More stories

  • in

    Watch: Lebanese dance group Mayyas’ stunning performance in Dubai

    Lifestyle

    by Sarah Joseph
    2 hours ago

    Lebanese dance group Mayyas took over The Pointe this weekend with an electrifying performance at RELM Festival.
    To celebrate the ongoing Diwali celebrations this weekend, the America’s Got Talent winners displayed a special Bollywood dance performance and headlined the extravaganza with a highly-synchronised appearance on stage.

    Other astounding performances included those from talented names such as Egyptian band Massar Egbari, Lebanese DJ Rodge, Jordanian rock band Jadal, Lebanese indie-pop band Adonic and more.
    How did it all begin?
    The Lebanese dance group won season 17 of the show after showcasing a series of seamless dance performances including their finale performance, where the team of 30 women “danced as one” in the words of the actress and judge, Sophia Vergara.
    The female-led dance group took home a $1 million (Dhs3.7 million) grand prize, with a host of congratulatory messages being shared on social media from the likes of celebrities such as Lebanese singer Maya Diab, Egyptian superstar Sherihan and more.
    The performance ended on a joyous note with the audience holding up the Lebanese flag as they cheered for the crew. After months of hard work, the group is now known globally with the group now making its mark in Dubai.
    Watch the full dance performance here.
    [embedded content]
    – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Supplied  More

  • in

    Immerse yourself in nature at Al Maha’s luxurious resort in Dubai

    Lifestyle

    by Team Emirates Man
    2 hours ago

    IN PARTNERSHIP: If you’re looking to switch off and reconnect with nature, we know exactly the place where you need to go.
    Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, visit Al Maha, A Luxury Collection Desert Resort for the perfect escape.
    Now the cooler weather has arrived, it’s the perfect time of year to spend more time outdoors and this luxury resort, situated in the heart of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, is the ideal place to do that.
    Encouraging everyone to shape up the mundane everyday routine, Al Maha has created 12-hour special daycation packages with every detail taken care of from start to finish.
    With pickup and drop off arranged in the resort’s 4X4 vehicles, the schedule includes a 45-minute scenic wildlife experience with gazelles and Arabian Oryx, followed by a Bedouin-inspired sport including archery, camel trekking during the golden sunset hour to embrace the picturesque views that the venue has to offer.

    Accompanied by unending vistas of the desert, guests can experience a delectable breakfast. During the day, visitors can experience a lavish three-course lunch at the resort’s signature restaurant, Al Diwaan. With the option of dining alfresco or indoors, guests can experience utmost tranquillity while enjoying the getaway with their loved ones starting at Dhs750 per person.
    For a more relaxed day excursion, guests can opt for the Spa Indulgence package priced at Dhs750 and inclusive of a selected spa treatment and lunch and pool package for Dhs575 with access to the Timeless Spa and a scrumptious meal at Al Diwaan.
    For a sunbaked sandscape, guests can opt for a full-board staycation for a 360-degree elevated experience. Starting at Dhs4,400 per person, the package includes three meals and two desert activities. To experience epicurean cuisine at its finest, guests can opt for a floating breakfast option, private dinner and dune dining at an additional cost.

    Guests can turn their staycation into a holistic journey by opting for the Spa Indulgence package priced at Dhs4,800 per person with mind, body and soul services for ultimate serenity.
    To make any occasion special, the intimate getaway package features VIP amenities, a premium sparkling beverage upon arrival, two desert activities and an exclusive romantic dinner on the private suite pool terrace with the Romance package priced at Dhs5,000 per night.

    Nestled amidst the dunes, this calming getaway should definitely be added to your must-visit list.
    For more details and to make a booking visit al-maha.com
    – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Supplied More

  • in

    How I got the job as… Founder of a luxe Dubai-based floral boutique

    Lifestyle

    by Sarah Joseph
    54 mins ago

    Welcome to the Emirates Woman weekly series ‘How I got my job as…’ where we speak to some incredible entrepreneurs and businesswomen both based in the UAE and globally to find out about their career paths that led them to where they are now; what their daily routines look like; the advice they’d give to those starting out; and the hurdles they’ve had to overcome.
    This week we chat with Aastha Parekh, founder of Butter DXB, a luxurious floral boutique that delivers varied arrangements for any occasion. Without limiting to bouquets, the brand also caters to lavish setups for events and exquisite tablespaces to make any décor special.
    As a firm believer in learning on the job, Parekh believes in taking baby steps on a daily basis to achieve her goals and hence, took the plunge in 2021 to launch her own brand where she continually takes inspiration from the world of fashion.
    Emirates Woman sat down with the brand’s founder to find out more about her career.
    What was your favourite subject at school?
    I always loved Business Studies. From a very young age, I knew that I wanted to start a business from scratch and create a brand of my own so it truly felt like the building blocks for my future.
    What was your first job?
    My first job was a marketing trainee for Farfetch at Chalhoub.

    What brought you to Dubai?
    Back in 2000, my parents settled in Dubai and I’ve been here ever since. I thoroughly enjoyed my years of education here. The UAE’s cultural diversity has always amazed me and has been a huge inspiration for everything I do. I did my undergraduate studies in London and moved back to Dubai to work straight after.
    What inspired you to enter the flower space and launch Butter DXB?
    Over the years, I used to love creating tablescapes for all my family members’ birthdays. The setups I’dcreate with flowers would get more elaborate and grand as the occasions kept coming around every year. That’s when I discovered how passionate I am about creating beautiful and aesthetic moments and thought, why not turn this into a business? Butter DXB is a flower company that creates all types of floral concepts. I always knew – no matter what business I start, it really needs to have a soul and flowers have a way of spreading joy. The flower arrangements we create and the events we cater to are so full of love and meaning that each smile inspires us a bit more, to do what we do.
    Talk us through the inspiration for your pieces.
    Butter DXB’s most vital premise of design inspiration is luxury fashion. I’ve studied Fashion Business and it’s at the core of everything I create whether that’s event decor or a simple bouquet. We have an edit on our Instagram called “The everlasting love affair of Florals and luxury fashion”. For example, our best-seller which is the red rose wall was inspired by the MetGala décor of 2022, our love for blush pink roses stems from Giambattista Valli’s candle campaigns and most recently we’ve added the exotic anthuriums to our new collection when we saw them in all its glory at Loewe’s show at Paris Fashion Week, a few days ago.
    What are the key elements of your role?
    As the founder of the brand, I’ve got to be super hands-on and get involved with everything. My best days are definitely when I have the time to work on Butter’s product development or business expansion although, recently I’ve been brushing up my skills on accounts too. As a founder with a small team, every day is a new day and I must cater to the most important task at hand for everything to run smoothly.
    Talk us through your daily routine.
    I think flexibility is what’s most important on our work days as there are lots of events on weekends and late evenings. I’m not a fan of early mornings and I prefer to get the job done with the highest level of productivity. The week usually starts with going through orders and events from the weekend, updating accounts, finalising our social media calendars and creating our to-do lists. I prefer going to meetings earlier in the day and then heading to the office in the afternoon to get all my work done. In the evenings, I’ll go to the flower shop to design some new products or check out the packaging. At night, I love to spend time with my family and then just before I sleep, I need an hour to myself to unwind from the day.
    What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?
    I’d say – just start. I think it’s all about taking those baby steps to reach your goals and turn your ideas into reality. I remember how excited I was, even when I had just finalised my logo and got my first few samples of the packaging and to now having a fully functioning business having worked with some amazing luxury brands that I could have only dreamt of. It’s okay if you don’t have all the skills you need. I’m a firm believer in learning on the job.

    What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
    Automation and delegation. It’s so important for a business to be able to run smoothly without you needing to be part of each and everything. If you put in the effort to create the processes and a strong foundation, over time it should be able to run itself and you’ll have time to focus on the development and expansion of your brand.
    And what is the worst?
    The worst piece of advice I ever received is that you don’t need to love what you do. I think it’s self-explanatory.
    What has been the biggest challenge you had to overcome?
    When we started off, we had a different idea for Butter DXB. We were focused more on hospitality partners but we soon noticed that once we put our brand out there, it was gaining traction from an audience that was not our initial target. Our biggest challenge was to move away from what we had planned and listen more to how the market was responding. We overcame it by being flexible as a brand and giving our customers what they want and continue learning along the way about what works and what doesn’t.
    What are the future plans for your brand?
    We are currently in our second year, and relatively young. So the aim is to hire more staff and set up a store to become a hybrid e-tailer. Our focus is also on doing more events for high fashion brands that we resonate with and increasing hospitality partners as that has always been an area we want to expand in.
    – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Supplied  More

  • in

    Cozy but Chic: The Everygirl’s Work-from-Home Capsule Wardrobe

    If you’ve been an Everygirl for awhile, you already know how keen we are on the concept of a capsule wardrobe: a closet full of items that can be mixed and matched with one another for an infinite amount of combinations and a permanent fix to your “I don’t know what to wear today” conundrum.
    At this point, many of us have made the permanent transition from going to the office to working from home. Gone are the days of getting dressed and heading out for a commute, and mornings of getting ready just to decide whether we want to work from our kitchen tables or desks are now the reality. 
    One of the realities of life is that when you look good, you feel good. Spending every day working from the same gray sweats that you haven’t washed in two weeks? Probably not the most conducive to having a productive work day. Cozy clothes that look cute do in fact exist, and that’s the sweet spot of a perfect work-from-home wardrobe. It’s time to feel put-together for your 9-5, even if you’re working it from your couch. 

    For when it’s a work-from-the-couch day

    crewneck | blue-light glasses | split-hem sweats | plus | cozy socks
    We all have those days; the ones where you wake up and know you need to work with your body horizontal for the day. When your main priority is comfort, a cheeky crewneck and chic, split-hem pants are your go-to. To ensure maximum comfort, add a pair of cozy socks, and protect your eyes with blue light glasses you’ll be happy to show off on Zoom.

     
    For a day of Zoom meetings

    collared blouse | plus | gold hoops | black leggings | plus | essential oil diffuser
    Have a day full of important virtual meetings? The details on top are all that matter. Opt for a blouse with a Peter Pan collar that will draw the eye (and make onlookers note how professional you look). Gold hoops also draw add an element of looking put-together with quite literally no effort. What they don’t need to know? That you’re wearing leggings on bottom. Win, win. 

    For a chilly day

    chunky sweater | plus | blue-light glasses | pull-on pants | plus | slippers
    As the temperatures start dropping, there’s nothing like the gratitude of looking outside and knowing you can be cozy inside, no commute included. When your space heater is blasting and you want to have a cozy, quintessential day, a chunky knit is key. Pair yours with an easy pair of pull-on pants that feel like sweats, but will make you look a little more put-together (and feel put-together too).

    Working From Home? You’ll Want To Live in These Cozy Yet Put-Together Pieces More

  • in

    Find out where Dubai’s millionaires live and why

    Lifestyle

    by Sarah Joseph
    40 mins ago

    With Dubai known for some of its most affluent districts, there’s most certainly no dearth of millionaires.
    As a flamboyant destination with real estate wonders, the emirate always has new properties on the horizon, including existing penthouses, villas, lofts and more.
    To delve deeper and recognise these prominent areas, a strategy consultancy company, Webster Pacific has identified these neighbourhoods according to an analysis of all the High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) in each area.
    According to the study, HNWIs are defined as those who’ve amassed a wealth of $1 million or more with Dubai’s total number of people in this category amounting to 67,900 as of June 2022.

    The top residential areas as per the study include the following with its list of HNWIs.

    Jumeirah First – 8,685
    Al Barsha – 8,155
    Jumeirah – 7,202
    Arabian Ranches – 3,728
    Al Thanyah – 3,542
    Umm Suqeim – 2,960
    Nakhlat Jumeirah – 2,573
    Marsa Dubai – 2,537
    Al Satwa – 2,446
    Umm Al Sheif – 2,421

    Jumeirah First has been ranked at the top of the list due to its suburban, upscale feel and close proximity to both sides of Dubai including the highly bustling downtown area. Barsha on the other hand comes second in the category due to an abundance of sophisticated schools such as King’s School Al Barsha and GEMS Dubai American Academy along with easy access to Galleria Mall.
    The interactive map designed by the team showcases the concentration of HNWIs within a 5-minute drive from every location in the market and it can be seen here.
    For more information on the report visit websterpacific.com
    – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Supplied, Feature Image: Instagram @pixtarami More

  • in

    How Estée Lauder co-created the pink ribbon to raise breast cancer awareness

    Lifestyle

    by Sarah Joseph
    26 mins ago

    Estelle Letang, General Manager of the Middle East Region at The Estée Lauder Companies on how they are pioneering the visibility of breast cancer prevention.
    What do the first 30 minutes of your day look like, your morning routine?
    My morning routine usually starts with some form of exercise and Pilates is my favourite as it sets me up for the day. Working for a beauty company, I always take five minutes as ‘me time’ by applying me favourite beauty products including Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm from Clinique, then hydrating my skin with the Estèe Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum, proceeding with La Mer’s iconic Crème De La Mer to moisturise my skin, then using a lipstick from M.A.C and finally spritzing my favourite fragrance from Tom Ford, Rose Prick. As a mother of three, I’ve always had breakfast with my children before they head to school.
    Can you tell us about the latest Estée Lauder Breast Cancer Campaign?
    This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign and the Company’s commitment to the global breast cancer movement. Through the collective efforts of employees, consumers, and partners worldwide, the campaign has facilitated real progress and driven social impact. In the Middle East, we have focused on raising much-needed awareness and education about breast cancer in the regional community by highlighting the stories of four inspirational women who survived breast cancer through a series of empowering videos and events. These survivors share their personal journeys with breast cancer, their journey of recovery and how they went to fulfill their dreams after they beat the disease. All of the survivors share the critical importance of self-examination and early detection which was a key factor in their recovery.
    The late Evelyn H. Lauder launched the iconic Pink Ribbon, as part of The Breast Cancer Campaign, how did it all begin?
    Thirty years ago, in 1992, Evelyn H. Lauder (Estée Laud- er’s daughter-in-law) co-created the globally recognised Pink Ribbon and launched The Estée Lauder Companies Breast Cancer Campaign, inspiring a global movement around its mission to help create a breast cancer-free world once for all. Since then, the Breast Cancer Campaign is The Estée Lauder Companies’ largest corporate philanthropic initiative. Just one year later, in 1993, Evelyn Lauder founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the campaign’s lead- ing non-profit organisation partner dedicated to advancing the world’s most promising research to eradicate breast cancer. The Company have funded more than $108 million globally for lifesaving research, education, and medical services. The campaign is a true testament to the group’s legacy as a beauty-inspired, values-driven company that places people, positive impact, and inclusivity at the heart of everything we do.
    “The campaign is a true testament to the group’s legacy as a beauty-inspired, values-driven company that places people, positive impact, and inclusivity at the heart of everything we do.”
    This month brings awareness to breast cancer – what are the key things we should be looking for?
    Globally, breast cancer causes the greatest number of cancer-related deaths among women. Every 15 seconds somewhere in the world, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. This is far too many. A breast cancer diagnosis profoundly affects everyone it touches – patients, loved ones, doctors, caregivers, advocates and more. Our goal as a company is to generate widespread awareness and education across the Middle East region on breast cancer highlighting the importance of self-testing, early detection, and prevention.

    What are some of the key initiatives Estée Lauder has taken to help people going through this journey?
    The Estée Lauder Companies in the Middle East have worked very closely with NGO Brest Friends, the first breast cancer support group in Dubai, and Al Jalila Foundation for the last seven years, whose combined mission is similar to ours: To save lives by promoting early detection, increasing awareness, education, and offering support to patients with breast cancer.
    This is The Pioneer Issue – what inspired the group to take the lead in raising awareness?
    It has been 30 years since Evelyn H. Lauder, a visionary woman, inspired a global movement and introduced a symbol of hope and inspiration with one mission, to help create a breast-cancer-free world. At a time when breast cancer wasn’t spoken about openly, Evelyn H. Lauder saw an opportunity to unite people everywhere and make a difference. She said,“I’d like to be able to save lives.” Now, as we honour The Campaign’s 30th Anniversary, breast cancer patients are leading better, healthier lives due in part to early detection and improved treatment which the campaign and our partners are dedicated to advancing. The campaign is a cornerstone of who we are at The Estée Lauder Companies and serves as a true, authentic point of difference that drives our social impact and enhances our corporate reputation with a key call to action, It’s #TimeToEndBreast- Cancer. Together, we are united to help end breast cancer for all.
    October’s – The Pioneer Issue – Download Now
    – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Supplied  More

  • in

    Diwali 2022: The ultimate luxury gift guide for your loved ones

    Lifestyle

    by Sarah Joseph
    3 hours ago

    With Diwali soon approaching, it’s time to spread the love with some heartfelt gifts for the festive occasion.
    All set to take place on October 24, the festival of lights is marked by a special evening together with friends and family and the exchanging of presents.
    Whether it be a delicate piece of jewellery, a delectable scent, a classic bouquet of flowers, a chic candle and more, Emirates Woman has you covered.

    – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Supplied & Feature Image: Instagram @bloomingdalesme More

  • in

    Anne Hathaway opens up about the rigorous hate she received after 2012 Oscar win

    Lifestyle

    by Olivia Morris
    1 hour ago

    Anne Hathaway is arguably one of the most successful actresses of this generation.
    Having starred in iconic hits including The Devil Wears Prada, The Dark Night Rises, Bride Wars and more, the actress is one of the biggest names in Hollywood.
    However, it hasn’t always been a smooth ride for the 39-year-old who reflected on the era of ‘Hathahate’ she received following her 2012 Oscar win for her critically-acclaimed performance in Les Miserables.
    Speaking at the Elle USA ‘Women in Hollywood’ event earlier this week, Hathaway opened up about the period of her life a decade ago where she saw “the language of hatred from a new perspective”.

    “Ten years ago, I was given an opportunity to look at the language of hatred from a new perspective,” she said. “For context – this was a language I had employed with myself since I was seven.
    “And when your self-inflicted pain is suddenly somehow amplified back at you at, say, the full volume of the internet … It’s a thing.”
    At the time, many would argue Hathaway was at the top of her game with her Academy Award, the actress swept the board when it came to awards season that year. However, what accompanied it was an onslaught of hostility in the media and from the public.
    Fast-forward a decade, Hathaway is taking the opportunity to change the directive when it comes to hate saying, she “would no longer hold space for it”, adding that it is possible to unlearn such behaviours and thoughts.
    “The good news about hate being learned is that whoever learned it can learn,” she said. “There is a brain there. I hope they give themselves a chance to relearn love.”
    – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
    Images: Getty More