Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that Kanye West has gotten into fashion. You also probably know that his Yeezy line has been insanely successful, with every collection selling out almost instantly (remember the madness that was the Yeezy Boost 350?). Most recently, one piece caught my eye – the Yeezy Season 2 Lucite Heels.
I’ll be honest, lucite heels aren’t usually my thing. They’re definitely a statement piece.
Listen – I am all about trying trends (only the ones I LOVE) in moderation. These heels are a perfect example of that. I wasn’t ready to drop $600 on them, so I set out to find the next best thing.
Luckily, I came across a nearly identical pair for less than 10% of the original price. Ummm, SOLD.
This pair by Public desire is the best dupe I’ve found. At only $45, they also won’t break your wallet.
These lucite heels add a fun touch to any outfit, especially at night. I’ve been wearing slip dresses non-stop lately (see here and here) for an easy summertime outfit.
What do you think of Kanye’s Yeezy line? Are lucite heels are a yay or a nay in your book?
I had the honor of attending the re-opening of the Murad store on 3rd Street a few weeks back. (If you’re in LA, check out the brand new store!) Murad was actually one of the first skincare brands I splurged on after I graduated from drugstore products in high school. Needless to say, I was super excited to meet Dr. Murad himself, who happened to be in attendance that evening! Dr. Murad was an absolute DELIGHT in person and full of wisdom (on skincare among many other topics). One skincare tip he really emphasized was how important it is to eat your water.
Why You Need to Eat Your Water + a Fun Giveaway !!
Wait, what? Eat your water? YEP. Think about it this way – we’re often told that we need to drink 8 glasses of water a day, but what about the foods we are eating?
It only makes sense that nourishing, water filled foods such as fruits and vegetables would be better for your skin than icky, preservative and sodium filled crap. Right?! When we eat our water, we are able to nourish our body from the inside out. The average human body is about 60% water, which explains why fruits and veggies help our skin glow.
Some other benefits of drinking + eating your water when it comes to skin – less prominent wrinkles, brighter skin, and fewer breakouts. Lesson learned – stay hydrated!! If drinking your 8 glasses a day is tricky, try adding lemon, cucumber, or mint! And, eat your water!
Speaking of eating your water, I LOVE fruits and veggies. In case you can’t guess from this dress, I love watermelon (which just so happens to be 92% water – yesss!). After hearing Dr. Murad speak, I’ve made a point to eat as many fruits and veggies every day as possible. I definitely notice a difference in my skin when I load up on fruit based foods vs. dehydrating foods such as foods high in sodium (anything processed, ick) and alcohol.
I’ve also been incorporating some Murad products into my skincare routine and so far am LOVING them!! Full review of everything to come.
Finally, I wanted to say that I am so incredibly thankful for each and every one of you that follows me and comes by my page to read my posts. I love you guys! That’s why I am SO excited to be partnering with Murad to give away $150 worth of Murad products! There’s no better time to start a new skincare routine than with the changing seasons!
You can enter with your email, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram – see below for rules and regulations. This giveaway will be open until September 9th. Good luck babes!! And thank you so much for reading.
You may have noticed that something about me is a little different… I colored my hair! As anyone that knows me well can tell you, I went back and forth on the decision for years before finally taking the leap and doing it. I knew that anything other than my natural hair color would look very… unnatural, so I was apprehensive to say the least. If you’re thinking about dying your hair for the first time, read on…
Blonde Ambition
So the title of this post may be slightly misleading, I’m not actually blonde. (Nor am I ready to make that dramatic leap yet.) I am really more of a sandy/honey-colored bronde. I was VERY specific about what I wanted and went in with pictures and a long list of attributes I did and did not want. (TBH I was a complete nightmare of a client. Not too ashy, not too warm, not too brassy, not too high maintenance. The list went on and on).
Dying your hair for the first time
If you’ve never colored your hair before, I highly recommend doing your research in advance to temper expectations and minimize disappointment. It is a BIG change (or was for me, at least) and definitely an investment that requires a LOT of maintenance. With that being said, it is a fun way to change up your appearance. And add some dimension to your hair!
First, know that everyone’s hair reacts to dye differently. And if you have virgin hair (never been colored before) you won’t know how your hair will react to bleach. I’ve always been horrified seeing photos of girls with super brassy hair but I quickly learned that can happen to anybody. This is because underneath your natural hair color are underlying pigments that can show up when you bleach your hair. So underneath dark hair you have red and orange undertones, which explains why dark hair can turn super brassy and orange.
If you have dark hair, know that you won’t be able to go from black to blonde in a day. (At least not without SERIOUSLY damaging your hair.)
Lightening your hair is a process that takes time.
After doing endless research behind the science of coloring hair, I had to find someone I would trust to do the actual service. Instagram is surprisingly helpful – many colorists have and will post on Instagram these days! I stalked my colorist (@biancacolour– she is AMAZING) for a year before biting the bullet and booking an appointment.
I noticed that Bianca colored a lot of ASIAN hair – that was immediately a huge plus in my book (as I mentioned above, Asian hair can turn brassy and orange easily if you’re not careful). If you’re looking on someone’s page and don’t see 1. any final results that you absolutely love or 2. anyone that has your type of hair, you might want to look elsewhere.
When it comes to the actual appointment, pictures are a lifesaver. When it comes to any beauty service, you can’t expect people to read your mind and give you what you want unless you tell them!
After the whole process is done, it’s time to focus on proper care.
I’m still new to the colored hair game, but I made sure to grill every person I came across in the salon on tips and products to use. Bianca mentioned regular toning sessions to maintain the color and to stay out of the sun as much as possible. I’ll do a post on hair color maintenance as soon as I have more experience living with and caring for colored hair!
With Labor Day coming up quickly, it’s clear that summer is almost officially over. While that may be the case, I have always been the biggest proponent that white CAN be worn after Labor Day (and in fact, is encouraged). Why wouldn’t you want to show off that summer tan before it fades away in winter?? For most, black is the old standby but I have always been obsessed with the color WHITE.
This matching set by De Lacy is not only comfy but also flattering, all white (and tight) can be intimidating to wear, but there is well positioned wrapping and ruching to protect you even if you eat one too many tacos… seriously the best for those days and nights out. If you’re looking for quality basic pieces, De Lacy has you covered – shop my favorite picks below.
As always, thank you for reading (!!) – have a beautiful weekend loves! Let’s make the most of these last few weeks of summer!
xx, Amy
two piece set: c/o de lacy (top on sale!, skirt – both in black)
Hey guys! I feel like we haven’t caught up in a while. Tbh life and work have been really busy and I’ve also been trying to relax more. I also spent last weekend in Palm Springs and feel like I am still catching up from being away for a couple days. Trying not to stress about it!! So, I thought I’d share a couple things that have been total game changers in my life.
I only wash my hair 1-2x a week and this product gets me by without looking like a total disaster. Before you say that’s gross, washing your hair too often can fade colored hair (the maintenance is real). I also read spraying your hair with dry shampoo BEFORE a workout helps absorb sweat and keeps your hair looking fresh – will report back on that next!
If you don’t know, now you know. Don’t let the name scare you, it’s simply instant coffee with mushroom powder. AND it happens to be vegan, paleo, sugar free, and non-GMO. This stuff is AMAZING and gives you so much energy. It also tastes surprisingly good, considering how it’s technically instant coffee. You just mix the powder with hot water and you’re good to go. My boyfriend discovered this and now I am taking all the credit (sorry babe!). Oh, and get 10% off using my code THELUXILOOK. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!!
I am not easily swayed by sales or fast fashion (see my take on shopping fast fashion or sample sales) but every once in a while you come across a find that is simply too good to pass up. I couldn’t believe this dress was only $29(!!) – yes, really – and knew I had to have it. For the price it really can’t be beat. As someone who religiously scours the new product section on Forever 21’s site, this is one of my favorite pieces I’ve seen in a while!
Even though it is way too hot to be thinking about fall fashion, my lazy girl solution is to bring back booties and wear them with anything and everything. I’ve lost count of how many pairs of black booties I have (can you ever really have enough?) but I love this pair from Marc Fisher and the extra height it gives me. I am also convinced a hat is the perfect finishing touch to ANY outfit – bonus points because it protects your hair and skin from the sun. There you have it – the easiest pre-fall transitional outfit ; ).
And because Labor Day seems to unofficially mark the end of summer, I’m trying to plan a quick weekend getaway for that weekend along the west coast – any suggestions??
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!
