While the rest of the world shivers and sniffles, Abu Dhabi, as always, seems to be baking. Which for all the moaning we seem to do does have its positive points.
Take pastels, for example, one of the new season's most important trends that have recently undergone a huge revamp - hard to pull off in a snow cloud, yet positively carefree in the warm eastern winds we get here.
Pastels scare us a little. There is a sickly sweetness about bubble-gum shades of pretty pinks, sugar almond blues and powdery purples that turn away those who like to be taken a little more seriously. That need not be so - we simply need to learn how to toughen up accessories and add structure to our layering to de-feminise.
Forget the Nineties' take on pastels with the sugary pink frosted lip and instead look to Prada, which has come up with the rather wonderful and unusual combination of pale yellow and powder blue - soft and chalky in equal measure. Try cream, blush, soft turquoise, salmon pink or celery green - even try layering a mix for impact, as all will work as long as we get a little brave with the accessorising.
Jonathan Saunders sent models down the runway with a rock 'n' roll flicked eye that paid tribute to the late Amy Winehouse, and Prada paired the girlie tone with a rather harsh masculine hairstyle in order to offset the overtly feminine attire. Try accessorising with black, in a hard structured fabric such as patent to provide an air of the unexpected, or try mixing them with an intensified version of the same hue - pale pink becomes scarlet, powder blue becomes sky blue, et cetera.
Anything studded or silver will help, as will dark tights in an opposite colour to that of the spectrum, emulating a Sixties aesthetic. All of this, however, is not to say that pastels can't still be pretty; we simply need to challenge the classic take, something that will be much easier for those with dark hair for once, as pale pink and the brunette work beautifully.
If you are still plagued by the Nineties Clueless era, try adding a touch of pastel to your beauty routine instead. We saw pastel eyeshadows in shades of lavender, light blue and silver paired with thick, full and defined eyebrows and flushed cheeks head down the catwalks, so the trend will soon be hitting the make-up counters in the next few weeks.
Not to forget, of course, what lies ahead with the launch of Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby and its inspired 1920s pieces, such as the drop waist, seen for the first time in many seasons. So it seems, spring is well and truly on its way - albeit a spring that should be viewed through a pair of rose-tinted spectacles.
M-ometer
This week's high and lows
MARIA GRACHVOGEL We featured the London-based designer in our rooftop fashion shoot Cloud Atlas. Symphony now stocks her new collection.
CASH BODIES Why waste money on gyms when you can go for a free walk or cycle on the beach at this time of year?
GRAPHIC ADVERTISING Boater hats, black-and-white and two of the coolest Asian models of the moment. We couldn't love Emporio Armani's new ad campaign more.
AXE FOR WOMEN The cheesy teenage boy's go-to deodorant brand is introducing a women's fragrance.
NEW LAUNCH Saks Fifth Avenue recently added Lanvin Petite to their childrenswear department. Now you can match your little one at the next family 'do.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Company%20Profile
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How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
World Cup warm-up fixtures
Friday, May 24:
- Pakistan v Afghanistan (Bristol)
- Sri Lanka v South Africa (Cardiff)
Saturday, May 25
- England v Australia (Southampton)
- India v New Zealand (The Oval, London)
Sunday, May 26
- South Africa v West Indies (Bristol)
- Pakistan v Bangladesh (Cardiff)
Monday, May 27
- Australia v Sri Lanka (Southampton)
- England v Afghanistan (The Oval, London)
Tuesday, May 28
- West Indies v New Zealand (Bristol)
- Bangladesh v India (Cardiff)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450
Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000
Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 369hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm at 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2A)
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The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
Titan Sports Academy:
Programmes: Judo, wrestling, kick-boxing, muay thai, taekwondo and various summer camps
Location: Inside Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Telephone: 971 50 220 0326
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Honeymoonish
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The biog
Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren
Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies
Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan
Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India
Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy