Don’t have the time or genetics for a golden tan, luscious locks or thick eyelashes? Here’s our top instant beauty fixes just in time for Valentine’s.
Team Emirates Woman trials fake lashes, locks, tans and talons to bring you the best beauty-enhancing products on the market….
COLOUR ME HAPPY
The Guinea-Pig: Samantha Hamilton-Rushforth, Beauty Editor
The Treatment: L’Oreal Hair Chalks
The Location: Belle Femme Beauty Salon
The Rundown: Used backstage this season at Ashish and Felder Felder, these pigmented liquids are more of a gel than a chalk. Applied directly onto dry hair, they offer an instant pop of colour that washes out with the first shampoo.
The Results: “I was a little daunted by how bright the shades were at first but they blended perfectly with my blonde locks without leaving a stiff or sticky residue. Great fun when you’re in need of a quick hair makeover.”
Price: Dhs112 each
EYES UP
The Guinea-Pig: Jade Sprowson, Style Director
The Treatment: Russian Layering eyelash extensions
The Location: Sisters Beauty Lounge
The Rundown: Larger-than-life, thick, long, voluminous lashes in 90 minutes flat? Sign us up! Sisters is the first salon in Dubai to introduce the ultra-fine, layering technique that involves attaching three synthetic lashes to your own individual lash.
The Results: “Don’t let their light weight fool you, this set of falsies is not for the faint-hearted. They’re so dense and long you can practically hear them flutter. ‘Natural’ make-up fans need not apply.”
Price: Dhs750 for one set of lashes
LOCKS AND KEY
The Guinea-Pig: Carmel Gill, Fashion & Beauty Assistant
The Treatment: Balmain Hair Couture Clip-In Extensions
The Location: Marquee Salon
The Rundown: Made under the license of the French fashion house, these high-quality, real hair extensions are just as glamorous as their sartorial sister company. Made in natural yet rich-looking colours, they come in several different styles depending on whether you favour volume, length or both.
The Results: “Easy to clip in and remove they added instant, glamorous volume to my thin tresses without feeling like they were weighing my hair down. A little too much effort for everyday use but definitely another step in my beauty routine on a night out.”
Price: Starting from Dhs360 for B Loved extensions
NAIL FILES
The Guinea-Pig: Alexandra Venison, Junior Fashion Editor
The Treatment: Huda Beauty The 2-Minute Mani in Posh in Paris from Sephora
The Location: At home
The Rundown: One of the quickest and easiest nail applications, Huda Beauty’s 2-Minute Mani provides a full kit to shape, glue and apply beautiful nails that will last you from one to three days. Great for women on the go or those who like a low-maintenance lifestyle.
The Results: “In two minutes my nails went from unsightly to red-carpet ready. Just as easy as they say on the tin, I applied the nails and was in awe as five days later they were still looking good as new.”
Price: Dhs85
BRONZE AGE
The Guinea-Pig: Sarah Garden, Features Writer
The Treatment: Vita Liberata Tinted Self Tan Mouse
The Location: At home
The Rundown: Promising fast results, this quick-drying formula takes just 30 minutes to start developing. You can wait between one and three hours to wash it off, depending on your desired sunkissed shade.
The Results: “Although it has that fake tan smell, it’s a lovely consistency and glides on easily. As it’s a coloured mousse you can easily see where to apply, for a streak-free result. I saw a difference straight away, and left it on for two hours. I ended up looking like I’d just spent a few days lounging poolside.”
Price: Dhs195
Image: Getty
