Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach gets a lot of crap for being tourist central.  However, we think that it is a great beach for snorkeling.  If you're there during peak tourist season I imagine it can be pretty annoying, but if you are comfortable snorkeling, I'm sure you can go far enough out to avoid the mass of the tourists (which isn't really very far.)  We found lots of interesting creatures not too far from shore.  My biggest tip when it comes to Waikiki, which I will probably say a lot on here, is to park at Kapiolani Park.  It is free and within walking distance of most things you want to do in Waikiki.  When we went snorkeling at Waikiki beach we literally walked across the street from Kapiolani Park and snorkeled there.  Perfect.

Cool fish I hadn't encountered before

I'm not sure what this is...

Can you see the fish in this picture?

How about now?  It's a flounder!

Essie Grow Stronger Base Coat

I love Essie's Grow Stronger base coat.  I bought it because I was having some issues with peeling nails, and it has completely solved my problem!  I am a big fan of Essie products in general, and so this was the first brand I turned to when I was looking for a strengthening/nourishing base coat.  It goes on clear and shiny, and dries reasonably fast.  If you paint your nails a lot and they need a little attention, try this product!

VS Pro Airbrush FX Illuminating Primer

I received a sample of VS Pro Airbrush FX Illuminating Primer with a purchase I made in store.  I wasn't exactly blown away by it, but I think it works well enough as a primer and does add an oh-so-subtle illumination to my face.  I'm definitely going to use this product, but it isn't something I would go out and buy. 

Waimea Valley

Waimea Valley is a fun but somewhat overpriced spot.  You can see their website here: http://waimeavalley.net/  Waimea Valley is a large botanical garden that you can walk through up to the top where there is a waterfall and large pool that you can swim in.  Don't be fooled by the name, botanical gardens doesn't mean large beautiful gardens, it means collections of plants from different parts of the world.  The walk is pretty short, but there are lots of side paths you can take through the greenery.  Once you get up to the waterfall, they have life jackets you can borrow or various floaty toys you can pay for to rent.  We did have lots of fun there, but there are so many hikes to waterfalls on the island that are free, it seems silly to pay $10 (resident, or $15 everyone else) to do the same thing.  Also, it's hard to swim in freshwater when you're used to swimming in the ocean.  I borrowed one of the life jackets because I thought I would probably drown without one.  Haha.

Aloha Stadium Swap Meet

The Aloha Stadium Swap Meet is held every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8am to 3pm.  It costs $1 per person to get in, kids 11 and under are free.  My opinion on the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet?  Skip it.  I know it comes highly recommended by lots of people, but I prefer the International Marketplace.  Aloha Stadium is just too big, and there are so many vendors selling the exact same stuff (almost all of which can be found at the International Marketplace).  You have to walk all the way around the stadium in a really big circle.  Plus it costs money, not a lot, but when you can go somewhere better for free, it seems silly to pay.  Blake bought me this pearl ring (which I had first seen at International Marketplace) from Aloha Stadium for Valentine's Day.  I love it so much!

April Ipsy Glam Bag

April's Glam Bag was lots of fun! The theme was 'Pretty in Pink' and I am a big fan of pink, so I really enjoyed this bag.  One new thing they did this month is that all of the items had variations, instead of just one or two.  I got all of the variations I wanted except for one, so I'd say that's pretty awesome!

The bag itself was a little boring, but it is very well-made and seems durable.  Of course, it's white, so I don't expect it to look good for very long.

 The first item was a full-size Be A Bombshell blush in the color Sweet Cheeks.  They sent out this color and another one called Beach Please which is a super bright pink.  I'm glad I got this one.  As I've said before, I'm not way into blush, but this is a soft enough color that I will be able to get plenty of use out of it.

The next item is a deluxe sample of Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal.  It says it can be used in wet hair to help it dry faster as well as on dry hair to reduce frizz.  I'm not sure if it's really helping yet, but I could use some products for healthier hair, so I'll be continuing to try this one out.

There were two different brands of eyeshadow sent out, one was this full-size eyeshadow duo by Two Cosmetics and the other was an almost full-size shimmer powder by Mica Beauty.  I was hoping for the Mica one, but I got the Two Cosmetics duo instead.  However, after using it a few times I do actually like it.  It's soft enough pink that it doesn't look strange, so it looks like a neutral but with a twist.

 

The last item is a full-size Sation Nail Lacquer.  This was sent out in two colors, the pink one that I received and then a peachy one.  I am glad I got this one!  It is a bit more sheer than I like, but it is a nice neutral pink.  I actually got lots of compliments on this color when I wore it for a few days.  It doesn't seem to chip easily and looks semi-opaque in 3 coats.  This will be a nice color for when I don't want my nails to stand out as much, as it is somewhat close to my skin color, just pinker.

This bag was an amazing steal for $10!  If you want one too, Ipsy has now started a referral program, so please use my link to sign up: Ipsy.