as we kick off national women's history month, we are so pleased to bring you this week's kai conversation with mazz hanna, one of hollywood's most sought-after nail artists and founder of a namesake beauty brand. nailing hollywood's mazz hanna is a female powerhouse whose innovative and conceptual approach of pairing crystal healing with nail styling is what led her to create the crystal healing manicure™ which is a signature treatment that mazz is known to give her regular celebrity clientele including julia roberts, emma roberts, selma blair and greta gerwig - to name a few. as a certified crystal healer and aromatherapist, mazz creates custom-blended crystal elixirs based on her client's energetic needs. after great demand for these offerings, mazz decided to make these high-vibration skincare products available to everyone, and the mazz hanna brand was born! mazz is not only an exceptionally talented nail artist and certified crystal healer, she is also a long-time kai devotee who truly embodies the kai "breath*life*flow" way of life. we hope you enjoy reading her amazing interview below, and we highly recommend you to check out her beautiful, inspirational feed. lastly, please stay tuned for a very exciting giveaway collaboration with mazz hanna to be announced soon. 

xo,

gaye. 

how are you taking care of yourself and your loved ones during this time? are there certain things that are proving to be sources of motivation/ inspiration? if so, please feel free to share.

the one thing that has been keeping me sane during this time are daily meditations and breathwork. i try my best to meditate each morning and evening, and set reminders for myself to take a few deep breaths throughout the day. i have also been taking a ton of baths. i have a hefty rose quartz collection surrounding my bathtub and drop a few large chunks in whenever i bathe. when i'm feeling extra fancy, i love to use the kai rose body wash to make a gorgeous smelling bubble bath. the most important part of my bath ritual is leaving my phone in the other room. :)

how do you embody kai's "breath*life*flow" lifestyle? 

breath is the most important, yet one of the most overlooked parts of life. breathwork is so incredibly healing. at the height of the pandemic, i was riddled with anxiety. the stress over my deep concern for the health of my loved ones was a lot to deal with. my whole family is on the east coast and not knowing when i was going to be able to safely see them again was breaking my heart. that combined with the fear of how the pandemic was going to impact both of my businesses was almost enough to break me. but then i would remember to breathe. taking a few deep, cleansing breaths helped me reconnect with my body and allowed me to focus on the deep gratitude i had for my life and my health. it truly is the master healer when trying to get through hard situations, which in turn helped me to go with the flow and adopt a more downstream approach to this new life we are all living.

what's the best advice you've ever received? 

someone i respect once told me that if you're not afraid, you're doing something wrong. and that's so true. so many decisions we make in life are based on trying to avoid fear. but i'm convinced that magic is made on the other side of it. 

do you have a mantra you live by?

progress over perfection is my mantra. i'm a capricorn through-and-through which is both a blessing and a curse. following this mantra is the only way i was able to actually launch my business because it gave me the freedom to be decisive. i have learned that nothing will ever be perfect the first time, so even if you are 100% happy with something you will likely want to iterate over time. the faster you can get something up and running, the faster you can gain the real-life experience you need to actually perfect it. 

go-to lipstick color?

matte hot pink! to be specific, MAC Candy Yum Yum has been my signature lip color for years. 

what color nail polish are you wearing right now?

right now i am wearing a pretty rose gold color called Reflection by MiniLuxe - it's from the new Clarity Collection. i love MiniLuxe polish because it's clean, cruelty-free, and comes in the most gorgeous bottle. we actually have a Mazz Hanna signature manicure and pedicure service available at all MiniLuxe studios that use all of the products from my line. it's dreamy. 

who is your role model?

my mother. she is my queen.

what do you love most about where you live? any secret spots you love to go to?

my husband and i recently moved from los angeles to temecula. i'm convinced that it's the best kept secret in california. it's in the middle of wine country and is a literal dream come true after living in the city for my entire adult life. i'm a wine lover so we love to hang out at my favorite local winery called Bottaia. it's only a few minutes from my house and the perfect place to sit outside and enjoy a splash after a long week. there's also an amazing restaurant in town called Small Barn. everything is farm-to-table and they change their menu seasonally so there is always something fresh and exciting to try. it's my absolute favorite place to eat. they make a corn creme brulee with pickled blueberries in the summer that is to die for. i really hope they bring it back this year... i can't stop dreaming about it. 

describe your perfect day.

gently wake up around 6:15 am and cuddle with my cat, a Maine Coone named Ozzy. make an oat milk latte and sit by the fire and read. in the summertime i like to do this outside on my patio. if i get to do those simple things, the day is already perfect. 

favorite date spot?

anywhere my husband is. we've been together for 13 years and i can have fun sitting in an empty room with him. he's my boo. 

ultimate getaway?

the Ace Hotel in palm springs. always and forever. i got married there. i love using the kai *rose body butter as a luxurious after sun hydrating treatment after a long day at the pool. 

how would you describe your personal style? 

bright colors - i love prints and patterns. when i moved to california from nyc i made a vow to never buy a piece of black clothing again! i have stayed true to that for the most part, but every now and then something black slips in. 

favorite food? 

it's a close tie between pizza and sushi. but i also can't resist a good cheesesteak (i'm a philly girl). 

guilty pleasure? 

the real housewives franchise. 

kai obsession? 

i have been a fan of kai for YEARS. literally the only brand that can make the *rose scent smell better than an actual fresh rose. 

morning person or night owl? 

early bird through and through. 

currently craving? 

a triple hug with my mom, dad, and brother. 

what book are you reading currently? 

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. 

what's the most adventurous thing you've done?

started a business! what a wild ride! 

thank you... mazz!