The Luxi Look | LA based fashion and lifestyle blog

By Amy Zhang June 26, 2017 in Beauty 7 Comments

Clean Beauty Products 101

You know the saying, “beautiful inside and out”? Although it’s often used as a compliment, maybe it should also be something we strive for in our daily routines. After all, we’re constantly talking about what we put into our bodies, but what about what we put on our bodies? Many of us stop and think before going in face first into a plate of fries or a slice of cake (but not all the time – balance is key, right?) because we know it’s not the best thing to eat for our bodies. But we rarely think about what our foundation is made of or what chemicals are in our skincare products.

Clean beauty has been becoming more and more popular over the past few years, and while I’ll be the first to admit I can’t say goodbye to my beloved Armani foundation or Nars bronzer, it has been fun to dabble in clean and organic beauty brands. Although I was initially hesitant to use clean beauty products, I’ve found some brands that I really do love and think are worth trying out. The best part is most of them are available on Sephora now!

Clean beauty products that should be on your radar:

Ilia

Ilia is a brand I discovered last year and their lip products have since become one of my favorites. Clean beauty products tend to lack the punch of color and staying power as other brands (in my experience), but Ilia’s tinted lip conditionermulti-stick adds the perfect layer of color and hydration for day and night. It doesn’t go on like a matte or liquid lipstick and needs to be reapplied every now and then, but the berry shades are some of my go-tos in the winter. I’m a huge fan of the as well (who doesn’t love a good 2-in-1 product?!).

Kjaer Weis

If you think clean beauty products aren’t luxurious, think again. Kjaer Weis is a super luxe brand of clean and organic beauty products. The line was started by Danish born makeup artist Kjaer Weis, and you can see the simplicity and quality of the products immediately (Danish women are so naturally stunning!). The mascara is as good of a natural mascara as I’ve found, and the cream blush and bronzer go on so smoothly.

rms beauty

My first foray into natural beauty. The entire line is simple and holistic, made entirely of raw, food-grade, and organic anti-aging ingredients. But that doesn’t mean the products are weak! The living luminizer is a cult classic (before highlighting was the craze it is today!) and gives you that lit from within glow (it’s also tough to overdo, so if you have heavy hands you won’t go overboard!). The concealer is effective yet lightweight and clean enough to use every day. Also, the pots are really cute!

Tata Harper

Clean makeup is a little harder to transition to fully, but skincare is something I can get behind. I’ve been trying samples of a lot of different brands and had heard amazing things about Tata Harper. I love the brand’s mission to create luxurious yet natural products! The purifying cleanser is especially wonderful if you have oily skin, my dry skin has responded well to the face oil.

Herbivore Botanicals

I can’t get enough of these facial and body products!! The minimalist packaging and design caught my eye right away. Although what I really love is how gentle they are! My skin doesn’t usually have issues with natural and organic skincare lines. Which is exactly why I tend to gravitate towards them. The coconut + rose body scrub (YUM) smells amazing and leaves your skin so soft, and I’ve been using their masks regularly ever since an aesthetician recommended them to me!

Coola

I don’t mess around with SPF. Sunscreen is an absolute must if you’re going in the sun. All natural sunscreen is even better! Coola smells like the best possible version of sunscreen (coconut everything!) and gives you the right amount of protection from UV rays. The #1 thing I hear every dermatologist say is WEAR SUNSCREEN. If you’re going for color, FAKE IT! I will have safe ORGANIC sunless tanning tips on the blog soon!

What are your favorite clean beauty products?

xx, Amy

By Amy Zhang June 22, 2017 in Wellness 6 Comments

All the Details on CHLOROPHYLL and Why You Need it in Your Life

All the Details on CHLOROPHYLL and Why You Need To Add it To Your Water | by The Luxi Look

I’ll admit, I’m always the first to try new health and wellness trends. My latest favorite health trend by far is chlorophyll water. If you remember from biology, chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants that helps them transfer light into energy. Chlorophyll is loaded with vitamins A, C, E, and K. You can find it in green, leafy vegetables, in a capsule, or in a liquid form. You may not even realize it, but you’ve been eating chlorophyll your whole life! Right now the internet is going crazy over chlorophyll water and all of the health benefits that comes with taking chlorophyll in liquid form. I’ve been loving adding chlorophyll to my daily routine – there are SO many benefits of drinking chlorophyll and it’s such an easy addition, there’s really no reason not to try it out.

The exact health benefits of consuming Chlorophyll still aren’t known. However, I notice a positive difference after drinking chlorophyll water on the reg over the past month. Wondering if there are any health benefits of chlorophyll? Read on.

Why You Should Try Adding Chlorophyll to Your Diet

+ Chlorophyll is believed to help fight cancer, detoxify the body, and aid with digestion and weight loss. These antioxidant and anticancer properties suggest that chlorophyll is a superfood you should add to your water.

+ Chlorophyll is also shown to improve energy for an all natural boost! Remember the yerba mate vs. coffee debate? Chlorophyll might be an addition or substitute to your morning routs well.

+ Adding liquid chlorophyll is also a great way to fend off cravings and keep you full. Although many of us may know the trick of distinguishing between thirst and hunger (many times when we reach for that afternoon snack, we’re just thirsty!), adding chlorophyll to your water is a great reminder to drink more water. I definitely noticed a difference in my hunger levels and felt less of a need to grab junk food in the afternoon.

+ Drinking chlorophyll has many beauty and skin benefits! If nothing else, adding the green stuff to your water might encourage you to drink more water, which helps with skin. After drinking the green water for a month, my skin is – dare I say it – glowing?

+ You can also see the cleansing benefits. To be clear, I don’t do cleanses. I don’t believe in “cleansing” the body. However, you will definitely, um, notice a difference in what comes out of your body when you drink liquid chlorophyll.

It may take some time to get used to the taste. Start slowly by adding just a couple drops to your glass of water before adding more. I also like to add a couple drops in a smoothie. Personally, I like the very green taste, but it may be harder to swallow for others. If you absolutely hate the liquid stuff, try it in a capsule form. There are tons of benefits of drinking chlorophyll in water. Try it out for yourself, and let me know how you like it!

By Amy Zhang June 18, 2017 in Style 14 Comments

Wedding Season in Haute & Borrowed

Wedding Season in Haute and Borrowed | by The Luxi Look

Hello, hello! I’m back from a whirlwind trip to the windy city to celebrate the wedding of one of my best friend’s brothers. The wedding was set in the heart of downtown Chicago on a rooftop with absolutely breathtaking views of the city! You can see more on Instagram here. It felt so nice to be back on my old stomping grounds, reunited with all of my best girlfriends from college. My five-year reunion is coming up this fall – eek! And I’m hoping to make it out for another long weekend (Chicago is home to some of my absolute favorite restaurants that I am dying to revisit!).

Going to keep this post short and sweet because I am leaving for EUROPE on Thursday. There is so much to do before then! I got a lot of comments on the dress I wore to the wedding and I had to share – it’s from Haute and Borrowed!!

I talked about Haute and Borrowed a couple weeks ago and wanted to give a quick little update – I’ve been using the service for a while now and couldn’t recommend it more! If you’re a little hesitant about trying it out, I can personally attest to the cleanliness and quality of the clothing, the speed and friendliness of the service, and above all how easy and convenient it is to have a rotating closet. You’re also being eco friendly ; ) – seriously, there’s no shame in the clothing rental game!

Wedding Season in Haute and Borrowed

Need a dress for wedding season? Then you need to check out Haute and Borrowed.

I’ve had my eye on this Nightcap dress for so long but could never justify spending the money on it when I knew I would only wear it once. I received SO many compliments on the dress – it’s such a standout piece! If you’re trying to be smart about the pieces you actually invest in your closet, I would say stick to timeless classics in neutral colors. A black blazer, the perfect pair of denim, a leather jacket you’ll wear forever, quality handbags. When it comes to dresses, jumpsuits, separates in fun patterns and prints, you might be better off renting! Honestly, if you’re the type of girl that hates wearing the same thing twice and being photographed in it, you will absolutely love Haute and Borrowed. If you have any other questions about the service, feel free to leave them below in the comments and I’ll answer them!

xx, Amy

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.