The Luxi Look | LA based fashion and lifestyle blog

By Amy Zhang January 28, 2021 in Digital 1 Comment

5 Social Media Trends to Watch For in 2021

So much has happened in 2021, and we’re still only in January. There is so much activity happening on the internet right now, it’s hard to keep up. Between blogging and my corporate job, I try to stay afloat on current trends and happenings in social media and digital marketing. Since I started blogging years ago, social media and influencer marketing has drastically transformed. It’s a massive industry and an accepted part of any brand marketing strategy now! Part of my day job is to stay on top of all of the trends in social media and digital marketing. It’s important in order to work with our clients on digital strategy and transformation. 2021 will be a year of continued growth and change in the social media and influencer marketing space. See below for some of the key social media trends to watch for in 2021,

5 Social Media Trends to Watch For in 2021

1. Influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere.

I’ll admit, when COVID-19 hit, I was certain it would be the end of influencers. However a year into the pandemic, and I’ve been proven completely wrong. While there certainly has been a massive shift towards authenticity and relatable content, consumers are still looking to influencers. We aren’t getting dressed up and traveling as much as before.

However, there’s still plenty of space for home decor, beauty, skincare, fitness, cooking, and other lifestyle content. Moreover, brands have come to rely on influencers to create user generated content in the current environment. Influencer marketing has also become completely normalized and standardized across marketing budgets. This means more money is being poured into it than ever before.

With that said, the nature of being an influencer has changed dramatically in recent years. It’s no longer enough to focus only on one platform – the days of the “Insta influencer” are coming to an end. Many influencers have realized that in order continue growing their followings (and income), they will need to diversify across platforms. Between Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tik Tok, YouTube, podcasting, and blogging, being a digital content creator is a full time job many times over.

2. Increased competition online in every category.

The rise of the digital economy means there has never been so much competition for attention online. The new currency is your attention – and everyone from influencers to brands to platforms is competing for your precious attention. More people are trying to become influencers than ever, hoping to break through on any platform. Brands are vying for advertising space, strategic relationships with influencers, and consumer’s dollars. Now that every platform from Facebook to Pinterest to Spotify is offering advertising units, there’s more competition for marketing dollars. All this is to say, there’s never been a better time to be a part of the digital economy. But no matter what part you play in it, you’ll see increased competition.

With the increase in competition for attention, comes changes to algorithms around content creation. One example to highlight how competitive social media has become is on Instagram. The platform alone recommends its creators post an aggressive amount of content every week. The recommended cadence is 1 IGTV video, 3-4 reels, 3-4 static posts, and 5-8 stories per week. For the average micro or part time influencer, or small brand, this amount of content is incredibly overwhelming (and oftentimes not feasible). On the plus side, it creates ample opportunity for small scale social media managers and content creators.

3. Proliferation of short form video.

With the rise of Tik Tok and Instagram Reels on its heels, we’re seeing a huge shift in how people consume short form content. I feel like a total millennial saying this, but a year ago I had no idea how Tik Tok worked. I think I literally said, “I don’t get this.” Well, it’s now 2021, and Tik Tok has officially become my favorite social media app. The content is light, funny, and authentic and is one of social media trends to watch for in 2021.

The app feels completely addictive, from its easy user interface to an algorithm that serves up eerily relevant content. In many ways, it’s a breath of fresh air from Instagram, which has begun to feel too curated and stiff. I receive a lot of questions from new or small business owners on social media strategy and which platform to prioritize. I tell many of them to try Tik Tok. Because the app is newer, you have a better chance of being rewarded by the algorithm (aka it can be easier to grow a following on Tik Tok). 2020 bred a new generation of social media influencers through Tik Tok, and this year will be no different.

Although Instagram is determined not to lose to Tik Tok in the battle of creators and attention, it’s still too early to tell who will come out on top. One thing is for sure though, short form video content isn’t going anywhere.

4. More ads and shopping on social media.

2021 will see a big rise in adoption of social commerce across platforms. Instagram is aggressively pushing their shopping feature. It has been on the roadmap for a long time and opens up an opportunity for Facebook to compete against other e-commerce giants. Pinterest is also following with shoppable pins. The problem with Instagram is the app is starting to become cluttered – between all of the different surfaces and types of content (in feed posts, stories, IGTV, reels, lives, shopping), there are more placements for ads than ever. Subsequently, as consumers we are seeing more ads than ever on our social media apps. It will be interesting to see how brands and consumers adopt social commerce through their social media apps and how consumers react to more and more advertisements.

5. Mission and values driven brand marketing.

2020 ushered in a new era of social media marketing. There have been a larger emphasis than ever on brand mission and values. Today’s customers are looking for brands that have messages that speak to inclusivity, diversity, sustainability, and standing up for a cause. Expect this trend to continue into the future. These have long reaching implications on where and how advertising dollars are spent and the types of content creation that are elevated.

I’ve received SO many questions around social media marketing and requests for advice, and it’s an area that I’m super passionate about. One of my goals for 2021 was to create more – so I’m looking into posting more frequently about social media trends and digital marketing. If you have specific questions, I’d love to help – send me an email at [email protected] and we can chat. Stay tuned for more digital marketing related content! xx

By Amy Zhang January 21, 2021 in Style No Comments

More Matching Sweatsuits for 2021

I’ve been working from home for the past 10 months, and there’s no end in sight. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do so. But it’s definitely becoming monotonous… to say the least. I crave human interaction. And I miss being able to leave the house regularly. I even miss the travel! A few bright spots of the new work mode that stand out – having no commute, being able to spend all day with my dog and AJ, and of course, sweatsuits. This really should be a love letter to matching sweats.

Loungewear is so ubiquitous now, everyone is selling it and I am here for it. The indefinite timeline of working from home combined with the feeling of this “new normal” (whatever that means) has ushered in a solid year + of loungewear becoming acceptable attire. I’m not one to complain. I love comfort and a good matching set. My office hasn’t announced any official plans to return to in person workweeks, so I feel fairly confident I will be wearing matching sweats continuously for the next several months. And even if we go back into the office, I’m all for normalizing loungewear. I don’t think I even miss my jeans the slightest. I linked all of my favorite matching sets below so you can add to your collection as well.

The Best Matching Sweatsuits for 2021

Princess Polly

Princess Polly has surprisingly affordable and comfortable loungewear. Their pieces tend to be really trendy but you can find good basics that you’ll wear all the time. I have so many tops, matching sets, and loungewear pieces from Princess Polly. It’s one of my go-tos for affordable fashion. Oh, and definitely size up if you aren’t sure what to do as their sizing runs small. I typically go up at least 2 if not more sizes in loungewear anyway, as I prefer an oversized fit. You can also use code LUXI to get 20% off your order this month : ).

Aritzia

If I were to recommend only one matching set, it would be this one from Aritzia. On the scale of matching sets, it’s not the cheapest but it’s also far from the most expensive. In my opinion, it’s just right. Good enough to justify getting a set in every color if you want. The fabric is SO SOFT and cozy. The quality is unreal at any price point, and it comes in every color. I have my eye on a brown crew neck set at the moment, but you can’t go wrong. Again, I prefer to size up.

Mate

I love this clean, sustainable fashion brand that focuses on minimalist basics. All of their products are made from organic fabrics, and produced in Los Angeles. You’ll spend a little more (but not too much!) on their products and it’s honestly so worth it to invest in a sustainable brand.

Alo

Not surprisingly, one of my favorite activewear brands makes really cute loungewear. I really regret not snagging this set in red over Black Friday, but the current neutral options are all basics you should have in your loungewear collection.

Revolve

Revolve always has a great selection for anything you’re shopping for, at a range of price points. Neutrals, colors, prints – they have it all. I just snagged this cute pink sweatshirt and pants, and have been wearing them around the house nonstop.

And of course, with your at home loungewear look, make sure you have a pair of cozy slippers! These from Ugg are amazing, and these are really popular as well.

By Amy Zhang January 19, 2021 in Lifestyle, Wellness 2 Comments

How to Create and Stick to a Productive Morning Routine

A confession – before this year, I never had a morning routine. By that I mean, my mornings were never intentional. I would always wake up and jump straight into my day in a frenzy. I was like a human tornado – spinning nonstop from the moment I woke up. Looking back, it was so exhausting. I don’t know how I did it – and I don’t want to do that anymore. I’m not sure if it’s the pandemic or getting older, I’ve come to appreciate calmer mornings. Like, a full on morning routine that’s drawn out and downright lazy. Nothing starts the day better, I swear.

Starting my days with intention has done wonders for my anxiety and type-A personality. Even if you’re not a “morning person,” there are so many benefits to gain from creating and sticking to a routine. You don’t have to wake up at 5am and cross everything off your to-do list by noon. But finding the time – even if it’s just 30 minutes – to start your day with intention will kickstart an entire day of good habits and mindset.

How to Create a Morning Routine

Your morning routine is for you only! It’s not a competition and there’s no such thing as an ideal routine – you do you! Don’t add or do anything that doesn’t speak to your needs. The first couple hours of your day are some of the most precious – don’t waste them on things that do not serve you.

The first thing is to set good habits.

This means going to bed and waking up at as close to the same time as possible everyday – even weekends. I told you, this gets easier as you get older. These days, I rarely stay up past 10am and am always awake by 7am at the latest. This came after years of neglecting sleep, averaging less than 6 hours of sleep a night, and consuming more caffeine than what is considered clinically healthy.

If you’re looking for some books to kick start good habits and start your morning off right, I recommend Tiny Habits and The Power of Habit.

Once you have a target time to wake up, you can estimate approximately how much time you will have before you need to officially “start your day.” If you’re concerned about not having enough time to do everything in your ideal routine, you can either *try* to wake up earlier, or narrow down your morning routine to only focus on what’s most important.

That brings me to my last point on creating your morning routine – it’s all about prioritization.

At the end of the day, there are only 24 hours in the day and only so much you can get done at once. Where having a morning routine has been incredibly beneficial for me is honing in on only what matters. Asking myself, what activities have the most positive impact on the rest of my day? Knowing that I have the most energy in the morning, what are tasks I can get done right away when I wake up to set the day up for success? What are the 3 (yes, only 3!!) most important items to cross off my to-do list today?

My Morning Routine

On a perfect day, I would have time to do all of the below in order before starting my day. Of course, it’s not always possible, as life does get in the way. But I aim to do as many of the items in my ideal morning routine as possible every day, even if it means saying no to other plans or invites. I’ve noticed a remarkable difference in my overall mood and energy levels on the days I follow my routine vs. the days I just go, go, go.

At the very least, I try to meditate and plan out my day, which takes about 20 minutes.

Meditate

Literally every self help book tells you how important meditation is. I chose to ignore this advice for years because I decided meditation just wasn’t for me. It was boring. A waste of time. I’ve changed my mind completely. After sitting through a guided meditation given by a friend recently and feeling all of my anxiety melt away, I decided to give meditation another try.

I love the Calm App, it’s well worth the $79.99 per year (which amounts to less than a quarter for every daily meditation, not to mention all of the other great content you get as well – the bedtime stories are great for helping you fall asleep). I’m not a meditation expert by ANY MEANS – my mind races most days, and sometimes all I want to do is sleep. But I have to constantly remind myself that the benefits are real, and it’s not about having a “perfect” practice, but rather showing myself compassion and self-love.

Journal

Writing out my thoughts with a pen and paper has been a very calming and grounding practice to start my day. It helps me take stock of my emotions and thoughts in a tangible way. Especially when I am feeling a particular negative emotion, I find that a few minutes of journaling typically brings clarity and perspective in a way that sitting with my thoughts alone does not.

Plan out my day

I recently bought the Day Designer Planner thanks to a recommendation from my friend Camille, which was truthfully way more than I wanted to spend on a planner, but honestly it was money well spent. I can plan out what my entire looks by, hour by hour if I’m feeling really crazy. But most importantly, it allows me to write down my entire to-do list and then prioritize the top 3 most important tasks for the day. I try to do these first and focus on them. It’s really a great planner and well worth the price if you use it everyday.

Drink warm lemon water

I try to do this first, even before coffee. Supposedly it’s good for your digestion. I love that it’s a soothing ritual to do while listening to a podcast or audiobook.

Make coffee

We try to make coffee at home most days, either pour over coffee or our own cold brew at home. The process is a bit time consuming and methodical, but a part of my morning I’ve come to really love. I usually multitask while making coffee – straightening the kitchen/living areas and then feeding our dog. By the way – these are our favorite beans EVER.

Breakfast

I’m not the biggest breakfast eater, but I am making a concerted effort to eat breakfast and fuel my body for the day. It’s definitely a habit I have to instill over time. I usually do eggs, oatmeal, or a smoothie, depending on my hunger levels and if I had time to workout.

Bonus points if I get 8 hours of sleep, do an at home workout, manage to squeeze in some reading, do my full skincare routine, make the bed, and avoid checking emails/texts/social media this entire time.

What’s your ideal morning routine?

By Amy Zhang January 14, 2021 in Style 2 Comments

Skincare Commandments for My 30s

I’ve officially entered my 30s (!!) and while I truthfully don’t think turning 30 is that big of a deal, it is an exciting time to reflect and think about all that is to come. I truly believe that the best is yet to come, and I’ve shared before how optimistic I am for this new year and truthfully a new decade of my life. As with all things there are downsides of course, I’m well aware 30 isn’t old but I do want to prioritize wellness and self-care more than I did in my 20s. The first area I want to start with is skin – skincare is so important, and I feel like your 30s are the time to start really investing in the long term.

I feel like I didn’t take skincare super seriously in my 20s because I was fairly blessed with normal skin. Obviously I try a lot of products through blogging, but I admittedly spent way too much time in the sun in my teenage years and would sometimes not wash my face before going to bed after a night out. Those days are behind me now. But I wanted to lay a foundation of good skincare habits and commandments for myself as I enter my 30s.

Skincare Commandments for My 30s

+ Nail the non-negotiables

These are your basic commandments: sunscreen everyday, drink a lot of water, always remove your makeup before bed (ALWAYS). I definitely let some of these slide in my 20s, but NO MORE. At the bare minimum, these are things that need to happen everyday.

+ Focus on glowing from within

Cliche I know, but you really are what you eat, and these days when I inhale a pizza or too many spicy margaritas, it shows on my skin the next day. I get bags under my eyes, everything is puffy, and my skin gets splotchy and irritable. Really not cute. My goal is lots of greens everyday and easy on things that irritate my skin and gut (mostly dairy).

+ Bring in the experts

I want to make regular appointments with my dermatologist a thing (if anyone has any great recs in LA I’d love to know!). Your dermatologist also has access to products and treatments you can’t get from your local Sephora. I also have nothing against Botox or fillers – you do you!!! – but I personally would like to hold off as long as possible, and will try every product and treatment under the sun before I go that route.

+ Research ingredients

Knowledge is power, and it’s important to know what’s actually in your skincare and working for you. In the past, I spent a lot of money on packaging and branding that doesn’t really matter at the end of the day. Your local drugstore has tons of dermatologist recommended products, and many high end skincare products are truthfully more hype than they’re worth.If you’re going to spend a lot of money on skincare, you want to make sure it’s actually doing something. The key is active ingredients. A few ingredients to look for in a high quality product – vitamin C (serum), hyaluronic acid (serum), retinol/retinoid (ask a derm first).

+ A sheet mask once a week

At least. I have dry skin and live in Southern California, so hydrating sheet masks go a long way in keeping my skin hydrated and plump (aka less likely to wrinkle – maybe this is just in my head, but I’m convinced dry skin is more likely to wrinkle). It also fits into my efforts of pursuing more self-care, and “me time” to do nothing. And what better way to do nothing than to do a little at home spa session? My favorite sheet masks are these (more affordable) and these are my ultimate faves, albeit a splurge.

+ Regular facials

In keeping with a theme of more self-care, I want to find an esthetician I love and commit to seeing her regularly. At a minimum, once every season. It’s an investment, but I’ve noticed the few times I got facials regularly, my skin was the best (clear, smooth, glowy, hydrated) it’s ever been. Some of my favorites are the Hydrafacial and the Triple Crown Facial at Joanna Vargas.

Friends in their 30s… what are your best skincare tips and tricks?!

By Amy Zhang January 12, 2021 in Lifestyle, Wellness 2 Comments

How I’m Practicing Self-Care in 2021

We’re only 12 days into 2021, and it’s already shaping up to be a crazy ride! In an effort to stay true to my resolution of practicing more self-love (and by proxy, self-care), I’ve been making a concerted effort to identify what practices in my life allow me to fill my cup, and which ones leave me drained. The past year really forced me to critically evaluate everything in my life – my choices, behaviors, mindsets, relationships – and think about the role they were playing in my health. Some of my goals for myself – to SLOW DOWN and say NO more often. After all, if you don’t take care of yourself and love yourself first, who will?

Here’s how I’m practicing self-care in 2021:

+ Establishing a morning routine

I always viewed a set morning routine as something YouTubers did, but preferred a slightly more ~unstructured~ morning to allow myself to do as I please. What I didn’t realize is how much joy having an actual morning routine can bring, if you fill it with practices that energize you. I never thought I’d be a meditation & journaling first thing in the morning kind of girl, but I tried it out at the recommendation of a few friends and what do you know, I’m sold. I downloaded Calm and bought myself a journal. And now it’s how I start every morning. I love it, but your ideal morning might look different. Try a few different routines until you find one that works for you.

+ Limiting the news and social media

To be clear, this does not mean I’m not reading any news or on social media at all. I personally think it’s important to be informed and to have a perspective on what’s going on in the world around, but I don’t feel that being up to the minute in what’s going on in the world is the best for my mental health. There are a lot of studies that show overconsumption of news and reading headlines can be detrimental to mental health, and I found that reading the news everyday was triggering a lot of negative emotions and reactions in myself. It’s also incredibly distracting and a time suck.

+ Investing in myself

Last year really put a lot of things into perspective for me. I realized at the end of the day I was investing a lot of time into events, energy into people, and money into material possessions that ultimately didn’t bring any joy or positivity into my life. At the end of the day, my close relationships, health, and career are so much more important. An act of self-care to me today isn’t rewarding myself by buying new clothes. I’d much rather save or invest the money for my future goals (and travel when we’re able to do that again). I’m also investing in my health by kicking off the year with Whole30 (a full post to come on this) and dedicating an hour everyday to move my body, even if it’s just a walk around the neighborhood.

+ Dedicated time to do nothing

I used to really look down on doing nothing. I thought if my day wasn’t meticulously scheduled out hour by hour, and if I wasn’t running around with my head cut off like a chicken, I was doing something wrong. At the end of the day my body not so gently told me to SLOW DOWN. And maybe once in a while, do nothing? So now I actually schedule blocks of time throughout the week to “do nothing” – and it’s been glorious. Some of my favorite things to do during this time? Read a book, take a bubble bath, write, journal, go outside, cook. It really is all about the simple things in life.

How are you practicing self-care this year? xx

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