The Luxi Look | LA based fashion and lifestyle blog

By Amy Zhang July 31, 2017 in Style 17 Comments

Fall Trend Alert: Metallic Shoes

One trend I’m looking forward to bringing into the new season with me is metallic shoes. If you haven’t noticed yet, all things metallic are having a moment, and they’re here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Fall Trend Alert: Metallic Shoes

Knowing myself, I anticipate wearing metallic shoes for a year or so before moving on to another trend. When I want to test out a super trendy piece, I always start low and look to fast fashion sites for inspiration. Public Desire always hits the nail on the head with the latest trends for less. This pair of silver boots is perfect for fall.

(Did I mention they’re only $60 and go with everything?)

I love a good ankle boot. I plan on wearing these ones with dresses, shorts, and denim. This drape-y, oversized blazer has been an easy throw-on-and-go piece for the office. But I’ve been wearing it outside of work as well. I really love the way the hem hits slightly below my denim shorts.

If you’re unsure of how to style metallic shoes (go for boots, sneakers, or a good slide/mule for fall!), it’s really simple. Keep the rest of the outfit neutral and let the shoes be the highlight of your look!

On that note, I’ve been trying to minimize my wardrobe (thinking a clothing rack that keeps all of my most regularly worn pieces of the season in sight may help?). So for every new piece that comes into the closet, at least one needs to go. Not always the easiest thing to do, but my boyfriend loves it (ha!). Now that I have these boots in my closet, I’m looking for something to purge and thinking of more ways to style them. Stay tuned for a full fall trend report coming soon!

Shop my favorite metallic shoes below:

blazer: grana

(use code AMYxGRANA for 10% off + free shipping worldwide)

top: bailey 44 | shorts: redone | belt: b-low the belt |

shoes: public desire | backpack: sticks + stones | sunnies: raen

By Amy Zhang July 27, 2017 in Lifestyle, Wellness 16 Comments

Everything You Need to Know About Copper Bottles

I started researching copper water bottles and was so intrigued by all of the reported health benefits of using one. I knew right away I had to go straight to the source and learn more – luckily, I was able to meet up with Jessica, the owner of Copper H2O, who was kind enough to tell me more about copper bottles and all of their amazing benefits.

Read on to learn more about copper water bottles!

Introduce yourself.

Hi! My name is Jessica, and I’m the founder of Copper H2O! Copper H2O is a small business based on the west coast that makes beautiful handmade copper water bottles with amazing ayurvedic health benefits. We’re a bit unique in that we’re a “social enterprise”. In short, that means that our primary goal is to do our part to make the world a better place. We do that by donating a very substantial portion of our profits to non-profit organizations that work to supply clean drinking water in developing countries.

How did you get the idea to start your business?

I came upon the idea while researching ayurvedic medicine. According to ayurvedic medicine, drinking water stored in a copper water bottle or other copper vessel (which is known as “tamra jal” in ayurvedic medicine) balances the three doshas in your body (vata, kapha and pitta) << (will do a post on doshas soon!)by gently infusing the water with the positive health properties of copper. When I learned that, it occurred to me that copper might be the perfect medium for water bottles. Especially since the world doesn’t need another disposable plastic bottle!

What are the benefits to using a copper water bottle?

There are so many reasons to use a copper water bottle! Copper is anti-bacterial, acts as an effective anti-oxidant, improves immunity, supports good health, prevents aging, eliminates toxins and free radicals, and stimulates the brain. In addition, water stored in a copper water bottle will also become natural alkaline water, which helps balance your body’s pH levels. Also, because copper is naturally anti-bacterial, copper water bottles are naturally self-sterilizing and do not require as much cleaning as other water bottles.

In addition to the health benefits, our copper water bottles are also beautiful pieces of functional art. We believe that copper is the best material from which to make water bottles and have worked hard to produce an aesthetically pleasing product that suits an active lifestyle, supports the maintenance of good health, and helps the environment by avoiding the use of disposable plastic bottles.

How do you care for a copper bottle?

Caring for a copper water bottle is easy! Our copper water bottles are made of 100% pure copper, so they will naturally patina over time. Many people love having the exterior of their bottles age gracefully into a beautiful copper patina.

If you prefer the shine of copper, it is very easy to remove. Simply sprinkle a pinch of salt on a slice of lemon. Allow the salt to dissolve. Then gently rub it on the surface of your bottle. The lemon and salt will form a mixture that will naturally remove the patina and restore the copper’s shine. Once done, rinse with water and dry well. The inside of a copper water bottle will also patina over time, but this has no effect on the quality of the water stored inside the bottle. We recommend cleaning the inside of the bottle every now and then with warm water and a drop of liquid soap, and then rinsing it well.

What’s the hardest part of running your own business?

I think the hardest part of running your own business is also the best part of running your own business! In particular, running your own business generally means you sacrifice the stability of a traditional career path. It can be daunting. At the same time, not being locked into the usual “9 to 5” means you have much more flexibility to be creative and follow your passions!

Any advice for new entrepreneurs?

My best piece of advice for new entrepreneurs is to work hard, be patient, have faith in yourself, and never give up! Every entrepreneur faces hurdles, so don’t be discouraged by them – they are a normal part of the job description! Instead, look at the hurdles as opportunities to grow your entrepreneurial muscles. Just like trees, entrepreneurs are made stronger by bending in the wind!

Check out Jessica’s copper bottles here for yourself! So far I am loving mine : ).

By Amy Zhang July 23, 2017 in Recipes 14 Comments

Spritz Time

I’m not the biggest drinker, but I love me a good happy hour. Spritzes are my go-to happy hour beverage at the moment, and it looks like I’m not the only one. Spritzes are definitely the drink of the summer! Before we get into making a spritz, can we take a moment to talk about the European way of life? When we visited the Amalfi Coast last fall we got a real taste of la dolce vita, but recently in Barcelona we enjoyed the Spanish way of life as well! Read: 5 meals a day, siestas, happy hour always. We fell in love with spritzes in Italy last year and had our fair share when we were in Europe last month. Now that we’re back in LA, spritzes are still our summer happy hour drink of choice.

Did you know the word “spritz” is actually a loose word for cocktails that follow a similar formula? Basically a spritz is 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts liquor, and 1 part soda water. Aperol spritzes just happen to be the most popular variation (it’s the drink of choice in Italy!) but there are countless spritz recipes, which I learned when my boyfriend bought this book. We’ve been slowly making our way through the recipes and each one is better than the last.

Here’s why the spritz is the drink of the summer.

+ They’re light and refreshing

+ They’re relatively low in calories and alcohol

+ They’re good for digestion. The liquor in spritzes are meant to “open your palette” and prepare you for your meal. (Technically, you’re only supposed to have one, but who’s counting?)

+ They make for good photos ; )

Try one for yourself! Start with this classic variation of a spritz. Recipe below:

Aperol Spritz Recipe

Aperol
Prosecco (use DRY prosecco!)
Soda water
Orange

Instructions: Pour together 3 parts prosecco, 2 parts aperol, and 1 part soda water into a glass. Add ice and stir gently. Garnish with an orange wedge. In true apertivo style, serve with light bites (olives + potato chips are common in Italy)

Enjoy!! xx

By Amy Zhang July 20, 2017 in Beauty 7 Comments

Add This to Your Skincare Routine Stat – POWDER CLEANSERS and Why They’re the Bomb

If you haven’t tried a powder cleanser for your face yet, you’re missing out. If you’re skeptical, try it out – it might completely change the way you wash your face (I know it did for me!).

Hear me out: powder cleansers are simple and effective, not to mention gentle and kind of fun to use. I’ve swapped out my normal liquid or gel cleanser for a powder version on more than one occasion. Powder cleansers are usually made with natural ingredients. Plus, they gently cleanse and exfoliate your skin at the same time. Powder cleansers typically contain rice based ingredients because they are derived from ancient Japanese skin and beauty rituals.

I started using powder cleansers last year and quickly added powder exfoliants to my skincare line up as well – and my skin has never been so soft! Another bonus – powders are travel friendly! Read on for some of my favorite powder based cleansers and exfoliants.

My Top 5 Powder Cleansers and Exfoliants

1. Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

This product was used on me during a facial and I immediately had to ask what it was – this product leaves my skin super soft and cleansed. It’s gentle enough to be used daily (hence the name, duh), and doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin. I like to mix this with a gel cleanser sometimes for a little 2-in-1 action.

2. Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant

Eminence is one of my favorite organic, natural skincare lines. This strawberry rhubarb powder smells delicious (like strawberry yogurt) and sloughs off dead skin cells on my face. This one is slightly more abrasive than the Dermalogica powder, so I use it every other day at most (I alternate between products every couple weeks).

3. Tatcha Polished Gentle Rice Enzyme Powder

This powder came in Rachel Zoe’s Box of Style and has a permanent spot in my gym bag. I love powder cleansers when I’m on the go, and this one has a tab that covers the opening so you don’t have to worry about spills. This one is gentle enough to use daily.

4. Skinesque Enzyme Washing Powder

Hands down my favorite powder cleanser. Skinesque is a Korean beauty brand that has a line of small but KILLER products. One of my blogger friends turned me onto this brand and I’m so glad she did. I’ll definitely be repurchasing this powder, in addition to more of Skinesque’s crazy cool 3 step face masks.

5. Josie Maran Argan Exfoliating Cleansing Powder

Josie Maran’s argan oils are some of the best on the market, and this cleansing powder is no exception.

Because most cleansing powders have similar formulas, you can’t really go wrong with any choice. I was surprised at how much I love using powder formulas, especially when it came to my recent trip abroad (no carry on liquid restrictions here!). I’m still loyal to a couple gel cleansers (especially when I want to get every last bit of makeup off), but powder cleansers have found a place in my heart – and they’re here to stay.

Have you tried powder cleansers? Yay or nay?

xx, Amy

By Amy Zhang July 17, 2017 in Wellness 7 Comments

How to Get Rid of a Puffy Face

Helloooo Monday! The weekend is over and it’s the start of a new week. If you’re anything like me, the morning after a sushi or ramen dinner, too many carbs, alcohol, or not enough sleep, you wake up looking…puffy. This is especially the case after an indulgent day or weekend. My face is notorious for retaining water and it doesn’t take much for it to swell up, especially in the morning. My eyes, around my nose, even my lips get extremely inflamed. It’s pretty embarrassing, to be honest. All too often, I’m thinking about how to get rid of a puffy face on a Monday.

Since the whole puffy face look isn’t my thing – and I’m not sure it’s anyone’s – I’ve tried a million different things to solve the problem. Some work better than others, but in general, these are the best tips to de-puff my skin. A few of these exercises can be done daily, or they can be perfect for the puffy face mornings once the damage is done.

Here’s how to get rid of a puffy face (for real)

Hydrate like cray. Hydration seems to be the answer for most skin issues, and a puffy face is no different. A puffy face is a sign of inflammation and fluid retention, aka you’re not detoxing properly or keeping things moving. If I know I’m going to be drinking or eating a dinner full of sodium or carbs, I’m diligent about drinking water that day – a ton of it. This will help your skin overall and will flush out the sodium.

Use a jade roller.

A jade roller is one of the best tools when it comes to depuffing skin, specifically faces. Jade rolling comes from 7th century Chinese culture. Today, spas everywhere use the technique. Jade rolling helps cells turnover, so it’s smart to jade roll daily, but it can be used in a pinch if you’re puffy, too. Simply apply lotion – or oil, whatever – then roll. Here’s an easy tutorial on the exact technique.

Ice, ice, baby.

Kate Moss would famously dunk her head in an ice-filled sink before photo shoots, and the girl was on to something. Just like you’d use ice on a swollen injury, you can use it on your face to help with swelling. If you’re not into sinks full of ice, an ice roller is ahhhmazing. I leave it over my eyes for about 20 seconds each, then roll towards two areas specifically helpful for lymphatic drainage: your ears and collar bone.

Rely on a mask.

If it’s just your eyes that are puffy, or at least the worst, throw on some chilled eye masks. I actually keep these guys in my fridge. Putting them on feels stellar and the coldness helps wake that sensitive skin up. If you’re not a morning person these are GREAT for waking up.

Massage.

Another ritual borrowed from Asian cultures, you can give yourself a detoxifying face massage to promote drainage. Here’s how!

Stay away from certain foods. Pretty obvious, but if you know you have a big event or want to look your best, limit certain things the days leading up. Sodium, excess carbs, and booze tend to puff us up, so focus on water-dense foods like cucumbers, and other lean proteins. Again, water is your BFF!

Fix allergies. Believe it or not, allergies play a huge roll in puffy faces – or can. In the springtime, take an OTC allergy pill if all else fails. I like to use essential oils to purify the allergens in my home as a more natural solution. An air purifier machine helps too!

PLEASE let me know your tips for getting rid of a puffy face! I’m dying to hear.

Want more anti – inflammatory beauty tips? Check out this at home spa day & these clean beauty products.

xx, Amy