A food lovers guide to Dubai

                              

   People who love to eat are always the best people

August empties

It's been an absolute age since I have done an empties post!  The last two months empties I did on my instastories and the feedback was so so good, so I would love to know how you prefer for me to do them-through a blog post or through instastories?

I don't have too many empties this month so here's a quick run down on what I finished up.

Pixi X Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse

I finished up one at the start of the month and one at the end-I go through this stuff at lightening speed-I wish she sold bigger tubs of both halves of the cleanser so I could buy both.  This cleanser is relatively bland (in the nicest possible way) and it stops my skin from misbehaving.  I've written a full blog post on it here and I recently ordered 4 more from ASOS.

Origins Eye Doctor

I personally didn't rate this eye cream and it was definitely one for the 'I'm not in love but I'll use you up' category.  I didn't find it hydrating enough and I think it would suit a 20's undereye far better than a getting towards late 30's undereye.  I didn't see any difference when using it and I wouldn't repurchase.  That being said, I'm now using the Origins Starting Over eye cream (I was on an Origins binge earlier in the year) and it's much thicker, creamier and more hydrating and I definitely prefer it to the Eye Doctor.

Clarins 'Relax' Oil

This is a multi purpose oil from Clarins and I have to say I really do love Clarins skincare and body care ranges.  This relaxing body treatment oil has Geranium, Petit Grain, Camomile and Basil and is designed to help relieve stress and fatigue and it also helps soothe tired muscles after exercise.  You can use it in the bath and as it's not a heavy oil in texture I also use it sometimes mixed into my moisturiser on my surgery scars on my tummy to help fade them.  I really want to pick some more up and might ask Sarah and Aimee to get me some at duty-free later this month!

Bliss Fabulips

I've realised this is now discontinued so I won't spend too much time on it but this was a lip plumping serum for lips and it was really moisturising as well as plumping.  I have a Dior lip plumper which I love that does a similar job if you're looking for something similar.

L'Oreal Magic Lumi

This is a drugstore dupe for Mac Strobe Cream and is also similar to the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl.  It has a really light texture and I use it as a primer before foundation-it doesn't really keep makeup in place-its just about the additional glow.  It has a pearlescent finish to it without being too in your face and is a great dupe for MAC strobe cream.

Tom Ford lipstick in Pink Dusk

Love this shade from Tom Ford but this is the second one that has snapped on me (cry face).  You can see me wearing it in my Tom Ford lipstick post here.

Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector 

Another discontinued product which shows how long I had it for!  This was really good for adding a more bronzed tone to my foundation when I had a tan without changing the consistency of the foundation.  But it's no longer available so that information is not particularly useful to you!

MAC Studio Fix foundation

Although this is, in theory, a powder foundation it's really light in texture and I use it to mattify my skin during the day.  I have lost count how many of these I have gone through but I have to say they last forever.  I must touch up my combination skin 3-4 times a day and these will last a good 6-9 months.  Non-cakey and very finely milled I don't see myself ever being without one.

Kat Von D Lock It Setting Powder

I really enjoyed this setting powder from Kat Von D-it comes in 'translucent' but it doesn't add any colour to the skin-it's purely just to mattify and lock down the products you have applied before it.  It's not cakey and doesn't leave a white cast and I would buy it again.  In the marketing blurb, it states that it has 'micro blurring technology' but I didn't honestly feel that my skin looked perfected from that aspect.  It's not too matte and leaves skin with a velvety satin finish.  I do have to touch up throughout the day (with the MAC Studio Fix powder) but my skin naturally produces oils that no powder can control for a whole day no matter what I do.

My final empty is the perfume I wore obsessively throughout August-mainly because I felt like I had had it a while and I wanted to use it before it expired!  Stella McCartney 'Summer' is a light, fruity, non-offensive, clean scent with top notes of lemon, apple, peony and rose.  I feel like I say this all the time so apologies if this is old news but I have a very very very weak sense of smell (it's pretty much none existent) and I can't smell this on me.  But I finished the bottle lol so I am high fiving myself!

Have you tried any of these products?  Please let me know as well if you prefer this format or the instastory format for empties going forward.  Thanks for reading!

 

August twenty seventeen

I loved writing my round up of July post-it was an excellent way to reflect on the month and reflect on how amazing living in Dubai really can be.  I've decided to continue and I'm realising that what I thought was a pretty uneventful August was actually a pretty amazing one!

So without further ado, here's my round up of an awesome August!

I went:

I'm starting with the best thing I did this month-I went on another road trip.  I loved going to Hatta last month but I decided to make this one just that little bit more special and hired an Audi R8 for the day as a surprise for my friend and we headed out to Jebel Hafeet which is about 2 hours drive from Dubai.  We had the most amazing day ever-what you may not know about me is that I have a motorsports background and I absolutely love driving.  I've been to Jebel Hafeet many times but this was, without a doubt my very favourite time there.

It was a beautiful day, albeit it's still in the 40-degree temperature range in the UAE but once we got to Jebel Hafeet we put the roof down, braved the heat and sped up the mountain.  The feeling of the wind in my hair and the roar of the engine was something I will never forget.  And check out the vistas.  Jebel Hafeet stands at almost 1300 metres with panoramic views across the UAE and over to Oman.

The car is AMAZING.  The R8 wasn't my dream car-it was my friends.  But it's mine now too, I absolutely loved every second driving it.  I'm a really good driver as well-I did the 11.7km mountain road (which as you can see twists and turns like a snake all the way up) in 7.09.  I want to go again so badly-it was my favourite day of the year so far.

I ate:

Gaucho, DIFC

I didn't eat out as much as in July but I had some pretty good dinners.  The first highlight is dinner at Gaucho in DIFC.  I have so much love for Gaucho, I could go there every night of the week.  They serve my favourite dessert in Dubai-the Dulce De Leche cheesecake which comes with hot salted caramel sauce and toasted marshmallow.  I cannot wait for my next visit and I would highly recommend a visit.  Danny and his team will definitely ensure you have an awesome night.

Zuma, DIFC

I also went for the business lunch at Zuma.  It's very dangerous working where I work because there are so many amazing restaurants on my doorstep-Gaucho and Zuma are literally 20 steps from my office, my office is positioned between La Petite Maison and Cipriani and I am literally spoiled for choice.  This was actually my first time at Zuma which has won award after award for its food.  They do an excellent business lunch with a really good variety of dishes.  You can choose two starters and a main and then add a dessert for a reduced price.  I had the gyoza and the beef sashimi to start and black cod for my main.  Chloe and I then shared the signature Zuma chocolate dessert but I could have easily eaten one to myself, it was amazing!

Highly highly recommended but this place is packed every day for lunch and dinner so book ahead if you want to go!

Shake Shack

Ok so if you know me at all you know I love a fancy dining experience but I also love a Shake Shack as well!  You know those places that you always go to with the same person and sit at the same table and have an amazing time?  Well, that's Shake Shack for me.  Hence why, after long days in the office we went twice in August!  

My tip? Always get the cheese fries!

Buddha Bar, Grosvenor House

Another recently rediscovered favourite of mine, I went for dinner at Buddha Bar where the food is consistently good and the cocktails are epic.  I mean who doesn't love an inflatable flamingo?  The food is Pan Asian and it's best to go on a Wed/Thurs or Friday night but you'll need to book-I could only get a 10 pm table on a Thursday night.  But we left at 3 am so we got our money's worth.  I definitely recommend checking out the bar upstairs-it's quite small and intimate but has a really nice vibe and excellent service.  I think we were the last to leave!

I relaxed:

I was lucky enough to spend time at 4 spas in Dubai in August-The Talise spa at the Burj Al Arab, The Talise Ottoman spa at The Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, the Armani spa and The Ritz Carlton spa at the Ritz Carlton DIFC.  They all cost around the same and I had a 90-minute massage at all of them.  It's worth noting if you want to book a spa treatment in Dubai that although many places offer a 'couples' massage, there is a gender policy in the hotels where a female therapist treats female guests and a male therapist will treat male guests.  What this also means is that a lot of spas have separate facilities for men and women-different saunas, pools, steam rooms and relaxation areas.

The Burj Al Arab, as you would expect, is opulent.  It's rich blues, emeralds and golds everywhere and the treatment rooms were absolutely beautiful with views across the Marina and JLT for the ladies spa and across Downtown Dubai in the male spa.  The massage I had here was nice but it wasn't mindblowing in all honesty.  I loved the indoor infinity pool (available for men and women) and the views over the Jumeirah Beach Hotel are always breathtaking.

We both agreed the massage at the Armani spa was the best, hands down.  We combined the massage with a scrub and honestly, my skin has never ever ever felt as soft as when I rinsed it off in the shower.  The spa was very cool and contemporary as you would expect from Armani, there are no mixed facilities apart from the pool but as the pool was outdoors we didn't use it in the searing August heat.  Armani does not have a jacuzzi either.

The massage I had was incredible.  I wasn't offered a choice of oil although my friend was.  I also wasn't asked about the pressure I wanted but Alice, my therapist nailed it.  I felt like I was walking on air afterwards.

This is a spa I will definitely return to in the cooler months so I can enjoy the pool-it's worth noting that if you have the Entertainer spa book/app then Armani is included in there.

We had dinner at Armani Deli afterwards which has amazing views of the Dubai fountains.  They serve mainly Meditteranean/Italian food and do an amazing Burrata salad.

We also went to the spa at the Ritz Carlton in DIFC and here the staff were the most friendly and helpful.  I was advised what type of massage to have and combined it again with a body scrub and I was given a choice of 3 oils depending on how I wanted to feel after the treatment-I chose the invigorating one given I was going out for dinner afterwards.  The scrub here wasn't as nice as Armani-it felt much drier on the skin on application but my skin was soft afterwards.  The therapist was very attentive and offered advice and frequently checked everything was ok.  I was also given Natura Bissé skincare samples to take away.  Given this one is right on my doorstep I would definitely go again.

The final spa was the Talise Ottoman spa in the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray.  This was, without doubt, the largest spa with the most facilities but unfortunately, because we were running 5/10 minutes late I felt that I had the worst experience here.  The treatment was at 7 pm and we arrived at 7.05pm.  Ideally we would have got there earlier but unfortunately, workload meant that wasn't possible.  I was rushed to the changing room and into the treatment room and even though I was the last client of the day, because we started at 7.10pm the therapist knocked 10 minutes off the 90 minutes I had paid for.

We both had a hot stone massage for 90 minutes (or 80 in my case) but my friend said that the stones used on them were not as hot as they would have liked and the treatment room was really cold even though the therapist turned off the air conditioning.  I wasn't given a tour of any of the facilities-after the massage I was shown to the female relaxation area and I asked for a peppermint tea but they were out of stock.  My friend was shown round though and saw the Hamman and the 'snow rooms'-I'm so disappointed I didn't.

This is, without doubt, the most beautiful spa and it's beautifully decorated with a Turkish theme-I just wish I had seen more of it.  It's worth noting that Kirsty went there this weekend for the couples treatment and absolutely loved it-she put an Instagram post up about her experience and if she blogs about it I will link it into this post.

I bought:

Nothing!  I've had a few spendy months and there just wasn't a real desire to buy something.  Prices in Dubai are so expensive compared to the UK and although I do love an online splurge I also really enjoyed actual shopping in London and France.  However I have two things on my wishlist currently that are seriously tempting me-the first is a larger YSL bag.  I've narrowed it down to the large Lulu or the large College-but I think I am leaning towards the Lulu (the bag on the left).  I want to go and look at them instore but it's likely I will buy from London in December.

The second item on my radar is a pair of Malone Soulier 'Maureen' heels-I love the look of these burgundy velvet and gold ones-they seem so perfect for Autumn and Winter.  I need to try them on to see if they look too weird on me but I think they're stunning.  If you have tried these I would love to know if they're comfortable?  The do sell Malone Soulier here so I can try them on in the Mall and then order from Net a Porter.  I just need someone to tell me to buy them lol!

I watched:

Not sure how I had time for TV but I binge watched 'Big Little Lies' which was epic and has an amazing soundtrack-it was very gripping and I devoured it over a weekend after discovering it on a flight home from Cairo.  I also started watching Line Of Duty on Netflix and am now season 3-I love crime drama the most so this is right up my street even if I am late to the party!

I hated:

I hated my skin and it hated me right back!  I got a horrendous hormonal breakout that took ages to clear but I found 4 products really helped.  1) Lancome Hydrazen moisturisor-I know this doesn't irriate my skin and it's lovely and soothing 2) Using the Marc Jacobs coconut face primer-again I know it doesn't irritate so it's a safe bet 3) (pictured) The Skinceuticals Phyto Corrective which is a very watery serum-I apply 3-5 drops a night to my fingertips and press over my chin and 4) (pictured) Dr Sebagh Supreme Maintenance Youth Serum which I use in the morning which is helping to fade the scars left from those horrible spots.

August was pretty awesome and September is going to be incredible.  Stay tuned to my instastories because I have so much planned and some special visitors from the UK.  It's going to be epic.

Loves and regrets: Shoes I've bought recently

The fact is, it's really hard to walk in a single woman's shoes.  That's why we need really special ones now and then to make the walk a little more fun-Carrie Bradshaw