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By Amy Zhang June 29, 2017 in Style 12 Comments

Good For Your Body AND Mind – How Does Exercise Help Your Brain?

How Does Exercise Help Your Brain? | by The Luxi Look

I’ve been a longtime fan of working out as a means to blow off steam, clear my head, and obviously stay in shape, but something I’ve recently become more aware of is how exercise helps your brain. I knew exercise was good for fending off anxiety and stress – and have felt those payoffs, but I hadn’t considered it actually improving my brain. Which I’m obviously all for!

After hearing a gym instructor hint at the fact, I started researching “does exercise help your brain” and was left with pretty much endless articles on the subject. Apparently the habit of fitness was doing a lot more for my mind than I knew, and definitely more than keeping my abs tight.

Since I’m all about finding and sharing motivation surrounding fitness – pretty sure we can all agree that it’s not always the easiest thing to commit to – I wanted to share some of the research I found.

How does exercise help your brain?

+ It’s a mood booster. Probably one of the biggest payoffs of exercise, in my opinion, especially when I find myself in a funk. Every time you get that heart rate pumping, your brain increases production of serotonin. Serotonin can act as a natural antidepressant, which means all those fitness classes are paying off in more ways than getting you toned. Remember Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde? “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t kill their husbands. They just don’t.”

+ Disease prevention. There’s research out there that says those who exercise regularly may be at a lesser risk for brain-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, or at least delay its effects. Another way to keep your brain active and making new connections to improve its overall health is mental exercise – which is an additional reason why I like to switch up my routine. It challenges my body and mind at the same time.

+ Sharper memory. Exercise is excellent to help prevent Alzheimer’s, but it can also keep your memory sharp in the meantime. Good news for those of us that don’t enjoy doing Sudoku or crossword puzzles! The way science says this works goes like this – when you exercise, blood flow to the brain increases, and that blood delivers oxygen and nutrients. The extra boost of oxygen and nutrients increases cognitive function and memory gets that much better. As someone who doesn’t always have the best memory, this is an extremely appealing motivator.

+ Clearer mind. This I already knew, but it’s such an important fact that it’s worth mentioning. Along with that boost in cognitive function from the increased blood flow giving your brain all those amazing nutrients is a clear mind. You know when you just feel foggy and maybe can’t focus? Chances are if you start a consistent exercise routine that fogginess will clear up pretty quick.

+ Acts as de-stresser. Exercise = less cortisol, which is the hormone that causes stress. When you exercise, cortisol levels decrease. This helps you relax and think more clearly. I’ve definitely noticed this with my own exercise practice – especially yoga.

As if you needed more reasons to get moving ; ). Hope this helps shed light on another positive attribute that comes with working out! I know I’ll be keeping these benefits in mind the next time I need motivation to hit the gym.

xx, Amy

sports bra: forever 21 | leggings: forever 21 | jacket: forever 21

shoes: apl | backpack: sticks + stones | sunnies: westward leaning

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.

By Amy Zhang June 11, 2017 in Style 16 Comments

Getting Over the Sunday Scaries

Happy Sunday!! Normally I like to be out and about during the weekend, but since I’ll be traveling for most of the second half of this month, it’s been a quieter weekend at home. With that said, there’s nothing I love more than a little “me time” to decompress and calm myself so I don’t get the Sunday Scaries. Yep, the Sunday Scaries are real – it’s that feeling of anxiety that starts to come over you as the weekend comes to an end and the work week looms ahead of you. If you know what I’m talking about you know it’s not fun, but it’s ok! Let’s talk about getting over the Sunday Scaries and what you can do to make the most of your weekend.

When I used to travel every week for work, I always got hit with the Sunday Scaries and would dread my Monday 4am wake up calls and the thought of spending another week away from home. Now that I work locally, the Sunday Scaries hit a lot less hard, but they definitely still happen from time to time.

How to get over the Sunday Scaries

+ Do one exciting thing during the weekend.

Also, figure out your weekend style. Do you like to go with the flow and take it easy, or are you a go, go, go kind of person? My weeks tend to be busy, so I like to reset on the weekends. I try to give myself one day a week where I don’t make any plans or have any expectations for myself. Lately it’s been tough to follow through on that plan, but it is one of my goals for the year.

+ Plan something to look forward to over the next week.

It always helps to have something to look forward to! I also treat myself to something small on Monday mornings to make the jump back into the work week a little easier, whether it’s sleeping in, a trip to my favorite coffee shop before work, or a tea date with a girlfriend.

+ Prep your mind and body for the week.

Make time to clean your apartment and take care of yourself. It’s easy to fall into the trap of saving all of your errands for the weekend and then feeling overwhelmed. See if you can get some done over the week or if you can outsource certain chores. If you’re having a particularly crazy weekend, make sure to load up on vitamins and water. Don’t feel like hitting the gym? Make movement fun during the weekend! Go on a hike, run by the beach, try a new fun workout class.

The weekend is your time to explore and get out of your comfort zone! These photos were taken during an early morning field trip to Griffith Observatory – the skies were hazy but you still got a beautiful view of the city! I love doing things early in the morning and feeling the sense of calm as the rest of the city wakes up slowly.

+ Rest Sunday night.

I have a pretty strict no plans on Sunday night rule. I try really hard to stick to an early bedtime on Sunday so I don’t wake up Monday totally exhausted. It really helps to start the week on a good note mentally and physically.

+ Change your mindset.

Once I realized the Sunday Scaries were all about my perspective and how I was choosing to view the situation, I realized I didn’t have to dread Mondays anymore. Not going to launch into a rant about how you need to find a job you love so much you don’t stress about Mondays. Instead, once I challenged myself to focus on the positives in my life and view Mondays as a chance to get back into my routine and start fresh, Sundays felt way less scary. This is true whether your love your job or not! If you can view the start of a new week as a chance to hustle and an opportunity to grow, you won’t get the Sunday Scaries as badly!

How do you deal with the Sunday Scaries?

xx, Amy

dress: hot-as-hell | jacket: blank nyc | shoes: steve madden