Tag: maui
Road to Hana
Pool Party + Beach Essentials
Sunset Stripes
Blue Floral Frock
How to get Perfect Beach Waves
Chi Silk Infusion | Garnier Shine Spray | Surf Spray | Leave in Conditioner
Even though summer seems to be forever away, who says you can’t rock some tousled beach waves this season? Whether your hair is collarbone length or hip length you can still rock this look. I’ve been receiving lots of questions about the hair products I used when I was in Maui and how I styled my hair. Here are my top tips for achieving beach-ready hair (even if you are just cozying up by the fireplace with some hot chocolate)…
- Prep your hair with the right products – Having the right products to create your beach waves is absolutely essential. Your #1 secret weapon will definitely be Salt Spray, no doubt. My go-to is the Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray which is for ‘beachy, windswept styles’. I have been through almost three bottles of this heavenly product, and it is worth the splurge. I’ve been dying to try Bumble & Bumble’s new Surf Infusion. If you want to try a drugstore alternative, definitely check out Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray. I use salt spray when my hair is both wet and when it is dry by scrunching it into the bottom half of my hair. The other products pictured above include Chi Silk Infusion, Garnier Shine Spray, and It’s a 10 Leave in Conditioner. I have naturally very dry and coarse hair that tends to get mega
frizzyangry. Though Salt Spray creates a nice, beachy texture, it can dry out your hair a little. To help my hair feel soft and manageable, I use some hydrating products to balance everything. Right after getting out of the shower, I apply ‘It’s a 10 Leave in Conditioner’ after towel drying my hair. I then lightly brush through my hair. I avoid applying this product to the roots so that my hair is not greasy or weighed down. After that, I scrunch the Surf Spray into my roots and tips of my hair. Once my hair is dry (hours and hours later..), I will style it. You could also blow dry your hair if you don’t want to wait for it to dry. I recommend blow drying it upside down to get some additional volume. After styling my hair, I will finish it off with Chi Silk Infusion in the bottom half of my hair. I use this product by rubbing it between my hands, and then running through my hair. This keeps the fragile tips of my hair hydrated and healthy. I spray Garnier Shine Spray throughout my entire hair just to tame frizz and create shine. My sister and I have loved this affordable product for years and years. The last product I use is hairspray, and I will use it all over my hair. I actually like to hairspray my hair upside down because I find that adds volume. To touch up later in the day, I will scrunch in some more Surf Spray to refresh the waves! - Style – Even if you don’t have naturally wavy or curly hair, you can totally achieve beach waves with the help of a curling iron. I personally prefer a one inch barrel because it creates nice, loose waves, however, you can definitely use a smaller barrel as well. I find that using a cone shaped wand like this one helps easily create beachy waves. I will wrap each chunk of hair around the barrel instead of clamping my hair. When you use the clamp, your hair tends to look too styled and can leave creases. When I use a curling iron, I will take a strand of hair, wrap it around the curling iron, hold it for a few seconds, and then lightly let the piece of hair go. If you have naturally straight hair, I would suggest splitting your hair into sections and layers, starting with the bottom layer first. Make sure you are curling each piece away from your face to create a more windblown affect. After you finish curling it, flip your hair around to help the curls look a little more natural. If you find your hair looks a little too styled, spray in some more salt spray, and you’re good to go.
- Extend your beach-ready look– Why would you want your new tousled hair to only last one day? Be beach ready in the morning by sleeping in two loose braids or trying out sponge rollers. Sleeping in braids will create nice waves- just comb through your hair with your fingers in the morning to loosen up the waves. If you want to try sponge rollers, I recommend tying your hair up in a high pony with a scrunchy. Then take chunks of hair from the ponytail and roll them up in sponge rollers about half way. In the morning, take the rollers up and hairspray your hair upside down at the roots. Shake it out, scrunch in Salt Spray, and finish off with some shine spray to top it all off. I am also a huge fan of dry shampoo for second (or third.. or fourth) day hair. My all time favorite is Batiste. I love how affordable their dry shampoos are and the variety of shades and scents.
Thanks for checking out my blog!
Best of Maui: Places to Eat & Things to Do
Aloha! We have been visiting Maui for the past eight years, and this gorgeous oasis has easily become my favorite relaxing destination. My family always stays in the Kapalua area, which is such a lovely part of the island. There is something so incredible about Maui from the friendly locals, to the amazing food, to the stunning beaches, mountains, and flora. Maui is a place I know I will be visiting for many, many more years to come. I hope that someday I will get to maybe live on Maui during some point of my life- that would be a dream!
I have received so many emails and questions over the past few years about my favorite places on the island and our favorite things to do there. Here are some of our favorite places to eat & things to do in the Kapalua area:
- Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop (pictured at end) – This is probably my #1 favorite restaurant on the entire island. Leoda’s Lahaina Dog is out of this world. You also have to get one of the famous pies; my personal favorites include the banana cream and the chocolate mac nut.
- Mama’s Fish House – We always go to Mama’s on the way to the airport because it is about an hour from the Kapalua area. It is pricey, but it is probably the best rated restaurant on Maui. The seafood there is incredible, and the atmosphere is hard to beat.
- Pineapple Grill – The Pineapple Grill is an adorable restaurant located on a golf course, making it an awesome ‘photo op’ go-to. If you go, you absolutely have to eat out on the patio. They are constantly changing up their menu, but their desserts are the absolute best. Between the Smores dip, the chocolate brownie in a pan with mint chocolate chip ice-cream, and the Pineapple upside down cake, it’s too hard to pick one favorite!
- Merriman’s – We have been going to Merriman’s for years, and it’s a long-time Miller family favorite. The location is just perfect, offering a great view. The sea food dishes are just phenomenal and they usually have awesome live music. It is also in walking distance of the Montage.
- Plantation House – Plantation is another one of our long time favorites. It is located on the golf course and offers a great selection of sea food dishes and pasta. I opted for some sushi!
- Hula Grill Kaanapali – The ‘Hula Pie’ is a must! It’s huge, so make sure you share!
- Leilani’s on the Beach – My favorite thing about Leilani’s is the delicious sea-food pasta. It has a little bit of everything! Leilani’s also has a really fun, exciting atmosphere with lots of families. Leilani’s is owned by the same people that own Hula Grill, so there is Hula Pie here as well!
- Relax on the beach – This may be a given, but it always tops my list each visit to Maui. There’s nothing I love more than laying out on the beach while reading a good book. It’s so relaxing and is always ‘much needed’ after finals week.
- Take a yoga class – This probably is not for everyone, but as a yoga addict myself, yoga in Maui is the absolute best. I love a morning yoga class while enjoying an amazing view of the beach. I personally like the classes at the Montage, which you can attend even if you are not a guest at the resort!
- Haleakala crater – Totally worth the drive up, especially if you love a good sun rise. Pack warm clothes because it is super, super cold up there. We were not prepared in our shorts and sandals!
- Take a surfing lesson – My dad, sister, and I took surfing lessons during one of our first ventures to Maui. Though we weren’t too stellar at it, we still enjoyed trying it out.
- Whale watching – If you were to ask my mom what her favorite Maui activity is, she would definitely tell you whale watching. Whether you’re on the lookout for whales from the pool/beach or on an actual whale-watching tour, it’s exciting every time you see one of them poking their heads up.
- Take a helicopter tour– This activity is on the pricier side, but let me just tell you, there is no better view of the island. A helicopter tour of Maui is just breath taking.
- Watch the surfers at Ho’okipa Beach Park– The waves here in the winter time are seriously hardcore. It’s too rough to swim in, but it’s entertaining to watch all the talented surfers out there!
- Banyan Tree Park & shopping at Lahaina – Located in the town of Lahaina, the Banyan Tree Park is a must see. It’s also located next to the harbor, which is always a great place to watch the sunset before dinner. I also love the shopping in Lahaina. They have an awesome shark tooth store where I always buy all my shark tooth necklaces. They also have a LUSH store in Lahaina, and the staff there is so friendly and helpful!
- See a Luau– This is such a Maui classic! If you’ve never been to Hawaii before, you absolutely have to go watch a Luau! I love watching the firedancers and all the performers!
- Play golf – If you love to play golf, you have to try out one of the golf courses on the island. They are absolutely gorgeous.
- Zipline tour- There are ziplines located all around the island. They are really fun and offer stunning views. We have enjoyed zipline tours for years now- as kids and as adults.
- Scuba diving/snorkling – There are tons of places around the island to scuba dive and snorkel! You can see some really beautiful fish! Molokini is especially a great place for snorkeling.
- Lavender farm– In our past 8 years or so of visiting Maui, we have never ventured out far enough to see the island Lavender Farm. We decided to check it out this past year (pictured here) and really enjoyed it.
- Family pictures– We absolutely love getting family pictures taken in Maui (shown at bottom). I would recommend wearing white because it looks really nice in any beach photo! It also makes for a great Christmas card.
- Take a hike– There are so many amazing places to hike in Maui! I would definitely recommend taking a guided hiking tour so you won’t get lost or miss any of the incredible things along the way.
Montage resort
Leoda’s is my favorite restaurant on the island!
Lahaina Dog- beef dog topped with Maui pineapple chutney and Poha berry mustard
Chocolate mac nut pie
Aloha nui loa from my ohana to yours!
Printed Paradise
Tie top | Shorts | Mystique sandals
[On Alexandra: Topshop Top (similar) | Shorts (now on sale!) | Sandals]
This week has just flown by. I can’t believe I only have three days left in Maui. One of my favorite things about going somewhere warm for holiday break is being able to break out my favorite bright and fun summer pieces. As much as I love winter clothes, it can be nice to put it away for just a week. Allie and I decided to wear our favorite Carlos shorts to dinner. She paired hers with an off the shoulder top and neutral sandals. I paired mine with a matching co-ord top and jeweled sandals. Printed pieces put me in such a great mood despite the rain we have been having on the island lately!
Hope you all are having a great Friday- the weekend is finally here!
Beach Bliss
Top | Bralette | Eyeshadow (in ‘Stargazer’)
[on Alexandra: Dress | Bralette | Sandals| Necklace]
There is nothing I love more than the beach. Every Christmas, my family heads to Maui for some rest & relaxation. For the past six years or so we have stayed at the Ritz Kapalua, which I absolutely love. This year we decided to do something different and book a room at the Montage. We have been absolutely loving every second of this gorgeous resort so far. My sister and I decided to take a few quick pics near the ocean before enjoying an awesome dinner at Merriman’s– one of our family’s favorite restaurants on the island. I had fun being behind the camera and snapping some pictures of my sister twirling in this Free People dress [also featured here]. She paired the tunic dress with brown lace up sandals and a simple necklace. For dinner, I wore a blue halter blouse paired with some flowy, black shorts. I also added some gold sandals as well. For my makeup, I decided to use my favorite lime green eyeshadow that is super glam and sparkly. I also added some ardell lashes just for something different! To finish it off, I went with Too Faced’s lipstick in the shade ‘Juicy Melons‘. It’s such a fun shade for the beach, and it definitely reminds me of summer time.
Follow me around this week on Maui by following my Snapchat (Mackenzieken) & my Insta (mackenziekmiller). Thank you so, so much for checking out my blog! I hope you all are having a great week!
Scents of Summer
I get asked so frequently about my favorite perfumes and body sprays, so I decided to a make a little list of my favorite ones for the season. In the daytime, I love a tropical body spray. They aren’t as heavy as perfume, but still add a nice fragrance. Bath & Body works makes my all-time favorite body sprays. They have such a huge variety of scents, but their ‘Hawaii’ line that came out a few months ago is amazing. It’s embarrassing, but I have actually been through three full bottles of the Oahu body spray. No joke. What I love most about the Oahu body spray is that it has coconut notes, but isn’t overwhelming at all. It smells like vacation in a bottle. I also love the Maui fragrance from the line as well! With notes of mango and hibiscus, I instantly feel like I am back in Maui! For nights out and special occasions, I love Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioia and Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. Both smell very fresh and beachy, and I love them for summer time! My last favorite scent for summer is Sun by Lush. It doesn’t have the best staying power, I am going to be honest, but I absolutely love the fragrance. It has strong citrus undertones and smells just like oranges. I always throw it in my purse or backpack because it is a solid perfume and is awesome for ‘on-the-go’ use. It’s the perfect mid day pick me up. I love all of the Lush solid perfumes, but this is my favorite for summer!
Let me know your favorite scents for summer! Hope you are having an awesome Wednesday!
