A couple of years ago a friend came round to my house and began to lambast me for how I was storing my perfume. Unaware there was a right or wrong way, I had lined the bottles up on my bathroom window sill, to better enjoy the sunshine as it shone prettily through the liquids.
Aghast at my cavalier attitude to the precious juice, she carefully carried the bottles into to my kitchen, and began stacking them into the fridge.
Nervous of putting a foot wrong again, I have never dared move them, and they remain nestled on a shelf where other households may keep the ketchup. However, they act as a daily reminder to discover more about the right, and wrong way to store perfumes; to find out if sunlight is bad for them, and if, after all, they are best kept in the fridge.
The first stop in learning the dos and don't is the French perfume house, Parfums de Marley, and its founder Julien Sprecher, who since 2009 has been crafting scents inspired by the architectural masterpiece that is the Palace of Versailles.
Next we asked Biljana Ristic, Fragrance Master at Sephora Middle East, that stocks 624 different scents, so probably knows a trick or two on how to look after it.
Searching for the best tips on what (and what not) to do when it comes to looking after scents, here is what we learned.
Scents are a delicate chemical balance, and can soil easily
"Believe it or not, perfumes do have an expiration date," explains Sprecher. "Whilst having curated an impressive perfume collection means you have the perfect scent for every occasion, improper storage of said collection can lead to reduced potency of the scents. Essentially, this means you may need a couple more spritzes to get the same level of fragrance you would have got in the earlier stages. The scent might also change over time, from slightly detectable to entirely un-wearable."
Store perfume in cool and dark spaces
While the glass bottle will be beautiful, do not be tempted to put it pride of place on the vanity table. “As tempted as you are to display the bottle in the centre of your vanity, steer clear of this,” explains Sprecher. This is because ultraviolet light can damage the delicate structure of the liquid, changing the smells, or even destroying them. Ristic adds: "The best way to store fragrances would be a dark and dry place, such as drawers or boxes. The same way we treat our jewels and precious items, a closed box or a dark drawers will help your fragrance to stay with you until the last drop."
Don't keep perfume in the bathroom…..
“The bathroom, otherwise known as the ‘perfume graveyard’, is the worst place [to keep perfume]", Sprecher explains.
Applying scent straight after a shower is a clever way to extend the longevity of a scent, however, don't be fooled into leaving the bottle in the bathroom. “This is the biggest storage faux pas from fragrance enthusiasts everywhere,” Sprecher continues. “The fluctuating temperatures paired with excessive humidity serve as the makings for a quick death for your perfume.”
All ingredients have a natural life span, and too humid an environment will hasten that process. A citrus scent for example will not last nearly as long, while a raw material like patchouli can start to smell 'off'.
Storing perfume in the car is also a bad idea
As tempting as it is to always keep a bottle of your favourite scent handy in the car, in this region especially, that can be serious error. Ristic explains: "As nice it is to have our fragrance on-the-go, leaving it in the car is not advised, especially in our region, since the heat would spoil our beloved fragrance."
Just like in the bathroom, the excessive temperature inside a car will quickly break down the structure of the perfume. It can develop side effects such as a musty quality, while the delicate top notes will become sharper, can go sour, or may even vanish altogether.
Do keep the perfume in its original box
More than just a pretty box, perfume packaging is designed to help store the perfume correctly. Firstly, the box will hold the bottle upright and stable, and the volume of the box makes it less likely to be accidentally knocked off a surface. As perfume is sensitive to UVA rays, the packaging helps prevent any reaching the fragile mixture.
Sprecher explains it is about controlling the environment the perfume inhabits. “Light is good, however, in this case, the introduction of light and humidity can alter the sensitive DNA of your perfume, affecting the properties of the ingredients, which in turn will change the aroma.”
Limit air exposure to the liquids
If you have always longed to have a table filled with perfumes decanted into vintage bottles, topped with elegant atomisers, then you might have to rethink those plans. While old bottles are beautiful (who can resist that silver screen glamour?) it turns out that decanting perfume is not good for it. The bottle that perfume is sold in has been carefully designed to keep air away from the juice as much as possible. Why? Air will effect the composition of the scent, causing it to oxidise, which results in what Sprecher dubs “weird smells.”
Pouring perfume out of its original bottle into another will trigger oxidisation and ruin your scent. This is also the one of the reasons why perfume bottles have tight fitting caps, to keep the air out. They also help to reduce evaporation, so make to always replace them after use.
Don’t shake the bottle
It is a myth that shaking activates the ingredients in perfume, in fact the opposite is true. “Perfumes are delicate blends, so you want to make sure the contents of the bottle aren’t disturbed," says Sprecher. "Just like oxygen, shaking can lead to oxidation, which will lead to a breakdown of the scent." In fact, it is best to disturb the bottle as little as possible once it is opened to help safeguard the precious ingredients inside.
Do check for discolouration
"Discolouration over time and unpleasant smells are tell-tale signs that a perfume is off," Sprecher says. However, a change in colour can also depend on the ingredients. The ultraviolet rays in daylight can impact on a perfume’s colour, turning amber tones to green.
"Some blends such as those with citrusy bases have a naturally shorter life span compared to their woody and floral counterparts, due to their more sensitive nature," says Sprecher, explaining that natural ingredients, may naturally darken over time, without affecting the scent.
Periodically checking for discolouration is a good habit to get into as it can indicate if the storage is wrong and once again, sunshine is the number one enemy.
Should we keep perfume in the fridge?
Alas, there is still no definitive answer on this, as it comes down very much to which type of fragrance you have. Parfum, esprit de parfum and eau de parfum are the most concentrated forms, and as a result are the most delicate (and most expensive). With the highest concentration of ingredients, these are the most sensitive to extremes in temperature, and the intense cold of a fridge could be a very costly mistake.
Next is the far more commonly used eau de toilette, eau de Cologne and eau fraiche (often called 'mist') which are less concentrated and so are far more robust. These can be stored in the fridge without real concern, however, once cold, it is best to maintain the chill, as fluctuations in temperature is not good for the scent at all.
However, Ristic is not convinced that a blast of cold spray is the best way to enjoy a treasured fragrance. “Skincare trends brought [using the] fridge to store beauty products to our attention. Although applying cold skincare might bring a pleasant cooling sensation, applying chilled fragrance to our pulse points might not be as satisfying."
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
More on Quran memorisation:
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
More on Palestine-Israeli relations
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
Superliminal%20
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Brief scores:
Newcastle United 1
Perez 23'
Wolverhampton Rovers 2
Jota 17', Doherty 90' 4
Red cards: Yedlin 57'
Man of the Match: Diogo Jota (Wolves)
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
