The Luxi Look | LA based fashion and lifestyle blog

By Amy Zhang August 10, 2016 in Lifestyle, Style, Wellness 22 Comments

No Whining Update

Last week, I challenged myself to stop complaining. For some reason, I hadn’t been feeling like myself. I was getting bothered more than normal by little things and not always in the best mood. Personally, I hate being moody and feeling like I’m in a funk. No likes a Negative Nancy, so I took matters into my hands.

SO I made a point to challenge myself to not complain, at all, for an entire week.

To be honest, it wasn’t easy. Giving up anything cold turkey is tough. Even complaining.

(I realize now that I may sound like I’m complaining about not complaining, so I’ll stop.)

How to Stop Complaining

Basically, I learned that we complain a lot more than we think. Usually about really small, insignificant things. In LA, it’s the traffic (always). Or the weather, or something someone said to you. Or the way they looked at you, or a million and one other things.

Cutting down on that wasn’t easy, but I felt myself catching the words before they came out of my mouth and stopping myself.

The week didn’t go without a hitch. I still complained. BUT – I complained much less than usual. Especially when it came to sweating the small stuff. I found that letting go of negative thoughts and feelings is a lot easier when you don’t indulge yourself by becoming fixated on the issue and spending hours thinking/talking about it.

I checked myself before I wrecked myself.

And I became more aware of what I was about to say, before I said it. A lot of times, we complain to make conversation. Giving that up was easy and forced me to make more meaningful conversation with the people around me. For example, when I get home from work I always recap my day with my boyfriend. Instead of griping about the small negative things that happened to me that day, we were able to have more substantial conversations on things that went well or what interested us that day.

It was also interesting how my behavior influenced those around me. I really do believe in positivity and the light it brings on others. If people around me were complaining, I did my best to say something positive and help them see the bright side, whereas in the past I would probably add to the complaining with a personal anecdote to be relatable.

Although I challenged myself to only a week of no complaining, I definitely want to keep practicing this habit. It’s definitely a practice I want to continue incorporating in my everyday life.

ALSO – as you might be able to tell, I colored my hair (!!).

It was my first time EVER getting my hair colored. I put myself into the most capable hands I could find (my LA ladies, Bianca at Andy LeCompte salon is your girl – check out her work on Instagram here) and was not disappointed. Only time will tell, but maybe blondes do have more fun…

More posts on my hair coloring experience and maintenance tips to come. Oh, and how fun is this dress by Faithfull the Brand? Lately I’ve been drawn more and more to the color RED. This dress has a deep V in the front and open back that is spicy enough for any date night/party but still conservative enough so you don’t feel TOO scandalous.

Thanks for coming by, hope you made yourself at home ; ) talk to you all soon!

xx, Amy

dress: faithfull the brand | shoes: topshop (similar)

photos: lauren miller

By Amy Zhang August 8, 2016 in Style 63 Comments

Line I Love: Auguste the Label

Hi pretties! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I’m still on my no complaining challenge… follow up post to come this week! For now, I wanted to introduce one of my favorite brands for flowy, dreamy, bohemian gypsy inspired pieces: Auguste the Label. For all my ladies channeling Stevie Nicks or any other bohemian style icon, this brand is for you.

As you can probably tell by now, I’m a sucker for easy breezy pieces that are relaxed and effortless. I’m also a huge sucker for florals and all other prints. Hailing from the gorgeous Byron Bay in Australia (which I NEED to visit ASAP), Auguste the Label checks every single one of my boxes when I’m shopping. Loose and flowing with feminine cuts and delicate prints, Auguste is perfectly girly and bohemian, probably my favorite combo.

Line I Love: Auguste the Label

This particular off the shoulder dress makes me feel like a woodland creature-fairy and want to run through fields of grass and a forest, which is exactly what I did for these photos. Off-the-shoulder anything is still going strong – so happy because I LOVE the OTS silhouette. What’s great about this particular dress is it isn’t as constricting as some OTS tops/dresses. Somehow you’re still able to move your arms around freely (dinosaur arms, no more!) without worrying about falling out everywhere. Total win.

I absolutely LOVE the unique patterns Auguste The Label is known for. They’re so unique, but still feminine and not overdone. As you guys know, I love a good pattern play moment.

And a funny story about this dress – I ordered it off a waitlist and after what felt like months of waiting, I ended up receiving the dress in the wrong size! Turns out my dress had been shipped to someone in NorCal and I had received hers. Luckily, she was super sweet in coordinating a mail swap, otherwise my dress would have been lost and gone forever. A small mishap, but one in which I am very grateful for the kindness of strangers. Good people are out there and show themselves in many ways.

So excited to wear this dress through the rest of the summer and into the fall! I can’t wait to pair it with a jacket and booties once the weather cools down. Speaking of cooling down, I am loving all of the new fall arrivals that are hitting stores now and cannot wait to incorporate the fall trend forecast into my upcoming posts – stay tuned for lots of goodness coming your way! And if there’s anything you ever want me to write about, please let me know : ).

Shop the Outfit

Shop this outfit and my favorite Auguste the Label picks below. I’m a huge fan of Aussie brands and have found myself shopping from the land down under more times than I can count over the past year. The fashion is so on point (I swear I love EVERYTHING) I’m willing to deal with the hassle of having something shipped all the way from Australia to the states. Luckily, more and more US stockists are stocking Aussie labels, so keep an eye out the next time you’re browsing in store or online!

Do you have any favorite Aussie brands? Please share below!

xx, Amy

dress: auguste the label | shoes: schutz (similar)

photos: lauren miller

By Amy Zhang August 5, 2016 in Beauty 12 Comments

Is Laser Hair Removal Worth It?

It’s officially August, and I realized last week that I haven’t worn pants in what feels like FOREVER. Obviously, summer means bare legs and bare legs mean… hair removal. I touched upon laser hair removal briefly in a previous post, but wanted to do a deeper dive on the topic.

I’ve been getting laser hair removal treatments for over a year and wanted to share my experience. I remember having SO many questions before my first session and being slightly nervous. The process has been surprisingly easy and pain-free, and the results have been completely worth it!

Note – I am not an esthetician or an expert on laser hair removal. I am only speaking from my own experience.

Laser hair removal: Is it worth it?

First things first – what is laser hair removal and how does it work?

Laser hair removal is a hair removal process in which a powerful laser is used to destroy hair at the root in order to permanently “kill” and remove the hair. Essentially, the laser targets your hair follicle and zaps it to make sure the hair does not grow back.

Can anyone get laser hair removal?

Long story short, yes. You can do it on any part of the body where there is hair, although I would recommend avoiding your face. Apparently laser hair removal works best on dark hair (the laser is attracted to the pigment in your hair) against lighter skin (so the laser can differentiate between the hair and skin). HOWEVER, apparently there are special lasers that can better target blonde hair or darker skin, so make sure you do your research in advance!

How do I prepare for my first session?

Shave (yes, SHAVE) the night before – this was hard for me as I was a waxing devotee before laser, but the laser needs to have a hair follicle to zap!

No plucking or waxing the hair.

Avoid tanning in the sun or in a tanning bed (gross) two weeks before hand.

Also inform your esthetician of any medication you are on, as that might impact your skin’s sensitivity to the laser.

Does it hurt?

Not terribly, but it does sting a little. The most common comparison I heard was that it feels like a rubber band snapping against your skin. It was a liiiiittttle more painful than that for me, but if you’re used to waxing it isn’t that much different. If you’re really worried about pain, popping an Advil half an hour before usually does the trick.

How often do you have to go?

It’s recommended that you go every 4-6 weeks in order to target every hair until the hair thins out completely (hairs tend to grow back in cycles). I went every month for half a year until the hair in the areas I was zapping was essentially gone. As someone who used to go in for regular waxing sessions or shave, I can say that laser hair removal is SO much faster. I’m in and out in 15 minutes, and only have to go in 3-4 times a year now for touch ups.

How long do the results last?

I was actually shocked when I learned laser hair removal isn’t permanent. Yes, your hair will grow back eventually. More in some areas than others. As I mentioned, I still go in a couple times a year for maintenance. On the whole, it lasts much, much longer than any other hair removal method (for me). I started laser hair removal over a year ago and for me it has been absolutely worth it!!

Is it expensive?

As if being a girl wasn’t already expensive enough – laser hair removal can get pricey depending on where you go! I was lucky to find a great deal on session packages in LA – I would definitely recommend checking out deal sites for packages (just make sure the place you choose has good reviews), otherwise sometimes you can find seasonal deals or sales by calling your local medical spa.

So there you have it – not such a scary experience after all! When it comes to beauty, I’m probably one of the laziest people ever. Saying buh-bye to my razor was the best, and it’s been even better during summer months when you’re most likely wearing a skirt or shorts 24/7.

If you have anyyyy questions at all, let me know in the comments below! Have you tried laser hair removal? If so, how were your results? Hopefully all good! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

xx, Amy

By Amy Zhang August 2, 2016 in Lifestyle, Style, Wellness 25 Comments

Self-Improvement

Self-Improvement Challenge

Although I originally started The Luxi Look as a style blog, I knew it could evolve over time. I’ve always wanted to incorporate aspects of wellness along with style and outfits. I like writing posts on topics such as motivation, positivity, and productivity. Not because I’m an expert in these fields or perfect in these areas. But because I think wanting to become a better person is one of the best qualities to have.

Last week, I woke up one morning and began my usual routine of checking my emails and scrolling through my phone. I came across an email from Noah Kagan that immediately caught my eye with the subject line – “How I stopped whining.”

I first came across Noah’s blog, OkDork a couple years ago. And was blown away by his posts on marketing, blogging, building an online brand, and more. I’ve gotten a lot out of his emails – he hits topics such as productivity, organization, and self-improvement. Mixed in with some funny anecdotes and life recommendations.

To sum up the email:

Noah realized he was on a major complain train and decided to challenge himself to go an entire day without complaining. This email then sparked a conversation between me and my boyfriend that led us to agree we also wanted to work on improving this particular bad habit.

So, we challenged each other to go a week without complaining to start.

In fact, we decided we want to do a month (or more) of our self-improvement challenge.

The goal is to give up one bad habit for a week. We’re starting with complaining – NO complaining for a week. Instead of complaining about the traffic or weather or whatever is bothering us, we are going to try and brush it off and focus on something more positive.

On that note, I’m lucky to be with someone that not only supports me in everything I do but isn’t afraid to call out my flaws and encourage me to be a better person. It also helps that he happens to work in the self-improvement space and lives and breathes what he teaches. Stay tuned this month for lots of fun posts (fashion, lifestyle, wellness, and more!) to come.

xx, Amy

matching set: luna b | shoes: similar | sunnies: karen walker

photos: tavio valencia

By Amy Zhang July 30, 2016 in Lifestyle, Style 29 Comments

How to Stay Motivated

Motivation. We all need a kick of it sometimes. Whether it’s to study for an exam, perform better at work, whip your body into shape, or sometimes even just to get out of bed. I can’t be the only person that struggles with this sometimes… right?? I’ll be honest, balancing a full time job + life + a blog can be difficult at times! I’m sure my fellow bloggers can totally relate. Something I’ve thought about a lot is: how to stay motivated.

How to Stay Motivated

When it comes to blogging, some weeks are easier than others. Sometimes the creativity is flowing and other days, I have total writer’s block. Same thing goes for working out (some weeks it’s a reaallll effort dragging myself to class). And for checking off my always massive to-do list. It’s not always easy to stay motivated. Here some things have helped me a lot, especially lately.

Think about the long term.

I’m a huge proponent of being goal oriented. While it’s important to focus on the here and now, it’s also important to think about the long term. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Losing weight, learning a new skill, building a business – these things all take time. I’m not the most patient person ever (really, really trying) but adopting this mindset has really helped me mentally to not dwell on the day to day and focus on the long term.

Be positive

I’ve talked about the benefits of positivity before, and I still stand by them. Even if it isn’t always my initial instinct, I make a point to recognize my progress and see how far I’ve come. Day to day, you may not see much of a difference – but what about in 6 months or a year? I 100% believe in focusing on the good, over the bad.

Go easy on yourself.

We’re often way too tough on ourselves – after all, we are our worst own critic. If you’re having a particularly rough week, it’s okay to take a break so you can rest and It’s okay to take a break. Whatever your goal is, it’ll still be there for you.

Have fun

I always try to think about what I’m trying to accomplish and why I’m doing it. I work out because I enjoy it (for the most part ; )), I try to eat healthy because it makes me feel good, I blog because it’s a creative release and I love sharing my thoughts with others. But when these things stop being fun and start feeling like a chore, it’s probably time to re-evaluate. That’s why I think it’s okay to take a break so you can jump back in 100% when you’re ready.

Sometimes a good motivational quote or image is all I need. Here’s one I really, really love:

Ok, I’m off to run errands – hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I’d love to hear how you stay motivated to accomplish your goals : ) and my fellow bloggers – how do you stay motivated and inspired?

xx, Amy

dress: spell designs (sold out) | shoes: schutz (sold out)

photos: tavio valencia