincare wonders that I can actually see an immediate brightening effect on my skin. I use this once a week whenever I feel like my face looks dull.

Fashion-wise, I am happy to have discovered this vegan satchel from Matt and Nat which can also be worn as crossbody. I think the color is great for Fall season. It's versatile both for the office as well as running errands. It's roomy enough to accommodate my continental wallet, keys, eye drops, lipstick, sanitizer, mirror and camera (Canon G7x).

Finally, let me share with you a very simple breakfast cookie made without dairy. It's quick and easy and requires only a handful of ingredients. I have already baked this many times (4 this month that's why I am including it in my favorites post). I call it Cinnamon Apple Oat Cookies.

Yields 9-10 cookies. Prep time 5 minutes. Bake time 18 minutes. 

Ingredients: 

2 cups Quaker Oats apple cinnamon (ground, pulse in blender, I use Ninja)

2 ripe mashed bananas

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons flax seed (you can also use hemp or chia seeds)

(Optional) 2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder

(Optional) 2 tablespoons almond butter

Mix ground oat with mashed bananas. Combine the rest of the ingredients. If you want extra chewy, add almond butter. Scoop a portion, roll into a ball in between palm, flatten, arrange in pan covered with parchment paper. Pre-heat oven 350 degrees. Bake for 18 minutes.

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