The National staff
SoH
SoH, located in the new Galleria Mall on Al Wasl Road in Dubai, is officially the go-to place for cool, unique nail art. Other UAE salons may offer a version of nail art, but their stencilled, simple designs don’t approach the artistry available here. Uncensored hip-hop music, upbeat staff and limitless creativity fill the white brick walls of SoH, where you can request anything from a yellow Minion or moustached Hello Kitty to the Dubai skyline during sunset.
Being a huge fan of kawaii (a summing-up of the concept of cuteness in Japanese culture), I requested three different designs: a rainbow with a smiley-faced cloud, a dripping pink-sprinkled ice-cream cone and, something a bit edgier, a black-and-white eye. For my other two fingers, I went with a pink-and-blue French manicure with a top coat of glitter. If you’re planning something as intricate as this, be prepared to sit for a while because the artists, being perfectionists, take their time with their work so that you’re given the exact design that you requested.
And it’s not just about the nails: SoH is one of the few salons in the Emirates that will confidently dye your hair mint green or pastel pink, or shave an edgy undercut style.
And it’s also something of an art gallery, showing paintings and mixed media that reflect the salon’s grandiose ghetto-meets-pop culture theme. There are accessories, including snapback caps and phone cases, for sale from local designers such as Mermaid by D and Fatma Al Mulla. SoH also offers custom painting on bags and shoes. Examples on display include a pair of white Converse high-tops decorated with the face of Frida Kahlo and a Louis Vuitton bag emblazoned with My Little Pony icons. – Hafsa Lodi
Nail art costs Dh15 Dh45 per finger, depending on the complexity of the design. SoH is located in Galleria Mall on Al Wasl Road, Dubai. Call 04 344 4147
Glamglow
I’m not one to frequently experiment with facial products, since my skin is quite sensitive and prone to breakouts. But after getting a pot of the Glamglow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate treatment from a friend for my birthday, I decided to give it a go. The grey-green clay-like mask smells slightly citrusy, with a tinge of sweetness. When I began smearing it onto my face, it started to harden almost instantly and took less than 10 minutes to fully dry. After washing it off with warm water, my skin definitely felt softer and smoother and I had none of the itchiness, redness, burning sensations or irritations that can sometimes result after using other face masks. My skin also feels really clean and refreshed – I’ll be adding this to my weekend beauty routine. – Hafsa Lodi
The Glamglow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate treatment is available at Sephora, and costs Dh70 for a 0.5oz jar, and Dh255 for a 1.7oz jar
BIOEFFECT
As I get older the one thing I want in a skincare regime is effective hydration. I want dewy, but not ever to look oily. And if it can be simply constructed, without nasty ingredients, then we’re approaching perfection. This is a surprisingly hard combination to find, which is why I have been raving about a new line from Iceland’s Sif Cosmetics called BIOEFFECT. Once you get past the alarming all-caps title, this product is incredibly soothing. The day moisturiser and EGF serum smell like nothing – “nothing” being the most coveted scent in beauty products – and left my skin soft, smooth and totally moisturised all day long, without greasy side effects. Preservative-, fragrance- and oil-free, the serum has just 11 ingredients and is produced using renewable geothermal energy. Apparently a cellular activator called Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), produced in genetically engineered barley grown in volcanic pumice and watered with Icelandic spring water, is what makes everything feel so good. – Ann Marie McQueen
BIOEFFECT is available at Harvey Nichols – Dubai and House of Fraser, Yas Mall – Abu Dhabi. The range is priced from Dh550 for 30ml of the EGF face serum, and Dh450 for 50ml day or night cream
Davines
I'm always looking for good, all-natural shampoo and I think I've found it in Davines, an Italian company. Davines is on sale in the UAE at Esthetic Sense Spa in Abu Dhabi's World Trade Center Mall. I'm partial to the Alchemic experience, which comes in golden, red, tobacco, silver, chocolate and copper and offers distilled colour pigments added to shampoos and conditioners that enhance natural and coloured hair. – Ann Marie McQueen
Shampoos are Dh85 for 250ml; conditioners are Dh95 for 250ml