The Beauty Spy: Eyelash curlers, the one true makeup kit essential



I hate those questions such as "If you could have only one beauty appliance what would it be?" or "If you had to throw away everything in your handbag save one item, what would you keep?"

Clearly women are not monogamous when it comes to the contents of their make-up bags or handbags. Everything is essential; from the hairbrush to the bronzer to the lip gloss to the tweezers to the mints. Yet when it comes to my make-up bag, there really is just one thing I cannot imagine living without for even a day: my eyelash curler.

Not curling my eyelashes before I go out is just not an option. This piece of equipment is so important that if I see that my eyelash curler is about to curl its last lash, I rush out to buy a replacement immediately. Here in the UAE that is no easy task. Last time I checked there wasn't an eyelash curler to be had in all of Abu Dhabi. Apparently there are people out there (not just shopkeepers) who have yet to discover this miraculous gadget, which is why I decided to dedicate a column to it. Ladies (and possibly gentlemen), your life will never be the same again. OK, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but your eyelashes won't.

Although I have been using these little gems for an age, I have just learnt how to get the best out of them. I recently returned from London, where I visited the Trish McEvoy make-up counter at Harvey Nichols to pick up some essentials for a friend in Abu Dhabi. I thought I might as well see if they sold eyelash curlers. Eddie, the salesgirl, showed me one.

"It's very basic," she said. "But I love it; I hate all the newfangled ones, this one just does the job. Shall I show you how to use it?"

I thought I may as well let her, although I was convinced there was nothing she could teach moi about eyelash curlers.

"Clasp your lashes in the gadget, squeeze, tilt them back slightly and hold for 10 seconds," said Eddie, demonstrating on herself. "I always do it once my mascara has dried otherwise I tend to get mascara marks on my eyelids."

There was a big difference. One set of eyelashes looked like they'd been twisted around a chopstick while the others were unremarkable. The chopstick effect lasted for only a couple minutes, after which the overall look was stunning. Eddie suggested I do it myself to get the hang of it.

Clasp, tilt and hold. Couldn't be simpler.

I bought two of them, one for my handbag and one for my make-up bag. I suggest you do the same. Happy curling.

NEW PRODUCT

The bold and the beautiful

Now here is a beauty line to brighten your day. Sephora has created its Smiling Skincare range for face and body that is all about pleasure. Brightly coloured packaging in five pretty rainbow hues will brighten up your bathroom, and there are products to suit all skin types. Choose, for example, from the green line, which features soothing cleansers, exfoliators and masks, or from the pink line, which features creams such as Flawless Moisturizing Lotion SPF 15 and contain light-reflecting pigments and antioxidants to ward off the signs of ageing. With five lines in total, we're grinning from ear to ear.

Smiling Skincare will replace all existing Sephora skincare products and will be available in Sephora shops from mid-April

M loves: Maybelline XXL Pro Range Mascara

Whatever mood your lashes are in, the new Maybelline two-step mascara can cater to it. Whether you're after volume, curl or extension, this miraculous dual-ended mascara will satisfy your every whim. Start with the base coat and then apply the mascara. Volume is increased a whopping 11 times, curling lasts for up to 12 hours and your lashes will look as much as 85 per cent longer. Get ready for that party, girls.

Dh58, available at leading pharmacies and supermarkets nationwide

3 of the best

Packed with antioxidants and healing properties, these great vitamin E products will nourish your skin

JO MALONE VITAMIN E BODY TREATMENT SCRUB, DH448 Gentle and revitalising, this indulgent scrub containing organic brown sugar and shea butter sloughs away dead cells to reveal radiant-looking skin.

THE BODY SHOP VITAMIN E CREAM CLEANSER, DH48 It takes only one application of this rich cleanser to soften skin and clean your pores.

BOOTS VITAMIN E BODY LOTION, DH25 Feel virtuous while applying this lotion - a light and easily absorbed formula that keeps your skin feeling moist for up to 24 hours.

Company name: Play:Date

Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day

Founder: Shamim Kassibawi

Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US

Sector: Tech 

Size: 20 employees

Stage of funding: Seed

Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund

Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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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.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

World Cup qualifier

Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')

UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')

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Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
Scoreline:

Everton 4

Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', ​​​​​​​Digne 56', Walcott 64'

Manchester United 0

Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)

What is a Ponzi scheme?

A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.

Fringe@Four Line-up

October 1 - Phil Nichol (stand-up comedy)

October 29 - Mandy Knight (stand-up comedy)

November 5 - Sinatra Raw (Fringe theatre)

November 8 - Imah Dumagay & Sundeep Fernandes (stand-up comedy)

November 13 - Gordon Southern (stand-up comedy)

November 22 - In Loyal Company (Fringe theatre)

November 29 - Peter Searles (comedy / theatre)

December 5 - Sinatra’s Christmas Under The Stars (music / dinner show)

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.

Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.

The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.

The specs

Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 715bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh1,289,376

On sale: now

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine