Category: Lifestyle features

Fun and sensual fragrances from Mikyajy

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NJD with her current favourite fragrance

With my new obsessions with fragrances, I have two new signature women’s fragrances, Dicey Royale and Flirt Dreams that has made me smile this week. Designed in trendy cube-shaped glass flacons, the two fragrances reflect the essence of every woman, combining elements ranging from girly lightheartedness to sexy mystery. Each fragrance pays homage to the different styles and approaches each woman takes with love, romance and seduction…..are you intrigued?

Little diva NJD loves the Flirt dreams and I love the Dicey Royale so we are both getting into bed for story and cuddle time the last few nights smelling each other and stressing what makes the one we selected better. As a  sensual, warm-hearted romantic, I naturally like Dicey Royale which has warm and dynamic notes for a sensual woman who prefers a subtle form of seduction. Rose and woody ambers are prominent notes – the composition opens with top notes of rose, peony blossom and essence of mandarin and orange as well as a base of woody ambers. This scent is intended for those who want an exceptional and intense fragrance.

The one that Tash loves, Flirt Dreams is a fresh, youthful fragrance with sparkling, light notes for a more delicate woman. I’m sending a bottle to one of my other babies in Cape Town to see what she thinks of it. The floral fruity fragrance is for the carefree girl with an upbeat personality.

Flirt Dreams and the original Flirt both share a fun floral character that remains linked through both fragrances thanks to a jasmine-dominated heart. It’s a floral fruity eau de toilette that opens with top notes of bergamot, pear, nectarine and pink pepper, with a heart of rose, jasmine, peach and violet, and a base of cedar and musk. Flirt Dreams is aimed at those who love a fragrance filled with light, airy nuances and a tinge of subtle fruitiness.

My next fragrance notes will be in a few weeks time when a regional perfume maker will make his way to Dubai and share with me his thoughts on the industry. Plus I am hoping to have coffee this weekend with the Fragrance Foundation as well as I learn more and more about mixing and experimenting with my favourite  scents.

NJD’s favourite – Flirt Dreams

Hello Kitty Beauty Spa….little diva may need spa allowance

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Yummy Yummy, in my tummy :). Hello Kitty cupcake

I don’t mind taking little diva out for the occasional pampering session to get her hair or nails done but with the world’s first ever, Hello Kitty Beauty Spa now launched at Town Centre Jumeirah, I may have to share my spa and beauty allowance as it seems the idea of going to a Hello Kitty spa appeals to little girls like her….but I love my little diva heaps so am willing to do the mother daughter bonding thingy in a spa instead of the usual bumming with a romantic comedy on the sofa with junk food session.

I was at the dazzling launch with my favourite and the sweetest diplomatic couple ever (Mr & Mrs Daisuke) from the Japanese consulate as we enjoyed branded Hello Kitty cupcakes and drinks. The Beauty Spa is themed and designed on the famous Japanese character ‘Hello Kitty’ and specially designed for ‘Queens’ and their little ‘Princesses’.

The lead designer Miyuki Okamura from Tokyo drew the character and signed stuff for fans present at the event.  Hello Kitty Beauty Spa is an innovative extension to the brand which allows a younger audience to experience the luxury and pleasures of a day at the Beauty Spa.

I loved the interior, the different lines of products they had, from organic to normal make-up, hair products and even food in the Kitty Cafe section. The design of the spa is that of ‘vintage girly look’ and the minimalist reception displays the best of Hello Kitty goodies. The services at the spa include nails, facials, hair and make-up.

The Beauty Spa offers a separate service menu for ‘Queen’ and ‘Princesses’, offering all organic nail and beauty products for young girls. Just so you know, Hello Kitty was born in 1974 – a year after I came into the world and when good things started to happen :).

Over the years, Hello Kitty has become one of the most unique and interesting icon ever created – a worldwide social icon with relevance to women of all ages, ethnicities and economic backgrounds as well as an inspiration to artists and designers. It is one of Japan’s unique cultural exports, and one of the ultimate symbols of Kawaii, meaning cute in Japanese.

Three decades since she made her debut on a small coin purse in Japan, her popularity has multiplied exponentially from Japan to the world. Thanks to Sharaf Retail, we can enjoy the chilled out side of Hello Kitty in Dubai and I’m glad I can now have spa sessions with little diva NJD on weekends.

Had loads of laughs dressing up for the official pic at entrance 🙂

Hello Kitty tattoo on a cheeky place

A Donna Karan presentation

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Dipesh is always surrounded by beautiful women…he is here with lovely Shimaa, Rania, Shweta & Sidrah

My favourite stylist Farah Kabir at Donna Karan show…..Dubai has become more stylish with her around

With Jewellery Designer Nadine Kanso @ the Donna Karan new collection presentation

I reckon everyone knows now in Dubai I love anything that is organised by Dipesh & Ayman….these boys are magic with everything they touch. Couple of nights ago I ventured into the Fashion Lounge of Dubai mall as New York design star Donna Karan presented her luxurious Spring and Summer 2012 collections, organized by The Qode.

Needless to say, Dubai’s glitterati stepped out to see the luxe tribal inspired collection reminiscent of Haiti’s glamourous heyday. Models mingled with the guests overlooking the striking Dubai fountain in an evening of high glamour. Tribal prints, Donna’s signature jersey drapes and evening wear wowed the guests.

The new Donna Karan boutique, which opened recently at the Dubai Mall is housed on the first floor of the exclusive Fashion Avenue, and is the flagship outpost for Donna Karan in the Middle East.

While there, I caught up with Nadine Kanso again whose jewellery Dipesh & Ayman introduced me to a couple of weeks ago and yes…it was something I liked heaps as it was not your usual expected designs one gets so bored of …. watch this space for more information on her creative style. Meanwhile, check out Donna Karan at Dubai Mall and get ready to be wowed!

How gorgeous is Lina Samman. She is beautiful in and out and always full of positive vibe

The Donna Karan show finale

 

It is time for Dubai Summer Surprises

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NJD after a DSS face painting when she was young….she always chose a tiger design

Summer in Dubai these days are a lot different than 10 years ago thanks to the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment, an agency under the Department of Economic Development of Dubai who have planned more than a 100 exciting shows and activities over 31 days set to cement Dubai’s reputation as the finest summer destination in the region through Dubai Summer Surprises 2012 (DSS).

DSS will run from June 14th to July 14th with the slogan “Dubai. Summer Fun and More”. I remember working with the DSF/DSS team in 2000 and had lots of fun at the DSF offices then with H.E. Laila Suhail who is now the CEO of DEPE and Ibrahim Saleh, Festivals Coordinator General and Deputy CEO of DEPE. Both of them are just as dynamic as I knew them 12 years ago and its great to see that they keep each year’s events fresh with new activities….I’m particularly excited with all the spa offers I’m about to experience – my body certainly needs it.

To know what you want to indulge in this year, check out the “Dubai Calendar” which gives visitors and residents a month-by-month line-up of the unique and entertaining events taking place in the city all year round and it is a great source of reference for anyone wanting to make the most of their time in Dubai….it is an awesome tool for people who have visitors all the time in Dubai.

This year’s partners and sponsors which includes Emirates Airlines, AW Rostamani, Al Futtaim Group, Emaar Malls Group, Emaar Properties, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Al Ghurair City, Mercato, Paris Gallery, EPPCO and ENOC, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai Duty Free in addition to Master card and Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG), all of which, over the years, have played an important role in the success and continuing growth of DSS.

Malls across the city will play host to DSS signature events, such as World of Stories, Kids Fashion Week, Min Bladi Al Emarat, and the Sheila and Abaya Fashion Show, and kids can look forward to 8 highly popular international stage cartoon shows such as The Smurfs, Barbie, Hello Kitty, Sponge Bob, Charlie and Lola, Ice Age, and Teletubbies….man these bring memories of us going all over town with little diva. I must say I am glad she’s all grown up now and enjoys DSS the way I like – retail therapy!

My favourite bit this DSS will be naturally be the spa offers program “Dubai Spas” with cool discounts at the cream of Dubai’s luxurious spas. I’m not big into raffles partly because I never win anything but DSS usually has some mega prizes.

I’m pretty sure there is a lot more news coming up for DSS but the taster activity schedule that landed in my inbox makes me want to just here all summer.


Senses and Sensibilities

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Hend Al Falafly’s pencil and acrylic on canvas

Last week I found my yoga, zumba & Muay Thai classes missing on schedule an entire evening – not wanting to do anything in the gym that was not musically oriented, I set out art gallery hopping so my creative side gets a dose of eye candy (not male related for once).

The most delightful exhibition, being a super sensuous chick that I am was Hend El Falafly’s exhibition at Art Sawa. Hend, an Egyptian who lives and works in Cairo was sweetness and light personified and it was my luck that she was at the gallery at the time of my visit.

Over some nuts and dried apricots with fruit cocktails, we got chatting and it was interesting to marry her persona to the paintings I was so overwhelmed by on the walls.

Hend explains that realism at times worries her and she wants to express that through her work. Being inquisitive, I dig deeper and it is clear that her work has a symbolic and very expressive meaning behind it. Being a woman and despite my tomboy tendencies, I was moved by each of her sexily sensuous pieces.

Hend explores through her intimate works in ”Senses and Sensibilities” the different emotions expressed by women, usually which are part of her everyday life. She uses body language to understand the meaningful silence carried over by their experiences and stories. These are reflected in all its semantic in the facial expressions and movements of the hands, the feet, the look ,the clothes and emotions repressed.

And with the silence of the lips, it is usually the eyes which transcends all the languages and spoken in a glance, an unspeakable tongue that denies lies and hypocrisies. I agree with this fully as I’m always told that no matter what I am thinking or feeling, my eyes always betray what I really feel and are the windows to my soul….its not always a good thing but over the years I’ve learnt that my eyes betray me and if it reflects sadness at any time, I end up crying because I know the person across me knows I’m hurting….its not nice for the other person but hey….I’m a woman and I can do what I feel like.

Hend tells me that an array of different areas of reality inspires her and have great impact on her works, which is revealed through incredible movement and light. No secret can be kept hidden……if you want to see her amazing work for yourself, its at DIFC Art Sawa until 19th June. Enjoy!

With artist Hend El Falafly

Quirky Habits

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Part of my miniature perfume collection

A friend walked into my kitchen, saw fridge magnets on two huge refrigerators in the kitchen and concluded that collecting magnets has to be my most quirky habit. Of course I didn’t tell her that I have two very big refrigerators in my kitchen not because I need them but the fridge magnets have to go somewhere and I couldn’t think of anywhere else creative to display them.

I’m sure plenty of friends have been been victims of this hobby of mine as I return armed with a bundle of fridge magnets from my travels. But fridge magnets are not all that I collect.

My biggest passion is collecting miniature bottles of perfume. I started this about 12 years ago fuelled further by Eric’s then habit of indulging me with whatever my heart desired and my heart still to this day desires cute little bottles of perfumes of all sorts. I have a collection already and continue adding to it while enjoying the more favourite scents.

Fridge magnets are still something I get wherever I go but miniature perfumes continue to be a passion that I love – I’m certainly glad that collecting Louis Vuittons and Jimmy Choos were very short lived addictions. Can you imagine if I continued that with the same vigour as I do collecting fridge magnets and miniature perfumes. I would feel very sorry for my smoking plastic card.

Funnily enough NJD has a habit of collecting stones for her memory chest…she does this without realising that every country we have been to, she has always returned with a stone which she forgets about afterwards as it lies around the house. As long as it does not translate into other kinds of stones like diamonds and emeralds which is very likely considering the diva qualities emerging from the little tyke, I shall keep mum about it…literally. I’m resigned to pick stones around the house with my mouth shut.

Lets just hope that there are no other quirky habits I have that I am not aware of…someone said I use the words ‘heaps’, ‘baby’, ‘sweetie’ ‘aye’ and ‘honeybunch’ way too much…does that count as a quirky habit too?

Fridge magnets...how jumbled up is that?

Healing Juices….make it a habit

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My first encyclopedia of healing juices that I've lent to many friends for inspiration and ideas

One of the healthiest things I started 2 years ago inspired by a book and my hydrotherapist was starting my mornings with juicing.

Armed with a juicer and an encyclopedia on juicing, I also encouraged my near and dear friends to follow suit and now its great to see them wake up every morning and juice the life out of various fruits and vegetables.

Its a legacy I’m leaving my closest friends and family so that even if they are far from me or travelling, I shall always be on their mind as the one who inspired them to take juicing seriously as an everyday habit.

My favourite combination for the morning juice is a mixture of carrots, cucumbers, celery, apples, ginger, orange and beetroot.

Couple of weeks ago I stayed at Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri and to my delight, a mobile juice cart came to my table at Sofra restaurant on both mornings and the waiter had a long chat with me about different combinations he does for guests as well. His recipes were awesome.

On my birthday I went to the Dubai Shangri-La for a chilled out breakfast and was thrilled to see they also started a juice station which I looked forward to the next morning…they made some delicious smoothies as well as power juices.

There are so many benefits of juicing. I also bought my baby sister a juicer last year which I hope she’s using.

Here’s to a healthier and vibrant lifestyle with juicing and to friends and family who will always be bound by this tradition.

Plastic money – prepaid provides relief

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Over a meal recently an old friend Anu who I met through the Business Women’s Group gave me an overview on what she’s working on and it happened to be a seminar focussed the inaugural Middle East Prepaid Awards organised alongside the third Prepaid Summit Middle East.

It is apparently an area that is increasing rapidly and as a consumer, I myself now prefer prepaid cards – whether its for phone or my internet USB flash key. I also decided to give my 11year old a prepaid credit card to buy apps for her ipad 2 and this was only possible because my bank had started a bling card that can be used by kids easily (Naturally I have had multiple heart attacks at the beginning when this chick thought using a card meant she could go crazy with it without mumsy knowing – but all the transactions came to my email and I soon put a stop to young NJD being plastic happy).

Apparently loads of banks and retailers were involved in the summit that was held at Westin. From AlShaya and Ibn Battuta gift cards to travel cards, it seems like the industry is going crazy over safe, controlled plastic money.

The inaugural Middle East Prepaid Awards was presented in association with Visa Inc, and recognised the most outstanding and innovative organisations and individuals operating within the industry when it came to prepaid cards…all I can say is that I’m glad my little tyke has plastic money with a limit on it or else I just can’t handle dealing with the expenses of another diva within the same house.

Treasures of the World’s Cultures

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Diva just received an invite to Treasures of the World’s Cultures, second in a series of exhibitions that paves the way to realising Abu Dhabi’s cultural vision and the opening of the Zayed National Museum.

Bringing life to elements of human history dating back 2 million years, the exhibition highlights examples of ‘buried treasure’ and recent artworks from around the world. I’m told the exhibition connects historical and modern cultural perspectives through one visual experience.

As a self proclaimed culture vulture,(I’m not just a fluffy chick obsessed with Romantic comedies only afterall), it would be interesting to see historic objects from across the world, including Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, plus items from the Modern World.

Organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority in collaboration with the British Museum, Al Ain National Museum and Sharjah Archaeology Museum, I’m glad to hear it will be at Manarat Al Saadiyat until July 17th – all I have to do now is organise the latest car launched in the market to be at my disposal for a weekend so I can go test it by cruising around Abu Dhabi and get to see this exhibition.

A number of talks and panels will take place to complement Treasures of the World’s Cultures. First of the series, on 18 April, will feature Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, who will explore the highlights of the exhibition and reveal some of the extraordinary stories they evoke… Diva reckons you should put it in your diary if you are in Abu Dhabi that day.

Exclusive Style Consultation With Top Fashion Stylist Farah Kabir

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Farah in action

Al Ghurair Centre offers exclusive Style Consultation Opportunities With Renowned Fashion Stylist Farah Kabir

One of the people I have become very fond of in the last two years is Dubai’s hottest and trendiest fashion stylist, Farah Kabir, who also happens to be my ex-neighbour and is like my older daughter and a friend. She and Leila, another friend keep me feeling young.

While I lived next to her, it was an absolute delight bumping into Farah in the mornings, near the lift or just as she was about to go out as she was always impeccably dressed and no matter what she was wearing, it always looked effortlessly chic. Naturally she is talented and this is her career but I still feel one has to have a natural knack for style and clearly Farah has it.

We always felt Farah would be an incredible independent stylist – doing what she does best and enhancing people’s sense of style in Dubai. (Trust me, there are those like me who work all the time and have no idea of what’s trendy, what’s not, and where to go for clothes).

Help is now at hand with Al Ghurair Centre which has kick-started its signature Al Ghurair Styling Event which runs until March 31st 2012 offering 10 days of pampering and styling in a relaxed setting where women can mingle and chat, exchange fashion tips and get insider styling ideas from Farah.

Farah will give shoppers a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform their wardrobe, and signature style as she has styled for big-budget Hollywood movies such as the Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol blockbuster and world-class brands such as Nike, Tag Heuer, Harvey Nichols, De Beers and Cartier.

Farah started her career working at avant-garde boutiques such as Demeulemeester, Yamamoto and Comme des Garcons before entering the world of styling. She is also a graduate of the prestigious London College of Fashion.

If you feel like you need a style makeover or you need to make a few changes in your wardrobe, there is no one in Dubai better than Farah to make it happen for you….what are you waiting for girls?

For further information, please contact 04 2055309 / 285 or visit www.alghuraircentre.com