Latest from Harpers Bazaar Arabia
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
18 hours ago
- Science
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
Are The New Dyson Omega Nourishing Hair Products Really A Miracle For Frizzy, Heat-Damaged Hair?
Marrying James Dyson's twin passions of technology and farming Omega aims to combat dry hair – the number one problem for women in the Middle East Fact: Dyson, a name that was once instantly associated with home appliances, now counts 50 per cent of its portfolio as beauty. In under a decade, its styling tools (launched in 2016) and hair products, have become synonymous with technology, luxury – and now, perhaps paradoxically, farming. Last year the buzz was about the debut of hair products – the brand's Wiltshire labs had conjured up haircare serums and creams using mushroom cells – Chitosan – as a key ingredient. Key to their success in the Middle East? The fact that they were made to keep frizz at bay, and tested at 80 per cent relative humidity. The half a billion dollars invested in hair care research in 2022 was finally reaping rewards. And this year the world's beauty journalists were whisked off to another secret location – and made to sign iron-clad NDAs – before the latest range of products was unveiled. This time the reveal was in Lincolnshire, where James Dyson's utopian vision of high-tech meets high-yield future of farming is being incubated under the Dyson Farming banner, which has ownership over 36,000 acres – the equivalent of over 20,000 football fields. And the problem the team were asked to solve? In a study done in 2022, one in three people stated their primary hair concern was dryness. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dyson Beauty (@dysonbeauty) 'It's something that women deal with globally,' Justina Mejia Montane, Product Development Director, told us, 'They're constantly on a quest to find a product that is going to be able to deliver on hydration, nourishing benefits, without compromising on texture and the aesthetics of the product.' Someone living in Dubai would still have dry hair. Not due to the humid climate but because of what they are doing to their tresses, from colouring to chemical treatments and intense heat – even brushing and swimming in chlorinated pools. The Middle East also has a higher mineral content in its water, so that dries the hair out even more. It makes the hair heavy. The problem to solve pin-pointed, Dyson's researchers, scientists, chemists, and mechanical engineers got to work. The fact that they had boots on the ground on the farm, provided the breakthrough: the 800,000 sunflowers that grow to over six-feet high over a nine-hectare field. Design Manager Ben Hogan explains, 'It all dovetailed beautifully. Sunflower seed oil was chock full of omega fatty acids, and that is actually an ingredient really beneficial for dry hair.' The team are really keen to differentiate the problem-solving ability of their products too. While Chitosan's specific purpose was style retention – especially for Airwrap owners – Omega is the second chapter of that story, putting the focus on heat protection (something that was raised repeatedly during the Chitosan launch). The two new heroes are the Omega hydrating hair oil, that nourishes and restores brittle hair and a leave-in conditioning spray that transforms from a cream in the bottle to a mist that covers hair quickly and evenly, reducing breakage by over 74 per cent. I can confirm that the new oil is intoxicating to use, and instantly makes the hair look – and feel – shinier, without the added weight and greasiness provided by most in-market products that rely heavily on silicone. Its subtle scent feels functional, yet pleasant. In a nutshell, you might not love it, but you certainly won't dislike it. The upshot? It works. The conditioning spray is even more of a revelation, easy to use, and instantly changing the texture of hair, re-perking it up, once you've mastered how much to use to suit its thickness. It's ideal for the region's climate – and for the local love of regular blow-dries. It certainly seems that Dyson's beauty products are now as transformative as their at-home hair styling tools.
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
a day ago
- Business
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
The Art Of Turning 40: Why We Must Create, Connect And Contribute
Aidan O'Brien, a career coach and keynote speaker working with Fortune 500 companies and global high-growth start-ups shares his philosophy on turning 40, and how to make this the decade you truly take the lead… I believe that when we turn 40, we have reached our 'productive prime' and from ages 35-55, it is our time to truly create and innovate in our lives. In fact, I believe there are three essential things we must do to feel truly aligned, lead effectively, and thrive through 40 and beyond. We must: create, connect and contribute. The 'this is me' myth Sometimes by the age of 40, many have stopped creating and fall into the trapped conclusion of 'Well, this is me.' But it's not you! You can create and innovate at any age, and it's incredibly important to continue creating through 40 and beyond. Entering your fifth decade, you have most likely overcome many challenges and difficulties already. You also have well-earned expertise and at this stage of your professional life you have developed a deep knowledge and skills – things you have learned and mastered far beyond the 10,000 hours. By age 40, you know who you are enough to trust yourself, and if not, it should be a priority to start getting to know yourself now. Connection over confinement For me, 40 is the best time to get back into creative mode and ensure you are still aligned with what you do best and what you enjoy doing most. The connection part takes effort. The first ten years of building businesses and working independently, I found myself becoming less sociable. After more than a decade of being everywhere and doing everything, suddenly I didn't want to be anywhere except home. But luckily my self-awareness is developed enough to know that that type of isolation doesn't serve us, and it definitely won't help us succeed and lead at a high level. The key to success in business are high level relationships or what I call strategic partnerships, so connection is a key part of your ongoing success, not to mention for your mental health and general enjoyment of life – social connection is key. Be of service to others Then the last element – contribution – I believe the secret to greatness is to be of service to others. Early on in our life we are thinking of number one, but no matter what we do, if we want to be great, and if we want to truly create and become a person of influence, we must contribute and be of value to the marketplace. I think these 3 elements – create, connect and contribute – are key philosophies to embody and embrace as leaders, and as we move through 40 and beyond, we are positioned perfectly to lead from the front, and by example. 40 should fuel you. 40 is freedom. 40 is still being young enough to have the energy, attitude and agility to reach and have an impact on the younger audience, and it's also mature enough to be respected by your peers for your experience and expertise. Define your vision An important exercise at 40 is to recheck your vision. By now you have accomplished a lot of what you wanted in your 20's – but where to now? Do you just stay in 4th gear cruising, or do you take inventory of your life and identify areas where you have lost momentum? The law of entropy is when things are left to themselves, they move more and more towards disorder. In other words, if you don't use it, you lose it. What you neglect, neglects you back. So, recreating your vision is a key part of staying invigorated at 40. Setting a clear intention for the next decade – where are you going? Who are you becoming? What do you want to accomplish? 40 is truly the new 25. It's not about slowing down – it's about aligning fully and going full speed. Don't hide from big targets and big dreams What I do with my clients – whether they are senior executives, founders or business owners, is create a vision for a day in the life 3-5 years from now, across all aspects of life. What will excite you? What would the visionary version of you choose? However, beware of the realist creeping in. If you're 40 and a leader, you are already living a visionary life so it's important to not hide from big targets and big dreams. I love helping clients create a vision so big that to achieve it would require them to completely transcend their old self. Because what got you here won't get you there. What got you here won't even keep you here. The world is changing, fast, and your old story won't help you reach your new standards. When designing your day-in-the-life vision, it should be emotionally charged; it should move you. Let yourself be pulled and magnetised by a big vision – that, is what 40 is all about.
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
2 days ago
- Business
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
Van Cleef & Arpels Ushers In A New Era Of Fabulous Flowers
Flora and fauna have inspired Van Cleef & Arpels since its founding in 1906, but this year the maison has added a new silhouette to its floral legacy Van Cleef & Arpels' long-standing fascination with nature finds new expression this year in a jewellery collection that celebrates the enduring allure of flowers: Fleurs d'Hawaii. Presented at Dumfries House in Scotland – a location deeply connected to the maison through its partnership with The King's Foundation – the collection draws from archival motifs in fresh-feeling silhouettes. Nature has always been a defining theme for the French maison, and flora in particular has held a special place in its creative universe. 'There is this positive vision of life that the maison uses as inspiration,' said CEO Catherine Renier during the presentation, noting that their floral designs are not merely decorative, but alive with movement and colour. 'They are flowers in bloom… flowers you want to connect with.' The Fleurs d'Hawaii collection captures this vivacity through a joyful composition of colours, cuts and textures. Combining pear-shaped gems and brilliant-cut diamonds, the pieces recreate the feel of a tropical bouquet, with vivid hues of spinels, tourmalines, mandarin garnets and sapphires forming lush, overlapping petals. 'For Hawaii, it's all about the pear shape. This is a design decision in order to give the pieces a feeling of lightness,' Renier explained. Presenting the collection at Dumfries House underscored the maison's ongoing connection to the location. Van Cleef & Arpels has been the Principal Patron of The King's Foundation Gardens and Estates since 2023, supporting the preservation of Dumfries House's formal gardens and natural landscapes – including the Van Cleef & Arpels Rose Garden. 'We wanted to talk about flowers in a garden that were meaningful to the maison,' said Renier. 'The gardens really enhance the magic of the collections.' The brand's partnership with The King's Foundation also echoes shared values around heritage, craftsmanship and community engagement. As Renier pointed out, 'There was a connection, a simplicity in what we wanted to convey… craftsmanship, the partnership and also the gardens.' With their vivid colour combinations and intricate metalwork, Fleurs d'Hawaii transforms floral inspiration into detailed compositions that balance playfulness with movement and delicate proportions – hallmarks of Van Cleef & Arpels' approach to nature.
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
Art as Remembrance: The Creators Honouring Beirut's Blast Through Their Moving Works
Today marks the five-year anniversary of the Beirut blast – a tragedy that rocked not just the capital, but all of Lebanon, reverberating far beyond the country itself. The whole world felt the sadness, but also saw the admirable bouncing back and banding together of Lebanon's people. Here, Bazaar Arabia shares a list of five Lebanon-based artists who commemorated the tragedy through their art Lebanon pauses in remembrance today, as the date marks five years since the tragedy of the August 4th Beirut Blast. Another year passes, and while the Lebanese people continue to forge forwards, powering through with their undeniable zest for life, the tragedy is far from forgotten. Here, Bazaar Arabia pays tribute to the artworks inspired by the unwavering spirit of Beirutis across the globe, shining a spotlight on the healing journey of its creatives. Celebrating art in all forms, we discover the inspiring stories of remembrance and renewal by heroes with paintbrushes, pens, and cameras firmly in hand. Dia Mrad, Photographer Dia Mrad had been capturing Beirut and its architecture for real estate jobs, and his own admiration for many years; but his archives consisted mostly of the year 2020. After the Beirut explosion, out of his fear that the beautiful monumental buildings of his city would soon collapse, the Lebanese architect and photographer began doing what he does best, in an attempt to preserve as much as he could through photography. 'The Road to Reframe' by Dia Mrad, is a photo series that captures architecture after the explosion, exhibiting the beauty of Beirut even when scarred. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dia Mrad (@diamrad) In a photo taken by Dia, two days after the Beirut explosion, of Quantum House on Sursock Street the image of the wreckage is caption with a quote by Lebanese poet Kahlil Gibran, a fitting reminder to ease the pain and give Beirutis hope. 'Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.' Gebran Khalil Gebran Brady Black, Journalist Beirut-based American visual journalist Brady Black was inspired to draw portraits of more than 200 victims of the blast on a memorial wall near the port. With help from art institute called 'Art of Change' and volunteers, Brady spent nearly four months drawing black and white portraits of the 200 victims. Each portrait is around 10 square feet and portrays an image of each victim, an ode to the people gone too soon for they should be remembered, honoured and seen. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ART OF CHANGE (@ Carol Mansour, Film Maker Lebanese-Palestinian independent documentary film maker, Carol Mansour founded Forward Film Production in 2000 in Beirut, Lebanon. Carol's work reflects her concern for human rights and social justice, bring causes to the forefront through art, raising awareness and giving a voice to the unheard. Just two months after the explosion, Mansour produced a short film titled Shattered: Beirut 6.07. Throughout the film she explores her city in the blast's aftermath, talking to friends and exchanging testimonies on what had happened in candid, unscripted voice note messages, gives a raw remembrance of the tragedy. Fatima Dia, Artist After the Beirut explosion, Lebanese artist Fatima Dia felt frustrated, and deeply saddened by the aftermath of this tragedy on her beautiful city and the lives lost because of it. Needing an outlet to express the way she felt, she picked up her paintbrush and began to paint the city of Beirut as vibrantly as it always has been, overshadowed by the horrific scene of the explosion with white angels floating above to represent those who lost their lives. When the video of the process started gaining attraction, she took her initiative even further, auctioning off her paintings and donate 100 percent of the proceeds to the families affected by the tragedy. Rising Angels View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fatima Dia Art (@fdia_art) Hayat Nazer, Artist Lebanese artist-activist Hayat Nazer is known for her street art piece, The Phoenix. With an impressive CV, having worked with the United Nations, Hayat quit her career to help people through her art. After the devastation of the August 4 explosion, she created a sculpture made from the debris of the explosion, portraying Beirut as a woman with long flowing hair. The sculpture features a damaged clock stuck at 6:08, the moment of the explosion occurred. The Lady Liberty of Lebanon as its been named also features sentimental objects that people volunteered from their demolished houses. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ~ V ~Hayat Nazer (@hayat_nazer_v)
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
Maroon 5 To Headline Atlantis The Palm's New Year's Eve Gala Dinner
Following star-studded New Year's performances from Sting in 2023 and Lionel Richie in 2024, the region's leading entertainment destination invites guests to ring in 2026 with Grammy Award winners Maroon 5 Atlantis, The Palm has announced today that Maroon 5 will headline its highly anticipated New Year's Eve gala dinner. Set to play their biggest hits and cult favourites, the Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum band were Billboard's top band of the 21st century, having sold 100+ million albums. Guests will count down to 2026 in an evening themed around 'Winter Wonderland,' with theatrical performances and immersive entertainment set on a custom-built deck beneath the stars, offering panoramic views of Palm Island and the Dubai skyline – set to be transformed into a sparkling snow scene. 'We are thrilled to welcome Maroon 5 to headline this year's New Year's Eve Gala Dinner at Atlantis, The Palm. As one of the most recognisable names in global music, their presence continues our tradition of bringing world-class entertainment to Dubai's most iconic celebration,' said Paul Baker, President of Atlantis, Kerzner International. The party will start at 6:00PM with canapés and welcome drinks, before a 30-piece live band gets the evening going. Live cooking stations, expert chefs and roaming entertainers make for an unforgettable gourmet experience, with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in abundance. There's something for all the family, too – little ones can explore the Asateer tent, with a dedicated kids' party zone complete with slides, bouncy castle, arts and crafts and outdoor cinema. Those who want the ultra-luxe experience can book a VIP Sky Suite, complete with a private butler, which will offer catering from the resort's restaurants, full access to the gala buffet and premium Champagne. For more information and to book tickets, click here. To book a VIP Sky Suite, guests can call +971 50 485 8805.
