5 Things We Love is a shortlist of newly discovered stuff you have got to see, hear, wear, use or eat. What are you loving this week? Send a brief description of your latest favorite thing, where to find it and how much it costs, along with your name and contact info to features@staradvertiser.com.
Soap shines light on shark finning
I love it when products support a cause. Starting Wednesday, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics will offer a limited-edition Shark Fin Soap to raise awareness of the threat to shark species due to the practice of finning. The pungent soaps are made from vegan, cruelty-free ingredients including skin-softening seaweed, sea salt, lime and lavender. The wavy-shaped soaps, complete with a cheeky paper “shark fin” on top, are $5.95 at LUSH stores at Ala Moana Center and in Lahaina until Aug. 16, with 100 percent of sales going to the United Conservationists’ FinFree movement. Customers can sign petitions seeking a ban on the shark fin trade at www.fin-free.com and use the hashtag #FinFree for conversations on social media.
The promotion is in partnership with Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, which starts Aug. 10. The annual TV programming sheds light on the important role the predators play in maintaining a healthy ocean. — Nina Wu
Tone your body with exercise bands
Sleek-Tone Resistance Loop Bands, with varying resistance, provide a good whole-body workout and are suitable for physical therapy and injury rehab. The bands come in a set of three with illustrations of seven different exercises that work the abdominals, arms, shoulders, back and legs. The set is $19.95 at amazon.com — a good deal since I paid $39.95 a few months ago. — Nancy Arcayna
Australian aristocrat shines as sleuth
She’s got investigative skills on par with Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, and the sexual appetite and penchant for danger of James Bond. She’s the Honourable Phryne Fisher, the titular character of my new television obsession, “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.” The fun Australian series is a crime procedural set in 1920s Melbourne that is elevated by amazing costume design. Every episode features Phryne (Essie Davis) in some of the most beautiful and often sexy ensembles one could ever imagine on a fashionable flapper.
Phryne is a socially liberal aristocrat who, with the help of her staff, passes her days as a private detective, which often puts her at odds as well as in cooperation with Detective Inspector John “Jack” Robinson (Nathan Page). The sexual tension between the two is deliciously palpable in nearly every scene they share.
The first season of 13 one-hour episodes is streaming on Netflix; find seasons one and two on Acorn TV, which is like Netflix but British-centric. — Stefanie Nakasone
Erase embarrassing deodorant marks
How many times have you reached your destination, looked down and noticed those white deodorant streaks on your clothes? Dabbing at it with a wet cloth may get rid of the marks, but then you have a wet spot. A friend told me she uses the foam rubber on hangers from the dry cleaner. She said it totally works. If you’re like me and don’t dry-clean that often, In My Closet in Pearlridge and Kahala Mall sells the Miss Oops deodorant-removing sponge for $7.95, or $11.95 for a two-pack. As the packaging says, it “removes deodorant marks, powder and other ‘Oops.’” — Michelle Ramos
Jack White’s vinyl LP full of features
It’s been a while since I bought a vinyl record, and when I did, it was used. I decided to get back into buying vinyls after hearing about Jack White’s “Lazaretto,” which he calls an “Ultra LP.” It has strange features only vinyl can produce, including alternate intros (depending where the needle drops), hidden tracks, a hand-etched hologram that moves as the record spins, and more. Oh, and it plays music, too — good music. Even better, it comes with a digital download. Jack White: doing new things with old media. The Ultra LP costs $20 on thirdmanstore.com. — Joe Guinto
