Sabrina and Idris Elba are, as it turns out, just like the rest of us.
“Idris would look at the 20 products on my bathroom counter and say: ‘Why do you need all those things?’ And I’d always say, I do,” Sabrina says with a laugh.
The couple’s opposing skincare routines — Sabrina’s endless serums and acids versus Idris’s Vaseline and go approach — became a topic of debate between them during the pandemic, when, freshly recovered from Covid-19, wellness was at the forefront of their minds.
“We started going on a wellness journey together at that time, as we probably all did,” she says. “We didn’t feel like the self-care that we were using incorporated some of the issues that we faced, like hyperpigmentation and inflammation.”
The result of that journey is S’Able Labs, a genderless skincare brand that not only answers their individual concerns as a couple, but channels their ancestral history by sourcing natural ingredients from Africa that the pair grew up watching members of their family use.
“A-beauty [African beauty] is a huge pillar for us as a brand,” Sabrina says. “We really want to use this as a moment to give African ingredients a time to shine and to be able to back them with the right biotech, so they are at their most powerful.”
Sabrina is of Somali descent. As a child, she watched her mother, Maryam, mixing DIY face masks using turmeric and qasil, sourced from the leaves of Somalia’s gob tree, which she would leave on for hours at a time.
“My mum’s always been a huge believer of just using natural ingredients and using less — I rebelled against that,” she says. “At first I thought: ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about, you don’t even know what hyaluronic serum is’.
“I went completely the other way and was using so many things that were damaging my skin. I had really bad acne in high school, which led to bad hyperpigmentation. So I felt I always covered up with so much make-up and was then stripping it down with way too many actives. It wasn’t until I really started to incorporate my mum’s ethos of ‘do less, use more natural ingredients’ that I’ve noticed massive change. Mums are always right.”
S’Able Labs launched last summer with an initial three-step product line — the Qasil Cleanser, Black Seed Toner and Baobab Moisturiser, which are now available at Dubai’s Biolite Clinic.
“Three of the unique beauty ingredients that we use in our core collection are sometimes used in other formulations and other brands, but we really wanted to regain ownership because they did feel a bit appropriated in a way,” Sabrina says.
“Baobab, which is in the moisturiser, is an amazing antioxidant. Black seed, I mean my dad used to put black seed in his tea saying that it will make you live forever — it’s a really strong anti-inflammatory agent. Qasil is a natural soap and Somali women say it makes you look super young and claim it has all these great anti-ageing benefits, not only for your skin, for your hair as well. So we were really excited to incorporate those amazing ingredients.”
The Elbas are United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors for the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and so ensuring the products are responsibly sourced and rural farmers are supported is an important part of the S’Able Labs ethos.
The products have been awarded the Butterfly Mark certification from Positive Luxury, which recognises luxury brands contributing to the future of the planet.
It was also important for the couple to feel that they were contributing something new and progressive to an overcrowded industry.
“I get really frustrated when people say: ‘Oh, this is a celebrity brand’,” Sabrina says. “Yes, there are a lot of celebrity brands, we totally get it, but we created this brand because we thought there was a space in the market, so to now be dumped into something just because of Idris’s prior experience or because of who he is, feels unfair.”
Ensuring the range was genderless was important.
“Idris wanted to understand what he was putting on his skin because he felt the market for men dumbed down products and didn’t offer the education,” she says.
“Why do girls know so much about peptides and men only learn about peppermint? There’s this unfair distance between what you find in male marketing and what you find on a pink tax product. We wanted to come together in the middle and find a way to have a really efficient routine that we could share, that incorporated all of his skincare concerns and mine, but educated us in a way that made sense.”
And how is it running a business as husband and wife? “I love it,” she says.
“You know, it’s not for everyone. A lot of people told us it would be a recipe for disaster. But I think because we have a similar goal, we have a similar ambition, it actually gives us something that moves us forward together that we connect on. We found a passion together.”
Dubai’s Biolite Clinic is S’Able Labs’s first and only global retail partner. As well as offering the full range, Biolite has also created a signature Oxyjet Leo X S’Able Labs Facial, which is now available to book.
“We instantly fell in love with Biolite’s ethos,” Sabrina says. “There are so many similarities between our brands and our personal values. And it’s great to be carried in a clinic that has been in Dubai for such a long time and is run by women.
“I love Dubai — I could move here,” she adds. “I think I’ve almost convinced Idris.”
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Series info
Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday
ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23
T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29
Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com
Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.
Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
England v West Indies
England squad for the first Test Cook, Stoneman, Westley, Root (captain), Malan, Stokes, Bairstow, Moeen, Roland-Jones, Broad, Anderson, Woakes, Crane
Fixtures
1st Test Aug 17-21, Edgbaston
2nd Test Aug 25-29, Headingley
3rd Test Sep 7-11, Lord's
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
The%20Mother%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Niki%20Caro%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jennifer%20Lopez%2C%20Joseph%20Fiennes%2C%20Gael%20Garcia%20Bernal%2C%20Omari%20Hardwick%20and%20Lucy%20Paez%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
