introducing agua de flora

while scouting for effortlessly romantic valentine bouquets the other day, a click led me to agua de flora, a botanical perfumerie tucked away in a charming yellow cottage on maui. it turns out my stroll through paia town during our maui getaway last spring happened on the boutique's opening day, but, unlucky me crossed hana highway a few blocks too soon to say hello to the lovely ladies at wings hawaii before closing time.

although a visit to agua de flora will have to wait until maui beckons again, the shop already woos with descriptions of its artisanal handcrafted fragrance notes which can be worn alone or layered to create a signature scent. the petite roll-ons are au natural with each bottle filled with blends of hydro-distilled petals, plants and resins. the concentrated elixirs require a little alchemy but the old world process retains the healing properties of each plant to enhance the wearer's well being.

additional fragrance poems tempt from the garland collection's in-house line of perfumes . . . especially ocean flowers and its intoxicating mix of mimosa, neroli and tahitian lime. even more intriguing is the possibility to book a private consulation with ashana, the shop's proprietor and scent goddess, to create a custom scent portrait just for you. quite a besotting gift for your dear valentine or maui-bound sweetheart. 

let's have a peek at the exquisitely packaged offerings, shall we?

kama'aina suffering from vog wafting over from kilauea will want to explore the vog away collection which is formulated to ease symptoms and aid breathing.

while the online shop is nicely stocked with many fragrant possibilities from the boutique, not all offerings find their way online so do inquire if you are searching for an elusive scent.

the valentine's salon on friday evening will be a lovely introduction for maui friends with the launch of agua de flora's newest elixirs including a chocolate rose scented delight.

the price tag for smaller potions starts at $23 with custom perfumes topping out at $200.

• where: 161b hana hwy, paia
• shop hours: tue to sat, 11:30a to 7p

p.s. the romantic storefront is also home to the loveliest potted flowers.

sketch artists

tools of the trade * ocean of peace

the arrival of my winter cold meant very little shopping was done on my trip home last month. after a leisurely lunch with friends at uncle's fish market, i mustered up just enough energy for a quick stroll around chinatown and popped by super citizen to peek the shop's eco-friendly goods.

my plan was to nudge the mister over to the super soft organic tees by vers, but, happily, he was immediately drawn to the very cool screenprinted designs all on his own. the newly released tools of the trade tee with its collage of surf necessities was quickly snapped up while the ocean of peace tee was the perfect gift for our dear friends' two-year-old cutie who delighted us with his sweet declarations of "aloha" and "malasada!" during his first trip to hawaii.

lady logger * pen belt

malolo & love tree

the hand drawn designs are from the sketchpad of local artists roxanne chasle and matthew ortiz who produce each organic offering in small editions. the pair founded vers with the intention of crafting wearable art made for everyday, and their detailed depictions of waves and nature (along with the occasional irreverent design) will be a happy find if you also happen to be on the lookout for sustainable style.

prices range from $20 for toddler togs to $35 for grownup tees. although the online shop is not taking orders just yet, you can browse the gallery of designs for your wishlist then shop locally at super citizen in chinatown, drift in kaimuki, and aloha 'aina in waikiki.

take a peek and share your favorite vers!

happy hale*days 2010: budget edition

because in the last minute holiday frenzy, it can be easy to forget that a good gift does not have to make your bank account shudder:

1 - big island peeps will delight in penning notes to friends and 'ohana on sig zane's hilo one greeting cards. ($15/set; shop online or in-store at the hilo boutique)

2 - joie studio's limited edition 2011 exotic calendar is letterpressed with love on bamboo paper. ($20; online only)

3 - spend $15 to gift an organik SMARTdeal and your favorite someone can scoop up $30 worth of eco-friendly style. (purchase online by fri, dec 24th, spend in-store by mar 31st)

4 - charm homesick jetsetters with a vintage hawaiian passport holder made by mu'umu'u heaven. ($12; available at the kailua flagship)

kealopiko x hinu holiday

your favorite kama'aina elf has been busy curating her virtual stacks for the island style gifting guides that will be launching later today, but this lovely new collaboration by kealopiko and hinu jewelry deserves its own separate shoutout.

two of my favorite designers decided to whip up a pupu hinuhinu gift set inspired by the shells found on hawaii's shores. the pupu ala organic scoop tee screenprinted by kealopiko coordinates perfectly with hinu's sterling silver leho necklace. definitely a wishlist keeper if only to help out those clueless sweeties who lack the gifting gene.

the limited edition set is priced at $100 with tees available in sizes small to xxl. enter the code below at checkout and save 10% off your order!

• secret code: hawaii nei

isle style: designs by lo

boutique week seems so long ago but tahiti from green with envi continues to make me swoon with her beautifully photographed shop updates. one of my recent favorites are the upcycled leather clutches handcrafted by kamuela designer laurie edwards who hunts local rummage sales and consignment shops for material to remake into charming leather accessories.

everything from no longer loved leather jackets to discarded upholstery are fair game while the addition of rock-n-roll studs salvaged from cast aside belts transform the bits and pieces into crushworthy carryalls. and, since secondhand discoveries are reworked into new-to-you loveliness, no worries on crossing paths with the dreaded design dopplegänger!

clutches vary in style and color but are all priced at $60.

big island readers can scout designs by lo's recycled leather offerings at green with envi's waimea shop while off island friends are welcome to contact laurie via email to order direct. (fyi: leather earrings and cuffs are also available and priced from $36 and up).

{photo credit: 1+3/tahiti huetter}