- Page 38 of 47

By Amy Zhang February 14, 2017 in Style, Wellness 40 Comments

A Little Love Letter on Loving Yourself

Happy Valentine’s Day!! I’ll admit it – I’m a total sucker for love. But rather than focus on the kind of love we give to others, I wanted to focus on the kind of love we give ourselves today. In other words, loving yourself. Regardless of your relationship status at the moment or thoughts on Valentine’s Day as a holiday, I think it’s a great reminder to take a minute and give yourself some major love. Take a minute today and write a little letter as a reminder that you should always be loving yourself first. After all – there’s no relationship in the world that is more important than the one you have with yourself.

We talk all the time about empowerment. How important it is to empower and support those around us. But what about empowering ourselves? We put the needs and wants of others constantly before ourselves. It’s time to love ourselves. Put yourself first. Be the selfish (the good kind!).

A Little Love Letter on Loving Yourself

I just finished I AM THAT GIRL by Alexis Jones (HIGHLY recommend!!) and I absolutely LOVED her message on self love and putting yourself first. Alexis says:

“Learning to listen to yourself and knowing what you need and when you need it is step one to becoming the good kind of selfish. Asking for it is the next step… when you put your needs last, you’re like a plant without water that’s worried about providing enough shade for others. But if that plant doesn’t have water to grow, it will shrivel up and die, providing no shade or comfort for others anyway.”

Whoa. That is so spot on. Think about it this way:

How often do you commit to something because you want to be a “yes woman,” only to realize later on you over-committed yourself or didn’t want to do that thing to begin with. You know that friend that always flakes? Or the times you’ve flaked on your plans because you realize at the last minute you totally overwhelmed your schedule with too many plans and commitments? If we learn to be honest with ourselves and set realistic expectations for what we can do and how much energy we can exert, we’ll be better people for it. She goes on to say:

“Remember your time is precious, as are you, so start acting like it. Your time is important, your energy is finite, and your attention is precious, so value who and where you spend it accordingly. You are the only one who can set those kinds of expectations and teach people how to treat you. Be selfish, and I promise everyone will benefit.”

Start by taking some me time. A little bit every day. You deserve it.

Call me a romantic, an optimist, or delusional, but I think love should be celebrated every day. Especially love for ourselves.

Take a moment for yourself today and say thank you to yourself. The practice of self-love doesn’t always feel natural, but over time it will feel good. At the end of the day, the way you treat yourself sets the standard for how you treat others.

Whatever your plans are today, make it a good one – and be sure to spoil yourself rotten, even if it’s just with a little self-love, gratitude, and me time!

xx, Amy

dress: vici | hat: lack of color (similar) | belt: b-low the belt

shoes: isabel marant | bag: gucci

By Amy Zhang February 13, 2017 in Beauty 4 Comments

My Favorite High-End Luxurious Lipsticks

A great lip color has the ability to instantly transform your look and pull together an outfit. In my daily life, I tend not to wear too much makeup. This can be problematic when I have plans after work or something unexpectedly comes up where I want to look a little more polished and put together. This is why I always, always keep a few luxurious lipsticks with great color on me – at my desk, in my purse, gym bag, and car.

As I talked about in my last post, I’m a huge believer in little daily luxuries. Fancy, luxurious lipsticks definitely counts as well. I love the way high-end lipsticks feel, how pigmented they are, and how luxe the packaging is. Here are my favorite high-end luxurious lipsticks at the moment.

My current 5 favorite luxurious lipsticks

MAC

MAC was the first “high-end” lipstick I ever bought for myself. The formula isn’t always as creamy and luxe feeling as some other brands, but you can’t beat the color selection and the price is comparatively a steal relative to high-end brands. My everyday go to nude? Velvet Teddy. Date night red? Ruby-woo. And vampy dark color? Sin.

Nars Velvet Lip Glide

I LOVE this product. It goes on like a gloss, but has a satiny, velvet finish. I personally find super matte products to be way too drying and make me look older, but glosses are overly sticky. This is a beautiful marriage of the two.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

Damned has been my go-to for years. The perfect dark berry color perfect for nighttime.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Oil in Stick

YSL makeup products never fail. The packaging is sleek and beautiful, the colors vibrant, and this lipstick is so moisturizing. It feels like a gloss/balm and has a shiny finish – I adore this product for spring and summer.

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche

My absolute favorite luxurious lipstick at the moment. SO many colors, goes on smooth, lasts forever, and the texture is hydrating and rich. I have it in 4 shades, but my favorite is FIG.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day ; ). If you’re looking to complete your makeup look for Valentine’s Day, make sure you check out this list of the absolute best bronzers. What are your favorite luxurious lipsticks? I LOVE drugstore versions as well.

xx, Amy

By Amy Zhang January 25, 2017 in Lifestyle, Style, Wellness 29 Comments

Pajama Dressing + The Importance of Sleep

L'academie The Silk Blouse | The Luxi Look

Let’s talk about one of my favorite things to do:

Sleep.

Specifically, the importance of sleep.

Sounds silly, I know. BUT. Hear me out. In case you didn’t already know, sleep is V IMPORTANT. I know I sound like a snooze (ha, ha) but the older I get, the more I have come to appreciate sleep and everything it does for your body, mind, and soul. In college and my early 20’s I would stay up late, wake up early, pull all-nighters, and do all sorts of other things that completely wrecked my sleeping schedule. I figured: you sleep enough when you’re dead. I knew sleep was good for you, but I never fully processed how vital it is to performance and basically every human function you do.

[ If you’re one of those superhumans that can function off of 4 hours of sleep a night, no need to continue reading. I am officially very jealous of you. ]

The Importance of Sleep

Why sleep is important

+ Improves learning and brain function

When we sleep, our brains go to work. Sleep allows our brains to store memories and learn through memory consolidation. So the smart thing to do in school would be to study consistently and get enough sleep the night before an exam, not stay up all night. Noted.

+ It keeps you healthy

When you don’t get enough sleep, your immune system suffers. I don’t know about you, but I’ve found that I am so much more likely to catch a cold when I’m sleep deprived. And when I am under the weather, getting some extra hours of sleep do the most for my recovery.

+ It’s good for your appearance

It’s not called beauty sleep for no reason. Turns out getting enough sleep has been shown to improve skin texture, blood flow, and overall appearance.

+ It helps your body recover

If you’re working out on the reg, chances are getting enough sleep is helping your muscles recover and grow! And if you’re not getting enough, just know that sleep deprivation has been linked to weight gain due to increased levels of cortisol, which increases your appetite – eek!

+ You’ll be a safer/better driver

Yep, sleep deprived driving is no better than drunk driving. If you’re getting enough hours of rest, consider calling an Uber to work.

Even though at times it seems like being sleep deprived is worn as a badge of honor and a reflection of how hard we work, sometimes the hardest thing to do is simply disconnecting and shutting down. It’s not always easy, but I feel a noticeable difference in my mood and energy when I get at 7 or 8 hours of sleep, not to mention how much clearer my skin is. Fortunately, even our technology seems to agree.

Tips for getting more sleep

+ Utilize the night shift and bedtime settings on your phone.

I have an iPhone, and I LOVE the “night shift” setting (mine is set from 9pm to 7am). This setting shifts the color settings on your phone to minimize the bright blue light that your smartphone emits, making it easier for you to fall asleep at night. You can also set alerts on your phone to remind you when it’s almost time for bed.

+ Disconnect completely.

30 minutes to an hour before bed, put away all electronics. I’ve been trying to read more before bed and honestly, this has been the best thing to help me fall asleep (ha!).

+ Create a sleep schedule.

This one is hard. It’s best to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, but it doesn’t always happen. I’m working on this one, but it’s easy to get off track, especially during the weekends.

+ Drink tea.

I don’t do this every night, but when I remember I like to drink something warm before I go to sleep. Did your mom ever tell you to drink warm milk before bedtime? It’s kind of like that. I especially like Calm and Sleepytime Tea with honey.

In the spirit of getting enough zzz’s, I’m taking the pajama very seriously and literally in this set by L’academie. Full disclosure: I don’t actually wear this to sleep although I’m sure you could, as it was intended for that use. I usually like to mix and match them as separates rather than as a set – I think you could get away with the blouse at work (the ribbon tied around the waist doubles as a scarf) with a skirt or jeans, and I really love the return of the track pant. You’ll definitely get some looks when you wear both at the same time. But hey comfort is key, and who cares what other people think?

Bonus: this set is on sale now! (End of winter sales in January are always SO. GOOD. No better time to stock up on all those cold weather essentials).

xx, Amy

top: l’academie (on sale!) | pants: l’academie (on sale!) | shoes: raye (on sale!) | bag: gucci

By Amy Zhang January 23, 2017 in Lifestyle, Style 29 Comments

Your Voice Matters

Happy Monday! How was everyone’s weekend? My mom was in town visiting, so I went slightly off the grid digitally – it was so nice to go for a long hike, cook, and chat for hours with her. Being away from family is by far the biggest downside to living in California. It’s also been raining almost nonstop, but luckily Saturday was absolutely beautiful outside!

Saturday also marked the Women’s March on Washington, which turned out to be a worldwide event that brought together millions of people, men and women, around the world. I was completely blown away by the size and strength of such a unified community.

It was beyond inspiring to see, and got me thinking about how each and every one of us has a voice, and should be free to use it and express our thoughts and beliefs.

A lot of people comment or lament on how oversaturated the blogging space has become. The same thing could be said for other forms of digital expression – vlogs, podcasts, etc.

You Have A Voice, Your Voice Matters

My two cents: 1. everyone has different reasons for blogging and sharing their opinions and parts of their lives, and they should feel entitled to do so. It’s your decision whether to engage and comment. And 2. I think it’s great. Who cares how many blogs there are out there? I think it’s remarkable that we live in a world that has become so digitally connected that we can communicate seamlessly with people across the world in a way that was never before possible. The combination of self-expression and connectivity has created an opportunity for anyone to have access to a platform to speak their minds.

What the weekend reminded me was that you have a voice. And you have the option to choose to use it because your voice matters. We’re lucky to live in a place that allows you to express yourself without repercussion. It’s your choice what to say, where to speak, and who to communicate to. You can and should speak up for what you believe in!

I know the term “influencer” is a buzzword right now, but we’re all influencers in our own right. We have the ability to use our voice to influence those around us positively, beyond material possessions, which is really, really cool.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

xx, Amy

dress: lovers + friends | shoes: stuart weitzman | bag: gucci

By Amy Zhang January 13, 2017 in Lifestyle, Style 91 Comments

Why You Need a Mentor

Happy Friday, babes! Can I just say I am ready for the weekend?! And it’s a long one too, yay! I wanted to introduce some new topics into the blog – I don’t blog full time, and I figured it’s about time I introduce the other side of my life (the one that takes up the majority of my week) into the blog. I want to start talking about issues that every career gal encounters, regardless of your profession.

Today I want to talk about something that has been on my mind a lot lately. The end of 2016 and start of the new year had everyone all like “new year, new me” – tons of reflecting and goal setting for the new year – I LOVE that kind of energy. One thing that I’ve been coming across a lot lately is the topic of mentorship. So let’s talk about it, and get into why you need a mentor.

Why You Need a Mentor

My 9-5 is in a corporate setting. I sit at a desk, have lots of meetings, and think and talk about climbing the corporate ladder a lot. In this environment, the term “mentor” is thrown around a lot. But regardless of whether you sit in an office or freelance from home, if you’re looking to make moves and grow, you need a mentor. Something I’ve obsessed: every successful person has had help. You don’t get to where you are without a little help along the way.

So now you’re probably thinking: what exactly is a mentor, and where do I find one?

A mentor is someone you trust that can help guide and advise you as you go through your professional journey. They don’t necessarily have to be older, but they often are. They’re in a position to teach, challenge, and support you by sharing their life experiences, knowledge, and networks. These are people that have found success in their own lives and want to see you succeed in yours. They have a vested interest in your growth and success and provide the resources and support you need to get to where you want to be.

They don’t do all the work for you, but they do help you become the best version of yourself and face challenges in your career head on. It’s like having a coach, cheerleader, teacher, and friend all in one. If it sounds too good to be true, it’s not.

It comes down to finding the right person.

As Sheryl Sandberg talks about in her book Lean In, you don’t find a mentor by going up to someone and asking them to be your mentor. I’m not the biggest fan of networking, but there are similar ties to networking. It has to develop organically and feel right to both parties. More often than not, someone who wants to be your mentor will ask you and offer to play that role in your life.

Begin by thinking of qualities and attributes you admire and respect. Make a list if it helps. Then begin to look for these qualities in the people that are already in your network. Try to identify them in people you may not know. Go to events, make introductions, meet as many people as possible. When you meet someone that you admire and respect, be sure to introduce yourself and exchange contact information.

But here’s the most important thing – follow up.

You’d be surprised how many people want to help others and offer up their knowledge and experiences. Giving back feels good, and at a certain point in your life it becomes one the most rewarding part of your career. The problem is most people don’t follow up. Sounds so silly but it’s true. I remember when I was recruiting for my first full time job out of college, I was always told to collect business cards at networking events and send a thank you email after. Whenever I had an interview, I was taught to always send a thank you email. Did the recruiter actually read the email? Probably not. Did they always remember who I was? Maybe. The point is, I followed up.

Fast forward a couple years when I began helping out with recruiting at my consulting job and now where I still help with recruiting for my new team. We speak to so many candidates and it continues to boggle my mind how many people do not follow up. It doesn’t hurt to send an email to thank someone for their time or ask if you can take them to coffee/lunch. The worst thing that could happen is… they don’t respond. Not a big deal at all.

To sum it all up: meet people.

Find the ones you look up to and connect with. Follow up with them. Let relationships grow organically. Surround yourself with people that are positive and lift you up, and embody the qualities you wish to have and the lead the lives you wish to live yourself.

Happy Weekend, babes! Talk soon.

xx, Amy

Outfit deets below:

If you don’t have a moto shearling jacket yet, you need on in your closet! The one I’m wearing in the photos is from Minkpink, but other great alternatives can be found here, here, and here. Happy shopping babes!

jacket: similar | sweater: similar | jeans: current/elliott

sunnies: yhf | bag: gucci | shoes: isabel marant