date night ready.

I have been on a short hiatus from social media and blogging due to school and work. With valentines day rolling around the corner I wanted to share an outfit I am wearing for valentines day dinner. Nudes and neutrals are my current obsession. Everything in my closet now is either black, grey, white or nude. It is just way too hard to shop for colors because seasons change and I want to be able to wear my clothes all year round. 

I thought a nude bodycon dress was the best idea instead of my usual little black dress. Those who know me, know that I generally do not enjoy layering jewelry or clothing too much. I enjoy a clean minimal look whenever possible. My bodycon is pared with a thick choker (a guilty trend that I am obsessed with) and rose gold hoop earrings for a little something I would not ordinarily wear. Lastly, I never wear bracelets and I rarely wear rings but what I always have on is my Daniel Wellington classic black cornwall watch to finish the outfit.

You can grab any Daniel Wellington item with discount code "LOVELYEMY" for 15% off your entire order no minimum from now through March 13th.  Also they currently have their Valentine's champaign where if you buy a classic or dapper watch you can get the GWP heart charm for free until February 15th.

Outfit:
Dress - Missguided
Earrings - Missguided
Choker - Brandy Melville
Watch - Daniel Wellington

health + fitness

It has been a good several months since I last posted. A lot has changed and happened for the better. 2016 is now long gone and we are in 2017 where we recreate our goals for this new year that has taken us by surprise. I graduated pretty much the end of 2015 so the beginning of 2016 was a strange transition into the adult world for me. Post college got me 35 extra pounds added to my weight and terrible skin. I was not ready for the world of full-time work because I was so use to working in the evenings or just part time internships. The adjustment took quite some time and around five months into 2016 I continued Kayla Itsines BBG workout routines. I started to fall behind and my workouts became inconsistent. Her workouts and eating plans were so detailed that I could not keep up with my busy schedule.

Towards the end of the year I started to research other workout guru's and came across Chloe Ting. She has a ton of videos to focus on very specific areas of your body and what I love most is that she has videos dedicated to at home workouts. I started her workouts in November 2016 (left photo) and the right photo is January 2017. I really feel and see the results of becoming more stronger and toned without the bulk.

Aside from workouts being from California one of my favorite pressed juice is Juice Served Here. I do not do the cleanses too often, maybe 2-3 times a year max. If you are looking for a fresh start I definitely recommend doing 1-3 days of full cleansing with exercise to give yourself that push you need to continue with a healthy lifestyle.  

(Semi-Cleanse package)

I have been committing to these exercises 3-4 days a week. I generally spend 1-1.5 solid hours doing them and if it is a weekend I will cool down with a light 1-2 mile jog. I would like to think that I am slowly but surely getting stronger. I hope to continue with what I am doing and I hope this helps. I got a few requests to talk about my fitness life.

I'll be working on more blog content in the near future. But as of now, I just started grad school and work has been hectic. I'll do my best and thank you for reading! xx 

love + weddings + aisle style

The season for love is coming soon and the best way to prepare for it would be preparing with wedding accessories from Aisle Style. They are a global online retailer of evening dresses, wedding dresses, prom dresses, and accessories for all special occasions. Looking for the perfect dress for a certain special occasion? You can become the center of attention and look amazing at every party. With Aisle Style you will find your dream dress wedding accessories and even wedding ceremony accessories. They know what truly makes a festive dress for whatever occasion you will be attending. Whether you are looking for the latest trend or timeless elegance there are more than 1200 different styles of dresses and wedding accessories.

I assure you they have some of the best quality products at the most reasonable prices. They select the highest quality materials and manufacturers, and produce all of their collections with great attention to detail with maximum comfort. And with each dress you can save up to 60% compared to many other competitors. Check our Aisle style today!

sweet sweet editorial @ damaged mag

Sweet Sweet Editorial for Damaged Magazine

Model - Ryley of Maggie Inc Agency

Photography - Me @ helloemy.com

Hair + makeup - June Leung @ lovenotesbyjune.com
Wardrobe - Nasty Gal + Brandy Melville

It's A Love

Hey loves  I am doing this amazing collaboration with It's A Love a lingerie company that has a big heart for designing lovely, delicate things and sharing their love with those who could do with more. They are based in NYC and all intimates are hand sewn of the highest quality. 

It's A Love donates 5% of their gross and net profits to the Help Haiti 180 charity which is remarkable and a total of 10% all towards charity. So please check out their site itsalove.com and support the cause and score some comfy intimates too!

my skin care routine.

I have not had much time to blog but I took the photos a week or so ago and I have gotten a few requests asking about what I do with my skin so here goes nothing. I don't think I can even begin to count how many skin care products I have tried my entire life. However, I am happy to say that I have finally found the perfect combination of a few products that have only helped my skin. First off I would like to mention that I have combination skin tone from dry to oily that vary depending on the weather and my stress levels. I believe that finding the right balance is what matters and I know it's hard but my skin went through a lot to get to where it is today. I started off with very rough skin with ache and red spots everywhere and multiple blemishes. Let us begin shall we?

1. First off I have used a bunch of fancy cleansers that promised brightening, cures for acne, make up removal and all the mumbo jumbo. It is ironic because the one I fell in love with was none other then Glossier's Milky Jelly Cleanser. It is a gentle cleanser with " pH-balanced, creamy gel formula made with a blend of five skin conditioners so your face is left feeling healthy and soft, never tight." It's subtle and so elegant and literally feels like I am washing my face with lychee jelly. I love the clean sensation it leaves my face with. BAM we are ready for the next step.

2. After cleansing I like to first slap on Glossier's Mega Greens Galaxy pack. This is their detoxifying face mask which helps balance and conditions pores while helping to calm inflammation (it really does). This mask contains "beauty foods like vitamin-rich leafy greens and superfruit antioxidants deliver a potent dose of nutrients for when you need to press the reset button on your complexion. Basically, it does a lot of work, so you don’t have to." You can feel it pulling your skin together when the mask begins to dry onto your skin. I like to leave this mask on for 15-20 minutes then gently massage and wash off with warm water.

3. After washing off the detox mask I like to add on Glossier's Moisturizing Moon Mask. Since the green galaxy mask leaves your skin kind of matte and dry, this moisturizing mask pairs with the detox mask perfectly. Its purpose is to brighten, moisturize, and restore elasticity. This mask contains: sweet almond oil, hyaluronic acid, plant-based squalane, and aloe. Perfect for all skin types in my opinion. Leave on for 15-30 min (but sometimes I leave it on for hours because it feels so amazing heheh.)

4. Misting time! I like The Face Shop's Collagen water which concentrates on firming and moisture. Our body naturally creates its own collagen but however as we age its production decreases. Therefore I love spraying a bit of this moisture-rich mist that is formulated with collagen water and makes your skin more firm while providing moisture.

5. I have never really used serums before but I decided to give it a shot because of Glossier's newest launch of their Super Serums. I decided to get my hands on their Super Glow serum just because I have always wanted to achieve that natural glow without makeup. Their key ingredients are Vitamin C (AAP) which helps reduce dark spots and creates smoother, light-reflective skin and Magnesium (PCA) which stimulates the metabolism of tired skin cells. It leaves your skin with a nice glow tone. So far I am loving it!

6. Eye cream! I did not realize how important eye creams were until the end of college. All of those late night study sessions or even all nighters. I never realized how dark my dark circles were and started last year, using eye creams. I have experimented with many and so far my favorite is Dr. Ci Labo's Moisture Collagen eye cream. This is some powerful stuff and I recommend not applying too much of this cream around your eyes. Little dots around the affected dark areas then gently dab them until fully dissolved into the skin. I did a lot of research on collagen rich products and it seems to be the best ingredient for evening skin time and bringing some elasticity and youth back into your skin.

7 + 8. Finishing off my skin routine with Glossier's Priming moisterizer and Coconut balm dotcom. The reason I use their priming moisterizer and not some promising moisterizer that promises all these skin changes is because of its simple formula. I do not believe you need too much to restore your skin back to health and should keep things simple. It primes perfectly in my opinion and works great as a base for makeup. And lastly the Coconut Balm dotcom is by far my most favorite lip balm ever. I use coconut oil for everything hair related and only recently realized that it does wonders for your skin and lips too. This balm can be use anywhere that needs a little loving, not just your lips. I feel that it really helps restore your lip's moisture as well as gives it a little plump too.

I really hope my skin care routine has helped those who have asked me and anyone that stumbles across my blog. I know what it is like to try dozens of products that promise so much and gets you no where. It took me a while but I have been sticking with this routine for the past year now and am pleased with the way my skin feels and looks. If you want to give Glossier a try I have a 20% off  link automatically applied when you click here. However I will continue to review and talk about more beauty products in the near future so stay tuned. 

I'll work on a makeup routine in the near future. Thank you for reading! xx

baking matcha donuts.

Anyone who knows me knows that I cannot cook. I have been living on my own for a while now and finally have my own kitchen to cook and bake in so I decided to try this fun project. Instead of frying however I made baked green tea matcha donuts.

| Prep time: 5-7 min | Bake time: 10-12min |

Ingredients used

The donuts:

1¼ cups all purpose flour

½ cup sugar (I used granulated sugar)

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp Jade leaf matcha green tea powder

⅔ cup vegetable oil

½ cup lukewarm coconut milk 

1 large egg at room temperature, whisked

½ tsp white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

The glaze:
1½ cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar), sifted
½ tsp Jade leaf matcha green tea powder
3-4 tbsp hot water

Baking

First Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a donut pan with cooking spray or some vegetable oil so they won't stick.  Then in a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and matcha powder. In a separate bowl vegetable oil, milk, egg, vinegar and vanilla. Mix with a spatula the wet and dry ingredients until they are fully combined. Do not over mix the batter.  Then transfer the batter to a piping bag and squeeze into donut pan. Make sure to fill each slot ¾ full. Bake donuts for 10-12 minutes. Cool donuts completely after baking on a cooling rack.

The Glaze
Mix the confectioners sugar, water and matcha powder together. The glaze needs to be thick, add as much water or sugar needed to make it perfect. Mix well, it will get difficult to mix but make sure to continue mixing, ensuring all the sugar is dissolved into the glazed. Then dip the donuts into the glaze, then line them up on a cooling rack, letting the excess drip below it and ensuring perfect donuts.

Bon appetite! 

Recipe adapted from Honeysuckle via youtube.

emy x venti

This lovely minimal jewelry store based in Boston, Massachusetts called Venti just launched the beginning of this month. The pieces are so beautiful and sparkle without bringing too much attention. They are reasonably priced and not too expensive so you can really splurge. Oh and a perk you can use my discount code lovelyemy15 for 15% off your entire purchase with no minimum. Sounds like a steal to me! Their aesthetic is honestly a nice little clash where kinfolk meets kim kardashian. I love the simplicity yet feminine looks they achieve and their pieces are perfect for all seasons too.

I'm wearing:

Alexa choker in black

Cirque hoop earrings in silver

Sway crystal earrings in rose

Happy Sundaze everyone xx