October 2016 Favorites

Here are my October Favorites for 2016!

Dancewear: Short legwarmers

As many of you know, I have chronic issues with my left ankle.  Cooler

weather, humidity, and lots of pointework all contribute to ankle soreness

for me, and all of these things seem to happen at this time of year!  I

frequently wear short legwarmers in class and rehearsal to keep one or both

ankles warm and strong.  I am currently wearing an old pair from

BodyWrappers, but I have my eye on these cute ones from Wear Moi (Izalia

short stirrup leg warmers, available from wearmoi.us in the United States).

Streetwear: Lululemon Groove Pants

Lululemon is seen as one of the top brands in yoga and athletic clothing.

Products can be expensive, but eBay always has great deals for gently used

Lululemon items in all sizes.  I am partial to a style called the Groove

Pant (both in the skinny cut and flared cut).  The fabric most Lululemon

items are made of (called Luon) is a stretchy synthetic that is soft like

cotton, so it glides on easily over ballet tights and is comfortable against

skin.  I wear my Lululemon groove pants for to the gym, for modern dance, as

warm ups over my ballet clothes, and when lounging or running errands.

(Available at Lululemon stores, lululemon.com, and ebay.com)

Makeup: Dr. Jart Black Label Detox BB Cream

I've been using this Korean BB Cream regularly for about 3 years.  However,

now that my skin type has changed to fairly dry without much acne or

discoloration, this is the only thing I use on my face most days (no powder,

no concealer).  I absolutely hate it when I can see foundation on my face,

and this cream doesn't do that.  It completely blends into my skin, protects

with SPF 15, and evens out skin tone with light coverage.  The only slight

downfall to this product is that it's only available in 2 colors (light,

which matches my skin perfectly, and medium, which is quite a bit darker but

still with neutral/yellow tones).  However, because it provides a sheer

blendable coverage, a perfect skin tone match isn't necessary to reap the

benefits. (Available from Sephora and sephora.com)

Skincare: Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream

Guess what my favorite brand has been lately.  I started using Cicapair this

month (it's a fairly recent launch for the brand) and immediately fell in

love.  The cream promises to hydrate dry skin and relieve sensitive skin of

redness and irritation.  For me, it's done both.  I use a small squeeze

morning and night, and my skin has been more hydrated and more even in tone

and texture.  I also think this cream smells great (a bit like ginger,

cucumber, and lemongrass--it will smell familiar if you're well versed in

Korean cuisine), and the texture is amazing (thick, but light). (Available

from Sephora and sephora.com)

Food: Strong Almond Protein Bars by Kind

Several days each week, I have multiple ballet classes or rehearsals with a

short break after each.  To refuel, I often eat snacks during my breaks.  I

need a generous serving of healthy vegan protein in each snack, and granola

bars are often the most convenient choices to meet my needs.  However,

sometimes the idea of eating a sweet snack is repelling to me (don't know

why; I put it down to an electrolyte imbalance).  These Strong bars are the

perfect solution for me.  They are limited ingredient nut-and-seed protein

bars flavored with savory spices like jalapeno and hickory barbecue.  With

about 230 calories and 10 grams of protein in each bar, they fill me with

energy without making me feel bloated.   (Available at most grocery stores)