Dubai - Part 1

Dubai Mall : A Quick Glimpse Inside

This mall is one of the largest in the world (actually, it used to be the largest at some point). I have been to it soo many times during my stay and still haven't covered the whole mall...

Everything in the mall (including toilets haha) are immaculately designed and cared for. The floors are as squeaky clean and shiny as the shops...you can see reflections on them.

This is undoubtedly the best mall I've ever been to. You'll see why. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking as I said. And I have to emphasize that these pictures alone are just a brief glimpse! Until you go there...only then will you find out for yourself how amazing the mall really is.

Also, one thing to note as you're looking through the pictures: when I went there, it was during the holy month of Ramadhan. So no eating or drinking was allowed in public. If you see empty looking malls or places, it's because most people are indoors until sunset. After sunset, the mall booms into life and it feels just like daytime!

Enjoy the pics =) (and apologies you can't enlarge the pics... I didn't realise this until this was published >.<...great...).

To view Part 2, click here & for Part 3 here.

A huge candy store facing the Aquarium...the biggest I've seen - truly.

A lot of familiar shops were there, such as GAP... (I took pictures of these because I liked their layout and decorations...they added a traditional style to it).

Designated eating areas at the food court for those who weren't fasting . Dubai Mall was the only mall to have this allocated area (I'm guessing because there are a lot of tourists there compared to other areas).

London Fish & Chips... they had meals named after landmarks here (i.e. the Big Ben meal, Hyde Park meal and so on). However, I didn't try this out...

A snapshot of a small section of the Dubai Mall.

This was a large ice rink with a cool giant screen...I'll go on it on my next trip to Dubai.

Another part of the mall. I believe this was on the Lower Ground floor.

Sephora - they really should open up a store in London! Beats House of Fraser & Debenhams.

Banana Republic (Liking the design and layout yet again...look at the moon, stars & lanterns)

Forever 21 - they should open this here too! It's like an American version of New Look/Dorothy Perkins (with a taste of TopShop)...only much much better...

Figurines of the Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the world) on the Lower Ground Floor of the Mall.

The Biggest Aquarium in a Mall...

...as recorded in the Guinness World Record...
If this was the largest aquarium in a mall, how does the world's largest look like?

Some fishes ...

and the aquarium tunnel (where you can get even closer to the sea animals)

A shark's tale ^.^

A stingray (some stingrays looked like they were smiling. This looks =( )

A hammerhead shark - first time I've ever seen one. This one looked pretty fierce and angry...

And lastly, a random cool picture I captured.

My Canon digital camera has let me down so many times when I had to capture images in the dark =( but I took whatever pictures I could. I'm now leaning slightly towards a Nikon...(ha..!)

Underwater Zoo

Some electric fish (I wonder if it's dangerous to touch the water they're in... although I wouldn't advise this)

A piranha (there were warnings to visitors saying 'Do not put your fingers in the tank' ... )

I think this was a giant water Rat!

Crocodiles... (creepy...)

I found Nemo. Many Nemos.

A lobster.

Jelly fish.

A seahorse.

An eel (creepy again...).

Stingrays.

A giant crab! (You can't properly see it =/ )

A cute water penguin.

Penguins - one of my favourite animals!

The Gold Souk

This was a large souk at the ground floor of the mall. I don't think haggling is possible in this place so unless you saved up enough, it's great for some window shopping and admiring the place.

At one of the entrances.

One of the best crafts I've seen in jewellery there (although I do have a lot of favourites).

The name of a place inside the souk.

Admiring the lanterns...

Surroundings: Outside the Dubai Mall

Burj Khalifa

Not sure what this building is now, but cool architecture!

Souk al Bahar.

Inside Souk al Bahar.

Part of the Dubai mall from the back.

Dubai Mall: At Night.

Some pictures were taken before sunset.

Divers in the aquarium (I think they were workers maintaining it).

One of my favourite perfume stores (eventhough I don't even have one from their collection, I have smelt many of their perfumes).

Fashion on a magic carpet.

Sections of the Dubai Mall.

Boasting Omega clocks throughout the mall.

The Magical Magnificent Fountain Dance!

Every evening, a fountain dance is shown at every 30 minute interval. The dance is accompanied by music (all of which I liked); lasting just under 4 minutes (a typical song's length).

Bringing Modesty Back into Fashion

Now, this won't appeal to everyone of you out there. Everyone at the end of the day will have their own views. Some of you might find these tips silly, funny, or fussy. The rest of you might find them very helpful.

I've been blogging a lot on beauty products mainly. And I noticed the fact that I've not exactly been following the mantra of my blog 'Bringing Modesty', as it says. What is modesty? We all view modesty in different ways. Some of us think dressing up modestly means we create a 'modest' image. Or it could be the way we speak, the way we treat another.

To me the word 'modest' is everything you do. From the way you dress, to the way you handle yourself, friends, family and so on. (I'm not great at explaining this! But I do hope you get the idea).

Speaking of this, I'll admit I need to take and follow my own advice at times, which I struggle with.

So I'd like to share some tips for anyone interested...


Perfumes

You'll notice I have been blogging a lot on perfumes. Ideally, if you don't want to attract attention, be aware of how much perfume you spray on. It's always best to spray yourself with enough perfume wherein you can smell yourself and others from a distance can't. You could try this: spray on some fragrance on your wrists twice, rub them together then rub these on your neck. No need to bathe in perfume!

For Oud: these are a lot stronger, so dilute these in water before using.

And...when you're at home with family, spray on as much perfume as you want! This might sound silly, but why apply fragrance when going out only? Wouldn't any of you wear nice clothes (for example) or perfumes for your husbands at home (or for yourselves without the guilt)?

If you love the scent of perfume and this is the reason you spray it on yourself, why not spray some on a hanky and breathe in the scent, carry it with you...

I find that the hair gives out a lesser odour when you've just applied perfumes to it, compared to when you've applied it on places like your wrist (which gives off heat). So, if you want, you can spray your hair instead. This is an option =).



Can't find fashionable or comfortable long sleeve tops?

Invest in shrugs and boleros! These will go with any outfit and will give coverage and are handy especially for summer as they don't add the whole extra layer of a long sleeved shirt.

Uni Qlo sometimes do have an excellent range of long sleeve wear - so check them out.

Esprit also has a 'long sleeve' range on their online site. So check those out - they're available all year round and update with each season.



Solutions for low cut tops...

One option most of us know is to wear another layer under that top. Some people I know find it hard to find this other top itself... so what I suggest is... (for emergencies or temporarily...or permanently if you wish)... wear a shirt the other way round (usually most shirts would work) and you'll notice that the back side to it covers up all the way to your lower neck line. If you're wearing something on top of that shirt...it won't be noticeable! Just make sure there are no designs at the back.

Modesty Panels are also an option. No, I haven't tried those, but according to the Daily Mail's article, these are becoming increasingly popular.

Speaking of Modesty Panels, if you can stitch another layer under the low cut top yourself... this would be more preferable =) less hassle...


If you have any other tips, please feel free to share.

Random Pictures from the Thames Festival

Freedom Street - who wouldn't want to go there? =P Freebies galore...from sushis to ice creams to canvas type shopper bags...all were given out free...

Yo Sushi in practise - staff of YoSushi teaching members of the public how to make sushis. It looked very easy...! Perhaps I might do a sushi tutorial in future...



A live gig with random acts (from artists I haven't heard of before). At one moment people closest to the stage were dancing to a Michael Jackson song.




Bubbles coming out of a bubble stall shop. I wanted to capture a bubble on its own but failed =(


Some action figures at a play stall...which were arranged by adults and kids...what a beautiful arty mess ^.^


I captured this by chance. I love the way the cloud darkens at the top and further down, there are clear blue skies and the sun piercing through the sky.


Like this outfit..! Very anime-like...


And to finish off, a picture I took a long while ago...which had the shadow of the London Eye falling on to the Shell building.

Dubai Buys

Hi again all ^.^

I've been hibernating for a while and here I am again. I have been keeping up to date with all my followers' blogs (eventhough I don't have the time to comment!).

I will not be posting anything much about my private life on here for those wondering, but from time to time will add in photographs of landscapes and anything memorable...just to fill in the void to my increasing passion for photography.

The reason I've been dormant for a while is because I've been far, far away, in the UAE - Dubai! So I thought I'd start with reviewing some products I bought from there.

Then, perhaps, I'll be blogging on every place I visited there, but keep it short - I'll let the pictures do most of the talking for you....after all, a picture says a thousand words as they say =P

Hand Held Funky Mirror

I got this from Sephora. What attracted me to it was its doll like face at the back of the mirror and the quality of it. Pretty and handy...





Rich Lotion

I'm not sure what this is called exactly. I should have asked >.>
It retailed for £20 at the Dubai Mall. It has a very rich texture...undoubtedly from fine ingredients. The scent is a little overpowering with that note of typical Oudh - Middle Eastern scent, which I absolutely love. A small portion of this can be spread onto a large area and the scent lasts a long time.





Love Rocks by Victoria's Secret

This is the new fragrance launched this season by Victoria's Secret. It's very sweet scenting, which is great as a casual perfume. It settles to a musky candy like scent...which I prefer more so than its initial scent. It's a shame this isn't available here (I did get this in Sephora too!), but I've seen it available online.
Does this beat Britney Spears' Fantasy? Surprisingly not for me.... although the bottle...rocks...!




Sexy Little Things Noir by Victoria's Secret

This is concentrated on the fruity and floral notes...with a distinct nectarine scent and a hint of amber. It's very sensual...great for rainy day wear (if anyone here wears their perfume according to the weather too... )



And finally...some traditional pure Ouds...featuring Amasi & Rakheem





Both of them are strong and although more 'modern' in their scent, they hold the typical warm aroma of the Middle Eastern scent (which I'm sure most of us are familiar with). Just a dab of these on your wrists will be enough. I wouldn't advise using these on clothes... just in case you do use Oudh!
I think this is almost like Marmite - you either love it or you dont. Most Oudhs more or less have the same 'foundation' in its scent, although I have smelt Oudhs which are absolutely amazing...and different. Those weren't available there.