Natural Beauty: Secrets of the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is the saltiest body of water in the world. The minerals and salts are so dense that you can actually float on the surface of the sea without sinking – great news for non-swimmer like moi! The Dead Sea is also located at the lowest point on this planet at 400 meters below sea level, making it the closest body to the soul of Earth. For centuries, Queens and Kings have known about the magical secrets of the sea and have fought over the privilege of using beauty products made from its minerals and salts.

The Queen of Ancient Egypt, the legendary beauty Cleopatra was famous for her youthful skin and looks which stayed radiant and healthy even as her age progressed. Cleopatra loved the beauty products from the Dead Sea so much that she went to great expense to have cosmetic factories built on the shores of the sea. Their remains can still be seen today at Ein Bokek and Ein Gedi. Now, this is where I want to go!

The Dead Sea is considered a “natural spa.” It is not only famous for its age-defying, rejuvenating and purifying beauty wonders but it is also known to heal skin ailments like Psoriasis, Eczema, and Acne. There are spas located around the sea and people from all over the world come to this legendary place to experience its beautifying and healing powers.

Luckily for us, if we do not have the time to visit the sea, we can always count on the number of outstanding Dead Sea Cosmetics brands that offer a variety of beauty and spa products worldwide; from brands like SeaOra and Etre to the premium brands of AHAVA and Premier.

The ones that I use are Premier Dead Sea Cosmetics and my favorite product is the soap less gel Facial Cleanser with Micro Grains. It is enriched with essential therapeutic oils and Dead Sea minerals as it reduces irritation, and balances and purifies the skin. It is all natural and can be used every day on all skin types.

Premier also offer amazing face masks. The award winning Miracle Noir Mask is patented innovation! It is a firming mud mask, oxygen mask, purification mask and an exfoliating mask all in one. It contains powerful anti-oxidants, Dead Sea mud and minerals, liposome complex, oxygen and vitamins. And trust me when I say that this is truly miracle and from the first application your complexion becomes smoother and brighter! Note that this mask is not to be applied on irritated skin with pimples or acne.

But don’t worry, Premier offers the Problematic Skin Mask which feels just as soft and luxurious on the skin. It speeds up renewal and balances the skin from within. The mask is enriched with Dead Sea minerals mud, Musk Rose oil and Ginko biloba extract, natural beta carotene, and vitamins A and E.

Kate Moss as a Golden Sculpture

The British artist Marc Quinn has unveiled a sculpture of Kate Moss in solid gold called Siren at the British Museum. It weighs 50 kilograms and it is worth a stunning £1.5 million. Most impressive is the fact that Siren is said to be the largest gold statue to be made in the world since Ancient Egypt. Of Kate Moss, Quinn says, “”I thought the next thing to do would be to make a sculpture of the person who’s the ideal beauty of the moment.” But this is not the first time the British supermodel was a muse for Marc. In his 2006 work, the artist cast Kate Moss in a provocative yoga pose named Sphinx where Kate had her ankles and arms wrapped behind her ears.

Giorgio Armani Designs Luxury Villas for Egyptian Resort

Giorgio Armani is set to collaborate yet again with Emaar Properties to design a set of villas located on the Sidi Abdel Rahman Bay in Egypt as part of the company’s new $1.85 billion project. Armani describes the community as the “the best stretch of beach on the north coast” of Egypt. The villas will be up to 500 square meters in size and with up to four bedrooms as each of them will have its own pool.

“While designing the Armani Residences, Marassi, I integrated several elements that capture the serenity and calm of beachfront living. I was also keen to present residents with personalised living spaces that conveyed the comfort, simplicity and understated elegance – cornerstones of Armani Residences offering,” explains Armani.

The Chairman of Emaar Properties, Mr Mohamed Ali Alabbar says that the “Armani Residences will be a superior value addition to Marassi, as these elegant homes have the personal touch of Giorgio Armani.”

The talented Italian designer has already collaborated with Emaar Properties once before on a hotel set to open in Dubai in 2009. The hotel is part of Emaar’s Burj Dubai development and includes guest rooms, restaurant and spa as well as luxury apartments.