Out and About Mag. Issue 6 Vol. 2

Issue 6 Volume 2 

July 2020 

S1 

THE MIDDLE 

EAST’S 

VERY OWN 

KING 

OF 

POP 

VOICES: 

RABEAH 

RAHIMI 

A Refugee’s Story of 

Her Path to Success 

and Inner Peace 

8 MUST-VISIT 

UAE CULTURAL SITES 

BEHIND THE BRAND WITH 

GARFIELD 

KERR 

Owner and Entrepreneur, 

Mokha 1450 Coffee Boutique 

THE ABAYA 

ORIGINS AND FASHION 

INSPIRATION FOR SUMMER 

WHY YOU SHOULD PRACTISE 

SELF-CARE 

AS A LEADER 

1

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, 

then, is not an act, but a habit. 

Aristotle 

2

Editorial 

Editor in chief 

Marsha Fry 

marsha@outandaboutmag.com 

Editor 

Shella landayan 

info@outandaboutmag.com 

art 

advertising 

Art director 

nakul thanekar 

nakul.thanekar89@gmail.com 

sales & marketing director 

Andre Marshal 

+971 50 127 8820 

sales@outandaboutmag.com 

general enquiries 

On this 

month's 

cover 

Interview: S1, The Middle 

East’s Very Own 

King of Pop 

Photographer: TG Media 

Styling: S1 

hello@outandaboutmag.com 

outandaboumagofficial 

outandaboumagofficial 

outandaboutmagofficial 

www.outandaboutmag.com 

Published by Out and About Style FZE 

(Registered at Fujairah Creative City) 

3

Editor’s 

Welcome 

Starting over requires no 

explanation to anyone, 

requires no specific date, 

requires nothing more than 

you saying, ‘It’s time’. 

~Anna Pereira 

Most of us experienced rebirth and a period of reinvention 

at one point in our lives. You might have asked yourself 

many times, “Can I carry on?” or “How can I begin 

again?” 

Continue, even though the road is difficult and 

treacherous. Rainbows are a testament to a new beginning 

after torrential rains, and so is a sunrise after a long night. 

To give birth to a new you means being open to a whole 

new world of possibilities and positive changes. Get up 

and work hard again, and be a better you! With resilience, 

faith, and courage, you can go through everything! 

4 

A brief announcement to all our valued readers: starting 

this issue, we are now Out and About Magazine—and 

we still carry with us the vision to spread inspiration, 

encouragement, knowledge, and positivity wherever you 

are out and about!

Features and Highlights 

In our Fashion feature, we researched for the wonderful 

history of the ubiquitous abaya, adding styling tips as well 

to slay the summer with it. Check out The Abaya: Origins 

and Fashion Inspiration for Summer. Perseverance, 

creativity and authenticity: Dominique Devereaux 

Bedford reveals her story and passion as a stylist and 

designer. Read her interview and be inspired! 

We are all beautiful and unique, a fact that we should 

be proud of. Love your skin inside and out through 

Understanding Shades and Undertones and Picking 

the Right Foundation for your Undertone! Do you want 

to save the planet while staying clean and glowing? Read 

on Reusable Makeup Removers: 7 Recommended 

Products to learn how. Find these articles in our Beauty 

section. 

Gracing our Behind the Brand feature is a passionate face 

of entrepreneurship: Garfield Kerr, CEO of Mokha 1450 

Coffee Boutique. He generously shared with us his love 

for coffee, to ‘always do what you love and never be afraid 

to fail’. We listened to his personal thoughts and insightful 

perspectives on success, failure and entrepreneurship. 

Reaching your dreams is not an easy journey. Actress 

Rabeah Rahimi fought her way to achieve her goals 

in life. Find her story in I brought My Dreams From 

Afghanistan To Berlin in Voices. In Taking Lessons, we 

meet the transformational CEO and entrepreneur, Asil 

Attar, who believes that “each one of us is unique and 

has something special to offer”. She shares that one of 

her passions is enabling others to follow their dreams— 

to inspire, motivate and empower them. Feed your mind 

and soul with Rabeah and Asil’s stories of inspiration and 

success. 

Working hard and reinventing one’s self from time to time: 

The Middle East’s Very own King of Pop, S1, says that 

this is the key to staying relevant and interesting. Meet 

S1 in our Talent Pool feature and find out more about 

his passion for music and journey in the entertainment 

industry. 

Understanding our personalities is important to assess 

our own behaviour and emotional responses. Do You 

Know Your Attachment Style? If you want to know, 

read on about this informative article in our Lifestyle 

feature. Learn new ways of dealing with anxiety and stress 

through Neuro-Linguistic Programming. To improve 

your leadership skills and gain productive habits, we’re 

here to tell you Why You Should Practise Self-Care as 

a Leader. 

If you want to make healthy and delicious food that you 

can easily store in the fridge, we’ve got you! Read our 5 

Mason Jar Recipes in our Food section. At this time, we 

all know that exercising in gyms is still not the best option 

to pursue your fitness goals. In our Fitness feature, we 

listed Absolute Home Fitness Essentials so you can stay 

fit in the comfort of your own home. 

You can plan your travel bucket list in advance, so if you’re 

looking for places to go where you can learn the UAE’s 

rich and beautiful culture, we recommend 8 Must-Visit 

UAE Cultural Sites in our Travel section. 

To continue to enrich your knowledge and build 

confidence, read our articles in For the Culture section. 

Check out Leisa Grace Wilson’s tips for aspiring and 

bustling entrepreneurs in The Number One Reason Most 

Startups Fail and learn how to avoid the pitfalls. Yvonne 

Mtengwa’s regular column in The Reinvented Chronicles 

features 8 Hacks to Invoking Courage in Difficult 

Times, which is exactly what we need during these trying 

times. Jerome Douglas, on the other hand, encourages us 

to raise our own flags, to Be Proud of the Truth About 

You. Finally, we feature Atomic Habits by James Clear in 

our Book Review feature. Atomic Habits discusses the 

power of letting go of old habits, developing new and 

productive ones, and maintaining them on a regular basis. 

A Better You is a Happier You 

Remember not to be afraid to start again. This is your own 

fight and no one else can control it but you. The world 

welcomes and encourages those who wish and aim to be 

better and stronger. Know this: a better you is a happier you. 

Out and About Magazine, with the team that made 

this Edition possible, would like to send you an infinite 

amount of encouragement and positivity to continue your 

journey to success and inner peace! 

outandaboumagofficial outandaboumagofficial outandaboutmagofficial 

5

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www.jacquieachie.com

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CONTENTS 

JULY 2020 

SECTION 1 

FASHION 

• Dominique Devereaux Bedford, Designer and Stylist, House of Devereaux 

• The Abaya: Origins and Fashion Inspiration for Summer 

33 

SECTION 2 

BEAUTY 

• Makeup Madness with Liv: Understanding Shades and 

Undertones 

• Beauty Recommendations: Picking the Right Foundation 

for your Undertone! 

• Reusable Makeup Removers: 7 Recommended Products 

51 

SECTION 3 

BEHIND THE BRAND 

• Garfield Kerr, Owner and Entrepreneur, Mokha 1450 

Coffee Boutique 

61 

SECTION 4 

VOICES 

• Rabeah Rahimi, Actress 

68 

SECTION 5 

TAKING LESSONS 

• Asil Attar, CEO and Entrepreneur 

109 

SECTION 8 

TRAVEL 

• 8 Must-Visit UAE Cultural Sites 

76 

90 

SECTION 6 

TALENT POOL 

• S1, The Middle East’s Very Own 

King of Pop 

SECTION 7 

LIFESTYLE 

• Do You Know Your Attachment Style? The 

Psychology Behind Attachment Styles and their 

Associated Behaviours 

• Neuro Linguistic Programming: The Smart Way 

To Deal With Anxiety And Stress 

• Why You Should Practise Self-Care as a Leader 

114 

SECTION 9 

FOR THE CULTURE 

• The Number One Reason Most 

Startups Fail 

• The Reinvented Chronicles with 

Yvonne C. Mtengwa: 8 Hacks To 

Invoking Courage in Difficult Times 

• Be Proud of the Truth About You 

• Book Review: Atomic Habits by 

James Clear 

102 

FOOD 

• 5 Mason Jar Recipe Ideas 

106 

FITNESS 

• Absolute Home Fitness Essentials 

10 

Out and About Magazine tasks no responsibility for unsolicited 

photographs or material. The photographs in this publication are for 

illustration purposes, unless otherwise specified.

FASHION 

FEATURE 

DOMINIQUE 

DEVEREAUX 

BEDFORD 

DESIGNER AND STYLIST, 

HOUSE OF DEVEREAUX 

HOUSE OF DEVEREAUX/ 

DEVEREAUX LLC 

@houseofdevereaux 

@Devereaux LLC 

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1. TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. 

I was born and raised in Texas. I have been a lover of fashion 

since I was a little girl. From paper dolls to designing and 

recreating my clothing in high school, fashion and I have 

always shared a connection. My educational background 

includes both a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Science 

in Fashion Merchandising and Business. I have worked in 

almost every facet of the industry from interning in TV, film, 

fashion event production and sourcing, marketing, product 

development and retail operations. 

2. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED AS A CUSTOM 

FASHION DESIGNER? 

I truly began to take my craft seriously in college, creating 

collections of dresses and showcasing them in local pageants 

and on-campus programmes. I even started an on-campus 

organisation called FashioNation geared towards assisting 

students of all majors in their exploration of different industry 

avenues from makeup to photography to marketing and— 

of course—my speciality, design. Designing has always 

been an outlet for me, and I was fortunate to have a support 

system of family, friends, and colleagues who believed in 

my abilities early on. 

3. WHAT DOES STYLE MEAN TO YOU? 

Style is an outward reflection of inward confidence. It allows 

you to show up in the world and visually present yourself 

in the way you want people to perceive you. As a custom 

designer and a fashion stylist, I believe that style speaks 

volumes about who you are and who you want to become 

without having to say a word. 

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4. WHAT/WHO INSPIRES YOUR DESIGNS? 

I love this question—as I am inspired by powerful and influential 

women, both famous and those living their everyday lives. Influential 

women are not only icons like Josephine Baker and Jacqueline 

Kennedy Onassis who serve as my muses but the kind of women whose 

outlook on life has inspired and continues to inspire me to create, like 

my grandmother and sister. 

I am especially inspired by TV and film, and many of the collections 

pay homage to dynamic women of the silver screen like the original 

Dominique Deveraux portrayed by Diahann Carroll and Alexis 

Carrington played by Joan Collins of the 1980s hit show Dynasty. I 

love this era because it represents a time where high glamour, style, 

power dressing and opulence were celebrated. 

Strength, courage, resilience and sheer determination are what these 

women represent and I am inspired by their journey. My pieces are 

used as storytelling platforms in which to share a bit of their history— 

both good and bad with the world. 

5. WHAT MAKES HOUSE OF THE 

DEVEREAUX’S CLOTHES DIFFERENT 

FROM OTHER FASHION DESIGNERS? 

The House of Devereaux specialises in power 

suiting but with a twist that I like to call the 

new classic. We take classic blazers and suiting 

silhouettes and turn them on their heads by 

paying attention to details. The mantra of the 

House is #ItsAllInTheDetails. Therefore, we 

utilise luxury fabrics like velvets, silks, satins 

and crepes with a smooth hand, in rich colours 

or tones like emerald green, cobalt blue and 

metallics and then add texture with accents of 

fringe, leather and other trims. 

That’s just the bodice—the defining piece de 

resistance is the interior of each Devereaux 

design as they are specially lined with our 

signature leopard print pattern made of 

100% genuine Italian silk. Every piece that 

comes from The House will have an accent of 

leopard print throughout no matter what. For 

us, leopard print is not a trend or fading fad. 

One of my previous employers, Reginald, 

would wear a sport coat or blazer to work 

almost every day and tell us, “When you 

look good, you feel good—” and that’s so 

very true. I think my passion for wanting to 

make my clients feel good is what makes 

me different, as well. I live for the reaction 

of when someone first tries on one of my 

pieces and feels the silk lining against their 

skin. The House of Devereaux specialises in 

elegantly emotive fashion and that’s what 

differentiates us. 

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6. WHO WEARS HOUSE OF 

DEVEREAUX? 

This brand is created for the bold 

professional and I think that the term 

professional has been redefined. A 

modern-day professional is not just your 

typical 9 to 5 working woman, but also the 

entrepreneur looking to make waves in her 

industry, or the woman who wears many 

hats such as wife, mother and classroom 

volunteer at her kid’s school. However, 

she still understands the importance of 

carving out time to take care of herself. 

She appreciates being the only person 

wearing something in the room and people 

take notice. She values quality, luxury 

clothing with attention to detail that not 

only properly fits but can be transitional 

throughout her wardrobe. 

He is someone who is self-assured and likes 

for his personal style to be reflective of that. 

He takes pride in his appearance and also 

appreciates brands that take pride in what 

they create as well. I say he, because The 

House has now branched into designing 

for men and we are so excited. 

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE 

PART ABOUT BEING A DESIGNER? 

That’s a two-part answer: the first is when 

someone audibly gasps when they see 

or feel what I have created. That moment 

when they are left speechless is everything 

to me. It’s the feeling of knowing that some 

really appreciates and sees my hard work as 

beautiful that makes this profession great. 

Secondly, having full creative control over 

what I make. If something is too extra, as I 

call it, or not enough, I have the full power 

to alter, change and execute it in whichever 

way I wish, as long as the client and I are 

happy and that is an incredible feeling. My 

clients trust my ability to deliver beautiful 

and original pieces and that trust is truly 

valued. 

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8. DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE 

PROCESS? 

While creating for The House is fun, it’s still 

a business and so I have to treat it as such. I 

can’t just grab any kind of fabric and I have 

to remind myself that when creating for my 

brand—it’s not strictly based around my 

singular sense of style. Therefore, it cannot 

be one-note, and I must create a plan. 

When coming up with a piece for a 

collection, I first create a mood or inspiration 

board. This includes imagery, words, 

sketches, ideas as well as the muses that I 

am inspired by. My mood boards serve as 

a plan or road map by assisting me in my 

vision for what direction I see the collection 

taking. I began selecting the fabric, notions 

and trim that fit the look I am trying to 

achieve and then methodically add and 

subtract from the board. Anything that 

seems forced is taken away until the board 

is complete. I liken it to being a puzzle— 

every piece must perfectly fit in order for 

the collection to create the perfect picture 

and tell a story. 

Then comes the sourcing of the materials, 

keeping in mind that not all pieces are 

created equal when it comes to cost, 

creation, and execution. The selection 

of fabric is probably the most important 

aspect because I want my clients to feel 

like they are receiving quality, and so that 

means that every dollar or dirham matters. 

When a fabric is right, I can’t contain my 

excitement because at that moment just 

from feeling that tiny swatch of fabric, I can 

envision a piece coming together. 

9. WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE 

YOU FACED AS A DESIGNER? 

I decided to step out on faith and become 

a full-time designer and stylist when I 

was struggling to find local employment 

here in the UAE. I had spent my first two 

years pounding the online pavement and 

searching for a position where I felt my 

expertise would best be utilised and it 

was crickets. Pair that with the fact that 

I was an expat woman, newly married 

to an incredibly encouraging husband 

and now embarking on a journey to 

entrepreneurship in an entirely different 

country with different laws and regulations. 

At that time, everything in my life was new 

and so needless to say it required a lot of 

research and patience. 

With that research came learning about the 

trade licensing process, which can be costly. 

However, I want to be acknowledged, and 

respected as a legal entity and I understood 

that necessary investments had to be made. 

The most recent challenge has been the 

pandemic and having to conduct business 

virtually when I am accustomed to offering 

in-person consultations. There is no greater 

joy than spending an afternoon with a 

client in their home or on a personal 

shopping excursion and getting to learn 

more about each other while grooming 

their confidence. There are just some 

things that virtual communication can’t 

capture or replicate. Now I am completely 

relegated to conducting business through 

virtual interfaces. 

Additionally, there were several in-person 

showcases I was set to participate in as 

well that have been cancelled and fabric 

vendors who have temporarily closed. My 

business is international and maintaining 

proper communication with clients and 

vendors or logistics across time zones can 

also prove challenging. These unplanned 

circumstances have caused disruptions 

to my business operations, but there is 

nothing Devereaux can’t handle. 

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10. TELL US ABOUT A PROJECT OR 

COLLECTION YOU CONSIDER YOUR 

GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR. 

First, one of my greatest achievements 

is starting a business internationally— 

growing my support from a trunk show of 

15 women in my apartment in 2018—to 

being the featured designer at a showcase 

at Hakkasan Emirates Palace in November 

2019. Finally, hosting a virtual trunk show 

in June 2020, while not being the most 

technologically savvy has been my most 

recent success. The outpouring of support 

I have received from all over has been 

incredible. 

Secondly, both of my collections are amazing 

achievements because I completed them 

under two years of being in business, and 

they not only represent parts of me but the 

women who inspire me. They are constant 

reminders of the sweat equity and the not 

so glamorous days when things aren’t going 

as planned and yet the satisfaction of how it 

all comes together so beautifully in the end. 

Each piece and every detail is a personal 

achievement that has allowed my creativity 

to be found and my confidence to flourish. 

11. WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF 

ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? 

The best advice to date comes from a 

fellow creative, Melarie Odelusi who often 

says, “If it’s not a hell yes, then hell no.” 

What I interpreted from that is everything I 

create and every decision I make regarding 

my business should speak to the soul and 

voice of my brand, and that which doesn’t 

serve me must go. This really helps me trust 

my intuition and go with my gut. 

12. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU 

GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING OUT 

IN FASHION DESIGNING? 

No idea is a bad idea unless it’s prohibited 

by the law. Trust your instinct, carve out 

your own way and your own lane and once 

you are in cruise control, stay in your lane. 

Don’t try to be anything that you aren’t 

because authenticity is key to maintaining 

creative control. Identify your niche, really 

work on it and through it, and don’t be 

afraid to ask for help because you can’t 

do it all by yourself—trust me I have tried. 

Lastly, a support team or system is more 

than necessary: it’s invaluable. 

13. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE 

OF FASHION? 

Sleep. Exercise. Laugh. I love a good belly 

laugh, and I love to play games. I especially 

love to travel or go on an adventure. There 

is nothing like visiting a cool museum or 

exploring a cool piece of architecture to 

get my creative juices flowing. I love to eat 

hence why I mentioned exercise. Trying new 

foods, watching shows about exotic foods 

and restaurants or cultures is my thing. 

When I first moved to the UAE, I would 

watch Chopped marathons all day long. I 

also love dancing alone at home when no 

one’s watching—it’s good calorie burning 

and good for the soul. 

14. WHAT’S THAT ONE QUOTE 

YOU LIVE BY? 

Allow me to share three quotes instead of 

one: 

“Sometimes, God will break your heart to 

save your life.” 

-Pastor Kevin Brown 

“Experience is a hard teacher-because it 

gives you the test first and the lesson after.” 

- Unknown 

“Today you are you-that is truer than true. 

There is no one alive more ‘youer’ than 

you.” 

- Dr. Seuss 

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THE ABAYA: 

ORIGINS AND FASHION 

INSPIRATION FOR SUMMER 

Abaya is a flowing garment that reaches 

the feet and has long, loose sleeves. It’s 

loosely fitted to wear over regular clothes 

for complete body coverage. Abaya is an 

ancient garment dating 4,000 years back. 

Like most fashion garments, it carries 

an indistinct history in the pre-Islam era 

before it became synonymous with Islam 

and Muslim women, taking a more vivid 

proper body-concealing form followed 

with a niqab or burka to conceal the hair 

and face, except the eyes. 

You may have a typical image of abaya in 

your mind: all black, loose and shapeless, 

but due to modern fashion and intervention 

from various designers all over the world, 

abayas have become available in a variety 

of colours and styles. The concept of full 

body covering is the same, only the styles 

have changed with more focus on different 

fabric weights and adornment techniques. 

Abayas have seen modernisation on a 

larger scale and aren’t much similar to 

those of the yesteryears. Today, we’ll 

unravel the history and the evolution of 

abaya. 

25

AMINA ALBAHRI 

@amina.albahri.beauty 

26

BEFORE ISLAM 

It is alleged that Mesopotamians wore a 

loose garment, pretty much similar in style 

and length to an abaya, though it wasn’t 

termed as one before. Also, it came as a 

thought that pre-Islam abaya was not as 

skin-covering as the abaya that appeared 

in light of the rise in Islam and sketched a 

greater strict body-concealing image. 

Some scholars also put forward that during 

the pre-Islam era, abayas carried a status 

symbol and not simply a symbolic religious 

practice. Wealthy women would differentiate 

themselves from the women of the working 

class who couldn’t afford something as 

extravagant as a veil covering the face. 

THE ADVENT OF ISLAM 

The arrival of Islam in the 7th century 

cemented the idea that women should clothe 

themselves from head to toes, masking the 

face and concealing most of the skin. Such 

was not only to abide by the faith Muslim 

women belonged to, but part of it was for 

one’s own good to protect themselves from 

becoming the subject of lewd behaviour. 

Therefore, abaya earned an important 

reputation; it came to symbolise Arabic and 

Muslim culture, just as how the kimono is a 

cultural object and symbol to the Japanese 

and the saris to the Hindus. Today, non- 

Muslims, wear abayas to blend in with the 

Arabic community, considering the act as an 

indication of cultural and religious respect. 

THE PRE-OIL ERA 

The typical bedouin abaya displayed a 

square-necked form with a gold-trimmed 

neckline and two holes meant for the 

arms. This was worn by the upper-class 

Arab women and those not belonging to a 

prestigious background opted for a simple 

abaya to cover their bodies. Black was the 

colour of choice. Today, the abaya has been 

reshaped into a fashionable guise offered 

in various styles and assortment of colours 

than we can possibly imagine. 

DISCOVERY OF OIL 

After oil was discovered in the Arab world, 

abaya experienced a transition, suddenly 

transforming from shapeless to shapely, 

wool to silk, and even the length has been 

adjusted to reach a little above the feet. As 

the 1970s drew to a close, abaya became 

more glamourous and was definitely made 

more obliging to one’s preferences. 

THE 1980S 

This was the period of the shoulder abaya 

taking the form of a long cloak-like robe with 

full proper sleeves and a complementing, 

shorter shayla as the head cover. Different 

fabrics, embroidery and ornamental 

decorations were put to test. The abaya 

became airier and more flowy owing to the 

use of georgettes, silks, crepes, and similar 

wispy materials. 

OMANIYAH ABAYA 

In the 1990s, omaniyah abaya was 

introduced, with its name inspired by the 

country it came from—Oman. This abaya 

style is closed in the front as opposed to 

the open-front version of the past. It also 

featured an opening for the head for ease of 

wear. During this time, experimentation was 

still on the rage and varieties of laces, ironedon 

stones and sparkles were brought to the 

picture. Now, the markets and souks sell sets 

of abaya and shayla pairings and matchings 

in a variety of sartorial embellishment. 

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THE 20TH CENTURY 

In the 20th century, experimentation 

with the abaya reached new heights— 

from beautiful cuts to gorgeous 

emblazonment, sparkly lines of work 

to flamboyant statements, and even 

those simply verging on the strange 

side of things. At this point, abaya 

was becoming a fashion statement 

in every form. 

The abaya is slowly drifting away from 

its original image and the message 

it portrayed. Many incoming abaya 

styles convey a narrower or a wider 

belt to enhance and promote 

waistlines. 

Today, the abaya has undergone 

a turn of events and experiments, 

more as a sign of functionality as it 

births one’s individualism. It’s not 

necessary that only a practicising 

Muslim woman can wear an abaya; 

there are those who wear it because 

they like it and will continue to do so. 

Just like any other traditional 

garment, it’s a garment for defining 

Muslims and thanks to the bevy 

of fashion designers in the world, 

they’ve globalised this ubiquitous 

piece to bring a change and 

awareness to those with conflicting 

mindsets in the world. 

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SUMMER 

FASHION 

ABAYA 

LOOKS 

HIND AL MADANI @HINDALMADANI 

ROUA ALMAWALLY 

@ROUA_ALMAWALLY 

Light and pastel shades feel cooler on 

the skin. They throw off heat and keep 

the body well-ventilated to keep you 

dry and provide maximum comfort. If 

you want to opt for darker shades, find 

pieces that are lightweight and allow air 

ventilation like cotton and chiffon. 

@MODESTLYWRAPPED 

NOURHAN ELGOUHARY 

@NOURHANELGOUHARY 

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OPT FOR PRINTS 

There’s no compulsion on 

picking solids all the time, 

change up the typical look 

with floral-printed abayas or 

those with stripes for a summerappropriate 

look. Experiment 

with different fabrics and invest 

in lightweight materials to keep 

you breezy under the sweltering 

heat. There are even cottonmade 

abayas available that 

look like the modest version of 

summer dresses. 

FINCHITUA BY FEIRUZA @FINCHITUA 

CREATE A 

STATEMENT 

You can get more worth out 

of your abaya if you create a 

statement. In this case, neutrals 

are your best friend for a 

monotone or a monochrome 

approach. This is totally an eyecatching 

take on the abayas and 

causes head-turning attention. 

Plus, we find this approach best 

for summer, it’s appropriate 

for daytime and perfect for 

attending parties. 

Make the most of this season 

by choosing the best weather 

appropriate abaya for you!. 

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ZAINAB ISKANDER @ZOZOKAHRAMANA 

ROUA ALMAWALLY 

@ROUA_ALMAWALLY

CHERRY BLOSSOM 

Model: Lili Nagy 

Hair and makeup: Liv Rideg 

Headpiece: Milla Sonja Couture - Eva Kelemen 

Photo: Jozsef Balogh 

Retouch: Anna Petrova 

Location: Studio Madison, Budapest, Hungary 

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FLORAL BEAUTY 

Model: Tatyana Gonzalez 



Makeup: Liv Rideg 

Headpiece: Milla Sonja Couture - Eva Kelemen 

Assistant: Szabo Pal 

Location: Studio Madison, Budapest, Hungary 

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BEAUTY 

M A K E U P 

M A D N E S S 

WITH 

UNDERSTANDING 

SHADES AND 

UNDERTONES 

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NEUTRAL 

UNDERTONE 

NEUTRAL 

UNDERTONE 

34 

WARM 

UNDERTONE

COOL 

UNDERTONE 

Finding your perfect shade of 

foundation, knowing your skin tone, 

understanding what your undertone 

is, and what kind of makeup works for 

you are mostly every makeup users 

struggle, especially for those who 

are in the beginning of their makeup 

journey. For 21 years working in 

the makeup and fashion industry, I 

noticed that these are the things that 

people are having a hard time with. 

In this article we will give you very 

useful tips and tricks on how to 

understand your skin tone, undertone 

and what makeup works for you. 

IDENTIFYING YOUR SKIN TONE 

Skin tone is the colour of your skin. The ranges vary: light, 

medium, dark. Choosing the right and exact shade of your 

foundation that is not lighter or darker than your skin will 

give you a fresh, beautiful look all day long. Your skin tone 

can change during summer and winter, it can go lighter or 

darker depending on the actual season. 

UNDERSTANDING AN UNDERTONE 

Undertone is the underlying hue of your skin. Knowing your 

undertone will make your life much easier when it comes to 

choosing the correct foundation shades. Your skin tone may 

change but your undertone will always be the same during 

all the seasons. There are three different undertones: warm, 

cool and neutral. 

• For people with WARM UNDERTONES, the 

underlying colours of their skin are peach, gold or 

yellow. 

• COOL UNDERTONE means the underneath colour 

of your skin is reddish and bluish. 

• People with NEUTRAL SKIN UNDERTONES have 

the mixture of both cool and warm tones. 

KNOWING YOUR UNDERTONE 

Grab a piece of silver and gold jewellery. Take a look at 

what looks good on you. If silver looks amazing on you, 

then you have a cool undertone. If gold looks better, 

then you have a warm undertone. If both look good on 

you, then you have a neutral undertone. 

MAKEUP BASICS 

When it comes to makeup application, I always advise my 

students to look at the face. Check out the skin, eye, hair, 

eyebrow and lip colour and apply the same colours on the 

face. When you do this, you will get beautiful and naturallooking 

makeup. If you want to go for a dramatic look, 

apply the darker shades of the colours you see on the face. 

If you want to go for a soft look, go with the lighter shades. 

Remember, if you are playing around with the same colours 

as you can see on the face, you can’t go wrong with it. 

Applying a beige, bronze, brown, taupe, and peach shades 

will always give you a lovely look. 

Every colour has its warm and cool tones. If you would like 

to add colours, like rose, pink, red, purple, green or blue to 

your eye makeup, the same rule applies. All you will need 

to do is to choose the right tones of colours and you will 

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WARM 

UNDERTONE 

have your beautiful makeup done. 

Experimenting and practising is the key. Of course, don’t 

forget to have fun while trying out these easy tips. 

HOW CAN WE KNOW WHEN WE ARE NOT USING 

THE RIGHT COLOURS, TONES OR TEXTURES? 

• You’re not using the right shade when your visage 

looks older in the mirror. This problem appears 

really often because of wrong shade and tone of 

the foundation, too much or wrong colour of the 

blush, heavy contours, wrong tones on the eyes, or 

using wrong colour of the lipstick 

• You look tired. Too much texture on the skin and 

excessive makeup under the eyes gives you a tired 

and gloomy look. 

• You have a feeling that you are wearing a mask. 

Inappropriate texture of the foundation for your skin 

type or too much foundation and powder can give 

you a caked up look. 

• Your skin looks greyish or has an ashy colour. This is 

a nightmare for people who have bronze and darker 

skin tones. It happens if you choose a lighter and 

light coverage foundation for deeper skin tones. 

There are some occasions when we have to give 

the skin a lighter colour, but in this case we have to 

choose a full coverage foundation to make sure it 

will give a healthy glowing beautiful skin colour and 

not an ashy look. 

Makeup enhances our confidence and natural beauty. 

Keep in mind that we are all equally amazing and beautiful 

people 

Liv Rideg is an award-winning professional makeup 

artist and hairstylist with 21 years of experience in the 

beauty industry. She is currently based in Europe but 

has worked across the globe, including a spell in Dubai. 

Liv specialises in bridal, beauty, glamour, creative and 

fantasy makeup. She has also been teaching makeup 

techniques and different styles since 2010. 

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BEAUTY 

RECOMMENDATIONS: 

PICKING 

THE RIGHT FOUNDATION 

FOR YOUR UNDERTONE! 

We celebrate beauty in diversity! Love 

your skin by picking the right foundation 

for your skin undertone. The perfect 

shade will reveal your skin’s natural 

beauty, and by staying true to your hue, 

your best self is going to shine through! 

Picking the Ideal Shade 

Sometimes, picking the ideal foundation 

shade is a tricky ordeal. The shade might 

look suitable at first glance or even on 

initial application. The mismatch is 

identified once it becomes apparent 

that your face is not giving that natural 

glow—either the shade is too pale or 

too dark, or even lifeless and boring! 

Hence, it is essential to identify your 

natural colour before splurging your cash 

in the nearest beauty bar. To accomplish 

this, determine your undertone. Your 

skin undertone is different from your 

skin tone as the former is the underlying 

hue or colour that your skin casts, while 

the latter is the range of darkness to 

lightness of the skin itself. Most people 

fall into one of the three undertones: 

• Cool, which means your skin is 

more blue, red, or pink. 

• Warm, which means your skin is 

more golden, yellow, or peach. 

• Neutral, which means your skin 

will have a combination of cool 

and warm colours. 

The classic rule applies: a warm 

undertone looks best with gold or 

yellow-based foundations, while shades 

with rose, red, or blue bases are suitable 

for those with a cool undertone. We 

listed different foundations for the three 

types of undertones—from lightweight 

foundations that will give you a natural, 

no-makeup look to full coverage ones 

for a longer staying, glam look! 

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FOUNDATIONS 

FOR WARM 

UNDERTONES 

1. NARS ALL DAY LUMINOUS 

WEIGHTLESS FOUNDATION 

A light foundation that can give 

you full coverage up to 16 hours. 

One drop goes a long way. A 

good shade for warm undertones 

is Barcelona, perfect for medium 

to medium-deep skin with a 

peachy undertone. 

3. BOBBI BROWN SKIN 

WEIGHTLESS LONG WEAR 

FOUNDATION SPF15 

This product is formulated with 

SPF 15 to give you additional 

protection from the sun. It feels 

light and airy but sports a medium 

to full coverage. Golden Beige is 

for people with light to medium 

skin with a gold undertone. 

2. FENTY BEAUTY PRO 

FILT’R HYDRATING LONG 

WEAR FOUNDATION 

This foundation is cruelty-free and 

will give you a natural finish with 

instant hydration. It has 50 shades 

you can choose from. Shade 

No. 240 is perfect for people 

with medium skin with a yellow 

undertone. 

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4. L.A. GIRL PRO 

COVERAGE LIQUID 

FOUNDATION 

This is a lightweight foundation 

perfect for all-day wear. It is a full 

coverage foundation formulated 

without parabens, ideal for those 

who want to avoid synthetic 

chemicals in their cosmetics. 

Soft Honey is for medium skin 

suitable for warm undertones. 

5. MAYBELLINE NEW YORK 

SUPER STAY FULL COVERAGE 

LIQUID FOUNDATION 

Looking for a long-lasting 

foundation? This is perfect for 

you! Formulated to last for 24 

hours to give you a full coverage 

finish without the worry of pore 

clogging. Golden is a perfect 

shade for medium skin with warm 

undertones. 

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FOUNDATIONS 

FOR COOL 

UNDERTONES 

1. TOO FACED BORN THIS 

WAY FOUNDATION 

A flawless and natural finish 

foundation that can easily give 

you a no-makeup look, this 

foundation can give you a natural 

medium to full coverage. Golden 

is for medium skin with a rosy 

undertone. 

3. ESTEE LAUDER DOUBLE 

WEAR STAY IN PLACE MAKEUP 

A matte foundation that will last 

for 24 hours, waterproof and can 

withstand heat, Estee Lauder 

Double Wear is just perfect for any 

season. Auburn is a suitable shade 

for people with cool undertones. 

2. DIOR BACKSTAGE LIQUID 

FOUNDATION 

Dior Backstage promises a glowing 

look and perfect blending with the 

skin. You can sport a natural look 

with this foundation or you can 

opt to get full coverage. 3 Cool is 

for light to medium skin with cool 

undertones. 

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4. GIORGIO ARMANI 

LUMINOUS SILK 

FOUNDATION 

Many MUAs swear by Giorgio 

Armani for a lush, medium 

coverage that dramatically 

hides skin imperfections. It also 

applies easily and will give you 

a flawless and natural glow from 

within. Shade No. 8.25 will suit 

people with cool undertones. 

5. MAKEUP FOREVER 

REBOOT FOUNDATION 

Looking for a foundation that has a 

satin finish? This is the right one for 

you. It reduces the look of wrinkles, 

giving you a hydrated and glowing 

complexion. If you have medium 

skin with a red undertone, shade 

R370 will suit you. 

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FOUNDATIONS 

FOR NEUTRAL 

UNDERTONES 

1. CHARLOTTE TILBURY 

AIRBRUSH FLAWLESS 

FOUNDATION 

A lightweight and long lasting 

foundation that has heat-proof 

and waterproof formula. This 

foundation is promoted as crueltyfree 

and vegan. 5.5 Neutral will 

suit people with medium skin with 

olive neutral undertones. 

3. AQUA NUDE WATER- 

INFUSED PERFECTING FLUID 

GUERLAIN 

This foundation will give you 

hydrated and perfect skin. It 

contains SPF 20 for additional sun 

protection. 03N Natural is perfect 

for medium skin with neutral 

undertones. 

2. MARC JACOBS 

REMARKABLE FULL 

COVERAGE FOUNDATION 

This foundation is perfect for 

people with oily and combination 

skin types and provides longlasting 

wear up to 24 hours. 

Bisque Medium 26 is for fair with 

neutral undertones. 

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4. PAT MCGRATH 

SKIN FETISH SUBLIME 

PERFECTION FOUNDATION 

A liquid foundation that will give 

you a smooth-looking skin and 

medium coverage, this product 

is suitable for dry, combination, 

oily and normal skin types. If you 

have medium skin with olive and 

neutral undertones, Medium 21 

is for you. 

5. NAKED SKIN 

WEIGHTLESS ULTRA 

DEFINITION LIQUID MAKEUP 

Naked Skin promises a radiant, 

glowing look and long wear for 

up to 24 hours. This foundation 

will also help reduce wrinkles and 

blurs skin imperfections. 6 Warm/ 

Medium is for medium skin with 

olive undertone. 

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REUSABLE MAKEUP REMOVERS: 

7 RECOMMENDED 

PRODUCTS 

Cotton pads and face wipes are one of the most popular options when it comes to 

cleaning our faces and removing makeup. However, these products are not good for our 

environment. Disposable wipes and pads are filling our landfills, clogging our sewers and 

even polluting our oceans. Imagine if all of us use disposable pads and wipes: where do 

all the garbage go? Change starts with the small things that we are able to do. Purchasing 

biodegradable products and minimising the consumption of disposable products can 

definitely help the environment. 

Reusable makeup removers, as an eco-friendly alternative to disposable makeup 

removers, can massage your face and also remove dead skin cells, resulting in glowing 

and healthy skin. Most of these reusable removers are super absorbent and can remove 

your makeup using warm water, cleanser or your favourite makeup remover liquid or 

balm. 

We listed seven reusable makeup removers that are definitely worth adding to your 

beauty essentials! 

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1. NUGILLA MAKEUP REMOVER CLOTHS 

This eco-friendly makeup remover is made from 

finely woven fibre that is very gentle on the skin. It 

can be rewashed easily with warm water or you can 

just pop it in your washing machine. 

2. ORIGINAL PINK MAKEUP ERASER 

Waterproof mascara? Matte lipstick? These hardto-remove 

cosmetics can be easily removed with 

this cute, pink cloth using just plain water. This 

brand claims that one of this product is equal to 

3,600 face wipes! 

3. FACE HALO REUSABLE MAKEUP 

REMOVER PAD 

A product that is PETA Approved and 100 % 

cruelty-free: this tiny pad can easily fit your makeup 

bag and is perfect for your travel needs. 

4. JANE IREDALE MAGIC MITT MAKEUP 

REMOVER 

Jane Iredale created a makeup remover mitt 

that you can easily slide in your hands and easily 

remove makeup even in those hard to reach 

areas. 

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5. ODOXIA REUSABLE MAKEUP 

REMOVER PADS 

This product is ideal for people with sensitive 

skin. These are natural bamboo pads which 

also makes it organic and super eco-friendly! 6. DANIELLE MAKEUP 

REMOVING CLOTHS 

These colourful reusable makeup 

remover cloths can be washed up 

7. BLOOMING BEE CHARCOAL BAMBOO 

REUSABLE MAKEUP REMOVER PADS 

This product is made from 100% plant material and 

one pad can be used 1000 times. It is made from 

natural bamboo cotton that cleans the face gently 

and naturally. 

to 500 times. The material gives 

you that fresh and clean feeling 

after a makeup removal session. 

Opting for reusable products will help the 

environment and save money spent on 

disposable face wipes and cotton pads. Since 

these products can be used with warm water, 

you will also be able to cut down the cost of 

purchasing makeup remover liquids or balms. 

These are only product recommendations, and 

you know what is best for your skin. Stay pretty 

and healthy while taking good care of nature 

with these amazing and helpful products! 

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COLOUR SHINE 

Model: Lili Labodi - White Model Management 



Hair and makeup: Liv Rideg 

Location: Studio Madison, Budapest. Hungary 

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BRONZY 

GODDESS 

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Model: Eleni Balogh 

Photo, hair and makeup: Liv Rideg 


Location: Studio Madison, Budapest, Hungary

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GARFIELD KERR 

CEO of Mokha 1450 Coffee Boutique 

@mokha1450 

www.mokha1450.com 

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Tell us a bit about yourself. 

I have lived in Dubai for over five 

years. I had a career on Wall Street in 

corporate law before transitioning to 

working in private equity, which led me 

to the coffee industry. I enjoy working 

out and I’m very active in sports. 

How did you get started in business? 

I have always worked at varied 

business ventures throughout my 

undergraduate and postgraduate 

schooling and absorbed everything 

I could along the way. I have also 

been fortunate to have some amazing 

mentors early in my life from whom 

I learned as much as I could about 

corporate governance and leadership. 

Tell us about your business ventures 

to date 

Most of my business ventures involved 

executing the dreams of others—such 

is the life of a corporate lawyer or 

having a career in finance and private 

equity. My own business, Mokha 1450 

Coffee Boutique, is the first step 

forward to execute a vision that is my 

own. 

What is your vision for yourself as a 

brand? 

Mokha 1450 is a lifestyle brand that 

aims to be a leader in coffee culture. 

We actively nurture and cultivate longterm 

relationships that incorporate 

ethical, fair practices, which in turn, 

empower the farmers we work with to 

deliver exceptional coffee consistently. 

From sourcing and roasting rarefied 

single-origin coffees to pouring the 

ultimate cup, our expertise delivers a 

personal touch throughout the process 

to incorporate ‘The Heart of Coffee’ in 

everything we do. 

Mokha 1450 is committed to serving 

exceptionally rare and superior 

speciality coffee that remains faithful 

to the very origin of coffee culture. 

As connoisseurs, it is our obligation 

to deliver the finest coffee—from the 

most gifted growers from every part of 

the world. 

We achieve this through our dedication 

to echo the sincere traditions of early 

coffee culture and build long-standing 

relationships to help support the 

communities involved. 

What are your success habits? 

My successful habits involve always 

attempting to do things to the highest 

degree possible without settling. I try 

not to be average in pursuing and 

executing my endeavours, and while I 

will often fail, at least I will have tried 

and given my best efforts to succeed 

at the highest level. I also try to be 

as inclusive as possible, to empower 

others, as well as interact with others 

with a strong moral code as my 

baseline. 

What are you passionate about? 

Coffee! I am very passionate about 

coffee and sharing the incredible 

sensory experience of drinking great 

coffee with others. I am also passionate 

about Mokha 1450’s incredible team 

and the pride they take in delivering a 

one-of-a-kind experience. 

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How do you determine if a business idea is 

going to be successful? 

There is really no way of telling if a business 

idea will be successful. Many times, you 

will have a brilliant idea that is not scalable 

and there is no way of knowing that prior to 

executing the business model. However, I will 

say that if you identify a product or service that 

meets a need, then this will more likely than 

not be successful if executed properly. As an 

old axiom goes, “There are no new ideas, just 

proper execution.” 

Do you believe there is some sort of 

pattern or formula to becoming a successful 

entrepreneur? 

I think true entrepreneurship has a small 

element of innateness to it. The kids that ran 

lemonade stands, or did other things to raise 

money as kids, are generally on the fast track 

to being true entrepreneurs. 

However, for the rest of us, there are two 

worn-out clichés that have an element of 

truth to them, though not necessarily how 

they are meant. The first is that you should 

always do what you love—but what if I like 

eating chocolate cake and sitting on the 

couch? I can’t see how one could generate 

a steady revenue stream from doing that 

thing that I truly love. However, the element 

of truth to that cliché is that if a venture is 

truly interesting to you, then you will apply 

yourself more earnestly and enjoy working at 

it much more than attempting a project that 

you find uninteresting or are merely engaged 

in because others advised it as worthwhile or 

profitable. 

The second is that you should never be afraid 

to fail. I understand what this is meant to get 

at, but I think you should be very afraid of 

failure. If you are not afraid to fail, then you will 

not commit maximally to anything. The fear of 

falling on your face makes for better decisionmaking 

and a higher level of concentration 

and execution. People who are fine with 

failure generally fail at things. I think the more 

accurate advice is that you should never let 

failure weigh too much on your self-esteem or 

be the sum value of your efforts. You should 

attempt to learn from your failures and try very 

hard not to make the same mistakes again, 

knowing well that you will fail at some point in 

the future but doing everything in your power 

to avoid it. 

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Tell us about a time you had to deal with 

failure and how you dealt with it. 

I once had to restructure a company whose 

business model I did not fully support. I 

worked hard at it as the delivery manager 

but failed at coming close to the desired 

end result. The more I failed, the more I 

blamed the business model instead of 

my efforts. I dealt with this initial failure 

by taking a step back and looking at the 

fact that the many hours I spent working 

on the matter at hand was not yielding 

anything close to the desired effect. I 

then asked for help and brought in a few 

experts in the field and only later realised 

that I never really understood the business 

model as well as I had assumed. It was only 

after being humbled and admitting my 

shortcomings that I was able to delegate 

to the right individuals and get the project 

back on track, but the entire experience 

was quite harrowing. 

If you could start all over again, what 

would you do differently? 

I would be much nicer to people. 

What advice would you give to someone 

starting out on their entrepreneurial 

journey? 

I would say be prepared to work harder 

than you would work for someone else; 

be driven by data and do your homework. 

Many ideas that seem brilliant on paper 

fall apart very soon once it makes contact 

with the real world. Know what the points 

of failure are and have a solution before 

moving forward. Any business plan that 

requires luck as a matter of necessity may 

not be the best plan. 

Know when to call it a day and try 

something else, especially when there is 

time and money involved. Many times, 

people believe they have put too much 

time, effort and money into an idea to give 

up, but putting even more time, effort and 

money into a failing venture makes you feel 

even worse when you have to pull the plug 

much later. Furthermore, it violates the 

eternal law of the universe that says when 

you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve 

received? 

Always do what you love and never be 

afraid to fail. The ability to be self-aware, 

humble, and read people well are skill sets 

that complement each other, and when 

combined and practised frequently, it can 

take you far in life. 

If you were to write a book about 

yourself, how would you name it? 

When I die, people will all look back and 

say, “He’s dead now.” 

How do you look after your mental 

health? 

I run a lot. Research shows that running 

and exercising makes you smarter. Studies 

also show that daily exercise improves 

life expectancy regardless of past activity 

levels. It is also a smart thing to run and 

exercise with the people you love, in order 

to really enjoy the activity. 

What’s that one quote you live by? 

Generally, I'm not too fond of quotes as 

they encourage daydreaming more than 

doing. However, when I am stuck, I always 

tell myself that there is no problem in the 

universe that time and hard work can't 

solve. Even the most intractable problem 

will lose its hold over you with the passage 

of enough time. 

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VOICES 

I BROUGHT MY DREAMS 

FROM AFGHANISTAN TO BERLIN 

A Refugee’s Story of 

Her Path to Success 

and Inner Peace 

Rabeah 

RAHIMI ACTRESS 

@rabeah_r 

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Success means having inner satisfaction and pure calmness. You 

will know that you achieve it once you have peace in your heart and 

mind. Inner peace is important to me as much as it is to everyone 

else. I’m proud of what I have accomplished through the years, 

despite the hardships and pain I sadly experienced. Hopefully, my 

work in the entertainment industry will give pleasure to others when 

they see it. 

Like everyone else, my life towards success isn't easy. I was a 

refugee from Afghanistan, and I was ten years old when I moved 

to Germany. It was a big culture shock for me. The people, their 

behaviour and everything were very different from what I knew 

and what I experienced. I had to learn to adapt. Berlin has a great 

culture—it's very green everywhere—parks are everywhere. I'm 

very grateful for the chance to have a new life here. Girls can go to 

school, enjoy free education, and achieve everything they dream of. 

I was traumatised because of the war in Afghanistan. If I don’t 

have a fundamentally positive attitude towards life and without 

the necessary support from people around me, I would certainly 

not achieve this point in my life. I can’t imagine my life without my 

friends and they make me very happy. 

Even though I have a dark past, I’m still a dreamer. I often lie in 

the grass with my dog, gaze at the blue, sunny sky and think of 

happy thoughts. I love cycling and discovering new streets, seeing 

beautiful and colourful buildings and meeting new people. I’m a 

happy-go-lucky person and I love everything about my life. 

I discovered that I love acting. I find it incredibly exciting to slip into 

different roles with different lives and characters. I feel alive through 

acting and it gives me great pleasure. Sometimes, when I’m sad 

and the haunting memories come back, acting helps me to process 

them and eventually calm me down. 

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So far, the biggest achievement in my life happened 

when I got a role in a film called ‘Twins’. I was with Gérard 

Depardieu who is incredibly talented and gave me 

important tips. He always reminds me with the words: 

“Don't play it—feel it.” In addition to my acting career, I’m 

currently studying directing at the film school in Berlin. I 

find it very exciting to get professional knowledge about 

film-making. 

My dream is to create my own film in which I can tell my 

personal story. I would like the film to encourage others 

to start a new, meaningful life: far from home, despite 

all the adversities. Sometime in the near future, I also 

believe it is wonderful to have my own family—a loving 

family to whom I can share my love, full support and 

happiness. 

We all know that life is a series of ups and downs. Expect 

hardships and remember to learn from it. A painful past 

isn’t a great memory, and it is something that we can’t 

change. We can get courage from our darkest memories 

to continue life and make sure to do everything better 

for our own selves, our families and the world’s future. 

The most important thing we need to learn is to follow 

our hearts, try to realise your dreams, and most of all, to 

be proud of yourself. 

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67

TAKING 

LESSONS 

Asil 

Attar 

CEO AND ENTREPRENEUR 

www.asilattar.com 

www.turban-thinker.com 

www.salt-fashion.com 

@asil_attar 

@turbanthinker 

@saltfashionltd 

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Tell us a bit about yourself. 

I was born in Iraq and of mixed heritage: Iraqi 

and Indian. I left Iraq when I was about two years 

old and was brought up between the UK and the 

US. My parents left the Middle East in the 1950s 

and moved to the US. They later returned briefly 

at the time when I was born and eventually 

settled in the UK. 

I attended American curriculum schools in the 

UK and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree 

in Interior Design. I’m proud to have built a 

successful career in fashion, luxury, retail, and 

business—working incredibly hard throughout 

my 30-year journey. 

I'm known as the Hybrid. The first half of my 

career was spent working in creative roles—as 

a buyer, creative director, and brand director. 

I worked the second half of my career as a 

transformational leader in senior executive roles, 

for the later 11 years as CEO of fashion groups in 

the Middle East. My role as CEO has gained me 

a reputation for turning businesses around and 

restructuring them, introducing new visionary 

strategies and bringing positive change. I would 

describe my leadership style as transformational 

and people-centred. I focus on my teams and 

engage my business emotionally on the journey, 

leaving a lifetime impact. 

What does success mean to you? 

Success is reaching a position with positive 

influence—leaving a legacy through transferring 

knowledge to other people and creating social 

impact. 

What is your secret sauce? 

Hard work, passion, humility—leading and 

driving everything through my ethics and values: 

this is uncompromisable and must be with me all 

the time. 

What are you passionate about? 

I'm definitely passionate about making a difference 

to people's lives, knowing that with the roles that 

I have gained come with a huge responsibility. I 

ensure that I'm mindful of each and every decision 

that I make, which affects other people; therefore, 

people are always on top of my mind. 

Another passion of mine is to enable others to 

follow their dreams—to inspire, motivate and 

empower them. Each one of us is unique and 

has something special to offer. You just have to 

bring their confidence to the forefront for them 

to realise that and in turn, this will eventually 

bring out their passion. 

You have had a lot of firsts, but what does 

it mean to be the first female CEO of Damas 

Jewellery in over 100 years? 

I'm very proud of my achievements, especially 

as a female, championing empowerment and 

representing the potential of women. Having 

said that, I am passionate about empowering 

men and women as we all serve an example for 

each other. 

My achievements are the outcome of my hard 

work, passion, drive and continually being aware 

that we are constantly learning no matter what 

position we reach, which pushes me to keep 

going. 

Despite their potential, many women don’t 

see themselves as future CEOs. Why do you 

think this is so? 

The fact that a small single-digit representation 

of women in senior roles or on the board is a key 

factor; this, however, should motivate women 

more. It is up to us to change the mindset that 

we can't do it. We must see ourselves as capable 

of achieving anything we set our minds to. 

Without women driving this mindset, change will 

not happen. There are thousands of women that 

will follow, and it's up to us to unite and empower 

them to do so. 

What would you say are some of the best 

strategies to promote diversity in the 

workplace? 

I always had a diverse workplace and I have hired 

people with different ethnicities and cultures. I 

represented a mini melting pot. It isn't something 

that is a strategy. It is part of who I am, how I was 

raised, my respect for humanity, and my stance 

that we are all capable no matter what. Promoting 

diversity in the workplace is an innate part of my 

leadership style and is definitely natural. 

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What is your advice to the next 

generation of female CEOs? 

Remember that it took you hard work and 

a great deal of effort to reach the position 

that you are in. Stay true to yourself, be 

humble and understand that you are an 

example which everyone is looking up 

to. Ensure that you use your status to 

promote positive change and impact, as 

well as inspire others, especially women. 

You have given a lot of years to the 

fashion industry and seen its growth 

over time. How would you describe the 

future of fashion? 

Fashion is an evolving field. I have 

been fortunate enough to survive three 

recessions and four amazing decades. 

Experiencing recession has taught me so 

much. 

One thing I do know that whilst we are 

currently going through an unusual 

and unprecedented global impact, this 

will bring many innovative and creative 

thinkers to the table, as well as gamechangers 

that will question the past and 

look for a brighter, optimistic future. 

I believe that with so many people's 

priorities and focuses on reshifting, 

consumers are looking for unique, 

relatable, ethical, well-made products, 

and not simply fast fashion. They want the 

story-telling—the experience—to know 

who made the products and how they 

are made. This means that there will be a 

great shift towards ethical and sustainable 

products. 

This pandemic has propelled this trend to 

the forefront; whilst in the past, getting 

companies to champion sustainability in 

fashion churned slowly. 

What advice would you give your 

20-year-old self? 

I know its cliché, but cherish every 

moment. It goes by as fast as a flash. 

Remember, even though you think you 

know everything, you actually don't. 

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Name 2 books you recommend and why 

I don't read much 'cause I literally don't have the time. The only book I 

read is the Quran, that is what I make time for. My religion is the most 

important thing to me, grounding me and directing me. 

Who inspires you with awe and why? 

My mother and father inspire me so much. They were teenagers when 

they took a decision to leave Iraq and venture into the big wide world. 

My father worked incredibly hard and was a pioneer of solar energy 

in the 1970s. We grew up understanding the importance of the 

environment and respect for nature. He was so humble, charitable, 

uncompromisable in his ethics, and he never accepted wrong—no 

matter who or what. He taught me to stand up for my beliefs and 

support others that were less fortunate, to do good and live a life of 

integrity. 

My mother was beautiful and creative. She taught me everything about 

fashion, colour, and art. She ensured that I would learn to read and 

write Arabic, even though we lived away from our home country. She 

was an empowered, strong woman, hardworking while taking care of 

her family. 

My parents were both unwell from an early age and I never quite got to 

see them in their prime state. Despite that, they remained passionate, 

beautiful, and strong—inspiring and helping others. May they rest in 

peace. 

What are your top two strategies for dealing with difficult 

situations? 

For many years, working with thousands of people and being 

responsible for many, I have learned that you must think before you 

react. You must never handle situations when you are in the heat of 

the moment. Stay calm, be open-minded and be honest. My style is 

holding brutal but positive conversations, focusing on the solution 

instead of the problem itself. 

How do you look after your mental health? 

I am also known as the Turban Thinker because of the different heads 

that they claim I have under my turban. I have a blessed ability to 

multi-task and think in many different ways. However, this is mentally 

challenging for me: controlling my thoughts and managing the speed 

of my work. 

My faith is the foundation of my mental wellbeing. I pray, read the 

Quran, and ensure that a couple of hours at the start and end of the 

day is for some alone time. 


My greatest gift is possessing the ability to see the spark of potential 

in everything and everyone, and to inspire others to see it too. This is 

a paradigm I live by. 

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TALENT POOL 

S1 

THE MIDDLE 

EAST’S VERY OWN 

KING OF POP 

Official_S1 

Official_S1 

Uncut with S1 

S1 

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Being amongst the most successful English artists to come 

out of the region and making it internationally, what was the 

biggest challenge you faced? 

The biggest challenge was to get recognised in the industry 

internationally without staying in the US. It took a lot of proving 

my skills and collaborating with many international artists, 

producers, and songwriters. I had to show that I was capable of 

creating hit records. 

You have been a Recording Academy Member for the past 5 

years and have attended several Grammy Award shows, how 

was that experience? 

A lot of people underestimate the importance of the Recording 

Academy, thinking it is just about awards. Definitely, the Grammys 

is an important show and awarding body, having a long history of 

recognising music and artists’ successes, but the Academy plays 

an even bigger role behind the scenes. They fight for the rights 

and protection of musicians, producers, and writers. 

The Recording Academy also supports Musicares Foundation, 

which provides money and services to musicians in emergencies 

and crises. I have attended many award shows, but the times I 

attended the Grammys were all great experiences on another 

level. It is an unreal experience to see all the glamour, the talent, 

the variety of artists, the people behind the scenes of the biggest 

records and legends all under one roof. I was incredibly lucky to 

have had the opportunity to see Prince take the stage one of the 

times I attended. I am always proud to attend the Grammys and 

represent the Middle East and Germany. 

How would you describe your musical style? 

I consider my style unique. It’s a combination of Pop and RnB, with 

a twist. It’s the S1 sound. You will always recognise the S1 sound 

because it is so different. I love exploring and experimenting so I 

don’t limit myself to sounding one particular way. 

What are you passionate about and why? 

My biggest passion is making music, whether it be a song for 

myself or for another artist. I love the entire process from finding 

a beat to creating a melody, writing the lyrics, and making a hit 

that will impact people in so many different ways. Once I start 

on new music, I get lost in that world and my creativity begins to 

flow. There is no greater feeling than hearing feedback from fans 

about a new song that I’ve released. They share their personal 

connection to my songs and how it either got them through a 

tough situation or that their kids memorised all the lyrics, or even 

that they danced to it at their parties! I have always been an 

entertainer and live for good vibes. After making a song in the 

studio, it is amazing to bring it to life on stage. 

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What do you do outside of 

music? 

I have a podcast called Uncut with 

S1. I have several businesses, my 

biggest being in entertainment, 

and at the moment I am working 

on a project. I can’t reveal too 

many details just yet, but it is a 

new show that I’m filming and 

it’s going to be big and super 

entertaining! 

Tell us about Young Millionaire 

Entertainment and why you 

started it 

Young Millionaire Entertainment 

has been my baby for almost 10 

years. We’ve grown so much and 

I am so proud of our team and 

what we have accomplished. I 

started the company because 

I felt like my team and I could 

bring so much more creativity 

and quality to the market. 

Coming from the entertainment 

industry, I experienced going 

on tour and performing on so 

many different platforms all over 

the world, and so I wanted to 

bring back my expertise, share 

it with people in the region, and 

perfect all the missing pieces. 

How has social media impacted 

your career? 

This is a great question because 

when I had my first big break at 

16 years old, the whole social 

media game wasn’t as relevant 

as it is today. When I would run 

into fans, they would tell me 

that they saw me on MTV, or 

that they heard my song on the 

radio, or saw my album in Virgin 

and my face in magazines and 

newspapers—whereas now it’s 

all about Instagram, YouTube, 

Tiktok, Snapchat or any other 

platform. With time, I adapted. 

To answer your question, I think 

it has made a lot of things much 

easier and quicker to get things 

out there. Back then, it was 

mandatory to get your song on 

MTV heavy rotation to get any 

kind of exposure, but now, people 

themselves can just upload on 

YouTube and it is guaranteed to 

get some kind of exposure. 

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How do you see music events evolving as a 

result of the current situation with Covid-19? 

I see a current trend going around in Europe 

and the States where drive-thru cinemas are 

being converted into drive-thru music events 

or stand-up comedy events. Obviously, such 

experiences are only temporary as they are 

nowhere near as thrilling and exciting as a 

typical event; therefore, they aren’t a threat. 

Eventually, once a vaccine will be widely 

available, things will go back to normal. 

You started your music career at an early 

age, what advice would you give to young 

aspiring artists? 

My advice would simply be to believe in 

yourself, to set a goal, to chase that goal 

until you achieve it, despite what others may 

think or say. Always remember that anything is 

possible if you put your mind to it. You should 

look at things like a muscle: the more you keep 

working on it, the stronger it gets. 

People like Walt Disney, Oprah, Elvis, Lady 

Gaga, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, and Michael 

Jordan, though from different industries, all 

have something in common—they all got 

rejected before they made it big! Keep in 

mind, rejection should fuel your motivation. 

Why Dubai as a base? 

Dubai is the greatest city in the world. The 

food here is amazing and you have the perfect 

combination of city and beach. You have all the 

moods in one place. 

For my career, Dubai is well-situated 

geographically, making travel to most countries 

convenient. The service and hospitality in the 

UAE is unmatched and I realise that every 

time I leave. A major factor is that security 

is paramount here. I was born in beautiful 

Germany and moved to Dubai when I was 

8 years old. I have since then created such 

beautiful and memorable memories with my 

family, friends, and fans. Every time I fly back 

into Dubai, I feel like I missed it so much. 

Who do you admire with awe and why? 

I admire all the strong, determined and 

hardworking women out there. Whether they 

leave the house to work or stay at home to care 

for their children, or even do both, women are to 

be praised, respected, and treasured worldwide. 

Having said that, I love my mom and appreciate 

everything she has done and is doing for me, my 

siblings, and family. 

Since you were one of the first Teen Stars in 

the Middle East and continue to stay on top 

of the game, how have you managed to stay 

so relevant? 

I think the quality of your work will always speak 

for itself. If you work hard, provide amazing 

content, and reinvent yourself from time to time, 

I would say that’s the key to staying relevant and 

interesting. Always stay true to yourself and be 

honest with your fans and followers. 

What’s next for S1? 

New music and a new show coming soon too! 

Make sure you all follow me on my social media 

to stay updated and hear it first. 


“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish 

by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole 

life believing that it is stupid.” 

–Albert Einstein 

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LIFESTYLE 

DO YOU 

KNOW YOUR 

ATTACHMENT 

STYLE? 

THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND ATTACHMENT STYLES 

AND THEIR ASSOCIATED BEHAVIOURS 

What Are Attachment Styles? 

Attachment styles are the different ways we interact and behave in 

relationships. During early childhood, the interaction between the parent 

and child defines the child’s attachment style. 

While attachment styles can shift throughout the years, research shows 

that patterns established in childhood have a strong impact on adulthood 

relationships. Nevertheless, it is also common for adults to adopt a 

combination of traits as they go through different life experiences and 

relationships. 

History 

These attachment styles are based on the attachment theory and research 

in the 1960s to 70s. John Bowlby did extensive research on the concept of 

attachment. His work was expanded by psychologist Mary Ainsworth who 

identified three attachment styles: secure, anxious, and avoidant. Later on, 

researchers Main and Solomon added a fourth style—the disorganised style. 

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THE 4 ATTACHMENT STYLES 

• Secure 

A secure attachment is developed in childhood when the child’s 

needs are regularly met. Children exhibiting a secure attachment 

style feel comfortable around their parents. They don’t feel 

separation anxiety when the parent leaves and they’re happy when 

they return. The child feels safe, nurtured, and in touch with their 

parents. They seek comfort from parents when frightened and have 

an easy time expressing emotions. 

Adults with a secure attachment style have low avoidance and 

low anxiety when dealing with social interactions. They feel 

comfortable with their emotions and relationships. They know how 

to draw boundaries, express their emotions in a healthy manner, 

and feel secure, trusting, and connected to their partners. Overall, 

individuals with a secure attachment tend to have a positive view 

of self and others and form trusting and long-lasting relationships. 

• Anxious 

An anxious attachment style is developed in childhood when the 

child receives an inconsistent amount of love and care. Children 

who are anxiously attached tend to be apprehensive of strangers. 

They display considerable distress when separated from a parent or 

caregiver and do not seem reassured or comforted by their return. 

Adults with this attachment have low avoidance but high anxiety 

with social interactions. They are very concerned with what others 

feel about them, and because of this concern, they are dependent 

on others for feelings of validation and approval. They need 

constant reassurance and communication. In relationships, they 

want to feel a secure, safe, and loving bond with their partners but 

because of their desire for excessive intimacy, oftentimes they can 

become overly involved, clingy, and possessive. They tend to have 

a lack of trust and they have a difficult time believing that their 

partners actually love them. Overall, individuals with an anxious 

attachment style tend to idealise their relationships but live in 

constant fear of abandonment and rejection. 

• Avoidant 

An avoidant attachment style is 

developed in childhood when only a 

portion of the child’s needs are met. 

For instance, the child may not be 

left hungry but are left emotionally 

dismissed. The parent may not give 

the child permission to cry or have 

little to no response when the child 

is hurting. This attachment style is 

almost the opposite of a preoccupied 

or anxious style. 

People in this category have high 

avoidance but low anxiety with social 

interactions. They are uncomfortable 

with intimacy, affection, and love. They 

generally feel that they are independent 

of everybody else and think that they 

do not need relationships. They do not 

invest much emotion in relationships 

and experience little sadness when 

a relationship ends. They can often 

appear distant as they do not share their 

feelings often. They tend to rationalise 

their emotions and deny their own 

feelings to avoid confrontation. 

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• Fearful/Disorganised 

A fearful or disorganised attachment is developed 

in childhood when the primary caregiver offers 

inconsistent emotional support and/or abuse 

or neglect. This attachment style is more of a 

combination of preoccupied and dismissive styles. 

Main and Solomon proposed that inconsistent 

behaviour on the part of parents might be a 

contributing factor. They also argued that parents 

who act as figures of both fear and reassurance 

to a child contribute to a disorganised attachment 

style. 

When the child feels both comforted and 

frightened by the parent, confusion results. 

Despite craving intimacy, people with disorganised 

attachment style have a difficult time connecting 

with others while simultaneously wanting to 

remain independent and distant. These individuals 

usually get into very dysfunctional and unstable 

relationships. They have high avoidance along with 

high anxiety in social interactions. They generally 

see themselves as flawed and not worthy of loving 

and caring relationships. Overall, these individuals 

tend to have a “push-pull’’ dynamic where they 

want to feel close and loved but since they expect 

to get hurt, they want to avoid any feelings of 

intimacy at the same time. 

By understanding our attachment styles, we can 

shed more awareness on our thoughts and actions 

in our relationships. Furthermore, by understanding 

our partner’s attachment style, we can better 

understand why they too act or think a certain 

way. Enhanced understanding and awareness can 

help partners have more compassion and better 

communicate with one another as they navigate 

through the ups and downs that come their way. 

TANNAZ 

HOSSEINPOUR 

About the author 

Tannaz Hosseinpour, founder of Minutes on Growth Coaching, is a Dubaibased 

certified life coach specialising in mindset and relationships. She 

helps millennials manifest and cultivate empowered lives through oneon-one 

coaching, online programs, podcast episodes and social media 

content. She is the host of her self-improvement podcast, Minutes on 

Growth, available on Spotify, Apple and Google Podcast. She holds a 

Masters of Law degree in alternative dispute resolution, specialising 

in family mediation. Since 2017, she is also the CEO and founder of 

TP Education Consultants, an educational consultancy firm based in 

Toronto, Tehran and Dubai. 

Website: www.minutesongrowth.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/minutesongrowth 

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NEURO LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING: 

THE SMART WAY TO DEAL WITH 

ANXIETY AND STRESS 

Nowadays, adapting to the new circumstances of life 

compels your brain to think and behave similarly to a 

first day at school scenario where you don’t know what 

to expect. You enter a new world with different sets of 

rules and guidelines that provoke naturally high levels 

of stress. 

I fell in love with Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), 

a psychological methodology, when I was heartbroken 

and couldn’t deal with the emotional toll for over a year. 

I felt so emotional yet so angry for the fact that I have 

been left alone after years of promises for a lifetime 

commitment. Anxiety took over my health, and day after 

day, I got worse. 

I remember my NLP teacher inviting me to do a technique 

on a broken heart cure that I jumped into passionately 

as I was sick of being depressed. The technique we did 

on emotional freedom tapping enabled me to create 

a healthier and better-looking image of myself. It took 

me exactly 24 hours to throw away all the stuff I kept 

devotedly for over a year. I have reframed my statement 

from being left and lonely to living free and independent, 

and actually starting to enjoy it. 

It seemed a logically reasonable solution to stop the 

vicious and purposeless cycle of making the same 

mistakes in life over and over again and not being able 

to interpret the pattern. I guess the NLP course found 

me and offered itself to me as an instant gratification of 

my desire to get out of my painful body. 

NLP teaches us how to programme our linguistics aiming 

to change our neuronal network and communication. As 

my NLP teacher said: “Think of your mind as a flexible 

tool and not a fixed one; instead of a mindset, think of it 

as a mindflex.” Start looking at unconventional and outof-the-box 

ideas that are feasible now and implement 

them at the earliest rather than going through regrets 

over the lost reality. What she uses as an example is a 

jelly that adapts to the shape of the mould. Similarly, 

through powerful NLP techniques, you can shape your 

mind into a form to suit your desired outcomes. 

The basic internal protective mechanism of our brain is 

called the ‘fight-flight-freeze’: the response to threat, 

anxiety and fear. Dissect fear to understand that it is not 

real and accept stress as a good stimulus in your life 

to promote growth, resilience, and strength of mind. 

Since you love your life, choose and work towards a 

flexible mind and learn new ways to move ahead on 

your journey. 

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Three Powerful Techniques to Deal with 

Anxiety and Stress 

Circle of Excellence 

This is an easy yet very powerful NLP 

technique that can help in times of inability to 

move ahead in life or when you’re missing a 

sense of direction. 

Think of the time when you felt best as an 

individual or a leader, or when you felt great 

at anything you do. Analyse the circumstances 

where and when you felt it, the colours 

associated with the scenario, the intensity of the 

achievement, the words that you remember, 

or even the taste or smell connected to that 

experience. Get all of your senses involved in 

that memory. All the collective experiences of 

these memories are what we are going to call 

your ‘excellent state’. 

Set up a ‘circle’ on the floor, one big 

enough where you can stand. Associate the 

experiences of excellence with standing on 

this circle: this is what you’re going to call 

your ‘circle of excellence’. Focus and let your 

senses flood your mind to effectively anchor 

the ‘excellent state’ to your circle. 

Imagine stepping inside your circle of 

excellence. Go back and forth and make 

observations. Evaluate all the feelings and 

senses you had. The ‘excellent state’ should 

return whenever you go step into the circle. 

You can decide to put that ‘circle of excellence’ 

in the chair where you study, work, or in the 

bed where you sleep. You will have a more 

productive or more tranquil state of mind. 

The Spinning Feeling 

This technique allows you to locate and 

reshape a bodily feeling of stress and anxiety 

and give it a different positive sensation. This 

method works by lending a sense of direction 

and speed to negative feelings, such as 

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mentally ‘reversing’ the direction and spin of these 

feelings in the mind will also change or divert the 

negative feeling into positive ones. 

Think of a situation that caused you anxiety. Think 

about the feeling: what triggers it and what result it 

yields. Close your eyes and immerse yourself in that 

situation. Observe your own bodily responses: do 

your eyes go up and then down, or both ways? Where 

does the feeling originate—right, left, or centre of 

the body? Does your body clench or vibrate? 

Follow the path of the feeling in your mind and 

notice its size: does it start small and grow big? Is 

it within the body or beyond the body? Track the 

path of the feeling as it enters and exits through the 

same points, making a ‘disk’ as it ‘spins’. Note the 

direction: is it clockwise or counterclockwise? You 

may even see that this ‘disk’ has a colour. 

To reshape the negative feeling into a positive one, 

the trick happens in the mind: this time, reverse the 

direction of the spin and change the colour of the 

‘disk’ to a pleasant one, add some sparkles to it, and 

make it fun and amusing! 

Put yourself back in another situation where you 

most likely have the old response and see if you 

can get the old response again using the ‘spinning 

feeling’. You can try this method whenever you’re 

experiencing a stressful and anxiety-laden situation. 

Time Line Therapy® 

The Time Line Therapy® is anchored on the concept 

that memories are stored in a linear or chronistic 

manner in our brains. With this therapy, you will 

reframe your perspectives about an upcoming 

challenge and prepare yourself to perform at your 

best. An individual’s ‘timeline’ is the result of the 

unconscious process of storing his or her memories, 

as well as how he or she unconsciously distinguishes 

the difference between a past memory and a future 

projection. 

To apply this technique, imagine a timeline of your 

past, present and future. You should be able to point 

your past, present and future to any direction from 

your body. Visualise your timeline clearly. 

Think about an event that is causing you stress. 

Close your eyes and visualise that future situation 

playing out. Where do you feel that nervousness in 

your body? Rate the strength of the feeling from one 

to ten. Open your eyes and take a deep breath. 

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Take a moment to close your eyes and ask yourself for the 

opportunities of this future event that can benefit you. If 

things went better than you can ever imagine, what are 

the benefits of taking on this challenge and what could 

make you excited about this opportunity? See what you 

like to see, hear what you like to hear, and feel it. 

With your eyes closed, go back on your timeline. You 

are in the present moment of your timeline, facing the 

future. Imagine floating above the timeline until you are 

on a comfortable height looking from above. Gently turn 

into the direction of your future as far as you need to go. 

Float all the way in the future and go even further until 

you are an hour past the successful completion of that 

event. The event is completely over, and you made it 

through; you realise that everything turned out even 

better than you imagined. Gently turn and look back 

towards the now, from a safe place in your future back 

to your present moment. Notice that the anxiety you had 

before is completely gone. 

At the moment, you will come back to the present to 

prepare yourself for the success of that event. Your 

subconscious mind made all the adjustments you need 

for this event to happen with all its success. Take another 

deep breath in and all the way down to your belly and 

wake up. Try to think about that event again. You might 

even realise that the anxious feeling has become more 

elusive. 

NLP to combat stress and anxiety 

Many recent studies suggest that NLP has potential 

as a therapeutic tool in the treatment of symptoms of 

anxiety and depression associated with post-traumatic 

stress disorder (PTSD). Studies also show that individuals 

who work with NLP experts experience a dramatic 

improvement in their emotional states. 

Much of our modern anxiety is based on the fear that 

we are not in control of our own minds. NLP takes a 

different approach to treating anxiety as it taps the 

power of the subconscious mind to make big changes 

within our consciousness. NLP also utilises the power 

of language to bridge our conscious and subconscious 

mind, using techniques that may help us feel better, be 

more resourceful, and be more empowered to live a life 

we appreciate and desire. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

VYARA TOSHEVA 

Wellness, Spa and Retreats 

Business Consultant 

In over 19 years, Vyara Tosheva has gained professional 

experience in hospitality, leisure and wellbeing. Vyara 

graduated in Tourism Management and holds a Master’s 

Degree in Psychology and Sociology. She also holds a 

Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism, as well as internationallyaccredited 

certification courses in Hospitality and Spa 

Management. She travels the world to enhance her 

expertise through further certifications in Ayurveda, 

Wellness and Fitness Consultancy, Coaching and 

Psychology. 

She is a certified NLP and EFT master coach and Reiki 

practitioner. She also led the opening of The Retreat 

Palm Dubai, the first wellness retreat resort in the UAE 

and GCC, as well as the Rayya Wellness and Poli-clinic 

Centre. She created and managed the first holistic 

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retreats in a hotel environment where in-house and 

visiting master practitioners, energy workers and doctors 

combine their knowledge with fitness, spa and beauty 

professionals to deliver transformational retreats. 

As a consultant, she advises and consults hospitality and 

spa executives on the creation of wellness projects and 

their execution. 

Vyara’s mission is to empower busy executives to create or 

enhance their business models geared toward a wellness 

lifestyle on both professional and personal levels. Her 

vision, on the other hand, is to create worldwide wellness 

and health retreat centres that provide premium services 

for its employees, guests and visitors.

WHY YOU SHOULD 

PRACTISE 

SELF-CARE 

AS A LEADER 

Effective leaders are those who understand the importance of their 

wellbeing and find ways to live a healthy, balanced life. It is important 

to point out that work-life balance does not exist as we imagine it. This 

I know as a senior leader: in most cases, it is impossible to balance work 

and life perfectly. The reality is that there will be days when you need 

to focus solely on work while personal time with family and loved ones 

take a backseat. Then, there are days when you must focus on family, 

and your work is likely to be on the sidelines. It is about prioritising 

each day, week, and month, and recognising when it is time to give for 

work and when it is time to give for family life and personal activities. 

So, let us call it prioritisation instead. Having the right partner by your 

side also makes a huge difference for many leaders, as leaders need 

support and understanding when they need to take time away from 

family commitments. 

Stress is one of the common symptoms of not practising self-care. When 

stress sweeps in, one is bound to fall sick. Being sick will not help you nor 

97

your team. If you are to get one takeaway from this 

article, I hope it is the following statement: Ignoring 

self-care will send a message across your team that 

everything else is important other than you, and 

they will be influenced to follow your example. 

Imagine the kind of loss an organisation can face 

when a leader’s productivity decreases, which is 

followed by a decrease in the productivity of his 

or her team members. In addition, this situation 

creates a company culture where it is a norm to 

work long hours, take little leave time, work on 

weekends, not take time for self-care, poor health 

habits, or whatever other trends that a leader may 

be setting for the organisation. Surely, there are 

times or ‘seasons’ in every business where the team 

members have to work late hours, but that should 

not be the norm. 

A leader’s job is to lead by example, by creating 

a productive and positive environment, as well as 

practise and promote self-care and wellbeing around 

them. The success of a team starts with a leader. A 

leader’s path to success starts with self-care. When 

you, as a leader, take care of your own self, you will 

have the energy and right frame of mind to support 

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and help others. As a leader, you are the role 

model for others. When you take care of yourself, 

others will do the same. By taking care of yourself, 

you are letting the world know that personal 

health is more important than continuous work 

and must be followed by everyone. As a result, 

positivity and overall performance are bound 

to increase. A leader who prioritises self-care 

and personal downtime can be noticed to have 

enhanced wellbeing and performance in multiple 

areas of professional and personal life. 

Leadership truly requires continuous effort and 

long working hours, but relaxation and rest are 

equally important. Leaders need to understand 

that every minute is crucial, but working every 

minute of each day can take a toll on your body, 

ultimately affecting your productivity. You must 

make time for yourself and not feel guilty about 

it. A few ways leaders can include self-care in 

their daily lives are the following: practising 

meditation, exercising, getting quality sleep, 

planning a fun activity together with family, taking 

family vacations, implementing healthy eating 

habits, spending time with loved ones, creating 

a peaceful home atmosphere, maintaining a 

gratitude journal and surrounding yourself with a 

positive environment at work and at home. 

As long as your body and mind are healthy, the 

rest of the things can be sorted equally in work 

and in life. Make time to take care of yourself 

so that you can be a better you, a better family 

member, and a better leader. 


ELENA AGARAGIMOVA 

Managing Partner at Bessern and Talent Development Specialist 

Elena is an entrepreneur, talent development specialist, and education advocate 

with a deep interest in neuro and behavioural sciences. She is known for her 

ability to drive change within individuals and organisations that are looking to 

reach their potential and maintain their competitive edge in the business world. 

She has started her career in higher education, having worked across various 

institutions, departments and regions. In her recent years, she dove into business 

and joined Bessern, as well as founded a learning and developing consultancy, 

as well as several other projects within the talent development arena. 

She is an engaging skilled trainer and talent development specialist, credited 

with combining operations, education, and international expertise to design 

and deliver programs for diverse audiences. Elena has a strong passion for 

L&D, promoting creative and engaging workplaces and all about optimising 

performance through the development of others. As a career coach, Elena has 

over ten years of experience working individuals across different generations, 

supporting them in achieving their professional and personal goals. 

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VYBE WOMAN 

T A P P I N G I N T O Y O U R 

Serenity & Strength 

5 Powerful Neurolinguistic 

Programming Techniques, 

Emotional Freedom and 

Emotional Intelligence 

Techniques to calm busy 

minds, instill relaxation 

and strengthen the 

confidence and ability to 

move towards desired life 

goals. 

Includes: 

Circle of Excellence and 

Power 

The Chocolate Journey 

of Pleasure 

Building Self 

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101

FOOD 

5 MASON JAR 

RECIPE IDEAS 

Summer is finally here! Aside from the sultry summer mornings, another thing to look 

forward to is the variety of food and drink that you can prepare and enjoy with your 

loved ones. Jumping on the recent trends, mason jar recipes are perfect for trying 

this summer. Not only are they chic and beautiful to look at, but these recipes are 

also quite convenient and easy to make. Here are five amazing and delicious mason 

jar recipes that you can easily try at home! 

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1. Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast Parfait 

What better way to start your morning than having a mouthwatering breakfast 

parfait? This easy-to-make, gluten-free breakfast provides more than enough 

fuel to start your day. To make this delightful treat, follow the steps below: 

• For the ingredients, you’ll be needing the following: 

• 170 grams of creamy Greek yoghurt 

• 1 teaspoon of chia seeds 

• ⅓ cup of oats 

• 2 tablespoons of milk 

• Preferred mixture of fruits and berries 

• Using a bowl, mix Greek yoghurt with oats, chia seeds and milk, and then stir it 

together. 

• Place your yoghurt mixture in the mason jar. 

• Add a half cup of your chosen fruit-and-berries mix. It’s recommended that you 

use frozen fruits and berries since they produce berry sauce that spreads in your 

parfait. 

• Place the remaining yoghurt mixture and stack it with the remaining berries and 

fruits, then chill it overnight. In the next morning after waking up, you can enjoy 

a yummy and healthy breakfast-on-the-go. 

2. Oriental Chicken Pak Choi Mason Jar Salad 

For lunch or dinner, this oriental chicken pak choi salad recipe will make a big hit on 

the dining table. It is easy to make and is the perfect way to use leftover vegetables 

and stir-fried or grilled chicken. 

• Ingredients: 

• 170 - 220 grams sliced chicken breast 

• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil 

• 1 tablespoon of tamari soy sauce 

• 1 - 2 tablespoon of sesame seed 

• 1 tablespoon of slivered almonds 

• 1 teaspoon of honey 

• 1 teaspoon of chilli pepper flakes 

• 1 - 2 cups of chopped cabbage 

• 1 cup of shredded carrots 

• 1 small baby pak choi bunch 

• 1 small oriental or portabella mushroom 

• Sea salt and black pepper to taste 

• In a skillet, grill your chicken slices and season it with sesame oil, tamari, chilli 

flakes, honey and sesame seed. Set this aside in a bowl once cooked. 

• Mix the remaining sesame oil and tamari with mushrooms and then toss it to 

cook. If there’s any excess oil or tamari, set it aside in a bowl. 

• After cleaning and slicing the pak choi in half, lightly steam in a microwave for it 

to soften. Do this for about 30 seconds to a minute. 

• Next, you’ll have to layer the ingredients in the jar. Start by placing the cabbage, 

then mushrooms and some chicken. Wrap the sliced pak choi around the jar and 

then add your carrots. If you want, you can pour the leftover oil and/or tamari 

you used earlier. 

• To top it off, sprinkle the almonds and the sesame seeds. You can then seal and 

store it for later. 

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3. Vegan Red Curry Cup o’ Noodles 

A healthy alternative to a college favourite, 

this DIY ramen-in-a-jar packs a lot of flavour 

and is perfect for lunch. 


• 2 teaspoons of red curry paste 

• 1 teaspoon of brown sugar 

• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce 

• 1 teaspoon of chilli-garlic sauce 

• ½ teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste 

• 1 cup of cooked ramen (or any noodle of your choice) 

• ½ cup of sliced spinach leaves 

• ½ cup of mixed frozen vegetables 

• ⅓ cup of coconut milk 

• 2 tablespoons of chopped scallions 

• Lime wedge and sesame seeds to taste 

• Optional: ⅓ cup of baked tofu for more flavour. 

• In a bowl, mix and whisk both the curry and bouillon paste as well 

as the chilli-garlic sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and coconut 

milk. Then, pour this mixture into your jar. 

• Next, you’ll have to layer your noodles, vegetables, tofu and 

spinach. Make sure to leave spaces for the water. 

• Place the scallions and lime wedge in a tiny plastic bag and 

squeeze out the air. Place the plastic into the jar and seal it. 

• When ready to serve, remove the plastic bag and add boiling 

water. Seal the jar once again and let it sit for about 2 minutes. 

• After that, add in the lime and scallions. 

4. PB & J Mug Cake 

Of course, summer is not summer without 

desserts. This quick and easy recipe will surely 

satisfy your sweet tooth. 


• 130 grams of plain all-purpose flour 

• 110 grams of light brown muscovado sugar 

• 90 grams of unsalted butter 

• 60 grams of peanut butter 

• 3 small eggs 

• 90 ml of milk 

• 6 tablespoons of the jelly of your choice 

• 1 tablespoon of baking powder 

• ¼ teaspoon of salt 

• ¾ teaspoon of vanilla extract. 

• To start, melt your butter in the microwave. Once melted, slowly add the 

peanut butter until it forms into a smooth mixture. 

• Then, add in the jam as well as baking powder, flour, milk, sugar, salt, 

vanilla extract and eggs into the mixture. Mix well. 

• Next, pour this mixture into the mason jars. This recipe can make 3 

servings. Add ½ tablespoon of jam on each jar. 

• After this, microwave the jar until the cake rises over their rims. Let it sink 

for a moment before quickly microwaving it again. Repeat this process 

until the cake is thoroughly baked. 

• Once out of the microwave, let the mugs cool for a few minutes. When 

you are serving the mug cake, make sure to have 1 tablespoon of 

chopped skinless peanuts (preferably unsalted) and 1 teaspoon of sifted 

confectioners’ or icing sugar to sprinkle on top. 

104

5. Summer Tiramisu 

Another dessert that you can enjoy, this sweet 

tiramisu will leave you wanting more. Summer 

ain’t summer without tasting this classic dessert. 

This recipe makes 4 servings you can enjoy with 

your family and friends. 


• 12 pieces of dried ladyfinger cookies 

• 1 cup of cold heavy cream 

• 1 cup of mascarpone cheese 

• 1 cup of cold, strong coffee 

• 1/3 cup of powdered sugar 

• 6 teaspoons of Kahlua (optional) 

• 1-2 ounces of dark chocolate. 

• To start, mix your cream and sugar and whip 

this combination until you see soft peaks. 

Add in the mascarpone cheese (make sure 

that it’s soft and has room temperature) 

and gently fold it in the mixture until these 

ingredients combine. 

• In another bowl, mix the cold coffee and 

Kahlua. 

• Grabbing your ladyfingers, cut the biscuit 

into 2.5 cm pieces then dip it in the coffee- 

Kahlua mixture Then, place all of the pieces 

into each of the mason jars. 

• Add in a spoonful of the cream-mascarpone 

mixture into each biscuit layer. Layer it 

once again with another round of biscuits, 

followed by another layer of cream. Repeat 

until you’re satisfied. For the final touch, 

add in a generous amount of shaved 

chocolate. 

• It’s best to refrigerate the tiramisu for a few 

hours to allow the ingredients to mix and 

settle fully. 

Which among these mason jar recipes would you 

try first? Undoubtedly, summer is one of the most 

exciting seasons to try and enjoy different treats! 

105

FITNESS 

Being home for longer periods 

of time can make you feel 

lethargic and bored. Exercise 

makes your body work, and 

it activates all your senses. It 

also releases dopamine and 

adrenaline, both of which 

elevate your moods and add to 

your physical strength. 

ABSOLUTE 

HOME FITNESS 

ESSENTIALS 

You don’t always need fancy 

and high-tech gym equipment 

to be on top of your fitness 

game. Few people realise that 

a fit and strong body can be 

created and maintained with 

just a few essentials. We have 

crafted for you a list of essential 

home exercise equipment that 

you need. They are easy to find, 

store, and won’t take much 

space in your home! 

1. Resistance Bands 

If you only ever purchase one piece of 

exercise gear in your life, let it be a pack of 

resistance bands. They practically take up 

no space and are literally weightless. When 

you push against a resistance band, your 

muscles must engage in fighting the tension. 

You have to press your legs against the band 

even when you are standing just for doing a 

simple squat. This means that your muscles 

are almost constantly at work when a 

resistance band is involved in your workout. 

They are highly versatile and you can use 

them for an upper body or a lower body 

workout without ever touching a dumbbell. 

106

2. Medicine Ball 

Medicine balls are an extremely efficient and fun 

tool for building your core strength. It is simply a 

ball with added weight ranging from 1 to 10 kgs. 

Not only is a medicine ball perfect for powering 

up your lower limbs, they’re also great for your 

abdominals. Medicine balls are used for a variety 

of movements ranging from squats to lunges with 

chest twists and can improve your response time 

and response intensity. Make sure you choose 

the right weight when picking a medicine ball. 

3. Skipping Rope 

The skipping rope is an evergreen piece of fitness 

equipment that is recommended by fitness 

gurus for conditioning and high-intensity interval 

training (HIIT). They are extremely affordable, 

and you need only a small space for jumping 

rope. It is a great way to get your heart pumping 

and ready for a hard-core workout! 

4. Exercise Mat 

Add an exercise mat to your home workout 

routine and feel the difference. A mat will give 

you a comfortable personal space to do your 

exercises. A mat stays put and allows you to do 

push-ups, planks, sit-ups, without the risk of your 

hands or feet slipping away during a session. 

When you pick an exercise mat, make sure to 

check the material, so it is leak-free and easy 

to wipe down. Look for a length that is at least 

15 cm longer than your height. Usually, exercise 

mats are about 1.2 cm in thickness, which helps 

shield your body from the hard floor. 

5. Kettlebell 

These heavy-duty tools are perfect for functional 

exercises that combine cardio and strength 

exercises. Kettlebells are more preferred than 

barbells or dumbbells as they are off-centred 

in weight. Exercises done with kettlebells fix 

misalignments, asymmetries and weaknesses 

in the body. Kettlebells help build endurance. 

Some well-known exercises you can do with 

a kettlebell are the sumo squat, the kettlebell 

swing, the single-arm kettlebell row and the 

kettlebell windmill. 

107

6. Foam Roller 

Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release technique. 

These amazing rollers made of foam help you cool 

down after a heavy-duty workout, relax the tension 

in your muscles and improve flexibility. A foam 

roller is lightweight and is a great addition to your 

home workouts. You can literally store it along with 

your rolled-up exercise mat in the corner of your 

room. Foam rollers are known for the treatment of 

fibromyalgia symptoms and also assist in reducing 

inflammation. 

7. Pull-up Bar 

Pull-up bars are the most effective exercise for toning 

your upper body. It is quite possibly also the hardest 

bodyweight exercise that you can do. It is easy to 

install bars that leverage on the doorframe. From 

there, you can do several exercises like the simple 

body pull up, a chin-up, a mixed grip pull up which 

uses an upper hand grip, and an underhand grip, 

among others. It tremendously strengthens your back 

muscles, your core power and helps target muscles 

from a different angle. 

8. Step Platform 

Step platforms are simply stepping stools that allow you 

to get all the benefits of a high-intensity cardio workout 

with less stress on your joints. It is ideal for burning those 

calories and reducing fat. Step aerobics performed on 

a step platform can also boost your mood and energy 

levels. People struggling with osteoporosis can enjoy step 

aerobics and find that it improves bone strength. There are 

several variations of exercises that you can try on the step 

platform like a simple right, a simple left, an A-step, a turnstep 

move and an across the top move. A step platform 

is easily available, budget-friendly and can be stored in 

limited spaces, like under your bed! 

9. Dumbbells 

Definitely one of the most commonly found exercise 

equipment, dumbbells are certainly a home fitness 

essential. Most of us grew up watching our older 

brothers flex those triceps with an heirloom dumbbell 

that belonged to our dads. Dumbbell exercises create 

both intra- and inter-muscular coordination that leads 

to greater levels of muscle activation. Whether you 

own one or a pair, dumbbells can be used to focus 

singularly at one set of muscles at a time. Reverse 

lunges and rotational presses are the most widely 

performed workout moves with dumbbells. 

No matter what your home workout routine is, or how much equipment you have with you, long term results only come with consistency 

and dedication. Watch your posture while you exercise and remember to have fun! 

108

TRAVEL 

8 MUST-VISIT 

UAE CULTURAL SITES 

Well-known for its modern skyscrapers, luxury hotels, and fabulous 

beaches, UAE boasts a variety of must-visit cultural sites firmly rooted 

in Arab-Islamic traditions. While blending international influences 

and a strong dedication to local heritage, UAE’s cultural sites provide 

visitors with an interesting look into the past, present, and future of 

this magnificent country. 

109

Heritage Village, Abu Dhabi 

Heritage Village, which was built in 1997, takes you back 

in time to relive Abu Dhabi’s history. Visitors are given a 

historical view of old traditions and customs, complete 

with photos and displays. During your visit to Heritage 

Village, you will have the opportunity to experience the 

traditional desert way of life with the simulation of an 

old souk, a mosque, and a pre-modernised Abu Dhabi. 

Featuring public workshops where craftsmen show 

traditional skills such as metalwork, pottery, weaving, and 

spinning, Heritage Village provides an interesting glimpse 

into the Emirate’s past. The craftsmen at Heritage Village 

often interact with visitors, sharing their vast knowledge 

of the history of traditional Arab craftsmanship. The spice 

shop within the village offers a range of dried herbs, 

handmade soaps, and plenty of souvenirs to collect. 

Qasr Al Muwaiji 

Home to generations of the Al Nahyan family and the 

birthplace of Sheikh Khalifa in 1948, Qasr Al Muwaiji 

is one of the most prestigious historical places in the 

country. It is preserved by the Abu Dhabi Tourism 

and Culture Authority and built in the early years of 

the 20th. Qasr Al Muwaiji, also a UNESCO World 

Heritage Site, gives a picture of the lifestyle of the 

ruling family before the country became what it is 

today. The magnificent site functioned as both the 

home to an oasis in the desert, as well as a place 

of authority and focus for the community. Providing 

visitors with a variety of historical and traditional 

experiences, this architectural treasure includes oral 

narrations of important moments in Sheikh Khalifa’s 

life, from his early childhood to his leadership and 

achievements. The museum located inside the 

property provides the public with the chronology of 

the members of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family connected 

to Qasr Al Muwaiji and the Al Nahyan Family. 

110

Sharjah Art Museum 

Sharjah Art Museum offers art lovers a unique 

opportunity to admire the variety of collections 

and temporary installations in one of the largest art 

exhibitions in the Gulf region. Visitors can explore 

fascinating masterpieces of local painters and wellknown 

Arab artists who have contributed to the vast 

history of the Arab art world. Showcasing artistic 

creations and collections of more than 500 artworks 

of various mediums and techniques, this three-level 

museum holds a variety of temporary exhibitions and 

art events throughout the year. The Art Library consists 

of over 4,000 titles in Arabic, English, and other 

languages, along with visual and audio materials. 

Umm Al Quwain Museum 

Built inside a fort that was once home to the 

Emirate’s ruling family, UAQ Museum is home to 

artefacts unearthed at Ed Duris. Known as one of 

the largest archaeological sites in the UAE, Ed Duris 

is slated among the most important lost cities of 

Arabia. At Umm Al Quwain Museum, you will also 

find exhibits showcasing the history of the war in 

the region and several artefacts from the excavated 

site Al Dur, a coastal city from 200 BCE to the third 

century CE. The museum is still one of the bestmaintained 

structures located in the old souk area 

of the Emirate known as Madeena Al Qadeema. 

With buildings over 150 years old, the area has the 

traditional look and feel of the city. 

111

Al Qattara Arts Centre 

Al Qattara Arts Centre has been developed around the 

earlier Bayt Bin Ati Al-Darmaki and was opened in 2011. 

A traditional mud-brick tower and house located on a 

mound overlooking the date-palm gardens of Qattara 

Oasis, the Centre offers a variety of cultural and artistic 

programmes on local artistic traditions and practices. Al 

Qattara Arts Centre also offers a dry studio for a variety 

of activities such as music classes and art crafting, and 

a wet studio available for drawing and painting classes. 

The Centre contains a fully equipped pottery studio, a 

digital room for photography and computer classes, a 

spacious calligraphy studio, an exhibition hall, and a café. 

Additionally, it includes a gallery, library, and a visitor’s 

reception area. 

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque 

The iconic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is known as 

one of the world’s largest, most gorgeous mosques. 

Conceived from the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed 

bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s first president and 

the ruler of Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Grand 

Mosque was created to celebrate cultural diversity 

while merging architectural styles from different 

Muslim civilisations. The mosque’s architects are 

British, Italian, and Emirati, and design inspirations 

were borrowed from other Islamic countries 

like Turkey, Morocco, Pakistan, and Egypt. This 

magnificent architectural monument with a capacity 

of 40,000 worshippers has an open-door policy that 

invites tourists and worshippers from all around the 

world to witness the spectacular onion-top domes, 

the reflective pools throughout the courtyard and 

the renowned prayer hall, that not only overflows 

with blissful sunlight but also houses the world’s 

biggest handmade chandelier and carpet. 

112

Qasr Al Watan Presidential Palace 

The newest cultural landmark in Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al 

Watan opened its doors to the public as an invitation 

to discover the exquisitely crafted tribute to the 

Arabian heritage and artistry through architecture 

and design. Visitors will see examples of Arabian 

craftsmanship and art as well as create traditional 

calligraphy on interactive screens and explore 

centuries of knowledge in books focusing on the 

UAE in the Qasr Al Watan library. In addition, Qasr 

Al Watan invites visitors to learn about the cultural 

traditions and values as well as explore a historical 

legacy of knowledge and understanding of the UAE. 

Those visiting at night will enjoy the light and sound 

show told in three acts covering the past, present, 

and future vision of the country. 

Louvre Abu Dhabi 

Louvre Abu Dhabi is an art lovers dream! The first 

museum of its kind in the Arab World, Louvre Abu 

Dhabi displays works of historical, cultural, and 

sociological importance from ancient times to the 

contemporary era. Comprising 9,200 sq m of galleries 

including the Permanent Gallery and the Temporary 

Gallery, the Louvre Abu Dhabi was designed by 

Pritzker-prize winning architect Jean Nouvel. Nouvel 

designed a falaj-inspired water system running through 

the museum, inspired by ancient Arabian engineering, 

while the dome borrows inspiration from the palm 

leaves traditionally used as roofing material in many 

parts of the country—thus recreating parts of UAE’s 

integral cultural elements. 


MONIQUE L. SPEARMAN is a freelance multi-faceted writer, 

curator and creator. Blending a passion for content creating, 

social media marketing, photography and travel, Monique 

created her blog website RaineyAmore.com in the spring 

of 2017 as a hobby. Raineyamore.com is a lifestyle, fashion, 

beauty and travel brand that encourages men and women 

from around the world to live their best lives, out-loud. 

Inspired by the aesthetics of different cultures, Monique 

wants to show the world, "Everything has beauty, but not 

everyone sees it!" 

113

FOR THE CULTURE 

THE NUMBER ONE REASON 

MOST STARTUPS FAIL 

You may be new to business or have the greatest business idea that you 

are about to launch. Before you launch your business or even continue, 

take some time to read this article. It may save you a lot of time, money 

and heartache. In this article, I will outline some of the major reasons 

why many startups fail and what you can do to mitigate them. 

In a recent article by Denise Lee Yohn, an admired brand leadership 

expert, she outlined what she believes are the top reasons startups fail. 

She noted that many people get caught up with the well-publicised 

success stories of startups, especially tech startups. They will usually 

raise huge amounts of money and believe that they can become socalled 

‘unicorns’. There is nothing wrong with being optimistic when 

going into business, but the reality is that in the long run, about 97% of 

new businesses fail within the first five years. 

114

GOING INTO BUSINESS FOR THE WRONG 

REASONS 

Why do you really want to start or run a business? Taking 

time to ask and answer this question could be the difference 

between success and failure. Business is hard, and many of 

us do not have the temperament to handle the highs and 

lows. We hardly hear of the struggles involved in starting 

and running a successful business. When the rose-coloured 

glasses are yanked from our faces, and we see the reality, 

many of us run for the hills. To be able to avoid this pitfall, 

take time to carefully examine your motives and resolve 

before going into business. Speak with other business 

owners. Get a mentor, if you can; this does not have to be 

a physical mentor, but it can be someone you admire in 

business whose story you can follow closely online. Learn 

from their mistakes and seek guidance. 

LACK OF FUNDING 

Not having enough capital will derail any good business 

or business idea. Although I am not a massive fan of going 

after venture capital funding immediately, you have to 

ensure that you have some capital to see you through the 

initial startup phase. Getting investments from family and 

close friends might be the best option to start with if you 

do not have savings of your own. Now here is the clincher: 

don’t take other people’s money if you are not willing to 

invest your own. To help make the most of your funds, start 

small and test often. The advice given in The Lean Startup 

by Eric Ries, one of my favourite books, is to test, test, and 

test. Do not add features or services without knowing if 

they will add value or revenue. Ensure that the money you 

are spending will yield the best results for your business. 

This will help you to conserve on your spending. 

NOT MEETING CUSTOMER’S NEEDS 

The customers you start with, or the ones you have, will 

change over time. They mature and their needs change 

so your company must keep up with them. Not staying 

abreast with your customer’s needs will cause you to go out 

of business faster. To mitigate this common mistake, make 

sure you communicate constantly with your customers, not 

just to tell them what you are offering, but to genuinely find 

out what they want from your business or company. The big 

mistake many companies make is not listening to what their 

customers are telling them. Sometimes, your customers will 

not verbalise what they want, but they will leave clues by 

showing you where they have moved to and what they are 

now doing or buying. If you see that your customers are 

moving to another business or service for something that 

you do not offer, pay attention. This might be a sign for you 

to add or subtract from what you are currently doing. 

THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY STARTUPS 

FAIL 

According to Denise Lee Yohn, the number one reason why 

most startups fail is there is no market need. Yes, you read 

that right. We often have great ideas, enough money, did 

lots of market research, hired the best team and did the 

work but our businesses fail because not enough people 

are willing to pay for what we are offering. She said that 

startups fail when they are not solving a market problem. 

You may be wondering how this could happen if you have 

done good market research. Many people will give you 

buying intentions or show buying indications, but when it 

is time for them to part with their cash, they are no longer 

interested. The best way to test a product is to launch it 

and see if you get enough buyers on a consistent basis to 

support or even grow the business. 

Create shortages on purpose. Do people ring and ask when 

it will be available? Can you generate serious enquiries or 

even a waiting list? Can you get advanced orders? These 

are sure-fire ways of knowing whether or not you are on to 

success. Examine where your product or service lies in the 

order of needs. Is it considered a need or a want? Companies 

or services that fall into the ‘wants’ category may struggle 

when people are forced to make tough choices on how 

they spend their money. This is true, especially nowadays. If 

you have just started or about to start on the road to being 

a business owner, ask yourself which of these categories 

does your product or service fall in. 

Although many startups fail, many succeed, and you can be 

one of the success stories if you just take the time to do the 

necessary work. Good luck! 


LEISA GRACE WILSON is an educator, entrepreneur and 

blogger. She currently lives in Abu Dhabi with her seven-yearold 

twin boys and husband. Leisa is passionate about personal 

development, entrepreneurship, finances and the world of 

education. You can connect with Leisa by visiting her blog www. 

leisagrace.com or connect with her on Linkedin https://www. 

linkedin.com/in/leisagrace/ 

115

THE REINVENTED CHRONICLES 

BY YVONNE MTENGWA: 

8 HACKS TO 

INVOKING COURAGE 

IN DIFFICULT TIMES 

116 

You’ve seen the headlines. You’ve been tuned in to 

news report after news report and opened just about 

every video that appears on your feed. Perhaps 

things haven’t been all that bad for you as much as 

they have been for others over the past few weeks, 

but still, your mind is clouded, and it almost feels like 

you are drowning under the weight of what’s going 

on outside your walls. Your family members, friends 

and coworkers have been affected by the perils of 

our times in one way or the other. There are so many 

things to say yet many in our midst are silent. Or are 

they? Maybe it’s us who are silent. 

What part can we play in being the change our world 

so desperately needs? What can one do to muster 

courage during difficult times? 

Courage is defined as the “mental or moral strength 

to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, 

or difficulty”, according to the Merriam-Webster 

dictionary. The past few weeks have presented us 

all seemingly unending moments of reflection and 

introspection. Courage, to me, has been something a 

little less bravado in definition, as I have come to view 

it as merely pushing through the pains and frustrations 

of difficult times. 

To be bold enough for change, either in our lives 

and for the sake of others, requires us to stand when 

others are running, to stare at fear in the face, or 

to choose to remain steadfast in your ethically and 

morally acceptable beliefs. Having courage simply 

means going for it, or trying something different, 

when everything is telling you to quit or challenging 

you to do things the way you’ve always done them. If 

you are reading this and are struggling to figure out 

how to pick up the pieces during, or in the aftermath 

of troubled times, keep reading. I hope that as you 

do, you’ll find a few words to give you the courage to 

keep going.

1. LET YOUR FAITH GUIDE YOU. 

I am a God-fearing woman who believes that there is 

nothing I could ever experience that God hasn’t already 

equipped me for. It is part of His plan, and only He can give 

me the strength needed to push through the dark tunnels 

of life. In moments of weakness, I choose to believe that 

God is all-knowing; and because I was brought into this 

world by Him, He will be faithful to watch after all that 

concerns me. We’ve all experienced some loss–a loved 

one, a job or hard-earned money, opportunities and so 

on. But the truth of the matter is as long as we have breath 

in our being, we are to keep going for this thing called life 

to be worth our while. Turning to some form of inspiration 

in helping us do so is a must. 

Now, there are some in our midst that do not believe in 

religion or spirituality and that is a reality we must accept 

and live with. I am of the belief that times will arise when 

we’ll need inspiration from a higher power than ourselves. 

2. CHANNEL YOUR ENERGIES TOWARDS 

THE POSITIVE. 

We hear this so much that sometimes we skate right past 

this unshakeable truth. Trying times require us to fight the 

struggle by shining light on it. Open those books that 

inspire positivity and listen to those sermons or messages. 

Find and focus on pursuits that inspire positive outcomes. 

What’s that one thing you’ve always known you needed to 

do, but you blamed limited time for not doing? Could it 

be becoming a part of initiatives to build your community, 

volunteering with the nearest charitable organisation, or 

starting an exercise regime so you can feel better about 

your body? Maybe it’s just being more thankful for the 

things you do have because let’s face it, gratitude is an 

incredible ray of light on dark situations. 

3. THERE’S ALWAYS A LESSON IN THE 

MADNESS. 

It’s often when things go wrong that we learn how to be 

and do better. Recurring bouts of sickness led me to be 

more disciplined about what foods I ate, and that exercise 

and an apple a day would not simply keep the doctor away. 

Enduring copious amounts of stress at a job I didn’t enjoy 

but stayed at because I needed the salary taught me that 

there is more to developing a passion-filled career than 

money. Experiencing culture shock as a young immigrant 

living in America made me realise how culturally sheltered 

I was, and just how much I needed to learn how to foster 

friendships with people who I viewed to be far different 

from me. The lessons we learn during difficult seasons 

really do equip us for bigger and better. In the words of 

the great motivator Zig Ziglar, “Difficult roads often lead to 

beautiful destinations. The best is yet to come.” 

4. HARD TIMES INSPIRE CREATIVITY— 

AND CHANGE. 

There were times I had to figure out how to make a 

whole new meal out of a few dollars or leftovers. A life of 

gratitude is often inspired by having gone without. When 

we focus on what we have as opposed to what we do not, 

while still finding a way to communicate or activate the 

steps towards the change we need to see, we can usher in 

a new tide with time. You’ve heard the adage that nothing 

changes until we do, and oftentimes we need to be more 

creative in getting our point across or solving problems. 

Can you think of a time wherein you had to channel your 

inner creativity to keep things moving along? 

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5. THE GREAT QUESTION: WHAT’S 

WITHIN YOUR CONTROL? 

Being an adult will teach you this: there are many things 

we can control but there are also just as many we 

cannot. People are complicated. Hectic situations arise 

and some have nothing to do with human behaviour 

at all. A global pandemic at the onset of this decade 

is teaching us where to focus our energies, how to 

adapt to today’s norms, and what to do to keep from 

falling sick or putting ourselves at risk. Some have lost 

their jobs and are looking for a way out or into a whole 

new situation. Knowing what you can control is a good 

start towards appreciating the power you have to keep 

pressing in. Do what you can with what you have— 

materially and skillfully—and put all the other things 

aside. There are no spoils to concerning yourself with 

things that no strength or intellectual contribution of 

yours can change. 

6. REMEMBER THAT YOU’VE PROBABLY 

BEEN HERE BEFORE. 

No one’s life is void of drama. The challenges will come, 

and they come packaged differently for each person. 

And you know what? You’ve gone through some hard 

times before but you are still here. When you believe that 

you will get through this too, it shifts your perspective 

and ramps up your emotional intelligence to the levels 

needed to help you overcome the challenges you face. 

7. DON’T STAY IN THE CAVE. 

It’s very easy to close the world off when things go 

wrong. Somehow, we think we are the only ones 

going through hard times and no one gets our pain 

and frustrations. Friends or community circles are very 

important. Don’t let the devil have a party out of your 

thoughts. Rather, seek counsel from your relationship 

and social circles and talk to people you know you can 

trust to give you a needed word of encouragement and 

practical support when you need it. No man is an island 

and believe me when I say this: being vulnerable isn’t 

a weakness. 

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8. FORGIVE YOURSELF, THE SITUATION AND OTHERS. 

We have a tendency to blame ourselves or others when things go south. Sometimes it’s not us but 

them. They say bad things happen to good people, but then we still need to make peace with 

what is and not focus on what could have been. You are hurt and your feelings are valid, but real 

courage is acknowledging that sometimes life doesn’t work out as we thought it would and we 

are still required to move on because the world doesn’t stop for us to gather ourselves. Forgiving 

oneself and the situation wipes out the negative emotions that deter us from moving on. Don’t 

add internal luggage to an already heavy situation. 

Courage requires us to not only confront situations but accept the need to make or support 

changes. Difficult situations present an opportunity for us to dissect, discern, activate, and create, 

not only within ourselves alongside others. And so while it remains to be seen what the rest of this 

year will bring forth, I like to stand on the words of Joseph Fort Newton’s take, wherein he states: 

“We cannot tell what may happen to us in the strange medley of life. But we can decide what 

happens in us, how we can take it, what we do with it—and that is what really counts in the end.” 


Yvonne Chiedza Mtengwa is the author 

of “Reinvented: Challenging insecurity to 

live authentically through faith”, a book 

encouraging women to confront their 

issues with relationships, insecurities 

and self-fulfilling prophesies, in an effort 

to truly discover who they were created 

to be. It’s available for download on 

https://payhip.com/b/Oi7Y#! 

She is also a co-author of Amazon 

Bestseller “Dear Fear Volume 2: 18 

Powerful Lessons on Living your best life 

on the other side of Fear”- a compilation 

of short stories by American visionary 

author Tiana Patrice. 

Passionate about travelling, writing 

about and experiencing leisure and 

lifestyle brands, Yvonne is a marketing 

and communications strategist, is the Cofounder 

of www.Quintessentialf.com, a 

Christian lifestyle movement for women, 

and also runs www.yournarratives.com, 

a boutique communications agency 

specialising in entrepreneurial design 

and shaping the narrative of women-led 

lifestyle and social development brands. 

Check her out on IG on @quintessentially_yvonne or visit and subscribe to her 

website on www.ReinventedToday.com for more tips on everyday reinvention. 

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BE PROUD OF THE 

TRUTH ABOUT YOU 

The world is our biggest classroom, and there are so many 

lessons to learn around us, inside us, and about us. Most of 

the time, other people’s perceptions about ourselves often 

depict the truth about our lives. We often see celebrities 

with their beautiful and inspiring stories and personalities, 

but what if those stories are not true? Should we learn how 

to balance living up to people’s expectations and sticking 

to the true version of ourselves? 

BE PROUD OF THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU. 

The truth is, whatever you believe is what makes you. 

‘Belief kills and belief cures’ is a well-known Jamaican 

saying which promotes the fact that the truth lives in your 

mind. Consider the inspiring life story of Barack Obama, 

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the former President of the United States of America. 

He believed he could be the first African-American to be 

elected in the office; however, he also knew that it would 

not be an easy journey. He believed in his desire to to help 

others, and eventually, he became a community organiser. 

He was proud of what he is and where he came from. It was 

the same belief in himself that helped him to grow into a 

figure he dreamed of being. 

We all have our own origins, backgrounds and beliefs, 

which collectively make us all unique. Be delighted by what 

you can bring to the table. Share everything that made you 

with confidence and smile. Cultivate that self-confidence 

and walk with the assurance that you are what you believe.

MANAGE SOCIETY’S EXPECTATIONS. 

Keep in mind that whatever people might think of 

you; it should bother them more than it should you. 

Never allow their opinions to dictate how you lead 

your life and express who you are. These should not 

distract you from sticking to the values and principles. 

However, keep in mind that the opinions and 

expectations of others can be a gold mine for 

self-improvement: you can learn new lessons, 

perspectives, or hidden talents based on other 

people’s observations. Your values are constantly 

developing, and you may add or shed some of those 

as you move closer to reality. 

Society’s expectations are giving us so much 

pressure, and because of that, many people tend to 

lose their identities. Most of us want to satisfy what 

others want to see. We must learn how to draw the 

line between our own values and the desire to satisfy 

other people. As humans, we often need to go with 

the flow, but still, we need to keep our individuality 

and respect diversity and personal differences. Our 

main goal is to enjoy life while carrying our own 

unique selves. 

WHAT THE WORLD STATES AS TRUE IS 

NOT ALWAYS TRUE. 

What might be true is not true until you believe it. 

Subjective truths result from our personal perceptions 

and observations. In considering what others think 

about our lives, shield yourself from their version of 

truths that you honestly know to be untrue, and keep 

your head held high. 

We must strive to stand out and be proud of ourselves 

and our own values. Be proud of what you believe in, 

and dare to be proud of your own truth. 


JEROME DOUGLAS 

Jerome Douglas is a 27-year old trained teacher, poet and writer from the 

beautiful island of Jamaica. His personal philosophy is “If it is for me to 

be, then it is up to me.” He attended the Catholic College of Mandeville 

in Jamaica. Additionally, he is a community builder and humanitarian who 

volunteers his time to help with the academic and social well-being of 

people in his Central Jamaica community and surrounding areas. 

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BOOK REVIEW 

ATOMIC HABITS BY JAMES CLEAR 

In this month’s review, we dive into a book that talks about the power of letting go of old habits, 

developing new and productive ones, and maintaining them on a regular basis. 

James Clear is a stellar writer who tells us that improvements of a slight degree, 

which may not always be visible, show significant results in the long run. He 

terms this concept as the Law of 1%. Atomic Habits is about making atomic or 

minuscule changes for the better. The essence of the book is captured in the 

eight major questions that it poses to the reader. 

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1. WHAT ARE HABITS? 

A habit is essentially a routine or practise that is performed 

regularly. It’s an automatic response to a specific situation. Each 

habit can be broken down into a cue, a craving, a response, 

and a reward. With repetition, the responses that reap the 

maximum rewards tend to become habits. 

2. WHY IS HABIT BUILDING IMPORTANT? 

Firstly, the way we respond to our situations is a powerful 

method to change the outcomes. Habits make the process of 

taking action consistent and automatic. By building a healthy 

habit pattern, we will ultimately reach our goals. The thing 

about goals is that they are shared by winners and losers 

alike. While goals are about the destination, habits are what 

make the journey enjoyable. The writer believes that changing 

one’s habits can ultimately change a belief or beliefs, which 

consequently, will end up changing future outcomes. 

3. WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF GOOD HABITS? 

While the writer doesn’t list out a page of good habits 

anywhere in the book, the examples of good habits scattered 

through the chapters are: 

• Healthy habits on health and fitness: eating healthy, 

cooking at home, drinking enough water regularly, 

exercising, sleeping early 

• Habits to nurture the mind and promote relaxation: 

Journaling, meditating, relaxing, sending thank you notes 

• Habits to stimulate the mind: Learning or practising a 

skill, decluttering 

• The habit of promoting financial independence: Saving 

money 

4. WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF BAD HABITS? 

Atomic Habits talks about several bad habits that we struggle 

with, and how bad habits draw more energy from ourselves 

and can require extra efforts to get rid of. Some examples of 

bad habits mentioned in the book are: 

• Smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, eating junk food 

• Negative thinking, having a short temper, stressing 

• Procrastination, watching too much TV, playing too 

many video games 

• Overworking or underworking 

• Overspending 

5. WHAT HABITS SHOULD I BUILD? 

The best approach to build a sustainable lifestyle is to accept who 

you are and what you love. Don’t fight your unique personality 

but leverage it to your advantage. Explore approaches and try 

to analyse what fits perfectly for you. Ask yourself: 

• What feels fun? 

• What gets you engrossed? 

• What comes naturally? 

• What gives more than average returns? 

Focus your efforts on habits that excite and engage you while 

being aligned with your personality and core strengths. You 

will still need to put in the hard work, but it’ll be much easier 

to build habits that are more enjoyable. This will also increase 

your odds of success. 

6. HOW TO BECOME AWARE OF YOUR HABITS? 

If you are a person who is habituated with picking on a pimple, 

you will be unaware of doing it unless somebody specifically 

points it out to you. The more you repeat this pattern, the 

less likely you are to ask yourself what you are doing or stop 

yourself from doing it. 

Over time, the cues that trigger our habits become so common 

that they begin to disappear; for example, the candy on the 

table or the remote on the couch. To tackle this, we must first 

begin the process towards habitual change by developing our 

awareness. 

7. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BUILD A NEW HABIT? 

Every habit is different, but all of them depend on repetitive 

behaviours which grow progressively stronger with practice. 

It can take thousands of repetitions to build a habit. The 

quality of behaviours may also affect the duration of building 

a habit. Take note that simple behaviours, which are easy to 

pick, remember and repeat, as well as connected behaviours 

which have a clear and quick cause and effect relationship with 

the reward, are easier to stick to and become habits. Strongly 

emotional behaviours trigger bigger and satisfying rewards 

which also require fewer repetitions until they become a habit. 

8. HOW CAN I BUILD AND BREAK HABITS 

EFFECTIVELY? 

To be able to change habits successfully, you must identify the 

wrong or unproductive habits and ought to change them the 

right way. To change the right habits, focus on: 

• What kind of outcomes do you want? 

• What kind of person are you aiming to become? 

• What quick habits can you work on to get to your goals? 

The writer goes on to explain how building a scorecard which 

lists one’s own habits makes one more self-aware. Write down 

a list of your daily habits. Label each habit as good, bad, or 

neutral. Lastly, rearrange the habits, and then add and design 

new habits you wish to develop. 

Set clear and doable implementation guides. Say, “I will go for 

a run on Sunday at 6 in the morning”. Stack your habits, such 

as, “After a run, I will have a glass of green juice”. Make your 

new habits as specific as possible as vague ideas will lead to 

procrastination. 

James Clear also encourages you to proactively join groups 

where your desired behaviour is already a norm, and you also 

have something common with the group. Since we have a 

strong natural desire to conform with the people around us, 

it is important to associate with people who already possess 

your goal habits. 

Atomic Habits is a book well worth a read, as it is written in 

a clear and encouraging way to influence readers. Since our 

habits reflect our inner personalities and eventually, our lives, it 

is necessary to have them aligned in the right direction. 

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advice and is instead general in its nature. We do not take into account your specific needs or circumstance and you should not act upon any advice 

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our readers, we reserve the right to augment or delete information in any way and at any time. Out and About Magazine accepts no liability for any loss 

or damage that may arise from the use of any element of our website or magazine. 

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