As the summer season gets serious and the back-of-the-drawer bikini is pulled out, you know it's time for the annual body blitz. Thanks to the many celebs from Gywneth Paltrow to the newly toned Princess Beatrice flaunting their perfectly trim, detoxed, glowing skin in swimwear no larger than dental floss, gone are the days of covering up sins in a sarong. But before we weep into our Cadbury bar and consider cancelling that beach holiday, I say not so fast. It's simply time to bring in the professionals.
Streamlining your silhouette is what the therapists at Eternal MedSpa do best. Their revolutionary treatment machines - VelaSmooth Pro and the Venus New Life system - promise to help contour the skin, reduce cellulite and shrink the size of fat cells. The VeloSmooth Pro gives a deep lymphatic drainage massage that smoothes hips and thighs. Although not for the fainthearted - it feels like a naughty child pinching your skin - it's not painful and there is immediate circumference reduction of the area.
If you are concerned about sagging skin, then invest in a course of Venus New Life; a non-invasive treatment for skin tightening and lifting with no recovery time. For best results, book a six-session course of both treatments.
If you have been inspired to hit the gym, be sure to sport Puma BodyTrain trainers. Those in the know at Puma claim that "with a rocker shape design, BodyTrain activates leg muscles an average of 11 per cent more than traditional walking shoes". Their soles are made from LunarLite foam (introduced at the 2008 Olympics), which provides greater stability for your foot, and the shoes' arched positioning makes your muscles work harder.
Having firmed your figure before your holiday, keep it in great shape with Shiffa's Energising Body Oil, rich in decongesting and slimming extracts of fennel and ginger, or Clarins Extra Firming Body Cream, packed with cellulite-busting ingredients.
When it comes to hair, the key word is "smooth", as a quick leg shave or a DIY bleaching session will not a beach goddess or poolside beauty make. If you haven't cottoned on to the wonders of laser hair removal and months of stubble-free skin, now's the time. Book a full-body laser hair removal session at Silkor or Kaya clinics and nicking your legs with a Bic razor will be a thing of the past.
If all this fails to instill beach body confidence, there is something fabulously glamorous about the new Bobbi Brown Almost Bare Collection. The bronzing powder and high-shimmer lip gloss both look great with a tan - and ideally a Pucci kaftan.
3 of the best
Dream of exotic far-flung places with these zesty summer shower gels
KORRES MANGO SHOWER GEL, Dh53 Slather on this fruity gel, close your eyes and breathe. Sweet mango scents with moisturising aloe vera will have you dreaming of the tropics in no time.
L'OCCITANE PLUM BLOSSOM SKIN MOISTURE GEL, DH129 Inspired by the fragrant plum blossoms in Provence, France, this velvety and nourishing gel melts into the skin to leave a silky softness.
BATH & BODY WORKS COUNTRY CHIC SHOWER GEL, DH45 Packed with ingredients that could be in a pudding such as vanilla orchid, juicy apple and sparkling lemon, this gel used in your daily shower will give you a revitalising lift.
M loves
NEW ZEALAND PAUA ABALONE HAND CREAM Sun damage, air conditioning and dish washing - you name it and our hands are exposed to it every day. This leads to seriously dry skin that needs a lot of heavy cream to keep it remotely soft. This hand cream is made from what is more commonly known as sea snails and delivers just the right amount of moisture. It left our hands feeling velvety soft without any greasiness.
Dh65, Laverne, The Souk Central Market, 02 628 0456
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Mobile phone packages comparison
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
THREE
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Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Biography
Her family: She has four sons, aged 29, 27, 25 and 24 and is a grandmother-of-nine
Favourite book: Flashes of Thought by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Favourite drink: Water
Her hobbies: Reading and volunteer work
Favourite music: Classical music
Her motto: I don't wait, I initiate
RESULT
Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41')
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20')
Rodri (30')
Honeymoonish
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
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