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Movie Review: Desi Boyz
2008 marked the year where all dance floors, weddings and events were dominated by one phrase “Ain’t nobody like a Desi Girl.” Fast forward to 2011 and we are being told to “Make Some Noise for the Desi Boyz.”
Desi Boyz stars a pair of mega eye-candy, Akshay Kumar and John Abraham, with glamour quotient provided by Deepika Padukone and Chitrangada Singh. The film marks the directorial debut of Rohit Dhawan, son of experienced comedy director David Dhawan and the viewer goes in expecting a light-hearted comic caper.
Read the full review on DollzinDubai.com
Bras for a Cause – Dubai Edition Fashion Show
Dollz in Dubai has a new home! In the next few weeks, we’ll be moving over to www.dollzindubai.com and will eventually stop updating this site. So make sure you check out our new home and register there for the latest updates!
Some time back, we highlighted the great campaign called “Bras for a Cause” to raise awareness about breast cancer within the region. As an ambassador, we participated in their design contest and appreciate all your votes. And as October-Breast Cancer Awareness Month winds down, the final leg of this campaign is here.
On Monday, October 24th, Bras for a Cause is holding its Dubai edition Fashion Show at the Monarch hotel. After a successful show in Beirut, the Dubai show is packed with glitz and glamour to support a great cause. We are excited to see designs from Dubai-based designer Amanda Gedeon of BOW and the region’s prominent bloggers walking down the runway in these special designs.
Read the full post on DollzinDubai.com.
Review: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick
Dollz in Dubai has a new home! In the next few weeks, we’ll be moving over to www.dollzindubai.com and will eventually stop updating this site. So make sure you check out our new home and register there for the latest updates!
When I think back to the first makeup item I truly fell in love with, it has to be the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick. So as a disclaimer, this isn’t really a review but more of a must-have product in any beauty kit.
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks are mainly meant to be used as a bronzer/highlighter on top of blush. However, I find that they can be used directly as a blush and even as an eyeshadow palette.
Read the full review on DollzinDubai.com.
Miss Piggy for MAC
I’m a huge Muppets fan, especially Miss Piggy. And some of my friends might even say that I tend to get as dramatic and needy as Miss Piggy does. So of course I was excited to find out there was a Muppets movie out this Thanksgiving:
And now, MAC Cosmetics have announced a special Miss Piggy collaboration! This collection will only be sold online and will consist of the main items you need to get Miss Piggy’s dramatic eyes: blue-pink eyeshadow, liquid liner and mascara. What’s more, there is even a Muppets-themed OPI collection!
I can’t wait for Thanksgiving! And even though this collection might not be available in Dubai, I’ll definitely be placing my online order. Anything for Miss Piggy!
(And I just realized what I should be this Halloween…)
How much makeup do you wear?
For the past few months, I’ve considerably cut down on how much makeup I wear. Mostly because it saves time in the morning and I don’t need to go through a rigorous cleansing ritual at the end of the night.
Recently, a study by Procter & Gamble, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and others did a comparison study on women wearing no makeup or one of three different cosmetic looks — natural, professional or glamorous.
Studies showed that upon a quick glance, the faces with makeup were perceived to be more attractive. However, when examining the photos for longer periods, the glamorous makeup wearers were thought to be less trustworthy. [ABC News]
So what do you think? Does the amount of makeup a person wears affect your perception of them? What is the appropriate amount of makeup to wear?
Mumzworld – More than just mums
I’m a big, Big, BIG fan of online shopping. I miss the ease of online shopping found in the US/UK. My Aramex Shop’n’Ship account has been a godsend, but I do wish there were more local choices.
In recent times, e-commerce has picked up significantly in Dubai with both new players and big hitters setting up online portals (I highly recommend JadoPado for your Apple/Blackberry/gadget needs), but we still lack a powerhouse like Amazon in the region. That is why I was extremly excited to hear about Mumzworld.
Mumzworld calls itself the Middle East’s largest online shopping site for Everything Mother, Baby and Child. They currently have over 18,000 products and all the leading brands including Lego, Crayola, Barbie, and Mattel. Moreover, you get delivery within 2-3 days in the UAE and free delivery for all orders over 200 AED. Outside of the UAE? No worries, they promise to delivery within 7-10 days regionally as well.
So what can the average fashionista/beauty addict/Bollywood lover buy from Mumzworld? A lot! For starters they carry 2 amazing jewelery lines: Lovelinks and Sia Select. I purchased a beautiful necklace+earring set from Sia Select pre-Mumzworld but had to unfortunately coordinate cash payment and delivery myself. Thankfully that is all taken care via Mumzworld now.
They also carry a wide selection of beads, charms, necklaces and bracelets from Lovelinks. They currently have a special deal going on where proceeds go to Breast Cancer Awareness, so support a great cause!
I couldn’t help buying the world edition of Monopoly last week. As a child, my parents always bought me “intellectual” games such as cardboard puzzles or mindbenders, but I decided to splurge in a classic board game.
Even if you aren’t a Mum, you can find plenty of things to keep your credit card busy. So check out the region’s newest shopping site and tell them Dollz sent you! You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.
Disclaimer: I work with the Mumzworld team, so this post is written with a little bit of bias. Just a little 🙂
Tuesday Tip – Polish Care
This is our weekly section, Tuesday Tip. No matter where you work, Tuesdays tend to be the dullest day of the week. So to combat the general “meh”-ness, we bring to you a quick tip to perk up your day!
Also, if you do happen to try out our Tuesday Tip, send us a photo and we’ll feature you in our column!
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Tuesday Tip – Issue 16 – Polish Care
At 130 AED a pop, Chanel nail polishes can get pretty expensive. So the last thing you want is that bottle to dry up before you’ve had your share of yellow “Mimosa” nail tips. Want to know the secret of maintaining your collection of nail polishes?
Unopened nail polishes will last pretty much forever. There might be some settling but the viscosity of the polish will remain the same. However, while using the polish, we tend to swipe excess polish on the rim of the bottle. Over time, layers accumulate preventing a tight seal of the cover and bottle, thereby drying out your polish.
While getting a mani this week, I noticed the beautician do a little trick before putting back the bottle of Essie polish she had applied. First, remove all excess polish from the brush around the rim as normal. Then take an acetone-soaked cotton ball and wipe the rim clean. Close the bottle and you’ll notice the cap goes on tighter than ever.
There you go, polishes will last forever this way! Also, if you don’t use polishes often, store them in your refrigerator. It is especially useful during the steamy Dubai summers.
Now you can justify that bottle of Chanel, will *probably* last forever.
Freida Pinto Bleached by L’Oreal?
L’Oréal Paris just introduced its newest limited edition makeup collection “Colors Take Flight” based on the hit TV series, Project Runway. The campaign features a number of L’Oréal Paris’ ambassadors but special attention has been given to Freida Pinto’s adverts.
Controversy has erupted over L’Oréal Paris’ excessive use of photoshop to lighten Freida’s skin tone by several shades. The ad is especially controversial since it comes soon after Julia Roberts’ Lancôme ad was banned in the UK due to over-photoshopping her wrinkles.
A side-by-side comparison does make it seem like Freida is looking unnaturally fair in this campaign. It’s also interesting to note that her colorful green, pink and purple eyeshadow look wouldn’t have popped on a darker skintone.
So what do you think? Should L’Oréal be vilified for the excessive photoshopping or is it just a mountain out of a molehill? Discuss!
Movie Review: Mausam
Since seeing Shahid in person, I’ve been counting down the days to watching Mausam. The directorial debut of Pankaj Kapur and starring Shahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor, Mausam has been heavily promoted and anticipated as a “timeless love story.”
Mausam tracks the love story of Captain Harinder “Harry” Singh (Shahid Kapoor) and Aayat Khan (Sonam Kapoor) and is divided into four seasons. The movie starts in 1992 and tracks the star-crossed lovers over 10 years as they are separated and reunited in different countries.
Pankaj Kapur has made a movie of a different era and hence Mausam has an old-fashioned feel to it. There is no overt sexuality in the romance, and it evolves slowly. Even the plot takes its leisurely time (at a runtime of almost 3 hours) to unfold. And while these aspects may be appreciated by some, it is also Mausam‘s downfall.
While the premise is good, Mausam is hampered by the execution and mainly the screenplay. In an effort to add humor or multiple dimensions, the movie gets too long and has its impact diluted. Certain sequences get very cheesy and remind you of Indian movies from the 80s and 90s, i.e. hand paralysis (Hum Saath Saath Hain) and the feris wheel/horse sequence.
Pankaj Kapur does manage to make Mausam unique by interweaving the love story with key historical events like Ayodhya, Bombay bomb blasts, the Kargil war, September 11th, and the Ahmedabad riots. However, these do seem excessive and occasionally exploitive of serious issues.
Any love story rests strongly on the performance and chemistry of the lead pair. Shahid Kapoor does an excellent job in an author-backed role. He oozes charm in the first portion as the young country boy, and manages to exude a unique combination of hotness/seriousness as the air force pilot, even though the CGI sequences let him down). Sonam Kapoor doesn’t have the acting maturity needed for this role and you can’t help but feel that Kareena Kapoor could have played Aayat better than her and lent in the gravitas the role needed. Sonam looks ethereal in the Scotland portion, but her styling as a Kashmiri refugee detracts from her beauty. Unfortunately, the pair’s chemistry falls extremely flat. When the lovers are separated, the audience isn’t pushed to root for them to reunite.
Mausam is unfortunately a disappointment. It is better than the last major Bollywood release, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, but only marginally so. If you are in the mood for a simple romance plus a mini-history lesson, go for it.
Dollz Rating: 2 stars out of 5
P.S. Check out the The Vigil Idiot’s hilarious comic strip movie review of Mausam!
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Synopsis:
Four seasons.
Four colours.
Four phases of their lives.
Four true historical events.
Mausam (Seasons of Love) is a story of timeless love in the face of political hostilities and religious conflict, between a proud Punjabi Air Force Officer, Harry (Shahid Kapoor) and an innocent Kashmiri refugee, Aayat (Sonam Kapoor).
Set against a landscape that transcends a decade and spans continents, Mausam is a classic journey that transports one into a world of indestructible bonds of love enveloped by the roulette of destiny.
In its First Season, the film begins with mere adolescent attraction between Harry and Aayat, in a small village of Punjab. In Season Two it develops into young love; Their love realizes its own depth in the hours of separation through Season Three. In the Fourth and Final Season their love culminates into togetherness, but not before sacrificing a lot personally and learning the truth behind universal love. It is a passionate love story, with various shades of life as its background, questioning us and yet not becoming indulgent.
Written and Directed by Pankaj Kapur and produced by Eros Entertainment, the film released worldwide on September 23rd, 2011.
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