ISLAND-BOY shop — Local services in Honolulu

I love Andrew’s beautiful shop and selection but the sales associate working today was the biggest vibe killer. We spent a lot of time at Island Boy last trip and bought some really lovely meems jewelry, monogrammed lindquist leather goods, clothing, and accessories over the course of the month we were here. Today I wanted to replace the Jinsoon nail polishes that I got 4 of last time. I had selected colors just by eyeballing them previously and they dried up at home because I didn’t like how they applied, so I didn’t use them after buying. They’re decently pricey about $20 a bottle so I think it’s reasonable to want to test them which I did with two polishes; all the polishes have testers set out for this reason. The selection of Jinsoon had gone from a handful of colors to maybe 30 so being an indecisive person I spent some time looking at them.

For some reason the young white sales lady kept pestering me if I was OK while doing my nails when I made it clear I just wanted to try out a couple of colors, then proceeded to gatekeep the topcoat which I wanted to buy anyway. Like she actually TOOK the topcoat tester away from the display when I said I wanted to try it and insisted she personally apply it to my one pinky nail. Made me feel gross. Have never had a salesperson convince me to walk out without purchasing anything I wanted. My husband also got bad vibes from her like she just wanted us to get out of the shop, even though we made it clear we spent a decent amount of money supporting local artisans here already and wanted to buy more 🤧

I miss the shopping experience of when it was just Andrew plus a super sweet associate who both understood art, curation, and customer service, and they were super encouraging of us trying things on, enjoying the space, and taking time to decide what we want. Today it felt like they were loss prevention following us around adding no value🤦🏻‍♀️ I’m sad because we really loved shopping here and I was looking forward to bringing more goodies home.

Just goes to show that you can spend a lifetime working hard enough to be able to shop at nice places like this and someone from the caucasus mountains will still prance along to trample...

Absolutely adore this boutique—it's a must-stop whenever I'm in O‘ahu. Beautifully curated with an incredible selection of beauty and wellness products, home goods, clothing, stationery, teas, bags—you name it. There's always something new and special to discover.

I originally came across their old location near Fishcake (which, by the way, is also worth a visit), and thought it was charming. But their current space in Kaimukī is even better—more room to wander, soak in the beauty, and really appreciate all the thoughtful details.

What makes this spot stand out is the quality and uniqueness of their inventory—items that are hard to find elsewhere, in stores or online. Think stylish pieces from Rumi Murakami, fun hair clips by Chunks, and chic nail stickers from Jin Soon. They do have an online shop, but trust me, showing up in person is the way to go for the full experience.

And let’s talk flowers—they create the most stunning floral arrangements and leis I’ve seen. The pricing reflects the craftsmanship and design, and in my opinion, it’s absolutely worth it. If you're lucky enough to live on the island, they even offer lei-making and floral arrangement workshops at the beautiful Ossipoff properties. I haven’t been able to line up my schedule to attend yet, but it’s high on my list for next time.

The owner, Andrew, is super kind and welcoming. I may have gotten a bit overexcited with their butterfly hair clips—started trying them on before checking out—and he didn’t mind one bit. We’ve also chatted via Instagram about leis, and they’re always responsive and helpful. Just a heads up—during busy times, they book up fast, so be sure to order ahead. But if you’re lucky, they sometimes have extra leis available. Definitely follow them on Instagram to stay updated!

Can’t say it enough—I love, love,...

I was coming to HNL for two big family events. My mom’s 90th birthday and my auntie and uncle’s 60th wedding anniversary. I saw Island Boy on Insta and took a risk preordering the leis for my mother. My brother and I took a ride to Kaimuki to their store. Super cute store with all kinds of local gifts and crafts. Also I saw that they had forever leis that were so nice. I got one for auntie and one for uncle. They wore them out for their special dinner. The man’s lei was really handsome and unique. The day came for the 90th birthday and I presented the leis to my mom. TBH my mother doesn’t like much and she loved the leis- again because they were so fresh and unusual. Island Boy for all your lei needs or if you need a gift for a friend- you...