Life Instyle sat down with Marina, founder of Lumen and Luxxe candles, to discuss her belief that beautiful scents can improve our lives. And her love for making candles, perfume diffusers, room sprays, and mists for you to celebrate, set the mood and relax with.
Tell us a bit about the story behind the brand:
Lumen + Luxe was created by two friends who wanted to create quality home fragrances at affordable prices.
What was your inspiration and your brand mission?
We believe that the physical environment we craft for ourselves plays a crucial role in nurturing our wellbeing, and that through our choice of products we use and surround ourselves with, we can bring joy to our lives.
We believe that through the use of scent, we can access past memories, create mindful moments and inspire future memories to come.
With this in mind, we aim to capture the emotive and sensory experience that comes with scent.
Our scent collections are inspired from our travels, and our mission is to bring pieces of the world to Australia, to tell fragrance stories of beautiful places that spark curiosity, inspire adventure and discovery, and bring joy.
What sets your brand apart from others in the industry?
We create candles with elegant, sophisticated scents at affordable prices, everyday products that our customers aren’t afraid to burn.
Our minimal yet considered, textural packaging and glass vessels, and our signature concrete candles simultaneously cultivate and compliment beautiful spaces and experiences, allowing the ordinary everyday to feel extraordinary.
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What is your favourite product and why?
Our favourite product is our concrete candles. They are unique, beautiful pieces, last over 100 hours and can be refilled. And what we love the most about them is that our customers absolutely love them!
What were the first steps you took to launch? And what would you say was the scariest part/your biggest fear?
We launched at our local Brisbane markets seven years ago. The scariest part was moving the business out of our homes and into a commercial warehouse space as well as rebranding in the middle of a pandemic.
What do your customers love about your products?
Our customers love our scents, and how the different sizes candles effortlessly fill their homes with their favourite fragrances. They absolutely love our signature concrete candles as these are big, bold, beautiful and can be customised to fit with every interior style as we offer different colours and sizes.
Can you share your proudest moments in business so far?
After my former business partner left the business, I took control, grew the business 3-4 fold, rebranded and moved out of my home based studio into a commercial warehouse space while navigating the uncertainties of a global pandemic.
What is the best piece of business advice you have been given?
I have two:
It’s not your lack of resources, it’s your lack of resourcefulness that stops you from being successful.
You’re not for everyone, and that’s ok.
Who are some of the other brands in the industry that you love/admire?
Le Labo, Diptyque, Maison Margiela fragrances.
How do you differentiate your products from competitors in the market?
Our signature product is our handcrafted concrete candles, including our Xl size, containing 2.5L of scented wax and 100+ hours of olfactive joy. Unique to the market, it is the statement piece everyone will ask about. Our customers can personalise their concrete candles by choosing a colour to suit their interior style and their favourite scent.
While the majority of home fragrances bands offer 1-2 candle sizes, we have purposefully designed our glass vessels in three different sizes to fit every room in the home, so that our customers enjoy their favourite scents without experiencing under or over scenting.
What inspired you to start your brand and pursue a career?
My daughter. I knew I wanted the power to decide how long and when to work so that I can have the flexibility to be there for her when she needs me, whether it’s to take her to after school activities, cheer her on during a dance performance or spend a lazy Friday afternoon in the park playing and sharing her favourite foods.
What is your target market and how do you reach out to them?
Out target markets are: the home maker, unisex, but majority female, looking for beautifully designed, quality pieces to compliment their space, and the wholesaler. We reach them via social media (organic and paid), and trade shows.
What are some of the challenges you have faced in the industry and how have you overcome them?
The two biggest challenges we’re facing are supply chain challenges, and price increases in a time of tightening budgets. To overcome them, we plan ahead, keep a close eye on our budget and spending, and constantly work to reach our ideal audiences and demonstrate that our products are what they want and need by carefully crafting our brand message.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs in the retail industry?
The same two that I’ve found have helped me a lot:
It’s not your lack of resources, it’s your lack of resourcefulness that stops you from being successful.
You’re not for everyone, and that’s ok.
What path led you to Life Instyle and what about the show makes it a great fit for your brand?
We discovered Life Instyle when researching opportunities to meet retailers who would love to stock our products. From the carefully curated line up of exhibitors to the buyers who visit the show year after year, Life Instyle has been a great fit for our brand and has allowed us to steadily grow our wholesale network across Australia.
Who are some of the other brands in the industry that you love/admire?
Le Labo, Diptyque, Maison Margiela fragrances.
