A Cool Hangout Spot – Dip N Dip

Coming back from a rough day at work, my colleagues and I stopped over at Dip N Dip, Jumeirah in search of some chocolate-y goodness.

Ended up trying their famous brownie crepe which was super soft and delicious! Topped with Belgium chocolate this warm treat is perfect for a cold and windy day. Apart from the brownie crepe, we also tried out the waffle stick which was a bit chewy and strawberries dipped in milk chocolate, a sort of low carb option.

Dip N Dip is a casual dine in/takeaway place. Red and white runs in their decor which are the colors seen in their logo as well. The staff were courteous and smiling throughout the service.

If you are a chocolate lover, this place is a must visit. Dip N Dip has wide variety of crepes, bakery items and ice creams. A cozy hangout place with chocolate fountain for view.

Excuse the sorry image, our phones were as drained of energy as us.

Cost : AED 80

Location: Reem Mall, Near Emirates NBD, Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeirah 3, Dubai

View menu on 

Smokin Hot Burgers From Smokin 9

Burgers are a always a huge hit with everyone. Be it kids or adults everyone seems to enjoy these handheld sandwiches bursting with flavors. By burgers I don’t mean those sold by corporate giants such as Mcds and KFCs, I was never into those anyways because they are so sub standard (in my opinion). If you want to have real burgers you’ve got to find hidden gems in your city. One such hidden gem I discovered is Smokin 9, JLT.

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The whole concept of Smokin 9 revolves around the 9 mini burgers. You can order a mix of all flavors in one box or opt for your favorites. Each priced very reasonably.

Since my friend & I are both vegetarians we opted for Kenny which comes with quinoa patty & Mozzar which is fried Mozzarella cheese slab. Both comes with their own sauces all made fresh in house! Also the buns are custom made for Smokin 9, they are soft and perfect to hold the contents.

What surprised me was the fact that these burgers look really small but are packed with strong flavors and are really unique. Kenny, the quinoa burger can surely change opinions of those who aren’t fond of its texture. The patty was really firm and light and complimented the roccoto marmalade sauce and my favorite avocado. I have tried making quinoa burgers at home but never are they so perfect. Upon inquiring the restaurant manager explains that it is a secret recipe that they wont part with. Of course they don’t have to share it, I can always satisfy my cravings at Smokin 9.

The Mozzar on the other hand is a cheese lovers paradise. With fried Mozzarella cheese slab stuffed in the mini burger alongside some sun dried tomatoes and basil. Light, fresh and classic! My guest is a true cheese fan and he enjoyed this version more than any.

For sides, smokin 9 offers Hand cut skin on fries & sweet potato fries. In all honestly I have tasted better fries than what are served here. I was super impressed by the homemade dips which are served alongside the fries & burgers. I particularly enjoyed the taste of roasted vegetables & curry dip paired with my sweet potato fries. For drinks they have the regular soft drinks & sparkling water. I felt they could add a bit more to that like my favorite avo + agave milkshake or just some fresh juices to complete the portion of balanced meal.

Smokin 9 is a place I would love to be for casual meet ups. As the restaurant manager Mr Amjad explains to me, they will be soon adding games section to their store wherein you could challenge your friends to a round of monopoly. The decor is minimalistic with metal caged work at the counter and fresh plants that give that green pop. In winters there will be more fun as they will be opening up to the gorgeous water view of JLT.

Overall, smokin 9 is the new place where friends meet. They do offer super quick deliveries and cater for parties as well. A clear concept & executed with perfection! Indeed intense & mouthwatering little treats.

Ps: On my interaction with one of their regular customers, I was been informed that I can have at least five burgers in one sitting. Thought that was an easy task considering my large appetite but I could only finish three. These burgers look mini but are really heavy.

More images from tasting session will be available on Zomato.

Contact Smokin 9 at 8006464, JLT Cluster U, Seef tower 2.

Like them on Facebook : Smokin 9

Follow them on Instagram : Smokin 9

You can also order online through Deliveroo App & Zomato.

Reviewing 7th Heaven Beauty Products-Part 2

As I mentioned in the earlier post, 7th heaven products are really reasonable and effective. Now I was sent quite a few of masks so it took time to try them all but I finally did it! Also many of you have been inquiring of the prices for these facemasks and since they have huge variety, I decided to add a photo of the entire section which I took at the nearest Carrefour as Spinneys near my house just closed down :(. Hope that helps you folks.

I tried these masks are results are below:

Argan Oil Mud Mask

While Mud masks generally absorb off the excess oil that skin produces they tend to dry off the skin too. That’s certainly not what we are looking for.. now 7th heaven has introduced a well balanced formula to work both ways. The Mediterranean Clay absorbs the excess oil while the Argan oil does the moisturizing magic. Paired with subtle scents Jasmine, Chamomile and Vanilla this masque does the trick! My skin a combination of dry & oily felt so much better after the use of this masque. This is by far the most impressive Sachet face masque I have tried.

Pulped Papaya Rescue Masque – Hair & Roots

These Herbalist at 7th Heaven are creating magic with these masques! Just when you thought they had ended with series of facemasks, 7th heaven introduces hair and root masque. Simple application, just follow the instructions as per the pack. The difference is noticeable as soon as hair have dried. The goodness of all those botanical oils & papaya  made my hair shiny & the fragrance lasted for about good 8-10 hours. One disadvantage is that one sachet was not enough for my shoulder length hair. I had to use two of these to cover the entire area.

AloeVera Face Spa

Aloevera comes with a lot of healing and moisturizing properties. Some prefer to drink aloevera juice for healthy skin (which is yuck btw, I tried it once) and some apply the aloe gel on the skin directly. The gels are available across drugstores but they do get mixed with chemicals and the original plant gel will only save your skin for upto days unless applied every week consistently. In such scenarios, it is best to use a aloevera mask by 7th heaven. Needs a weekly application, skin felt clean but not much difference though. I think this mask needs multiple applications to see the difference. I tried only twice.

Banana & Honey Masque

If you have been my blog follower for a long time then I am sure you definitely know how crazy I am about DIY beauty. I had even created a DIY masque blogpost last year you can have a look here) Now Honey & Banana are age old combination for good skin. So if you dont have time to make your own mask, this one works just fine. Lightens the skin, makes its brighter & radiant!

Tea Tree Masque Sheet

Tea tree oil has been known to treat acne problem. Now since I dont have much acne I thought to experiment this masque on my sister who has acne issues during PMS. You can choose to use the mask otherwise too as there is no harm in that, it will definitely help in increasing the radiance. Anyhow my trial on the sister was successful and I was so right about the acne reduction. Her acne did actually dry out the very next day and within a week the skin was clearer! Acne prone people.. this masque maybe a blessing in disguise!

Overall it was a fun thing to experiment with all these masques and understand the properties, advantages and disadvantages of each. Actually disadvantages are so minor because these masques are herbal and made with fresh ingredients. Also these products are so budget friendly that even if I buy 10 masques I am still paying under 100AED (36$)

I am adding a high res image below..just click on the image and you will be able to zoom in to see the prices.

Reviewing 7th Heaven Beauty Products-Part 1

A few weeks back I gave away some fabulous beauty masks all courtesy of the generous sponsor 7TH Heaven(formerly known as our household favorite Montage Jeunesse). I was sent their lovely and colorful PR kit to try out the masks myself and share the opinion with you all. A bit of spoiler, these masks are definitely going to help you achieve that Pre Eid Glow!

I would have posted these reviews earlier but I like to see the effect of each mask within a week’s time to conclude on my reviews. So it took me a bit of time to try them all, the fantastic masks. I am going to post my reviews in parts so its easier for everyone. First up, I am reviewing the two tube masks i.e Cucumber Peel off mask and Dead Sea Mud Pac.

Dead Sea Mud Pac

Three main ingredients that make up this face mask is lavender, Dead sea Mud and Dead sea salt. Now I am not sure if you folks have heard about this but dead sea mud is a very popular product towards Morocco and also some Moroccan bath houses(hamams) use dead sea salt & mud extensively to clean the skin. While the lavender is used for reducing acne and even helps in eliminating eczema.

I was impressed with the contents but does the mask do the job? Yes it does indeed! Post the very first application, my skin felt clean and my T zone was looking a bit better. I have a combination skin with T zone being oily and the rest of skin being dry. I feared this face mask will dry out the skin but luckily such was not the case. Its thick and greenish color paste, easy to apply on skin. I am super recommending this one to all my combination skin buddies.

Recommended use: Once a week

Tube lasts: 12- 15 applications

Cucumber Peel off Mask

As the name suggests, the peel off mask has the main ingredient as cucumber known for its cooling properties. There is also lime oil and pressed flowers if cucumber doesn’t impress you enough. This mask is certainly as cool as cucumber! Its a peel off one and generally I dont prefer peel off ones. However this mask was very refreshing and good to use on all skin types. Its light and the skin feels slightly tighter after the application. Pulls out all the dead skin cells leaving the skin looking brighter.

Recommended use: Twice a week

Tube lasts 12 applications

Both of these masks are available at all leading supermarket/hypermarkets near to you. These are budget friendly drug store treasures that do the job while costing you almost nothing. All 7th Heaven products are vegetarian and cruelty free! They love animals like myself 🙂

Are you impressed with what you have read so far? Well there is certainly more to come! Stay tuned for the review of remaining masks from 7th in my next post.

 

 

Winner Announcement: @Ilove7thHeaven Giveaway

It was so much fun to conduct this giveaway, interacting with fans & knowing about the fabulous products by 7th Heaven which cruelty free & vegan . Thank you everyone for your enthusiasm, now its time to announce the lucky winner.

It was a difficult decision to pick out one winner from all of you amazing folks. With over hundred entries, I finally decided to give all a fair chance by choosing through Randomiser.

Congratulations winner, kindly drop me an email on pinkasfouratheblog@gmail.com or DM to claim your winnings. I will forward your details to organizers so that they can send across your hamper of 14 facemasks! 🙂

For those who did not win, fret not as many giveaways are yet to come. Keep an eye on blog, you never know when the next giveaway starts. Also stay tuned to learn about the fantastic face masks by 7th heaven. #beautyonbudget

Show some love to my amazing and super cooperative sponsor . Follow them on instagram 7TH Heaven & Twitter 7th Heaven

Human+Kind All-In-One Day & Night cream

I always try to reduce the number of products I use in my day & night skincare routine. Its better that way because at an end of exhausted day you cannot dedicate time to various products. Most of the time I ensure I have washed my face, removed all the make up & moisturized my skin well so it stays hydrated. Another thing with me is that my skin is extremely sensitive so experimenting with various products may cause a reaction. I personally prefer having lesser products that do the job and are budget friendly as well.

Human+Kind All-In-One Day & Night is not a newly introduced in market but I did recently read about it and thought that this can potentially be the kind of product that I would invest in. Thanks to their PR team in UAE, I was sent this product right away to review.

Before we go further into details, lets find out the composition of the product:

Aqua, caprylic/capric triglyceride, tricaprylin, Centella asiatica extract, cetearyl alcohol, glycerin, Persea gratissima (avocado oil), sodium stearoyl lactylate, sucrose stearate, Stellaria media (chickweed) extract, Althaea officinalis Leaf/root (marshmallow) extract, Rosa rubiginosa (rosehip) seed oil, tocopherol, dehydrocetic acid, bezyl alcohol, Juniperus communis (juniper berry) oil, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, xanthan gum, linalol, limonene.

My Review

The packaging of the product is simple yet effective. Clearly mentions the benefits, ingredients & how the company is against use of chemicals. I really love how these companies are trying to promote their USP well by including it on packaging and on social media. Earlier green products were found only in pharmacies or were so expensive that one couldn’t really afford. Glad to see how strategies have changed.

Coming to the cream, its really light & not like the usual ones. Its a bit runny and sets well on the skin. As the product claims it is designed to hydrate the skin and prevent moisture loss. I recently had a skin reaction so needed something that actually works out on the dry patches that have developed on my face. Human+Kind All-In-One Day & Night cream did moisturize my skin well, I started feeling the difference in a few days. Lighter skin and smoother and leaves a healthy sheen. The product gets added nourishment from Avacado oil that is rich in Vitamin E & rosehip oil generally found in products for anti aging.

I found the fragrance slightly overwhelming, its a bit like what you would find in medicated creams. It was a major let down for me, I was assuming as the product contains marshmallow, it may be sweeter fragrance that I would get. Anyhow the product though besides the stronger fragrance actually does work well on sensitive skin. Its simple to use too.

If you are someone like me who loves simplified skin care routines on weekdays, this product is definitely for you. Smooth skin is a dream and this product helps you reach that goal so why not?! Its budget friendly and a tube 75ml is good to last you for a month.

Cost: AED130

Purchase from:

• Spinney’s
• Boots the Pharmacy
• United Pharmacies
• Marina Pharmacies
• Organic Foods & Café
• Make Up Etc.  at Palm Strip Mall Jumeirah
• The Change Initiative
• Down To Earth
•  Glambox.me 
• Zanedo.com

Note: Even though product is sponsored, the opinions are my own. For use of images and or further details , kindly drop in an email on pinkasfouratheblog@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Beauty Balance Salon Experience+ Giveaway

Happy Women’s Day to all my fans! We are talking about Salons today..

You all must be having a salon fixed for all your beauty needs. A beautician that understands your skin, your hair and suggests you to try out the treatments suitable. In my case, my hairdresser migrated to another country, resulting in me not getting my hair done. It had been more than six months for sure and I was really upset that I couldn’t find a decent salon for something as simple as a haircut or a blow dry.

I first started my search with visits to the nearby salons, checking the staff’s behavior their hairdressers & amount of hygiene maintained. I did this with three salons and then gave up because it’s too tedious to go and get disappointed every time. I am not a very easy person to deal with and am very keen on perfection.

Finally my search ended when I found out about Beauty Balance Salon. I read a couple of positive reviews on them that were posted on one of their social media accounts. I had a positive feeling about it & so I decided to book myself for a haircut & blow dry session. The booking was through Vaniday – online payment option ( click to read about them) and was a super simple way.

Menu

On My Visit & Experience

After super easy way of booking, I arrived at the time of my appointment. I was not asked to wait even for a moment. Straight away I was taken to the area where all hairworks are done and I was asked questions on how I want my hair length to be and what look I am going for.

Firstly, I have to commend the staff ( Ms Emma) for making me feel so comfortable. Even though we are from a different background and have different cultures we could easily strike a conversation because she was easy to talk with. She was not only good and kind but also great with scissors. Most importantly she was listening to me and not cross selling. Cross selling is one thing that irritates me a lot. Many may start selling you other things like why don’t you get highlights done? Why not keratin? etc which kind of puts you off. Nothing like that here, I was welcomed and we spoke about very general things like food and Dubai experiences.

 

The staff at any point were not aware that I am a blogger and for them I was just a normal customer who booked online for services. The experience was really good and my risk of trying out this salon was successful.

 

Tête-à-Tête With The Owner

The owner Ms Shahnaz was equally thrilled to have me and was very open to suggestion. I fell in love with her philosophy wherein she told me that beauty needs are not like grocery shopping. What matters to her is quality over quantity any day. That is something that I believe in too. What is the point of getting ten things done and still look like nothing is done versus making the client satisfied by even making a small difference on her.

Verdict

Beauty Balance salon has a team of multilingual professionals who are ready to cater to all your beauty needs. If you are looking for a hairdresser, I would recommend Ms Emma who did fab job with my hair. She is the personal hairstylist of owner as well. They are located within the city and as you can see the menu, the rates for all the services are very reasonable.

Get connected to Beauty Balance Salon on Facebook  & Instagram  or contact them on 04 3510004 – 056 111 6658 , Orchid Vue Hotel- Burdubai (Parking available in the hotel)

Watch out for my instagram & facebook posts for a chance to win Hairspa, wash & blow dry at this gorgeous salon!!

Welcoming New Year…

Firstly, apologies to my followers for going all MIA. This last month of the year is always hectic for me. Juggling work, festivities & family all together is not an easy task.

Now I am not one of those party animals or do I believe in new year new me bullshit because lets admit we aren’t going to be following our resolutions for a longer while. Instead of resolutions, I have made commitments. Commitments to my family and to my friends that I will dedicate a good amount of time with them rather than working late hours.

According to me, resolutions are something you make to yourself but commitments are what you make to others. Spending time with your loved ones is crucial. So with this wonderful thought I leave you only to meet you next year 😉

Have a lovely new year! Leaving you with an image of some delicious chocolates that I made with my dearest uncle.

 

Beauty Basket International Giveaway Winner!

Hello everyone!

I know you all have been waiting for the winner announcement of this gorgeous beauty basket.

All the eligible entries were entered into the draw. I picked up a chit and was going to announce the winner today early in the evening. The winner was from Instagram. Now before I could announce the winner, I did a final check on the winner’s profile. Surprised to see that the winner had just unfollowed me already! Anyhow I had to re-draw the winner and this time I have triple checked the entries and the winner has followed all the steps correctly.

The winner is..

Congratulations Saara ! I have sent you an email. Kindly respond to me with your address Asap so that I can courier you the prize xx

For those who didn’t win..fret not. Loads of giveaways to come 🙂

Belle Époque from Lipstick Queen

“Give your lips some ‘joie de vivre’!” – Poppy King

Belle Époque is a range of three hydrating and tinted balms that bathe the lips in nourishment and comfort, whilst adding a hint of color. Rich, non-sticky and instantly soothing, these balms are fortified with an algae extract rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9 as well as moisturising Shea Butter and anti-oxidant Vitamin E. With regular use, they improve moisture levels in the lips and minimise water loss thanks to Rice Lipids. A subtle hint of flattering and wearable color is the final Lipstick Queen touch for a beautifully natural lip look.

• Three nourishing and hydrating lip balms with a hint of flattering colour
• Three shades: Belle Nude, Belle Pink and Belle Wine
• Enriched with Omega 3, 6 and 9 as well as Shea Butter and 
anti-oxidant Vitamin E
• Rice Lipids minimise water loss and moisture levels in the 
lips are improved over time

Belle Époque from Lipstick Queen will be available exclusively in Bloomingdales and Areej from October 2015. Each balm costs AED 140.

Text & Image Source: Official Press Release