1. They say that presentation is everything.
That’s definitely the case for Blush & Whimsy, a New Mexico startup that markets the prettiest, whimsical, most deliciously scented color-changing lipsticks.
The lipstick is almost too pretty — you’d hate to disturb the (real!) delicate flower in the middle of the tube that’s surrounded by tiny specks of gold.
The see-through lipstick that is supposed to change based on your body’s unique pH and temperature leaves a sheer, barely-there tint, but is one of the most moisturizing lip products I’ve ever used — without the stickiness.
The company doesn’t just make pretty lipsticks to “indulge your inner princess.” It also provides job opportunities for adults with disabilities through a nonprofit that packages their products in fancy little black pull-out boxes that are easily reusable. One tube costs $22 on blushwhimsy.com.
— Kristen Consillio, Star-Advertiser
2. Just in time for holiday travel and flu season, meet the germ-blocking Barrier Method. It’s a soft, lightweight scarf, made of antibacterial polyester with an internal, mesh face mask, held on by adjustable ear loops. Last month, I wore the Slate Pineapple Winged Mask ($75) on a trip to San Francisco.
During the return flight, my seatmate was a stranger whose wet, chesty coughs infused the canned cabin air for 6-1/2 hours straight.
The comfy, breathable scarf reduced my stress as well as exposure to airborne droplets: And I didn’t catch whatever she had! Handmade in Honolulu, the scarf-mask was designed by Danielle Travis, a polo player who kept getting sick traveling to competitions. It also provides sun protection and washes and hangs dry in a snap.
In various styles and colors from $50 at thebarriermethod.com.
— Mindy Pennybacker, Star-Advertiser
3. Those cardboard sleeves designed to protect hands from hot coffee cups have always seemed wasteful. Here’s a cute alternative, a knitted coffee sleeve that can be reused and washed when necessary. It comes in a variety of colors, all bearing a bright coconut-tree applique, and stretches easily to fit around a cup.
Keep it in your car or purse and you can feel virtuous every time you decline a cardboard sleeve at your coffee shop. At other times it could be useful as a finger warmer.
It’s $6.95 at Island Vintage Coffee locations.
— Betty Shimabukuro, Star-Advertiser
4. A woman with psychic abilities flees the media circus that ensues when her ability to “see things” saves the life of a missing child in Arizona — only to become enmeshed in a far more complicated and potentially dangerous situation on the Big Island.
That’s how journalist/psychic Charlotte “Charlie” Cates is living in mystery writer Hester Young’s third book, “The Burning Island” ($26; G.P. Putnam’s Sons, penguinrandomhouse.com). Charlie and her best friend, Rae, go to the Puna District where she has an interview scheduled with a prominent volcanologist. It isn’t long before the visions she’s been having about someone in the area pull her into a missing-persons case that could be lethal.
The story is a delightfully complicated collection of intersecting plotlines that makes the book hard to put down once you get into it. Perhaps it’s because Young is a former Hawaii resident that her descriptions of the Big Island ring true. Her island characters feel authentic too.
“The Burning Island” is the third in a series but no knowledge of the previous books is needed to enjoy it. Available where books are sold.
— John Berger, Star-Advertiser
Please keep in mind that featured products may be in short supply and may not be available at all store locations; prices may vary. The information presented represents the authors’ opinions and experiences; your results may vary. Tell us what you are loving this week by emailing features@staradvertiser.com.
