Using bizarre ingredients to restore your skin’s youthful glow is no longer shocking. A bee-venom facial, snake massage, placenta face cream – we’ve heard it all. And if they have been endorsed by celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian or Tom Cruise, what does one have to lose, other than a hefty chunk of cash – that’s just the price of vanity.
So I had no cause to wrinkle my nose when the therapist at Dubai’s Biolite Aesthetic Clinic explained that the Japanese Nightingale facial contained bird poop. I was more than willing to lather up in ultraviolet light-treated bird droppings as long as it didn’t stink. Fortunately, it didn’t.
Legend has it History books suggest that the Geishas of the east were the first to recognise the beauty benefits of nightingale droppings in the 17th century, during the height of Japan's economic development. Called Uguisu No Fun treatment – because the droppings traditionally came from the Japanese Bush Warbler, known as the Uguisu bird – the first noted reference to it was in the book Shunkinsho (Portrait of Lady Shunkin) which was published in 1933.
Its revival in 21st-century beauty treatments can be largely credited to former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, who reportedly battled with skin problems until she discovered the marvellous effects of bird droppings.
The droppings used in the pricey treatment, offered by spas around the world, are imported from Japan in powdered form and come from birds bred under sanitary conditions for this purpose.
The treatment
The therapist prepped my skin by wiping away a hot morning’s accumulated grease and turned on the steam machine while creating a concoction of the poop powder and Japanese rice bran for the first stage of the cleansing.
This step was no different from some of the other branded facials I have previously indulged in. Even the musky aroma of the paste, which reminded me of a warm oatmeal breakfast, was the same. The heat from the machine opened my pores for the extraction phase, while the properties of the mixture exfoliated without drying out my combination skin.
After the surprisingly painless extraction of a few blackheads, the therapist proceeded to target bacteria and grime with a high frequency electro-current apparatus that caused a tingling sensation. This was immediately followed by a peach-moon water solution to calm my slightly irritated skin and tighten the pores.
The most relaxing part of the facial came when I was asked to inhale the fragrance of organic camellia oil, which was then massaged into my skin with gentle strokes for several minutes while I drifted in and out of consciousness. After wiping the oil off with warm water, the session ended with a soothing collagen mask.
The verdict
It seems Beckham’s endorsement of this treatment isn’t just lip-service. What first struck me as I got off the treatment bed was how non-greasy my skin felt. I’m not fully convinced that my skin was lighter after one treatment, but the healthy glow lasted for more than a week.
• The Japanese Nightingale Facial at Biolite Aesthetic Clinic in Dubai starts at Dh1,200. For more details, visit www.biolitedubai.com
aahmed@thenational.ae
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
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AWARDS
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
Spec%20sheet
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The%20specs
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THE SPECS – Honda CR-V Touring AWD
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Power: 184hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 244Nm at 3,900rpm
Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds
Top speed: 202kmh
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
Price: From Dh122,900
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About Seez
Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017
Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer
Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon
Sector: Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing
Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed
Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A
Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
GCC-UK%20Growth
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets