Check out the cool infographic from the Coffee Club:
Month: April 2015
Loving Dark Roast from Tim Hortons
Everyone knows my addiction to Tim Hortons Iced drinks but finally I have found a hot drink – the new Dark Roast blend that I tried in an enhanced tasting experience by the brand highlighting the full, rich profile of the new coffee blend…in the dark!
I usually don’t go all the way to the other end of Dubai for such tastings but it was organised by an awesome PR agency, Percept Gulf who were very persuasive and is the best agency that Apparel Group uses so I made the effort – I am glad I did.
Tim Hortons Dark Roast is a brand new premium blend made from 100 per cent Arabica beans, sourced from the world’s most renowned coffee regions….which is why it was great for a kick start when I started trying it in the mornings the last 2 months instead of my normal iced coffees.
The new dark blend offers hints of citrus, cocoa and earthy tones with a rounded body. It is carefully roasted to bring out the full, rich flavour and aroma of a dark roast coffee, while ensuring a perfectly smooth finish. For someone who always drinks iced coffee, this is a nice change for me and I am loving it.
Marks & Spencer’s Spring’15 collection
I always love the M&S fashion shows – they are always better organised than most other brands in the same range, clothes are always sensible and something one can wear and their Spring’15 collection is no different. Celebrating the first glorious days of the spring season, the collection is vibrant and flattering.
We enjoyed the high tea party and fashion show with the region’s stylish including blooming bloggers at Meydan Beach, The Walk, whilst sipping tea, savouring the delicious cupcakes and enjoying fashion on the runway. The new womenswear and menswear collection presented at the show reinterprets the international runway trends into stylish wearable ensembles for both work and play, available in impeccable quality at great prices.
Luxurious in its simplicity, the womenswear collection is a celebration of the sleek and elegant. Contemporary shapes, effortless styling and clean lines are punctuated by desirable prints like oriental florals, abstract graphics, flirty polka-dots and nautical stripes. Colour is given a seasonal overhaul as the redefined neutrals- warm tans, textured blues and a spectrum of pinks creates the tone of the landscape.
Below are the trends that define the mood of this edited collection:
70’S SUMMER OF LOVE: Hippy style goes haute this season with free-spirited prints and relaxed tailoring for a light-touch take on 1970s style. Relaxed vibe is evident with crochet details, floral prints and wide-legged jeans, simply embodying the spirit of the era.
MODERN ROMANCE: A romantic narrative veers from the dramatic to the flirtatious; as heavy lace meets peek-a-boo sheers, in a vivid feminine collision. Pastel pinks, white and red are featured in its standout pieces including the elegant fashion-forward pink limited edition skirt.
INTO THE BLUE: Denim emerges as a trend in its own right, creating a new depth to the casual and updating the tailored. Look out for fresh ideas, from cool jumpsuits to denim dresses – it’s time to embrace the blues.
ORIENT: An eastern sensibility informs this modern silhouette, as ornamental prints and sculptured separates are elegantly constructed for an exotic appeal.
STRIPES: The classic print gets a cheery makeover in refreshingly vibrant hues. There’s nothing uniform about them either, as the modern effect is created with variable depth and width.
The menswear collection is a contemporary combination of formal and casual pieces styled together to create a relaxed, understated look for the season. Casualwear smartens up with modern interpretations on classic pieces, with the focus on clean lines, fine summer fabrics and masculine iconic styles, worn in a new tonal colour palette.
We loved the deconstructed formal jackets and classic macs with design details such as an asymmetric fastening. Clean, simple t-shirts and light weight bombers are styled with coloured footwear to create this new look for the season.
Blue is the key colour reference for spring’15 in both formalwear and casualwear, ranging from intense navy and midnight blues to paler denim and chambray tones. Denim jeans are available in improved fits, a full range of denim washes, new finishes and worn techniques, working with the most casual day looks as well as more formal outfits.
This new season embrace the effortless sophistication and defining quality with Marks & Spencer….a lot of the women’s dresses were perfect for my teenager who loves casual wear on the weekends. Check it out.
The menswear collection is a contemporary combination of formal and casual pieces styled together to create a relaxed, understated look for the season. Casualwear smartens up with modern interpretations on classic pieces, with the focus on clean lines, fine summer fabrics and masculine iconic styles, worn in a new tonal colour palette.
Key menswear items have been updated, with lighter summer weight deconstructed formal jackets and classic macs with design details such as an asymmetric fastening. Clean, simple t-shirts and light weight bombers are styled with coloured footwear to create this new look for the season. Blue is the key colour reference for spring’15 in both formalwear and casualwear, ranging from intense navy and midnight blues to paler denim and chambray tones. Denim jeans are available in improved fits, a full range of denim washes, new finishes and worn techniques, working with the most casual day looks as well as more formal outfits.
Leading Women – Ertharin Cousin
Inspirational women are great role models and I particularly like the ones featured in CNN Leading women series. Below is a Video and script of an interview with Ertharin Cousin, from the United Nations World Food Program, which feeds a staggering 90 million people a year.
VIDEO 1 : http://edition.cnn.com/videos/business/2015/03/17/spc-leading-women-ertharin-cousin.cnn
ERTHARIN COUSIN, WORLD FOOD PROGRAM: The fact that I know that I’m in a position to make a difference in the lives of so many people gets me up out of bed every single morning.
POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ertharin Cousin is a woman in near constant motion. She sits at the helm of the United Nations World Food Program, which feeds a staggering 90 million people a year. Cousin’s role often puts her at the center of crisis zones.
Like this Syrian refugee camp in Jordan.
COUSIN: So many children die from hunger. When you walk out of a supermarket in the UK and see what we have and then go visit a mother who is feeding her child water lilies.
HARLOW: What’s your mission?
COUSIN: The mission is to end hunger in our lifetime. People say, oh, Ertharin, that’s nice, but I mean it.
HARLOW: Is this your most important role to date?
COUSIN: Without a doubt. That’s an easy answer.
HARLOW: Spend time with her and you’ll see she doesn’t let anything hold her back.
When you were in law school, you were told to get a career and to be successful, you needed to pretend to be like a man.
COUSIN: Yes, I was. Simple as that.
HARLOW: But you rebelled.
COUSIN: I sure did. I went in for a job interview. I wore a red coat dress, because I said if they’re going to hire me they need to know from the time I sit down in the chair and walk in the door that they’re hiring a woman.
HARLOW: A big part of WFP’s strategy is women. Why?
COUSIN: Because women make the difference in all the communities that we serve. When we’re realistic — even in our households women have big voices. When it comes to what children are fed, women make the difference.
HARLOW: Cousin is a woman of incredible influence who has built powerful relationships. Before the World Food Program, she worked in President Bill Clinton’s administration and on the Obama presidential campaign. But it was her days in local politics in Chicago where she learned one of her most valuable lessons.
What is the biggest mistake that you’ve made that you’ve learned from professionally?
COUSIN: I ran for public office when I was under 30 years of age. We lost so bad. The lesson taught me was don’t just surround yourself with people who are like you.
HARLOW: She now leads a staff of 14,000 people and keeps this top of mind.
COUSIN: Told solve problems in your own head. When you try to go it alone, you end up by yourself.
Image and script Courtesy CNN Leading Women
Asgar’s Top Three Hairstyles for the season
Although I have medium length hair, I always keep it down as I never really took interest in styling it any different. It looks too hard so I’m excited when I get tips on hair styles from people in the know. Celebrity hairstylist Asgar in the tips below guides us through quick, cool and easy up-dos. Whether you’re entertaining kids over the school holidays, enjoying with friends or simply making the most of the weekend, these top three hairstyles will make you look gorgeous at all times.
Upside Down French Braid Bun
Try the upside down French braid bun for a totally cool look this Easter season:
How To:
Flip your head upside down; detangle and smoothen your hair with a brush. Grab a two-inch section from the nape of your neck and separate it into three equal parts.
Be creative! Twist, braid, or simply wrap your ponytail around the hair tie to create a smooth “knot” and
Start French braiding up the back of your head till you reach the crown. Don’t worry about making it perfect it’s the imperfection that will add character to your look. The messier it is, the cooler it looks! So here is how you do the upside down French braid. Take all three sections of strands and create a few rows of regular braid; take the strand on the right and cross it over the center. Then take the strand from the left and cross it over to the centre again. Before repeating the cross-over action, take a little bit of additional hair from the sides, and add it to the sections; now cross this new portion of hair over the middle section of the braid. Then repeat and you will be done in no time. Once you reach the crown of your head, tie the rest of your hair in a high ponytail. Now twist the pony around and create a ballerina bun or just play around till you get a messy bun. Secure it with bobby pins. You might want to use an oversized bow clip or tie a bow-knot; apart from hiding any bumps at the top of your braid it makes you look chic and adorable!
Cute Bow Bun
You see, bows are inherently sweet and girlish, when worn well it gives off a fresh, young and flirty vibe. So try this hairstyle and give your cuteness quotient a boost.
How To:
Brush and detangle your hair. Gather it on the top of your head and make a ponytail; secure it tightly with your favourite elastic hair tie. Loop your hair through the elastic and on the last pull through; don’t tug your hair all the way, instead create a loop, leaving the ends pointing toward your forehead. Thereafter, divide the loop into two halves and secure the sides lightly with bobby pins. Take the ends of your hair and fold it back through the space between the two looped halves. It will give the illusion of a knotted bow. Secure the ends at the back of your head with bobby pins. Fluff up your bow by spreading out the loops and gently tug them to give a slightly messy look.
Perfect Top Knot:
A Top Knot is perfect for so many occasions; be it a fun day with friends and family, a swanky party, or a second (or third or fourth) day hairstyle. The look is both chic and runway-worthy; one can never go wrong with a slicked back top knot.
How To:
Brush out your hair to remove knots. (Pre-requisite right?)
Flip your head over and pull your hair in a high ponytail; secure with a hair tie. Use a thick one, as it will boost the volume on the bun.
Be creative! Twist, braid, or simply wrap your ponytail around the hair tie to create a smooth “knot” and
secure with a second hair tie. Use a thin one this time.
Use plenty of bobby pins to secure any loose pieces.
Use hairspray to smooth out any frizzes. You now have a smooth, sleek and sophisticated top knot.
Homecare tips from Helpling
Every weekend I become a domestic diva so am always on the lookout for home care tips and I just received some from the German based startup Helpling, a global online platform for on-demand home services. The innovative online service gives people more time to enjoy the nice things in life: family, friends and leisure activities.
1. Use Powerade
The overpowering smell of chemicals can make cleaning the bathroom harder than it should be. But rather than getting out the bleach, try putting two cups of Gatorade in the toilet. Normally consumed as an energy drink, Gatorade has the power to turn you into the Michael Jordan of cleaning. Leave it in the toilet for one hour and then scrub it away.
2. Clean ceiling cobwebs with a yardstick and sock
Can you see cobwebs in the corners of your bathroom ceiling? If so, you should probably watch out for spiders. Then you should clean away the webs. A neat trick to clean them when you don’t have a stepladder is to use a yardstick (or something similar) with a sock on the end. This will allow you to reach into the corners of the bathroom ceiling.
3. Coffee filters clean glass
There are several ways to clean bathroom mirror and shower glass, but some end up being more work than they’re worth. A rag and window spray are a common combination, but one of the more popular methods is to use the spray with newspaper, which is absorbent and effective at cleaning glass. However, a coffee filter can be better than both a rag and newspaper because it doesn’t leave lint or ink behind. Try this out and see the sparkly difference.
Ideally, I would love Helpling to be at my service everyday but sometime’s a woman’s gotta do what a woman’s gotta do to keep things shining in the home front.
Toshiba’s evolution of PC’s display attracts GITEX Shoppers
Promoting Toshiba GULF FZE is an awesome job especially as they have some exclusive offers for the current GITEX Shopper, the region’s largest consumer electronics event now being held at the World Trade Centre, Dubai.
On opening day, the Toshiba stand was visited by HE Sami Al Qamzi, Director General, Department of Economic Development Dubai who took special interest in the museum style display of Toshiba PC’s from 1985 onwards.
This year marks a special year in Toshiba’s calendar as 2015 serves as the 30th anniversary for Toshiba’s Mobile computing products, providing quality products and innovative solutions in the notebook PC category. Focused on keeping this year a festive one, Toshiba is celebrating this with exciting offers during the upcoming GITEX Shopper.
Since 1985, Toshiba has been leading innovation, responsible for launching over eighteen world’s firsts in the PC arena. Toshiba Gulf FZE plans to showcase in their display different laptops from the world’s first laptop PC, the Toshiba T1100 to their latest innovations; making their display a kind of a mini-museum for consumers to view.
To make it a more exciting and fun filled experience for consumers, Toshiba is exclusively presenting a buy-back offer during the event. Upgrade old PCs and outdated Operating Systems and get the best discounts when buying a new Toshiba laptop, powered by Windows 8.1.
I gave in two old laptops that we were not using (One was a Lamborghini series that my daughter gave up on but was hanging onto as it looked small and cute and a very slow PC) and was able to buy a 1TB wireless Hard drive which Im very pleased about.
Toshiba will also be displaying and taking pre bookings for the new upcoming FY15 IDs for interested customers.
Shoppers will particularly enjoy exploring the special features and unique selling points of the Toshiba’s KIRA notebook, which brings together elegant design, meticulous craftsmanship and unparalleled performance in one package.
Another attraction would be Toshiba’s industry first HDMI 4K2K output, which allows the output of pictures and videos with an ultra high definition (UHD) experience in laptops and handheld electronic devices such as tablets and portable gaming systems.
The Toshiba stand will also host a ‘Play to Win’ promotion during the GITEX Shopper where customers purchasing a laptop from the stand are eligible to win discount vouchers worth AED 50, AED 100, AED 150 or AED 200 on the spot and claim the discount for their purchase. More details can be obtained at the stand before the transaction.
The Toshiba stand will feature live performances of the well-known Toshiba song that is a sensation online, every hour by local talent throughout GITEX Shopper.
With mega great deals, Toshiba ensures the satisfaction of visitors and consumers attending the GITEX Shopper. Enter with old laptops and go home with brand new, amazing items in exchange when you visit the Toshiba stand SS3-6 in Sheikh Saeed Hall 3.
Globalista Extraordinaire 