The Luxi Look | LA based fashion and lifestyle blog

By Amy Zhang February 3, 2020 in Beauty 5 Comments

How to Use Vitamin C Serum

If there’s one skincare product everyone should incorporate in their regimen, it’s a vitamin c serum. As far as skincare ingredients go, vitamin C is essential for your best skin possible. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that prevents sun damage, can brighten dark spots, and stimulate collagen production. An easy way to incorporate it into your skincare routine is with a serum. You might already be using one, but you may not be using it the right way. Read on to learn more about vitamin c serum, how to use it, and my favorite picks for every budget.

So, what is Vitamin C serum?

As noted above, vitamin C serum has a whole slew of benefits for the skin. Combined with retinol, it can be a powerful skin-boosting and anti-aging ingredient (more on retinol & vitamin C in a bit). Without a laser or more invasive facial procedure, vitamin C is your best bet at combatting hyperpigmentation and brightening your skin to give it the ultimate glow. Because it’s a collagen-stimulating ingredient, it can also soften fine wines and help prevent future wrinkles (which makes it also great in eye creams!). Serums are absorbed into skin quickly, so it’s an ideal step to add to your routine.

Vitamin C serums are also often mixed with other skin-boosting ingredients, such as Vitamin E or ferulic acid.

How and when do I use vitamin C serum?

Vitamin C is usually applied after you cleanse and tone, but before your moisturizer. Many people use it during the day, but it can actually also be used at night! Using it during the day has the added benefit of preventing damage from the sun and free radicals (but you still need to wear sunscreen!). Using vitamin C actually can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so a nighttime application can help mitigate that reaction. If you’re looking for the order to apply vitamin C, you can follow the order below.

Daytime skincare routine:

+ Splash with water (you usually don’t need to cleanse in the morning, but you can if you want)

+ Toner/essence

+ Eye cream

+ Vitamin C serum

+ Moisturizer

+ Sunscreen

Evening skincare routine:

+ Cleanser (if removing makeup, you may want to double cleanse to make sure you get all of it off. I use wipes when I’m in a hurry or a cleansing balm along with my usual cleanser. I also really, really love micellar water.)

+ Toner / essence

+ Eye cream

+ Serum – alternate between vitamin C and retinol

+ Night cream

Add or subtract steps as needed for your skincare routine.

One important thing to note is that vitamin C doesn’t always play nicely with other skincare ingredients. It can also be a harsh ingredient on the skin, and some people notice more sensitivity to it than others – including itching or redness on the skin. Personally, some products make my skin tingle a bit when I apply them (higher L-ascorbic acid percentage), but it quickly goes away without any irritation. If you aren’t sure how your skin will react, look for a product with lower vitamin C.

There are mixed reviews on mixing vitamin C with retinol, with some people saying they need to be used separately for optimal results. I prefer using vitamin C during the day and other serums at night. If I do use vitamin C at night, I alternate evenings with other serums and try not to mix.

The Best Vitamin C Serums

Below are my favorite vitamin C serums that I’ve personally tried. Before you go running out to buy and test every single one, you should know that vitamin C can break down more easily than other skincare ingredients when it’s exposed to air, heat, and light (so basically, as soon as it’s packaged). Some Vitamin C products come with a relatively short shelf life for maximum efficacy, so be sure to read labels and reviews before committing to one.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum

One of my favorite vitamin C serums, but a little pricey for what you get (the color of the serum changes quickly as the formula oxidizes) and the consistency is a little sticky, which some people dislike. I usually buy the travel size so I can bring it with me on trips and use it up before the serum oxidizes. Bonus – it’s actually a great value, ounce for ounce!

Joanna Vargas Rescue Serum

I’ve been going to Joanna Vargas for facials and love her products as much as the treatments itself. One of my favorite products from her line is her vitamin C serum. Hers smells amazing and absorbs quickly into the skin, and layers perfectly with her other products.

Skinceuticals CE Ferulic

The most expensive serum listed here, but universally loved. It includes vitamin E and ferulic acid with vitamin C for a brightening and hydrating combination. I’ve only used a sample of this and am saving up to buy the full-sized bottle.

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum

The very first vitamin C serum I ever used! I still love this serum for daytime and it’s one of the more affordable vitamin C products. It doesn’t feel as potent as some of the other serums, so it’s a good starter product to see how your skin reacts to the ingredient.

Sunday Riley C.E.O. Vitamin C Brightening Serum

This serum is 15% vitamin C, so it’s pretty potent and should definitely be worn with sunscreen! From reviews and personal experience, it is gentle on sensitive skin despite its high vitamin C percentage.

BeautyStat Universal C Skin Refiner

Not actually a serum, this product is almost cream-like and sinks into your skin before you can rub it around. It’s unlike any other vitamin C serum I’ve used, and it does cause a slight tingle on my skin (it contains 20% L-Ascorbic Acid, which is very high for an over the counter product).

By Amy Zhang January 27, 2020 in Wedding 1 Comment

Becoming Bride-Chilla: How to Handle Wedding Planning Stress

How to Handle Wedding Planning Stress | by The Luxi Look

Everyone says wedding planning is a huge undertaking no matter the size or scale of your event. If you think about it, when have you ever coordinated and executed such an elaborate event in your life?! Every person’s idea of their wedding day is different, for some it’s a simple elopement, for others it’s a multi-day 500 person affair. There’s no right or wrong way to do it! At the end of the day, it’s your day and ultimately about what you want. So there should be no stress, right?

If only it could be so simple!! Wedding planning is a process, and over the course of planning, there will inevitably be stress and some uncomfortable conversations. Whenever there are so many factors at play – differences in opinion, family members involved, a tight timeline, a seemingly infinite to-do list, and a lot of money being spent, on top of trying to balance work/life/wellness/a social life/make time for your fiancé (aka you know, life), something’s bound to erupt. (I’ve heard that this is normal, but if anyone has had a wedding planning experience with zero experience, please do share!!).

With that said… I have been doing my best to stay calm (no one likes a bridezilla!!) and find ways to relieve stress while wedding planning. I wouldn’t say I’m a chill bride as I’m way too type A to ever be so laid back about planning (you should see my vacation itineraries), but I think everyone in my life would agree that lowering my stress levels is good for not only my own health but also those around me : ).

How to handle wedding planning stress

+ Be proactive

Some of the planning stress is inevitable, other parts can be somewhat mitigated with some planning and being proactive. There are so many great resources available to help brides-to-be plan their wedding – download a wedding checklist or two, and do your best to stay on track. If you’re planning on hiring a planner, this will help you stay on track and make sure no detail is forgotten.

+ Delegate

I’m terrible at this and tend to try to take on everything myself. But with a project this large it helps so much to delegate. Get your fiancé, friends, and family members involved. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness! If you want to do a lot of DIY elements, enlist the help of your family and friends (bribe them with dinner or wine). Have a big guest list? Put on a fun playlist and stuff envelopes with your fiancé. Ask a girlfriend with killer music taste to make a playlist. Have your bridesmaids help with planning the bachelorette. Little favors go a long way – and so does a thank you!

+ Workout

I’ve tried to like meditation. I really, really have. I’ve come to terms that it isn’t for me, at this point in my life. Working out is my daily stress reliever. Yes, I try to do it daily or as close to daily as possible. Life gets crazy and stressful regardless of whether you’re planning a wedding or not, and moving my body is what I’ve found to work best for me. It also doesn’t hurt to add in exercises or classes to help you achieve whatever fitness goals you have in mind for your wedding.

+ Pamper yourself

Self-care is great in theory, but it often falls to the wayside when life gets in the way. Take your engagement as an opportunity to finally pamper yourself the way you deserve to be. Whether that’s in the form of facials, massages, manicures, or other treatments, pampering yourself is a great way to unwind from the stress.

+ Take a break

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a step back. Wedding planning doesn’t have to be a 24/7 job. It’s ok to leave an email unresponded to for a day or two. Decisions don’t have to be made overnight. Most things simply aren’t that urgent. All of the little details and vendor contracts can wait – ultimately, the only thing that matters is getting to marry and spend the rest of your life with your person.

+ Date your fiancé

Throughout the process, this is the person that matters the most. Make time for them. Set up date nights and time to connect with each other. A couple years ago, I realized that AJ and I rarely had dedicated time for each other. Other plans would come up and we’d put our relationship on the backburner. It was only after we set aside one night a week for a date night that we were able to carve out the time that was for us – and only us – and have a time and space to reconnect every week. It’s made a huge difference in the health of our relationship and gives us the chance to catch up and check-in with each other regularly. We love going out for sushi or opening a bottle of wine at home, but you can do whatever feels the most you.

+ Shift your mindset

The most important thing I’ve learned is that most of the stress that arises during wedding planning isn’t relevant in the grand scheme of things. Your friends and family will be happy to celebrate your marriage and no one will notice if anything goes wrong (which, inevitably, something will). Things that feel significant during the moment will fade, you won’t even remember most of the little details or arguments a year from now. The engagement period will fly by, so try to enjoy every second of it and the wedding planning process. That’s what I try to remind myself everyday : ).

By Amy Zhang January 19, 2020 in Wedding 3 Comments

Countdown to “I Do” – The First 10 Steps to Planning a Wedding

It seems like only yesterday I got engaged, but the big day is a little over four months away. Before we dive into all of the details (I promise I won’t make this a wedding blog!) I wanted to share a little more about the wedding planning process and what I’m learning along the way. For many of us, a wedding will be the biggest event you’ll ever plan in your life. Combine that with a lack of experience planning weddings (or large events at all) and a desire to make things “perfect,” and it can quickly spiral and become overwhelming!

If you have any tips, please send them my way. Thankfully there are so many wedding planning checklists on the internet, the below is my take on the main steps you need to take to start the wedding planning process. Once these are done, all of the other little details are up to you to determine how much you want to invest in your day.

So far the process has had its ups and downs, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any minor freak outs… but at the end of the day it has also been the most fun I’ve ever had planning something. Knowing that at the end of it all, I’ll be married to the person I love more than anything, is motivating and rewarding enough.

Steps to Planning a Wedding

+Step One: Figure out your budget

When you’re ready – for some people, this will be as soon as they are newly engaged, for others, it might take months or longer – figure out your budget. This will determine your entire day. Have an honest and open conversation about how much you plan on spending, and where the money will come from. If you aren’t used to discussing money with your significant other, it’s ok! This conversation might take some time, but it’s important to have a number set from the get-go. (Sticking to this budget is another conversation, but we’ll save that for another day). Also, be ready for some sticker shock. Anything related to weddings will be more expensive than you expected (paper goods, wedding cakes, vendors…).

Once you have your budget, find a wedding planning budget template to get an idea of initial costs/budget for every line item. You may want to spend more in certain areas and sacrifice in others to make your budget work for you.

+ Step Two: Decide on the big things.

Once you have a budget, it’s time to talk about big discussions. Where will you get married? What time of year will the wedding be? And how big is the guest list? What is the date? Keep in mind Saturday weddings will be the most expensive and competitive for venues and vendors, but it is also the most convenient date for most guests, especially if they have to travel in.

On top of finances, these are cornerstone decisions that will shape your day and all of the decisions leading up to it. A big decision will be how long of an engagement you want. The pros of a longer engagement – more time to plan, save, and a higher likelihood of securing your first choice venue and vendors. But it’s really up to you! Our engagement will end up being a little under 11 months, and the time has absolutely flown by.

+ Step Three: Determine if you plan on hiring a planner or not.

Planning a wedding is not for the faint of heart. I am personally a huge proponent of hiring a planner if your budget allows for it – having someone who has gone through the planning process before will make your experience so much less stressful. If you don’t like getting bogged down in little details (wedding planning is FULL of these), you should also consider a planner – they’ll help you come up with your aesthetic and vision, and then coordinate the vendors and supplies needed to execute it. Trust me when I say this is incredibly important! If you’re planning your wedding far away from your venue, a planner will also ease some of the logistics, provide expertise, and help you find local vendors.

+ Step Four: Make the guestlist

From experience and observation, this tends to be one of the most stressful steps. How many family members will be invited from each side? How many friends? Learning how to communicate and compromise with each other will be paramount throughout the process. It’s a great preview and test for your upcoming marriage ; ). Sit down (with a bottle of wine) and go through the list. You might have to make some tough calls on who gets an invite, and who gets a +1.

+ Step Five: Find a venue

A good planner will help you find a venue, but if you already have a dream venue or a handful of ideas in mind, even better! The most popular wedding venues will book up a year or more in advance. So keep this in mind when you search for venues. Venue hunting can be incredibly time consuming, so Google is your best friend here. Look for online reviews and photos from other weddings to get a feeling for the space. What are the pros and cons of the venue? Again, compromise is important here! Want a gorgeous outdoor reception? You might have to prepare a contingency plan in case of bad weather. Do you prefer different venues for the ceremony and reception? Make sure you account for and properly plan how guests will get from Point A to Point B.

+ Step Six: Determine your wedding style

Classic, urban, beachy, modern, romantic, rustic, bohemian… who knew there so many styles of wedding? If you don’t know where to begin, look for inspiration on Instagram, wedding magazines, and wedding blogs. You’ll soon get a sense of what aesthetic you like. Every wedding magazine/blog has a different style. For example, Green Wedding Shoes is suited for the bohemian bride, while Martha Stewart Weddings tend to be more classic and formal. You don’t have to be locked into any major decisions yet. Take some time to do research, create a Pinterest board and think about what feels the most you. Putting together a mood board of images and details you love, colors you like, and non-negotiables (what’s most important – food? Music? Dancing?) will help you formulate an idea of what your dream wedding looks like.

+ Step Seven: Search for and secure the big vendors

Once you have a loose idea of your wedding style, it’s time to start assembling your team. These are the people who will bring your vision to life. Do you plan on hiring a caterer, florist, photographer, and videographer? Start researching vendors as soon as you have an idea of what your wedding style is (see the step above). Don’t be afraid to interview your potential vendors, and negotiate with them. Similar to venues, popular vendors will get booked far in advance as well.

You want to find someone whose work you admire, but also whose personality you vibe with. Especially photographers and videographers – these vendors will be capturing your wedding day, so you want to make sure you feel comfortable around them and trust them. When speaking with photographers, see if it is possible to do an engagement session with them prior to the wedding – many photographers will include this in their wedding package.

+ Step Eight: Say Yes to the Dress

One of the most exciting parts of wedding planning is shopping for a wedding dress. I loved wedding dress shopping and made sure to try on all of the dresses and designers I loved. There are so many beautiful dresses in the market now for every style of bride. My favorite places to shop in LA were Vera Wang and Loho Bride, but there’s a store for everyone. You’ll learn quickly what styles and silhouettes flatter your body, and if you have a preference for one.

I actually went to several appointments myself because I knew I didn’t want to be swayed by anyone else’s opinion. Although you don’t want to rush into making a decision, keep in mind you will want to order your dress at least 5 or 6 months before the wedding to leave time for tailoring and alterations. Made to order gowns require even longer to avoid a rush fee, so keep this timeline in mind when you shop.

+ Step Nine: Send Save the Dates

Once you have the big pieces in place, it’s time to start letting guests know when the wedding date is so they can hold the date and begin making travel arrangements. We opted to forego printed save the dates for the sake of time in favor of a digital version from Bliss and Bone (one of my favorite wedding finds that I’ll go into more in another post!). We didn’t miss the paper at all, and were able to get the word out more quickly than if we had to design the save the date ourselves. For affordable templates and printing, I really love Minted. Now is a good time to begin making a wedding website and planning out your paper goods vendor as well.

+ Step Ten: Take Engagement Photos

Whether it’s with your wedding photographer or someone else, engagement photos are a great way to practice for the big day and have a snapshot of a special period of time in your relationship. It isn’t essential to do by any means, but photos last forever. It’s also a great excuse to get glammed up and shop for a new outfit.

I could go on and on about the other steps to planning a wedding. From determining your bridal party to launching a wedding website, to planning a bachelorette party, to creating a registry, planning a wedding can feel like a never-ending to-do list. The most important thing that I’ve had to remind myself is to take a deep breath and a step back to enjoy being engaged – it’s a special time in your relationship you only get to experience once. Enjoy being a fiancé, plan regular date nights, and hold each other when things get stressful. Have fun putting together a playlist of your favorite songs, and get your significant other involved with the big decisions over a bottle of wine. It’ll make the planning process so much easier and more fun to create a joint vision and bring it to life.

On that note, I will say that in most relationships, the woman will care more about the wedding details than the guy. That isn’t to say he doesn’t care – but he probably doesn’t care about linens, color palettes, table settings, etc… : ).

My brides-to-be and married readers – what are your best wedding planning tips and tricks? xx

dress: spell | hat: janessa leone | bag: similar | shoes: raye the label

By Amy Zhang January 8, 2020 in Lifestyle, Wellness 2 Comments

Wellness Habits to Kick Start the New Year

Can you believe we’re already a week into 2020? I feel like the last few months have flown by. I’m not the biggest new year resolution person (to be honest, I can’t tell you my most recent one), but I do love kicking off the new year with some self-care and focusing on wellness habits. By the end of last year, I was feeling a little run down and ragged.

After some much needed time away from work and blogging, I feel ready to take on a new year of challenges and goals. The most important aspect, however, is taking care of your body first. Nothing I’m committing to is groundbreaking or new, rather the below are a series of small promises and wellness habits I’ve made to myself in an effort to start putting myself and my health first.

With a new year, comes a chance to hit the restart button and refocus on your goals and intentions. As cheesy as it is, I love having January 1st to motivate me, and if we’re being honest, kick a little discipline back into my life.

Wellness Habits to Kick Start the New Year

+ No alcohol.

This is my fourth year doing “Dry January” and at this point it has become a very welcome routine in my life to start the year off on the right foot. November and December are typically the two most indulgent months of the year, and that means more alcohol than usual. We started doing Dry January as a challenge to see how we would feel after a month of alcohol. After you get over the initial crutch of alcohol in social situations, you realize that it isn’t so bad, and no one else will notice (there’s no need to scream it at the top of your lungs every time you go out, a soda water with lime will usually do the trick).

As much as I miss my regular glasses of wine, the physical and mental effects are undeniable. By the end of the month I always feel less bloated, see an improvement in my skin, and have a much easier time waking up early.

+ Water.

In a similar vein, hydration is key! I’ve made a mental note to myself to drink at least 2L of water a day. I’ve also made an effort to cut down on my caffeine and substitute coffee with matcha when I can. So water has become my drink of choice. We also have a SodaStream at home that I love, it makes drinking enough water so easy.

+ Fitness.

In the past, I’ve been into super intense bootcamp style workouts and long-distance cardio, but after feeling burned out from the impact of the exercise and some suggestions from my doctor, I’ve made a conscious effort to cut down on high-intensity exercises and cardio. I’ve been adding pilates to my routine 2-3x a week as well as resistance training and weightlifting, which I believe is a more sustainable routine for my body.

+ Sleep.

This one is super hard for me, according to my sleep tracker I average only 6.5 hours a night, which is ok but not great. The benefits of getting enough sleep cannot be stressed enough. And I know how much better I feel when I hit the recommended amount. I’d love to get above 7 hours a night, but you know, life…

+ Diet.

After analyzing my diet in-depth, I came to the conclusion that it was, like my sleep, ok but not great. Towards the end of the year, I found myself reaching for office snacks on a daily basis, eating more chips and packaged snacks than I care to admit and eating out more meals than not. After getting over the initial hump of grocery shopping and light meal prepping, I’ve found that cooking doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. My goal is to eat most meals at home, and see if it makes a difference in how I feel at the end of the month.

+ Reading.

In an effort to be more conscious about the type of media I consume, I reset my reading goal for the year (last year my goal was to read 30 books!) and am trying to choose a book over TV before bed – even though it’s much easier to put on The Bachelor and zone out after a long day. So we shall see how this goes!

How are you starting off the new year?

By Amy Zhang December 31, 2019 in Beauty, Lifestyle No Comments

Why Custom Skincare is the Way to Go – Introducing Skinsei

Everyone’s skin is different. On top of genetics though, did you know that where you live and what lifestyle choices you make play just as much of a role in how your skin looks and feels, and should influence what kind of skincare products you use? This is why although I’m obsessed with skincare, I try not to be too prescriptive on my blog about it. I fully know that what works for me might not work for someone else – and that’s ok! Finding skincare products you love is a journey, and that’s why I’m excited to be partnering today with Skinsei.

Skinsei provides a personalized skincare regimen that takes into account your unique skin problems and goals, as well as the lifestyle factors that make a difference in your skin. They approach skincare holistically and personalize the product regimens they send to you – aka they know that your skin is unique, and your products should be too!

HOW SKINSEI WORKS

First, you take a diagnostic quiz where you input all of the various lifestyle factors that impact your skin – from how much time you’re in the sun, all the way to what you eat. Then, they’ll recommend a regimen of 3 to 5 products that are best suited for you. Yes, you read that correctly. You might be thinking, “wait, what about the whole 10 step skincare system? Don’t we need to use tons of products to get maximum results?” The truth is, less is usually more – and from my visits to the dermatologist, I’ve come to appreciate a simpler and more sustainable skincare routine.

Then, Skinsei will share your customized skincare routine – what the products are and why you should use them – along with the results of your diagnostic. These results will share the areas you should focus on to improve your skin. Think of it like a prescription for your skin.

Finally, you can go ahead and purchase your customized skincare routine. Use my code AMY20 for 20% off your first purchase.

HOW YOUR LIFESTYLE INFLUENCES YOUR SKIN

You might not realize it, but the choices you make on a daily basis impact your skin. Not only how much you sleep or what you eat, but also where you live. Yes, your environment plays a huge role in your skin! Living in Los Angeles, I’ve become so much more in tune with skincare products (yes it’s true, we really are skincare junkies and skincare obsessed!) and keeping on top of a consistent skincare regimen (and wearing sunscreen everyday!). It also helps that the city has an air of zen, it really is the most relaxed place I’ve ever lived! With that said, there are some negative environmental factors that will also impact your skin.

For one thing – the pollution. Living in a big city (and spending so much time in traffic!) you’re exposed to way more pollution. Unfortunately, the air quality in Los Angeles is not the best and this will have a negative impact on your skin in the long run.

Sun exposure is another factor to keep in mind. Angelenos love a good beach day (with lots of SPF, of course!), but it’s known that too much time in the sun can lead to wrinkles – no bueno.

Other important skincare factors include exercise, diet, and your stress levels. All of these play a role in how your skin looks and feels! Skinsei not only provides product recommendations, they will also educate you on why they matter. The areas I need to focus on are getting more sleep and keeping my skin hydrated.

HERE ARE THE PRODUCTS I’VE BEEN USING

Clear History No 456
Dew Your Thing No 812
Throwing Shade No 360
Rock the Boat No 489
Thirsty Face No 615

I love the simple 5 step system and have been bringing Skinsei along with me to the gym every morning. When it comes to skincare I am super results driven and so far I am not only enjoying the products, but I feel like I am more aware of the choices I make every day and how they might impact my skin in the long run. For example, I am really trying to cut down on caffeine – too much can dehydrate your skin – and sleep more, which will allow my cells to turnover and rejuvenate, and also eliminate my desire for too much espresso. So really, it’s a win win.

If you’re interested in learning more about your skin and what products are right for you, head over to Skinsei and take their free diagnostic. If you’re curious about trying out their products, you can get 20% off your first month by using my code AMY20.

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