Steph's Beauty Faves
Note: These are all Steph’s personal recommendations. If you’ve got an esthie-bestie that you love and trust, continue to love and trust them!
HAIR
For my Brides and Grooms who live on O’ahu or are visiting O’ahu and are need in some touch ups, trims, or consults, here are some of my favorite hair artists. Why do I call them hair artists? Because they perform works of art on hair.
Shantel Kim Hair
Shantel was nicknamed the hair fairy by some of my colleagues and former Bride’s. She’s an artful master at color science, hair extensions, and overall hair transformation. She takes the time to process your hair and is very honest about what can or cannot be done. She has truly mastered the craft of hair color and matching your extensions to that color. You can find Shantel on her Instagram linked here.
Melody Nguyen
Although on temporary hiatus as she recently gave birth to a baby girl, Melody Nguyen (formerly Kobayashi) is another hair specialist that I adore. She’s a stylist at Salon By Yoo. Cla is the owner and has a devout following. Melody was one of Cla’s assistants who is now a stylist. Melody specializes in color, hair cuts, and keratin treatments.
Matthew Ngo
Matthew is a barber at Mojo Barbershop. He is a former Groom of mine. He’s young, talented, and I found out AFTER doing his wedding that he’s the barber for another one of my Groom’s! SMALL WORLD! You can find Matthew on the Mojo Barber Shop page or at his Instagram linked here.
SKIN/ FACE
The Glow Spot
Emily is the owner of The Glow Spot located in Honolulu. I’ve been regularly seeing Emily, monthly, for my personal self care. Emily and her team of estheticians specialize in waxing, facials, lash lifts, acne treatments, and more. The salon is well thought out, maintained, and ultra cute. I always feel better once I step into the Glow Spot space.
Sandie Lashes
Sandie is a micro-business on O’ahu who specializes in waxing, threading, and lash lifts. She works limited hours and days, but if you have the time to plan in advance, I’d recommend checking out Sandie for your brows, lash lifts, and waxing needs. You can check her out on Instagram and make an appointment on her Vagaro page.
BOLD FACE
The team at Bold Face are highly recommended for lash extensions, lash lifts, and powder brows. Some of my industry colleagues regularly see the ladies at Bold Face for their lash extension needs. For anyone looking into semi/permanent make up, the Bold Face can also service lip tints and henna brows.
Under The Skin
Nursethetics Wellness & Beauty, Cara Yim, FNP-C, APRN-Rx
Cara (former Esselle Bride) is a clinically trained and licensed APRN on O’ahu. She provides ultra boutique services for individuals who are looking to introduce toxins into their beauty regimen and/or have a safe chemical peel done, well before their wedding day celebrations. Aside from toxins to help with the skin, if you’re suffering from a tight jaw/ TMJ or need custom teeth whitening, she can assist you here as well! She has created well thought out regimen plans for potential couples to follow, leading up to their special event. This is NOT an overnight process.
SKINCARE PRODUCTS
Below is a listing of some of my favorite skin care products.
Sunscreen - any and all sunscreen! Just wear it everyday! But some of my favorite sunscreens are:
Elta MD - They have sheer/ tinted, clear, and classic white that blends in. This is my everyday sunscreen that I wear when I’m not exposed to a lot of direct sunlight (like when I’m sitting at home in front of my computer for hours at a time). I was introduced to this sunscreen by Tessa at Fred + Kate Events!
Kiehl’s 50 SPF - Something with a little more SPF that’s very lightweight.
Beauty of Joseph 50 PA++ - Another go to sunscreen that I use on my fully make up-less days when I’m out and about. This is also the easiest sunscreen to reapply (in my opinion).
La Roche Posay 100 SPF - For the days I’m roughing it out at Lanikuhonua, Kualoa Ranch, etc, and I’m in full sun.
So for my couples who are planning a pre-wedding beach day, please lather up in sunscreen!
Moisturizer - although Hawaii is humid at times, it can also be very dry. My favorite moisturizers are:
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream - When I’m good about moisturizing, this is my go to.
Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream - It leaves your face looking dewy, so it you don’t like that, skip this.
Skinceuticals Triple Lipid Restore - For my sensitive skin friends!
La Mer Soft Cream - I know, this is ridiculously expensive but it’s the only thing that fixes my dry skin within 1 day. I’ll use La Mer to reset my skin after I’ve gone too many days without moisturizing.
All Natural Skin Care
For anyone looking for a locally made and natural skin care line, I’d highly recommend checking out Tofu Skin Method. Lynn Yee is a hair and make up artist on O’ahu who created this line, inspired by her Grandmother.