The Luxi Look | LA based fashion and lifestyle blog

By Amy Zhang February 16, 2017 in Lifestyle 14 Comments

Are Soy Candles Better? Everything You Need to Know

Are Soy Candles? Comparing soy and paraffin wax candles.

Find me a girl that doesn’t love candles. I swear, every single girl I know is borderline obsessed with scented candles. For me personally, I just love the way candles fill up a room and make my apartment feel more like a home. Over the years, I’ve become quite the scented candle hoarder – now I have an entire cabinet filled with different scents and variations! BUT, I never thought to look into what was in the candles I was burning every night and had no idea what they were made of. So, I did some research. Turns out, scented candles can have some pretty gross ingredients in them that can actually be hazardous to your health. Yep. That bougie $60 candle you’re burning may actually have negative effects on your health. SO – if you’re wondering what kind of candles are best and specifically, are SOY candles better ?? – then read on.

Are Soy Candles Better? Everything You Need to Know

Are candles toxic?

YES !! That is, paraffin wax candles are. If you’re checking the labels on all the foods you eat, you should definitely be checking the labels on your candles! You might be shocked to find that most candles on the market are made of paraffin wax. The reason paraffin wax is so dangerous is because when it burns, petro-carbon soot is released into the air.

The compounds in this soot – benzene and tolune – are known carcinogens. Fun fact: they’re also the same toxins in diesel fuel. Meaning: the beautiful, scented candles you are lighting in your house are toxic. Definitely not what you want to be breathing in on a nightly basis.

Are soy candles better?

Soy candles have recently seen a huge rise in popularity and are touted as the safer, healthier option to paraffin candles. Here’s why –

+ Soy wax is 100% biodegradable

+ Soy wax candles smell stronger because the fragrance is released more easily

+ It burns longer than paraffin candles

+ Soy wax is derived from natural vegetables

Are soy candles better? Craft + Foster candles are all natural, 100% soy, and come in a variety of scents.

Are soy candles better? Craft + Foster candles in Champagne Blush and Coconut Lemongrass are safer and all natural options to traditional paraffin wax.

What are some affordable alternatives?

I’m totally guilty of buying bougie candles, but the sad truth a lot of them are made of paraffin wax. As much as I might love the scents and packaging, I’m making a concerted effort to switch to more natural candles as much as I can. One particular brand I really love is Craft + Foster.

Made in San Diego, Craft + Foster creates 100% natural soy candles that come in a variety of fragrances. Champagne Blush is their most popular scent, but I personally adore the Coconut Lemongrass version (beach vacation in a jar!!). In addition, the company was founded by a US Veteran, Melissa Burgess, and supports local workers and various nonprofit organizations. So you can feel good about the candle you’re buying and the company you’re supporting : ).

Other brands I also love: Penelope Co. and P.F. Candle Co. All three brands are California based, 100% soy candles, and under $25. PS – they make great gifts too ; ).

xx, Amy

By Amy Zhang February 14, 2017 in Style, Wellness 40 Comments

A Little Love Letter on Loving Yourself

Happy Valentine’s Day!! I’ll admit it – I’m a total sucker for love. But rather than focus on the kind of love we give to others, I wanted to focus on the kind of love we give ourselves today. In other words, loving yourself. Regardless of your relationship status at the moment or thoughts on Valentine’s Day as a holiday, I think it’s a great reminder to take a minute and give yourself some major love. Take a minute today and write a little letter as a reminder that you should always be loving yourself first. After all – there’s no relationship in the world that is more important than the one you have with yourself.

We talk all the time about empowerment. How important it is to empower and support those around us. But what about empowering ourselves? We put the needs and wants of others constantly before ourselves. It’s time to love ourselves. Put yourself first. Be the selfish (the good kind!).

A Little Love Letter on Loving Yourself

I just finished I AM THAT GIRL by Alexis Jones (HIGHLY recommend!!) and I absolutely LOVED her message on self love and putting yourself first. Alexis says:

“Learning to listen to yourself and knowing what you need and when you need it is step one to becoming the good kind of selfish. Asking for it is the next step… when you put your needs last, you’re like a plant without water that’s worried about providing enough shade for others. But if that plant doesn’t have water to grow, it will shrivel up and die, providing no shade or comfort for others anyway.”

Whoa. That is so spot on. Think about it this way:

How often do you commit to something because you want to be a “yes woman,” only to realize later on you over-committed yourself or didn’t want to do that thing to begin with. You know that friend that always flakes? Or the times you’ve flaked on your plans because you realize at the last minute you totally overwhelmed your schedule with too many plans and commitments? If we learn to be honest with ourselves and set realistic expectations for what we can do and how much energy we can exert, we’ll be better people for it. She goes on to say:

“Remember your time is precious, as are you, so start acting like it. Your time is important, your energy is finite, and your attention is precious, so value who and where you spend it accordingly. You are the only one who can set those kinds of expectations and teach people how to treat you. Be selfish, and I promise everyone will benefit.”

Start by taking some me time. A little bit every day. You deserve it.

Call me a romantic, an optimist, or delusional, but I think love should be celebrated every day. Especially love for ourselves.

Take a moment for yourself today and say thank you to yourself. The practice of self-love doesn’t always feel natural, but over time it will feel good. At the end of the day, the way you treat yourself sets the standard for how you treat others.

Whatever your plans are today, make it a good one – and be sure to spoil yourself rotten, even if it’s just with a little self-love, gratitude, and me time!

xx, Amy

dress: vici | hat: lack of color (similar) | belt: b-low the belt

shoes: isabel marant | bag: gucci

By Amy Zhang February 13, 2017 in Beauty 4 Comments

My Favorite High-End Luxurious Lipsticks

A great lip color has the ability to instantly transform your look and pull together an outfit. In my daily life, I tend not to wear too much makeup. This can be problematic when I have plans after work or something unexpectedly comes up where I want to look a little more polished and put together. This is why I always, always keep a few luxurious lipsticks with great color on me – at my desk, in my purse, gym bag, and car.

As I talked about in my last post, I’m a huge believer in little daily luxuries. Fancy, luxurious lipsticks definitely counts as well. I love the way high-end lipsticks feel, how pigmented they are, and how luxe the packaging is. Here are my favorite high-end luxurious lipsticks at the moment.

My current 5 favorite luxurious lipsticks

MAC

MAC was the first “high-end” lipstick I ever bought for myself. The formula isn’t always as creamy and luxe feeling as some other brands, but you can’t beat the color selection and the price is comparatively a steal relative to high-end brands. My everyday go to nude? Velvet Teddy. Date night red? Ruby-woo. And vampy dark color? Sin.

Nars Velvet Lip Glide

I LOVE this product. It goes on like a gloss, but has a satiny, velvet finish. I personally find super matte products to be way too drying and make me look older, but glosses are overly sticky. This is a beautiful marriage of the two.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

Damned has been my go-to for years. The perfect dark berry color perfect for nighttime.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Oil in Stick

YSL makeup products never fail. The packaging is sleek and beautiful, the colors vibrant, and this lipstick is so moisturizing. It feels like a gloss/balm and has a shiny finish – I adore this product for spring and summer.

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche

My absolute favorite luxurious lipstick at the moment. SO many colors, goes on smooth, lasts forever, and the texture is hydrating and rich. I have it in 4 shades, but my favorite is FIG.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day ; ). If you’re looking to complete your makeup look for Valentine’s Day, make sure you check out this list of the absolute best bronzers. What are your favorite luxurious lipsticks? I LOVE drugstore versions as well.

xx, Amy

By Amy Zhang February 9, 2017 in Style 38 Comments

Tips for Saving and Investing Money for a Designer Handbag

Tips for Saving and Investing for a Designer Handbag

As much as I love scoring a major deal shopping, there are certain items that will almost never go on sale. You just have to bite the bullet and get them at full price. Case in point: designer handbags. I make a point to save for investment pieces, but let’s talk specifically about tips for saving and investing money in a designer handbag. I’ve been working full time for years, but I could never bring myself to buy a bag that easily cost more than my monthly rent. This year I treated myself a Gucci GG Marmont bag – which I LOVE – and thought I would share my top tips for saving and investing money for a designer handbag (or any big ticket item!).

Hint: it’s actually really easy and doesn’t have to require tons of sacrifice.

Designer handbags are a luxury, not a necessity

This isn’t one of those articles that tells you to skip your daily coffee run – if that $3 coffee (or in LA, it’s more like $6 – LOL) makes you happy and is your small daily luxury, I say go for it. Life’s short. However, we all know that if you were to skip your daily latte habits and save that money, after a year you would have enough money saved to buy a flight to Europe or a designer handbag.

Note: I am NOT advocating frivolous spending or living beyond your means, nor am I saying you need to buy designer or luxury items to be happy!! I am a huge proponent of looking chic on a budget : ). I also am very, very big on SAVING for the future. Designer handbags are absolutely a luxury, not a necessity. With that being said…

First things first – do not look at bags as an investment.

I know we like to use the term investment purchase to justify our spending decisions, but that term really only applies to a VERY select number of brands and styles. And as with any investment, ROI is not guaranteed.

When buying your first designer accessories, try to stick with classic shapes and silhouettes. Think timeless. Something that will look amazing even when it’s vintage.

Like every other girl in the world, I was going absolutely gaga over Gucci in 2016. As much as I’ve wanted to blow my signing bonuses and paychecks on designer bags, I never could quite justify it. After working full time for several years after college, I finally felt like I was prepared to make a big purchase. Once I was confident I could ride the Gucci wave into 2017, I chose the GG Marmont (I liked the small size best, but the mini is great as well!) as the item I wanted in my closet stat.

My best tips for saving and investing money

When it comes to saving and investing money into big purchases (a vacation, car, house, handbags) you either have to make more or spend less. It’s simple math.

Sometimes you gotta get thrifty. Think about where you can cut corners.

Cancel subscriptions you don’t use anymore or share with a friend.

Go out to eat less and cook at home.

Skip the booze when you’re out at dinner – your bill will be cut in half.

Spend one night a week staying in vs. going out and blowing your paycheck on Ubers and drinks.

All of these are totally doable. BUT, they require (minor) changes in behavior. Definitely one of the best tips for saving and investing money without even thinking about it is to use this app – Digit.

Whatever your savings goals are, I cannot recommend Digit enough.

I’ve shared my love for Digit before, and I had to say it again.

In case you haven’t heard of Digit – it’s a free app that helps you save more money. You link the app to your checking account. And from there, the app automatically withdraws small amounts of money from your checking account without you even noticing! It monitor your spending habits and adjusts the amount that is withdrawn every day. Some days it might be $0.50, other days it might be $50. It depends on your spending habits. But the point is, you won’t even miss the money that is taken out. All of the money will be saved in your app until you’re ready to withdraw. How you choose to spend the money you’ve saved is entirely up to you.

I signed up for the app last April and since then saved more than enough to buy my Gucci bag and pay for my car insurance. All without changing my spending habits or thinking twice.

So there you have it! Exactly how I saved up for a designer bag without blinking an eye. I use this same method for my trips, shoes, bills, really any big purchases I have!

How do you save up for big purchases?

Do you have any tips for saving and investing money?

xx, Amy

dress: astr | bag: gucci | shoes: isabel marant

By Amy Zhang February 7, 2017 in Style 22 Comments

Top 5 Lace Up Sweaters

Lace up sweaters have been on trend for a while now, and it’s not hard to see why. Cozy knits are absolutely a winter must have. The lace up detailing adds something fun to an otherwise basic piece. I’ve been living in mine and it’s the perfect throw on piece for a lazy day. In case you don’t have one in your closet yet, I’ve rounded up my top 5 lace up sweaters (they’re affordable, too!) below.

Top 5 Lace Up Sweater Picks

Olive lace up sweater (exact one I’m wearing, and only $43!)

Nasty Gal “in the thick of it” sweater

Lush lace up sweater

JOA lace up sweater

Easy peasy, right?!. Pair them with ripped jeans and booties and you’re good to go for the day.

If you’re looking to minimize the number of pieces in your wardrobe, this should be one of the items you add or keep. I see them staying in trend for some time to come, and who can say no to a good cozy knit?! It really is the perfect “I’m so busy, I don’t have time to get dressed” outfit.

Excited to share some more winter and spring looks with you guys in the upcoming weeks!

xx, Amy