Buy chic sunglasses and aid eye care
Make your mom feel equipped for the brightest days with stylish sunglasses from Fighting Eel, 1133 Bethel St. in Chinatown. I found two great options: a khaki-framed, polarized pair from Toms ($210), which donates medical eye services with the sale of each pair, and a dark-framed, gold-accented pair of designer glasses from Elizabeth & James ($217). Wearing these, mom will feel like a hip and socially conscious or glamorous dame! Call 738-9300 or visit fb.com/fightingeel.
—Elizabeth Kieszkowski
Give jewelry to add sparkle to her look
Show some love for mom while supporting local jewelry designers with Love Me Knots’ delicate but striking pieces of 14K gold-filled chains combined with quartz, pink coral, raw diamonds and semiprecious gemstones. The Deep Waters drop necklace shown here features a gold vermeil-edged arrowhead quartz ($130). The cool mom may be captivated by body jewelry that can be worn over tanks, T-shirts and bandeau apparel or discreetly under clothing for a sexy peek-a-boo look. The do-gooder designer duo of Sophia Vuong and Jaclyn Park donates 20 percent of sales to human and animal welfare causes. Their jewelry can be found at lovemeknotshi.com.
Or mom might like something from Ki-ele (ki-ele.com), Blue Bird Jewelry (bluebirdjewelryhawaii.com) or Salty Girl Jewelry (saltygirljewelry.com).
—Nadine Kam
Indulge that special lady with sweet body wash
Pamper mom (or yourself) with a luxurious body wash made from honey, mango, organic aloe vera and olive oil made exclusively for Kahuku Farms using its own honey. Just a small amount is needed to work up a moisture-rich lather. An 8-ounce bottle is $11. Honey-mango hand sanitizer, hand soap and body butter are $4.50 to $15, and all can be purchased at Kahuku Farms Cafe, 56-800 Kamehameha Highway, or online at kahukufarms.com. The body wash and hand soap are sold at the Saturday farmers market at Kapiolani Community College.
—Nina Wu
Opt for uniquely designed clothing
If your mom is a clotheshorse who fills her wardrobe with unique designs in natural fibers, head to Nui Mono. Lue Zimmelman, owner of the longtime Moiliili boutique, offers original clothing, accessories, handmade jewelry and gift items from local artisans and designers, plus other popular lines such as Cut Loose and Chalet. Among the local labels is Zimmelman’s Water Lily. This cotton knit top with oversize batik design ($86) is based on a Japanese pattern. The shop is at 2745 S. King St.; call 946-7407 or visit nuimono.hawaii on Facebook.
—Joleen Oshiro
Herbal care items will make her feel grand
On a visit to the Waimea Farmers Market on the Big Island, I fell in love with Island Herbal’s botanical body care products at first scent. Their authentic Hawaiian fragrances and emollients come from tropical fruit, aloe, nut, herb and flower extracts and are free of synthetic ingredients, according to owner Alice Humbert. A little of the thick, whipped Mango Buttercream goes a long way — both the moisture and intensely sweet fragrance last all day ($22 for 4 ounces). If mom prefers something subtler, the Kukui Lotion has the gentle scent of kukui nut oil, which vanquishes dry skin ($22 for 8 ounces). Pineapple Toes foot cream provides an instant pedi-delight ($14 for 4 ounces). Order at islandherbal.com or call 233-8124 by Thursday for delivery by Mother’s Day.
—Mindy Pennybacker