Category Archives: REVIEW
HEALTHY HAIR
Living on a small island, life is very simple including fashion and beauty. Typically, your first impression of an island girl won’t be on her fashion and makeup but rather her great skin and hair. I’ve recently changed up my normal hair care routine with a routine my hair stylist put together for me. My request was one, I wanted my hair healthier looking than it already was and two, I still wanted it to be very low maintenance and finally, I wanted to keep my normal undone, just got back from the beach look. Here is a list of the products I’ve been using for a month. All of the products deserve an A+++ on performance. The product combination has been perfect for my hair.
MATRIX HYDRATING SHAMPOO winner of the Reader’s Choice Awards in 2011 from Glamour Magazine.
MATRIX CONDITIONING BALM I’ve been using this 2 times a week and letting it soak for 15 minutes before rinsing.
HEALTHY SEXY HAIR SOY TRI-WHEAT LEAVE IN CONDITIONER seen in the October 2012 issue of People Style Watch Magazine page 186.
RUSK DEEP SHINE OIL smells amazing and you would think oil is the last thing you need on your hair in Hawaii but trust me, this product works wonders on your hair. All you need is a little drop. Great for eliminating frizz. I could wear this as a perfume. It smells that good.
MARC BY MARC JACOBS BAG REVIEW
I have 2 bags from MARC BY MARC JACOBS. The first bag I got, I used for a year straight and the bag looks almost brand new. It’s made of nylon which makes it easy to clean by using a little soap and water on a cloth. The leather handles have remained strong with little to no sign of use. My second bag has been a bit of a disappointment. It’s made of genuine leather. I’ve been using it for 7 months straight since receiving it during the 2011 holiday season. The handles on the satchel started to show signs of wear in its 6 month of use. I’m almost afraid to use it anymore because the gold is wearing away so quickly. Maybe it’s the color I chose or the type of handle that is on this bag. All I know is I love it but I’m reconsidering my next bag purchase from this brand.
First Marc By Marc Jacobs bag purchase. Made of Nylon and leather. After 1 year of use, the bag almost looks brand new.
Marc by Marc Jacobs genuine gold leather satchel.
After 7 months of use, this handle as well as the other handle is losing its gold leather color.
SURFER’S SALVE AND TROPICAL LIP BALM
Over the years, I have purchased many candles, soaps and candle accessories from ISLAND SOAP & CANDLE WORKS for myself, family and friends in OLD KOLOA TOWN on the island of KAUAI. You can’t go wrong with this store. Family and friends are always super happy when they receive their gift and if I purchase something for myself, I’m always super happy with my purchase. About a month ago I purchased some soaps that I wrapped as prizes for a baby shower that was thrown at my home for a dear friend of mine. Along with my soap purchase, I got the SURFER’S SALVE and the PINEAPPLE PARADISE TROPICAL LIP BALM. The surfer’s salve goes with me everywhere. It’s my current multi functional go to product that I use on myself and kids. It’s all natural, has a wonderful lavender smell and is good for soothing sunburns, dry skin, bug bites, chapped lips and minor rashes. The tropical lip balm smells like the PINEAPPLE PILLAR CANDLE which is my favorite candle scent from this store.
2012 JEWELRY
My favorite bracelets for this year so far has been shell bangles and leather wrap bracelets. I’m very happy with my most current gold bangle by an OAHU artist, MISHA HAWAII. I was very lucky to find it in one of my favorite stores on KAUAI because there were only 2 bangles to choose from. Unlike ones I’ve had in the past, this one is sturdy, has the perfect thickness, it’s hammered to perfection, and it hasn’t tarnished where its been torched closed after many uses at the beach.
The ultimate leather wrap bracelet is made by CHAN LUU. I’ve been following her line of apparel, scarves and jewelry ever since she came to Kauai last December for a trunk show held at SAND PEOPLE. She brought over a huge selection of merchandise. I’m also enjoying DIY leather wrap bracelets because they are so cheap, wearable in the water and can be banged around without much damage. Chan Luu bracelets are expensive and made with genuine quality leathers, beads, metals, threads and clasps, so I baby them more than I do a DIY piece.
These pieces, paired with my pieces from last year are very causal, laid back and wearable for almost everyday of the week.
GOLD BANGLE
CHAN LUU LEATHER WRAP BRACELETS
DIY LEATHER WRAP BRACELETS
THE SAK CASUAL CLASSIC
Just in time for summer, I found a great deal on THE SAK CLASSIC CROCHET MINI CROSS BODY BAG. It’s been a real long time since I spent so little on a bag. For me, this will not be an everyday bag but I have been enjoying it on trips to the mall as a pop of color against a neutral outfit.
PROM SHOES
All of the high schools on KAUAI have had their proms but there is one last private school that will be ending their school year with a bang by having their prom at THE GRAND HYATT BALLROOM. My teen daughter picked out the cutest shoes for her dress from PAYLESS SHOESOURCE. She’s been breaking them in by wearing them around the house everyday and also to get comfortable in such high heels. To make the insole a little more soft, I purchased a comfort pad that made it a lot easier to walk in.
THE ORIGINAL BEAUTY BLENDER
After years of using brushes, sponges and my fingers to apply my daily tinted moisturizer, I have finally found my secret blending weapon. Unlike brushes which leave streaks and triangular/flat square/flat circle foundation sponges that never seem to blend right and fingers that get the job done but always unevenly, the BEAUTY BLENDER works perfectly. I first tried using it damp but that seemed to mess with the consistency of my tinted moisturizer so I stopped using it that way. I also tried applying the tinted moisturizer to the Blender first and then applying it to my face but that didn’t work either, both dry and damp. I now use it dry by applying my tinted moisturizer with my fingers first and then blending it with the Blender in a circular motion around my face. The look I’m able to achieve is natural and flawless. Cleanup is easy and quick. After each use, I wash the Blender with antibacterial hand soap and water and wring out the excess water. I then put a towel in my palm with the Blender in the middle and make a fist around the Blender. This gets out a lot of the moisture left in the Blender. I then leave it out to dry on one of my bathroom vases. Depending on the day, the Blender is dry within a few hours and ready for it’s next use. Normally I would never spend $36 on two sponges but I had a gift card that allowed me to have a discount off my total order and after all the positive feedback, I figured I’d like it as much as everyone else. I’m super happy I decided to give it a try.
LOREAL PARIS HEALTY LOOK CREME GLOSS COLOR
Every month or so I have to color my hair because my hair turns a reddish brown color from daily sun exposure. Back in January, I colored my hair using Nice ‘N Easy Color Blend Foam and wrote a review on it. Using this LINK will direct you to that review. March 1st, I colored my hair using LOREAL PARIS HEALTY LOOK CREME GLOSS COLOR in the color darkest brown. I love this color kit. I got a compliment the very next day after I applied the color. It gave me the rich brown, health, glossing looking hair I had been wanting. It was easy to apply and the best part was I waited a short 10 minutes for the color to set. Another thing I love about this kit was the 1.86 fl oz of Healthy Shine Conditioner. It’s a very generous amount of conditioner for a color kit. My hair is very thick and long and I had more than enough conditioner for a one time use. The box reads that the color lasts through 28 shampoos but I went past the 28 days and am now into day 45 or so of having this color and I’m now beginning to see some reddish brown highlights from sun exposure.
BENEFITS OF AVALON ORGANICS SHAMPOO, LAVENDER OIL AND MINT OIL
Any time I hear the words ALL NATURAL or ORGANIC, I’m immediately interested. My kids sleep over at friends houses, go on weekend camping trips and attend a lot of other activities that bring them in close contact with other children and their belongings. I have always been very careful to wash all laundered items immediately when my kids get home and I have them wash from head to toe with lots of soap just incase they may have some kind of creepy crawly thing that is unseen to the naked eye on them from being away. After a friends recommendation for preventing hair lice from getting on my kids, I started using lavender and mint in my kids hair prior to any kind of prolonged activity with other children. Once my kids get home from being away, I have them wash with lavender and mint shampoo as well. I looked into my friends recommendation and found that it’s not a 100% preventative but it does help because hair lice like the smell of human skin and scalps. The strong smell of lavender and mint repels the lice. The product my friend recommended is the AVALON ORGANICS NOURISHING LAVENDER SHAMPOO. I do use it on my hair sometimes because I love the smell so much and I love that I’m using a product that is made with 70% organic content and 100% vegetarian ingredients. The shampoo gets the job done of washing your hair really well because of its thick lather but it dries your hair out a lot. To get the lavender and mint combination, I use a couple drops of my favorite mint oil with the amount of shampoo I need and mix it in a bowl before application. Before my kids head out the door for their activities I spritz their hair with a homemade combination of water, lavender oil and mint oil that I put into a small plastic spritzing bottle. The spritzer acts as a last minute walk out the door prevention if there isn’t enough time to shampoo my kids hair. I’ve written about the DOTERRA oils that I use here at this LINK.
FACIAL CLEANSING BUFF
For almost 4 years, I lived in California. While I lived there, my skin adjusted well to my environment and I was able to have a very simple facial cleansing routine. I got into the habit of washing my face with just my fingers because that’s what worked. When I moved back home to Hawaii, my simple beauty routine no longer kept my face clear so I got a more suitable facial cleansing system and I started washing my face with facial cloths. I’ve tried many since I’ve been back home and the most effective one I found is the QVS FACIAL CLEANSING BUFF FOR GENTLE EXFOLIATION. Because of Hawaii’s high humidity, wash cloths and brushes can sometimes take a day or night to dry out after use. The QVS buff dries within a few hours after use. The texture is perfect. I can gently exfoliate my face everyday without drying it out or damaging my sensitive skin. The size and shape is a palm sized oval, making it ideal for washing in a circular motion on my face and neck. The best part is the price. One pack carries 2 buffs that retails for around $3. I purchase mine from my local CVS store. Seasonally, CVS will mark QVS products down to 30% off so during this time I stock up and get several packs at a time to save even more money.
