[Inspiration | Musing] When You Say You are Feeling Blue

When you say you are feeling blue, set me free to roam the streets with no name, or pull me into a cafe and have a seat on that beautiful chair, that is meant for the free-spirited side of me. Set me free to indulge in my kind of blue, if you say you are feeling blue, for how could you not see, I desperately need to let it all go, this very instant?

Let me be, let me be what I want to be - the sun that caresses the hand that holds the glass, or the glass that keeps the water in its place, or even the lines that run along, not knowing that they are supposed to stay in line.  How could you expect me to stay in one place when you are the one who escapes with an unwilling accomplice? You took away the only thing that matters to me - my kind of terribly beautiful blue... my unapologetically stunning blue.

It is a little blue kind of Saturday, but a gorgeous one. Visual 1 | Visual 2 | Visual 3

With love, 

Jeann

The Charming IsMe Beauty & Café Moments

We have always been wondering when will someone conjure up a concept that marries lifestyle café and beauty in one. That flash of idea in our head back then is now a reality in Klang Valley - the new IsMe Beauty & Café outlets found at Empire Shopping Mall and NuSentral. We had the pleasure to be invited by Tanky, the manager to give this unique Beauty Café a try. So, off we went, with another two blogger friends of ours that evening some time back. 

Although the concept is not brand new, it is pretty popular overseas like Korea, but it is the first of its kind here in Malaysia, specially created having women in mind. IsMe Beauty & Café is not only just combining beauty and the usual cafe, but with promoting a healthy lifestyle and health conscious focus meals in its inception, a balanced lifestyle inside out. All meals on the menu are only 400 calories, putting health first for your meal consumption. So ladies, you can order away that cup of cute-looking cappuccino or latte, or even take a bite at that daily in-store freshly prepared sandwich without the guilt or having to hit the gym right after feeling. How cool is that?

[Review] Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate

Kiehl's has been a brand that is synonymous with naturally derived ingredients-based coupled with dermatologist skewed beauty products and had a long standing history dates back to more than 160 years ago founded as an old-world apothecary. (here for understanding). We have heard rave reviews about Kiehl's products, have seen the bright neon signage, the skeleton and lab coat personnels at the stores countless times but have never had the opportunity to experience them till recently. We are glad to introduce you to one of the skincare products that we had the pleasure to try out - the Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate. 

Inspired by new dermatology hydration procedures, this innovative formula anchors moisture deep within skin's surface layers to address age-related dehydration issues which are caused by an imbalance of moisture within the skin that occurs as we age, making our skin more prone to showing signs of aging sooner. Some of the signs of aging would be fine lines, wrinkles, dull and tiring looking skin. So, if fresh, plump and youthful skin is what we aim to achieve, perhaps this would be the answer?

M.A.C AW2015 Trends: Strength of Beauty and Beautiful & Damned

If you had seen this, you would have known that there were 4 major makeup trends that were shared by the professional at M.A.C Cosmetics recently for this Autumn/Winter 2015. In the constant and evolving conversation of what defines beauty today, true makeup artistry broadens the propositions and opens our eyes to inspired options of how to celebrate beauty with makeup - Beauty is Diversity. At least, that is what according to the beautiful people at M.A.C and we could not agree more with them! 

So what is the common thread? For M.A.C, it feels fresh to declare: there isn't one! For refreshingly, there is no unanimous aesthetic view to A/W2015. The means are as diverse as the ends. This season as makeup artists pull energy and inclinations from a varied mash up of eras, attitudes and artistic techniques, playing with paradoxes - particularly that of hard vs soft (in respect of attitude, colour, texture and techniques) - results this season in makeups that are as strong, dynamic, creative - and polarizing. We shall first share with you here, two of the four trends - Strength of Beauty and Beautiful and Damned.

[Sneak Peek] Intimate Melvita & L'Occitane Christmas Preview

Christmas is a time for celebration, a time for giving and most of all, a time to enjoy each others' company and love. That was exactly what went down today at the Melvita and L'Occitane Malaysia's joint Christmas Lunch Date to reveal both these French brands' up-and-coming new launches and limited-edition gift sets for this coming Christmas season. 

The team of Melvita and L'Occitane Malaysia put quite some thoughts into putting together a lunch date at the exquisite Ciao Restaurant that was nothing short of impressively decorated set-up in a beautiful sort of French chic manner, where the Christmas vibe was totally in the air, from goodies and samples filled with glittery box sets, snow crystal Melvita globe right down to the specifically designed meals fitted to the theme of the day. 

We do hope you come back later to check out what's in store for this festive giving season with the offerings by these two brands. Let's just say that you will be pleasantly surprised. More about Melvita here and L'Occitane here. See more up-to-date happenings via our instagram feed, if you have not already connected with us there. 

Have a luminously happy and beautiful weekend ahead, lovelies *_^ 

With love, 

Jeann

[Review] Shu Uemura x Maison Kitsuné Holiday Collection 2015

East meets West, Maison Kitsuné debut beauty collection, sees a collaboration of this fashion, arts and music fore-fronting Tokyo + Paris inspired brand with eclectic and cultural crossover pioneering Japanese beauty brand, Shu Uemura is one that is whimsical, fun, colourful and most of all, invigorating. Bursting with a sense of adventure and exploration, this Shu Uumura x Maison Kitsuné 2015 Holiday Collection is an interplay of Western elements, infused with Eastern sensibility and aesthetics, aptly designed allowing for the creation of a variety of looks for the festive occasion.

Founded by Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki, Maison Kitsuné (House of Fox) is a unique concept of infusing fashion, music and design into its work, reinventing the "classics" while mixing them with daring range of colours, prints and materials, very much close to the philosophy of Shu Uemura's art of beauty - a long standing belief of Mr. Shu Uemura himself, bridging arts and beauty, merging the two in all its forms and glory. We had the pleasure to attend the recent Shu Uemura x Maison Kitsuné media preview plus launch and check out more about this holiday collection, all thanks to the Shu Uemura Malaysia team *_^

Inspiration | Musing: Shades of Autumn Grey

To love that space between black and white, is to fall in love with nothingness, yet filled with so much of that fulfillment that comes from dwelling in that notion of nothingness. We can speak, yet can't talk for we are speechless, we can see, yet we can't witness for we are blinded by the subtlety of quiet beauty it brings, we can hear yet we can't listen for we are deafened by the muted noise that comes from not knowing. We can feel yet we can't touch for touching nothingness is like waving your hands in the desperation of voidness.

We have fallen, for the different shades of grey, amidst the call of the autumn wind.

Let us just take a moment, step back and enjoy the blissfulness of the shade has to offer, close our eyes and breath in all that is about this colour, for the emotion that it evokes, is truly a wonder, and a mystery, at the very same time.

Innisfree Beauty Picnic - The Jeju Sparkling Mineral Experience

Green lush lawn, beautiful clean fresh air, serene and peaceful space to kick back and have a little picnic and good times while discovering what the latest range of Korean skincare has to offer to rejuvenate and hydrate? All these seemed too magical when we received the invitation from Innisfree Malaysia, as it came during the time when Malaysia was experiencing a horrendous hazy weather situation. We were worried, to say the least as having a really sensitive nose and allergy did not help to calm our nervous. Upon arriving on location, the prior worries immediately melted away, as we knew, the well thought-out set-up by the Innisfree Malaysia PR team was absolutely perfect for an indoor picnic scenario (yes, you heard us right *_^), as good as it could get, we felt - this was our very first indoor Innisfree Beauty Picnic! 

Nestled within the city, Organica Lifestyle (here for more), this health-focus eatery turned picnic location for the day is the perfect choice for this Saturday afternoon rendezvous. We were invited to a quick de-stress session with the owner upstairs, to relax and calm our body and mind, a great way to start off the session. What followed was a quick introduction to the brand by the Innisfree Malaysia Brand Manager, Johnny Nam and explanation about their latest range - Jeju Sparkling Mineral skincare line, a collection that mainly uses carbonic hot spring water (sparkling mineral water) from Jeju Sanbangsan Mountain, only available exclusively to Innisfree. This active ingredient provides deep hydration while the frizzy sparkling effect allows you to experience that hot-spring spa-like feel and its benefits right at home. Sounds awesome, right? Wait till you see what we were doing right after this! 

Beautiful Burberry Functionregalia Makeup Looks Inspired by Burberry Prorsum Womenswear SS16

Developed by Burberry Makeup Artistic Consultant Wendy Rowe, under the creative direction of Chief Creative and CEO, Christopher Bailey, the Functionregalia Makeup Collection previewed at the previous Burberry Prorsum Womenswear Spring/Summer 2016 runway show was a beautiful play of satin skin with effortless, natural contouring and highlights, nude open eyes, statement lips in iconic Burberry shade Oxblood and signature Nude Beige, finished off with models' nails painted in Optic White and Stone. The celebrities and guests were equally stunning in the similar hues and tones for their makeup, super modern and chic, which we absolutely adore.

[Review] Melvita Organic Pulpe De Rose Plumping Radiance Serum

We had the pleasure to try out Melvita's Organic Pulpe De Rose Plumping Radiance Serum, right about the same time when we were using their Pulpe De Rose Plumping Radiance Duo Facial Oil (reviewed here) previously. You would have guessed it right, we love that facial oil, and still do.

Organic skincare is something that will always get our interest piqued for natural ingredients from organic farming incorporated in a skincare product do not only make the product more appealing, they are also gentler to the skin and the environment and the world that we live in, and harvest from. That respect for our mother nature by French skincare brand like Melvita is something we truly appreciate. 

The Ingredients

Fine lines and wrinkles are a natural progression in life, but we can always have a better approach by preventing the aging process sooner by using an anti-aging product like the Melvita Pulpe De Rose Plumping Radiance Serum, at an earlier stage. This serum has a concentration of energizing and smoothing active ingredients, coupled with rose floral water, and it is designed to do just that - smooth away the signs of aging, first wrinkles to reveal a more radiant skin tone. Enriched with marsh clover, with recognized antioxidant properties, it provides long-lasting action to keep the skin firm and renewed.

The Dazzling Magic Will Never Fade

True magic never fades. Time did not allow us to share this with you, so this will only be an after thought. Bygone, but nonetheless, the magic lingers on and stayed with us.

Little pots of magic, that is what we called these M.A.C Dazzleshadow eyeshadows. They transform your eyes to twinkle and stand out. Creamy and velvety with the right amount of glitter without the messy fall-offs, these long-wearing eyeshadows are a combination of powder and cream that creates a multi dimensional effect.

These rich, stay true pigments come in a variety of fun, delicious colours ranging from brown tones to purple, orange and gray. We were lucky enough to get our hands on I Like 2 Watch – mid-toned brown with golden sparkles and She Sparkles – gray with silver Sparkles.