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By Amy Zhang April 10, 2020 in Lifestyle 3 Comments

Quarantine Life: What I’ve Been Doing at Home

It’s been a month since we started staying home (the city of LA issued a shelter in place order March 17th but we began limiting our exposure out of the house the week before) and we’re slowly but surely settling into a new routine and what’s become our new normal. I really try to avoid saying I’m bored because I’m truly not! I miss seeing my friends and being able to leave the house. But I’m trying to make the most of and be grateful for what I have. It’s definitely a weird time, and speaking with friends and family I know we’re all struggling in our own ways to adapt.

Some days I feel super productive and motivated. Other days I can’t muster up the energy to do much at all. I think that’s normal and okay – and I’ve been more okay than ever with doing nothing, which is really hard for me! I do still work for my full-time job remotely, so that keeps me busy most of the day. And I feel like the days go by quickly, despite being home all day. So I wanted to share what I’ve been doing outside of work that has kept me busy. (I don’t like puzzles, so I haven’t attempted one!)

What I’ve been doing at home:

+ Sleeping

Over the last year, I was getting 6 hours of sleep every night on average. Now that I don’t have an hour-long commute (that’s one way!), I’ve really made a point to prioritize sleep. I told myself I didn’t need that much sleep and I was totally fine getting by with less than what’s considered ideal. But guess what? My body naturally needs about 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. I find that my energy levels and skin are so much better when I’m well-rested. And I feel so much more clear-headed and positive.

+ Cooking and baking

We’re all home chefs now! One thing I look forward to in the upcoming months is more dinner parties. I love going to new restaurants, but I truthfully foresee many more intimate dinner parties hosted in the comforts of our own homes in the future. I don’t remember the last time I cooked every single one of my meals at home (we haven’t ordered takeout this entire time!). My Kitchenaid is also finally getting put to use as I try to bake something new every week.

+ Writing

I’m making a concerted effort to blog and journal more. This is the first time in a couple of years I’ve really dedicated time to writing and it’s honestly incredibly therapeutic and calming. An added bonus is my renewed love for blogging!

+ Reading

I feel like I finally have time to dig into my never-ending list of books to read. I love to escape for an hour or so with a good book. It’s also a great way to end the day and usually helps me sleep better at night. Since we’ve been home I’ve read Know My Name, The Ride of a Lifetime, Normal People, We Came Here to Forget, Dear Girls (by Ali Wong), and Wild Game. Who wants to start a virtual book club?

+ Yoga

Nothing makes me feel more at peace than practicing yoga. I didn’t realize how much I missed practicing yoga regularly until I signed up for Alo Moves. I try to wind down with a yin class at the end of the day. But I love their longer vinyasa classes as well! I’ve honestly been blown away by the quality of the classes on the platform and would wholeheartedly recommend the free 14-day trial to anyone.

+ Working Out

I wrote a post about how to stay fit at home and have made trying new online workout classes into a bit of a hobby. There are so many classes I want to try, so this has definitely kept me busy (and is hopefully offsetting all of the wine we’ve been consuming). I’ll be sure to share updates as I go.

+ Facetime & Zoom Dates

I’ve connected more with out of state friends and family in the past month than I had previously over several years. Laughter is what gets me through every day, and it’s been refreshing to find these moments of joy with loved ones, albeit virtually. This is a great time to reconnect with friends and let people know that you care. I try to check in with my friends every week, so we can support each other and be there to listen through the ups and downs we’re experiencing at the moment.

+ Self Care

Working from home has meant no excuses for neglecting my skincare. My skin is definitely seeing the benefits of not wearing makeup, having a consistent routine, regular masks, and increased water intake.

I know this time is weird and tough in so many ways, the future is so uncertain and no one knows when we’ll be able to resume our “normal” lives again (or if that’s even possible!), but I try to stay positive and remind myself that the only thing we can control right now is our actions. And that it’s okay to not be okay. I allow myself to feel sad, but I try to have more days where I do feel okay. I feel grateful for having a home that allows me to practice social distancing, having all of the supplies I need, and having my fiancé and dog to keep me company.

How have you been spending your time at home?

By Amy Zhang April 8, 2020 in Lifestyle 2 Comments

What I Can’t Live Without – Best 8 Healthy Lifestyle Products

What I Can't Live Without - Best Healthy Lifestyle Products | by The Luxi Look

Lately, I haven’t been as motivated to live the healthiest lifestyle. Not to say that I’ve done to a complete 180, but being at home all of the time has made it difficult to stay super disciplined. I miss my normal workouts, and have been cooking and baking more than ever. Now this isn’t to say I’m having a terrible time – I’m actually really enjoying this time at home and being more flexible about my workout regimen and what I eat. I have a series of healthy essentials that I really love to keep me going when I’ve been a little looser with my diet/exercise. Read below for some of my favorite healthy lifestyle products, and why I love them so much!

The Best 8 Healthy Lifestyle Products

+ Vitamin C

Immune system boosting foods and supplements are on everyone’s mind right now! My favorite is Lypo-Spheric vitamin C. (I also love gummy vitamins and will take them any chance I get, but these packets absorb better and are more effective). Once I got used to taking a shot of orange goo, it became my go-to vitamin C supplement. The product is gluten, sugar, and dairy-free (for those of you with these requirements) and the packets are so convenient, especially when traveling. I don’t take them all the time, but I do notice that when I take one or two of these a day when I start feeling under the weather, I usually feel better the next day. I really swear by taking vitamin c consistently during cold/flu season!

Be careful not to overdo it as your body can only absorb so much vitamin C at once. These packets are expensive, about $1 each when you buy them in bulk. If you’re looking to spend less, Emergen-C or Nuun will work as well (they just have added sugar).

+ Apple Watch

I never thought I could love a fitness tracker so much, but I wear my Apple watch almost every day. I love tracking my workouts over time and having a log of all of my activity. And I feel like having a fitness tracker (that doubles as a watch and shows my phone notifications) motivates me to be more active. It’s not the most affordable tracker on the market, but I’ve had cheaper versions and stopped wearing them after a month or two.

+ Air Fryer

Your oven on steroids. Make fool-proof meals in 15 minutes or less. We use our air fryer almost every day. It’s probably our most used kitchen appliance – I would choose an air fryer over an Instant Pot any day. My favorite thing to cook in the air fryer is salmon, but you can whip up any protein or vegetables quickly. Our air fryer also has instant buttons so you don’t even have to calculate how long to cook most foods. I’m not the greatest cook and have very little patience in the kitchen, so this was definitely money well spent! Knowing that I can whip something up quickly in the air fryer has stopped me from ordering takeout or delivery more times than I can count.

+ Vitamix

If you can invest in a Vitamix, it’s absolutely worth it. We make smoothies, soups, nut butters, and sauces in ours every week. The power of a Vitamix is really unparalleled, it has so much power and you will honestly never have chunks of kale in your smoothie (or anything else you blend) ever again! It does take up a lot of counter space, so keep this in mind if you’re considering upgrading yours. I swear making smoothies has never been easy.

+ Natural Deodorant

Finding a good natural deodorant is hard! I love this one and the new Drunk Elephant version. I aim to be active every day if possible. So it was very important to find natural deodorants that actually worked (I’ve tried a ton of them).

+ Sneakers

I love these sneakers, they go with everything and are so comfortable for any kind of cross-training (I don’t run in these!). I’m definitely motivated by cute workout gear, so these are essentials for me.

+ Reusable Water Bottle

A cute reusable water bottle is good for the environment and encourages you to drink more water. This one from ban.do is so cute, I drink a LOT of water so I bought this one (for less than $20!!) recently after seeing it on Instagram so much, and it doesn’t disappoint! I try to drink at least 1 of these a day, my water consumption has completely changed thanks to the reminders on the bottle.

+ Resistance Bands

You can do SO much with resistance bands, plus they are super easy to travel with. You can work out anywhere, anytime with them. At-home fitness equipment can add up quickly, so if there’s only one thing you buy, I would recommend resistance bands. You can do a ton of great ab and lower body workouts with these.

+ Essential Leggings

A good pair of black leggings is absolutely a healthy lifestyle essential! The right pair will always make you feel confident when working out. I have so many pairs of black leggings in my closet, some of my favorites are from Michi, All Access, and Alo. Let’s face it, we all have those days when the right (high) waistband make all the difference in the world.

What would you consider to be your healthy lifestyle essentials?

By Amy Zhang April 6, 2020 in Beauty, Lifestyle 1 Comment

Keeping Up With Beauty During Coronavirus

Happy Monday, friends! How is everyone doing today? Are we hanging in there? It’s been over three weeks at home and it’s been an experience, to say the least. I don’t remember the last time I spent this much time at home or with my fiancé, but we’re making the most of it! Some days are easier than others, and it sounds like most of you are in the same boat. I’m happy we are finally moving beyond the constant need to be “productive” and are settling into a state of being ok with just being ok (if that makes any sense). There are things I miss from before, and things I do not.

It’s been fun to have a laugh with my girlfriends over our beauty routines and how the first place we want to go when this is all over is the nail salon. Jokes aside, I’ve come to realize that what I perceived as a somewhat low maintenance routine was actually more high maintenance than I thought. If you’re going through a similar situation, read on for the best ways to maintain your beauty routine at home.

Keeping Up With Beauty During Coronavirus

+ Hair

First things first, hair. If you recently got a haircut and don’t have colored hair, you’re in luck. For the rest of us, we have to make do with what we have. If it’s been a while since your last haircut, I (and your stylist, most likely) would personally advise against giving yourself a haircut. If you have professional colored hair, resist the urge to use box dye during this time. Seriously, it’s just not worth it! It will take more effort than it’s worth to fix. The best tip I’ve gotten, from my colorist and friend, Ashleigh, is to use a light gloss to tone down brass and keep your color going until your next trip to the salon. If you aren’t sure which to get, ask your stylist for recommendations!

If you’re starting to see split ends and go crazy, use a hair mask 1x a week and other smoothing products (I love this hair oil and this styling cream) to maintain your cut in the meantime. Also, avoid over-styling your hair with hot tools at the moment (embrace your natural hair and give it some much needed R&R if possible).

+ Lashes

If you don’t have lash extensions, you can skip this section. Earlier this year, I hopped back on the lash extension train and am now in the process of growing them out (it’s much better to get them professionally removed, but that isn’t an option at this time). If you’re in a similar position, I wrote an entire post on what to do after you get your lash extensions removed a while back. My biggest tips – resist the urge to pick them off yourself and use a lash serum in the meantime.

+ Nails

I miss my manicures deeply. I’m also inept at doing my own nails. If you’re looking to do your nails at home, it might make sense to invest in an at-home manicure kit. At-home gel kits exist as well if you’re feeling extra ambitious. I’ve loaded up on nourishing cuticle oil to get me through this time and will attempt to learn how to paint my own nails. I also started taking biotin to strengthen my nails.

Note that if you have powder or gel nails, you will need acetone to remove the nail polish – this is very drying on your nails and cuticles, so be sure to follow up with lots of hand cream after!

+ Skin

Now is the best time to take care of your skin. You’re most likely wearing little to no makeup and have more time than ever to focus on skincare. If people are buying anything right now, it’s skincare (skincare was up 99% in March!). I’ve been loading up on masks and linked my favorites below – personally, I am enjoying my mini at-home “spa sessions” going through my skincare routine properly as opposed to rushing through or skipping steps. Right now I am loving everything from Drunk Elephant and Joanna Vargas Skincare.

By Amy Zhang March 31, 2020 in Fitness, Lifestyle 4 Comments

How to Stay Fit at Home

As an avid boutique fitness enthusiast, my fitness routine has been thrown in complete disarray now that my options are limited to inside the home. I miss the community and accountability I get from taking classes. I have found it more difficult than I anticipated to stay motivated on my own. Working out is the one activity keeping me sane at the moment. So I knew right away I had to find a new routine and stick to it. I’ve been making a point to move my body in some way every single day. It’s the least I can do for my mental and physical health. So I set out to test and try as many different streaming services and home workouts as I could physically handle.

As devastating as this time is for the fitness and wellness industry, the community has really stepped up in terms of supporting each other and giving back to their customers. There are truthfully more workouts (free and paid) than any one person can do. It’s really just a matter of finding the classes and routines that you enjoy the most. I’ve included all of the different workouts I’ve tried in the running list below, along with my honest review of each of them.

How to Stay Fit at Home

Streaming Workouts

+ Alo Moves

After taking some time off from my yoga practice, I have a newfound love and appreciation for yoga, thanks to Alo Moves. The entire experience is seamless, from the user interface to the variety of classes and the quality of instructors. The on-demand streaming platform features truly phenomenal instructors leading high-quality yoga, fitness (strength, HIIT, pilates, barre, etc.), mindfulness, and skills classes, so there’s something for everyone. The site allows you to filter classes by length, level of difficulty, and intensity. So you’ll always be able to find something to fit your mood. Looking for a quick morning flow and guided breathwork to ease you into the day? A sculpting vinyasa flow designed to build heat and allow you to break a sweat? Or challenging inversion and flexibility workshops?

Alo Moves has them all, and more.

Alo Moves has the best collection at-home yoga and meditation classes I’ve come across. The classes are as close to an in-studio practice as you can get and I may not go back to a yoga studio after this. I love that I need minimal equipment to practice from home – a mat is all you need, although other props (yoga blocks, a strap, blankets) may be beneficial towards your practice.

I’ve been trying to take 20-30 minute classes every morning with an emphasis on stretching and mobility. It’s a great compliment to running and strength training. I’m focused on improving my flexibility over the next few months. And I love that practicing yoga is back in my daily routine. I’m also excited about jumping back into a more invigorating yoga practice. So I’ve bookmarked a series of more energizing vinyasa flows as well. I’ve even started to identify which of the instructors are my favorite, and have over 50 classes saved under “My Practice” to keep me busy during this time at home.

I would recommend this app to anyone, regardless of their yoga experience. The 14-day free trial is absolutely worth checking out, after that the classes are $20/month or $199 for the year. This is definitely a subscription I will keep after my free trial, as the price for a year’s worth of classes is the equivalent of a 10 class package at a yoga studio and the quality is just as good (if not better). It’s also great if for traveling, as you can easily squeeze in a short workout in your hotel room.

+ The Sculpt Society

Dance cardio and sculpting classes led by Megan Roup, a former professional dancer and fitness instructor. Megan has amazing energy and actually does the entire routine with you, which is so motivating! Initially, I was skeptical about the workout and signed up for the free trial to see what all the fuss was about.

Dance cardio is not my favorite, so I usually skip those sections at the beginning and only take the sculpting portions or classes. As someone who is used to lifting weights and taking more intense HIIT classes, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the sculpt classes. The Sculpt Society burns in a different way – Megan’s goal is to lengthen and tone, and she applies her experience as a professional dancer to her workout. My favorite sections are the mat exercises that focus on your glutes (with ankle weights!).

You don’t need any equipment to do the workout.

But if you plan on committing longer term, it’s worth investing in a few pieces of equipment to take your workout up a notch. I would definitely recommend ankle weights and sliders for an extra burn, as well as light hand weights (2 or 3 pounds, canned food will also work if you can’t find weights as they are sold out almost everywhere at the moment).

If you enjoy dance cardio (think 305 Fitness or Body By Simone) and are looking for a toning workout, I would absolutely suggest trying out their free 14-day trial to get a feel for the classes before you commit to a paid subscription ($19.99 per month or $119.99 for a year). If you prefer more intense workouts, The Sculpt Society might not be for you. As far as at-home workouts go, The Sculpt Society is a fun, moderate-intensity class. I’m still on the fence about keeping my membership, as the monthly price is the same as other platforms and the collection of workouts is a bit limited. I’m hoping she continues to add more workouts on her app.

+ Tracy Anderson Online

I tried this and found that it was not for me – but I have friends who love it! Similar to the other streaming programs, TA Online offers a free 14-day trial. As far as the workout goes, it is very similar to The Sculpt Society, but I think a bit harder. TA Online uploads one workout a week and provides a recommended schedule to follow. However, I found the movements throughout to be much more complicated and difficult to follow, and there’s zero instruction or voiceover the entire time. The format was hard to watch and get into, so I gave up on this after a few tries.

+ P.volve

After hearing good things about P.volve from some close friends, I bit the bullet and purchased this set of equipment (the “P Ball” is a proprietary ball that is important for a lot of the workouts, and I can use the hand and ankle weights for other workouts). Once I receive the equipment and test the workout, I’ll share my review after the 14-day free trial!

Live Instructor & Studio Workouts

A lot of studios and individual instructors are offering free live workouts (sometimes daily!). Be sure to check your local studio’s social media accounts and website to see if they are offering any at-home workouts. Many studios are offering free workouts through Instagram Live, and their instructors will often post free workouts on Instagram and YouTube.

Some studios are also offering virtual classes at home -these are typically done over a video conference and cost between $6-$15 per class. My trainer, Jenn is offering Zoom workouts a few times a week for $7 and I highly recommend these!

My two favorite LA-based pilates studios, Natural Pilates and The Studio MDR are offering streaming pilates classes for $15 each.

Equipment for At-Home Workouts

Most workouts can be done with little to minimal equipment, but since it appears home workouts are the only option for the foreseeable future, I do recommend purchasing some equipment so you can get the most of your workouts. You can definitely get creative as well – think using canned food or a wine bottle instead of dumbells, or a towel instead of gliders. Based on the workouts I’ve tried, I would recommend the following equipment or finding a substitute for them. Once you have these, you’ll be able to follow a lot of at-home workout programs.

+ Yoga Mat

+ Resistance Bands

How You Can Continue to Support the Fitness Industry

The entire fitness and wellness industry is currently struggling as a result of closures – while some studios offer paid classes that are taken online via streaming, many are

+ Buy a gift card

If it’s within your means to do so, a gift card goes a long way. A lot of local businesses could use additional cashflow – many of them are just trying to cover their existing bills and pay their staff if they can. Even if you can’t pay for future services in advance, you can still support a studio or instructor you love in other ways.

+ Take paid streaming classes

Some of the free workouts are great, but I find myself personally more motivated when I am held accountable. Taking a class, even if virtually, provides a sense of community and accountability.

+ Ask individual instructors/trainers if they offer virtual sessions

If you can afford a private or semi-private session, many trainers are offering at-home workouts via video conference.

+ Share your favorite workouts

As I mentioned before, there are so many options for at-home workouts now, it can seem overwhelming to most. I spent the last few weeks trying a ton of different programs and IG workouts before landing on a routine. If you find something you love, share it with your friends or on your social media.

By Amy Zhang March 23, 2020 in Lifestyle 6 Comments

How to Work From Home (From Someone Who Hates It)

What a year these past few weeks have been. I see similar thoughts all over the Internet and I’ve never agreed more with a sentiment. With all the craziness in the world, it’s been nice to stay home and feel safe and somewhat normal in my own bubble. More on this in a later post, but I’ve been trying to enjoy a slower pace of life. No obligations, and no excuses. Whether you’re an introvert who thrives alone or an extrovert who craves social interaction, we all have the same 24 hours a day. Social distancing has really shed a lot of light on how I choose to spend my time. (We may or may not have watched all of The Tiger King in one sitting, and that’s okay…)

The biggest adjustment for me has been working from home. It’s provided a sense of normalcy in my life (most of my waking hours during the week are still spent working, albeit without my usual commute), but it’s also been difficult. I realized very quickly I dislike working for home. It’s not for me. All of you who say you love and want your companies to allow you to work from home whenever – can you explain this to me?

Those of you who work from home and thrive in it – mad respect. You all have inspired this post.

Maybe it’s because I may be more extroverted than I realized, but I find the most productive and efficient way of working (for me) is to be in the same room with the people I’m collaborating with. Messaging all day via Slack and Email isn’t needed when you can just meet in person for 20 minutes to iron a task out. For the foreseeable future, however, it will be a reality.

I know not everyone has the luxury of being able to work from home, so I realize that I am incredibly fortunate to have the option of doing so at this time. I’m equipped with the tools and team I need to work from home and am trying to make the most of it – and it’s a very new experience for me! I’ve spent the last couple of weeks adjusting to WFH life – some days are more successful than others – but these are the tips that I’ve picked up from others and learned myself, that help make the days productive and satisfying.

How to Get Sh*t Done Working From Home

+ Pretend like you aren’t working from home

This might be a no brainer, but when you mentally allow yourself to work from home, you might be more inclined to do things around the house (even when you shouldn’t). Think about it this way – you wouldn’t do the dishes or a load of laundry during the day normally, because you would be in the office. It’s easy to look around your house and want to fix things the minute you notice them, but try not to. Save the chores for before or after your workday. Avoid working from your bed. “Pack” your lunch if you can.

+ Get in a routine

As someone who craves routine and structure in my life to keep me disciplined, it took me a while to get into a WFH groove. Try to stick to your usual routine as much as possible, but also don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t as regimented as normal. We still try to wake up between 6 and 7 AM, but will allow ourselves to sleep in if we need it (now is the time to get your full 8 hours of sleep!). I also still try to exercise in the mornings before work, have defined hours that are dedicated to working only, and get to free time (virtual happy hours, Netflix, blogging, cooking) afterward.

+ Make your bed

Almost everyone who works from home regularly says this, and I have to say it really works. What a difference this small action makes. Even if you are not the tidiest person, making your bed takes less than five minutes and instantly freshens up your entire home. You’ll feel more accomplished and put together, even if you don’t organize anything else. Your mom was 100% right – make your bed every morning!

+ Define your work attire

I’ve accepted that my WFH attire is athleisure and sweats, and I’m entirely happy with that decision. However, some people find they are more productive when they wear their usual work attire. Figure out what works best for you! Personally, I am enjoying the time I am saving from not wearing makeup and deciding what to wear every day.

+ Time block

The most effective thing for me to do when working from home is to batch my tasks and work in timed increments. If I don’t have to be in a meeting, I write down all of my tasks and choose one to work on. I’ll then set a timer for 15-30 minutes, depending on the task at hand, and will only allow myself to work on that one thing until the timer goes off – no checking my phone! Once the timer goes off, I allow myself a short break before getting back into my to-do list.

This is how I’ve studied for tests in the past and handled lengthy to-do lists – it really keeps me from going crazy when there’s a lot on my plate. There are a lot more distractions for me at home (my fiancé and dog being the main ones) than in the office, so working in short but efficient sprints keeps me productive.

+ Treat yourself

It’s hard to stay disciplined and motivated right now. It’s ok to be less productive than you normally are or feel like you’re in a funk. Now is not the time to beat yourself up for skipping a workout, sleeping in, or doing happy hour more than usual. Do what feels right for your body and take the time to figure out what the new normal looks like for you.

What are your best WFH tips?

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