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%20Profile
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Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

Business Insights
  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
  • Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

Company%20Profile
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

Stamp duty timeline

December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%

April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.

July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.

March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.

April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.

MAIN CARD

Bantamweight 56.4kg
Abrorbek Madiminbekov v Mehdi El Jamari

Super heavyweight 94 kg
Adnan Mohammad v Mohammed Ajaraam

Lightweight 60kg
Zakaria Eljamari v Faridoon Alik Zai

Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Mahmood Amin v Taha Marrouni

Light welterweight 64.5kg
Siyovush Gulmamadov v Nouredine Samir

Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Ilyass Habibali v Haroun Baka

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company

The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.

He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.

“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.

“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.

HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon. 

With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.

The%20Secret%20Kingdom%20
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FIGHT%20CARD
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India team for Sri Lanka series

Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.

T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

Company%20Profile
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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
Cricket World Cup League 2

UAE squad

Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind

Fixtures

Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nag%20Ashwin%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPrabhas%2C%20Saswata%20Chatterjee%2C%20Deepika%20Padukone%2C%20Amitabh%20Bachchan%2C%20Shobhana%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%E2%98%85%E2%98%85%E2%98%85%E2%98%85%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FIGHT%20CARD
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Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 
The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Company%20profile
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Travel updates and inspiration from the past week

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