Tori Wesszer Inspired: Brown Butter Butternut Squash Pasta

Elevated Home Cooking • Autumn Comfort

This pasta blends rustic Autumn comfort with elevated simplicity. The brown butter adds warmth and nuttiness, the roasted squash brings sweetness, and the sage ties everything together with a classic seasonal aroma. It’s cozy, polished, and deeply satisfying, which is exactly the kind of elevated home cooking Tori is known for, her refined style.

Prep 15 min Cook 30 min Serves 4

Brown Butter Sage Butternut Squash Pasta/ladyfeast.com

Ingredients

3 cups butternut squash, cubed
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
350 g short pasta (rigatoni, penne, or similar)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/3 cup Parmesan, finely grated
6–8 leaves fresh sage
To taste sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

  1. Roast the squash
    Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 20–25 minutes until caramelised and tender.
  2. Cook the pasta
    Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
  3. Brown the butter
    In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sage leaves. Cook until the butter turns golden and smells nutty.
  4. Build the sauce
    Add shallot and garlic to the brown butter. Sauté until fragrant. Add a splash of pasta water to create a glossy sauce.
  5. Combine
    Fold in roasted squash and cooked pasta. Toss with Parmesan until coated and silky.
  6. Finish
    Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm with extra Parmesan and crisp sage leaves.

Beauty Benefits

Butternut Squash

  • Beta‑carotene supports collagen and natural radiance
  • Vitamin C brightens and firms the skin
  • Vitamin E protects the moisture barrier

Brown Butter

  • Healthy fats support supple, hydrated skin
  • Nutty compounds offer antioxidant benefits

Garlic & Shallot

  • Sulphur compounds support detox pathways
  • Helps reduce inflammation linked to dullness

Sage

  • Rich in antioxidants that help calm redness
  • Supports circulation for a fresh complexion

This dish is a glow‑enhancing, skin‑supportive autumn comfort meal.

Health Benefits

  • High in antioxidants (beta‑carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E)
  • Supports immune health during colder months
  • Anti‑inflammatory from sage, garlic, and olive oil
  • Balanced energy from pasta + healthy fats
  • Fibre‑rich squash supports digestion and gut‑skin balance

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated.
  • Reheat gently with a splash of water or broth to restore creaminess.
  • Not ideal for freezing due to pasta texture.

Substitutions

  • Pasta: rigatoni, penne, fusilli, or gluten‑free pasta
  • Parmesan: Pecorino or Grana Padano
  • Add‑ins: spinach, kale, toasted pumpkin seeds, crispy pancetta
  • Squash: sweet potato or delicata squash

History

Brown butter pasta dishes have deep roots in Northern Italian cooking, where butter and sage are classic companions for autumn produce. Tori’s rustic‑clean style modernises this tradition by keeping the ingredients simple, seasonal, and approachable, while still feeling elevated.

I’m Stacey Hobbs, thanks for reading Face by Stace! Until next time.
do you feel fabulous today?

Pear Hydration & Barrier‑Support Face Masque

A plush, moisture‑locking masque that restores softness, bounce and barrier strength.

This masque is creamy, cooling, and deeply hydrating. Pear’s natural humectants pull moisture into the skin, while its antioxidants help calm irritation.

Beauty Benefits

  • Natural humectants — draw moisture into the skin for lasting hydration.
  • Vitamin C — supports collagen and brightens dullness.
  • Pectin — strengthens the moisture barrier and improves elasticity.
  • Aloe — calms redness and irritation.
  • Jojoba oil — mimics skin’s natural oils for balanced nourishment.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp puréed ripe pear
  • 1 tbsp aloe vera gel
  • 1 tsp jojoba oil
  • Optional: 1 drop chamomile extract

Instructions

Blend until creamy. Apply a generous layer to clean skin. Leave on 12–15 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Storage

Keeps 48 hours refrigerated. Stir before each use.

Substitutions

  • Replace jojoba with squalane for lighter hydration.
  • Replace aloe with glycerin for extra moisture retention.

Myrna Loy’s Milk‑Based Masks

Myrna Loy’s complexion had a serenity that set her apart from the high‑glamour stars of her era. While other actresses relied on heavy powders and studio tricks, Loy built her glow from the skin outward — beginning with her beloved milk‑based masks.

This routine came from her early dance training, where milk was used to soften and refine the skin before performances. Loy adopted the practice permanently. The lactic acid in milk provided gentle exfoliation, dissolving dullness without irritation, while the natural fats created a velvety finish that cameras adored. Her complexion developed that “quiet clarity” — smooth, even, and calm under any lighting setup.

She applied the masks regularly, often in the evenings, letting the mixture sit long enough to coax out softness without stripping the skin. This consistency gave her the porcelain luminosity that became her signature. Directors loved filming her because her skin didn’t fight the light; it absorbed it, diffused it and returned it with a subtle glow.

In an era of theatrical beauty, Loy’s milk‑mask regime was revolutionary. It wasn’t about transformation — it was about refinement. A dancer’s discipline turned into a movie star’s trademark.

Myrna Loy’s milk‑based masks weren’t just a beauty habit. They were the foundation of her entire look: calm, intelligent and effortlessly luminous.

I’m Stacey Hobbs, thanks for reading Face by Stace! Until next time.
do you feel fabulous today?

The Thin Man Phenomenon: Myrna Loy and the Birth of Intelligent Glamour

When The Thin Man debuted in 1934, audiences expected a clever mystery. What they didn’t anticipate was a cultural shift — one that would redefine glamour, marriage and modern femininity, to what it was at the time. At the centre of this phenomenon was Myrna Loy, whose portrayal of Nora Charles became the guideline for a new kind of screen woman: witty, elegant, emotionally fluent, and effortlessly stylish.

Loy’s beauty in the series was never ornamental. It was architectural, refined through her milk‑based masks, almond‑oil massages, and her signature taupe contouring that sculpted without shouting. Under the camera’s gaze, she radiated a calm, intelligent glow — a look that felt startlingly contemporary and aspirational.

But The Thin Man’s impact extended far beyond beauty. Nora Charles’ wardrobe — bias‑cut satin, languid evening gowns, tailored daywear that moved with her — created a fashion vocabulary that audiences devoured. She embodied cocktail‑hour chic, a kind of relaxed luxury that made sophistication feel attainable.

Then there was the chemistry. Loy and William Powell didn’t just play a married couple; they redefined one. Their banter, ease, and mutual respect made glamour feel warm rather than icy, intimate rather than distant. Viewers weren’t simply watching a mystery; they were watching a lifestyle.

The phenomenon of The Thin Man lies in this alchemy: beauty, fashion, wit, and partnership woven together through Myrna Loy’s serene brilliance. She didn’t just star in the series — she shaped an era.

I’m Stacey Hobbs, thanks for reading Face by Stace! Until next time.
do you feel fabulous today?

Butternut Squash Lip‑Softening Balm Treatment

A plush, hydrating lip treatment that smooths flakes and restores suppleness.

This balm is creamy, comforting, and ideal for dehydrated, chapped lips. Butternut squash adds natural enzymes and hydration to protect the barrier.

Beauty Benefits

  • Natural sugars + enzymes — gently exfoliate without scrubbing.
  • Vitamin A — supports soft, healthy lip tissue.
  • Coconut oil + shea butter — deeply moisturise and protect.
  • Honey — locks in hydration.

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp cooked, mashed butternut squash
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • ½ tsp shea butter
  • ½ tsp honey

Instructions

Blend until smooth. Apply a thin layer to lips. Leave on 5–10 minutes, then wipe off or leave as a balm.

Storage

Lasts 3–4 days refrigerated. If separation occurs, re‑mix before use.

Substitutions

  • Replace shea butter with cocoa butter for a firmer balm.
  • Replace honey with agave for vegan use.

I’m Stacey Hobbs, thanks for reading Face by Stace! Until next time.
do you feel fabulous today?

Butternut Squash Collagen‑Boosting Velvet Tonic

A warm, silky autumn drink designed to support collagen, brightness, and overall skin vitality.

This tonic is a collagen routine with a velvety blend of steamed butternut squash, citrus, and warm spices. It’s gentle, comforting, and deeply restorative, ideal for cooler Alberta evenings when skin needs nourishment from the inside out.

Beauty Benefits

  • Beta‑carotene (pro‑vitamin A) — supports collagen formation, improves skin texture, and enhances natural radiance.
  • Vitamin C from lemon — boosts collagen cross‑linking, brightens dullness, and helps fade pigmentation.
  • Warm hydration — improves circulation, giving skin a plump, rosy appearance.
  • Cinnamon polyphenols — antioxidant‑rich and supportive of barrier repair.
  • Honey — a natural humectant that helps maintain moisture levels.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup steamed butternut squash
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp honey
  • Pinch cinnamon

Instructions

Blend squash with hot water until velvety. Add lemon, honey, and cinnamon. Sip warm.

Storage

Best enjoyed immediately. If needed, refrigerate up to 24 hours and re‑warm gently.

Enjoy!!!

I’m Stacey Hobbs, thanks for reading Face by Stace! Until next time.
do you feel fabulous today?