What’s hot

New brands on the block

The new City Walk near Jumeirah is a great place to eat out and shop, and while you are there, check out JNBY and CREA — two brands that have just entered the region with their first stores in Dubai. The collection at JNBY is perfect for the summer, with its lightweight fabrics and unique cuts that ensure you look chic, without blending in with the crowd. The brand has a cult-following in China, and is available in multiple countries including France, UK, Japan, USA and Canada. Their pieces are minimalist, structured, textured, and ideal for the girl who likes to mix up different fabrics to create a unique look.

CREA is a French brand that is present in 30 countries across the world. Their Spring/Summer collection uses a monochromatic palette, with dots and prints making a prominent appearance. Their cuts are classic, yet, there is something unique added to every piece by way of an interesting neckline, a keyhole back, or ruffles — making it ideal for the girl who likes her outfits to be unique, comfortable, chic and feminine all at the same time.

#Sellotapeselfie

Just when you thought this whole selfie business couldn’t get any worse, after the duck face trend, the latest is to wrap your face in clear tape (it is not pretty, we must warn you!), and take pictures of oneself. When we searched for this hashtag on Instagram, we saw a lot of young women with beautiful skin, and a ton of bearded men have hopped on to the bandwagon. What we would really like to see, is what they look like once the tape is off. If you want to see what this latest trend looks like, just search for the hashtag on Instagram and Twitter.

Cara and Kate share a frame

The original supermodel, and current sensation of the modeling world — Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne — have been teamed together to shoot the campaign for the latest fragrance from fashion house Burberry. Seen sporting the iconic trench coats from the brand, in an image they posted on Instagram, the girls were shot by the famous Mario Testino. We cannot wait to see the final images!

Beat the Microbead

Recently, New York proposed a law to ban microbeads from all beauty products. This is not the first time, these tiny scrubbing beads have come into the limelight — in 2011, a Dutch NGO kicked off an awareness campaign about what these beads are doing to the environment. These grains often get rinsed down to drains, and making their way to lakes, seas and oceans, where they cause a ‘plastic soup’. There is now an app that you can join to support the cause — Beat the Microbead — is available for free on Apple and Android, and has gained momentum. The awareness has led to a few brands making announcements that their products would be free of microbeads by 2015. There are a host of products available, that you can use in place of microbeads, using ingredients like ground up nuts and fruits to help exfoliate the skin.

Ian Somerhalder for Azzaro

The fragrance brand has chosen the extremely hot American actor, Ian Somerhalder as the face of their fragrances this month. He succeeds Latino singer Enrique Iglesias, and will be seen in campaign pictures of the brand’s most iconic male fragrance — the Azzaro Pour Homme. Known for his role in The Vampire Diaries, he is also a model, producer and philanthropist who set up a foundation in his name to educate people about how to be more environmentally conscious.

Middle East Film and Comic Con 2014

One of the most anticipated events, it is the largest popular culture festival in the region, and focuses on film, TV, comics, manga, animation, collectibles and pop art. The event will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre, between April 3 and 5, and is open to the public. A one day pass costs Dh85, a weekend pass is Dh160, while a VIP pass (which includes entry to the launch day, and a goodie bag), costs Dh500. It is going to be bigger and better than ever before, and there are also a few special guests due to attend the event, including Sylvester McCoy from The Hobbit films and Dr Who series. Call 04 4474344 for more details.

Compiled by Aarti Jhurani