The beauty spy

• Last Updated: November 11. 2009 1:27PM UAE / November 11. 2009 9:27AM GMT

You won’t see her, but she’s there, in the salons, spas and shops, and she’s happy to share her secrets on finding a good spa.

When you Google “Dubai spa”, more than 4,130,000 results pop up. Yet despite their ubiquity here, quantity does not always guarantee quality. A shoddy back room behind the hair-washing station with Thai chimes, a Carrefour candle and a CD of whale noises playing in the background does not a spa make. So how do you know where to go?

Well, when you book, you should ask the following questions. Is there a hot spring or mineral bath? A sauna or a stint in a steam room is the perfect warm-up pre-pummelling. (Let’s not forget that the original spa in the eponymous Belgian town made its name because of its restorative mineral waters.) Is there a chill-out area where you can have a cup of something herbal and a snooze pre- or post treatment? Amrita spa at Raffles Hotel, Amara at the Park Hyatt and Emirates Palace, and the Talise Spa, Madinat Jumeirah, all have five-star facilities to help you relax, as well as pretty gardens.

After all that rubbing and scrubbing, the way to my heart (and loyalty) is some sustenance. The Heavenly Spa at the Westin offers antioxidant-loaded dark chocolate on the way out, while The Spa at The Address, Downtown Burj Dubai, leave trays of healthy little morsels, like stuffed dates and granola pieces for when hunger strikes.

Also, a good sign of a decent spa is the products they use. If there is a dusty plastic bottle filled with a generic substance, then forget it. Top-class pampering means good quality, chemical-free products. Seek out ranges such as ESPA (The One & Only Royal Mirage), Carita (The Ritz-Carlton), Anne Semonin (Amara, The Park Hyatt) or Eve Lom (Chill, Ascot Hotel, Bur Dubai).

A spa guru once told me if a beauty treatment sounds bizarre, it probably is. So stick to places with tried-and-tested treatments, such as aromatherapy or ayurvedic medicine – as opposed to chocolate wraps, strawberry facials or snake massage (apparently big in Israel). Another good tip is to book on a Monday or Tuesday when spas are less busy, so you get more attention and are guaranteed peace and quiet.

Tips from the top

Hairstylist Adam Reed, who has blow-dried the likes of Madonna and Uma Thurman, on creating the perfect ponytail:

Spend time on styling. Thin hair needs a volumising cream then a blow dry. For thick or curlier styles, use a taming cream then blow dry and straighten.

A sleek side parting can look chic. Keep it neat with some serum. For a boho, roughed-up style, backcomb at the roots with a brush.

With bands, avoid anything brightly coloured or that resembles a scrunchie. Dress your ponytail up for evening by hiding your band
– wrap a strand of hair around the elastic and secure underneath with a bobby pin.

M loves

Budget mascaras

They may not be the prettiest to look at, but it’s the formula (and wand), not the packaging, that really counts when it comes to mascara. The Germans have it when it comes to efficiency, Nivea’s Extreme Resist (Dh48) holds up wonderfully against the surf at Umm Suqeim beach – apparently because of the natural waxes that seal in the colour. Whatever, this stuff lasts, without smudging for up to 24 hours. Bourjois 1001 Lashes (Dh66) is a great fattening mascara, thanks to the 12 rows of bristles on the applicator brush and the vitamin-infused formula.

Chantecaille Nano Gold Energizing Eye Cream

Using gold as a beautifier is not something new. Cleopatra reportedly used it, and gold-leaf facials, as previously featured on these pages, are an increasingly popular bling beauty treatment. Chantecaille’s new Nano Gold Eye Cream, which contains tiny (nano) particles of gold infused with silk, can apparently help to slow down collagen depletion, stimulate cell growth and has anti-inflammatory properties. This basically means it de-puffs, prevents sagging and rebuilds your skin, lessening the appearance of wrinkles. As you would expect, it comes with a hefty price tag, so keep it in the safe along with your other baubles and bullion.

Nano Gold Eye Cream, Dh1,170, Boutique1.com

Trend alert

Bold colour

We’ve been attending fashion shows – both front row and backstage – for more than a decade. When it comes to make-up for the catwalks, the advice usually bandied about is “show some restraint” or “play up one feature only”. So that’s exactly what we’ve always done, choosing either a strong lip or smoky eye, never both. Now, it seems, just as we’ve got to grips with that, they rewrite the rules and announce that this season anything goes. At the Gucci autumn/winter show, the make-up expert Pat McGrath was using colour with abandon. Red was applied liberally – painted on to lips, swept along cheekbones and dusted over the eyes, along with stripes of purple and pink shimmer. What resulted was a salute to Eighties hedonism, and a touch of the New Romantic, but all in the best possible taste. Here’s how to get the look…

FACE

1) Create the perfect canvas with a full coverage foundation, topped off with powder. Apply a tawny red or bronze-hued blush under the cheekbone to accentuate and define.

EYES

2) Tri-coloured eyeshades may be good for the catwalk, but in the real world, choose one colour, such as a smoky purple, red-based brown or black. Then add lashings of mascara and liner.

LIPS

3) Finish with a matt-red mouth. Choose a colour to suit you. The basic rules are: pale and pink skin should opt for a blue-based hue. Dark and warm skin tones will suit a colour with golden or tawny undertones, while Asian skins look fantastic in berry shades of plum, raspberry and cherry.

5 of the best

Fashion fragrances

Alberta Ferretti
Just like her designs, this new fragrance is pretty, floaty and feminine, with notes of freesia, sweet pea and lily. Light enough for everyday wear.
From Dh350, Alberta Ferretti boutique, Dubai Mall (from December)

Badgley Mischka Couture
This elegant vintage-style bottle holds a refined, oriental floral perfume that is sweet yet sultry and sophisticated.
Dh605, Harvey Nichols

Tom Ford Grey Vetiver
Clean and fresh and reminiscent of traditional barber shop soap, this men’s scent also smells great on women.
Dh364, Tom Ford boutique, Dubai Mall

Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte
Packed with zesty, green notes of lemon and lime, this cool, fresh scent is perfect for balmy days and nights.
Dh424, Chanel counters nationwide

Marc Jacobs Lola
We love Marc’s scents and this new one – with notes of pepper, rose and pear, and in a fabulous bottle – may well be our favourite yet.
Dh408, Faces