Turns out the Kardashians cannot take all the credit for the contouring epidemic that has hit the beauty industry. It’s been an insider know-how all along, and Hollywood diva Marilyn Monroe used this technique to accentuate her sultry lips. No scary lip injections needed, just a clever play with colours to give the illusion of fuller, sexier, more defined lips.

I decided to try out lipstick contouring for myself. Here is how I did it:

Marilyn Monroe’s Lipstick Contouring Trick Put to the Test:

1. Line the lips with a dark lip pencil: I used Makeup Forever’s Aqua Lip in 8C.
2. Fill lips with a red lipstick: I used Makeup Forever’s Rouge Artist Intense in MAT 8.
3. Top with a bright red: I used Lime Crime Velvetines in Pink Velvet (despite its name, this really is a bright red on my lips).
4. Dab highlighter on the bottom lip: I used a dab of the Marylou Manizer highlighter.
5. Top with a gloss for hydration: I used the clear gloss from my Makeup Forever Aquarouge duo (that lovely plumy shade on the left is number 14 incase you are wondering, but I only used the gloss here).

Lipstick Contouring Results

Here’s me with red lipstick by itself, and after trying out red lipstick contouring:

Marilyn Monroe’s lipstick contouring trick really does add a touch of vavavoom to the lips. In both cases, the predominating lipstick worn is the Lime Crime Velvetine in Pink Velvet, yet wearing it like Marilyn makes my lips look far more fuller and well defined (no filters used!):

Sure it takes 4 extra steps, but the results are Marilyn worthy!

Have you tried lipstick contouring? Do give it a go, you probably already have all the lipstick goodies needed to make this work. Would love to hear your feedback!

When it comes to ice-creams, Scoopi Café has upped the game from child’s play to designer dreams. Living in Dubai, you get used to everything big, bling and exorbitant, and just when we thought we’ve seen and heard it all, Scoopi Cafe’s founder and owner, Zubin Doshi creates headlines with Scoopi’s Black Diamond Ice-Cream.

Priced at AED 2,999 a scoop, this has to be the world’s most expensive ice-cream indulgence! The Black Diamond has an exotic Madagascar vanilla ice-cream base. It is infused with the world’s most expensive Iranian saffron and ‘black diamond’ black truffles, and garnished with 23 carat edible gold. If that wasn’t enough, this dreamy, elite blend is aptly served in a designer Versace bowl along with a matching designer spoon which the buyer can take home as a keepsake.

It took Zubin 5 weeks to come up with this lavish recipe, and when we met him at Scoopi Café this week, he tells us he has sold 17 cups of the Black Diamond so far!

No, I’m not one of the 17 *sigh* but I did have the pleasure of trying out two of Scoopi’s newest creations.

Being a huge fan of chili heat, I was intrigued by Scoopi Cafe’s Chili and Rose Ice-Cream, and had to check it out. It comes in a cup with a large scoop of rose-flavored ice-cream at the bottom, and a smaller scoop of chili ice-cream on the top.

I was expecting the rose to be a pretty pink, and was a little taken aback by the bland simplicity of the presentation. The rose ice-cream was nice and creamy, and had the delicate flavor of rose running through it. If you like the taste of rose, this scoop is for you. The essence of rose is unadulterated and pure, but on its own its a little too light on the palette for me. This cup comes to life with that scoop of chili!

Like the rose, the chili ice-cream is a very innocent looking pale white. A few finely chopped pieces of green chili act as garnish on top, but the hit of chili really took me by surprise! It is hot and spicy yet characterized by the unmistakable freshness of green chili. The scoop of rose added as a respite from the chili heat, and the two flavors work beautifully together.

The other newbie on the Scoopi Café menu is Zubin’s personal favorite, and I could see why. This is Scoopi Cafe’s Sea Salt & Caramel Ice-Cream served with popcorn that has been dipped in liquid nitrogen, and drizzled with a decadent caramel sauce.

Salted caramel has to be one of my favorite things ever, and to have it in the form of a very rich, absolutely creamy ice-cream that has been freshly whipped up in-house is an absolute treat!

I was having spoon wars with my daughter over this one, and she managed to clean up the entire plate (not a popcorn morsel in sight!) which is a rare feat for the fussy eater that she is.

My husband had a cup of Scoopi’s Banana Foster. This comes under Scoopi’s ‘warm’ ice-creams, a warm banana split if you please!

The banana has been cooked in brown sugar and butter with added hints of orange zest and cinnamon heat, and served with a cold scoop of Madagascar vanilla ice-cream. I am not a huge fan of bananas, but Hubby devoured his cup and went on to say that the texture and creaminess of the freshly made ice-cream at Scoopi is far more superior to the commercial scoops we have been having.

Here is what makes Scoopi ice-cream different:

• Everything is made freshly in-house.
• The ice-cream base is made of liquid nitrogen. No eggs are beaten into the mix (founder Zubin Doshi is a staunch vegetarian given his Jain lineage).
• New out of the box flavor combinations are added to the menu on a regular basis.
• You can even think up a crazy concoction of your own, and get Scoopi to make it for you!
• Scoopi offers events catering, and even has a traditional ice-cream trolley that can be used for your very own party!

Scoopi Café is located on Jumeirah Beach Road and is aptly close to Burj Al Arab! The café itself is very small and narrow, but you can spot the funky signage a mile away.

Like the exteriors, the ambience inside Scoopi Café is fun and frivolous. Clever ice-cream and chocolate quotes are splashed around the walls, the lighting features a bold, new-age bulb design and the seating consists of high swirling leather chairs in red and black.

The café only has two tables indoors, and a few more seating spaces outside. However, Zubin tells us the majority of his clients haven’t even been inside the café. Most Scoopi regulars line up the driveway and order on the go.

Apart from ice-creams, Scoopi Café also offers a much coveted chocolate range. This range of assorted flavors is made of very premium French Valrhona chocolate by employing the artisan techniques of Belgian chocolatiers. I didn’t get a taste of these beauties, and plan to be back soon to try them out.

If you have a serious sweet tooth, Scoopi Café is a must-try. And do let me know if you get around to trying the Black Diamond. From what I had, I would highly recommend the Sea Salt & Caramel ice-cream. Trust me, you don’t want to share this one!

As true-blue foodies, we are always on the lookout for really good, tasty grub. A friend of mine recommended Orient Grill. Tucked away in the residential nook of Abu Shagara (Sharjah), she said it may not be as fancy-schmancy as some of the places we dine at, but vouched that the restaurant does a great job with Indo-Chinese cuisine. I checked out Oriental Grill on Zomato, and saw the restaurant had an average rating of 4.1 out of 5, and decided to look it up.

Created and conceptualized by an ex-chef of Sharjah’s very popular Bamboo Chinese restaurant, Oriental Grill is a juxtaposition on many levels.

Firstly, Orient ‘Grill’ does not serve any grills. It is purely an Indianized menu of Chinese dishes. The restaurant itself is dimly lit in what I find to be a rather tacky neon shade of blue, and this only accentuates the grubby, claustaphobic feel of the ambience.

A Rajasthani figurine greets us at the entrance, and looks totally out of place in this Oriental wannabe, bar-like space.

We found ourselves a cushy corner, and I was rather amused when the mismatched glasses came to the table. It befits the confusion of the space perfectly.

Once I got over my initial qualms with the ambience, the menu got me rather excited. Oriental Grill has an extensive list of promising dishes, and the prices are really, really budget friendly.

While we were going through the menu, we were given a complimentary plate of what appeared to be a kimchi. It had the tangy hit of vinegar, but was doused with a whole heap of mayonnaise. An Oriental Grill take on Korean if you please!

And if that wasn’t enough, we were served with yet another plate of complimentary starters which included chicken wantons and a vegetarian version of Thai shrimp toast. These deep-fried, crunchy appetizers along with the wonderfully spicy chili dip whet our appetites for more.

When ordering Chinese on a cold winter’s night, it would be criminal not to order a bowl of soup. Hubby and I shared a bowl of Chicken Hot & Sour Soup. The soup was deliciously soulful. Thick with the goodness of finely chopped vegetables and beaten egg, the soup is laced with the characteristic boldness of soya sauce and also has a very generous portion of chicken added to the mix. At Oriental Grill, one soup can easily be shared between two hungry adults and a child.

We ordered a plate of Drums of Heaven, and just look at the generous quantity of drums we got for a mere AED 18!

The platter had 10 drums, and came with its own chili dip. The batter was crisp, well seasoned and deliciously spicy. The chili quotient mild on the palette, and my four year-old devoured this dish.

For our mains, we ordered Oriental Grill’s Beef Chili Gravy (spelt ‘Chilly’ on the menu!) and the Chicken Hakka Chowmein.

Once again, the portion sizes were astoundingly generous! The beef cost us AED 26, and the noodles AED 25, and together the meal can easily feed 4 fairly hungry adults.

The Beef Chili Gravy is deliciously spicy, a perfect nod to Indo-Chinese cuisine where the flavors of the East are heated up for Indian taste-buds. The beef itself is cut into fine slices, and is well marinated and succulently soft. The gravy is thick, flavourful and brimming with garlic goodness.

The Chicken Hakka Chowmein is loaded with stir-fried vegetables, and the noodles have a slight crispness that goes perfectly well with the shallow gravy it is served in. You could easily have this dish by itself, along with a few blobs of chili sauce to spice it up. It has vegetables, deliciously done noodles, and a good heap of chicken making it a perfect meal on its own.

The total bill for two adults and a child came to AED 88 (inclusive of water and soft drinks), and we had enough noodles left for takeaway!

If you are looking for deliciously good, budget-friendly Indo Chinese, Oriental Grill is a must-try. Ignore the bemused, mismatched ambience, and dig deep into their generous portions. Thankfully they have takeaways and home deliveries available too!

My beautiful young friend Darshana is visiting from Australia this month. How time flies! I saw her last as a frisky little toddler, and here she is, on the threshold of womanhood. Britney Spears’ “I’m Not a Girl” blares loud and clear in my head.

Darshana is most comfortable in denims and a tee, much to the chagrin of her mother. When they came to me asking if I could give Darshana a ‘ladylike’ makeover, I was super flattered and elated!

Darshana’s mother wants to see her lovely daughter in more dresses and skirts, yet Darshana likes a bit of a boyish (almost gothic) edge with everything she wears. I had two different tastes to please!

Here is Darshana before the makeover:

Now take a look at what Tezzy did to her ;-)

Darshana’s Makeover

I got this lovely, flowing chiffon dress from Marka Gulf, a very fun and funky UAE fashion retailer operating via Instagram. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary with very reasonable price tags to boot, do check out Marka Gulf.

The dress is a sober dark, navy blue and has a contrasting trio of colours at the base. Best of all, the hem is asymmetrical, and this adds to the beauty of the flowing material.

Darshana’s tall, lean frame looks stunning in this outfit.

To add a gothic edge, Darshana paired the outfit with a pair of laced-up peep toe heels from Aldo.

Darshana’s Makeup

To accentuate on the vampish edge, I used the Lime Crime Velvetines lipstick in Jinx on Darshana’s lips.

On her eyes, I played up on the shades of purple from the Too Faced Chocolate Palette, and lined Darshana’s lower lash-line with Makeup Forever’s Aqua Matic Water-Proof Glide On Eye-Shadow in Iridescent Pop Purple (see my eye makeup tutorial for this look here).

The Too Faced Chocolate Contour Kit was used to accentuate Darshana’s long, chiseled features.

The look is feminine with an edge, and both mother and daughter loved the result. Isn’t Darshana an absolute stunner?!

What do you think of Tezzy’s very first makeover attempt? Would love to hear your feedback!

“Are we really going to drive that far just to have hotdogs?!” This was my husband whining for the umpteenth time as we took yet another turn that got us lost into the urban jungle of Dubai Marina.

The Hotdog Stand is relatively easy to find with the help of our trusty GPS (the coordinates are 25.069795, 55.133140), but when we found no parking in the vicinity, we ended up on the highway towards Abu Dhabi!

When we finally got to the restaurant, flustered and half an hour late, the staff tell us they have parking! You just need to honk at the front or call them on 800 HOTDOG, and they will have you sorted. Lesson learnt; always ask about the parking facilities when trying out a new restaurant!

The Hotdog Stand is the brainchild of Jordanian-born marketer Ibrahim, who we had the pleasure of meeting at the venue. Living in the UAE, we are spoilt with all kinds of cuisines, and come to think of it, no one has ever thought of opening a restaurant dedicated to gourmet hotdogs!

Hotdogs are Ibrahim’s favorite form of fastfood, and as an avid traveler, his 3-month long stints in the United States ensured he’s had his fair share of some of the best hotdogs the world has to offer. Noticing a dearth in the UAE market for quality hotdogs, Ibrahim decided to fill the gap with his very own take on this ever-popular American fast-food.

You can tell Ibrahim has a marketing background when you see the gorgeous typography used for his logo, the store façade and even on the menu.

The restaurant interiors are rather small and can cater to around a dozen or so people. They also have a grassy front lawn with park benches, and given the lovely breezy weather, we nested ourselves outdoors for our hotdog feasting.

Here is a look at The Hotdog Stand’s menu:

At The Hotdog Stand, they have three signature hotdogs to choose from (the Cheese Coney, The Mexican and Monster). If you are more creatively inclined, you can make your very own creation from a whole list of fillings on offer.

The Hotdog Stand imports its hotdogs from the United States. You have a choice of chicken or Angus beef. These 7 inch sausages weigh 100 grams each, and are therefore bigger and meatier than your regular sausages.

We started off our meal with The Hotdog Stand’s Mini Cheese Balls and Jalapeno Poppers.

I love the quirky serveware here! How cool are these vintage-style tin cups?

We were quite divided on which of these appetizers we liked best. Hubby’s favorite was the Mini Cheese Balls, crunchy on the outside with gooey, flavorful cheese on the inside.

I preferred the Jalapeno Poppers. These too were crunchy and cheesy, and had a slice of jalapeno added in. The jalapeno is more sweet than hot, and it has a slight hit of vinegar which digresses from all that cheesy richness.

For our hotdogs, both Hubby and I went for the Angus Beef. Hubby tried out The Mexican and I went for the Monster. Appearance-wise they look near-identical, but mine is a monster as it is stuffed with far more goodies than his ;-)

The Mexican is stuffed with all things taco and includes an indulgently creamy guacamole, a tangy-sweet salsa sauce, jalapenos, sour cream, nachos, and shredded cheddar cheese. It’s a monstrously festive munch, and when it hit the table, Hubby looked quizzical on how to dive into it. We used the forks and knives provided on the table, but it sure is messy business! The Mexican is indulgently creamy with a remix of Mexican favorites that work beautifully together, and that Angus hotdog is just so wonderfully meaty.

Hubby devoured The Mexican. Digging into all this yumminess, the initial frustration of getting lost on our way here had finally evaporated.

If The Mexican is a struggle to down, imagine me with the Monster! This Hotdog has been christened the Monster thanks to the sheer number of fillings that go into this baby. It has diced tomatoes, green onions, beetroot, jalapeno, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, pickles and an unexpected crunch of potato sticks. I for one detest gherkins, but the pickles used in this Monster were more sweet than vinegar-tangy and blended wonderfully with the rest of the ingredients. The crunch of the potato sticks gives each bite a lovely texture, and with that moreish juicy, meaty hotdog, the Monster is a very filling meal indeed!

At The Hotdog Stand, you get a choice of fries, the Ziggy Fries or the Curly Fries. We had one of each. The Ziggy Fries are your regular fries with a crimple, and this makes them crispier and crunchier than usual.

Of the two, I preferred the Curly Fries. Well seasoned with a crunch, my daughter enjoyed wearing these as temporary rings as she scoffed them down by the handful! The coleslaw at The Hotdog Stand is very fresh, and has just the right balance of mayonnaise added in. Not your regular KFC variety at all!

The Bean Salad here is absolutely divine! I could eat these by the potful all day long! The beans are soft without being soggy, and the dressing is just the right kind of sweet with the tanginess of vinegar.

We drowned all that decadence on the table with big slurps of The Hotdog Stand’s lemonades. Their Mint Lemonade is a tangy lemonade with the freshness of mint.

The Pink Lemonade at The Hotdog Stand is one of the best I’ve ever had. I usually shy away from pink lemonades as they tend to be overly sugared down, but the play of lemon zestiness with sweet in this drink was just right for me.

By the time we were done with our hotdogs, we were so mighty stuffed! Who would have thought hotdogs can be this filling? But there’s always room for dessert!

We tried The Hot Dog Stand’s Churros. These churros have been deep-fried to a crunchy golden-brown and are served with a caramel and chocolate dip. The Churros are coated in a cinnamon sugar, and are good enough to be eaten on their own. My daughter managed to scoop up all that chocolate sauce, but my personal favorite was the caramel dip.

Apart from hotdogs, The Hotdog Stand also serves Cincinnati style pastas which we were too full to try. Ibrahim tells us they are working on many new additions to the menu including a whole new range of signature hotdogs, and more options for vegetarians.

The Hotdog Stand might be quite a drive away for us, but we are already planning a trip back for the delicious hotdogs. Ibrahim has given us a taste of what we have been missing all along, and I am excited to see what he has in store for 2016.

Go on, try The Hotdog Stand for yourself and satiate those Americanized hotdog cravings. Best of all, a meal for two here will not cost you more than AED 100.

The Hotdog Stand is located on the ground floor of Jannah Place, Dubai Marina (GPS coordinates 25.069795, 55.133140). For more information, call them toll free on 800 HOTDOG (468364).

I am a pashmina hoarder. I love collecting these luxuriously hand-woven, elaborately embroidered shawls and with the slight chill in the air, my shawls are finally seeing the light of day.

But what is Pashmina? And what makes it so sought-after? Is it the same as the 10 dirham scarves you find at Carrefour? Read on for an intro into the world of pashminas, on how to find the real deal, and how I incorporate them into my winter wardrobe.

What is a Pashmina?

Pashmina is an authentic weave originating from the Northern Indian state of Kashmir. The region has built a reputation for their shawls, and the pashmina is the best known weave.

Pashminas are very finely woven shawls that do not exceed 19 microns in thickness. They are woven using Cashmere wool.

Cashmere is used to weave Pashminas, and the two are therefore not the same thing.

What makes cashmere wool special?

• The word ‘Cashmere’ is derived from ‘Kashmir’, the North Indian state from where this wool originates.
• Cashmere wool is derived from the underdown of Cashmere goats as well as other Himalayan goats who produce this fine wool given the cold temperatures in the Himalayas.
• The fiber of cashmere wool is infact a hair, and not a wool. This gives it a finer, lighter texture as compared to sheep’s wool.
• Cashmere is lighter in weight and texture than sheep’s wool, but its warmth is not compensated.  Cashmere wool helps Himalayan goats survive elevations of over 14,000 feet and temperatures below -40 degree centigrade, so just imagine the warmth of a genuine cashmere-woven pashmina!

When pure cashmere is woven into pashminas, it has a very matte finish. The weave is also slightly loose when compared to commercialized, machine weaves.

To cut costs, many variations include the addition of silk to the weave, thereby giving the end product a slight sheen.

Unfortunately there is a plethora of fakes out there. I cringe when I see shawls selling for as low as AED 10 at Carrefour labelled as ‘100% Pashmina’.

For one, there is no such thing as 100% Pashmina. Pashmina is the name of the weave, not the wool. Secondly, genuine pashmina shawls are made from very limited quantities of fine cashmere, making them elusively expensive.

How do you know if you have a genuine pashmina at hand, or about to be conned with a fake?

The Pashmina Test

1. A genuine pashmina will have a matte finish, and no shine.
2. The weave will be soft and rustic as it is done by hand. It will not be tight and machine-perfect like industrial weaves.
3. Genuine pashmina will pile up with prolonged wear. The tiny balls of wool can be removed with a lint remover. 
4. Try the Ring Test. A genuine pashmina will glide effortlessly through a medium ring. However, given the plethora of very finely done industrial weaves, many other fabrics will ease through this test as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv7DFdZE1E8
5. If you are brave enough, you can test your pashmina shawl with the Burn Test (Warning! This involves cutting off a piece of your prized shawl!).

Tezzy’s Pashminas

I am a very lucky girl. I got my very first genuine pashmina gifted to me by a very generous Kashmiri friend. She bought it from a weaver in Kashmir, and the beauty of this piece is that it is embroidered in two different colours on both sides, all over the shawl.

I can therefore interchange between orange and blue depending on what I’m wearing, or I twist the shawl to show off the beauty of both sides.

I saw a very similar one in the ‘Pride of Kashmir’ store in Souk Al Bahar (Dubai) but it only had the embroidery done on one side, and it was retailing for AED 1,620.

I showed my shawl to the gentleman at ‘Pride of Kashmir’, and I was happy to hear mine is a genuine piece worth more than the one he was selling thanks to the double embroidery :-)

I love the versatility of this scarf. It manages to go with everything I wear, and it is light enough to carry about in my bag all year round. It keeps me warm and stylish through overly chilled air-conditioning in summer, and elevates whatever I am wearing come winter-time.

My other pashmina shawl has a more intricately embroidered border, and looks more regally ethnic. I bought this from a Kashmiri vendor in Sharjah Gold Souk.

The ethnic work is perhaps not as versatile as my other scarf, but looks beautifully boho with Western silhouettes and is a must-have over Indian ethnic wear.

This scarf cost me AED 1,400 and I believe it is well worth the investment. Just look at all that intricate embroidery work, all done by hand! I also love this particular shawl for the rather bold, bright colour combination that is not often seen on traditional Kashmiri work.

Pashminas are a part of every classic wardrobe, and will never go out of style. If you plan to spend wisely this year on pieces that will take you through many years to come, I suggest you invest in a pashmina. Be wise, and look up reputable vendors who know what they are selling. Look out for tell-tale signs of fakes. A genuine pashmina will last you a lifetime, and add a touch of enduring glamour to everything in your wardrobe.

I have a rather tragic tale to tell. I was sent this absolutely gorgeous bag full of beauty tools from The Vintage Cosmetic Company courtesy Boots Middle East, and got click-happy as soon as I got them out of the bag.

Then…horror of horrors…I lost the camera’s memory card! And here’s the thing; I had already thrown away most of the packaging, and packed up the lovely tools nice and compact into my beauty drawer.

How was I to do a blog post? :-( And then I lost my keys this morning (yes, I am a pro at losing things of late!), and poured out the contents of my handbag and there it was, this miniscule little plastic square that held far too many of my precious clicks! Hurrah!

So here you go… a whole gallery of clicks showcasing the delightfully adorable packaging on The Vintage Cosmetic Company’s products. I’ve always been a fan of floral, pastel shabby-chic and bet this in itself is enough to make most girls want to splurge.

But here’s the thing; the products within the pretty parcels are just as amazing!

Apart from the packaging being ultra cute (ok I get it, enough already! The packaging really is pretty gorgeous, even though I did have to chuck it all out and risk losing the chance to blog about it when my memory card got lost!) I love how each product comes with instructions and very handy beauty tips to boot.

I was sent two of The Vintage Cosmetic Company’s eye-shadow brushes.

The Shadow brush is designed for eye-shadow application on the eye lids. The bristles of this brush have been cut to the ideal length for precisely filling up the lids without smudging. Best of all, the soft bristles of the brush really adheres to product beautifully, and makes colour blending a breeze.
Check out the packaging for more tips on how to ‘Shine in the Shadows’!

The other eye-shadow brush I was sent is The Vintage Cosmetic Company’s Precision brush. This brush features tightly packed bristles with the pointy edge of a sharpened pencil. This is the kind of brush I never knew I needed so badly! It makes ‘precision’ eye-shadow applications so much easier. Cat eye? Can do. High smolder shadow? Done! And like the Shadow brush, this too comes with easy to do instructions.

The Vintage Cosmetic Company is a cruelty-free brand, and no cutsie animals were harmed in the production of these brushes. The bristles are 100% synthetic.

The Vintage Cosmetic Company’s Slanted Tweezers is as pretty as it is practical. With it’s gorgeously pretty floral print, this set of tweezers is easily the prettiest I’ve ever owned. The slanted tip makes picking out even the most stubborn of follicles a breeze. Even the tweezers packaging comes with tips!

I’ve owned a few eyelash curlers in the past, but after discovering quite a few amazingly good mascaras that do the curling for me, this was but a forgotten tool. Then I get this reminder from The Vintage Cosmetic Company!

The Vintage Cosmetic Company’s Eyelash Curler comes with extra cushions for when the ones on the curler wear out, and the simple step-by-step instructions on the packaging made me take it out and put it to use.

I was also sent two packs of The Vintage Cosmetic Company’s False Eyelashes. This is a product I have shied away from. As a contact lens wearer, I have super sensitive eyes and the idea of gluing lashes onto my lids freaks me out.

But The Vintage Cosmetic Company makes it look so simple and tempting! I was sent the long-lashed, flirty-dramatic Gracie and the more sober, thicker Nancy.

The names represent two very pretty retro chics, all glammed up in retro galore. They may look very alike, but their personalities shine through rather differently to match the lashes they represent.

Nancy says:

Gracie says:

I hear you ladies! I promise to give these falsies a try! Stay tuned peeps, I’m taking a leap of faith ;-)

To sum it up, The Vintage Cosmetic Company offers high quality beauty tools in adorably cute packaging. Look them up at your nearest Boots Pharmacy store, and browse their collection on their website. You’ll be seeing more of these beauties in my upcoming posts :-)

When colleagues Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah founded Zomato way back in 2008, little did they know of how phenomenally successful their online restaurant search site would be. Featuring real restaurant reviews from everyday foodies like you and me, Zomato currently spans over 23 countries and is aiming to take over the globe.

Zomato has taken the UAE foodie scene by storm. You are as likely to see the ‘Rate Me on Zomato’ sticker in fancy-shmancy restaurants  as the humble ‘hole in the wall’ cafeterias, and the site currently has over 2,000 highly enthusiastic, food-reviewing ‘Zomans’ across the globe. What is the story behind Zomato’s unprecedented success? I had a chitchat with Zomato UAE’s Business Head Viraj Sawant.

In a very short period, Zomato has taken over the UAE foodie scene by storm! Can you please give us a brief history on Zomato, and the secret behind its phenomenal success?

The response to Zomato has so far, been incredible. We’ve had a very interesting start. When Deepinder and Pankaj were working at Bain & Co like most of their colleagues they would frequently order in at lunch. It was at Bain that Deepinder got the idea of scanning menus and putting them online on an office intranet, because they would waste a lot of time queueing up in the cafeteria to view a very limited number of menus. The response that they got from their peers on this intranet website was fantastic and that’s when they realized that a viable business could be built out of this. That is how Zomato, then known as Foodiebay was born.

I think the secret to our success has been the unwavering focus we’ve had as a team on our product. Going the extra mile and doing more than you’re required to, often on a very tight deadline, is something that comes naturally to everyone at Zomato. Our team is what has kept us going. It isn’t easy, and it requires a lot of patience to build a team that shares the same vision and passion as the founders.

How does the UAE foodie scene differ from the rest of the world? Did it have its own set of unique challenges for getting the Zomato word out there?

UAE’s dining scene is clearly burgeoning partly because of the influx of new restaurants, a huge eating out culture and a primarily expat population. It’s vibrant dining scene and its growing restaurant industry makes it stand out as one of the fastest growing restaurant ecosystems in the world. There is a high demand for global cuisines in the UAE and an open-mindedness to try out new cuisines and with an increase in the people with high disposable incomes, eating out is only becoming increasingly popular.

Every country has its own culture and it is difficult to replicate preferences across countries. When we launched in Dubai in 2012, it was our first international market entry and we knew that we had to ensure that we localised our product to the market and added local features basis user search behaviour. We created a product that was in-line with Dubai’s local realities and needs and it made it easier to spread the word out about our offerings.

When it comes to consumer facing portals the biggest apprehension is around the famous chicken and egg problem – customers find value only if we have the most exhaustive in-depth information on restaurants while restaurant owners find value only if we have enough customers. We solved this problem by providing a rock solid content platform which provided all possible information for more than 95% of restaurants across cities in the region. We made sure we constantly kept tweaking our product based on feedback from our user base and this helped us tremendously grow our brand – initially, our users spread the word about our product in their social circles and it grew from there.

The love of food is universal, and Zomato provides a platform for foodies to give their unbiased views on their dining experiences. What, in your opinion, is the major driving force behind getting people to write reviews on Zomato? Is it the competitive scoring structure?

Since we’ve had the functionality of sharing reviews [beginning 2010], we encourage everyone to share their dining experiences. The variety and number of different opinions, especially from within your own network, is what makes deciding where to eat easier. We’re a neutral platform, so we welcome all opinions from layman as well as from bloggers and critics that want to reach a wider audience. I think the biggest driving force for people to share their views, within their network on Zomato, is the passion for food. Our strong social layer on the website and app, allowing users to follow one another, share their dining experiences with pictures and reviews and this allows users to make informed dining decisions.

The Zomato leader board has now been split into 3 sections: Top Photographer, Top Blogger and Top Reviewer. What brought about this change?

Leaderboards on Zomato help identify the most prolific contributors in a city. We introduced leaderboards because we found there were distinct groups of people who preferred writing to taking photos, and those who were less wordy and more snap-happy, and the third set of people who had their own websites and blogs already. It was more a way to provide all these different kinds of people the opportunity to come up their respective leaderboards.

What does Zomato have in store for 2016?

Going into 2016, we’ve made our mission statement – Never Have a Bad Meal – our core focus. We are focused on making sure that everyone is empowered enough to have the best dining experience possible. We’ve been building the foundation to achieve this over the years – first, by providing all the information one needs to make a dining decision, and then by giving users and restaurants a way to share and receive feedback through reviews and now with the introduction of online ordering.

This year we will be focused on making Zomato abuse-free and doubling our efforts to ensure Zomato is clean and useful to everyone using it. We will also be focused on growing our traffic this year and are aiming for a 10% month on month increase (in traffic) across all our markets. Expansion is definitely on the menu and we plan to launch Zomato in new markets this year. We’re focused on building products that connect restaurants to consumers and we believe that a world-class cloud-based POS system is the first step towards building that platform. I think there is a lot of ground to cover in bridging the communication gap between consumers and restaurants and no other player is doing this. We are certain that with the newly introduced features such asonline ordering and table reservations, we’re going to change the way people dine.

Where do you see Zomato in the next 5 years?

As a tech company we need to constantly build further from where we started, otherwise you get left behind. In the next few years we want to be the definition of food-tech across the world. What we’re building now is 100x more complex from when we started. We have been consistently working on creating a seamless in-app dining experience for our users, and have a long-term vision of making dining experiences unthinkingly easy. As a product company, we want to be that go-to app for anyone looking to discover a place to eat at, book a table, or order food online.

What is your role at Zomato?

Currently, I look at the UAE business for Zomato.

What were you doing before Zomato, and has it helped with your current role?

I have an extremely varied work experience prior to Zomato. I started off with movie marketing for a production house in Mumbai, for a couple of years. Post that, for four and half years I was an entrepreneur working in the field of music, trying to promote indie music and artists in India. Worked closely with various embassies to promote this music in their countries and their music in India and conceptualised and executed music events. I had to eventually shut shop because of bad timing (slow down of the economy) and some bad decisions. Just before Zomato I had a brief stint with a consumer goods company in India to expand their television business within the country. Out of everything else, the four odd years of entrepreneurship prepared me for this position within Zomato. At Zomato it is not about the specific role, it is about aligning yourself to the company’s goals and making sure that we achieve everything that we set out to do on a daily basis. All of this helped me in understanding the way of working at Zomato very very quickly.

I know this is a tough one given you work for Zomato, but please give us your top 5 favorite places to dine at in the UAE.

UAE is a booming market, and it would be tremendously difficult to choose a set of 5 restaurants amongst over 16,000 restaurants in this country. Few areas are my go to for some good grub- Downtown Dubai has a host of restaurants, Karama in Old Dubai for some great cheap eats and JLT for so many of the hidden gems. With so many restaurants coming up every week in the UAE, I am finding it hard to catch up with my bookmarked list and hopefully this year I will be able to find my top 5 spots.

Tezzy is on Zomato!

Zomato is my go-to place online for researching new places to eat around the UAE. Apart from reviews and ratings, the site offers scanned copies of restaurant menus and location maps, making an indispensable tool for a food blogger like me.

Talking about blogging, The Tezzy Files is now on Zomato!

The Tezzy Files is currently the #1 Ranked Blog in both Dubai and Sharjah. Do follow me: https://www.zomato.com/thetezzyfiles

The Filipino community take up a large percentage of the expat population in the UAE, and it is heartening to see we finally have a little piece of the Philippines right in the commercial nook of Deira, Dubai catering for the authentic cuisines our Filipino brethren have been missing from back home. Little Manila is not a restaurant; it is a whole food-court of well-loved foodie brands hailing from the Philippines. I had the pleasure of attending their opening in September (read all about it here), and then I got invited for a ‘Boodle Fight’!

Always up for the exhilarating challenge of trying something new as a foodie, I was curious to see what this ‘fight’ would entail. What is a Boodle Fight? Made popular by the Filipino military, this is an elaborate Filipino feast served on banana leaves, that is eaten communal style with bare hands. In the army, officers would circle around a table and have the ‘Boodle Fight’ standing.

Thankfully we had ours sitting down in the comfort of the cushy seating at Little Manila! At Little Manila, they have a variety of Boodle Fights on offer and each can be customized for a fight for two, or four to six people.

The Boodle Fights at Little Manila have been created by Jay-J’s Inasal, a very popular foodie chain in the Philippines best known for their traditional ‘Inasal’ roast chicken.

We had the honor of being Little Manila’s very first patrons for trying out the Seafood Lover Boodle Fight.

The table was first covered up in cling-wrap for hygiene, and then laid out with banana leaves. No need to wash hands and get them dirty here; we were given disposable gloves to slip on. I have never eaten with disposable gloves on before, but there’s always a first time and I took to it like a duck to water!

And here comes out Seafood Lover Boodle Fight! The pictures don’t do it justice, this humongous serving of rice and an elaborate mix of seafood looks so beautifully exotic, and we could see other tables getting as click-happy as us when the Boodle hit the table (rhyme intended!).

This very generous serving can easily feed a table of 6 hungry adults, and best of all, it only costs AED 199!

The rice itself is so very delicious, that I could have easily eaten it all on its own. This is Filipino Bagoong Rice; a traditional rice dish made of Jasmine rice that has been accentuated with the salty-sharp zing of shrimp paste and the boldness of garlic.

The seafood served on top of the rice pilaf includes soft-shell crab, shrimps, squid and Bangus fish.

The seafood has been marinated in special, authentic sauces and grilled to perfection. I really enjoyed the crab. Cooked a medium-rare, the inner meat was soft and juicy enough to chew, and all that crabby seafood goodness just flooded through beautifully.

The squid disappeared in no time! Soft, spongy and succulent, it was a real treat having these with the shrimp paste served on the side.

The shrimps were plump and fleshy, which made peeling off the shell super easy. We were served a chili vinegar and a soya sauce with chilies on the side, and these were the perfect dips with the shrimps.

The grilled Bangus fish is one meaty serving! The flesh is steamy soft, and the skin a deliciously salty crisp. Even between the four of us, we couldn’t do justice to this serving.

On the top of the seafood, a very fresh, exotic salad sits as garnish. The salad includes tangy hits of green mango and thin slivers of green papaya. It is a much needed refreshing side for this very satiating, overly generous seafood fare.

As if this impossibly large Boodle Fight was not enough to fill us up, Executive Chef Jojo Joaquin insisted we try their famous Inasal roasted chicken as well.

The chicken has been char-grilled to perfection! Despite the skin being charred and crisp, the inner meat is moist and juicy, and is very well marinated with a delicate flavor of garlic and herbs. A plate of this on its own (and a bowl of that Bagoong rice perhaps!) is what I plan to order on my next visit here ;-)

To drown all this decadence, we were served a chilled jug of Little Manila’s Iced Tea. This is a freshly brewed jug of tea with lemon (no artificial powder mixes are used here), and the sweetness of the mix makes it taste more like a juice than a tea.

For dessert, we had a variety of mochis from Mochi Creme. Mochi is a Japanese concept. It consists of a sweet bun made of sticky rice, that has been filled with ice-cream. At Little Manila, the mochi flavors are dedicated to Filipino favorites. We had Ube mochi, Mango mochi, Durian mochi and Azuki Bean mochi.

To end with yet another Filipino classic, we had Little Manila’s most sought-after dessert, the Ensaymada. This is a sweet bun served with cheese. The bun is incredibly soft, and to me it tastes like having a cloud of butter with an after-taste of cheddar. Who would have thought a cheese bun for dessert would taste this good?!

I have had a taste of Filipino cuisine in the past, but the Seafood Lover Boodle Fight at Little Manila was an epic affair I can’t rave enough on! A feast for 6 for a mere AED 199, this is a must-try for anyone curious enough to try Filipino cuisine.

The Seafood Lover Boodle Fight has been especially created for Valentines Day, and will be available to the public from 1st February 2016. It is available in the 4-6 people portion, or you can go for the table for 2. Skip the cliche candlelit dinners, here is one ‘fight’ you really would like to have for Valentines!

Book a Boodle Fight at Little Manila today! Little Manila is located in K6 Building, Al Muraqqabat Street, Deira (Dubai). Call 04 299 9315 for details

McGettigan’s, the Irish gastro sports pub established way back in the 1960’s, has already made its mark in the UAE. Their branches have a cosy Irish charm which makes McGettigan’s rather unique in the UAE setting. I was not aware they have a branch in Fujairah, so when I got a brunch invite for a #ZomatoMeetup there last Friday, I jumped at the chance.

We rarely see the morning sun on Fridays, and crawl out of bed just past noon. Last Friday was different. We had to be at McGettigan’s Fujairah by 12.30 sharp, and hit the road by 10 am. The drive to Fujairah is a scenic treat. With a kaleidoscope of rocky mountains and brick-red sand dunes on either side, and a free road with speeds of up to 120 km, a trip to Fujairah on a Friday morning makes for the perfect weekend road-trip.

McGettigan’s Fujairah is located inside the Fujairah Tennis & Country Club. You would think this would be easy to locate, but we got rather lost. We took the GPS coordinates from Google Maps, and this took us right in front of the entrance of Ajman University of Science and Technology. After a few frantic calls to the club’s reception and getting all the more confused, we took the help of an assistant at the neighbouring petrol pump and realized the club was exactly on the parallel road behind the university. Lesson learnt; never rely on Google Maps 100%, check the location map on Zomato as well!

Thankfully we made it on time, and the club has ample parking. The grounds of Fujairah Tennis & Country Club is all plush and green. Beautifully fit and tanned regulars battle it out on the courts, and idle families take solace by the pool.

McGettigan’s is located on the left of the club’s foyer, and like the branches I have seen in Dubai, the interiors resemble a cosy pub you are more likely to see in the nooks and crannies of Europe.

Television screens play live footage of a football game, yet the sharp electronic blare is subdued with the deep wooden accents of the setting. Gilded mirrors hang on bare walls, and a whole pile of logs take dominance of an entire wall where patrons are encouraged to leave a message.

Ofcourse I had to sign off on the blog’s behalf!

Sharing a meal with foodies from Zomato is always a treat. It’s very refreshing meeting likeminded people who have a genuine love for good food, and a real need to share their experiences with others. Best of all, when dining with a crowd like this, no one minds me taking out my DSLR and getting flash-happy over every dish to hit the table!

When the hostess asked me what I’d like to drink, I asked her to get me something ‘really pretty and photogenic’ :-) This is how I got introduced to the Strawberry Daiquiri, a slushy berry treat tinged with the bitter boldness of rum. Before long, many of my fellow foodies were ordering in this beauty as well!

We started off with a shared salad sampler. It included a coleslaw with walnuts, a shrimp salad, and one with broad beans. My favorite of the lot was the very fresh and minty cucumber and feta salad.

A plate of Jalapeno Poppers was being passed around the table, and this had everyone raving for more. Crunchy brown on the outside with a gooey cheese interior inclusive of a slice of sweetened Jalapeno, these pops of yumminess are the perfect accompaniment with drinks.

The menu at McGettigan’s is loaded with Irish favorites, and the prices are very reasonable too (nothing exceeds AED 80).

After the two-hour drive, we were all rather famished, and the orders were taking a while to hit the table. We therefore asked the hostess to serve our starters and mains together; a really bad idea as we were short on table space!

For starters, I ordered McGettigan’s Seafood Chowder. This was a thick, creamy mash-up of seafood flavors including smoked haddock, salmon and mussels. It is a rather large dish for a starter, and can easily be eaten as a main.

Hubby’s starter dish was the Tempura Softshell Crab, and this was a big hit around the table. The crabs were battered a beautifully crunchy golden brown, and the insides were really soft and flavorful. A drizzle of wasabi mayo on the top made it a stellar dish.

For my mains, I tried out McGettigan’s Wagyu Beef Chili, and am so very glad I did! This is an absolutely intense, flavorsome bowl brimming with a decadent play of chili bean and beef, and topped with melted Gruyere cheese. It is one of those soulfully rich, meaty dishes you would dream of devouring on a cold winter’s day. It comes accompanied with a serving of fries which went untouched. The chili beef was all-consuming and moreish all on its own.

Pallavi, our Zomato hostess, ordered McGettigan’s Fish & Chips and I stole a bite off her plate. These Fish & Chips deserve a special mention because the battered fish was absolutely divine! The deep-fried golden coating was crisp and light, and had the traditional hint of bicarbonate. The fish fillet enclosed within was beautifully moist and steamy, and had the perfect amount of seasoning. I think I’ve finally found perfect Irish-certified Fish & Chips in the UAE!

For our round of desserts, we decided to order everything on the menu and share it around the table. Yet another advantage of dining with Zomato enthusiasts!

I really enjoyed the Apple Crumble at McGettigan’s. It was warm and moist, and the apple filling had the perfect balance of tart and sweet. I also like how they serve the crunchiest crust on the side, so you can break into a bit of it with each spoonful, or choose to use it as a crunchy scooper on its own.

The Deep Fried Ice-Cream was a bit of a let-down. I am a huge fan of deep-fried ice-cream, and was expecting to see it in the form I am accustomed to, a scoop of frozen vanilla encased in a crunchy deep-fried batter. However, the one at McGettigan’s is ice-cream in a deep-fried filo pastry outer, pretty much a sweeter version of a spring-roll, but the contents were melting out and the pastry was hard to break into with our dessert spoons.

Appreciating Lemon Pie takes an acquired taste. You either love the hit of lemon sourness, or detest it. This was therefore the least loved dessert on the table, but I for one really enjoyed its overly tart hit of flavor, and the pie filling was incredibly smooth and silky.

The unanimous dessert favorite was McGettigan’s Sticky Toffee Pudding. The pudding was beautifully spongy, and soaked in the rich indulgence of toffee decadence. Every spoonful was wickedly moreish, and I found respite in the cool simplicity of the scoop of vanilla ice-cream accompanying it on the plate.

If you want a perfectly sweet Irish ending to your meal at McGettigan’s, I suggest you try their Nutty Irish Man. This is a decadently creamy, sweet muddle of hazelnut liqueur, Bailey’s Irish Cream and whipped cream. It’s a frothy hazelnut dessert in a glass, and as the menu suggests, it should really be renamed as the ‘Naughty’ Irish Man!  

Overall, our brunch at McGettigan’s was a Friday afternoon well-spent. The scenic drive up to Fujairah sans the mad city traffic makes the location a perfect weekend getaway. I love the chilled out, cosy vibe of McGettigans. As we were making our way out, we stopped to listen to the live performance of McGettigan’s resident artist crooning to ‘Killing Me Softly’. I also noticed they have a little library in one corner. You might just find me there one idle weekend, book in hand digging into some more of their delicious pub grub.

McGettigan’s Fujairah is located inside the Fujairah Tennis & Country Club. Look them up on their website, or call 09 2244880 for details. They have plenty of offers and events lined up to keep it interesting :-) 

Thank-you #ZomatoUAE for a fabulous foodie Friday, and the wonderful company of fellow Zomans :-)

My little cherub turned 5 yesterday, a whole half-decade! My cuddly little bundle is now a hyper little child with a strongly opinionated mind of her own. She’s graduated from Barney to Dora, and is currently fixated by the Frozen sisters.

She therefore insisted her birthday cake had to be a ‘Frozen’ one, preferably with the ‘cooler’ sister Elsa on it (pun intended!). Just like the sister duo Elsa and Ana have a huge fan following with little girls the world over, the Bhatia sisters Sneha and Ravisha have been creating headlines in the Dubai bakery scene.

Fondly known as the ‘Suga Sisters’, Sneha and Ravisha conceptualized and created Sugaholic way back in May 2010. It all started off with their love for baking, and the brand was created for a bake-sale to generate funds for children’s education in India. Their bakery creations were far more successful than expected. An unprecedented number of orders came flooding in, and Sneha and Ravisha finally took a leap of faith and left their high-flying banking careers to launch their brand, Sugaholic. Read more on the Suga Sisters here.

Sugaholic was kind enough to create a customized Elsa cake for my munchkin. Ofcourse it had to be a chocolate cake. Elsa and chocolate, that was all the input they recieved from my end. I was as excited as my 5 year-old to see the final creation, and headed to Sugaholic to pick it up.

Sugaholic is located in Karama, Dubai. The easiest landmark is Yoko Sizzlers (across the road from Burjuman Mall). Sugaholic is on the parallel road behind Yoko.

The store is hard to miss. The delightfully bright colour combination of pink and yellow is all at once inviting and festive, and I love how the logo represents the stylish sister duo. The interiors are kitch and cute and follow on from the brand colours. My daughter insisted on a click on their playful swing in the corner!

We have to come back for a Sugaholic attack sometime soon! This time round, we were here to pick up the birthday cake. Just look how pretty it is! This two-tiered cake features fondant and vanilla buttercream decor, and a very pretty (and edible!) Elsa. Elsa’s long, blonde braid is made of fondant, and spirals at the base.

My daughter gave out a squeal of delight, which got me worried on how I would get the cake home intact. The staff are super friendly and helped me load the cake carefully into the car.

We asked for a chocolate cake, and Sugaholic gave us their signature Belgian Chocolate Ganache cake.

The cake is dense yet spongy, and indulgently rich on chocolate decadence. It is sandwiched with chocolate buttercream, and even as we were driving home, we could get whiffs of delicious chocolate from the box.

At Sugaholic, they are strongly against the use of preservatives and this is probably why the cake tastes so fresh and home-baked. You really have to have a slice to taste the difference as compared to other commercial bakery goods.

This cake is a 1.5 kg serving, but the actual weight would be double when you add in all that gorgeous designing details.

We were a group of 10, and managed to scoff up half the cake. I have leftovers in the fridge, and will be digging into it as soon as I get home from work tonight :-)

Sugaholic is located in Karama, Dubai right behind Yoko Sizzlers. Have a browse through their yummy website, and give them a call on 04 3579 333 for orders. Bon apetit!

We’ve all heard about Shea Butter. It’s one of those hyped up beauty ingredients that get highlighted on hydrating potions all the time. But what if you could get your hands on raw, natural shea butter all on its own sans any chemical mix-ups?

I got my hands on a jar of this lovely beauty product by Mother Nature from the African stall at Global Village last year, and have been looking for a local supplier ever since. Then I get sent this generously large glass jar from Shea Butter DXB and I am over the moon!

What is Shea Butter?

Shea Butter is a naturally occurring ‘butter’ that is derived from the seeds of the Shea tree using a cold-pressed, chemically free process.

Shea Butter is highly concentrated with skin-loving ingredients, and apart from being a very rich, naturally occurring moisturizer, Shea Butter works wonderfully as a natural skin healing agent. It is these healing properties that have given the humble Shea tree the African name ‘Karite’, meaning ‘Tree of Life’.

Pure, organic Shea Butter has a characteristically deep, nutty scent that can take some getting used to. The butter is off-white, almost yellow in colour and needs to be stored in a cool, dry place to prolong shelf life. When Shea Butter gets old and rancid, it has a near-acidic scent, and at this point it would have lost most of its prized healing properties.

Beware of low-quality Shea Butter. Buy from a reputable dealer like Shea Butter DXB to ensure you are getting 100% organic product without any additives.

Point to note: Shea Butter is for external use only, and is not safe for consumption. Also, as Shea Butter is made of shea nut,  people with nut allergies should avoid it at all costs.

Key Ingredients in Shea Butter

• Vitamin A
• Cinnamic Acid
• Oleic, Stearic, Palmitic and Linolenic Acids

The Beauty Benefits of Shea Butter

Deeply Moisturizing: Shea Butter contains a high concentration of oleic, stearic, palmitic and linolenic acids. This naturally occurring skin-loving cocktail helps the skin vamp up its natural collagen production. Shea Butter is deeply nourishing, and helps to protect the skin and keep it smooth and supple. Long term use can also aid in delaying the aging process.

Healing Properties: What sets Shea Butter apart from other naturally occurring seed oils is that apart from being deeply moisturizing, the high concentration of nutrients in this butter makes it exceptionally invaluable for its healing properties. Shea Butter has been used to treat a wide range of skin issues ranging from blemishes and wrinkles, sunburn and wounds, to eczema, skin allergies and even insect bites.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Shea Butter contains lupeol cinnamic acid, which has been clinically proven to reduce skin inflammation, and can therefore be the ideal natural moisturizer for people suffering from acne.

12 Ways of Incorporating Shea Butter into Your Beauty Regime

1. A Natural Moisturizer: Use it on its own as a rich face and body moisturizer.
2. Baby Safe: It is safe enough to use as a natural moisturizer for babies and young children.
3. Lip Balm: Works great as a hydrating lip balm.
4. Cuticle Cream: Does wonders for dry cuticles!
5. Reduces Scars: Can be used directly on scars to boost collagen production and help make them less visible.
6. Pregnancy Stretch Marks: Great for pregnancy, and reducing the appearance of stretch marks.
7. After-Sun Cream: Use it as an after-sun cream for ultimate skin hydration.
8. Eye Cream: Can be used as an under-eye cream to reduce wrinkles and unsightly bags.
9. Eye-Shadow Primer: Can be used on eyelids as an eye-shadow primer to help the makeup last longer.
10. Leave-In Conditioner: As a leave-in conditioner for the drier ends of the hair.
11. Hair Mask: Can be melted and incorporated with other hair-loving ingredients like coconut oil to create a warm, conditioning hair mask.
12. Beauty Recipes: Shea Butter is used as the base for a plethora of home-made beauty recipes from moisturizers to soaps, and even makeup.

Tezzy’s All-Natural Night Cream Recipe

• 2 tablespoons Shea Butter
• 2 tablespoons Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (read about its benefits here)
• 2-3 drops Tea Tree Oil (read about its benefits here)

1. Place a heat-proof bowl over a pan of boiling water.
2. Add Shea Butter and Coconut Oil. Allow the mixture to melt, and mix the two together.
3. Remove from heat, and add the Tea Tree Oil. Mix together.
4. Allow to cool till it is semi-solid. Whip the cream together till soft and fluffy.

This is a deeply hydrating cream that is best used on normal to dry skin right before going to bed. You only need a little amount per use, and massaging it into the skin is a well-pampered, self-loving treat we all deserve!

The Shea Butter and Coconut Oils are loaded with skin-loving all-natural ingredients, and the Tea Tree Oil acts as an antiseptic to keep the skin clean and clear. For mature skin, you can try replacing the Tea Tree Oil with Frankincense.

Where to Buy 100% Organic Shea Butter in the UAE

Interested in getting your hands on some Shea Butter? Shea Butter DXB imports high-quality 100% organic Shea Butter directly from Africa, and packages it in the UAE.

View their Instagram feed here. For orders, they can be reached via email (sheabutterdxb@gmail.com) or phone 050 598 2393.

I had the pleasure of meeting Rahul Sajnani when I was invited for a tasting at Moshi, and felt this young, debonair fusion-chef deserved a blog post on his own! How many of us have the courage to make a profession out of our kitchen experimentations? Rahul found his calling at university, when his unusual flavor combinations won over his roomies in the UK. Back home in Dubai, he is on a mission to convert as many people as possible into sushi-loving Moshians!

Moshi has enjoyed unprecedented success in less than a year of operation, but all this media buzz has not gone into Rahul’s head. A firm believer in giving back to the community, Rahul has initiated a philanthropic stance at Moshi where 5% of the proceeds of every Moshi bill goes into feeding Dubai construction workers.

Let’s have a chitchat with Rahul!

When I got asked to share beauty tips with Abu Dhabi Week, I was beyond flattered. Abu Dhabi Week is undoubtedly the most widely read weekly in the capital, and to get featured here alongside well-known local beauty celebrities is an honor indeed.

I talked to Abu Dhabi Week about Strobing (you can read more on this in my earlier blog post). Here’s the feature in Abu Dhabi Week (17-23 Jan, 2016):

Thank-you for the coverage Abu Dhabi Week!

Patiala, the contemporary fine-dining restaurant located in Souk Al Bahar has to be one of my favorite joints for Indian cuisine in Dubai. And what beats dining at Patiala? Dining at Patiala with celebrity Chef Kunal Kapur himself ofcourse! 

Based out of India, Chef Kunal took over Patiala Dubai, and does regular visits to ensure his newly revamped menu stays topnotch.

Despite his celebrity status, and becoming the face of Master Chef India, Chef Kunal is every bit the humble, jovial boy next door.

He walked in 20 minutes late, and is all apologetic. He’s had a late night, and been up early for kitchen rounds. I see he’s wearing a FitBit and jokingly ask if that is his secret of keeping in shape. Chef Kunal nods in agreement. Being a Chef, exercise is all the more important to him, and he incorporates walking into his daily routine where ever possible. Chef Kunal aims for 6 km a day, and has actually walked up to Patiala from his Sheikh Zayed rented apartment to see us.

You come from a family of bankers. How did you end up as a Chef? 

My father was a banking whiz. He was a topper at the prestigious Sriram College of Commerce (Delhi, India), and even his father was a banker. As the only son, it was assumed I would follow my grandfather and father’s footsteps but I was extremely weak with numbers. I hated mathematics! It still surprises me on how I managed to get a bachelors degree in commerce.

Then a friend of mine joined Hotel Management, and that is how the idea of getting into F&B came to mind. My father was surprised by my decision, but supported me completely.

Growing up in India, did you face any gender taboos for choosing to make a career in the kitchen?

I come from a joint family, and in our household all the men love to cook! They were all Sunday chefs, and made the weekly cooking session a very social one. As a child, I would wander into the kitchen to see where all the fun was taking place, and my father would sit me on a Dalda tin and allow me to stir the dishes.

My mother is a staunch vegetarian, and has never touched meat. It is the men in the family who do the non-vegetarian delicacies!

What is your favorite Punjabi dish?

It is very hard to narrow down to one, but one from my childhood is my grandmother’s fresh Mango Lassi made with fresh yogurt and mangoes.

The adults in our household used to freeze the leftovers, and we as children would eat it at night in the form of an ice-cream. This is the inspiration behind one of Patiala’s most loved desserts; the Mango Lassi Ice-cream.

What do you attribute your fame to?

Definitely Master Chef India! When Star Plus contacted me for this role, I had no idea what Master Chef was, and had to download and watch reruns of Master Chef Australia!

Your dishes infuse many flavors from around India, yet remain predominantly Punjabi. Have you tried your hand at other world cuisines?

I am trained in a number of world cuisines including Italian and Chinese, but I have become best known for my Indian dishes so I stick to these.

On Indian vs Western cooking styles.

One of the main differences between Indian and Western cooking is the way meat is cooked. For Indian curries, we let the meat get over-cooked, which works fine for a curry dish. However, in the West a great deal of respect is given to the way meat is prepared.

I like experimenting with Indian specialties using Western techniques. One example is Kichda, a very common North Indian porridge consisting of rice, lentils and meat. It is cooked into a near-liquid gruel ideal for young children and the elderly (the idea of adding meat was brought about by the aging Mughul emperors who could no longer eat hard meats, but wanted its flavor).

At Patiala, I have created a Mushroom Kichda. I have used moong daal with barley as a base, and the starch from the barley gives the dish a creamy consistency without the use of any dairy. It is all at once Indian, yet very similar to an Italian risotto.

What are 3 must-have ingredients in your kitchen?

For Punjabi cooking, ghee, garlic and chilies are a must. For my personal cooking, and I can never do without garlic, cheese and chocolate.

What ingredient do you stay away from, and why?

At Patiala, I never use Chaat Masala in any of my dishes. To me, Chaat Masala is a quick-fix cheat’s way at making a dish taste appealing to the public.

One good example is Patiala’s Eggplant Steak. It has the characteristic tangy-sweet-hot hit of flavors sans any Chaat Masala. Instead, Amchur (dried mango powder) has been used, and the original flavors of the tangy tamarind and green apple are given predominance to shine through.

How are the dishes at Patiala different?

I am obsessed with chutneys! Each dish comes with its very own complimentary chutney. As you can see, the complimentary tamarind and green chutneys served at the start of the meal at Patiala often go untouched.

What new do you have in store for Patiala this year?

I am planning to do more chutneys, and sell them as a separate commodity. Perhaps we will have a chutney of the week! These would make for great gifts.

You were honored with the very prestigious New Zealand Sir Edmund Hilary Fellowship in 2012! How did that happen?

(The Sir Edmund Hillary Fellowship is a tribute to the special contribution made by Sir Edmund Hillary to New Zealand’s bilateral relationships with India and Nepal. Read more about it by clicking here.)

I was working as Executive Sous Chef at Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon (India) and had never been to New Zealand. To be given this honor by New Zealand Prime Minister John Keys himself was very humbling indeed.

How did you find New Zealand food?

New Zealand dairy and farm produce is one of the freshest and best in the world! During my visit to New Zealand, I got to tour Fonterra (the world’s biggest dairy plant) and was highly impressed with the

Are you aiming for a Michelin Star?

If it happens, I will be honored. But such a title comes with a great deal of responsibility and stress at keeping up at the game. I don’t know if I am ready for that just yet.

Who are your role models?

Sanjeev Kapoor: He is an institution on Indian cooking, and is the first name any Indian will think of when you say ‘Chef’.

Jamie Oliver: For his infectiously friendly personality, and for making home-style cooking so trendy.

Gordon Ramsey: He is so cutting edge! I had the honor of meeting him when I was invited for a guest appearance on Master Chef America.

How was Gordon Ramsey in person?!

He is hilarious! His onscreen persona is just an act, and he is actually a very warm, genuine human being. We actually wait for him to say the ‘F’ word, it cracks everyone up every time!

Is the kitchen as stressful as we see in reality television?

It is far worse! The key is to stay as disciplined as possible. Some days things just don’t go the way you planned it, and you have to go with the flow.

In India, the most stressful time for me is Karwa Chawt (the annual Hindu ritual where a wife fasts an entire day sans food and water, in the promise of prolonging the life of her husband). During Karwa Chawt, it has become a trend for husbands to leave work early and take their wives to a fancy dinner out. This means restaurants are fully booked out, and I have staff who want to take time off too!

Tell us about celebrities you’ve had the honor of cooking for, and what they ordered.

To me, every customer is a celebrity as they are paying for my meals!

I have served quite a few celebrities, including Amitabh Bacchan. I’ve found most celebrities like simple, home-style cooking and tend to shy away from experimental dishes.

At home, who rules the kitchen? You or the Mrs?

I let my wife handle the kitchen at home, and enjoy her simple home-style dishes. After working the kitchen 6 days a week, eating at home is a privilege I look forward to.

What profession do you think your son will choose? Banking or F&B? (Chef Kunal has a 4 year-old son) 

He loves to dance! Maybe he will be a dancer? Whatever he chooses, I will back him 100%.

If I were to sum up my experience at Tresind in one single word, it would have to be ‘magical‘. Ofcourse we’ve heard about the restaurant’s take on molecular gastronomy, but the theatrical brilliance of Tresind had us totally spellbound.

The name ‘Tresind’ is a summation of two parts; ‘Tres’ from French meaning ‘very’, and ‘Ind’ for India. Despite all the chemistry that has gone into making Tresind an institution on molecular gastronomy, all the dishes we had the pleasure of trying stayed true to the original culinary flavors of Indian cuisine.

Our table at Tresind boasted of a stunning view of Sheikh Zayed road, but little did we know that this stunning view would get completely overshadowed by the gastronomic showdown we were about to be presented.

A platter of Tresind’s Zatar Pao with Pindi Channa Hummus was presented at the table. Pickled olives and sun-dried tomatoes accompanied it on the side. This is a clever take on infusing local flavors with Indian cuisine. I found the hummus had a deeper, more earthy flavor thanks to the use of Indian Pindi Chana.

We started off our meal at Tresind with their Deconstructed Pani Puri. A lovely young lady came to the table with a chaat trolley, and created this clever little starter right before our eyes.

Tresind’s Pani Puri has all the components of the traditional well-loved Indian street-food, but here the ‘pani’ (the spicy green liquid consisting of fresh mint, coriander and chili) is spooned into a solution of Sodium Algenate to form little green bubbles.

These pani bubbles are scooped out, and served with a dollop of tamarind chutney, and a sprinkle of boondi (deep-fried gram flour balls).

We were asked to pop the entire spoonful into the mouth, as you would a traditional Pani Puri. The pani bubble has a gel-like outer which bursts with an unexpected hit of mint-coriander freshness. The tanginess of the tamarind along with the crunch of the boondi left nothing missing from the traditional version, yet this theatrical showdown made it all the more interesting than the usual chaat house.

The concept of rolling in the trolley to construct each dish right at the table is Tresind’s USP. Like actors in a theatrical performance, the staff play roles with each assigned dish, and take pride in the elaborate showdown it involves.

We met the very talented Sherine John, Tresind’s in-house mixologist. Knowing our 5 year-old would get too enticed with all the magic, John was considerate enough to create her drink first.

This is Tresind’s Lava Lamp, a very clever concoction with a passionfruit base. Akin to the hocus-pocus of a science experiment, the drink is served in a tall, lean, tubular glass. Passion fruit seeds and multi-coloured fruit bubbles float in the mix, and the drama is upstaged when dry ice is added in to get it all smokey. The drink bubbles and fizzes, and has to be the coolest looking lava lamp I’ve ever seen! It has a tangy hit of passionfruit, and a slight fizz that makes this generously large serving disappear in no time.

While my daughter cooed over her gorgeous potion, John got busy putting together my drink. This is Tresind’s Edison 2015.

Aptly served in a glass resembling a light-bulb, this is one of John’s newest creations and will be featured in the much anticipated launch of Carnival, a ‘younger sister’ version of Tresind scheduled to launch in early March. Edison 2015 is ‘berry’ fruity and its consistency resembles the thickness of a smoothie.

My husband was presented with Tresind’s Koyla. ‘Koyla’ translates to charcoal from Hindi, and it is the smokey drama of burnt charcoal that gets the creation of this flavorful drink started.

Tresind’s Koyla is a smoked up mix of Drambui liquer and whiskey muddled with a spiced orange juice. The flavors are bold, spicy and fruity and just as dramatic as the art of putting it all together.

The next Tresind treat to be wheeled in was the Chaat Trolley.

I am a huge fan of tangy-sweet chaat in all forms, and the one created from this trolley is a summation of all the best bits of chaat imaginable… with a little scientific flare thrown in!

It starts off with artistic swirls of multicolored chutneys and layers of crisp savories. The star ingredient here are the dhoklas (steamed gram-four cakes originating from the North Western Indian state of Gujarat). The dhoklas are dunked in liquid nitrogen causing them to freeze-dry and create an illusion cloud of chaat magic. A handful of fresh pomegranate and a sprinkle of masala go into the final touches.

At Tresind, its not just for show. The chaat was so amazingly good, I could seriously live on this stuff! The balance of tangy, sweet and savory was absolutely divine and if you are planning a meal at Tresind, their Chaat Trolley is a must-try.

Next came Tresind’s Wild Mushroom Chai. Essentially a deeply aromatic soup, it is served up in true Tresind pizzazz in the form of a delectable tea.

Each cup gets generous spoonfuls of dehydrated mushroom. However, these are no ordinary mushrooms! The ones used here are a special breed from the Northern state o Kashmir, India. This mushroom variety is called Gucchi  and our server tells us that legend has it, they only grow when there is a thunderstorm.

To accentuate the richness of the ‘tea’ even further, two heaped spoonfuls of white truffle oil powder is added to the cups. With a downpour of the brew in the teapot, the soup is ready for sipping.

Tresind’s Wild Mushroom Tea is brimming with mushroom goodness, and laced with the delicate scent of truffles. It is a soul-warming, deeply flavorful soup mushroom fans would devour.

When the Rosemary Lamb Chops hit the table, I was almost disappointed. No trolley means no drama! Tresind was spoiling me big time.

Beautifully cooked to a falling-off-the-bone tenderness, this lamb chop owes its softness to its braising time of 4 hours. This allows for the marinade of flavors to really seep into the meat.

As if in sync with my thoughts, John was back with the drinks trolley! This time, he fired up a passionfruit for me. This is Tresind’s Nilgiris.

Nilgiris is a deliciously smooth, sweet and fruity drink, and if I had to choose between this and the Edison 2015, I would say this one is more to my liking. It is a mixture of vodka and Southern Comfort, and I was rather surprised when I was told it does not have any passionfruit liquor added in. The passionfruit color and flavor of the drink comes through by igniting the passionfruit with absinth.

Hubby was served Tresind’s Smoked Pineapple. Using wood chips to smoke up the flavor of the pineapple based drink, this is yet another fruity sip with a major punch! The drama of smoke adds to the essence of the drink.

However, our absolute favorite drink from John’s trolley has to be Tresind’s Burst 52. A delicious mix of three of my favorite liquors (Baileys, Kahlua and Cointreau), John has used sci-fi magic by creating gel-like balls of the former two, and serving them in shot glasses, floating in Cointreau.

We were encouraged to dunk the shots, bottoms up but slowly chew into the gel balls. The resulting hit of alcohol sweetness made my eyes tear up, and I was eager for more!

The next dish to hit our table was Tresind’s Gulf King Prawns. Harvested from the Arabian Sea, this is a beautifully presented kind prawn coated in a spicy South Indian-style coating and served with crispy banana chips for garnish.

Dahi Bhalla is a very popular North Indian snack. It consists of deep-fried lentil balls that have been soaked in whipped yogurt and is served with tamarind and green chutneys. At Tresind, Dahi Bhalla gets a facelift in the form of an ice-cream!

The flavors of a traditional Dahi Bhalla are all intact, but in the cool, creamy smoothness of an ice-cream. To add texture to the plate, the scoop is served on a bed of crunchy savories and sprinkled with Goji Berries.

Our next dish at Tresind had Mexican influences. Served in a ‘molcajate’ (a traditional Mexican mortar and pestle made of volcanic rock), the chimichurri was all at once a Mexican green salsa and an Indian ‘pudina’ dip. We were served thin strips of Wagyu Beef to dip into this delicious green dip, and I only wish I could have licked up the remains from that volcanic pot!

The next dish had Chinese flavors infused in. This very prettily presented dish is Tresind’s Chilli Hoisin Duck Khurchan. It follows on from the Mexican concept where you have to assemble your own tacos, but here the tacos have been replaced with Indian rumali rotis (white flour pancakes that are a light as a handkerchief). You pull a roti from the clothesline, and spread the green chutney (a blend of fresh coriander, mint and chili). The second pot has a fresh salad stuffing, and this is to be followed by the third which holds a very flavorful mix of shredded duck meat in Hoisin sauce. This dish is as delicious as it is cute. I wish the grass was edible too!

The staff then announce they are now going to bring in our mains! Judging by the dishes we ate so far, I though they were mains! We are so full already, but our hunger for some more Tresind magic remained unsatiated.

We were served a palate cleanser. This is Tresind’s Khandvi Sorbet, a light, frothy sorbet with an unmistakenable hit of curry leaves and mustard akin to the flavors of a traditional Gujarati Khandvi (a steamed, lightly spiced gram-flour cake).

Below is Tresind’s Hunter’s Lamb Leg ‘Raan’. How gorgeous is the presentation?!

The meat is the fall-off-the-bone variety. It is succulently moist and brimming with the masterful mix of Indian spices. A dollop of green chutney on the side acts as a respite from all that meaty richness.

The second dish we are served from Tresind’s Kulcha Shawarma, a clever mix of Arabic and Indian flavors. The lamb stuffing has the chopped up consistency of the popular Arabic street-food, but spiced up with Indian ingredients. Arabic bread is replaced with Punjabi Kulcha. These little slices may look tiny, but sure are filling! We couldn’t do justice to this dish.

If the first two courses were so magical, I couldn’t wait to see what Tresind had in store for us in the desserts round! We were served Tresind’s Deconstructed Black Forest Cake. A layer of chocolate sponge gets topped with Indian ‘peda’ (an Indian version of fudge). Generous squirts of caramel sauce is thrown into the mix. Whipped cream is passed through liquid nitrogen, and adds drama to the process. More lashings of chocolate and sprinkles, and voila! We have Black Forest Cake like we’ve never had it before. Despite being so very full, we did an exceptionally good job and cleaning up this platter!

With all this over-eating, we were desperate for some caffeine. Forget espressos, John made us Tresind’s Espresso Martinis. With an added zest of orange rind, this deeply robust coffee sip acted as the perfect nightcap.

An Indian meal is traditionally concluded with ‘paan’, a naturally occurring spicy leaf that acts as a mouth-freshener. We don’t get paan in the UAE, but at Tresind, they serve paan-flavored cotton candy to end the meal. How artistically apt for Tresind!

Dining at Tresind might require deep pockets, but you sure get the ‘bang’ for your buck (pun intended!). The suave, sophisticated ambience goes almost unnoticed with all the magic happening right at the table. The service at Tresind is exemplary. Where else does the Chef come directly to the table to construct his masterpieces right before your eyes? Dining at Tresind has elevated my fine-dining expectations to another level, and topping the magic of this restaurant would be a mammoth task.

I’m a sucker for pretty packaging, and when I saw this adorably cute palette by Too Faced dedicated to #selfies, there was no stopping me from getting it.

I can’t help admiring Too Faced. They sure know how to wring the wallet dry with all their cuteness, and here they are taking absolute advantage of this generation’s biggest obsession, the perfect selfie!

Keeping up with the social media track of mind, even the name of the product starts with a hashtag. The #TFNoFilter Selfie Powders promise to give its wearer a real-life Instagram-inspired filter. These powders are light-filtering photo enhancers and they’ve got a Parisian chihuahua to prove it.

Clad in a beret right in front of the Eiffel Tower, we get a summary of the Too Faced Instagram-inspired powders on this cute little pup.

Product Claim

“Selfie Powders are your filters for the real world! Our collection of weightless finishing powders mimic the effects of your favorite photo filters by using light-fragmenting technology to instantly brighten with diffused warmth, bronze with a smoothing glow, or add a cool ethereal light to the skin. Get close-up perfection in photos and look filter-flawless in real life!” – Too Faced website.

Keywords: Light-Diffusing, Photo-Enhancing, Weightless, Filter-Flawless.

Product Breakdown

The Too Faced Selfie Powder palette comes with 3 powders (or ‘filters’): Sunrise, Totally Toasted and Moon River.

Sunrise is a light, shimmery champagne gold. It gives the complexion a light, warm glow. Judging by the chihuahua, this ‘filter’ looks very similar to Instagram’s Valencia!

Totally Toasted is, as the name suggests, a lovely toasted bronze shade. The actual colour is far more subtle in reality, and can easily be used all over the face and decolletage.

Moon River is a very pale lilac. It is a rather unusual shade for a face powder, and I was cynical it might look rather chalky on the skin. However, the powders are beautifully smooth and glide on to the skin effortlessly. Moon River gives the face an ethereal, moon-lit glow. Sunrise and Totally Toasted are warm shades, whereas Moon River is the ‘cool’ shade in the palette.

You can use each powder individually, or mix them up as I do. I like to use a kabuki brush for face powders.

#TFNoFilter Selfie Powders: Tried & Tested by Tezzy

The #TFNoFilter Selfie Powders claim to enhance your selfies, and eliminate the need for filters. Here I am, using all three powders (I used Sunrise all over the face, Totally Toasted on my cheekbones, and Moon River to strobe). #nofilter used!

I’m pretty happy with the result. The powders live up to their photo-enhancing claim.

The three powders are very pretty, but also very subtle on the skin. On my tanned complexion, I need to really buff up a few layers for it to show. If you are looking for a more pigmented product, I would not recommend the Too Faced Selfie Powders.

The #TFNoFiler Selfie Powders palette comes in a very slim, compact, heavy-duty cardboard case making it easy to carry about in the makeup bag.

At 4 grams per powder, I only wish it held more product!

What I LOVE About the #TFNoFilter Selfie Powders

• The packaging (and the chihuahua!) is way too cute!
• The light-filtering effect of the powders really does have photo-enhancing properties!
• The packaging is small and compact, and can be carried around anywhere.

The ‘Not So Good’ About the #TFNoFilter Selfie Powders

• The colours are very sheer and subtle. It would be a disappointment for someone looking for a more dramatic look.
• The palette size is relatively small. Each powder comes in 4 grams each.
• Total product weight of 3 powders in total is 12 grams. AED 180 is therefore quite a steep price to pay.

Where to Buy the #TFNoFilter Selfie Powders

I got mine from Sephora for AED 180.

For the second year running, Wall Street Exchange (UAE’s leading money exchange provider and member of the Emirates Post Group) has been teaming up with the Municipality of Health to encourage residents to donate blood.

The blood drive takes place 3 times a year, and the next one is scheduled for this Wednesday 27th January at the Wall Street Exchange branch in Karama (next to the Central Post Office). Blood donations will be carried out from 10 am till 3 pm, and is open to the general public.

Why should you donate blood? Did you know giving blood is just as beneficial for the donor as it is for the receiver? Read on for more.

5 Benefits of Donating Blood

1. Altruistic Motives: You are healthy, you are fit. This is a real blessing. Use it to save a life. Despite all the medical advances, nothing can substitute for human blood. You might be on the receiving end one day.
2. Free Health Checkup: When you go to donate blood, you get a mini health scan for free. Professionals on scene will ensure you are eligible to give blood. The minimum age for blood donations is 16, and the minimum weight is 110 pounds.
3. Burns Calories: A session of blood donating can burn up to 650 calories!
4. Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease: Donating blood reduces blood iron levels. Although low levels of iron are associated with fatigue and even anemia, the body has no way of excreting excess iron. High iron levels can be fatal, and lead to heart disease. Ever wondered why fewer women get heart attacks as compared to men? Research has shown this might be linked to the loss of iron through monthly menses.
5. Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Reduced levels of blood iron is also believed to reduce the risk of cancer.

9 Facts About Donated Blood

1. The minimum age for donating blood is 16, and the minimum weight is 110 pounds.
2. The shelf life of donated blood is very limited, and this is why the general public need to pitch in and help replenish this essential stock.
3. Donated blood is separated into 3 components: plasma, platelets and red blood cells.
4. Red blood cells can be used within 42 days of collection, but platelets only last 5 days. Plasma on the other hand, can be frozen for up to a year.
5. Donated blood is used most frequently for trauma and thalassemia patients. Donated blood is also essential for pregnancy complications, cancer and highly anemic patients.
6. The average adult has about 10 pints of blood in the body. A blood donation session draws out only 1 pint.
7. The average red blood cell transfusion requires 3.4 pints of blood.
8. Every time you donate blood, you can save up to 3 lives.
9. 1 in 3 of us will need blood (or some form of blood products) at some stage in our lives. You might be a receiver tomorrow.

“Wall Street Exchange is proud to be conducting this blood donation camp, which is one of our efforts at paying back to the society. The blood donation campaign aims to educate people and the community on the beneficial aspects of blood donation. It will also promote awareness among the public about safe blood transfusion and will motivate people to donate blood voluntarily. We believe the individuals who donate blood are accomplishing one of the most selfless acts.” – Sultan Al Mahmoud, Acting Managing Director, Wall Street Exchange.

Dusty’s is DIFC’s ‘newest kid on the block’. Conceptualized and created by the very talented young foodie Dusty Tourani, the self-named gastro-bar is a compilation of his favorite dishes from around the globe.

Born in Singapore to Indian socialite couple Mahesh and Rekha Tourani, Dusty is an amalgamation of many foodie influences. After completing high-school in Dubai, Dusty moved to the States. He was studying in the East Coast, and his brother was on the West. The two would meet up midway in New York, and this opened up a whole new world of gastronomic experiences to Dusty.

Back home in Dubai, Dusty’s was born. Located on the first floor of Al Fattan Currency House in the business hub of DIFC (Dubai), we walked in for dinner on a Thursday night expecting it to be rather quiet given the office crowds must be partying the weekend elsewhere. How wrong were we! The place was absolutely buzzing with activity. There was a table of well-suited executives, loosening their ties over drinks. Another table was crammed with leggy young ladies, daintily forking select appetizers, and at a corner was a middle-aged couple exchanging soft whispers. The casual, funky ambience at Dusty’s has turned into a favorite watering hole for all sorts.

I felt pretty awkward for tagging along my 5 year-old. This is a grown-up’s playground after all. However, the staff were very accommodative, and reassured me that they have little diners at their table for breakfasts and lunches all the time :-)

I love the interior décor at Dusty’s. Remember when you were in preschool and got to practice your scissor skills on a pile of magazines, and create weird and wonderful collages of big heads and small bodies? At Dusty’s, the walls are lined with this form of artwork, and a local artist who was hired for this job, took 4 months to complete it. It makes me want to go on a DIY trip and do up my own den!

I found the blaring music rather loud when we just walked in, but a few drinks down and I was a part of the whole Dusty’s vibe!

We were served a complimentary bread basket to whet the appetite.

For drinks, we decided to give Dusty’s cocktails section a try. Hubby went for the Chateau Dusty Grand Cru, a very flavorful, fruity and potent muddle of scotch, red wine and crème de cassis. A hint of black pepper laced the drink with a unique spiciness, and a bite of dark chocolate on the side makes this drink Hubby’s favorite at Dusty’s.

Being a fan of avocado smoothies, I was rather curious about having avocado in a grown-up cocktail. Dusty’s Guacarita gives the simple, mellow avocado smoothie (sweetened with agave syrup) an alcoholic twist. Tequila and triple sec have been blended in, and I love how the martini glass it was served in was laced with chili salt. Very Mexican don’t you think?!

The menu listings at Dusty’s is not overly long, yet is packed with many favorites you would want to order at a casual-dining setting.

We started off with one of my favorite Italian starters, the Burrata. At Dusty’s it is served with roasted sweet peppers which really went well with the creaminess of the cheese, and the chopped basil went on to add a hint of Italian panache. Loving the rustic-style presentation at Dusty’s; isn’t the cutlery absolutely stunning?

Below is Dusty’s Rock Shrimp Tempura, yet another popular favorite with Japanese origins. The tempura had a beautifully crisp and golden on the outside, and the shrimp meat was soft, steamy and cooked to perfection. The chili mayo on the side added a much needed zing to the palette.

The third appetizer is yet another very popular snack, and this one originates from the Far East. This is a serving of Dusty’s Satay Chicken. The flavors were well-marinated into the chicken meat, and the soya sauce dip accentuated the Eastern flavors in each bite.

My favorite appetizer at Dusty’s was their Beef Carpaccio Crostini. The beef has been marinated in a very flavorful lemon dressing, and is served with dollops of aioli. The crisp, finely thin crostini bread adds a delicate crunch to each mouthful, and a sprinkle of rock salt gives each bite an unexpected burst of flavors. Absolutely delicious!

The starters at Dusty’s got me excited on what the main course would bring. We filled up the gap with a second round of drinks. Hubby got introduced to a Japanese beer brand called ‘Kirin‘. We are told this Japanese lager beer is a favorite among Dusty’s regulars, and really packs a punch.

I tried Dusty’s Tubble & Bubble. A very pretty girly-girl drink in a vibrant pink, this is a fruity blend of raspberries, strawberries, Prosecco and gin.

For our main course, Hubby ordered Dusty’s Beef Stir Fry and I had their Black Cod.

How pretty is the presentation of the Beef Stir Fry?! This is a simple dish with bold, vibrant flavors. Thin strips of beef tenderloin has been marinated in a decadent chili-soy marinade and tossed with sesame. The beef is deliciously tender, and the marinade has soaked right through each bite.

However, both Hubby and I agreed my main dish was the star on the table. Neither Hubby or I am a huge fan of fish, but the Black Cod at Dusty’s is a must-try. Cooked to absolute perfection, the fish flakes out with the touch of a fork, and is beautifully moist and moreish. It is coated with a deep, dark sauce which I suspect is soya based, and has Indian accents thrown in. The fillet is accompanied with a Mango Salsa, akin to an Indian chutney, and the fruity sweetness adds an exotic appeal to the overall dish.

And who walks in just as we start digging into the mains? Dusty himself! Warm and enthusiastic about his culinary creation, this young restaurateur has many plans up his sleeves. Dusty is a child of this generation, exposed to a whole array of interesting cultures, and his restaurant is an attempt at presenting his this mix in the form of delicious global cuisine.

We ended our meal at Dusty’s with their Candy Station. This platter is a sweet-feast of my childhood dreams, and it got my 5 year-old very excited!

Here you have a chocolate fondant, and an array of marshmallows, donut holes and fruit to dip in with. I really liked the caramel macaroon, and my daughter insisted on having both the chocolate lollipops on the platter.

Overall, we had a lovely time at Dusty’s, DIFC’s brand new, laidback hangout joint. From the spunky décor to the roundup of foodie favorites, all served up with great customer service, Dusty’s is an ideal watering hole to hang out with the mates after a long week at work. What are you doing this Thursday? :-)

Dusty’s is located on the 1st Floor of Al Fattan Currency House (DIFC, Dubai). Browse their website for details, or give them a ring on 04 354 5435.