REPLAY Launch at Dubai Mall

As you have read on my blog before, I was chosen as a Brand Ambassador for the launch party of REPLAY last week (Read my post here for a recap). REPLAY is a denim brand for men and women selling all kinds of denim cuts under the sun- I can guarantee that you can find the perfect cut and fit for your body at this store. They also sell t-shirts, shorts, shoes, hats, bags, denim jackets and basically anything you would wear during the day to look really funky and stand out from the crowd. 

 The way clothes are displayed in the store is really cool with denim on bookshelves, rolled up or folded, and tables of original outfits to choose from

 The models and I - all of us in REPLAY clothes

ALL the bloggers and I were dressed in REPLAY. 

I was very impressed how differently each of us styled our outfits- thats the thing with this brand, it suits all body types and styles because you can do whatever u like with it and STILL look good! 

 The event was really fun- they took pics of everyone outside on the 'red carpet' and posted them on a board inside the store. The board will remain in the store for a few months

FULL HOUSE!

 REPLAY is located in 'THE VILLAGE' - a section of Dubai Mall right infront of the ice rink - and it houses denim stores and casual wear like Lacoste, Adidas, and Fasconnable. 
I was surprised that I had never visited it before! 

The Village is in a different style to the rest of Dubai Mall and has a very cosy vibe. I especially love the jeans hanging on a line from the ceiling! 

Have you visited the REPLAY store at THE VILLAGE yet? 

Jars of Cake from Jarful!

For all you mommys and dessert-a-holics out there- this post is for you :) I love desserts but I am getting quite bored of cupcakes and cake-pops. There must be a new concept out there! I was browsing on Instagram one day and found a new baker in Dubai called JARFUL (Link). They make cakes, cupcakes, puddings, pies and delicious breakfasts in the cutest little jars. You can customize your jars with little notes like 'eat me' or 'made with love', and can attach spoons to each jar. I find them the perfect individual desserts for birthday or dinner parties.

Each flavour of cake comes in a different colour of jar 

From Left to Right: Vanilla cake with cream cheese frosting, Vanilla cake with Nutella frosting and flake sprinkles, Vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream, Chocolate cake with oreo cream cheese frosting

Each jar is filled with delicious cake and cream cheese frosting- 

From the selection I ordered, I liked the orange jar best 

When you place your order, you can ask for spoons to be tied to each jar- 

its super cute and very practical!

The Nutella Jarfuls

I found the cake itself to be quite filling after a few bites because the frosting is thick, but I personally find that true of most cakes and cupcakes. However, I ADORE the concept and love that there is a new idea for all those kiddy birthday parties and events. I will DEFINITELY be ordering jarfuls of cake for my next event! :)

To learn more about JARFUL, CLICK HERE

(There is currently no delivery to Abu Dhabi, but they deliver to any location in Dubai)

What do you think of the concept of cake in jars? 

Opening Party of the Chanel Little Black Jacket Exhibition

Last night I attended the launch party for the Chanel Little Black Jacket Exhibition in Dubai. (For my post on the exhibition in London with close up pics, CLICK HERE). All I can say is WOW! I have never attended an opening like that in my life- but then again, its CHANEL, so it can only be the best! 

The Exhibition is held in a very impressive HUGE black box in front of Burj Khalifa - the tallest building in the world

All of the photos are hanging in a large room. They are pictures of celebrities, muses, singers, and friends of Karl Lagerfeld that he photographed wearing the iconic black jacket. Each of the pictures is incredible and invokes a strong feeling inside- I felt it all over again even though I have seen them before!

The beautiful Charlotte Casiraghi in her Black Jacket

We were then ushered into another black box but this time with millions of lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling and were given a surprise LIVE PERFORMANCE by Rita Ora!! It was unreal! She sang for about an hour clad in many different Chanel outfits. It turned into a full-out party with very yummy nibbles like sushi and mini burgers and champagne, and tons of people dancing and mingling. 

In the centre of the exhibit, there is a plastic case of LITTLE BLACK JACKET 

Coffee Table books signed by Mr. Lagerfeld

It is such a simple concept but yet looks so cool!  

All of the guests brought out their CHANEL for the evening (clothes, bags, shoes, jewellery) and they all looked absolutely amazing. Every single person styled the brand in their own way and I realized how versatile CHANEL is. Dress it up, dress is down, mix it with high street brands and it will STILL look special and timeless- so worth the investment! 

I bumped into the lovely Chanel Muses, Sama & Haya Abu Khadra

Theirs is one of the photos in the exhibition 

(Lucky them!)

Even if you don't love Chanel, the pictures are absolutely incredible and you should really make the time to see the exhibition...

The Little Black Jacket Exhibition will be held from April 27 to May 11 from 11 AM to 9 PM

CLICK HERE for more info

Get the Look for MUCH Less!

I was browsing in ZARA yesterday and they have a completely new collection of amazing stuff on display. Of course, a trip to ZARA wouldn't be possible without a couple of 'Get the Look for Much Less' posts! They always manage to have incredible clothes, shoes, and bags that look as amazing as designer pieces but at a FRACTION of the price!

Celebrities and designers this season have gone mad for checks, stripes, and geometric prints. The winner was Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton who created an irresistible collection of yellow and black checks. A Louis Vuitton dress can be quite pricey, especially for the chequered runway pieces, but I found this FABULOUS dress, blazer and coat at ZARA that look very similar! Now you can wear your geometric prints and still have money left over for accessories! :)

SPLURGE!!

(Source: www.hellomagazine.com)

LOUIS VUITTON CHECKERED COLLECTION SPRING 2013

PRICE: $$$

SAVE!!!

ZARA CHECKERED DRESS (LINK)

(It even has cute yellow pockets)

AED 195

ZARA CHECKERED JACQUARD BLAZER (Link)

AED 425

ZARA SHORT CHECKERED COAT (Link)

AED 425

Enjoy your checks Ladies! :)

How Clean are your Makeup Brushes??

Today I am bringing you a topic that we very easily overlook and forget! While we constantly buy new makeup products and expensive brushes, we never actually take the time out to properly clean our brushes and applicators. Makeup brushes are a breeding ground for bacteria, dead skin cells (gross!) and oils. The more you use dirty, makeup saturated brushes - the higher your risk for breakouts, acne, and oily skin. How often should you clean them? AT LEAST once a week if you put makeup on a daily basis. Every two weeks or so if you don't put it regularly. 

How to properly clean your brushes

(Source: www.channel4.com)

1- Spread out a clean towel on your makeup counter

OPTION 1:  Run each brush pointing downwards under lukewarm water, then swirl over an unscented pure white soap like DIAL or DOVE. Rinse the brush in warm water and then gently squeeze out any excess water. Reshape the brush and lay it flat it on the clean towel overnight. REPEAT for all brushes. Make sure not to get the water above the metal shaft or the bristles will fall out. 

OPTION 2: Squeeze some baby shampoo into the palm of your hand and swirl each brush in your palm. I personally like Johnson's Baby Shampoo. When rinsing, make sure to remove all of the shampoo then squeeze out the water and lay flat to dry. To stop the bristles of your big powder brushes from feeling rough, put a small amount of conditioner on your brushes and rinse them then lay them out to dry. This will keep them soft. 

SEPHORA DAILY BRUSH CLEANER (Link)

OPTION 3: A less consuming method is to use a daily brush cleaner that you don't need to rinse out. Spray 3 to 4 sprays on each brush and then squeeze them with a paper towel until all the makeup colour comes out. The brush will be mostly dry and clean so lay it flat on a towel for an hour or so to completely dry. I don't recommend using this method all the time because the brushes end up smelling like dry cleaning detergent and I don't feel they are completely clean. I would alternate between Option 3 and Options 1 or 2. 

To clean the handles of your brushes, put rubbing alcohol onto a cotton and rub each brush handle. This will disinfect them from all bacteria and germs that was on your hands.

Cleaning your brushes will keep your skin blemish-free and significantly prolong the lifespan of your brushes. 

It's time well spent- trust me! :)

 How often do you clean your brushes?

Cross Body Bags

Diane Kruger at Coachella carrying a Dolce & Gabbana Cross Body Bag

(Source: www.purseblog.com)

With the COACHELLA MUSIC FESTIVAL in Palm Springs in full swing, I got inspired by all of the celebrities who were carrying cross-body bags. The beauty of these bags is that they are small enough to hold your necessities and comfortable enough to be carried for long periods of time. Last summer, I bought a small Chanel cross body bag and carried it every single day and night while in Mykonos. 

They are perfect for the summer when you are running around and can't be bothered to lug around a huge tote or shoulder bag. At beach destinations, I simply put my cross-body bag in my beach bag and just take it out when I'm going for lunch or shopping. It is also my go-to bag for concerts as it is light and very convenient. 

Tips: 

1) Make sure your cross body bag isn't too big or it will hit your hip when you walk

2) Get one big enough to at least fit your phone. 

The last thing you want is to carry your phone in your hand all day long!

3) It won'f fit a wallet so only put your credit cards, ID, and some cash in the inside pocket or in a cute credit card holder

Here are a few of my favourite cross-body bags for Summer 2013

TOPSHOP Mini Satchel in Coral (link)

MARC BY MARC JACOBS PVC Bag (Link)

JUICY COUTURE Mini Gretchen Shoulder Bag (Link)

MULBERRY Flower Lock Bag (Link)

This bag is absolutely ADORABLE and comes in green and black

JIMMY CHOO Shadow Pearlescent Bag (Link)

VALENTINO VA VA Voom Mini Bag (Link)

DOLCE & GABBANA Miss Dolce Raffia and Leather Bag (Link)

This is the PERFECT summer bag!

Which of these bags is your favourite?

Get the Look for MUCH Less!

Footwear with contrasting colours is a BIG trend this season. I fell in love with these SERGIO ROSSI heels and was happy to find a similar pair at ZARA for a fraction of the price. While the materials of both shoes are different, the idea of a gold heel, a contrasting color of shoe, and an ankle strap is quite similar. 

SPLURGE!!

SERGIO ROSSI HEELS (Link)

Material: Leather with metallic heel

Available Colours: Pink, Turquoise

AED 3,600

SAVE!!

ZARA COMBINATION HEELS (Link)

Material: Polyester, Polyurethane, Rubber

Available Colours: Blue, Black, Coral

AED 195

Happy Shopping Ladies! :)

Qasr Al Sarab - a STUNNING Desert Retreat

Living in a bustling city, it is easy to forget that just two hours away is untouched, completely natural desert. This weekend, we celebrated a friend's birthday at the beautiful Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort in Liwa (Western Region of Abu Dhabi). The hotel is built to resemble an old fortress and is surrounded by nothing but miles and miles of sand dunes. It is one of the most tranquil places I have ever been to and and is the perfect retreat for anyone looking to clear their mind.

The resort is run by Anatara and has many rooms that spawn over a large area of sand dunes dotted with palm trees. We found our rooms to be very spacious, clean, and comfortable. I highly recommend staying in a room with a terrace as the view of the sunset over the dunes is breathtaking. You feel you are in a postcard!

Qasr Al Sarab is very authentic and everything is traditional and Arabian

There are many restaurants to choose from: during the day we ate at the pool bar or at the buffet restaurant, and at night we dined under the stars at an Arabian-style tent. I personally didn't find the food to be so great but there was lots of choice for our weekend stay.

The hotel is surrounded by never-ending sand dunes

We spent the day lounging and tanning by the pool, climbed a huge sand dune at sunset and dined under the stars Bedouin-style at night. Resorts like these tend to get boring at night, but there was an extensive list of movies to watch and games to play. We passed the time playing a VERY loud game of Pictionary! 

There are plenty of activities to choose from- we chose to trek up this HUGE sand dune

Overall, if you are looking for a mini- vacation- this is the place to go. You can swim, tan, and choose from many activities. It's BEYOND beautiful and very tranquil.

For more information about Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort, CLICK HERE