Dubai Lifestyle: Afternoon tea at The Palace Downtown

I know what you're thinking...I just posted about Afternoon Tea 10 days ago-you're right, what can I say, I have a penchant for itty bitty sandwiches and all the cake!  I wanted to post about this one at The Palace because a) its the third time I have been and I love it so much (I posted about it first here) b) it's the only afternoon tea I know of in Dubai that offers a buffet style tea (currently offered on a Wednesday and Sunday) and c) if you live in Dubai or are visiting I highly recommend it.  Oh and d) I went with my parents and I am really missing them now they are back in the UK.

So sit back and enjoy pictures of cake-hope it doesn't make you too hungry!  When we visited this time there was a 'honey' theme to the afternoon tea with honey tastings.  There was also a 'breast cancer awareness month' theme and the decorations above the cake/sandwich table were very striking.

The sandwiches are just to die for here-the chicken and chive mayo seems to be a staple and it's absolutely delicious.  The cream cheese with pecan, smoked salmon roulade and the melted goats cheese with grape were my favourite from the selection on offer.

As you can see the attention to detail is just astounding-can you imagine making all of these individual desserts by hand?  I love edible gold leaf!
 

The scones here admittedly aren't my favourite, I find them quite heavy and doughy but the jam is delicious.  There were two types of scones available, traditional and green tea.

The view from the terrace outside is quite stunning-the Burj Khalifa in all it's glittery glory to the right and the hotel pool ahead-it's very peaceful given the hub of activity all around this area.

This is a lovely way to spend a lazy afternoon with friends or family and the food, setting and value for money really can't be beaten I think.  There's something for everyone and you definitely won't leave hungry!  On the other days to the buffet they do the traditional stand afternoon tea which you can read about here-it may have changed as it's a couple of years since I took my parents but I personally think the buffet is much better for fussy eaters like me!

The price of this Afternoon Tea is currently AED160 per head and if you have the Entertainer App/Book (UAE people will know what I mean) there are 3 buy one get one free vouchers for afternoon tea in Al Bayt in there.  Meaning I can go twice more before the end of the year ;-)

PS-not a sponsored post-I booked and paid for this myself, I just love it and think it is worthy of a blog post!

Fall Makeup Tips and FOTD featuring MAC Viva Glam III and Moonshot Jelly Pot in P08 Cafe Con Leche

Tempted by all the dark, lush Fall tones of rich brown, rust, and brick red, but worried that they're too dramatic?



Here's my favorite way to channel the Fall mood and pair all these rich, warm brown-laced colors together without everything becoming too vampy or over the top for the day.



1. Sheer out a dark lip shade



Often in Fall, brands start releasing beautiful rich, deep lip

Lip Six

Happy Monday and hello from Cairo!  I'm here working until Thursday and I have a feeling this week is going to be a tough one!  But first lipstick....

Top row (L) YSL Rouge Volupte Pearl in 113 Iridescent Burgundy (beautiful colour but so hard to get even) (R) Illamasqua lipstick in Eurydice

Middle row (L) Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in La Precieuse (LE) (R) Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipstick in Amazing Grace (review!)

Bottom row (L) Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipstick in Candy (R) Dolce and Gabbana Classic Creme lipstick in 240 Gorgeous (review!)

I just wanted to explain why over the past couple of weeks there has been a few Estee Lauder, Charlotte Tilbury and YSL lipsticks.  On my snapchat I showed some of my lipstick storage and pledged to go through my lipstick drawer methodically over the next few weeks and try every single lipstick.  I am doing it line by line but I do house my lipsticks by brand hence the frequent appearance of these brands at the moment!

Next week expect lots of Burberry!

Which is your favourite?

A Look At: Dior's State of Gold Holiday 2015 Makeup Collection

Dior's known for bringing out luxurious "gilded" makeup collections every holiday season, filled with golds, reds, and plush velvety colors. This year is no different.



Named "State of Gold", the 2015 Holiday Collection features rich late-Fall colors like burgundy, red, squash orange, and all manner of nuanced gold tones. Every product is a gift worth giving if there's someone special in

Four things I am using right now

I've been wanting to do a series of mini reviews for a while as I use a lot of things that are worthy of mention so here is 'four things I am using right now #1'.

First up is the Kat Von D Immortal 24 hr Lash mascara.  I love the packaging-ok so it is that horrible, 'attracts all dirt and fingerprints' rubberised packaging but it has a red foiled pattern on it that happens to match my nail polish exactly!  The wand is really unusual-it's a flexible silicone wand with a spiked, spiral stem and then a rounded spiked ball tip.  The spiked, spiral stem is ingenious for getting to the root of the lashes and really coating them from root to tip.  I'm not a huge fan of the round spiky tip but I haven't spoken highly of other mascaras with this ball mechanism like the Givenchy Noir Couture.  But this mascara delivers volume, length and separation and doesn't smudge or flake.  What I really like is that it is so buildable-you can really ramp up the effect by layering without fearing it will go clumpy or you'll end up with a monolash. If you're debating between this and the NARS Audacious mascara then I rate this one much higher than the NARS.  The brush also doesn't scratch my lashes like the NARS mascara does.  I bought mine in the US but KVD is a brand that Sephora will ship to the UK and if you're in Dubai, the brand has just launched here.

It's been well documented that I need a another perfume like a hole in the head but when Jo Malone releases one I go weak at the knees.  Enter Mimosa and Cardamon-the newest launch.  I won't say too much because my perfume reviews are about as useful as a chocolate fireguard given my sense of smell is null and void but from what I can smell, I love.  I have always loved Tonka Bean which is the base note and what I smell on myself is warm and comforting yet fresh at the same time.   I love 'creamy' scents when we move into Autumn and Winter and this fits the bill nicely.  I believe this layers well with Wood Sage & Sea Salt, Nectarine & Honey Blossom and English Pear & Freesia-all of which I own.  The major complaint I have seen online seems to be the longevity of this fragrance but layering fragrances can definitely help.

Onto skincare-first up the cult Omorovicza thermal cleansing balm.  I am really on the fence about it-I love it as a cleanser but I think it's very expensive considering how fast I have gotten through it and it's also bugger to remove.  The cleanser itself is a black Hungarian Moor Mud oily balm, enriched with thermal waters and minerals such as copper, zinc, magnesium and calcium.  I feel that the quality of the ingredients mean this should be a great, skin benefiting second cleanse in the evening but actually it's also a very effective make up remover that cuts through heavy make up easily.

The texture is the most bizarre thing-in the pot it feels light and oily and applies to dry skin it massages in easily.  It's 99% smooth but very occasionally I feel little tiny scrubby bits in the formula.  When you add water though the balm thickens and feels like a gel and it really sticks to the skin.  You cannot rinse this off.  It's genuinely impossible.  You must gently rinse this off with a wet flannel-you'll be amazed at the colour of your flannel and how much makeup this takes off.  But I do find you really have to be careful not to leave a residue on the skin and to really take the time and effort remove it properly.  I find it slightly easier if I dampen my hands first before applying it to my skin.  But afterwards my skin is so soft-the softest I have ever felt after cleaning.  The clays keep my skin clear and calm but at £46 for 50ml I just think there are other things that are just as efficient at removing make up-although admittedly I have never found anything that leaves my skin as soft.

Last up the Oskia Bedtime Beauty Boost*.  I haven't met anyone who doesn't love the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Balm-this was in my Holy Grails of 2014 post and I recently bought another one.  I had a little wishlist of Oskia products to try so I was thrilled when this landed on my doorstep.  I feel like overnight booster creams/masks have become quite popular over the past year or so-products that work hard whilst you don't.  I love the packaging-it's heavy glass and really luxurious.  The cream looks quite heavy in the jar but on the skin it's actually very light.  I love rose scented products and the scent of this is very calming-especially as a last step in my evening routine.

There is a luxurious cocktail of skin boosters in this cream-Oskia's patented MSM Regen-Complex, Milk Peptides, vitamins A, B3 and E, Swiss Apple Stem Cells, Hyaluronic Acid, Phytosterols and Omegas 3, 6 and 9.  They all work together to plump out fine lines, boost hydration and improve tone and texture.  It absorbs immediately with no residue.  I've been using it every other night (with the Sarah Chapman Overnight Exfoliating Booster on the other nights).  If you have slightly drier skin you will love this and want to slather your face in it!  I feel like I walk up with plumper and better hydrated skin-meaning my makeup is sitting better on my skin the next day.

Have you tried any of these products?

*contains a PR sample.  All thoughts are, of course my very own.

Midnight Periwinkle: Metallic Sparkly Eye Look (feat Moonshot Jelly Pot P04)

Korean brand Moonshot has reached Singapore, and one of the star products I highly recommend are their Jelly Pots, metallic gel-cream shadows which set and lock on. 



They're not that different from liquid shadows that you get in squeeze tubes or gloss tubes, but they can be slightly messy because the gels will move round in the pots, so tap the bottom a few times before opening. The

A Look At: Shu x Maison Kitsuné Holiday 2015 Makeup Collection

Often when makeup looks like airy, dreamy spun-sugar confections, they don't necessarily flatter the face. But Shu has done it beautifully this holiday season with the upcoming Shu x Maison Kitsuné collection.



The up-n-coming Japanese design house Maison Kitsuné is known for very eclectic but tasteful mixing of contrasting elements, but the final effect is relaxed, tasteful, and fun.