Everybody's favorite feline will be the face of MAC makeup's new line, launching this month. Available online starting Feb. 10 and in stores nationwide Feb. 12, this super-kawaii collection is far from the cupcake-flavored glitter gunk that your little nieces decorate their faces with.

MAC Hello Kitty will include two collections: the Hello Kitty Colour Collection and the higher-end Hello Kitty Kouture line. The colors are mostly Hello Kitty's signature pinks and magentas, with shades of blue thrown in.

The Colour Collection will include lip conditioners in two shades and two eyeshadow quads among the usual lipsticks and nail lacquers. The Kitty Kouture Collection will include Dazzleglass — lip gloss that is glitter infused; at $28, it comes with a silver chain and pendant with Hello Kitty outlined in white Swarovski crystals and a pink crystal bow. The Sheer Mystery Powder compact is also a crystal- encrusted sheer powder ($90).

MAC designed the collection to be more modern, edgy and punky than in the classic Hello Kitty mold, but it's still cute. These products are limited-edition, available for eight weeks only, and the waiting list launched Jan. 7. So before you have to say good bye to Miss MAC Kitty, make sure you get to say "Hello!" first!

— Patricia Chang

SALES & BARGAINS

• With all this talk about our government providing an economic stimulus to this country, isn't it time you gave your face a boost too? A best-seller, with more than 1,000 rose petals (so they say) used to create the rose oil in each jar, Korres' 24-hour Wild Rose Moisturizer just might be the thing to do the trick. Free of parabens, petroleum-based chemicals and silicon, the creamy and not at all greasy texture feels soothing and smooth. And at $32, it's a luxury you can afford to give yourself, even in this dwindling economy, without feeling guilty. Nordstrom, Ala Moana Center; 953-6100, www.nordstrom.com.
• There's still a chill in the air, but spring promises to be on its way. Add a little or a lot of color with a silky rayon scarf for just $12.50 at Old Navy. Can't decide on the color or print? Scoop up two or three and you'll be far from breaking the bank. Just because things are cheap doesn't mean they're bargains, but we've found some cute accents at Old Navy, including cotton slung bags in cute prints, perfect for the farmers market, beach or school, at under $20. Old Navy, Ala Moana Center, 951-9938; Waikele Center, 677-0019; www.oldnavy.com.
• Maybe we're on an eco-kick, but why pollute when you don't have too? Make up for all those extra trips to the grocery store in your nonelectric car by tossing out aerosol; grab Kiss My Face shave cream in a convenient pump bottle. We were skeptical at first, but the velvety smooth lotion coated our skin, saving it from unnecessary irritation while moisturizing too. Sans sickly sweet smells! Available at most drug stores for less than $10.
• Move over winter, let spring shine in. Stick to neutrals and pastel shades in aqua, coral and mint, keeping your in-between-season's look subtle. With new merch arriving at stores, we will be watching our favorite pieces closely to snatch them up when they go on sale. In the meantime, pick up something new and pretty at J. Crew on the Island. Blooms abound on the ground and in fashion, with rosette hair clips fashioned out of lovely silk satin in shades of yellow and pink. Dazzle your 'do for just $19.50. J. Crew on the Island, Ala Moana Center; 949-5252, www.jcrew.com.
— Pualana Lemelle

EATS

MENCHIES FOR MUNCHIES

The craving for something sweet, chocolatey or tangy can sometimes get the best of us by adding unnecessary calories to our day. Luckily, there's Menchies, a do-it-yourself low-cal, fat-free yogurt stop and cure for the munchies. Ask 22-year-old co-owners Kelly Hiraki and Erica Miyabara; these two young entrepreneurs saw the potential in the California-based franchise and brought it to Ward Centre. Prices start at 43 cents per ounce. Menchies, Ward Warehouse, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 592-9292, www.menchies.com.

— Lacy Matsumoto

LIBATIONS

SWITCH IT UP

Gotta love your bartender: T-Pain said so, and his hit single, "Bartender," stayed on the Top 40 list for months. At Switch, the weekly Monday event at the VLounge, you might fall for the bar service: beverages are being served by some of Hawai'i's hottest promoters, like Flash from Flash & Matty Boy Presents or Russ Inouye from the Vertical Junkies, switching it up for Honolulu's patrons. With weekly guest bartenders from the nightlife industry, expect stiff drinks and a packed bar. Switch, 9 p.m.-4 a.m. Mondays, VLounge, 1344 Kona St., no cover; www.verticaljunkies.com.

— L.M.

MAG ON THE STREET

Street culture is a progressive combination of everything urban, including street art (also known as graffiti), music and fashion. Locally produced Contrast Magazine combines features on street culture and extreme sports such as skateboarding and surfing, creating a magazine that puts what's hot in the lifestyles of the MTV generation in perspective.

"We really wanted to highlight what's going on in the urban scene in Hawai'i, and bring attention to it worldwide," says co-founder Zen Yoshifuku. The magazine, distributed in New York, Japan and Hawai'i, just hit the shelves this month. Find Contrast Magazine at In4mation, Ward Warehouse, 597-1447; or visit www.contrastmagazine.com.

— Lacy Matsumoto

HE, HE, HE

Away from the art foot traffic of Chinatown or the Academy of Arts, Mat Kubo explores identity through a series of self-portraits in his exhibit at the Hawaii Pacific University Art Gallery in Kane'ohe. Kubo uses stenciling to create images of himself, appropriated from snapshots of years past and cut in plywood. The images work best in multiples: his clean, graphic style and repetition of shape and material create a line of mini-Mats along the gallery wall. With the tongue-in-cheek exhibit title "Vanity," we too are let in on the joke.

The HPU Art Gallery is showing "Vanity," along with a group of compelling and carefully-executed drawings by Mark Fujishige, through March 6; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, www.hpu.edu.

— Courtney Biggs

LIBATIONS

SWITCH IT UP

Gotta love your bartender:
T-Pain said so, and his hit single, "Bartender," stayed on the Top 40 list for months. At Switch, the weekly Monday event at the VLounge, you might fall for the bar service: beverages are being served by some of Hawai'i's hottest promoters, like Flash from Flash & Matty Boy Presents or Russ Inouye from the Vertical Junkies, switching it up for Honolulu's patrons. With weekly guest bartenders from the nightlife industry, expect stiff drinks and a packed bar. Switch, 9 p.m.-4 a.m. Mondays, VLounge, 1344 Kona St., no cover; www.verticaljunkies.com.
— L.M.

HE, HE, HE

Away from the art foot traffic of Chinatown or the Academy of Arts, Mat Kubo explores identity through a series of self-portraits in his exhibit at the Hawaii Pacific University Art Gallery in Kane'ohe. Kubo uses stenciling to create images of himself, appropriated from snapshots of years past and cut in plywood. The images work best in multiples: his clean, graphic style and repetition of shape and material create a line of mini-Mats along the gallery wall. With the tongue-in-cheek exhibit title "Vanity," we too are let in on the joke.

The HPU Art Gallery is showing "Vanity," along with a group of compelling and carefully-executed drawings by Mark Fujishige, through March 6; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, www.hpu.edu.

— Courtney Biggs

WHAT'S ON YOUR IPOD?

Russ Inouye, Vertical Junkies promoter

1. "Bro Hymn," Pennywise

2. "Forgot About Dre," Eminem and Dr. Dre

3. "Badfish," Sublime

4. "Somewhere over the Rainbow," Israel Kama-kawiwo'ole

5. "Shout to the Lord," Darlene Zschech