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By Amy Zhang October 7, 2018 in Beauty, Lifestyle, Travel 2 Comments

Red Eye Essentials

I’ve mentioned briefly on the blog that I started a new job over the summer, but what I haven’t written about yet is travel on the job! Traveling for work is not new to me, my first job out of school in consulting required being on the road every week from Monday to Thursday. I’ll admit, it wasn’t for me and it made it very difficult to balance work, a relationship, my health, and any semblance of a social life. When I got the job offer for my new job, I knew there would be some travel involved – but I also knew I would have more say in when I travelled and how often.

For the past few weeks I’ve been flying from LA to NYC every week and although it’s been a lot of time spent on a plane, it’s also been incredibly invigorating and exciting. One thing that has been a challenge though is figuring out the best time of day to fly to New York. If you fly during the day, you essentially lose most of the day with the 3 hour time difference. The most efficient option I’ve found is often the red eye. I can’t say anyone loves a red eye, but I’ve been trying to figure out a routine that works. Here are the red eye essentials that help me get as much sleep as possible and come off the plane somewhat refreshed and ready to go!

Red Eye Essentials You Need:

+ Noise Cancelling Headphones – you don’t realize how loud planes are until you’re trying to get a halfway decent night’s rest! Noise cancelling headphones are travel must haves to block out noise in the airport and on the plane. They also come in handy in the event you have a crying baby next to you…

+ Silk Eye Mask – I’ve written about slip eye masks before (and pillowcases) but I honestly can’t stress how much I love them!! The material is so comfortable and it really helps if you’re trying to sleep in a public space or even at a hotel. I can’t travel without mine, I love them so much I have multiple masks that I keep around the house.

+ Emergen-C – planes are full of icky, gross germs. Ever get off a plane feeling a little congested or with a slight tickle in your throat? All of the recirculated air on planes is seriously gross – your immune system definitely takes a beating on a cross country flight. Combat this by chugging Emergen-c or taking a vitamin C supplement.

+ Cozy Sweats – maybe you’re one of those people that dresses up for flights. Maybe even red eyes. I am not one of those. If I’m not wearing full on pajamas, I’m definitely wearing comfy sweats. I mean, you’re trying to sleep!

+ Moisturizing Face Mask – if you’re ready to go all out with a full on sheet mask, try a super hydrating face mask (and drink tons of water on the flight!!). I like this one because you don’t even have to wash it off, and it has Sephora’s clean beauty seal!

What are your red eye essentials?

By Amy Zhang January 30, 2018 in Style 7 Comments

Rocking Winter Florals

Florals aren’t just for spring. This feminine and romantic print is actually easy to incorporate into your wardrobe year around. Even as I’m shifting to neutrals and more classic pieces as I get older, I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for floral prints. For spring, I’ve got my eye on something from Zimmermann. How swoon-worthy are these prints and dresses?! When it comes to winter, you can still incorporate florals into your outfit without looking completely out of place.

How to wear winter florals

Of course, in Southern California, winter can often mean 80 degrees outside – yes, we’re extremely lucky! – so we can get away with wearing off the shoulder maxi dresses like this one from Flynn Skye that I’m wearing. I know this isn’t the case everywhere! For colder climates, I would totally wear this print in the form of a blazer, jumpsuit, pants, or top for the winter. Having lived in the Midwest for the majority of my life, I can speak from first hand experience on how to transition some of your warmer weather pieces and prints through the fall and winter.

+ Choose a darker color palette. Black, gray, navy tones create more muted floral prints that don’t scream “SPRING!” as loudly. Florals don’t always have to be girly or super feminine – sometimes a darker floral palette can make for a grungier look.

+ Pick a heavier fabric – velvet and silk are always safe bets for colder months. Avoid fabrics such as linen or chiffon – anything too summer-y or meant to be worn on a vacation.

+ Make sure the rest of your outfit is seasonally appropriate. If you want to rock a floral skirt in the middle of winter, make sure to wear (ideally fleece lined) tights! In general, try to avoid too much exposed skin.

+ Go subtle or bold… the choice is yours. Thinking about wearing a floral jumpsuit? Pair with a blazer or duster coat. Maybe you want to wear some floral pants? Throw on a cozy cardigan or oversized turtleneck. Or perhaps you want to go all out with a printed coat.

Of course, I love to layer tons of dainty gold jewelry over my floral pieces. Mine are from Dogeared, Monica Vinader, and Luv AJ. Throw on your favorite pair of shades and you’re good to go!

Shop my favorite winter floral pieces:

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By Amy Zhang September 11, 2017 in Style 6 Comments

Line I Love: Reformation

It’s time to pay homage to one of my favorite brands that happens to be based in LA; Reformation. I’ve worn and featured Reformation pieces on my Instagram and blog countless times. I genuinely love them. It doesn’t hurt that their mission to make fashion more sustainable is 100% up my alley!

Also, when it comes to branding, Reformation gets it right. Their marketing is tongue and cheek. They drop new product twice a week (dangerous for my wallet!). Also, their pieces are limited release (meaning the chances of you showing up to a party wearing the same thing as another girl is slim), and most importantly they are so on point with their cut and fit.

Line I Love: Reformation

This little red striped dress just screams summer – which I am desperately clinging on to (TBH not that difficult because it’s still so warm out) and because Reformation only releases pieces in small batches, it sold out quickly and I was waitlisted for a month before I finally snagged it. Very Fourth of July appropriate, right?

Even though Reformation’s forte is the perfect little summer dress (their minis and midis are always to die for!), I’ve been loving their fall and winter collections as well. This fall, I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for the perfect pair of vintage denim (< very important to buy vintage if you are interested in sustainable fashion, as denim is one of the worst offenders for water and resource usage!!) and plaid blazer.

In general, I find Reformation’s dresses to be their standouts. Their longer, more formal dresses are perfect for weddings (guests or bridesmaids – literally the chicest bridesmaid dresses out there), their minis are the perfect blend of vintage and modern, and their knit tops are some of my regular go-to’s for lazy weekend days. It doesn’t hurt that Ref is beloved by celebs and models as well – but seriously, who could blame them?

Ladies, if you’re in LA (or NYC or SF) you’re in luck, because Ref also has physical stores! LA ladies get access to Ref Bridal and their new, vintage only store on Melrose.

And on that note, I’m looking to incorporate more sustainable fashion labels into my wardrobe. It can be tricky to find brands that get style and function right – Ref nails it and makes sustainable + chic look effortless – but I’d love to learn about any other sustainable fashion brands you’re loving right now!

xx, Amy

dress: reformation | sunnies: similar | choker: similar

bag: similar | shoes: steve madden

By Amy Zhang June 16, 2017 in Style 10 Comments

How to Style a Jumpsuit for the Office

Styling a Jumpsuit for the Office | by The Luxi Look

My weekday style and my weekend style tend to be pretty different.Unfortunately, my love for one piece outfits in the form of rompers and jumpsuits doesn’t always extend into the world of business attire. There are some pieces in my closet are versatile and appropriate enough to be double duty for in and out of the office, and I was determined to make a jumpsuit one of them. So I set out to figure out how to wear one to my 9 to 5.

I will preface this by saying my office dress code does lean much more casual than “business formal” (I’ve long retired my pencil skirts), so sorry to my girls working in more formal settings. For more business casual environments, what I found is that you can dress up a jumpsuit to make it office appropriate (win!). If you’re wondering how to style a jumpsuit for the office, just be sure to keep three basic rules in mind and you’ll be good to go.

How to Style a Jumpsuit for the Office

Three things to keep in mind when thinking about how to style a jumpsuit for the office:

+ Pick your prints wisely.

If you’re going to wear a jumpsuit, try to keep the print and color slightly more subtle – you don’t want to overdo it here! The trick is to choose a print you would normally wear on your pants. If your office is more casual, you might be able to get away with bolder prints, but I would probably stick to solid colors or a simple print that isn’t too distracting. If your office is less conservative, you may be able to get away with bolder prints. I would stick to solid colors and simple prints. I love a good wide legged pant and think they can be incredibly flattering and versatile, so I felt ok going with this striped pattern.

+ Make sure all your bases are covered.

And by that, I mean all of the appropriate body parts. You don’t want to show too much skin! After all, you’re at the office. Keep the cutouts and plunging necklines to after hours only.

+ Layer!

Throw on a blazer (LOVE this one by Grana – the oversized fit is perfect to throw on over a jumpsuit! I keep mine at the office so I can put it on anytime I need to look a little more polished) or a knit sweater or cardigan. If you’re feeling daring, sport a denim or leather jacket. Maybe keep that to Casual Fridays though?

K. I. S. S. Keep it simple, stupid. Although I wouldn’t wear this every day to the office, it was fun to repurpose something in my closet and wear something different during the week. What do you think? Would you wear a jumpsuit to work?

xx, Amy

blazer: grana (use code AMYxGRANA for 10% off your first order + free shipping)

jumpsuit: vici | bag: cult gaia

By Amy Zhang June 13, 2017 in Style 17 Comments

Little White Dress Season with Lulus

Nothing screams summer more than a little white dress. But find the perfect one can be tricky. Let’s face it – white can be a less than flattering color to wear! Especially when it’s tight (usually a no-no for me, ha!). If your usual go-to color is black (always chic and slimming), don’t be afraid of white!

My closet is full of white (which is a nightmare if you’re prone to spills or stains) – blouses, denim, dresses, jumpsuits, shoes. It’s by far my favorite color to wear! The key is to find dresses that highlight the parts of your body you are confident in, and hide the areas you’re less comfortable with. Usually the tummy! The wrong white dress can show every tiny bulge. Spanx helps. So does a (fake) tan!

A little white dress is perfect for daytime.

One of my favorite online shopping sites, Lulus, has the cutest selection of white dresses for day or night! I styled two daytime looks from Lulus to show you how easy and flattering white can be.

For daytime I like to keep my jewelry minimal and simple. On sunny days you will often see me wearing a hat because duh, sun! This bag by Cult Gaia has been everywhere this year and is my favorite summer purchase to date. I’m carrying the small size, which is more than big enough to carry my essentials and work on my frame (I’m not super tall!).

dress: lulus | hat: lulus | shoes: lulus

An off the shoulder little white dress is the perfect throw on and go look for brunch! Add some rose gold lucite mules and you can take the dress into evening cocktails with the girls as well (add a denim or leather jacket when it gets chilly!).

dress: lulus | shoes: lulus

Needless to say, you’ll be seeing me wear a LOT of white this summer.

It’s such an easy color to wear – it really goes with anything and as long as you find a fit that’s flattering, you’re good to go from day to night. I’m going to Chicago this weekend (can’t wait!!! I lived in Chicago before moving to LA and it will always hold a special spot in my heart) and will definitely be packing one of these white dresses in my suitcase.

Here are some of my other favorites from Lulus LWD collection!

Maxi Dress Perfect for Daytime

Bodycon Slip Dress for Night (Feels very 90s Calvin Klein)

Cross Back Maxi (Super flattering fit!)

xx, Amy

This post was sponsored and written in partnership with Lulus. As always, all opinions are my own.

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