Lifestyle Review | Gaston Luga, That Swedish Minimalist Backpack That Is Stylishly Functional

You kept me close, you kept me warm, you kept me company and 

kept my letters of adventurous journeys so vividly colourful that 

what is there not to love about you? To journey beyond your eyes and mind is 

to understand the true essence of discovering one true self ... 

and yet, after all there is to explore out there, 

one comes back home to the unfamiliarly familiar. 

That perhaps, is one of our greatest adventures yet, one fine day.
What better way to go on an adventure with a trusted companion
that looks stylishly sleek and yet is a work horse and
come back home full of great memories.

Visual via Gaston Luga Online

We have always been fascinated by Scandinavian design aesthetics, especially its minimalistic and simplicity towards making things look elegantly refined, yet they do not seem to lose their charm on someone like us, it is equally captivating and mesmerising how they could seem to pull it off effortlessly *_^ When Gaston Luga, a Swedish backpack retailer (here for more) located in the heart of Stockholm approached us to explore if we are keen to collaborate with them, we were pleasantly surprised but all too happy in fact to have a further look into the brand. Once we read their brand story (here) and discovered more of their varied ranges for both men  (here) and women (here), we were enthralled by the idea of owning one already. After a few exchanges of email correspondences, our preferred choice of Gaston Luga Pråper Pink arrived in slightly less than a week! 

Visual via Gaston Luga Online

From our browsing on the brand's official website, we realised that Gaston Luga's uniquely designed backpacks fit into quite a variety of settings from their 3 main collections - Clässic, Clässy and Pråper. Our first impression of the backpacks via their social media platforms and online presence was that they are definitely chic looking. The designs are, to say the least, pleasing to the eyes, aesthetically. It got our interested piqued when we read more about the sturdy canvas materials that are used to produce each backpack. 

Review | Shu Uemura Nutri:Nectar Gentle Cleansing Oil In Emulsion & The Lightbulb Essence Essential-Oil-In Foundation

Iconic and memorable, Shu Uemura (here for more) is one of the longest standing Japanese brands which has perfected the facial cleansing routine with a wide range of cleansing oil suited to different skin types and its functionalities. This 50 years of magic legacy continues with a brand new breed of cleansing oil which is in the market for a while now - the Shu Uemura Nutri:Nectar Gentle Cleansing Oil In Emulsion! We are extremely blessed to be given the opportunity to give it a try when it first launched and now, we are delighted to share a bit of our experience with you lovelies today. #thankyoushu for the huge love! Not forgetting, we also received the new Shu Uemura Lightbulb Essence Essential-Oil-In Foundation in the same package, just when we thought it could not get any better, but it did!

[Inspiration | Musing] Drifting Space

Space drew a deep sigh and withdrew away, in hiding, in the shadow and not wanting to show her face vividly, to her secret admirer. No matter how much I beg, space retreats and unwilling to compromise. Perhaps she is utterly disappointed that she is not what she seems to be after all. 

"Do I need to tell you how I really feel out loud?" space mumbles underneath her little breath. "I am but a girl just wishing upon a star, hoping to get to hear a little echoing respond." She sounds hopelessly disappointed. I could not seem to figure her out. Perhaps it is not my place to do so.

I try to tell space a joke, but she seems unmoved by my little attempt of kindness. I miss her hearthy crazy laugh, I miss seeing her smile and her naiveté, I miss her random rants of her wild but harmless thoughts swirling in her restless mind.

Space, I shall leave you to your own corner, perhaps you do need your own space after all. Tell me when you are ready to step back into the sunlight again. I shall be here, waiting patiently for you. I know you are a strong little one, you will survive it all, no matter for you choose both sweet and bitter of life to savour. 

Be a good girl and come back out, all right, space? 

Visuals via Lumi Pinterest here | Her Face | Cultivate Kindness | All Is Not Lost

With love, 

Jeann

[Inspiration | Musing] April Kind Of Change

That moment when you realise what you miss most is just the feeling of that unspoken sense of belonging, even if it means to know that you mean something to someone, that you are truly who you are, uniquely your own self.

March saw a drastic change in life, moving onto new and different challenges in our professional work life, a mixture of excitement and adventures, rolled into one, felt and tasted like Vietnamese spring roll. Lethargically stimulated, we took it on with an open mind and heart. 

Looking at you, it seems inevitable, yes, change, we are looking at you. You fooled us well, yet we can only invite you in for a cuppa and work our way around to what seems certain at this moment, at least it is for the better of everyone. We miss certain things in life, capturing beauty, advocating the appreciation of beauty in life, time somehow is working a little against us, the tide is retreating so quickly that it takes us by surprise ... please stay a little longer, will you, please?

Perhaps it lies in our stars, wanting to live a vivacious life with memorable moments that take our breath away, always! Here's to a unprecedented April, it should be a revelation, one we hope we can face with great courage. Stay happy always, lovelies *_^

All visuals via LUMI's Pinterest | Flower Girl Under The Tree | LUMINNEJ Insta Feed | Words Go Where Alive | Lace In Bed | All White In Bed

With love, 

Jeann

[Review] Sisley Phyto-Blanc Brightening Cushion Foundation | A Whisk of Blissful Natural Radiance For Your Complexion

March presented us with a little surprise from the beloved French luxury skincare and beauty brand, Sisley Paris. Thanks to the graciousness of Sisley Malaysia team, we received a very special package, to the least of our expectation, Sisley Paris finally came on board the cushion bandwagon - presenting you the brand's very first cushion foundation with skincare benefits, the Sisley Phyto-Blanc Brightening Cushion Foundation, (here for more) extending a more than 15 years of research on the mechanism of melanogenesis in its Photo-Blanc range of skincare expertise to make-up, creating an all-new foundation with lightening and protective properties.

Sisley Paris as a brand is renowned for its phyto-cosmetology philosophy, incorporating this concept to all its creations - using the best plant-based extracts in order to create the best skincare and cosmetics. We are super excited to say the least, to try out this cushion foundation designed for Asian skin! Let's get started, shall we?

Introducing The Dior Addict All New Lip Glow Colour Reviver Balms | The Pretty Squad In Town

Streamers and balloons with gleaming little lights arrived with an ultra sweet note at our doorstep previously and those shades of pink and red set our heart racing a little already. Who doesn't love a little surprise now and then, right? This time, it was from team #DiorMY (they are always such a sweet heart), thanks a million for such a pleasant parcel. Today is Valentine's Day, so what better way to celebrate than to put on some wash of pink on the lips and make them oh-so-kissable on this special occasion. Let's check these new shades out, lovelies and your Valentine's Day (or any other day in the year, for that matter) will never be the same again *_^

Astalift Hi Tea With Nana Mahazan | A Refreshingly Uplifting Afternoon

Photogenic Beauty, that is the core belief of this Japanese skincare and beauty brand, an extension from its original photo-film-centric business brand, FUJIFILM. Yes, we are talking about a beauty brand called ASTALIFT (here for more). This innovative beauty brand aims to achieve 'Photogenic Beauty' that is projecting beauty from an inner shine that gives the woman a strong presence, glowing from within. 

We had the pleasure of attending a private media hi tea session with local celebrity, Ms. Nana Mahazan at the exquisite Enchan-Thé Japon, Salon De Thé, Isetan Japan Store, Lot 10 previously. It was an eye opener sharing session, finally getting to understand a little more the technology behind the beauty brand and how various technological assets such as those on collagen and nanoparticle formulation fostered through the photographic business of Fujifilm were adapted to cosmetics and other new business fields via Astalift.

[Inspiration | Musing] I Truly Miss You

You whisked away without a trace, in silence, the air was thick, the silence was deafening, that very moment when I discovered you had gone. I thought I lost you forever, but I guess you went away quietly, yearning for a hiatus, a break, one which you had to go through. I left it as it is, I am after all, fairly accommodating. Secretly, the rain came and cried for your leaving, incessantly, as if mourning along, with me, even though I do miss you, but I rather not be too emotional about it. How sweet and thoughtful rain was. Rain is just being sentimental, just like me. 

I long for your return, I would love for you to come back to my embrace and let all your words and passion for visuals just flow, naturally. You don't need to feel restricted at all, for I see through you ... I do see you and all your hopes and dreams, for this life, perhaps even some broken pieces and tears that tag along with them, like some pesky cat who loves to cling tight onto you, which you do find annoying some times. Yes, this is you, the way I see you. Cat is never your thing anyway. 

I hope when you return, you bring with you the sun, a sunshine of renewed inspiration, passion, love and hopes, a pocket full of sunlight that not overly bright, but warm and tenderly inviting, almost like your touch and your gentle smile, whenever you have funny thoughts swirling in that crazy mind of yours. Yes, that is how I see you, you silly one! 

Come home to me again, my dearest. Life is unpredictable, we don't have a lifetime. 

Visuals via LUMI Pinterest here. A Face With Flowy Hair | Catching Her Hair In The Sun | Flowers & Sunlight At Home

Have a luminously happy new week, lovelies *_^

With love, 

Jeann

Review | Sisley Paris Izia, The Collision of Fresh Vibrancy With A Breeze Of Elegance

The culmination of freshness of fruity floral, seduction of a very rare kind of rose and the sweet warmth of woodiness of precious ingredients from the garden and nature bring forth this extremely unique scent, imbued with endless imagination and a sense of adventure, grounded with sensuality of a woman who looks at the world with a fresh new eyes and mind, every time. Sisley Paris's new scent,  IZIA  (here fore more) came to us like a breath of fresh air, as surprising as the gorgeous pink and gold accent packaging, and its exquisite glass bottle specially designed by Polish sculptor, Bronislaw Krzysztof is more than enough to entice you to take another look at Izia or just pick up the bottle and to sample its amazingly unique scent. We are pleasantly surprised, truly. 

[Musing] Past // Present // Future | What Does 2018 Mean To You?

Time made a mark, came and went for 2017 seemed a whirlwind of ups and downs for us. We looked forward to a more quiet year towards the end of last last year here, instead, life threw us with much unexpected turn of events this year. We made a change in life and took up a new area of work, in some ways, blogging here took quite a back seat, which was never an ideal situation for us, but somehow we had to. Never the less, no regrets, life is such. 

Unpredictability also hit us hard when we lost some loved ones this year, a very close family member and a blogger friend (which her departure came so sudden that none of us was ready for it! But then again, who ever would be for a thing called death, right?). It only goes to assert one thing in life - seize the moment and always live each day as if it is your last. Always be grateful and blessed that you are still alive each day to enjoy it. Some things will seem more important while others become way less significant once you sort out your priorities in life. 

For us, we hope that 2018 will be a fresh new start, one that calls for a change in life, but definitely one that would lead us to better future. We did have a great 2017, for we got to travel and gone places quite a fair bit here, all thanks to a dear friend and the hospitality of great places of holiday destinations. On this note, we hope we get to go travel even more, and beyond our region, to experience more and to live more. 

We would also love to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you who dropped by and leave your comment, even though we hardly surf over to say our hello often enough (our bad, really!), we could not have done it without your support, and your love, our associates and brands who still believe in us and our work here at LUMINNEJ. We endeavour to do better in the coming new year ... shall try our very best. Please be kind *_^ 

Have a truly exciting new year of 2018 and may the best come your way as you absolutely deserve the best in life, lovelies. Stay luminous and happy, always!

Visual 1 | Black and White Flower by pfeffergruen on Instagram. All visuals via #pinterest. 

With love, 

Jeann

XMAS 2017 Series | Mamonde Flowers For Me Holiday Collection

We love flowers, period. Flowers speak to us in many ways and one of them would be to sooth our soul and calm our mind. It also inspires us visually during photography work for LUMINNEJ. This time of the year, Korean Beauty brand, Mamonde introduces their Christmas series with Flowers For Me Holiday Collection, one which is fun, feminine yet equally alluring and leaving you looking absolutely delicious and blooming with colourful freshness and surprises this Blooming Winter, Mamonde style. A huge thanks to Mamonde Malaysia for the love as we received this special Christmas surprise package some time back. We hope its still in time to share a little about the collection for you to perhaps not only pamper yourself during this special occasions but share some love with friends and family too when it comes to gifting ideas. So, let's dive in, shall we? 

XMAS 2017 Series | Dior Precious Rocks Rocking That Glittery Glam Look

Nothing beats a good line-up of amazing makeup collection specially tailor-made for the festive season. Christmas bells are ringing in and in no time, we are ending the year of 2017. Time flies when you have fun, no? Our little Christmas came super early all thanks to our beloved beauty brand, Dior and a huge hugs and kisses to Dior Malaysia for still loving us all these while even though we have been so bogged down by our full time work that blogging here took a backseat with delayed updates. How we wished we could just blog full time at times like these. 

Enough of ranting, we are extremely thrilled over the favourite time of the year. With Dior, it is all about the glitter and glam, Dior style all the way, aptly called Dior Precious Rocks Holiday 2017 Collection (here for more). We have put together something a little different this year for our Christmas series, hope you lovelies will enjoy nonetheless. We are going for the look book style instead of purely review piece. Precious Rocks, paying homage to unfettered rock spirit, confidently precious!

Opulent and glittery this season, the eyes sparkle with a kaleidoscope of myriad shades, in a prismatic way. The design is captivatingly hypnotic, the colours will embellish your eyes with wonderful shades. 5 Couleurs Precious Rocks Limited Edition in Ruby and Emerald, you take your pick, whichever that tickles your fancy. Both are equally alluring with a touch of iridescent for us. Here for more on the application techniques and shades. Add a little touch of colour onto the nails with this season's limited edition shades of Diorific Vernis, which comes in its signature bottle with a golden cap. 4 new shades to let your nails do the talking and shine bright with gel-like finishing. We love both colours that we have - Amethyst (deep prune) and Ruby (violet shade with a shimmery sort of shine finish). Discover more here.

This Christmas, we imagine the most sophisticated gold, yet in a more subdued kind of manner, accentuated slightly with a touch a golden shimmer to excite and tease the senses of the admirer of a Dior woman who shows up at a party. She glows in pretty shades of golden dust of the irresistible Christmas 2017 limited edition Diorific Precious Rocks Golden Glow Loose Powder, (here for more) that catches the most brightest light in a sensual way that gets one thrilled with pleasure, looking almost like a Greek goddess of the night. Finish off with an added golden glittery touch of nail art with Diorific Vernis Liner in golden shade and that few spritz of exclusively mixed of floral and spices Dior scent, the absolute J'adore L'Or (here for more on its notes and structure).

It is an epic story of intense expression of the floral notes in every sense, yet entices the deepest desire of a woman to appeal differently with its fruity accents mingled with spices. Voluptuous and rich in nuances, this quintessentially floral scent would cement the wearer with her own interpretation of charm and a woman's sophistication in its subtle sensibility. We absolutely adore and fell in love with its new chiseled necklace and bottle. Read here about our previous thoughts on the other Dior J'adore that had us crushing hard as well.