I'm in love with Necoco ネココ

I'M IN LOVE WITH NECOCO. Picked it up when I was in Japan this last April. It's my most-beloved product for my over-processed, heat-styled hair. Disclaimer, I don't have the most luxurious hair by any means, but this part of my beauty regimen keeps my hair soft, silky (but not oily), smooth and nourished. The cute packaging is a bonus- super kawaii! 

If you can read Japanese, learn more on their website. 

Necoco is an organic hair oil that is made in Japan. Besides the benefits to the health of my hair-- this hair oil smells AMAZING. Like perfume. It's floral and refreshing with a hint of amber musk. It makes me feel like a walking flower garden, and gives hair a shiny glow without weighing it down. I use it in damp or dry hair, and very little product goes a long way. One pump of product, rub it in your hands, and work it through starting at the ends of your hair. You will want to smell your hair all day long. :) 

The oil contains essential oils obtained from the petals of damask rose, an evergreen shrub called Argania spinosa (Sapotaceae), olive oil, baobab seed oil, laurel leaves, and sea buckthorn, an ingredient used in Chinese folk medicine. You can snag a bottle of your own Necoco on Amazon now for around $27+....but I've found it hard to source at times. If you're headed to Japan, please pick up an extra bottle for me! 

Shiseido Perfect Whip: BLISS in a facial cleanser

If you know me, you know I love trying out new beauty products. While I love trying new ones, I also have my all-time favorites. These are the go-to products that I make sure are stocked in my bathroom. One of them is this little value-priced luxury: Perfect Whip, an amazing face wash by Shiseido. The thing about this specific product is that I believe that they only sell it in Japan and select parts of Asia (I haven't yet checkedDon Quixote, though). An ex roommate of mine was Korean and had absolutely FLAWLESS skin, she turned me on to it and told me to order it from Amazon (and it only costs around $10). It feels like a luxury product but it's CHEAP! Score. Sold. Perhaps the only downside is that if you don't know Japanese, you won't be able to read the label. Directions are thankfully just like those of other cleansers, though. 

Perfect Whip is a super fluffy, gentle, soft, rich foam that penetrates pores to clean impurities and banish oil. Make sure to really lather it up to make it as fluffy as possible, it feels absolutely DIVINE to use and then rinse with warm water. After just a few uses, your skin is noticeably more soft, hydrated, clean and clear. BIG FAN. It seems to do well on my sensitive skin, and is the perfect daily cleanser in between my deep-cleaning facials at my face, Laka Spa (I recommend a basic Laka Signature Facial every 6 weeks or so for ideal maintenance).

Modeling 101: Advice on Auditions

I am not an expert on this stuff, but I have had some successes in the last couple of years when it comes to nailing auditions and landing jobs. Highlights from my modeling career include doing gigs for Disney Aulani, Macy's, Manuhealii, American Eagle, Phillip Morris International, Hawaii Fashion Month, and the Hawaii Visitor's Bureau, to name a few. Over drinks with my lovely mentor and friend, Kelly Mitchell, a couple weeks back, Kelly told me that people probably want to know what it's like to work as a commercial model, land paid jobs, go through auditions, etc. I never really thought about it-- but it dawned on me that I would have LOVED any kind of advice when I first started doing commercial modeling in 2012. Auditions and casting calls can be scary! Thus, this blog post is happening.

Hawaii Fashion Month Runway Show 2013

The modeling side of my life (a hobby for me and source of extra cash)...it may look glamorous and all glittery and fun and puppies and flying unicorns-- but it really isn't. It's pretty tiring, competitive, takes major persistence and hard work.

I'm going with a list format for this post. People like lists, right? Lulu's audition tips:

1) First, get an agent. You have a LOT more clout with representation and comp cards (AKA composite cards). I love my agency Niche Models and Talent, but there are a handful of other agents in Honolulu that are awesome.

2) Be physically fit and ready at all times. Straight up truth right here-- you have to focus on your physical health and appearance ALL. THE. TIME. You need to make sure your skin is taken care of, your nails are manicured, hair properly groomed, you're getting enough sleep, etc. Many auditions happen last minute. The last casting call I went to, I had less than 12 hours notice. I have even gotten calls from my agent 30 minutes before an audition-- so I am always maintaining. This is something that is both good and tiring. Good, because it makes you very aware of health and your body, what you eat, how you present yourself, etc. The bad part? I get really tired. Sometimes I don't want to eat a salad. Or shave my legs. Or look cute. I want to eat pizza and watch Netflix for 3 days straight. Just sayin.

3) Be OK with rejection. You aren't going to get most of the jobs that you go to casting calls for. It can be frustrating, but don't beat yourself up. You have to just keep trying. There are a ton of beautiful, wonderful, talented people in this world and you are one of them-- but not every campaign is for you. In Hawaii, I usually don't get much local TV work, for example, because they want someone who is "hapa" or more "local" looking. The gigs I land are casting calls for Caucasian women. That's my niche. And there are many different niches. Campaigns call for a range of ages and ethnicities. You don't have to be super model status to get jobs in modeling. I just hung out with a successful model who was a local, 50+, average business man. He lands jobs because there are not a lot of models in that demographic. Be yourself. Be optimistic. Rejection will happen, and that's ok.

4) Dress the part. If you have information about what the shoot is going to be like, show up to the audition dressed for that role. Outdoorsy? Selling Yoga wear? Don the yoga pants and Nikes.

5) Don't be stuck up. Be nice. SMILE. I find that it is the most insecure, unsuccessful models that walk into casting calls all cocky and rude. They don't say hi to the other girls, they look pissed off, they seem like they don't want to be there. Don't be one of those chicks. People will brand you as a prima donna or a diva. People like nice people. Nice people get referred for jobs. Personality comes through in auditions, on camera, and on film. Don't be stuck up. Be nice.

6) Don't ever arrive late, always be early. This one may seem obvious, but seriously, don't be late. Some casting calls are open, some calls give you a specific time to be there. Either way, arrive early. Get comfortable with the environment-- it soothes the nerves to get there early, get a nice parking spot, touch up the chapstick, take some deep breaths, walk in polished and first in line (some calls, the lines can be ridiculously long and you will wait for hours!).

7) Introduce yourself to everyone. Talk to people! Don't do it obnoxiously, but when you are sitting next to a couple nervous models in a reception area, it helps everyone to introduce yourself, ask about people's agents, where they are from, etc. Break the ice. You never know who you will meet, and there's a lot of really friendly people in the "industry." Referrals happen a lot in the local Hawaii market. Models help other models out sometimes. It's camaraderie, and it's fun. Make the most of the casting calls and get to know who else is out there. It's fun to make friends and compare notes! It's a great way to get advice, too. Not only that, but for some casting calls you will be paired with someone and asked to do some kind of "scene." The last one I did, I had a "husband" and we were "on vacation in Hawaii, watching dolphins, with delight." The one thing that made it easier was the "husband" I had to act with had become my friend in the reception area. I knew where he was from, what he did for his day job, we cracked jokes, and he had the same name as my brother, Justin. So Justin and I kicked that auditions' butt.

8) Be adventurous. Example: I am scared of heights. Legit scared. Recent audition? Zip lining. commercial. Go big or go home. Get out of your comfort zone and push your limits!

9) Keep your look consistent. You need to look like the person on your comp card. Don't do dramatic hair coloring, tattoos, piercings, etc. if you do-- you need to redo comp cards and make sure your agent knows that your look has changed.

10) Love your agent. Keep in good communication with your agent, ask for advice, and send them thank you cards when you get paid work. Good relationships with your agent will ensure that you stay on their "radar" and that they think of you when potential work opportunities arise.

11) Finally, it's OK to be nervous. Know that most people in the room with you are nervous too. The more casting calls and auditions you go to, the easier it will be for you to relax. :)

Aloha Sailor Runway Show at Trump, 2013

Your hair will thank you.

I was fortunate enough to receive an awesome Klout perk a couple months ago, a brush. Boring, right? Anything but! Let me tell you, I now keep one of these brushes in three locations: bathroom, purse, car. The brush goes by many names, one of them being the "Tangle Teezer." 

Background: I dye my hair religiously. I flat iron and blow dry more often than I should. I jump in oceans and get salty and dry my hair in the warm Hawaiian sunshine. All this combined means my hair kinda well- sucks a bit. Hair is not happy. Definitely not healthy. I have issues with breakage and tangles. I deep condition all the time to combat the damage I inflict on my golden strands. That being said...

This brush has made a HUGE difference in my hair health and I will never change hair brushes again! My hair easily brushes and detangles, hair breakage is minimal, and overall my hair health is 100% better than it was before I started using this brush. I highly recommend! 

Google it, the brush goes for between $8 and $25 - I got mine off Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=the+tangle+teezer&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=31796005742&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16021810339390471037&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_7i80kdbnnm_b 

No joke, and I'm not being paid for this post, I'm obsessed with this brush. In the past month, I have recruited two people into this new brush club. Now we are all die hard fans. That is all. 

No Drought About It

I pride myself in being a beauty product junkie. You should see my bathroom sink- barely enough space for the new pink lipstick I bought yesterday. 

Good thing I don't have a boyfriend, I don't have bathroom sink space for one. 

Anywho....that being said, I decided that I should share some of my go-to-must-haves, the products that I use and can't live without. Thus, my first fave: LUSH DRY SHAMPOO. Seriously, it changed my life. 

Let's be clear, people, you are not supposed to wash your hair every single day. See, the internet says so. It's bad for your hair! I have totally over-processed hair because I get blonde highlights every couple of months and I also use heat styling tools every day. I jump in the ocean on weekends then lay in the sun with salty hair. When I have fashion shows, my hair gets tortured. The last hair show I modeled in-- hair was fried. Nightmare. I stopped washing my hair every day a couple years back to preserve my hair and maintain it's health and length. I would use baby powder as a dry shampoo. Yes, it's a thing. When I found the Lush Dry Shampoo, the baby powder got kicked to the curb. I use less powder with the Lush product, plus it has a really fresh, citrus smell. I bought the largest-sized bottle I could get, 4.6 ounces for $13.95. Much more pricey than the baby powder, but worth it. I bought my bottle like 6 months ago and still have a ton left. I use it a few times a week, in between washes, and it gives my hair a great texture and volume, while getting rid of oils. It leaves you feeling so fresh, so clean. Ladies, I highly recommend picking up a bottle of this miracle powder.