Tax help available

Low- to moderate-income taxpayers are eligible for no-cost federal and state income tax preparation. The clinic is designed to help taxpayers claim tax credits, file electronic returns and assist with special credits such as the earned income tax credit. The clinics will be held at the state Capitol on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call Della Au Belatti at 586-9425 for more information about qualification and to make an appointment.

Shine Hawaii art expo also features health, style

Shine Hawaii is presenting an afternoon wellness, art and fashion expo from 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday, highlighted by a children’s fashion show by 88 Tees at 5:30 p.m., and Tori Richard’s Spring 2011 collection at 6:30 p.m.

The fundraiser for the Naehu Children’s Fest will take place at Castagnola’s restaurant in Restaurant Row, and entertainment throughout the day will include performances by ARSENIO jazz band, Tahitian and Hawaiian dance and Zumba. Booths will feature information and demonstrations of aromatherapy, alternative therapies, anti-aging vitamins, organic products, benefits of life coaching, and more.

Tickets for the event are $20, available by calling 779-5130. Funds raised will support art education for children, as part of a drug-free ministry.

BEAUTY SPOT

Tummy rub topical treatment gets the belly back down to size

By now, the New Year’s effect on resolutions has probably worn off, but the looming lunar new year offers new incentive to revisit past ambitions. A product new to the Hawaii market may give you a jump-start on a new you.

The U.K.-based skin-care line Rodial has arrived in America through Nordstrom, with what they call a "glamorous alternative to surgery." The line encompasses skin and body care through topical treatments and diet supplements using the latest ingredients.

One of the most intriguing is Glamoxy Snake Venom ($160), which includes syn-ake, a neuropeptide that mimics the effects of temple viper venom to freeze muscles, fill and pump up skin.

Then there’s Tummy Tuck ($130), a tummy flattening gel containing fig extract and neuropeptides that help break down fatty cells and boost cell metabolism when used daily. I don’t know whether it’s the formula or rubbing one’s belly that does the trick, but after a few days of use, I was able to fit into some too-small shorts I had bought without trying them on first. The extra attention paid to the area doesn’t hurt either, because the small result also led to some healthier dining choices as I put more thought into the impact of a small bag of chips.

For those who want to watch their food intake, the nutritional counterpart to the gel is the Tummy Tuck Stick ($60), a dietary supplement created to help digestion and reduce bloating through a formula of green clay to reduce bloating, fennel seeds to eliminate waste and gases, and pineapple and papaya, which contain enzymes that help the body break down food more quickly.

The products have sold out quickly internationally, so if you can’t find it on the store floor, you can also check out Nordstrom.com.

Diddy set to appear on ‘Hawaii Five-0’

NEW YORK » CBS says musician-actor Sean "Diddy" Combs will guest star on an upcoming episode of "Hawaii Five-0."

He will play NYPD Detective Reggie Williams, who arrives in Honolulu on the hunt for the men who committed a crime against his family.

The network said yesterday that several of Combs’ hit songs will be featured on the episode, scheduled to air this spring.Combs’ other acting credits include "Monster’s Ball" and an Emmy-nominated performance in "A Raisin in the Sun."

"Hawaii Five-0" stars Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan. It regularly airs Mondays at 9 p.m. in Hawaii.