The Dubai World Cup is coming up… and I’m getting you sorted and salon ready with this month’s hair tutorial…

Dress by Zayan S/S’14 – available at S*uce

What you will need to complete the look:

Sectioning clips

Bobby pins

Lightweight styling lotion

Medium hold hairspray

Heat protection spray

Tail comb

Medium ceramic round barreled brush

Small-barreled curling tong

A fabulous fascinator

Preparation:

Forget the treatments:

Whilst I love to use deep conditioning treatments to nourish my hair they do have a tendency to weigh hair down and make it difficult to style. If you know you have a big event coming up make sure you leave a few days between the event and a deep conditioning treatment. If you’re planning to wear your hair curly opt for a lightweight conditioner to ensure your style doesn’t drop after a few hours.

Start with Second Day hair:

Whether you’re heading to the salon or attempting your own style it’s much better to begin with second-day hair! Super-clean and shiny hair is difficult to style and will create a slippery surface that might cause a hat or fascinator to slide out of place.

Tip: If you have oily hair – work a small amount of dry shampoo into the roots to absorb any excess oil.

Pillow plaits:

This is one of my favorite tricks to speed up the curling process! If I know I’m wearing my hair curly to an event the next day I braid my hair before bed and sleep with it in either one or two braids (depending upon the thickness of your mane). The next morning you wake up with ready-made waves that are the perfect texture to take a curling iron to!

Select the correct products:

People often make the mistake of weighing their hair down with excess product or creating stiff, unnatural, curls with an overdose of hairspray. Before you pick up your hair tools you need to prime your hair with lightweight styling lotion to create a matte texture for your tools to grip.

Tip: As with all of my tutorials, heat protection is a must before styling!

Work with the right tools:

Whilst that old high street curling iron might have been your best friend during high school it might still be time to upgrade your tool kit! If your curls tend to drop out as the day goes on, it is worth investing in a professional quality curling iron like EIDEAL’s e-CURLER . Hair tools designed for salon use feature tourmaline technology and deliver effective, consistent heat to curl your hair from the inside out, without damaging your hair. Professional tools also tend to have a higher heat-up temperature in comparison to high street versions, which will really help to set your style in place.

Go small:

For curls that go the distance and last from day to night I advise working with a slightly smaller barreled curling iron than you usually do. This is because a smaller barrel produces a tighter curl, which will take a lot longer to fall out of shape.

Styling:

Step 1 (Curling and priming)

For this particular event I have decided to wear soft curls pinned to the side to compliment my dress and fascinator.

Tip: If your outfit features an embellished neckline or statement jewelry an updo will be most flattering, for a more simple neckline, wear chic curls or an elegant blowdry to enhance your look.

Using the steps I shared in my Glam Curls Tutorial I curl my whole head of hair and finish by misting the curls with a light hairspray to hold them in place. Once the hairspray has dried I use bobby pins to tuck away any stray hairs that fall around my face.

Now it’s time to decide where I want to place the fascinator. I part my hair to the chosen side to ensure that there is enough hair to hold the fascinator in place.

Tip: Sleek and finer hair types will want to create a strong and thick base for the fascinator to grip on to. To achieve this, lightly back comb the hair on the side you intend to place your fascinator and add a little hairspray before allowing it to dry for extra hold.

Step 2 (Fixing the fascinator)

Now my hair is styled and ready to hold the fascinator. If your chosen fascinator is on a fixed headband, choice of placement will be limited, the headband is designed to be discreet so simply prepare the hair by pulling it back away from the face, then add the fascinator and use bobby pins to fix the hair into place. The headband can be disguised using bobby pins to secure hair over the band.  Fascinators that use a comb or clip like the one I am using can be placed wherever you like, but I generally find that styles worn slightly to the side are the most flattering and easy to wear.

Begin by gently pushing the comb in the opposite direction you want to wear it before sliding it into place. This technique will catch more hair in the comb’s teeth to ensure a firmer grip. Once in place, I lightly spritz hairspray onto the area surrounding the comb, being careful to avoid the fascinator itself. This helps the comb and hair stick together for added control.

Tip: For extra assurance or if you feel the comb is a little loose you can add a few bobby pins to secure the comb/clip in place.

Step 3 (Style maintenance)

By now your fascinator and curls should be well and truly set in place, but it’s always good to have a little extra guarantee! For peace of mind I pack my handbag with my hair and beauty essentials, this includes:

• Spare bobby pins
• Tail comb
• Travel size bottle of hairspray
• Teeny Twin mini flat/curling iron (for emergency touch-ups on the go)

Tip: Whilst at the event, it is important to remember to avoid touching or excessively combing your hair as this will cause your style to drop out faster.

Try a back facial… with the Cashmere V-Back at Turkuaz Spa.

I always wondered why no one came out with a back facial, yes back treatments with cosmetologists & dermatologists but a back facial. I recently discovered this fab salon on Al Wasl Road – the turkish spa, Turkuaz which I’ve been so impressed with – they have a vast range of treatments and in between that large menu, I came across the Cashmere V-Back treatment, which is pretty much a Back treatment for all skin types for the back – primarily targeting blemishes and irritations. The spa considers it as a skin treatment and recommend a minimum of 4 treatments a month. I recently tried it out for my self… The treatment starts off with cleansing and exfoliation before a steam session to open up the pores for manual extraction. Once that is done, a machine is used for deep penetration and exfoliation to remove dead skin cells and Oxygen penetration on my back- it is also a pampering treatment – so I got a lovely 15 minute massage on my back and shoulders before applying a purifying mask for 15 mins to close up the pores. Incase you were wondering, the product range used within the treatment is by German professional skincare brand, Janssen Cosmetics. You do really end up with cashmere skin – my back was super soft for a whole week, and my therapist, Milika recommended I give myself a scrub once a week.
www.turkuazhouse.net

Recommended therapist: Milika

Cost & time: 90 mins / AED450

Soothe your hands… with a Hot Stone Manicure at Nstyle

I’ve tried Hot stone massages, but was intrigued to book in for a hot stone manicure when I saw it on the menu at Nstyle. It’s one of those treatments that you’d probably do instead of your regular manicure if you need to give yourself some extra pampering after a large project or a long week. The treatment consists of a classic manicure (nails filed, cleaning and cuticle care), a paraffin treatment on the hands (dipping them into hot wax to moisturise and soften the skin) and leaving them in heated mittens before removing them and getting a hot stone massage on the hands and arms. My therapist, Bernadette also does massages at the salon so her pressure was perfect, sooting and on point to help out the tense muscles I was working out at PT the day before. The treatment was then wrapped up with the actual manicure – they have their own branded Nstyle nail polish as well as the CND shellac and the CND Vinylux (7 day manicure. They also have a pedicure option which i think is perfect if your feet are worn out from the high heels.
www.nstyleintl.com

Recommended therapist: Bernadette (who is between the JBR & Dubai Mall branch)

Give your hair a shine bath… at Marquee Salon

I’ve been wanting to check out Marquee Salon since they opened their branch in Dubai (they initially opened their Abu Dhabi one as the first one) They currently have their salon in Arabian Ranches, and are about to open a blow dry bar at the Lakes club. I was booked in for a shine bath treatment at the retro 50′s glamour style salon – who by the way use Australian brand, Kevin Murphy (extra points!). The Shine bath is a gloss treatment by L’Oreal, which lasts on the hair for around 3-4 weeks and is a superficial treatment rather than a hair treatment, which nourishes beneath the strands. As soon as I entered the salon, I was welcomed with cranberry juice within a champagne glass before taken to the hair wash area – They have the flat bed shower beds (best thing ever… makes washing your hair seem like a spa treatment!) The hair is then washed with the Shine treatment, left on for 20 minutes (only wish they had better, international magazines!) before getting it washed off followed by a massage. The hair was then dried and I got my hair curled – which lasted a good two days and a half! All in all, the shine bath is a great superficial treatment to infuse the hair with colour as well as boosting the colour.
www.marquee.ae

Costs: AED280 for medium hair and AED320 for long hair.

A journey to the Far East… with the Indigo Art Healing Treatment at Saray Spa at the JW Marriott Marquis

I visit a ton of different spas in order to report on the best ones and the best treatments. This has advantages and disadvantages – If you read my blog religiously, you won’t be visiting any bad spas, but that also means not much impress me anymore. I recently checked out the Saray Spa at the JW Marriott Marquis, and can I just say this has got to be one of the best spas I’ve been to in a while. Not only is it huge, and the facilities are fab (I was taken on a tour.), the range of treatments are vast and all the therapists are highly trained and were hired from top spas around the world. Mine, Myriam was hired from Mamounia in Morroco. After being greeted and directed into the changing rooms (the lockers have a range of things you need & an Arabian robe- too bad it didn’t fit my Chloe Bailey bag!), I was then shown into my room. Starting off, they have the most comfortable beds and head/face rest. I was booked in for a 90 minute treatment – the Indigo Art Healing Treatment, which is an ancient healing art of Asian Shamans to treat muscular aches and pains. The treatment started off with a deep massage over my towel followed by a massage with heated herbal compresses (filled with Indigo), and finished off with a deep muscle and tissue massage with Citrus Oil using knuckles, palms and elbows. Post treatment, I was shown into the large relaxation room where they have options of heated and normal beds – with a tea menu, nuts and dates served by the therapist.

It has got to be one of the most relaxing massages I’ve done in a while and highly recommend it.

Recommended therapist: Myriam, she was amazing.

Pamper your feet… with a Fashion Massage at Margaret Dabbs Sole Lounge at Level Shoe District

You might remember my feature on on my Mararet Dabbs Sole Lounge experience just under a year ago. I have been super busy that I only had the chance to come back… The luxury Sole lounge have just launched a brand new treatment exclusively to Level Shoe District Dubai. With all the high heels, point toes and crazy styles, we need to make sure we’re taking care of our feet to avoid letting it lead on to in growns, bunions, or a build up of callus – Sole Lounge is definitely highly recommended in my books due to the fact that Simone, the podiatrist and specialist who was flown down from Margaret Dabbs in London is trained in that area, and is now (lucky for us!) based at the lounge in Dubai. The 30 minute Fashion Massage that they just launched is dedicated to Men, Women and and pregnant women to provide the ultimate relaxation for de-stressed and ached feet due to the joints and bunions. After arriving to clean and sleek sole lounge within the Level shoe district, I was greeted by the lovely Simone and taken to the private room (Ultimate luxury, makes you feel like a Queen!), and starts off with a 7 minute anti-inflammatory foot soak to soothe and add some moisture. The feet was then exfoliated with Margaret Dabbs’ exfoliating mousse in circular motions for super soft skin – the uber comfortable sofa chair was then reclined and the chair is turned on for a full body massage (with a focus on the back and the calves). I was also given an O2 machine headpiece to breathe through which has 20 percent oxygen, and gives you a burst of energy. Moving on to the best part of the treatment… I was given a massage which includes several techniques from Lymphatic drainage to light manipulation to relax the muscles and improve circulation, it also helps manipulate the joints against what are shoes try to do to our feet

For AED260, this is definitely a pampering treatment worth investing in.

Delay Ageing… with a Margy’s Facial at Talise Madinat Jumeirah

A beauty editor once recommended that I check out Skincare brand from Monte Carlo, Margy’s. I recently booked in for a facial at Talise Madinat Jumeirah – where they have a 60 minute age embrace facial, and a 90 minute collagen one. Being in my early twenties, I went ahead with the 60 minute one. Before commencing the treatment, I booked in for a Visio Skin Analysis – a computerised skin analysis which revealed the UV levels, the sebum (skin oil), elasticity, moisture and melanin. Once we finished with the analysis, we headed to my therapy room which smelt like essential oils ready for the facial. The treatment started with a double cleansing as I had heavy make up on, followed by a toner but the most interesting part was when the collagen patches were applied to the skin followed by exfoliation (this gave a light tingly feel, but it was all worth it when you feel your skin post facial). My skin was then cleansed again followed by a lovely massage to help lift my skin and give a botox effect. I’m told a 90 minute facial also includes the collagen facial (which I didn’t need). Post treatment, my skin was brightened, glowing and squeaky clean.

Recommended therapist: Aysel

Tighten your skin & break up cellulite… with a Body Overhaul treatment at the Sheraton MOE spa

I’m a firm believer that you can’t lose weight without a great diet and consistent workouts, but there’s no doubt there are treatments that can help up with this process. One of them would have to be the Body Overhaul treatment by Rodial available at the Sheraton Hotel MOE’s Spa. The treatment aims to tighten as well as firm up the skin – you’re able to choose from the bum, boobs or abs. (I chose thighs and bum!) A great way to eliminate toxins and water retention. The spa at the Sheraton MOE is perfect is you want a spa atmosphere around the mall area, but it’s still quite a capsule one – yet straight to the point. I was won over with the heated bed, and was given a bespoke, tailor made massage using citrus essential oils and Rodial’s crash diet treatment using a strong massage with different pressures using hands and knuckles to improve the texture of the skin, appearance and breaks down cellulite, detoxifying, as well as stimulating the body’s circulatory system.

Not sure if it was psychological, but I definitely felt smoother and my bum lifted.

Decongest skin… with a Bespoke treatment with Rebecca Treston @ Euromed.

If you’re someone that regularly works out, you might start breaking out with blemishes on the back or chest where you sweat quite a bit, which causes the bacteria to turn into zits and breakouts. If that’s something you generally have or started to due to the humid weather in the region, my recommendation is to see Rebecca Treston at Euromed. I highly suggest the Pristine treatment, which is also called the Diamond peel followed by the Salicylic Acid peel. The back treatment can be done once, or as a package if it’s something that needs several treatments. To give you an idea, the Diamond Peel is an amazing, non invasive treatment that is a suction to stimulate blood, as well as rejuvenate and remove dead skin cells that can be used to treat a ton of different things from Acne, fine lines all the way to giving your skin a radiant finish. It’s also a great way to deep exfoliate the skin in order to allow the salicylic acid to penetrate and dry out the acne. Being a personal client of Rebecca Treston after falling in love with her treatments, it’s one of those visits that you see results from.

After the treatment, I got check up calls to make sure my skin was all ok, great customer service always wins.

I recently flew out to Milan with Dolce & Gabbana Beauty for beauty workshops during Milan Fashion Week. Staying in the heart of Milan, amongst the fashion week glamour at the Westin Palace Hotel (loved the fashion illustrations in the rooms) – we started our first day with a Make up workshop- one with Silvia Incardona on the scientific side of the make up followed by one with Make up god, Pat McGrath backstage before the show to talk about the beauty look she has gone for this season.

Day one:

An early start to the day with a breakfast that included fruit pieces, custard croissant and crepes – I was ready for first activity.

We headed to the Dolce & Gabbana headquarters and was served tea and coffee in Dolce & Gabbana cups and tea sets before heading into the workshop.

Once we got into the room for the private workshop room, filled with Dolce’s red roses – we met Silvia Incardona, who looks after the scientific side of the brand’s make up and what goes behind the beauty, as well as how much science goes into the beauty range. Silvia spoke about the key ingredients in beauty products – and what makes products look the way they are – example Talc and cerussite crystal in the powder formulas in order for them to turn transparent when wet or in contact with humidity. to not turn dull and sugary over time.

We were also introduced to the three new products to be launched by the beauty brand – The new pressed powder, an eyebrow liner and cream lipsticks.

-The new pressed powder is made to remove skin and leave skin looking natural, whilst being a corrective powder with a radiant touch. It contains the mineral ingredient ‘Mica’ in order to create a uniform glow, hence the reason it includes Talc & Cerussite (as mentioned above).

-Their brand new eyebrow liner is a key new product for them, which as a triangular tear shaped tip – the thin part for definition and the thick part of filling. The formula makes it softer than other brown pencils, but not one that smudges everywhere. Long lasting, soft and water resistant.

-Lastly, the cream lipstick formulas have been updated. More comfortable on the lips, full coverage and high pigments, long lasting & 50 percent of it will take care of the lips and add hydration.

Day two:

We started the day with a visit backstage at the Dolce & Gabbana where beauty genius, Pat McGrath spoke about the dreamy beauty look for the Dolce show. Pat talked about the show make up being based on a fairy tail – wanting the girls to look really beautiful – with an eyeliner, looking super enchanting. The make up she used was the illuminating foundation over good skin that was exfoliated and moisturised. For the foundation, she used a shade darker followed by a paler shade along the chin, nose, and forehead to make them look as if they were lit from within with a flawless finish. For the eyes, they used the Desert quad eye shadow, followed by an eyeliner – she started with a black pencil for the tip, then on top a glam liner over the pencil. The lashes were curled, followed by the intense eye mascara in black intense on the top and lower lashes. Their brand new creamy eyeshadows (coming out very soon) were used in shades like Innocence, Goldest, Cocoa, and pearly on the centre of the lids via finger application. For the brows, their brand new pencil was used (my favourite amongst their brand new ones), which has a triangular tip to fill in the brows in a soft brown shape – Pat doesn’t like a very hard shape, and just keeps the ends free. The look was finished off with the Classic cream lipstick in honey with a side application of the Aqua lip gloss on the centre of the lips for luminosity.

The look was probably one of my favourites from fashion week – it looked like a modern, young Sophia Loren iconic look with a fairytale/princess touch, whilst using the new products coming out in the next year.

Where? Spa Cordon, DIFC

Distinctive methods: You get a soothing massage at the beginning of every treatment to give the manicure a spa aspect.

Nail polish: CND & Zoya

Cost: For a CND Shellac manicure, 130 AED

Recommended therapist: Timi

Overall nail results: 8/10

Contact: www.spacordon.com

Where? Sisters beauty lounge, Dubai (they have branches all around the UAE)

Distinctive methods: They have the Brazilian manicure rather than the manicure method you’re used to. No water, no cream, no scrub, no cuticle softener. The whole manicure is done in a glove with a lovely smelling keratin cream which is multi used as a cream and cuticle softener.

Nail polish: Ciate and Essie and best of all – the CND Vinylux (7 day non chip) which is the same price as a normal manicure.

Cost: AED75

Recommended therapist: Rose at The Dubai Mall branch

Overall nail results: 9/10

Contact: www.sistersbeautylounge.com

Where? Nbar, Palm Strip (but they have branches all over town)

Distinctive methods: The typical hand soak, cuticle work, scrub and moisturise – they always do a great work with that though!

Nail polish: Essie & CND Vinylux

Cost: AED75

Recommended therapist: Mila

Overall nail results: 9.5/10

Extras: 

-The service is always fab.

-They have the best magazines at the salon… from Vogue, Tatler to Harper’s Bazaar UK

-Relaxing and comfortable vibe.

Contact: www.nbaruae.com

Where? Turkuaz (a Turkish Salon on Al Wasl Road)

Distinctive methods: The typical Water soak, filing and cuticle work but my therapist did a good job.

Nail polish: OPI

Cost: AED80 for classic and AED85 for french

Recommended therapist: Millita

Overall nail results: 9.5/10

Extras:

-They have super cool pedicure chairs, which I must try.

-Millita gives perfect French manicures.

-They lacked magazines and entertainment, so I just stuck to emails.

www.turkuazhouse.net

Where? Lily Pond Spa (they have different branches but I went to their flagship at Al Barsha Mall.

Distinctive methods: Spa atmosphere, felt like I was getting a mani/pedi in Thailand, the method was File, soak, cuticle followed by a scrub and cream – all very fast and straight to the point.

Nail polish: Essie and CND Shellac

Cost: AED50

Recommended therapist: Mary Ann and Myra

Overall nail results: 9/10

Extras:

-Fastest manicure I’ve had

-The spa element makes it more of a pampering treatment.

-As it’s pretty much a spa, don’t miss out on one of the best head and shoulder massages with Rose.

Contact: lilypondspa.com

Cleanser: Aurelia Probiotic Skincare Miracle Cleanser

I’ve been hearing so much about this cleanser that I had to start using it… To give you some brief on the product, it includes BioOrganic ingredients with chamomile, eucalyptus, rosemary and bergamote – a Creamy and rich product without being too heavy. It removes make up, impurities while it hydrates and gives your skin a glow. It’s used to remove with a muslin cloth that it comes with to help exfoliate the dead cells. Being a rich cleanser, it can be used with all skin types.

Available at net-a-porter.com

Moisturizer: Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Matifying Fluid

This is the kind of moisturiser I only like using – light weight, hydrates and controls the shine. This oil-free product, which is made out of Organic Grape water and rax seed powder is perfect under foundation during the day. The perfect day moisturiser to hydrate combination skin.

CC Cream: Chanel CC cream

I recently gave up on the CC cream as I’ve been hunting for a good one, and never found it. Till I came across this Chanel one that is… The Chanel CC cream was one of the most awaited CC cream in the beauty market and can I say it stayed true to the hype. It smells amazing, feels good on the skin, gives the amount of coverage you’d want from something in between a tinted moisturiser and foundation as well as a hydrated dewy finish. Thank you Chanel!

BB Cream: Human+Kind BB cream

First of all, let me start by saying if you aren’t familiar with Human+Kind, do check them out – no sulfates, parabens or the bad things within. The first time I used this BB cream, I was slightly put off when I felt like the BB cream dried up very quickly, but I realised it had a better application with a brush. Perfect to use instead of a foundation during the day – great coverage. I like the darker shade for a natural tan.

Base: Clarins Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base

Love me anything that adds radiance to my skin. This new product by Clarins illuminates, corrects and is part make up, part skincare. Hydrates the skin and nourishes with its plant extracts. I love applying it alone on the skin during the day to add a glow or under the foundation to give off a radiant effect. Not to mention it smells good too…

Loose powder: Bassam Fattouh Loose fix powder

For foundations, I like applying a liquid one – In order to make sure my skin doesn’t smear, and the fact that it is blotted well before applying my powders (bronzers to illuminators), I need to make sure I dust on a loose powder. I’m currently using this fab one by Haifa Wehbe’s make up artist, Bassam Fattouh. The powder is a light, transparent loose powder that mattifies the skin after applying the foundation. It’s white so make sure to only dust a little bit on your skin.  Love how it also smells of baby powder (made out of Talc).

Foundation: Make up for Ever High Definition Foundation

With events and shoots, I have to make sure I choose my foundation wisely. I’ve been hearing a lot about this one from Make up For Ever, and I only got the chance to get my hands on one. High coverage, doesn’t feel too heavy, as mentioned within the name – it’s also High definition – great for shoots and pictures. Best of all? oil fee and gives your skin a flawless and natural finish.

Blush: MAC Mineralize Blush in ‘Lured to Love’

Anything natural coloured I love… This Blush in a pink coral shade is so beautiful, natural, feels lovely on the skin, and is long lasting. Not to mention I love a good powder blush and you can count on MAC for a lovely pigmented one. This joins my list of favourite blushers.

Illuminator: Guerlain meteorites in 2 clair

A classic from Guerlain’s make up collection that they recently reformulated the product as well as the packaging and I’m a fan. Perfect as a subtle illuminator – rather than putting my brush in and applying it over make up, I like breaking the balls and using the highlighter on my brow bones and high cheeks. Why do Guerlain products smell so good?

Pressed powder: Max Factor Powder puff

Max Factor recently re launched their star product, the powder puff and if you’re looking for an amazing pressed powder, this is it. A product from 1953, a vintage glam make up scent that is light and compact that I like applying over foundation. It just gives my skin that fresh and glam finish…

Concealer: Bourjois healthy mix concealer

Don’t you love finding a fab drugstore buy? I’ve recently started using this concealer by Bourjois. Creamy, light, high coverage and you don’t need much of the product per usage. It adds a lovely radiance and anti-fatigue due to it’s fruit therapy (Apricot for radiance and Raspberry for micro circulation).

Day Smokey eye: Bobbi Brown Nude Eye Palette

Pigment wise, Bobbi Brown do some great shadows. For a light day smokey eye, I love this limited edition palette which has a mix of a light nude, light beige and light grey. Perfect for a day smokey, that can be built up with darker shades for night.

Eyebrow pencil: Sephora long lasting brow pencil

If you’re looking for a good brow pencil, check this one out by Sephora. A perfect shade for all dark brows, it Comes with a brush on the lid and is fab for filling brows.

Lash glue: Huda Beauty

Dubai’s beauty guru, Huda Kattan of Huda Beauty has just launched her lash glue (as she took her time to launch the perfect one.) The black colour helps hide away that annoying white glue colour and holds the lashes well without giving a foul odour.

Mascara: Too Faced Better than sex mascara

Hilarious name… My new favourite smokey eye mascara. An intense shade of black, volumizing, without clumping up the lashes. The formula, which is infused with collagen really gives your lashes that glamour push you need. Also looks great without any make up on.

Gel Liner: MAC Fluidline Eye-Liner Gel in black track

For the past year, the only gel liner I’ve been using is the Bobbi Brown one and haven’t seemed to welcome any new ones. This one by MAC is a new favourite among my Bobbi Brown ones. The gel texture makes it a lot easier to apply but still adds precision to the liner rather than getting smudged and stays on all day. A smokey eye essential.

Lipstick: ILIA

I usually like to apply a lip balm on my lips before applying any lipstick but I’ve recently discovered the lipsticks by ILIA, which are feel good lipsticks. I’ve recently been using a subtle honey colour called ‘Humble Me’ and a bright pink called ‘Neon Angel’. The lipsticks are infused with Cocoa butter, Vitamin E, rose hip oil and Jojoba oil. Not only do they give such beautiful tinted shades, they feel good on the lips. Double win.

The brand is available on beingcontent.com and net-a-porter.com & retails for £22

Lip Balm: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour cream Intensive lip repair cream

With the chilly weather and the AC indoor, it’s easy for our skin especially our lips to get majorly dehydrated – this has been a gem. Highly moisturizing and feels great on the lips whilst adding a moisture barrier to the skin.

Nude lip liner: MAC pro Longwear lip pencil Staunchly Stylish 

My pick for the ultimate nude liner – long lasting, on point shade of nude, rich that it glides on easily, and last but not least – feels good on the lips.

Perfume: Roberto Cavalli Acqua

I love Roberto Cavalli’s perfumes so once the Aqua version came out, I had to stop and check it out. In addition to the classic perfume’s Floral and white floral notes, this has a strong main accord of Aqua, which makes it perfect as a day, as well as a summery scent – yet still being strong enough if you don’t like something light and fruity. My favourite fragrance this month..

Body Oil: L’Occitane Body & Hair Fabulous Oil

I prefer oils to creams, but prefer to only use oils after the shower. I recommend this one by L’Occitane which can be used on the body as well as the hair (but will still prefer my Kerastase Elixir for the hair.) A body oil locks in the moisture with nourishing benefits – not to mention this smells lovely and doesn’t grease up everything. The product is sans Parabens and sulfates, & made out of shea oil and plant oils such as sunflower, baobab and carrot seed – the shea oil subtle scent definitely comes out!

Dry Shampoo: Kerastase Powder Bluff

I make sure I always have a good dry shampoo on me and my new favourite would have to be Kerastase from their new styling range. Not only does it smell good, I love that it has NO white residue (yay!) and adds this amazing texture and volume to the hair after spraying it on.

Leave in Hair Cream: AmazonKeratin Leave-in hair cream

I’m not usually a fan of leave in hair creams, and prefer oils and serums. I love using this one before I blow dry my hair due to the fact that it has a thermal protector, not to mention the nourishing Argan Oil (which makes my hair smell delicious!)

Hair Mask: Original & Mineral Power base Protein Masque

I’m currently loving Australian hair care brands (have an obsession with Kevin Murphy) and I’ve just started using the protein hair masque from Original & Mineral. The brand is great for coloured hair, and now that I’ve gotten the ombre, I need to really take care of my ends. The creamy masque hydrates the hair, has wheat protein to bind the broken strands where the sweet almond and apricot kernel oil add the natural shine back into the hair.

This week, Leila Yavari – Fashion Director at Stylebop.com shares her beauty routine, her love for yoga, and how she pampers herself.

My Beauty Routine
My beauty routine consists of wash/tone/moisturizer twice a day, exfoliate twice a week, and a La Mer Hydrating Mask twice a month. I do a Brazilian blow-out every six months and try to get a facial once a month. I use SPF everyday, drink lots of water and do my best to stay away from refined sugar.

-Beauty products I swear by
Kanebo Cellular Lip Performance; Mason Pearson Hair Brush, Aquage Texturizing Sea Salt Spray, The Beautiful Mind Series Vol. 1 Perfume

-What’s in my make up bag
YSL Vernis Rouge, Laura Mercier Universal Loose Powder, Dior Bronze Original Tan Powder, Tarte Blush in Blissful, Christian Dior Diorshow Mascara, Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation.

-Vitamin supplements
Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Rose Hip

-Perfect detox juice mix
A berry mix with aloe vera juice, lemon and flaxseed.

-Favorite healthy dish
Avocado slices over sprouted grain bread with lemon and a dash of salt and pepper.

-Facialist/Dermatologist
I adore Luba at Ma Maison de Beaute in Los Angeles for her “less is more” philosophy.

-Fitness routine
I do Hatha Yoga 3 days a week with a personal yoga instructor. I find that the combination of stretching, meditating and aerobics creates a wonderful balance between mind and body.

-Skin/Body treatments
My favorites treatments are the salt body scrubs at the Librisa Spa at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, Thai Massages at Aiyasha Spa in Munich, and for facials, I love Anne Semonin in Paris.

-Key to feeling beautiful?

Smile, aim for health, and surround yourself with supportive, loving people. The occasional mani/pedi and facial doesn’t hurt either – because it means you’re taking time out to treat yourself, which makes you feel good

The last time I got my hair coloured, I wanted to go ombre but as my hair was too dark, I got a colour that looked more like highlights. When I heard Celebrity stylist to the stars, Negin Zand was heading to Dubai for her next hair appointment sessions at Jetset Salon, Dubai (she comes down every two months), I made sure to book in with her.

Who is Negin Zand?

LA based and Celebrity Colorist was born in Iran, but spent most of her life growing up in Sydney & LA – starting her career in Australia. Zand is an expert in the technique, Baliage (most celebrities only get this colour technique done) – originating from France – the technique is basically done in a sweeping, paint brush motion and free-form style when highlighting the hair – as well as being quick (takes 15 minutes or less!) Negin has worked with stars from Kate Hudson, Madonna, Nicole Kidman to Kate Bosworth and Megan Fox. In terms of publications, she has worked with everyone from Vogue, Harpers to Vanity Fair and Allure – not to mention advertising work with Pantene, Revlon to L’Oreal.

Colorist Negin Zand was born in Iran and spent much of her life living in both Sydney and Los Angeles. She began her career in Australia, where she first realized her interest for color development. In 1991, she relocated to Los Angeles to fortify her talent for capturing the natural effect of sunlight upon hair. Negin was accepted into famed hairdresser Christophe’s salon in Beverly Hills.

The Salon: Jetset Emirates Towers

Jetset is one of my favourite salons in Dubai – super innovative, great service and I always seem to leave with the perfect blow outs. They have branches all around the city but this took place at the Emirates Towers one.

The process?

No wait time, Negin is on it. As soon as I arrived, Negin greeted me and we had a quick consultation. This lady is an expert, I tell her what I want, she listens to what I had to say and tells me what she suggests. I felt like we were on the same page, having worked with so many different women and stars that need to look their best, I trusted her say.

The colour:

Negin left me to mix up the colours, and got back to apply it on my hair alongside her assistant from LA. Watching Negin was amazing, looked like an artist at work. Zand is an expert in the Balayage technique – feathering the ombre for it too natural rather than a dip dye. My hair was then covered with plastic and separated with cotton wool rather than foils, before being diffused and then moving to the basin. I must say it was all very quick which I love, no one wants to spend hours at a salon to get the colour they want.

A gloss was then applied to my hair to remove any brassy effect as well as give the hair the needed shine and hydration after colour. The hair was then washed with Kerastase and even got a lovely scalp massage.

Results:

Love, Love, Love my hair… Not only did it look brighter and a natural ombre (surfer chick as Negin Zand likes to call it), it just gave my complexion the perfect harmony.

Cost: Not cheap at all, but if you want to get a natural colour that will only need topping up, I suggest you book in with Negin Zand. You don’t want to play with colour – Invest in a great colourist. My hair cost 1,000USD.

 https://www.facebook.com/JetSetUAE

This season, I barely had time to attend Fashion week shows because I was busy with Dolce & Gabbana beauty in Milan and Rochas in Paris. In between all this, I had the chance to check out a few shows, presentations and showrooms. Here are my highlights…

-Salvatore Ferragamo’s outerwear & The Ferragamo exhibition

During my trip in Milan, I managed to check out Salvatore Ferragamo’s Fall/ Winter ’14 show followed by their exhibition launch event post show. I’ve broken down on what you need to know about the show…

Salvatore Ferragamo Fall/Winter ’14

The collection: Simple, sculpted and strong.

Color Palette: Rich darks to warm tones such as blacks, coffee browns to camels, bronze and grey.

Front row sightings: Hilary Swank

Trends: Blanket capes, structured coats, luxe fur, mohair, layering, and turtlenecks.

The beauty: Low ponytails and bare faces

I then headed to the exclusive party hosted by the brand at the Brera Fine Arts Academy to launch an exhibition, which was co-chaired by Ferrucccio Ferragamo, Chairman of Salvatore Ferragami and Vogue Italia Editor in Chief, Franca Sozzani – mimicked the Ferragamo atelier as well as displayed 50 shoes by the brand over the past years chosen by Sozzani, and photographs from the archives. The exhibition ran for three days during Milan Fashion Week.

-Dental Floss liner at Anthony Vaccarello

With Tom Pecheux for Estee Lauder taking the lead on Anthony Vaccarello’s show this season – which he explained was “so simple”, and the girls were very 1980′s – very disco and quite rock n roll & reminded him of two illustrators René Gruau and Tony Viramontes, so decided to keep on the same level for the Make up. He explained that he played with what the people think the French women are – Natural skin, some eyebrows but not too dramatic. Black pencil between the lashes like leftover make up, and juicy lips – one in the centre and the second all over on top of it. For the eyes – he went for an interesting tactic by applying black and red liner with a dental floss, and left it looking fuzzy without using a brush to create that arty look. This made the girls look rock and roll, yet still sophisticated and modern.

Eyes:

Double Wear Stay-In-Place Eye Pencil in Onyx

Double Wear Zero-Smudge Liquid Eyeliner in Black

NEW Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in Envious*** – (Available June 2014)

Brows:

Double Wear Stay-In-Place Brow Lift Duo

Lips:

NEW Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in Intense Nude – (Available June 2014)

NEW Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in Rebellious Rose – (Available June 2014)

Face:

Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10

Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear Concealer SPF10

NEW Perfecting Loose Powder – (Available May 2014)

Skin:

NEW Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II

Advanced Night Repair Eye Synchronized Complex

Revitalizing Supreme Global Anti-Aging Creme

-Fresh beauty with MAC Cosmetics at Alexis Mabille

This season, Alexis Mabille went for a very fresh and simple look by artist, Carole Colombini. Going for something light and pure, she mixed MAC Face and body concealers together to achieve beautiful skin without a cakey-thick effect. For the eyes, a cream colour base and an eyeshadow was also used for contouring. Carole skipped highlighters this season so that people can look straight to the eyes. For the lips, they were natural and matte so she used a mixing medium, where you can just put some pigments in to create lipsticks or just use it on the lips to create a matte finish and to keep lips moisturised.

-Leather and Monochromatics… at Maison Irfe

Maison Irfe was a show I checked out last season for the first time, and definitely think it’s a brand to watch. One of the oldest couture houses, Maison IRFE returned for their second RTW show with their new creative director, Olga Sorokina. With a front row of Emmanuel alt and celebrity friends, the collection had Russian and French influences infused with Fall trends such as monochromes, thigh high boots, wool and varsity jackets. Olga used fur on the boots and across the collection yet keeping it cool with the biker style, leather in dark palettes with pops of reds and pinks.

Top by House of Nomad. Skirt by Bel & Beau

I’m all over Old hollywood glamour & Mad Men inspired hair so this month, I teamed up with Eideal to get the look at home. Late 50s/early 60s hair is having a real revival at the moment thanks to the seriously enviable tresses sported in TV shows such as Mad Men. Whilst pristine, vintage waves may look dauntingly difficult to achieve, I have found a technique that’s actually simple to master and oozes this era’s grace and femininity.

What you will need to complete the look:

Kerastase Lacque Couture Hairspray

Heat Protection Spray

Kerastase Lift Vertige for Volumizing

Sectioning Clips

eionic Hairdryer

Evolution Brush

Tail Comb

Cut Comb

eCURLER Small-Barreled Curling Tong

Step 1 (The Voluminous Blow-dry)

I begin to blow-dry my hair in sections using the technique I described in my Perfect Blow-dry Tutorial, but this time I’m looking to create some extra volume for this glamorous, vintage-inspired look. So, I prepare the wet hair using a volumizing product and my chosen heat protection. I begin at the bottom and work my way around my head, using my Evolution, Teflon-coated Brush to lift each section at the root with the airflow angled down towards it for a few moments. Evolution Brushes feature super-strong, ionized bristles which are perfect for creating some extra lift and movement – a perfect starting point for creating this fabulous style! I finish by sealing the cuticle with a blast of cool air and allow my hair to completely cool down before moving on.

Tip: This is a great technique for those with fine hair who want to add additional volume to their usual blowout.

Step 2 (A Deep Side Part)

I then create a nice, deep side part using the end of my Tail Comb. Sirens such as Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren were rarely seen without a heavy side parting; it’s sultry and gives the illusion of extra volume. The wave will not look as effective or hold as well when styled with a middle parting. Once the parting is in place, I pin up the top half of the heavier side of my hair (see photo2).

Step 3 (A Tight Curl)

Now it’s time to curl. The idea is to create an identical pattern across each section of the hair and develop a continuous wave. I start to curl the section just above my ear (see photo 3) and wrap the curl forwards, towards my face. For this tutorial I’m using my 25mm barrel eCURLER. I have purposely opted for a fairly small barrel size as I intend to spread the curls out later and a tighter curl has better staying power! The eCURLER heats up to 230° and is coated with nano-titanium and nano-silver which really helps to set the curl without damaging the hair.

Step 4 (Repeat)

I now repeat the same curling process, working my way around the first half of my hair. It’s important that each section falls right next to the other and has the same shape. If the curl pattern isn’t perfect I stop and re-curl that piece again until it is!

Step 5 (Ringlets!)

Now I change sides and repeat my curling technique. I keep curling, following the same pattern. At this point you might notice that your hair is hanging in tight ringlets, don’t worry! It’s supposed to look like that!

Step 6 (Secure with Spray)

Now that I have a full head of curls it’s time to spray them. For this style I work with a super-hold hairspray as I will be manipulating and loosening the curls, which can cause them to drop out if they’re not secured. It’s better to opt for a high-quality spray that can be brushed – crusty curls are not a good look! I then wait for my style to set in a cool and dry room; this should take about five minutes.

Step 7 (Comb the Curls)

Once I’m satisfied that my curls have cooled down I take my Cut Comb and gently start to comb through the curls. As I comb around my head, I notice that the curl pattern starts to join together. I continue to comb my way around my entire head, adding a little extra spray if necessary.

Step 8 (The Finishing Touches)

After combing through all of my curls I can finally see my vintage waves! To complete the polished style I take my eCURLER and curl under any straight/stray ends and allow my hair to completely cool down. Then, I spritz one last mist of hairspray and my vintage waves are good to go!

Tip: Always wait until the hair has completely cooled down before adding hairspray. Spraying hot hair will cook the spray into your locks and cause it to become brittle and dry.

Discover a Reflexology gem… Feet Lounge, Bay Avenue Dubai

Dubai has become so interesting… I love discovering gems that aren’t mass. I recently booked in for an appointment at the Feet lounge in Dubai for a 60 minute foot massage. The little lounge is from Bangkok, Thailand and is situated in the brand new Bay Avenue in Business Bay, and offer their best selling full body massage (the phone was constantly ringing for appointments!) and their pure blend oil foot massage. It’s very straight forward – tiny reception (literally.), you fill in a quick form on your pressure needs and you go right in. For the foot massage, it was in a little room with a huge sofa chair (super comfortable that reclines), I was given a blanket to cover myself, and the lights were dimmed for the massage. If you’re looking for a really good foot massage, and a chance to give those soles some major pampering, this is definitely the place to check out. The massage was quite deep, even though I went for the medium pressure, and she made sure to also massage the calves which is great to keep the blood circulation active. Price wise, it’s completely affordable with AED150 for a 60 minute massage – add AED20 and you get a head and shoulder massage with it.
www.feetlounge.ae

An Argan Oil infused… Hair Botox by AmazonKeratin at Amro Salon

I recently booked in for EIDEAL’s Amazon Keratin BTX smoothing treatment at one of Dubai’s top and oldest salons, Amro Ladies Salon (specifically their brand new brach at JW Marriott Marquis, but they have a ton around town with top stylists – they also offer nail & skin services!) I love my hair botox and keratin treatments so I’ve tried my fair share. This has got to be one of my favourites so decided to share it in this month’s treatments to try. The treatment is a smoothing and straightening treatment that works on all hair types using natural ingredients (including wheat protein, keratin, Aloe Vera & collagen) that nourish the hair, repair damage and infuse amino acids. One thing I loved about it that I never felt with other treatments was the fact that it smells good – a subtle Argan oil scent. My hair felt smoother, healthier, shinier and also adds a protection against environmental factors. The treatment started with a wash using botox shampoo, before getting the treatment applied on the hair (it smells great, but due to the treatment not being comfortable to inhale, I was given a mouth cover), the hair was then straightened (it burnt the eyes slightly, but nothing compared to the usual keratin, botox or brazilian blowouts I’ve done.), as soon as that was done, the hair was directly washed in ice cold water without any shampoo and dried – it didn’t have to be blow-dried and my hair looked like it was straightened and blowed out! PS it has got to be the fastest hair botox I’ve done.

Just make sure to not get it done after colouring the hair as it lightens it up.

www.amazonkeratin.com 

Get rid of dead skin… with a Moroccan Bath at Snob Salon & Boutique

I’m usually not the biggest fan with getting a Moroccan bath or Hammam anywhere but a hotel but I recently popped over to Snob Salon & Boutique, not only are they pretty, conveniently located by Spinneys Umm Suqueim, they also have fab quality services. The Moroccan bath have their own assigned changing area and hammam room which I loved (you rarely get privacy with this treatment). As soon as I arrived, I was given a Snob towel and disposable flip flops before making my way in… The session started with Moroccan soap applied all over my body before left to relax in the steam for 15 mins, this is when the skin softens and the skin is prepped for the intensive scrub. My therapist, Armie then made her way in to scrub me all over using a glove (I love how you can see the dead skin falling off… it gives you that sense of cleanliness.) A vegetable mask was then evenly spread on the body post scrubbing to soothe, nourish and soften the skin with a 5 min steam session to let the skin absorb the mask before being washed off. I loved how the hair was washed and conditioned (as many hammams don’t do this for you, and it really helps instead of washing the hair right after you get home.) I was all dried up, and had rose water applied to the skin before finishing up. The cost of the treatment is AED250

Recommended therapist: Armie

www.snob.ae

Get an Organic Facial… with Eminence’s White & Bright facia at Sugar Urban Spa

I’m a little obsessed with Eminence at the moment that I also use their products at home as well as love their facials. 100 percent certified Organic brand with a celebrity fan base including Jessica Biel and Olivia Wilde. I recently booked in for a 75 minute White & Bright facial at Sugar Urban Spa Mall of the Emirates (they also have a larger branch at JLT) Perfect for skin that needs a pick me up, and to lighten pigments that our skin gets from sun damage and hormones. The facial started off with cleansing, a light scrub with mists in between to neutralise the skin. The main highlight was the Yam & Pumpkin enzyme peel for deep exfoliation that has 7 alpine plants that lighten and brightens the skin (the natural ingredients make the skin tingle, which gives it a glow!) A mask was then applied with a relaxing massage – A great treatment to brighten the skin and lighten pigments, my face felt bright and hydrated.

Cost is AED450

Recommended therapist: Sushkita

 https://www.facebook.com/sugarurbannails

For the Vanilla lovers… Try the Vanilla Body Wrap at Silkor

Calling all Vanilla scent lovers… yep I’m one. I know many people (including myself) that swear by Silkor for their laser but I always seem to forget about the other fab treatments they have. I recently tried the Vanilla wrap being a vanilla lover, their best seller treatment among the brides. Wraps are great for the body in order to highly moisturize, soften, tone and detoxify. My treatment began with the Vanilla & rice paste (which smelt delicious and has vanilla essentials and algae & plant extracts) before being covered in a heated wrap for 20 mins which was relaxing (and even ended up dozing off!) The treatment was finished off with vanilla powder dusted off on the body, Vanilla bliss! The cost of the treatment is AED700, a hefty price but worth it for your big day.

www.silkor.com

Relax… with the Amara Massage at Park Hyatt Spa

As mentioned, being a spa junkie and a person that has visited over hundreds of spas, I rarely get super impressed but this has got to get my list of one of the best spas. Beautiful, beautiful spa – you feel the serenity as soon as you see the Amara sign… The spa is situated at the Park Hyatt Hotel by the Creek but it was worth the drive… I was booked in for an Amara massage, their signature one. A 60 minute deep rhythmical massage using their signature oil, which was a blend of Frankincense, Amber and Sandalwood. I had a whole room and terrace to myself, had my massage in the room and the foot soak & post tea on the terrace, which was lovely… I loved the privacy. The pressure is bespoke and customised to your needs as well as the music (where you’re given a music menu) and the bed felt like an actual bed with sheets and super cosy – perfect for a morning or evening massage.

Recommended therapist: Amy

dubai.park.hyatt.com

Get Celebrity lashes… with the woman behind celebrity lashes, Laila at Pastels Salon.

Beautiful lashes make all the difference in the world. I’m not big on lash extensions and prefer the temporary ones but Pastels recently hired the lady behind celebrity lashes in the UK, Laila and I had to try her out. Before starting, make sure you know the session takes between 1.5 to two hours. When I spoke to Laila previously before my appointment, she said to come tired so I can just sleep through (best idea as you catch up on sleep whilst getting fab lashes!) so I came in right after three flights (a day of traveling). Pastels, one of my favourite salons in Dubai have their own dedicated lash room upstairs in their Wasl road villa with a super comfortable bed and blanket to keep me warm. I’ll be honest, I just slept through (made lash extensions so much easier). Laila just knows her stuff about lashes – the in’s and outs. Each session is completely customised to your lashes, depending on their length, volume and their condition. I just went with extensions on my top lashes due to time constraints and after approximately an hour and 45 minutes, Laila woke me up from my nap – made sure I was comfortable with them (had a mild burn that went away 2 mins after drying them)in whilst blinking and also gave me a consultation on my lashes and how to improve their condition – as well as tips on how to maintain the extensions. I must say for two weeks post the appointment, I rarely wore make up (I’m a daily smokey eye kind of girl) but I just felt the lashes made my eyes look larger, the lashes looked thick and curled – and more striking and actually trained my eye to not need a smokey eye during the day. If you want to get lash extensions done, I suggest you do your research as you don’t want to end up with infections. I highly recommend you check out Laila at Pastels Wasl Road.

Cost: AED450 for the top lashes

www.pastels-salon.com

Try a brand new hotel spa… at the Conrad Hotel Spa.

Lots of new hotels popping up in Dubai, so I’ve been on the hunt to see what they’re about. There’s been quite a buzz on the Conrad Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road – I need to check out their restaurants too! I popped in to check out their Conrad Spa for a Deep Muscle Relief massage after a workout. Each spa has a look and this one is all about the colour blue… They have LED lights around, which unconsciously relaxes the mind. When I asked my therapist why, she mentioned blue (water) is one of the elements of the earth so they took advantage of that. As soon as I arrived, I was welcomed with an iced tea and hot towel before taken inside to the small, but perfectly equipped changing area (They have L’Oreal Ellnet sprays in the bathrooms – extra points!), before taken inside by my therapist Npho. The 60 minute massage was done with a gel first to warm up the muscles followed by an oil with firm and deep pressures. After finishing off the treatment completely relaxed, I was shown to the relaxation room, where I had their signature Alzakar tea – Black tea & papaya with a bowl of fruits. The cost of the massage was AED470.

Conrad’s Hotel website

Brighten your skin… with a Lactic Acid peel at Rebecca Treston @Euromed

I’m not a fan of peels and never gotten one done either. I recently tried a very light acid peel, the Lactic Acid one and was super impressed. I recommend you get this done every now and then (you don’t want to thin out your skin) but a great & fast way to brighten, light and deep cleanse the skin. Lactic acid is more expensive than the others but definitely worth investing in. Slightly smelly, the liquid is brushed on the skin after being cleansed (or can be done after a spectra treatment with Rebecca). No down time and quite quick, the acid is applied to the skin, quickly neutralised after a few seconds then removed. Benefits include fading dark pigments, a quick deep cleanse, exfoliation, evening and instant brightening.

https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaTrestonAesthetics

I recently met up with Guerlain’s regional Make up Artist, Gary Cooper for a one on one session. I’m a huge fan of Guerlain make up – not only is the packaging amazing, and everything smells so damn good - The products do everything you want them to do. During our session, I picked up tips from Gary that I learnt, and wanted to share them with all of you… also asked the Make up expert on HIS favourite products.

-Use Concealer under the eyebrows, corners of eyes and on the nose as a highlighter.

-He swears by their Guerlain BB cream – Use it as a base before foundation if you’re going out at night.

-If you struggle with finding where to apply a blush, cross two brushes together. Cool technique!

-Skin care is very important. You don’t have to go crazy as long as you clean, tone and moisturise your skin. This is the base. I would rather sell a skin care first and then the make up.

-For Tanned, bronzed skin – don’t start dark. You have to find the perfect number of shade for your skin, then if you want to go darker you can build it up. Terracotta is great for that. You can do the figure 3 on your face for a best result.You just take your brush and draw the figure 3 along the jaw line. So it will be 3, 3, nose and chin. Every Guerlain assistant should teach you that when you buy Terracotta. It works very well.

-For illuminators, I would just use it with a brush on the nose. You can also use it on your chest because it has beautiful gold reflects, but very little again. I will not use it all over the face, it would be overdosed. There is a lovely gold powder for that. We do have those powders to correct the face. The green one, for example, is to correct the tone. You can mix them. It is very nice under the eyes or as a finishing powder. Within the new collection we have a new Meteorites. “Illumination pearls”. It does finish your make up or highlight, illuminate. It gives a wonderful reflect to your skin and we have it in compact powder now.

This month, I spoke to the lady I swear by for my skin… Rebecca Treston about how to get that perfect glow before a big event… This is what she had to say:

Firstly, it is important to have a thorough consultation with a reputable aesthetician to ensure he or she can determine which treatments will restore a radiant glow to your complexion and make your skin look its absolute best. Whatever the issue is that you wish to address, we have several treatments available at Rebecca Treston@Euromed that can ensure you look fabulous before any special occasion.

If you are worried about lax skin or want to restore firmness to your skin, then Face Lift Massage Therapy is a fantastic choice. Using electro-fabric gloves, which are nick-named “Magic Hands” due to the unrivalled benefits they boast for improving skin health, a 30 minute massage delivers a microcurrent to the face and neck.  Although this facial treatment feels no more taxing than a refreshing massage, this revolutionary procedure actually uses highly-advanced Bio Electrical Acceleration Management technology (B.E.A.M)™ to activate facial muscles and increase fibroblast activity by 60 per cent, which in turn promotes skin lifting and tightening and results in visible improvements to the appearance of lines, wrinkles and skin firmness.

For those who want to banish imperfections, freshen up their complexions and reveal glowing skin, then a skin peel is ideal. Our microdermabrasion express diamond peel is a deep exfoliating treatment which yields instant results. This treatment removes dull, dry skin to unveil skin that is smoother and visibly rejuvenated. As an added bonus it also encourages the growth of healthy cells to improve skin texture and colour.

Another brilliant option is a glycolic peel.  Designed to give the skin a boost, this peel will detox skin leaving it soft and bright not red and flaky unlike stronger peels, ensuring it is the perfect skin pick-me-up before a special occasion.

Finally, if you have time to visit the clinic over a few days, then the phytic peel is a must-have treatment. Often referred to as the ‘red carpet facial’, this is a pampering, superficial peel treatment designed to bestow effective exfoliation without the obvious signs of peeling – a perfect choice for those who do not want their skin to flake, but require an effective acne or anti-ageing treatment.

 https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaTrestonAesthetics

I love hair treatments as they keep my hair highly nourished and hydrated so I like getting two treatments a month. I’ve gone to a few of my favorite salons in the city to round up and see which helped my hair, who gave scalp massages and comparing costs.

credit: Lylalovesfashion

FOR… Instant Nourishment before a Blow Dry.

Name: Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Masque

Brand: Macadamia Natural Oil

Salon: Snob Salon on Al Wasl Road.

Process: The Masque was applied evenly on to the roots and ends before getting tied up, covered in plastic, and applied under the steamer for 15-20 minutes before being rinsed out thoroughly. The hair was then dried and good to go. It took around an hour and a half altogether.

Massage? No

Smell: Smells good, a mix of Argan Oils and Macadamia oil. My hair smelt good all day!

How it felt: My hair felt super soft and nourished post treatment. It also smelt fresh and amazing ALL day.

Recommended therapist: Rana

Contact: http://www.snob.ae

Cost: AED150

Stars: 8/10 – I wouldn’t come here especially to have the treatment, but I’d definitely do it as an add on to a blow dry I was having at SNOB (they are amazing at blow dries and curling.)

FOR… a Relaxing and Color Care treatment

Name: Kerastase hair treatment

Brand: Kerastase

Salon: Pastels Salon, Jumeirah branch

Process: Started off with the Kerastase Elixir for pre cleanse and massage, moving on to the treatment for Hair damage and colour care (as I just got my Ombre done). The Kerastase hair treatments are bespoke to the condition of your hair. Mine included Vita-Ciment Concentrate and the boosters – Ceramide (for reconstruction of the hair) and Polyphenols (to improve and maintain the colour shine.)

Massage? Yes (Best head massage!)

Smell: The smell of Kerastase products, nothing fancy.

How it felt: Conditioned, and my head felt relaxed.

Recommended therapist: Nancy

Contact: http://www.pastels-salon.com

Cost: AED195

Stars: 9.5/10 – They also have all the latest magazines which I love as well as their flat shower beds!

FOR… Luxury nourishment.

Name: Caviar hair treatment by Kerastase

Brand: Kerastase

Salon: Maria Dowling Salon

Process: After getting the hair washed with shampoo, the caviar pearls and cream are mixed together and applied on the hair. This was left on the hair with a foil for 20 minutes before being washed off.

Massage? None (boo!)

Smell: Subtle scent from Kerastase

How it felt: My hair felt super soft, hydrated and nourished, which was much needed after a recent colour.

Recommended therapist: Rani for the treatment and ask for Nicola Day for the stylist – she gave me the best braid hairstyle!

Contact: http://www.mariadowling.com

Cost: AED450

Stars: 8.5/10

FOR… A Quick yet effective hair treatment.

Name: Booster Hair treatment by Kerastase

Brand: Kerastase

Salon: Jetset Salon (I went to the Grosvener house branch)

Process: The hair was washed, sprayed with a booster that deeply nourishes and hydrates dry hair mixed with a tablet to maintain colored hair followed a scalp massage.

Massage? Yes! scalp and shoulder (yay)

Smell: Subtle but lovely scent

How it felt: My hair felt SO soft and hydrated

Recommended therapist: Robin for the treatment & Raul for hairstyling.

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/JetSetUAE

Cost: AED160

Stars: 9.5/10

FOR… Deep Conditioning

Name: Deep conditioning treatment by Joico

Brand: Joico (I don’t know any other salons other than Tigerlily that have Joico so was super excited to finally try it!)

Salon: Tigerlily, part of Hermione at Magrudy’s

Process: There were 4 parts to the treatment – The clarifying shampoo at the beginning to open the cuticles and remove all the residue from styling products built up in the hair, Cuticle sealer to seal the hair cuticles, 3rd is the reconstructor to repair damaged strands and ending with the Intense hydrator to give your hair all the needed hydration.

Massage? Yes – quite a bit. Loved it

Smell: Really, really lovely.

How it felt: Relaxing, and my hair really needed the pampering therapy and deep conditioning.

Recommended therapist: Susan

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/hermione.ae

Cost: AED210

Stars: 9/10

Taking care of your colour is just as important as finding a great colourist. After getting some bleach in and the chemicals into your hair, it’s natural for the hair to get a shock, get damaged and if not treated well – for the colour to look brassy and fade away. Since getting my hair Ombre’d, I’ve been visiting the salon twice a month to get a hair treatment as well as changing my shampoo/conditioner routine. One thing we don’t realise is that we need to change our shampoos, conditioners and masks whenever we get our hair coloured or travel to a new country in order to get the best out of my hair. I recently sat down with Pamela, the Kerastase educator to get my hair tested and get the shampoo, conditioner and mask recommendations my hair needs. I decided to write this over a month after using the products to let you know if they actually helped the hair. I’ve been using the below, plus a protein mask with Sweet almond oil from Original & Mineral (Australian haircare brand) and I can’t tell you how much the condition of my hair has improved.

-          Kerastase Immersion Nutritive:

Use -To be used on dry hair (before shampoo) on the mid-length and ends.. for 10 minutes . .

Reason for recommendation – to nourish your hair especially the parts that might be dried out due to color change in the ombre area

-          Kerastase Bain Divalent:

Shampoo that helps balance the oiliness on the scalp, but still nourishes the dry ends

-          Kerastase Chroma captive mask:

Recommendation – mask for colored hair.. will help you to have a long lasting Ombre and a beautiful shine all over the hair

-         Kerastase Elixir Ultime colour oil:

Use – 3 ways to use Elixir

1.       To be applied on the scalp and hair for 3 minutes before shampoo  – this is a precleanser to deeply clean your scalp and hair

2.       Before blow dry on towel dried hair – used nourishment, injection of omega 3,6 and 9, vitamin A, E and plenty of imperial tea (antioxidants to help preserve colour)

3.       On dry hair – Smell, shine + more nourishment.

-          Kerastase Intialiste:

Use – 3 times a week on the scalp (preferably after shower)

Reason – a serum for a better quality of hair – stronger  -shinier. Serum that  works on the future of the hair by working on strengthening it from the follicle.

I get spray tans every now and then. It’s one of those I always feel like they’re a hassle to get but once I get a good one, I get addicted. I scoured the city for spray tans… here’s my round up of a few:

For… Dubai’s best and a Sunkissed tan.

What & Where: Spray tan at Pastels Salon, Al Wasl Road (Jumeirah branch)

Brand: Vita Liberata and Xen Tan (they are both great, the only difference was Vita’s pigments were darker but Xen Tan was less sticky)

Recommended therapist: Elvie (a tan artist, literally… love watching her apply it!)

Did it streak/smudge? No

Colors: I went for the dark option, they also had medium.

Scent: It just had a strong self tan scent for the first day, but it soon started to disappear after the first day.

Extras:

-The tan is non toxic & Organic.

-Best to do on a free evening as you can’t shower for 8-12 hours

-They give you disposable underwear’s.

-Elvie (the therapist) dries you up with a fan and hot dryer. Wish more salons did that!

Lasted: It started fading after 5 days, but then again I shower every day.

Cost: AED180

Contact details: http://www.pastels-salon.com

Stars: 10/10

For a… Dark tan.

What & Where: Dollhouse Salon at Dubai Ladies Club – Mona Kattan’s brainchild.

Brand:  That’so

Recommended therapist: Dulce

Did it streak/smudge? Yes, I had streaks and some patches of uneven colour.

Colors: They have one shade, but you can go for several coats depending on the colour you want. I went for two coats.

Scent: It smelt good getting it done, but smelt the typical spray tan scent the next morning.

Extras:

-You need to shower after 4-6 hours which I liked because I didn’t have to sleep uncomfortably for the first night.

-They didn’t have disposable underwear’s, which was slightly irritating getting spray tan on my own.

-Super, super slow but I was very happy with the colour so it was worth it.

Lasted: 2 weeks

Cost: AED250

Contact details: http://www.thedollhousedubai.com

Stars: 6/10

For a… Non-fuss perfect glow

What & Where: Blo Out beauty bar, Tecom

Brand: Xen Tan

Recommended therapist: Jay

Did it streak/smudge? Not really, but slightly on the fingers & toes due to the Vaseline applied.

Colors: They had one shade but the therapist made me check my colour after each coat to judge whether I want to stay that colour or go darker.

Scent: Typical spray tan scent but I used the Xen Tan scent secure to help with that

Extras:

-You can shower 6-8 hours after

-Xen Tan is an organic tanning brand

-I was given a disposable underwear & hair cap

-I stood in front of a fan for 10 minutes post tan before getting dressed and heading out.

Lasted: 7-9 days

Cost: AED150

Contact details: http://blooutbeauty.com 

Stars: 9.5/10

For a… No-mess St Tropez tan

What & Where: Sisters Beauty Lounge, Dubai Mall (but they have branches across Dubai & Abu Dhabi

Brand: St Tropez

Recommended therapist:  Mercy

Did it streak/smudge? No

Colors: They have two shades, I went with the lighter one

Scent: Subtle scent right after the tan

Extras:

-They had feet stickers, genius! I didn’t have to get vaseline on my soles nor did I get orange feet.

-I was given a shower cap and disposable underwear.

Lasted: 5-7 days

Cost: AED175

Contact details: www.sistersbeautylounge.com

Stars: 9/10

This week, I spoke to Supermodel, Bambi Northwood-Blyth, who has launched her range at General pants. She speaks about what inspired her range, her style and her beauty secrets.

www.generalpants.com.au

-Hi Bambi, what inspired you to start your range?

My friends, my travel, my creative overactive brain, my fiancé and fun. My collection is called BBAM and is exclusively available through General Pants stores.

-How would you define your style?

Messy but dressy. And pretty but tough too.

-Beauty products you swear by

Dermalogica exfoliant, La mer ultra rich creme, Sodashi Rose water mist, and Bio oil to keep the skin smoooooth !

-What’s in your make up bag

Mac face and body cream, Tom Ford contour, Laura Mercier eye shadow creme, Chanel Bronzer, YSL touché de éclat and Nars Copacobana Highlight stick.

-Vitamin supplements you take

You really wanna start ????! I take a TONNE ! But ones I swear by are Spirulina, Gaba, melatonin (for travel) and Women’s multivitamin.

-Perfect detox juice mix

Kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, parsley and HEAPS OF GINGER AND LEMON + ice !

-Favourite healthy dish

Souen macro plate. Is it steamed brocolli, kombutcha squash, carrot and hijiki seaweed w a carrot ginger dressing mmmmmmm !

-Facialist/Dermatologist

Nina Curtis from the Nile Institute ! She is a magician https://www.styleseat.com/ninacurtis

-Fitness routine

A high intensity cardio class (i love Body by Simone in NYC) or running, then followed by Pilates, yoga or a walk.

-Skin/Body treatments you love

Massage from anywhere, anytime ! They are my faveeeeeeeee ! I’m going to befriend a masseuse one day.

-Hair Miracle

Renya Xydis at Salon X in Paddington, Sydney.

-Signature fragrance

Inspired by Dan, I spray it when we are apart, Bois d’Argent by Dior.

I’m wearing a Victoria Beckham dress & Timberland boots

I’m a little obsessed with Supermodel, Cara Delevigne at the moment so we went for something inspired by Cara this month. 90s inspired undercuts have been creating a real stir recently, albeit in a more glamorous and wearable incarnation. The faux undercut – a style in which the shaved section is replaced by a tight braid – can be seen everywhere from the catwalk to the red carpet and has been worn by the likes of Kristen Stewart and Cara Delevingne. This style is one that can make the transition from daytime (where you can wear it to channel a festival vibe) to a glamorous, slightly edgy, evening style– perfect for the impending summer.

What you will need to complete the look:

Elastic Hair Bands

Bobby Pins

Heat Protection Spray

Davines hairspray

SACHAJUAN Sea Salt Spray

Sectioning Clips

Tail Comb

Paddle Brush

eROD Curling Wand

DiamonSilk Flat Iron

Step 1 (A Number ‘7’ Section)

For this style I begin with clean, dry hair, if you have a naturally wavy texture – leave it alone! It will work well with this look! I start by using my Tail Comb to create a deep side parting. I then focus upon the side with less hair as this section will form the braided undercut.

Next, I use my Tail Comb to create another section running from the crown; straight down behind my ear (this will create a shape that resembles the number seven).  I then clip the rest of the hair out of the way so I’m ready to style.

Tip: If you’re not sure where to place your parting, it should start in line with the arch of your brow.

Step 2 (Reverse French Braid)

Working with the ‘number seven shaped’ section I just created, I use my DiamonSilk Flat Iron to smooth out any kinks before taking three strands from the front and creating a tight Reverse French Braid. In case you’re not familiar with the difference between a regular French Braid and a Reverse French Braid I will explain. The Reverse French Braid (or Dutch Braid as it is sometimes known) is a modified French Braiding technique which gives a raised effect. The Reverse technique features alternate crossing of the two outer sections of hair UNDER the middle section rather than over.

Tip: If you’re still perfecting your braiding technique a regular French Braid will also work well with this tutorial.

Step 3 (Angle it down)

I continue my braid until I reach the point just behind my ear. I then begin to angle the braid downwards, following the number seven shape I sectioned off. Now, I start braiding regularly (without picking up any extra strands) until I get to my ends. I then tie the braid off securely with an elastic hair band.

Step 4 (Hide it)

To disguise the braid, I wrap the end underneath the rest of my hair towards the opposite side of my head, keeping it low, near the nape of my neck.  I then use bobby pins to secure the style and keep the braid in place.

Step 5 (Wave it)

For that added edgy feel, I mist my hair with heat protection spray and use my Paddle Brush to quickly detangle before taking my eROD curling wand to the ends. I love this clipless curling wand because it gives me the curls I want without the creases left by a clip. eROD uses Nano-titanium and Nano-silver to lock-in moisture, leaving me with damage-free waves in just a few seconds! I simply pop on my heat-proof styling glove, wrap my hair around the barrel of the wand, (away from my face), hold for 5 seconds and release. Voila!

Tip: The curl will begin at the point where you start to wrap the hair. For loose, rock chic waves, I start by my ear to ensure the curls aren’t overly tight.

Step 6 (Secure it with Spray)

The final step gives my style staying power. Once my hair has cooled I spritz a little sea salt spray for added volume, texture and fullness.

Tip: To make this look super edgy, you can work some gel into the braided section to smooth it down and give the illusion of a real undercut.

Moisturizer: Clinique Superdefense SPF20

A new key product from Clinique that has just come out that I highly recommend. The product includes Wheat-germ extract, which not only keeps the skin hydrated, it also creates a barrier on the skin that stops the water leaving the skin. It also includes SPF 20, quite light and has rich sources of Vitamin A, D and E.

Bb cream: Kiehl’s Beautifying BB Cream

I love my BB creams for coverage during the day, but as well as it being a product that helps your skin rather than clogs it up. I’ve started using this one by Kiehl’s which is clinically proven, has Vitamin C, as SPF 50, high protection and has decent amount of coverage. The only downfall if you don’t like make up scents is the fact that it has a strong coffee smell but definitely a BB cream to purchase. In terms of shades, I like the natural colour.

Cleanser: Eminence Red Currant Exfoliating Cleanser

I’ve been addicted to Eminence since doing a facial a few months ago – one of my favourite skincare brands – organic too! this exfoliating cleanser really makes my skin feel squeaky clean. Perfect for normal to combination skins, the product has a youth shield with antioxidants as well as ingredients such as Tea tree oil and Olive seed. To add to your collection, spray the Red Currant Mattifying mist over your skin post cleansing for a double youth shield as well as added moisture.

Tech: Foreo LUNA

The next Clarisonic? I’m obsessed with this new tech cleanser. Small enough to carry around and looks quite ‘chic’ for a tech-y product. It’s definitely less harsh than other deep cleansing machines – the soft silicone surface and T-Sonic works to unclog the pores, deep cleanses and removes all the impurities. I went with the one for combination skin (They have one for normal skin, as well as one for ultra-sensitive skin). The combination one is perfect for skin that is prone to getting skins and excess oiliness – the LUNA is effective enough to cleanse the face deeply, but gentle enough to not scrub and damage the skin. That aside – it also circulates the blood on the face which will give you that instant glow. I’m won over – a Star product.

Sold exclusively at Harvey Nichols Dubai for AED900

Serum: Dior Capture Totale Dream Skin

My new favourite Dior skincare product – and for those women that need a miracle for pigmentation and brightening the skin. The product, packaged in the prettiest pink contains opilia extract from Africa that penetrates the skin to reduce dark spots. In my opinion, Dior generally do one of the best face serums.

Anti-Aging: Argentum Apothecary La Potion Infinie

There has been a lot of buzz around this product for some time and I finally got my hands on it. An Anti-Aging cream infused with Antioxidants and Silver Hydrosol (an Anti-bacterial ingredient that promotes skin cell regeneration) as well as DNA HP (a natural ingredient that includes Shea butter, sweet almond oil and Vitamin E) The texture is soft and creamy – completely hydrating yet it dries up once on the skin so it doesn’t cause an oily effect. 99.5% of the product is natural and works on all skin types. Not to mention the black jar is mysterious, chic and luxe. At £147, it’s definitely a beauty investment.

Available on net-a-porter.com

Foundation: Tom Ford Traceless foundation stick

Make up wise, Tom Ford beauty is definitely at the top of my list. I recently started to get obsessed with foundation sticks after seeing make up artists use it during my sessions, and have developed a love for them. Only using them at night due to the heavy cream base, Tom Ford’s Traceless foundation stick is definitely a top favourite – strong coverage, not too heavy in terms of texture, easy to blend and a little product goes a long way. I like blending the product with a brush after applying it on my skin. A star product, worth the investment.

Primer:  Make Up For Ever HD Primer

Once you try on a great primer, it makes all the difference in the world! I’m currently loving the one by Make up for ever. Adds moisture and radiance, smells good, as well as holds your make up all day, especially with the High definition hold in photographs. A winner!

Concealer: Maybelline Dream Lumi touch

I’ve been using this fab drugstore buy concealer – Maybelline’s Dream Lumi touch. A stick with a brush gives decent coverage, highlights and gives a radiant finish.

Blush: Jane Iredale Pure pressed blush in Sheer honey

If you’re one that likes their make up light, I recommend you check out this blush – Skincare make up, high in pigment and the sheer honey colour is between a bronzer and blush shade.

Bronzer: Lancome blush subtil in 011

With Summer just around the corner, I suggest you check out this bronzer blush from Lancome. Perfect bronze sunkissed shade, long lasting and has high pigments.

Loose powder: Make up for ever High definition powder

Every time I get my make up done (which is quite a bit for shoots), I tend to pick up secrets from the artists and this is what most artists swear by – Make up for ever’s high definition powder. A fine micro finish powder with a velvety effect, colourless and works on any skin tone (just make sure you don’t apply too much so your skin doesn’t turn white!) but it really puts your make up in place and holds it together. A star product!

Eyeshadow primer: Sephora eyeshadow primer color guard

After using Urban Decay’s primer, I can’t add eye make up without a primer. I like this one because it doesn’t give any base color. Long lasting as well as makes the eyeshadow application come on a lot more smoother – once you start using this, you’ll never go back (promise.)

Eyeshadow palette: Topshop Smoky eye palette in golden aura

How have I not come across Topshop beauty products before? I am addicted. One of my ultimate favourite products is this eyeshadow palette in Golden Aura. Being a person that loves a good brown smokey, this has all the colors I need for the perfect brown smokey – two beautiful shades of brown and a dark shade as well as a highlighter for the brow bone (I also like using it as a highlighter due to it’s beautiful high pigments)

Eyeshadow shade: MAC Smut velvet

At night, I build up my brown smokey and turn it into something darker. Instead of going with blacks, I’m loving purple and plums this month. The Smut velvet shade is this lovely dark plum shade that comes on beautifully with a smokey eye.

Lip balm: Chanel Hydra Beauty Nourishing Lip Care

I mean, who doesn’t love a MAC lip balm?! I’ve been using this one for some time now. Chic packaging, hydrating and moisturising (due to the ingredients including Camelia oil). Not to mention perfectly sized for a mini box clutch!

Nude Lipstick: MAC Flair for Finery

Love a good nude in a MAC lipstick nude. Currently using this beautiful nude shade from MAC made out of a bright nude, light pink with cool undertones.

Lips: Bobbi brown art stick

One of my favourite lip sticks (ever) The Bobbi Brown art stick is between a lipstick and liner. Creamy matte texture, easy to apply, and it stays on all day. Made out of a blend of Shea butter and vegetable derived oil with intense colour pigments. My favourite shades include Cassis (a dark berry) and Electric pink (an intense bright pink)

Night Fragrance: Versace pour femme Oud Oriental

I’m not a fan of Oud scents, and usually don’t pick up any Oud fragrances but I must say I’m loving this one from Versace. If you love Oud, you will like this but I love how there’s a top note of Floral but because the base note is Oud, it doesn’t over power yet still gives this feminine perfume a luxe touch.

Perfume: Nuxe Prodigieux® le Parfum

I’m a huge fan of Nuxe’s body oils(especially the scent), so I’m pretty excited about this new launch. Perfume form of the oil. If you’re not familiar of the scent, think white floral, coconut milk, gardenia and vanilla – yum!

Post Spray Tan: Xen-Tan moisturising

I love a good spray tan, but two things that bother me is the post smell and when it gets patchy (due to not moisturising enough). My new spray tan gem is Xen Tan’s moisturising cream. Oil-free hydration and paraben free – it keeps the tan lasting longer as well as locks out self-tan odor.

Body Wash: Murad Blemish Body Wash

With the Summer weather, we constantly sweat so it’s important to take care of the skin on the back and chest. I’ve been using this fab body wash by Murad – which exfoliates, deep cleanses, soothes and calms the skin. Perfect for blemish control and to use several times a week. I like how the mini beads in the gel gently exfoliate the skin.

Bath Oil: Chanel No.5 Intense bath oil

These days, I will pretty much choose oils over creams – whether during the shower or post shower. I’ve recently started using Chanel No.5′s Intense bath oil which feels so good, and smells even better in the shower. It’s the perfect gift – Chic packaging, bath oil in Chanel’s classic scent.

Body Oil: Caudalie Divine Oil

I tend to keep my body hydrated with oils rather than creams, because it just feels lovelier on the skin. I’ve started using this one by Caudalie which is made out of Grape oil and Argan Oils (to keep your skin nourished, moisturised and regenerated) Use after the shower – the oil which has a woody floral scent is also non greasy which helps if you’re someone on the go like myself.

Scrub: Lush Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub

I love this as a body scrub, and can also use it on the face if it needs exfoliation. Made out of sea salt – which scrubs and cleans the body, the organic limes brighten the skin and the avocado butter softens the skin. A great quality product that smells refreshing and easy to carry it for travel.

Dark nails: OPI Creme Gloss ‘I sing in color’ 

Whether it’s fall, winter or any weather – I end up going for dark nails at least once a month – Think Essie’s Wicked or Luxedo. I’m currently loving OPI’s Creme gloss in ‘I sing in colour’, which is part of the collaboration with Gwen Stefani. My favourite from the collection – a vampy burgundy/brown shade and the creme gloss gives it an ultra glossy gel finish, and didn’t chip for a week.

Red nails: Deborah Lippmann in ‘Lady is a tramp’

I’m such a fan of Deborah Lippmann polishes, a US celebrity manicurist. This month, I’ve been wearing the beautiful rich red ‘Lady is a tramp’. A classic sexy rich red everyone needs in their collection for those special occasions.

https://www.deborahlippmann.com/

Hair serum: Amazon Keratin Argan Oil serum

Argan oil is so great for the hair and I’m loving this serum from Amazon Keratin for my dry colored ends (Thanks to my ombre!) The serum restores the hair fibres and hydrates as well as smells amazing (love Argan oil!)

Get an ancient foot massage… with a Padabhyanga treatment at The Oberoi Spa.

A good foot massage can sometimes be more relaxing than a full body massage. I recently booked in for a Padabhyanga treatment at The Oberoi spa – an Ayurvedic reflexology, which is an ancient massage that focuses on the marma points (points in the body where concentrated life energy is located) on the soles of the feet. It’s the perfect treatment for ultimate relaxation, improving the quality of sleep, help increase circulation and energy flow as well as boosting immunity. As soon as I arrived to the spa, I was welcomed with a hot towel and carrot ginger juice before filling a consultation form, which depicts which oil needs to be used for my treatment – I had the Pitha oil chosen for me before going straight to my treatment room. The session begun with a cucumber scrub and foot soak to relax the feet before moving to the massage bed for a 60 minute foot massage. Masa bowls that were warmed in oil were used during the massage to interact with the energy force of the foot. A great and quality treatment for the feet. The cost of the treatment is AED400.

Recommended therapist: Ila

Indulge in a luxury Spa experience… at Talise Burj Al Arab.

Having lived here for most of my life, I’ve never actually been to the Burj Al Arab spa. I recently booked in for a signature Burj Al Arab massage at Talise, an 85 minute full body massage using different techniques. Being a Talise spa, the interiors had an Arabian style with a touch of rich gold and marble. As soon as I arrived, I was greeted with a cold tower and Talise water (a mixture of raspberry and ginger), got changed and made my way to the room. I was mostly impressed with the therapy rooms – mine had a sea view with natural light, a serene view of the oceans and the sky within a floor to ceiling glass. The treatment consisted of two parts – the first part was a dry oil massage with Thai massage techniques, and the second part was an oil massage (she suggested a grapefruit essential oil as I wanted to feel energetic, but I ended up going for a nourishing Argan oil). The massage was super relaxing, strong and made me doze off from extreme relaxation. I ended the treatment with a cup of Jasmine tea and a healthy muffin. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for your other half or mother, this is it.

Recommended therapist: Wan

Cost: AED990

Get an all natural manicure… with the Green Bar Manicure & Pedicure at Snob Salon & Boutique

I must say I’m impressed with the fab regional brands coming out at the moment – probably even more so within beauty. Shiffa, TFK and currently tried an all natural manicure & pedicure by a Bahraini brand, Green Bar at Snob Salon & Boutique. Be warned, if you’re getting this treatment and want to appreciate getting 100% natural products infused into your skin – make sure you’re all ok with the natural & organic smell (I definitely don’t mind it but it’s not you’re typical hand cream scents.) The Jumeirah salon have comfortable minimal couches for their mani & pedis with a vast range of polishes from CND Vinlux to Essie & Gelish. The nail treatments were started with a mist of Rosewater super blend, before a quick soak followed by the green balm on the cuticles (to soften & nourish whilst the excess were removed), moved on to the polish scrub, which is fab for baby soft skin before finishing off with an Apricot & Grapefruit oil instead of a lotion. There were two things I left impressed about – my cuticles felt a lot more moisturised than other manicures (I say it’s the balm…) and the fact that less chemicals were absorbed by my skin.

http://www.snob.ae

Recommended therapists: Lorna & Divina

Cost: Green bar manicure is AED125 and the Green bar pedicure is AED135

Try a four hand massage… with a  4 hand butterfly massage at So Spa at Sofitel The Palm

I recently checked out the new So Spa at Sofitel Hotel The Palm for a treatment like I’ve never done before. A full body massage, yes but four hands instead of two – which means two therapists. As soon as I arrived, I was greeted with a Chocolate Chilli tea. I was definitely impressed with the spa – large, spacious, gorgeous (with plants & minimal interiors) as well as 3 indoor pools and 1 outdoor. They have a spa for men and women, separated under the same roof.

My treatment started with a Foot soak – first with Peppermint oil infused into the water before mixing the Coconut milk. The foot soak not only works as an antiseptic, also soothes the muscles. I was then asked to lay on my stomach over the massage table – the massage started with the legs moving on to the back – whilst one lady worked on the one leg and the other working on the second using the same pressure. Imagine the feeling of a typical massage x 2 – the intensified massage really gives you the ultimate relaxation. At the beginning of the massage, I was trying to unconsciously keep up with who was doing what but soon later (in a matter of a few minutes) you forget it and really take in the massage high. If you’re wondering why the massage is called ‘Butterfly’, the technique uses two hands shaped like a butterfly using all ends and curves of the hand to get different massage pressures. The treatment ended with relaxation by the indoor pool with dried fruits & nuts with a cup of tea. What an experience. The cost of the treatment was AED1,200 and recommended therapists: Ayu & Helen.

Try a Yoga Massage… at Emirates Grand Hotel Spa

I recently went to try out Emirates Grand Hotel Spa on Sheikh Zayed road, and when choosing my massage, the first one that caught my eye was the Yoga massage, also known as the Stimulating Thai massage. A massage that consists of Stretching, bending movements using pressure points and acupressure. The hotel isn’t the fanciest but the spa was spacious and felt very Arabian – smells of Oud everywhere! I went for the 60 minute option. The massage was done with a towel over the body with no oil (super convenient) using strong pressure and stretches. The therapist was pretty much using her whole body weight which is really, really lovely if you have tight muscles like myself. I highly recommend the massage. My therapist, Oraphin was amazing – highly trained and definitely one of the best massages I’ve done in a while. The prices are also very affordable, so no breaking the bank for this one. AED350 for the 60 minute massage and AED450 for the 90 minute one.

Ease sore muscles… with a Muscle Ease massage at Mandara Spa, H Hotel

There are times when your muscles are incredibly sore due to a long week, long hours on the computer or even rigorous workouts. The Muscle Ease massage at H Hotel’s Mandara Spa is for you… Similar to a deep tissue, sports massage – the 65 minute massage is bespoke to your chosen pressure using their own oil, Island spice – a mix of cinnamon and ginger. The spa, which is a chain at top hotels carefully handpick their therapists from Bali and train them at the Mandara academy. The treatment started with a foot ritual, which was a foot soak with your chosen oil (I went for peppermint) followed by a scrub and foot massage) – a great way to start the rest of the 50 minutes as a full body massage. A great way to soothe tight, overworked massage but make sure to not come in when you have a tight slot, as they really like to take their time and give you a full spa experience. The treatment costs AED415

Recommended therapist: Sudiartini

Spring is here… Try a Spring Pedicure at The Nail Spa

Throughout the month of May, The Nail Spa have launched their ‘Spring Pedicure’ where if you get a pedicure using Essie’s fab new Spring colours and add a therapeutic treat – you end up getting a free manicure bottle from the new collection as a gift from the spa (which usually costs AED42). I recommend you getting the Aromatherapy Indulgence which is a 40 mins add on aromatherapy foot massage with your choice of pressure and essential oil, great for tired feet if you’re constantly wearing heels – Perfect Spring treat to yourself!

www.thenailspa.com

Recommended therapist: Annie

I’m not as familiar with the Boots N.7 make up and skincare range, but I was recently educated by the ladies from the brand – really impressed with their ranges and products – and how much vitamins & goods each product has. I couldn’t leave without getting my hands on them. I got a make up look that I always love… radiant skin, brown smokey eyes with nude skin. Before going ahead with the make up look, we started with a skincare routine for my combination skin – from cleansing, followed by using their N.7 Protect & Perfect serum followed by the N.7 beautiful skin day cream (which hydrates, regulates the sebum, and has protection for UVB and UVA). Here are some tricks and product recommendations I learnt about during my session.

-Get a free foundation colour check with their Foundation matchmaker to find your perfect foundation colour by checking your pigments and skin tone.

-Their primer is fab for an airbrush finish and includes key ingredient, hyaluronic acid – N.7Airbrush away.

-Their foundations like the stay perfect foundation includes UV protection and vitamin E – to protect and nourish. Most of their products have great ingredients such as their loose powder with Vitamin B5 blends and their mascara has Natural wax to condition the lashes, and the lipliners have Vitamin E.

-Their eyeshadows are high pigmented – you can use them as a powder or add water to intensity the look.

-Their Radiant glow concealer not only hides imperfections, also works as a highlighter.

Check out the Dubai Mall branch for a wide range of products!