Friday Favorites

Summer is quickly coming to an end. It's a bittersweet thing. Though I am sad carefree, work-free, lazy summer days will be no more, I look forward to ushering in fall with its sweater weather, pumpkin spice lattes, and Sunday Night Football. 

I went back into work for a day this week. And though the never-ending list of to-do's was a bit overwhelming I am glad I got some of them crossed off. 

This weekend, I will be enjoying snuggles with my pets, breakfast at home, camping out in our backyard (yup!) and a baby "sprinkle". I hope you have a spectacular weekend! 

Enjoy double the photos today - since I missed last week's Friday Favorites. Warning: there are a lot of food photos. 

Y & I bought a huge box of these delicious grapes so we've been snacking on these sapphire jewels nonstop. 

French-style omelette (inspired by BenjimanTV) 

You must try 불닭볶음면 aka buldak bokkeummyeon It's fire in your mouth. I'm salivating just looking at this. 

Much awaited dinner date with S unni- thai iced tea, thai food and a lot of talking - good for the soul. 

Precious gifts all the way from Thailand!

My first attempt at galbitang for Y's return home. 

Roses from my sweet, sweet cousin-in-law 

Attieke! 

A lunch date with the husband at one of my favorite places, Whole Foods. 

Enjoyed this beautiful pizza sitting on the concrete at SoWa food trucks in Boston. 

Food for the Soul

I have had an awful stomachache on and off the past few days. It probably does not help that I've been choosing to eat quite a lot of junk. So yesterday, I decided I would "reset" and "recharge". 

I made myself a bowl of jook/congee/porridge (using this recipe). I tweaked it by using 1/4 cup white rice (the Korean, glutinous kind) with 1/4 cup quinoa. I made mine in a regular nonstick pot and let it simmer for a while. I topped it with some sesame oil and enjoyed it with some kimchi, washed it down with a tall glass of iced green tea and followed it up with a big bowl of juicy grapes. 

It's perfect for a rainy day like today. I may go home and make myself another big batch to enjoy on the couch while watching episodes of The Office. 

Natural Beauty Products

Last week, my face broke out into hives. And let me tell you, it was not a pleasant experience. (My guess is it was an allergic reaction. I have been racking my brain to figure out what may have caused it and I have narrowed it down to a toner I recently bought or a sample of a primer I tried.) In an effort to make this breakout go away, I tried this and that - which in turn only further irritated my skin. So, I was left with red, dry, irritated splotches all over my face (great, right?) And the worst part was covering it up with makeup didn't even help because it only accentuated the dry patches. 

Lessons learned:

1. My skin is sensitive.

2. Be careful when trying out and introducing new products to my skin. 

3. It is better to let my skin heal naturally instead of trying to expedite the process with chemicals that will only make it worse. 

When I realized that certain products were only irritating my skin more, I decided to switch over to a more "natural" skincare regimen. (I have been inspired by CloudyApples and my friend, Vanesa.) Our skin is our largest organ so it's important to be conscious of what we place on our skin. 

I began using a gentle oil cleanse, a simple toner and followed up with coconut oil to moisturize my dry skin. When I started to see the benefits of using natural products, I made a trip to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's to restock and pick up a few new things. 

L to R: 100% jojoba oil, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, tea tree tingle shampoo & conditioner, 100% aloe vera gel, lemon witch hazel, Juice Beauty blemish clearing cleanser, castor oil, Lavanila Healthy deodorant 

Jojoba oil: My mom first introduced me to jojoba oil. I can (and will) write an entire post on the benefits of various oils but this bottle of 100% jojoba oil from Trader Joe's (TJ) is a great bargain. 

Apple cider vinegar: There are many benefits to using apple cider vinegar as a toner. It helps to balance and restore your skin's natural pH. (Refer to Cloudyapple's video to learn a bit more about pH.) Make sure to get organic, raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Mix 1 part ACV with 3-4 parts water (add more water the more sensitive your skin is). Apply on skin with a cotton pad. 

Tea Tree Tingle shampoo & conditioner: I learned about the benefits of tea tree oil last year. (You can purchase tea tree oil at Trader Joe's as well.) I decided to try the TJ Tea Tree Tingle shampoo and conditioner because it's more natural and it has an invigorating smell of peppermint and tea tree oil. It also leaves a tingly feeling to your scalp, hence the name. 

Aloe vera gel: My mom used to always tell me to use aloe vera gel to soothe irritated skin but I was recently reminded of its existence and benefits from my friend, Vanesa's youtube channel. (Her video on an aloe vera oatmeal mask is amazing!) 

Witch hazel: I alternate between the apple cider vinegar concoction and witch hazel as a toner. Whole Foods carries a variety of different types of witch hazel (original, lavender, peach, lemon). I prefer the lemon because of its brightening components. 

Juice Beauty cleanser: Juice Beauty is an amazing organic skincare line. I usually find their products at Ulta or Whole Foods. I love this cleanser. It's simple, gentle and it works really well with my Clarisonic. 

Castor oil: Yet another oil that I enjoy using. Make sure it is cold-pressed and hexane-free. I find mine at Whole Foods and use it in conjunction with other oils when I do an oil cleanse. 

Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant: Many deodorants contain aluminum, parabens and other yucky chemicals. This deodorant is an all-natural deodorant. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of the smell (vanilla lavender) but I'm giving it a try. 

Homemade Banana Mask

I hate overripe bananas. I had four of them and they were wreaking havoc in the kitchen with their accomplices: fruit flies. I made a trap for the fruit flies but I still had to figure out what to do with the bananas. I typically cut them up, put them in a ziploc bag and freeze them to throw them into smoothies but I already had a large stash of them. So I began brainstorming ways I could use overripe bananas. 

I used three of them to make this delicious banana bread. (First time making it from scratch at home!) 

With the remaining lone banana, I decided to make a homemade face mask. Like last week's homemade coffee scrub, this week's mask only requires three simple ingredients. 

Bananas are packed with nutrients that are beneficial to your skin: 

• Vitamin A: fades dark spots and blemishes while smoothing out rough skin
• Vitamin B: moisturizes and lightens skin and prevents aging
• Vitamin E: fights free radical damage, helps strengthen the skin's UV resistance, anti-aging as it reduces appearance of wrinkles
• Potassium: moisturizes and hydrates skin

Lemon contains citric acid which assists in lightening the skin and helps with hyperpigmentation. 

Honey has anti-bacterial/anti-microbial properties which help to prevent pimples and blemishes. 

Peel overripe banana, place in mixing bowl and mash it up with fork. 

Squeeze about 1 tsp of lemon juice into banana mixture. 

Add about 1 tsp of honey and mix all the ingredients well. Wash face, pat dry. Tie hair back and use a headband to keep hair out of the way. Apply a thick layer of the mask, leave on for 10-15 minutes and then rinse off with warm water. 

And don't throw out the banana peel! My mom told me to take the overripe banana peel, sprinkle some raw sugar on the peel and use as a scrub to rub on heels and elbows! I tried it and it was wonderful. 

Enjoy! 

Makeup Menu

Lately, glowing, luminous skin + big lashes + tinted lips has been my makeup "jam". Here's my "makeup menu" as of late. 

L'oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer - When applied before your base makeup, it gives a subtle sheen to your skin. 

Laneige BB Cushion - My go-to base makeup at the moment (Review here) 

NYC Bronzer - Still using it. 

Nars Blush in Deep Throat - The first blush I bought and I still love it. 

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler - Everyday must-have. 

Covergirl LashBlast Waterproof Mascara - This may be my favorite mascara - it gives volume, holds a curl and doesn't clump. 

Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner in Brown - I use this eyeliner to tightline my eyes. It makes your lashes look thicker and this eyeliner doesn't budge. 

Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve - Hydrates your lips and has a nice rose scent. 

Peripera Lip Tint in #5 Candy Juice - Peripera is a Korean brand and I asked my mom to bring over this lip tint from Korea. My aunt found it for me (thank you!) and I have been using it every day since.