Life is Sweet

Honestly, I really wanted to like their macarons, but it just did not cut out for me. The overall texture was hard and it tasted old. I usually love all sweets, but this was too sweet! Like an overdose of sugar overload kind of thing. We even tried majority of the flavors since we spent $ 24. ($ 2 each) but I couldn’t even pick a favorite. I’d rather have some at La Tour in Pearl Highlands. In my opinion, they’re much more fluffier and you can taste the difference of flavors.

First time I ordered macaroons they were stale. They were so hard you could chip your tooth. Said I would NEVER go back.
Then I was here on the 7^th for our anniversary and gave it a try again! FAIL, stale mini cupcakes! I ordered one haupia, lilikoi and coconut and they were horrible. The frosting was really hard and greasy. Left a terrible coating in your mouth, yuck! Never will not waste $$ here again.

First off, I love Cake Works. They always have the most amazingly gorgeous and tasty cakes. Their macarons are just as gorgeous and tasty!
I wasn’t a huge fan of macarons when the ‘macaron craze’ started. I found them too sweet or too tasteless (other than the overwhelming taste of pure sugar).
After trying these at Kawaii-​kon one year, I was converted. Their macarons have just the right ratio of crispy shell to soft chewy insides. The cream filling has wonderful flavor and usually has just the right amount.
I’ve had these since, on multiple occasions at different events, and always enjoy every bite. Salted caramel is one of my favorites and the one I always recommend, though all their flavors are yummy!
They are a but pricey, but macarons are a bit labor intensive so I can overlook that for a few bites of deliciousness. :)

My favorite place on the island for cupcakes. I’ve been to several of the cupcake places on island and these are by far my favorite, (even beating out those that have been on cupcake wars!) They are a small kiosk at the NEX but Cake Works is their mother store. I love every flavor I’ve tried, which is most! My kids love these and ask for them every time we go, and I can’t say no :) I’ve repeatedly asked that my next birthday cake come from here, in Strawberry Guava

Yum!
Been here several times. Hard to resist when I’m in the upper level of the NEX.
They have gluten-​free options. I love the macaroons!
Glad to see they have a check-​in deal as well.

After visiting Pearl Harbor and just before getting on a 9-​hour plane ride back to Chicago, the 3 of us got a massive sugar craving. After much wild goose chases through Unilocal,we finally got to a place that said they have cupcakes etc. We ended up at the CostCo equivalent of the military’s grocery store and couldn’t enter. Quite desperate, and very late for the airport, we ran upstairs in the mall. Finally located this kiosk that had some macarons and mini cupcakes. Very expensive but at least worth the craving. Macarons were okay but the mini cupcakes were decent.

Being that I don’t ever go to the NEX, I had no idea Cake Works had a kiosk there.
Craving for something sweet I decided to give it a shot.
It took me a while to decide on flavors, being that most trays were empty.
I eventually purchased 8 mini cupcakes and sat down on a nearby table.
I then noticed that the cupcakes were frozen.
After eating the guava cupcake, I walked past the kiosk again and saw the associate had taken out more flavors.
I was a bit upset, being that the two associates working at the time kept trying to convince me to get more, yet failed to inform me they had more flavors in the near by freezer.
I think I may just need to make the drive to town next time I’m craving some cake works.

Cute little kiosk on the second floor of the navy exchange. Me & my boyfriend were hesitant about trying them but I’m glad we did. The macaroons were by no means the best thing ever, but they were alright. Probably won’t buy from them again just because we know of better macaroons. The macaroons do taste like what they are labeled. We had the Oreo cookies and cream and the mango lime. They were both good, cookies and cream being the best out of the two. The people that work there were chatting it up between each other that I don’t think they noticed us at first but they were very sweet & kind and helped out with any questions we had. They also serve mini cupcakes ! Maybe we’ll try that next time but no promises :)
They are a bit on the pricy side and really wish they had bundle prices to pick from, like by x macaroons for y dollars.

This is a tasty little place right at the NEX. They are really famous for their little treats– the macaroons which are all done by Cakeworks (located in Honolulu). The macaroons are pretty yummy and they have a lot of variety from fruity to very chocolatey to coffee flavor. Our only problem is that they are ridiculously priced, they do not have a bundle deal as in get x amount for x amount. Each macaroon is $ 1.85, the Cakeworks in town has it a few cents more expensive. If it was just a little cheaper it would be so much better, but I guess they gotta pay the bills one macaroon at a time.

In order to give a decent review, I had to go ahead and buy one of every flavor of Macaroons and Cupcakes. Take note, I did not eat all of them as I needed the help of my husband.
The macaroons were very delightful!

Cakework products. They have macaroons, small cakes, mini cupcakes, marshmallows, and cookies. I appreciate that they have gluten free mini cupcakes. I thought the cupcakes were fine for a sweet fix but are not the best cookies out there.

Life is SWEET!
It really is…
Especially when you toss in a cute clerk, awesome selection of SWEETS, and that FAB FIVE for $ 5!
The FAB FIVE… Basically you can choose ANY FIVE desserts displayed in the showcase, and trust me, you’ll have many choices to choose from!
My last FAB FIVE for $ 5, I had…
1. Nutter Butter Cookie!
2. Coconut Dark Chocolate-​Dip Macaroon!
3. Lilikoi Bar!
4. Blueberry Scone!
5. Raspberry Scone!
All were freshly made and delicious! Not overly SWEET, but SWEET enough and satisfied my SWEET tooth! I probably loved the Nutter Butter the most, and of course, that’s the one the cutie clerk chose for me!
I usually leave one choice to someone else in situations like this…
No disappointment she was spot-​on!
Life is SWEET is a branch of CAKEWORKS in Honolulu! I was introduced to Life is SWEET at the Kaka’ako Farmers Market.
Ironically, I’ve never been to the actual stores of Life is SWEET at the Navy Exchange or CAKEWORKS in downtown, but instead have experienced via the Kaka’ako Farmers Market (LiS) and the Honolulu Festival (CW).
The SWEETS and goodies they offer are AWESOME! The Cupcakes and Macarons are BOMB (sampled at the Honolulu Festival) too! The staff that I have met are not only nice & easy-​on-​the-​eyes, but knowledgable, hard-​working, and of course… SWEET!
I definitely recommend…
Life is SWEET!
It’s a great spot to satisfy that SWEET tooth! Go with the FAB FIVE for $ 5 deal! You won’t be disappointed! TRUST!
BIG KAHUNA TIP:
Free mini-​cupcake with any purchase after Unilocal check-​in! FYI them first! SWEETNESS!
OVERALL GRADE: 4.4-STARS!
LIVE ALOHA…
Unilocal REVIEW #315

Located in NEX food court (2^nd level) which means YOU DONT NEED A MILITARY ID TO PURCHASE, I personally feel its a convenient place to get your sugar fix if you live around the area. Theres lots of parking but be sure to avoid the area on the 1^st and the 15 of the month because its usually packed (payday). Another plus about the location is that theres other goodies you can purchase like boba drinks, fudge, McDonalds, Arby’s, Yummy’s, Taco Bell etc-​its not a bad food court (and again you don’t need a military id).
Getting back to the sweet stuff, I’ve only bought their macarons but they do sell mini cupcake and chocolate. Also they give out samples so be on the look out for that. As for the macrons my favorites are the JACK DANIEL AND HAWAIIAN SALTED CAMERAL. Another heads up, I was told you need to buy a mini cupcake in order to get the free cupcake offered.

Don’t let the name fool you! LIFE IS SWEET is the name of this confectionary but the goods are made by Cakeworks!
Macarons have 13 varieties (1.85 each) and they are huge (compared to the other bake shops selling macarons) the cookie itself is fluffy, not as chewy as others and the filling is plentiful!
Mini cupcakes flavors vary daily but you have at least 6 to choose from (1.35 each) and the cupcake itself is moist. The cream cheese frosting was great– not as sweet as others which I like.
Snack rack with bags of candies and sweet treats (6.95 and upwards). Honey roasted sugar dusted cashews, flavored gummie bears, mint covered malt balls and the list goes on.
Located on the second floor over at the NEX, In the food court area and sold to general public (no military ID required). Be prepared for an eye full of sweets. Worth the effort to stop, eye, and buy!
Don’t forget to check in for your free mini cupcake! Strange, they have a list (a written list) of all who got their free mini cupcake.

Me: My eyes are filled with tears.
Hubby: «Are you okay?» He begins to rub my back.
Me: «No,» I murmur as I munch and sniffle.
Hubby: «What’s wrong?»
Me: «I’m in pain,» my eyes squints as I slowly continue munching.
Hubby: «Your tooth is hurting!» He says out loud. His compassionate voice overtaken with disbelief.
Me: I nod my head as another tear falls from my eye.
Hubby: «What the hell are you doing with that macaron?»
As he begins to reach for the macaron in my hand I shove the rest in my mouth. Gobbling it quickly in sweet agony as my sweet tooth gets its fix.
Yeah, this is how bad my addiction is to sweets. Even though my sweet tooth is hurting I can’t stop eating. I can refrain but I can’t deny it. Especially French Macarons from Life is Sweet.
Location:
This kiosk is perfectly situated, its so hard to avoid. It’s on the second floor of the Navy Exchange food court. Once you get off of the escalator it is located on the left hand side. The food court is open to the public.
I have also spotted them at Eat the Street, Kawaii Kon, and different fairs.
What:
Life is Sweet is a sister company of Cake Works. At this kiosk they also sell other delectable baked goods and candy. Such as cakes, cup cakes, chocolate, gummy bears, etc. For a small kiosk I’m pretty surprised with what they offer.
I come for the French Macarons. Life is Sweet macaron has a cake like texture with an outer crunchy shell. The macarons is filled with different fillings. Each macaron is colored differently to distinguish the different flavor. My top 3 favorites is the Green Tea, Salted Caramel, and the Strawberry.
Service:
Great! Each time I visited the workers offered free samples. This is how they get me hook line and sinker. My brain is telling me to avoid my addiction feeder, but some how I blank out and find myself inhaling a baked good. The workers are attentive and they seem to enjoy what they are doing.
Take a bite of this macaron and you will understand why I went thru such pain for such pleasure.

Life is Sweet — especially living in Hawaii!
This portable kiosk highlights their macarons and miniature cupcakes with a few rich looking cakes. If you’re a fan of Cake Works, then you’ll be happy to know they extended their business as «Life is Sweet» in the NEX food court which is open to the public.
The brightly colored macarons ($ 1.85/each) are lined with over a dozen different flavored dollar sized sweetness. The salted caramel and strawberry/​mango are the best sellers. My green tea had a delicate meringue softness with a subtle flavor to each bite.
The miniature cupcakes ($ 1.35/each) are a great alternative compared to the standard size because it gives you an opportunity to try different flavors and not feel as guilty in the hips. I ordered in my favorite order: salted caramel (the winner!), lilikoi, strawberry, Devil’s Cake (just like a Ho-​Ho) and Raspberry Decadence. All of them were moist and the frosting had a good texture once it come to room temperature which they highly recommend.
Fortunately, they offered a sample of the Very Berry macaron which had a great taste but I stayed with my usual. The cashier mentioned all of their products needed to be refrigerated and must be consumed within three days.
They accept cash and credit cards and parking is not a problem.
Life is sweet made my life even sweeter!

Patrons of the Navy Exchange at JBPHH are in for a treat! A delectable little treat by the sweet gals at Cake Works. Many recognize Cake Works and their rainbow of french macarons from monthly events like Eat the Street, Honolulu Night Market and more. Cake Works recently opened up a Life Is Sweet kiosk in the food court on the top floor of the Navy Exchange and if all goes well they hope to be a permanent addition. I think they have a perfect spot, just outside of the checkout so that they are hard to miss as you exit the store.
Who doesn’t love mini-​bite-​sized gourmet cupcakes (mini in size NOT in flavor!) and as mentioned above, french macarons in an array of flavors like vanilla, strawberry guava, red velvet, coffee, mango, chocolate, green tea, very berry, lilikoi, pistachio, lychee and blue hawaii, to name just a few! I am partial to the green tea, coffee and salted caramel myself.
Also available is a small selection of specialty cakes, homemade marshmallows and other little treats. No more do I have to wait for the next Eat the Street event to get my fix, I have them all to myself (let me live in my delicious fantasy, will you) in such a convenient location.

Macarons vs. Macaroons: What’s the difference?
The sandwich-​like French macaron is more of a meringue cookie that gets its light, airy texture from egg whites. The Southern coconut macaroon, on the other hand is a lump cookie made of shredded coconut and condensed milk. French macarons are all the rage and have somewhat become the new cupcake… very sweet, trendy and pretty!
If French macarons are what you’re looking for, Life is Sweet is the place to go! They’re located in the NEX Food Court (2^nd floor, near the entrance) and are a part of A Cake Life (
). They have a cute little kiosk that displays their beautiful macarons, mini cupcakes and cakes. They also have a few prepackaged sweets on the shelf near the register like marshmallows.
Back to the macarons! They’re so pretty with their nice pastel colors. The Blue Hawaii is a nice jewel blue color with toasted coconut on the outside. It tastes pretty much like piña colada, very refreshing! The strawberry was of course a pretty pink pastel color and it was delicious. Green tea, salted caramel and chocolate are also very good. The lychee macaron was good but it had a hint of soap in the flavoring, I’m not sure how else to describe it except that it tasted like soap.
I’m glad they finally have a good place to get some dessert at the NEX Food Court. With good service and good macarons, I will definitely return.

Life is Sweet is Cake Works’s sister company. They have a small stand near the NEX food court where they offer a variety of delicious French macarons and cupcakes in their showcase. I love the mini cupcakes. Just the right size after a big lunch. The lemon crunch was my favorite. I couldn’t leave without picking up some of their coconut macaroons. Those things were so good and packaged in a bag of 5. The sweet items are also pretty affordable when compared to other similar bakeries. Next time you want to make life a little sweeter for yourself or friends, be sure to stop by here.

Pretty as a case of jewelry. Fattening, sticky, yummy jewelry. An offshoot/​kiosk for Cakeworks, for easier parking but reduced selection. Mini cupcakes, macarons, and a few 6−8″ cakes. They still do the «take 6» mini cupcake presentation box at this kiosk, which is great. Macarons seemed smaller than at the full storefront, but are also cheaper, if I remember correctly, so it’s fair. Cold case, so for full flavor, give the macaron a minute before eating to get to room temp – my Blue Hawaii was cold at first and took a minute of self-​control to avoid biting into it immediately.
Still like these much better than La Tour’s macarons for flavor and richness of filling. Filling is chocolate ganache-​based vs. La Tour’s, which I think is buttercream-​based but not sure. I think the ganache is a better flavor carrier, but I’m a sucker for a chocolate-​filled anything.
Takes credit cards. Samples ok, friendly customer service.
2^nd floor inside the NEX complex, open to everyone – no military ID required for kiosk.
Right off the escalators, head to the left. Across from the «coming soon» boba drink sign. When it does, this would be a great stop for a Bee’s + macaron late afternoon pick me up before traffic totally eats me alive!