Blog

Moving from conspicuous to conscious consumption and doing reviews along the way.  Find plenty of unsponsored reviews of Quince, Everlane, Grana, and Cuyana on the site!  I'm working towards a minimal waste lifestyle, and oh yea I love bags >.<

Viori Shampoo and Conditioner Bar Review

As I noted above, I was paid a small amount to write this review of Viori Shampoo and Conditioner bars. I so very rarely get paid to do this work so I want to say a special thank you to Chase and the folks at Viori who recognize my efforts and paid me for my time. That being said, I will try to be as unbiased as possible when writing this review. But lucky for me, these shampoo and conditioner bars are pretty good!

Read More

Quince Packing Cubes Review

I’m easing back into the review-train with a quick review of one thing that I really loved during my RV trip: Quince’s packing cubes. I’ve heard people raving about packing cubes before, but I never really got the hype because I tried some flimsy nylon ones from Muji and never really liked them. Yes, I use them for storing things but I never packed with them. But I was willing to try Quince’s version because I knew I’d be doing some traveling (mostly via RV) this year. And wow, have they made a difference!

Read More

August 2023 Recap

Whew had it already been a month since my last blog post? TBH I’ve missed writing! And thank you to everyone who left me a note to keep on blogging (and not go on substack since it clogs up email—which I agree with). Call blogging old fashioned, I don’t care lol. Anyway since my last post, we’ve done a two week RV trip in our Airstream trailer, I’ve purchased waaaaaay too many bags, and the home renovations marches on.

Read More

Kinfield Review

Since I’m always on the search for a good reef-safe sunscreen (because that’s important!), when the nice folks at kinfield asked if I wanted try out some of their products for review, I jumped on the chance to try their products.

Read More

Nutrafol Review: Women's Balance

I’ve mentioned it in the past here on the blog but I am unfortunately suffering from thinning hair. And this isn’t just some postpartum hair loss since I had my baby four years ago 😆. No, I’m pretty sure this is a genetic predicament considering my grandmother on my father’s side, my father, and my mother all had/have thinning hair. I try not to be too self-conscious about it because this is just my lot in life and how I was made (or rather how my scalp was made). But that doesn’t mean I won’t try to fight the good fight of the receding hair line.

Read More

Loewe Review: The Mini Flamenco Clutch Bag {Updated May 2024}

I’ve always admired Loewe’s Flamenco bag, with its soft structure and two knots on the sides, ever since I saw it on another woman. However, I never thought to purchase it myself until I saw it in the Loewe store at Ala Moana (Hawaii) when I was home for the holidays. As soon as I tried on the mini Flamenco, I knew it was the bag for me because it was everything I had wanted the MG Protea bag to be (and if you remember my Mansur Gavriel Protea review, I was horribly disappointed at how flimsy it was). The Loewe Flamenco has none of the flimsiness, and that’s probably due to the thick and luscious leather.

Read More

May 2023 Recap

We celebrated a chill but rewarding Mother’s Day at the gardens at the park near my house. They were having a plant sale that day I bought some sunflowers for my yard! This year my garden is looking particularly lush and I enjoy adding even more flowers to it this year.

Read More

Zestigreens vs. Hamama Greens Microgreens Growing Kit Review

I started growing my own microgreens at the beginning of this year and it’s been one of the healthiest addition to my diet in ages! I love harvesting them each morning and sprinkling them on top of my avocado toast for an extra boost of vitamins as well as flavor. Since I have two kits, one from Zestigreens and another from Hamama Greens, I thought I would do a little review comparing the two since they’re slightly different.

Read More

Yes Friends Review: The T-shirts

It’s been awhile since I purchased t-shirts, thanks to buying so many Everlane shirts 5 years ago. However, many of those shirts have worn out or have become too small. So I had been on the hunt for a good classic tee when I found Yes Friends on a list of ethical brands.

Read More

Linjer Jewelry Review

Though I haven’t done a Linjer review in the past, I’ve always admired their thoughtfully designed products (but mostly their bags). I mentioned them in my Hermes Bolide review and I guess that got their attention because they asked me if I wanted to try some of their jewelry items (it looks like their phasing out of the bag market for now). After taking a look at their wide selection of ethical jewelry, I decided to try their mother of pearl Margit ring and their gold tennis bracelet.

Read More

April 2023 Recap

Going back to a monthly recap because it’s just easier that way. Anyway April was a super fun month for us with a great RV trip and some sunny weather!

Read More

Merry People Bobbi Rain Boot Review

Back in January, after the first couple of atmospheric rivers in California, I decided to finally look for some rain boots. About ten years ago I had the Hunter rain boots when they were all the rage, but I never wore them much because they were quite heavy and clunky to wear. I eventually sold them and have never looked at rain boots again thanks to years of drought in California. But this year, I got fed up with wet shoes and purchased a pair of Merry People Bobbi Rain Boots. And I’m so glad I did because I was able to use them for the ten other atmospheric rivers that came after.

Read More

Celine Tabou Bag Review {May 2024 Update}

Back in December when I didn’t buy the Celine Triomphe bag at the Celine store in Hawaii (because it was $4000!!) I decided to instead go with a secondhand Celine bag purchase from my favorite luxury reseller Fashionphile. I originally got both the Celine Teen Box and this Celine Tabou Bag (the price of them together was still several hundred less than the new Triomphe), but returned the Box because it was too small and already showing some creased and cracking leather. And even though I was a bit unsure of keeping a purple bag, I’m so glad that I did because it has fast become a favorite!

Read More