With the hint of cooler, breezy nights around the corner, I'm saving for a new Christian Louboutin fur clutch and some ridiculously expensive Chanel Sublimage cream. This divine blend - like someone squeezed out the gooey fondant of a Patchi chocolate, whipped it with silk and poured it into a gorgeous pot - is worth every dirham. Though I adore luxury brands, there are other beauty buys that I'm happy to economise on. And there's nothing that makes me more deliriously smug than discovering a bargain that works just as well as its expensive cousins.
Serums are vital in my daily skincare cream, and the new Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Longevity Concentrate has me sold on name alone. Its capsule bottle with lavish gold-and-blue packaging contains an elixir made from three species of orchid. As it promises to regenerate skin cells, I cannot wait to sleep easy at night.
Also worth investigating is the Olay Regenerist 3-point Super Serum. The lowdown is that it's as good as pricier serums and is a great anti-ageing all-rounder. I also love the high-street brand Eucerin - the hyaluronic acid in the creams and serum makes it fantastic for thirsty skin.
I never leave home without concealer. Its power to cover dark circles and sun spots prevents people from asking if you're sick. Crème De La Mer, The Radiant Concealer SPF25 smooths away almost any imperfections with its silky formula. It could be a daily staple if it weren't for the price tag. A great alternative is Clinique's Airbrush Concealer, which brightens, blurs and covers up without irritation. Also try Rimmel London Hide The Blemish. Not just for spotty teenage skin, its dense stick formula is long lasting without being cakey.
Violet eyeliner and blue eye shadow are back, but too much can make you look like your aunty in the Sixties. Givenchy's Shadow & Light Eyes in Lune Mordoree is a great starting point as it has a beautiful selection of hues. At under Dh20, L'Oréal Paris Wear Infinite Eye Shadow in Midnight Sky is a steal. Apply lightly for daywear or build up for extra colour. For lips, Maybelline New York Color Sensational in Fuschsia Fever has a creamy consistency and is bold enough not to need a liner.
But whatever your budget, choose between big eye make-up or strong lipstick - never both, unless you're Christina Aguilera or appearing in the chorus line of Chicago.
Three of the best
CRÈME DE LA MER LIP BALM, DH270 Proving there is such a thing as love at first sight - or application - this dreamy lip balm moisturises your lips, leaving just enough sheen to mix well with lipstick. Plus, Dh37 from every pot sold is donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
TWEEZERMAN SLANT TWEEZERS, DH126 A beauty staple, these limited edition tweezers with a pretty pink ribbon are a handy size for travelling and come slanted, with a hand-filed tip to ensure precision plucking. Dh11 from every sale goes to Breast Cancer Campaign.
NSTYLE PINK INSPIRATION COLLECTION, DH220 Give your nails a glossy finish with these three hot pink shades. With a nontoxic formula and chip-resistant coverage, you'll sparkle as much as the Swarovski crystal-capped lids. Polishes are sold in packs of three with proceeds going to the charity Safe & Sound.
M loves
PERFECTLY PINK With snazzy pink packaging containing three of our favourite skincare products, we at M love this Elemis Think Pink Beauty Kit. Elemis created it exclusively for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and are donating Dh60,000 to Breast Cancer Care, a charity supporting those affected by the disease. Inside the cute "Think Pink" beauty case you'll find the divinely smelling Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, Lifting Neck And Bust Treatment and Skin Nourishing Shower Cream, all for Dh250. Beauty-saving and life-saving goodies, what's not to love?
Elemis Think Pink Beauty Kit, Dh250, available at Debenhams Mirdif City Center and elsewhere, 04 231 6602
Coming soon
The smell of luxury In the coolest of collaborations, the world of fragrance is getting a million-dollar perfume. DKNY Fragrance has teamed with the celebrity jeweller Martin Katz to create the unique offering, and it's all for charity. The DKNY Golden Delicious Million Dollar Fragrance Bottle is carved from polished 14-carat yellow and white gold and is adorned with rare jewels such as 2,700 brilliant white diamonds and 183 golden yellow sapphires. It is being showcased on a global tour, stopping in the UAE tomorrow until October 8 and ending up on DKNY's Facebook page, where it will be available for purchase. All proceeds will go to Action Against Hunger, a global humanitarian organisation committed to ending world hunger. Plus, the scent - a blended floral mix of white rose, lily and vanilla orchid with the added spiciness of Golden Delicious apple - is available to buy separately from Dh226 at beauty counters across the UAE. To see the bejeweled beauty, visit Bloomingdale's in Dubai Mall tomorrow and Monday, Faces in Abu Dhabi's Marina Mall on Wednesday and Paris Gallery in Dubai Mall on Thursday until October 8.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
On sale: now
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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)
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
Rating: 1 out of 4
Running time: 81 minutes
Director: David Blue Garcia
Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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more from Janine di Giovanni
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
German plea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the German parliament that. Russia had erected a new wall across Europe.
"It's not a Berlin Wall -- it is a Wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this Wall is growing bigger with every bomb" dropped on Ukraine, Zelenskyy told MPs.
Mr Zelenskyy was applauded by MPs in the Bundestag as he addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly.
"Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this Wall," he said, evoking US President Ronald Reagan's 1987 appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
