By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
My kind of trick-or-treat: The candy bowl at Reneux was filled with a mix of mini Twix and Milky Way bars and other sweets, plus mini samples of Skinceuticals skincare products.

Reneux Med & Dayspa hosted a pre-Halloween open house Oct. 18 to demonstrate the latest tricks for treating your skin to beautifying techniques and products.

There were tours of massage, acupuncture, laser treatment and facial treatment rooms, and the space, above Bamboo Sky, at 401 Kamakee St., is bigger than you’d imagine from the entry.

What was scary was that as soon as I got there, I went under the Skinceuticals skin scope that identifies damage below the surface of the skin, not yet visible to the eye. I did this about a year ago at Sephora, and I thought my skin was OK. I’d been so disciplined about skincare before that, but seeing that result gave me license to slack off … a lot. I stopped wearing a hat, used sunscreen only intermittently, substituted a layer of liquid foundation (that I credit most with protecting my skin since my teen years) for a light dusting of mineral makeup. Those things, combined with the seeming increase in the intensity of the sun added up to one horrifying mess.

Let’s just say this visit was a wakeup call and I’m wearing sunscreen and a big floppy hat more religiously than ever. You can’t stop aging, but a little preventive care goes a long way in delaying the onset of unwanted spots and wrinkles.

The entry to Reneux Med & Dayspa (593-7844), upstairs at 401 Kamakee St., near the Ward Entertainment Center.

Showing the facial room are, from left, esthetician Erin Wong, massage therapist Kathy Lundquist and esthetician Ava Lim.

Skinceuticals products offer some Rx for troubled skin.

Spa neighbor, Tiffany Breeden (right) of Bamboo Sky, with Summer Shiige, who brought a few of their clothing racks upstairs to create a mini boutique.

Tiffany Breeden offered a 10 percent discount on Bamboo Sky clothing for the event. She changed clothes three times while I was there to show designs from the boutique. You couldn’t miss her first ensemble, that included  sequined leggings.

Among items she showed that day were silver sequined mini skirts, black sequined blazers and a sequined hoodie jacket. I added the hoodie to my ever-growing stockpile of sequined clothing. I wanted to buy one anyway when I was in New York but ran out of time. The last thing I’m looking for is a black sequined beret, then I’ll be set for life!

Lena Hanson, left, was offering a drawing for her Lena’s Fab Brows service. She’s pictured with Sheryl Gibo and Alan V. of Salon Blanc.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
Victoria’s Secret Angel Marisa Miller will sign autographs for fans from 4 to 6 p.m. today.

I was at the opening at the Victoria’s Secret store this morning at 8 a.m. for its blessing because it’s my job to be there. What I don’t understand is why, by the time the store actually opened at 9:30 a.m., there were more than 600 people in line waiting to get in. Do they think they’re going to run out of bras? Is it a point of pride to be the very first customer? It’s not like a pop-up shop that’s going to go away overnight. Victoria’s Secret is really here to stay after we’ve patiently and agonizingly waited our turn while they opened more than 1,000 other stores around the world.

The line started at 6:30 a.m. and that’s got to make the company happy. Victoria’s Secret Angel Marisa Miller was there for photographs and interviews, and the City Managing Director Kirk Caldwell was there to welcome the store, and, filling in for our traveling mayor, to place a lei around Miller’s neck with requisite kiss. The opening, he said, is “very good news for Hawaii,” as a bright spot in our economy with such a major retailer demonstrating their confidence and commitment to the state.

If you read the story in the print edition today, you can learn about the opportunity to become the next VS Angel by entering online at VSAllAccess.com and CBS.com.

Star-Bulletin business reporter Nina Wu, in black, interviews the first people in line to get into Victoria’s Secret. The line went around the corner, between Sears and Longs, to the parking lot, and alongside Sears past Jamba Juice. As person after person entered the store, I wondered how many it could contain. (It swallowed up the former Island Snow, TheGap and Disney spaces.) They stopped the line at 500, then started admitting a few people at a time as shoppers exited.

The job is more demanding than you’d imagine, and the Angels have to have more going for them than a super body and pretty face as they also serve as ambassadors and spokesmodels for the brand. You can begin to imagine what that takes when you realize such media dynamos as Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum have served as Angels.

Kelly Boy De Lima, of Kapena, was the second person to make a purchase. Guys are quick, no-nonsense shoppers and he picked up a gift card for his daughter’s 18th birthday.

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By Nadine Kam

Lena Hanson is creating her Fab Brows out of Reneux Med and Dayspa.

OK, I admit it. I have really bad brows. I blame it on my Chinese heritage. My brows are so scragly and sparse that when makeup artists see me coming, the more assertive and easily offended of them will ask, “Can I fix your brows?”

In the days when I cared (a lot of life-or-death matters to the young matter a lot less when you’re older), I’d carefully pencil them in with eye shadow, but mostly I’m to busy to bother and will fill in the bald spots the quickest way possible, with some brown eye shadow.

The girls with the fab brows? I just figure they’re born with it, I wasn’t, and that’s that.

Then, I met Lena Hanson of Lena’s Fab Brows, through Twitter, and after seeing some of her work, OK, I concede that maybe having fab brows requires hard work, or the services of an artist.

You can check her out at a new location, at Reneux Med and Dayspa on the second floor at 401 Kamakee St. (The building is also home to Phuket Thai and Bamboo Sky.) Building parking is $1 an hour or $.50 an hour with validation.

She will be creating her Fab brows, as well as providing waxing and makeup services, with appointments taken at 372-3480.

She is offering a special rate of $18 (off her normal $35 rate for new clients) for new clients’ brows through Aug. 31.

Check out her site at http://www.lenasfabbrows.com

I was trying to look for a picture of Lena, who’s everywhere online, but she’s being shy now.

More of Lena’s work.

By Nadine Kam

Above, Justine Miguel shows the animal print trend. She was a standout in our photo shoot for the University of Hawaii senior fashion show earlier this year.

Here’s a brief video to go along with the Neiman Marcus Fall Fashion Preview that appeared in Thursday’s paper. You can check out the copy here:

Shown during the presentation were designs by Donna Karan, See by Chloe, Robert Rodriguez, up-and-coming Leifsdottir, Stella McCartney, and Elizabeth and James.

I thought the models’ makeup was really beautiful, so chic and glamorous. Women who complained before about fashion being oriented only toward the young will appreciate the new sophistication on the horizon.

By Nadine Kam

A couple of respected names in Hawaii beauty and fashion continue to be hailed in the bigger pond of national media as well:

J Salon has been named as one of ELLE’s Top 100 Salons in America and will be featured in the magazine’s August 2009 issue. J Salon is the only Hawaii salon to make the list, placing Joe Randazzo’s company in league with such renowned salons as Oribe Salon in Miami, Butterfly Studio in New York City, Warren Tricomi in Los Angeles and Maxine in Chicago.

If your hair is in need, book your appointment at 550-4441. The salon is at 1240 Ala Moana Blvd. Find out more at www.jsalon.com.

Where Eva Longoria goes, the paparazzi follow, and last week she just so happened to be wearing a Fighting Eel dress when she headed to Katsuya restaurant in L.A. Photographs of the actress in FE’s fall Tube Iris duly appeared on InStyle.com and People.com, with InStyle calling attention to pairing of the Fighting Eel dress with Louboutin heels, calling it the “Look of the Day” for July 23.

I’ve been living in Fighting Eel over the long hot summer, and plan to pack a bunch of their dresses for NY Fashion Week. I like that they manage to be comfortable, but dressy when occasions demand it, and also manage to pack down to next to nothing. There’s nothing beautiful about sweating and struggling with a suitcase so even before the airlines started charging for extra luggage, I only traveled with one carry-on. Yeah, I pick up stuff on the road, but always ship things home rather than lug them around.

By Nadine Kam

Clarisonic
The Clarisonic and anemone flower that is the not-so-secret-anymore ingredient in Kinerase products.

Stopped by Sephora Ala Moana last night for a quick demo of the Clarisonic, the deep-cleaning sonic-care brush that massages your face as it cleans.

The demo was in conjunction with Kinerase, a powerful protection-oriented brand. The event introduces its new PhotoFacials Sun Damage Reversal System, with a starter kit valued at $143 selling for $100. The secret ingredient in the products is kinetin, an antioxidant derived from the anemone flower, which keeps the petals hydrated.

Brands often partner with Clarisonic, because the deep pore cleaning increases the efficacy of any serum or moisturizer you do use. Removing all the dead cells and dirt allows products to penetrate better.

The event repeats at the Ala Moana store from 1 to 6 p.m. today, and at the Pearlridge Sephora from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Appointment spots may be full, but you can always watch and ask questions.

The first time they were offering demos, I didn’t have time to go through it. This time I tried it on my hand because I didn’t want to take off my makeup. Such a bother to reapply, and I was off to Pecha Kucha at Linekona School, where Bytemarks’ Burt Lum was naming his picks for Hawaii’s Top 20 Social Media Geeks, and I was one of them! Thanks Burt!

My giant face on screen.

I found myself in the company of people I’ve met through work, but also, many people I’ve met strictly through Twitter. I later cornered Burt to ask him the whys of his human, non-database analytics, and he said he was looking for successful personal branding, community profile and active promotion of social media. As part of the old media guard branching into new media, I see that as a responsibility anyway, dragging my MSM peers into this new world order, as well as guiding mainstream readers through this territory.

Here’s his countdown, as borrowed from L.P. “Neenz” Faleafine’s Pono Media Web site. Names are followed by Twitter IDs should you wish to follow along.

20. Burt Lum @bytemarks
19. Judi Clark @judico
18. Ryan Ozawa @hawaii
17. Christa Wittmier @supercw
16. Ian Kitajima @ikitajima
15. Donna Nakasue @champuru
14. Liza Pierce @amauiblog
13. Jared Kuroiwa @KGMB9
12. Dan Leuck @dleuck
11. Greg Yamane @geewhy / Susie Collins @thecanaryreport
10. Todd Cochrane @geeknews
9. Roxanne Darling @roxannedarling
8. Vernon Brown @vbrown
7. Paula Bender @lavagal
6. Mitchell Dwyer @scrivener
5. Melissa Chang @melissa808
4. Nathan Kam @nathankam
3. Nadine Kam @fashiontribe
2. Andy Bumatai @andybumatai
1. L.P. “Neenz” Faleafine @neenz

Congrats all!

I still meet so many people who don’t know anything about Facebook or Twitter beyond the brand names. The best way I can describe it is that it’s like a parallel universe to the mainstream world, where people are meeting, conducting business and creating partnerships and events that pop up in the mainstream.

There are still so many people who tell me they’re afraid of social media because they’re afraid of loss of privacy. Well, guess what? The information you’d probably want to keep most private is already online in public data bases.

For the rest, your habits and goings on, you need only share what you want to share. If you’re attending an event, you can talk about it after the fact if you fear that someone will stalk you while you’re there.

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By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photo
Marietta Siangco scoops moisturizing cream containing macadamia and kukui nut oils into individual use containers for guests to use in creating their custom spa product.

It’s not every day a person can go behind the scenes to see the process of products being made, so I was excited about the Oils of Aloha open house that took place May 15 and 16, where guests watched macadamia nuts go through the expeller press to eventually arrive at the cooking oil produced by the company, or mixed with kukui nut oil to create the company’s patented SOLaleur formula.

Studies of SOLaleur, supported by the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, U.S.D.A., have proven that the formula increases healing of dry, cracked skin, UV-exposed skin, as well as radiation burns caused by chemo-related damage.

With all those benefits, it’s no wonder guests were happy about having the opportunity to create their custom moisturizer by adding essential oil to one of Oils of Aloha’s skin creams, as well as create an exfoliator using macadamia powders.

Oils of aloha photo
Ready for summer: Oils of Aloha’s Kukui Essential AfterSun cream, lotion and oil, individually priced at about $11 to $13 at Longs and ABC stores.

It turns out to be a green process, as the company also uses husks to create the right consistency to go into the presses. The large coconut shell-like pieces that come off the press as the oil is being removed, are the pressed remnants of husks and nuts. These don’t go to waste, but are used as charcoal, as well as pig feed, putting 20 percent more protein into their diets, as well as fiber.

It was hard for some to understand the notion that they could also wash their face with an aromatic kukui-mac nut oil cleanser. In this country, we go through adolescence thinking oily skin is not only unsightly but the source of all acne (it’s mostly hormones), so when we get to the age our skin actually needs oil’s moisture-retention properties, the avoidance mentality continues to kick in.

I’d already been using Shu Uemura cleansing oil (Marilyn Monroe used it, too) when I heard about the Oils of Aloha product, so I encouraged some leery souls to give it a try. It’s not only light, but it smells yummy too!

Owners Dana and Barbara Gray were gracious hosts, also serving a lovely lunch spread that included turkey deep-fried in macadamia nut oil, salmon smoked with macadamia chips, salads dressed in the flavored oils, pastries baked with mac-nut oil, and even a strawberry smoothie that included the oil. Every bite was delicious.

I’d already known Barbara as a food stylist for many years. We met when I was a manager for a commercial photographer. When she was styling food, it looked great, but none of it was edible in the end because it was sitting for hours or stabilized with non-food ingredients. Then there were the imposters, like mashed potatoes stirred with food coloring to represent ice cream. It was always fun to watch her work her studio magic, but on this day, I was glad she switched over to food we could actually eat.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
After the Nordstrom Beauty Trend Show, Gail Shiraishi, left, and Melissa Chang show the gift bags women received for attending.

Nordstrom hosted its first Beauty Trend Event Saturday morning, which had hundreds of women waking up early on the weekend for a live 7:30 a.m. QVC-like introduction to some of the newest beauty products on the market.

The lineup was nowhere as crazy as last year’s grand opening tailgate event, just because seating was limited to the first who paid $15 to attend, but there were still a lot of women in the house, who made their way to the third floor through a gauntlet of cheering Nordstrom employees.

There were a few pieces of clothing by BCBG Max Azria, Laundry by Shelli Segal, Sue Wong, Radio Fiji and Trina Turk shown during the event, but the focus was on the face, with presentations divided into three segments of videos and live information sessions on Beauty Trends, Beauty Secrets and Beauty Values. A show of hands revealed only a few of those in the house had ever attended one of Nordstrom’s beauty events on the mainland.

Midweek style editor Yu Shing Ting is in the chair talking with Jamie O’Banion, president and co-creator of the Organicare line of organic skin care.

There were about a dozen presenters delivering quick, exuberant pitches and giving away various kits and sets that would be available for purchase on the sales floor immediately following the presentations. About 24 brands, from Chanel to Dr. Zein Obagi’s Z.O. Skin Health, were offering gifts with purchase. A lot of the new textures and blendability factor of new products are amazing, making the intro of sheer color to one’s look virtually dummy proof.

Two views of model Connor Lane, at Nordstrom Saturday, and at right, in a Bravo photo from “Project Runway.” I worked with him on a photo shoot for the February-March edition of HI Luxury magazine. You can pick up the magazine on newsstands; the photos go online in April.

Model Connor Lane was tasked with delivering the prizes to the winners, while dressed in clothing from Nordstrom’s men’s department. Those with a sharp eye and good memory might have seen Connor in the Season 4 “Project Runway” (Christian Siriano’s season) episode featuring Tiki Barber and a menswear competition. Connor was dressed by Elisa Jimenez in an ochre velveteen vest with dark-gray pants and brown long-sleeved shirt. The rest of us know Elisa only as the crazy “spit girl,” but Connor said she was fine to work with. It’s just another case of reality TV hyping overemphasizing one strange incident.

Makeup stylist RC Stephens of NARS and Hank Hoffman, National Artistry Trainer for Smashbox Cosmetics, delivered high-energy presentations worthy of their runway ready brands. Hoffman was the last to work the runway, so it was a little harder to get the crowd revved up. I’d say most women were tired, getting hungry and were probably feeling fuzzy minded by then. But their energy quickly returned with his call to check out the Smashbox beauty value kits that were being offered exclusively at Nordstrom: the company’s Smashbox’s Fashion Week Glam Box Pro Kit ($68) and Complexion Kit ($48) of season must-haves. Rushing downstairs, I saw dozens of women with the Glam Boxes in hand, as well as other kits mentioned during the event.

I returned the next day, when it was saner, for a chat with Hank Hoffman about what’s coming up at Smashbox. He’s pictured with Nordstrom’s Heather Olsen.

I shot some video of Hank for some general lessons on applying eyeliner and achieving a smoky eye, made easy with a combination of Smashbox’s gel liner and creaseless shadow. You can go to www.smashbox.com (go to “Get the Look,” then “Videos”) for pro videos of him demonstrating how to achieve different looks, along with step-by-step guides to tools and color products used.

Laila — The Essence of Norway creator Geir Ness gives Jen Yamane a hand massage with his lightly scented hand cream. Where there are hand massages, there’s always a line.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photo
Josie Maran, left, and Soledad Alberti were at Sephora Saturday to introduce Josie’s self-named green cosmetics line.

Model/actress turned eco-entrepreneur Josie Maran visited Sephora Saturday afternoon to talk about her line of eco-conscious cosmetics.

She and makeup artist Soledad Alberti helped perform makeovers on Sephora shoppers, including one prom goer who showed Josie a photo of her green gown and was hoping to get a cosmetic match for her event that night.

The line was a hit with women in search of low-maintenance, natural-looking makeup. And the line’s organic ingredients was a plus, as well as its luxurious feel.When she talked earlier about the line’s biodegradable packaging, I thought it had to do with boxes, but it extends to the metallic-looking compacts as well, which she said is made from corn.

Josie’s next project is a green lifestyle TV program.

There seems to have been a lot of progress made on the green front now that the movement has picked up mainstream momentum over the last two years. People are buying less, too, because they have less money. It’s good that people are thinking about all these things, but contraction is a rough thing on the economy. I feel like we have to go back to a 1970s lifestyle before we can start living in a sustainable way on a human and planetary scale. That’s a long way backward to recovery and right-sizing our relationships with things.

By Nadine Kam

Here’s a look at some of the Fall 2009 barely there makeup looks coming off the New York runways:

Thakoon
Lead artist: Diane Kendal for NARS Cosmetics

Inspired by the 1940’s, reflecting the surrealist images of photographer Lee Miller, combined with ‘80’s rock and roll glam, for a look that’s strong without being too girly. To bring strength to the face, Diane focused on creating smoky eyes and full brows, while downplaying the lips and keeping skin fresh with a light blush for a healthy glow.

3.1 phillip lim
Lead artist: Ayako, International Makeup Director, NARS Cosmetics

Hair and makeup was created to emulate Tao Okamoto’s look, a Japanese model in Phillip Lim’s Fall 2009 collection. Fused together, Phillip wanted the makeup look to mirror Tao’s mod style with a touch of rock ‘n’ roll for a “poetic mod-rock” look. False lashes were placed on the outer half of the bottom lash line and was the central focus of the look. For an exaggerated effect, matte charcoal shadow was used with a wet eyeliner brush to draw lashes beneath, as if to create a shadow effect. The wispy lashes were accompanied by shimmering pink and gold shadows, while the lips were muted with concealer. Matte skin was accented by a gentle sweep of shimmer over cheekbones to catch the light.

Marchesa
Lead artist: Talia Shobrook for NARS

Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig created their Fall 2009 collection with fairytales in mind. To highlight this theme, Shobrook envisioned of a naughty aristocrat running out of a party, “like a young girl going into the woods wearing a gorgeous ball gown, putting on makeup rather naively.” The look features wild brows atop flawless skin. Beneath the brows was a colored lid of matte white, as if applied in a fleeting moment. Soft lips complement perfect skin.

Rodarte
Lead artist: James Kaliardos for M.A.C

I really loved the sisters’ urban warrior collection, with pieces representing a patchwork of leather, tulle, lace and lamé. To go with the look, M.A.C created the stone face look inspired by sculpture, with white around the eyes and paintstick blended into the skin. Lips have a dark brown cream color base, with the addition of white and black to create a stone-gray lip.

Cassandra, left, and model Kelsey Campbell.

Coincidentally, Julie Aragaki hosted a party at Bonsai for her latest project, a magazine called Chromatic Wednesday night, where I spotted model Kelsey Campbell with “the look.” It was created for her by Cassandra, who also does makeup for Janet Jackson, so she has to be on top of trends.

I think non-models would prefer more color though. I often look washed out even WITH makeup!

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Of course, Marc Jacobs had to be different, and enlisted non other than Francois Nars himself to create a neon-glam look with a touch of 1980s Culture Club: