EDITOR’S NOTE Hello 2015! We can’t be more excited to start the first chapter of the NewYear! We only wish it carves our hearts with great moments to remember forever and lots of happy days to live. This issue is dedicated to the New Year as well as the new you! We will tell you the answer to checking your ever-lasting resolutions and the shortcut to happiness, you just need two minutes! If you’re aiming to finally get that model-signature physique in 2015, who doesn’t! We’ll tell you why you’re not losing weight and we bring you the best winter food for weight loss and the top seven, model-approved, exercises that will transform your body! Are you ready for winter fashionistas? We tell you the hottest accessories as well as the most stylish carry-ons you will need to rock this season in style! Our beloved beauty gurus, we didn’t forget you! We’ll teach you the worst winter fails and their fixes, the most creative make up tips you’ve never heard before, as well as winter’s 101 makeup trends that you should defiantly try! Our cover star this issue is Syrian heartthrobe Kinda Alloush, who opens to Insight about her career, her recent projects and what she still thrives to reach! Don’t miss our hot interviews with ‘The Voice of Germany’s’ Egyptian contestant Shady Sheha, in addition to rising designer Haya Alshishtawy, as well as screen’s angel Sanaa Youssef!
Published Monthly By Insight Publishing House Limited, UK P.O. Box 362 Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Tel: +4475-0745-3222 Egypt’s Representative Office: 7 Ahmed Hosny St.,Behind Raba’a ElAdaweya, Nasr City, Cairo - Egypt. Tel: (+202) 240-14241 / 240-16358 010-6587-1115 / 010-6587-1116 010-6007-3537 Website: www.insight-egypt.com E-mail: mag@insight-egypt.com InsightMagazineEgypt #InsightFans The Editor Nina G Yowakim nina.insight@gmail.com 010-0102-3105 Managing Director Nancy G Yowakim ngyowakim@gmail.com Editor-in-chief Maged Atteya mag.insight@gmail.com Editorial Department magz.insight@gmail.com 010-6587-1116 Editors / Sub Editors Staff Writers / Contributors Rania Ihab Roulla Soussou Art / Design & Website Designers Emy Emile Marian Karam Hossam Maurice Fashion Photographers Hussein Salman Sharbel Bou Mansour Khaled Fadda Event Photographers Atef Naguib, Khaled El Hawary Advertising Department adverts.insight@gmail.com 010/6007/3537 Admin & Distribution Dept. 010/6587/1115 Admin Executives Marian Jacob
HOPE YOU ENJOY OUR GLAMOROUS ISSUE AND WISH YOU AN AMAZING 2015!
2 insight
General Distribution: Al Ahram and on sale at newsstands, bookshops, major supermarkets nationwide & On the Run outlets. Annual subscription fee UK£140, US$220. Single copies are £1.40, US$3, EGP15. Group subscription rates available on request. Insight Magazine was founded in 1997 and is published monthly by Insight Publishing House Ltd, UK. Advertising and events deadline is the 10th of the month before publication. The publisher must be notified in writing of any reservations, cancellations or changes, 30 days before publication date. Insight Magazine does not assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, illustrations or advertising material. ©2014. All rights reserved. Insight Magazine is a registered trademark. Copyright here and abroad of all editorial content is held by the publishers: Insight Publishing House Limited, UK. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden save with the permission in writing of the publishers.
First Mall - Four Season - Shop 101
53 Best Fragrances For Him
14 How to Beat the Winter-Wardrobe Blash
CONTENTS CONTEN JAN 2015
Suede Heels For Every Budget
6
36
Syrian Sweetheart Kinda Alloush Screen’s Angel Sanaa Youssef Rising Talent Haya Alshishtawy A Voice of Gold Shady Sheha Calendar Where are you going this January? Horoscope Happy 2015! Art Donatello… Master of Sculpturing Hey It’s OK Pats on Your Back Movies, Music and Books Treats for Your Mind and Heart
10 Make up Must Haves for FW
4 insight
12
Hey it’s ok
Kinda Alloush Syrian Sweetheart
20
creative makeup tips
34
Essential Tips for Glowing Skin
8 6 Accessories every girl needs for this season Out and About Benefits of a Rival Hot Décor Trends for 2015 Beauty Brief Beauty Fails and Their Fixes Creative Makeup Tips Fashion Forward 6 Accessories Every Girl Needs This Season 12 Stylish Carry-ons Chic Lounge Wear Winter Accessories Report Beat Your Winter Wardrobe Suede Pumps for Every Budget
55 12 stylish carry-ons Folder
New Year… New You 7 Ways to Lose Weight This Holiday Season Running Tips and Tricks Best Winter Food for Weight Loss
64 7 ways to loose weight this holiday season
Best Fragrances For Her
52
Chic Loungewear For The Long Weekend
18
Guess
Vince Claire
Ch r Lou isti bou an tin
Heels For Every Budget Confession: We’re slightly obsessed with suede shoes. The luxe fabric gives us all a sneaky advantage, making it appear as if our shoes are expensive no matter what the cost. Whether you’re on a tight budget over the holidays or have some extra cash to burn, today we curated the best suede heels available right now at a variety of price points.
Lui chin
i
Suede
ll Madwe
Ballin Iris
Jessica Simpson
Mango Suede
Aquazzura Matilde
Rebecca Minkoff Jeffrey Campbell Alexand
ra
Forever 21 6 insight
Schutz Quereda Mules H&M Suede
Phillip Lim Martini
2
WINTER TRENDS
Free People Dusk To Dawn Crossbody
1
Solid Cozy Blanket Scarf
6 ACCESSORIES So you found the perfect outfit for all your outings. Next up? Shopping for the accessories that’ll complete the look and keep you warm and stylish. We created a helpful checklist with everything you’ll need. From a smidge of sexy sparkle to a wear-with-everything scarf, we rounded up the six items you can rotate throughout your party-going cycle.
3
That Every Fashionable Girl Needs
Elizabeth & James Erte Earrings
THIS SEASON
4 8 insight
1
Elizabeth Cole Hogan Earrings
Marni Embellished Leather & Felt Clutch
2
Jennifer Behr Spider Swarovski Crystal Embellished Hair Slides
Falke Cotton Touch Tights
5
Finger Candy
4
2 5
Dannijo Talford Necklace
5
Topshop Blue Navy Modal Ribbed Tights
Eugenia Kim Andy Beanie Finger Candy
3 Jeweliq Pave Venus Ring
4
4
Voz Lineas Wrap
1 Helmut Lang Small Fur Pouch
Jimmy Choo Ruby Mini TwoTone Sequined Shoulder Bag
1
H&M Golden Rings
1. Small Go-To Party Bag 2. Sparkly Jewels 3. Versatile Scarf 4. A Dash Of Gold 5. Warm Tights 6. Cozy Beanie
6 J. Crew Pom-Pom Hat
6 In God We Trust Beaker Pom Pom Beanie
2 Erikson Beamon Hair Accessories
Alexis Bittar Geometric Ribbon Cuff Bracelet
4
Make Up
HAVES FOR FW
MAKEUP FOREVER Lipstick
YVES SAINT LAURENT Touche Éclat Or Rose Radiant Touch
15
NARS Kudoki Kabuki Brush
MUST
Y
ou have checked your wardrobe to hit the winter trends, but what about make up? Let’s know something about the beauty must-have to update it with a seasonal touch. From the brow-liner to the illuminator here are our ‘never without’ fall-winter beauty products. GUERLAIN Un Soir a LOpera Kit
10 insight
W
GIVENCHY Ombre Couture Cream Eyeshadow
inter is here and autumn has already knocked at our wardrobe, so we have seen something about new fashion trends, but what about beauty and make-up? It’s time for a beauty-bag’s update, so, if you don’t know where to start from, let’s check our make-up must-haves.
D&G Brow Liner
CHRISTIAN Louboutin Loubi Under Red
OPI FIFTY Shades Of Grey Collection
E
yes are the focus for autumn-winter 2014 2015. Make-up artists turned their attention to eye on the season’s catwalk beauty look: from Dior to Rochas or Gucci we saw sixties’ inspired cat-eyes, big lashes and bareskin for a flawless make-up. Contouring and illuminating kind of perfection was in place at Givenchy and Marc Jacobs, whilst at Valentino, Erdem and Alexander McQueen an ethereal light emphasized the natural shade. So, summing up the beauty trends on runways, here are the products to keep in your fallwinter beauty-bag.
NARS Brow Gel
BOBBI Brown Long Wear Gel MAKE UP FOR EVER Metal Palette
THE GLAM eyeliner by Dolce &Gabbana
GUERLAIN Terra Ora Eye Shadow
SMASH BOX Silver Liner
EYIT’SO H K 1
To spike the eggnog.
2
3
To use seven exclamation marks in your greeting messages! You’re happy!! Da!
To eat snow when you’re abroad, pollution be damned!
5
To start reading four different books on the first of January, knowing that you will not finish any of them.
To believe the saying that, ‘what you do on the first you’ll end up doing all year.’ And yet do absolutely nothing on that day.
4
6
To send out a holiday card with a picture of your super cute, smiling Santa-hat-wearing pet!
To un-follow anyone that uses Twitter as a personal diary.
8
7
If your first thought every morning is waffles, nutella and peanut butter! What resolutions?
To fast on the first of January till the sixth, you can’t be dieting, fasting and quitting all vices simultaneously… You’re only human.
10 12 insight
9
To tweet your gift ideas to Santa- hoping that someone gets the hint!
How to Beat the
WinterWardrobe BLAHS
Wearing the same old sweaters and jeans for three months can bring on a nasty case of wardrobe blahs, one that sadly no amount of antibacterial hand sanitizer can prevent. Instead of pulling out your hair, ditching your wardrobe and getting SAD this year, get inspired by our street style picks, to help you found a way to look stylish, even a little springy, in winter.
Give winter SHORTS a go While “winter shorts” may sound as freaky as, say, a “leather bikini,” if you think about it, shorts and tights aren’t really any different from wearing a skirt and tights, right? If you’re up to test-driving a fresh new look, find a pair in wool or another hefty fabric and slip on a comfy sweater and boots.
Revisit fun FALL CLOTHES
Don’t shelf those cable knits, patterned shirts and other back-to-school classics just yet. You can wear them underneath a heavier, warmer layer. The little dash of pattern or color will make your layers seem lighter. Plaid is our fall classic. It always works so nicely with knit items.
Double up on your JACKETS Defrump a going-out look by wearing your leather bomber underneath a heavy old coat. Ditch your outer layer in a corner or coat check, hence the ‘old coat’, so you don’t have to worry about it all night and then show off your bomber and cool sense of style. 14 insight
Try a FAUXFUR vest
To fancy up your going-out look in a big (big = Hollywood) sort of way, ditch the bulky blanket-like coat and try a faux-fur vest instead. It’s thick and furry enough to keep you warm. And adding a hat or tights to any outfit guarantees to keep you toasty when the temperature starts to dip.
Become a BR IG HT_ TIG HTS fantastic
Don’t be afraid of the WH IM SICAL Try cropped Aztec print jacket, an eye-catching coat. The trick to pulling off a “wow” item. Keep everything else low-key.
Repurpose your SUMMER FAVORITES
Make the most out of what’s in your closet even the stuff you didn’t think of touching until July seventh. Remix your clothes, just tie a blouse over the top of it, layer it with a boyfriend vest and add tights, the feel of the dress immediately changes.
Wear BRIGHTS, one at a time
We love a cool mix of texture and shine, but the numero uno style idea to steal is the whole ‘less is more’ thing. Ease into bright pick-me-up hues—just wear one pop of color at a time.
Try unexpected COLOR COM BOS Not sure which colors go together? Check out your favorite fashion designer’s website for inspiration. Like Kate Spade’s most recent look book, go pink with red or orange tights.
Work the PREPPY LOOK yearround
You might think that classics like blazers and buttondowns are best left to a) bankers or b) preppy summer looks. But when you add a blazer and a scarf to that look you seem to wear every week, you’ve got the perfect outfit for a brisk day spent running errands and client meetings.
Break out the PASTELS NOW Winterize pastel hues by wearing them with heavier textured pieces like a black leather jacket and thick black tights. Try to balance the toughness of black leather with something softer.
We all know and luuuurve black tights, but stockings in hot hues can add a muchneeded kick to your everyday skirts, pumps and winter accessories. It is important to wear bright colors in fall and winter when the weather gets so dreary.
BEAUTY Everyone is in search of a secret product for glowing skin. But what they fail to understand is that glowing skin is not just about external care, it is a healthy mix of internal and external care. Instead of relying on makeup, try these simple tips for radiant and glowing skin.
1
HYDRATE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
You’ve probably heard enough about how one should drink at least 2 litres of water per day. The more you drink, the better it will be for your skin. Don’t just stick to two litres, drink as much water as you can. Apart from water, add foods like cucumber, watermelon, lemons, beetroots etc. to your meals as these foods contain ample water content too. This will hydrate your skin, keep away any kind of dryness and make it more radiant.
2
EXERCISE
It’s not just your physical health that benefits from exercising, it’s also your skin that will feel the difference. Exercising improves blood flow, allowing your blood to better carry oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. Such improved circulation also benefits skin health, thus leaving you with a glowing touch.
5
Essential TIPS
FOR GLOWING
SKIN 3
SLEEP WELL
Your skin begins its healing and rejuvenating process when you sleep at night. That’s exactly why doctors recommend a good night’s sleep. Apart from that, if you stay up for too long, your body gets exhausted and this affects blood flow. Such interruptions in your normal blood flow directly affect your skin. Remember to catch at least eight hours of sleep each night. 16 insight
4
SAY NO TO SMOKING
Smoking severely affects skin health. When you inhale, the smoke tends to constrict your blood vessels. On the other hand, when you exhale, the tobacco smoke you release into the air can dry your skin. Keep away from any form of smoking if you desire radiant and glowing skin.
5
DIET MATTERS
Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants etc. are all natural nutrients found in food. Instead of settling for processed and junk foods that lack such nutrients, add a healthy dose of fruits and veggies to your diet. Not only will this benefit your skin but it will boost your overall health as well.
ACCESSORIZE Beanies
CHIC Loungewear LILKA Slippers
For the long weekend
T
ake full advantage of the extended holiday weekend in luxe lounge wear that’s made for lazing. No office attire allowed just cozy threads, like silky PJs and cashmere cardis to keep you comfy and chic. Here, the best pieces to indulge your inner coach potato, if only for a few days.
VICTORIA SECRET LINGERIE
MADEWELL Socks
THERAPY Star Onsie
VICTORIA SECRET LINGERIE
18 insight
ZARA Throw
WILDFOX Thermal Set
VICTORIA SECRET LINGERIE
OYSHO Sweatshirt
VICTORIA SECRET LINGERIE
Stay comfy & stylish
VICTORIA SECRET LINGERIE
CHARLOTTE Olympia Slipper
JOURNELLE Pajama Set
MANGO PINK HIPSTER SWEAT SHIRT
AERIE Shorts KATE SPADE Sleep Mask
MICHAEL KORS Hooded Cardigan
VICTORIA SECRET LINGERIE
INSIDE
BEAUTY:
30 DAYS TO GOAL 1:
Nivea Sunscreen SPF 50
L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Glow Renewal Day/Night Cream
CLEAR COMPLEXION A.M. ROUTINE: Proactiv+ Pore Targeting Treatment, Nivea Sunscreen SPF 50 for Face. Clearasil Daily Clear Refreshing Superfruit Wash. THE RX: First, grab a cleanser with salicylic acid to gently exfoliate dead skin cells trapped in pores. Follow with a lotion with bacteria-zapping benzoyl peroxide and a high SPF to ward off drying UV rays. At night, go for a one-two punch with a product that has benzoyl peroxide and retinol (a vitamin A derivative) to unclog pores and up cell turnover, which will help fade dark spots. Finally, try a moisturizer containing soy, another hardworking brightener. 20 insight
Proactiv + Pore Targeting Treatment
Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
GOAL 2:
GLOWING SKIN A.M. ROUTINE: Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser. L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Glow Renewal Day/Night Cream.
Clearasil Daily Clear Refreshing Superfruit Wash
THE RX: Cleanse with a soothing, milky face wash before massaging in a moisturizer with ceramides, which strengthen the fat-laden skin barrier. Before bed, attack the enemy of luminous skin, a glow-zapping accumulation of dead cells by cleansing with the help of a rotating brush. After that, layer a thick cream with glycerin and ceramides under a coat of oil. The latter acts like Saran Wrap to hold in water.
GOAL 3:
GOAL 4:
BRIGHT EYES
Murad Advanced Active Radiance Serum
THE RX: Lightening the baggage starts with an A.M. eye cream or gel containing caffeine extract. It constricts swollen blood vessels so fluids drain away from the areas and circles don’t look as dark and puffy. Cooling products (think hydrating undereye patches) similarly shrink swollen tissue. Before bed, retinol will prompt healthy new cells to speed to the surface for a smoother look over time.
A.M. ROUTINE: Murad Advanced Active Radiance Serum. Kinerase Advanced Lotion SPF 30.
Lancôme Visionnaire Eye Advanced Eye Contour
A.M. ROUTINE: Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels. Lancôme Visionnaire Eye Advanced Eye Contour Perfecting Corrector.
WRINKLE-FREE SKIN
Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels
THE RX: Consider glycolic acid the MVP of this regimen. In a cleanser or moisturizer it will help ‘remove dead skin and speed cell turnover, so skin looks less wrinkled over time’. During the day, a vitamin C serum to increase the production of skin-firming collagen, and then a moisturizing sunscreen to protect from cell-damaging free radicals caused by the sun. At night: a retinol lotion spiked with hydrating hyaluronic acid and firming peptides to (gently!) stimulate collagen.
Kinerase Advanced Lotion SPF 30
AMAZING SKIN FRESH
& GLOWING
Fast Tricks To Boost Your Mood And Happiness
2 Minutes TO A HAPPIER YOU
Little ways to lift your mood: Add a few of these instant get-happy tricks to your arsenal, so you can whip them out whenever you need a burst of bliss. Experts say you won’t find true joy in a paycheck or miracle wrinkle-remover. According to experts, Riverside, life circumstances account for only 10% of happiness. Half depends on our genetic ‘set point’, which is kind of like the weight our body bounces back to after that crash diet. And about 40% of our happiness is influenced by what we do deliberately to make ourselves happy. Next time you need to turn around a hellish day at work or brighten up a draggy afternoon, try one of these proven tips to lift your mood and make you smile. 22 insight
1
Flip through old photos
When you’re feeling down, break out your kids’ baby albums or pictures from your favourite vacation. It may actually make you feel happier than a square of Godiva chocolate would! That’s what researchers found after they examined how much people’s moods rose after eating a chocolate snack, sipping an alcoholic drink, watching TV, listening to music, or looking at personal photos. To keep your spirits high at work, upload your favourite pictures to your computer and set them as a rotating screen-saver. Or splurge on a frame that flips through digital photos.
2 Munch on nuts
For a mood-lifting snack, stash walnuts in your desk drawer. Or sneak salmon into your salad for lunch. They’re both packed with omega-3 fats, which may make people less prone to depression, and easier to get along with.
3
Inhale a calming scent
Fill your office with a fragrant candle or diffuser to calm down during a deadline-packed day. Researchers wafted the smell of oranges and lavender. It will make you feel less anxious, more positive, and calmer. Add a few drops of either oil to a room diffuser and use in your office on stressful days.
4Open your shades To feel happier in seconds, let the sunlight stream in when you first wake up. Eat breakfast near a window that gets plenty of daylight, and put exercise equipment near a bright view. Some researchers speculate that combining exercise with morning light exposure may amplify light’s beneficial effects on mood, sleep, and alertness.
5
Walk around the block
If you work in a windowless office, make sure you step out to see the sun a few times throughout the day. A couple of studies show that people who get more light exposure during the day have fewer sleep problems and less depression, and evidence suggests that light can keep you alert and productive. If you have more time, a longer bout of exercise may also spark a smile. Lots of people skip working out
when their moods aren’t ideal because they don’t have the mental energy to switch gears. But the trick lies in finding the right workout to match the mood you’re in. When you’re battling blues, try something low-key and mindless. Even mild exercise, about 40% of your max heart rate, can lift your mood. So if you’re not up for the usual high-energy stuff, do some leisure activity you enjoy, such as arranging the house or walking in the track. View it as mental recreation, not exercise. If you’re angry, pick something that makes you focus. As tempting as it may be, skip the kick boxing. You can’t punch away anger. Instead, do something that involves your mind and keeps you from focusing and ruminating on what has you angry. Play racquetball, or take an aerobics class you’ve never tried. Learning new moves will free your mind from what’s upsetting you.
6 Cue up YouTube
A hearty laugh produces a chemical reaction that instantly elevates your mood, reduces pain and stress, and boosts immunity. When stress builds up or you feel as though you may snap at any minute, make yourself giggle: Watch a funny video clip online, or stop by the office of a wisecracking pal for a quick chat. Also, keep an eye out for the unexpectedly silly side of daily life to combat negative thoughts.
7
Rethink your retail therapy
Before you plunk down that credit card at the mall to feel better, read this. To get more happiness for your pound, splurge for experiences instead of stuff. Spending on a great meal out or a concert, for example-is better than lavish your money on material goods such as clothes or jewelry. Added bonus: Experiences allow you to spend quality time with family and friends; a new pair of shoes is a solo endeavor.
8Chat up a neighbour
Socializing with a cheerful person in your neighbourhood increases the likelihood that you’ll be happy too. Surprisingly, this had even more of a mood-boosting impact than spending time with an upbeat sibling, according to a recent study. How often you get together matters most: People who live within half a mile of buoyant friends increase their odds of being happy. If your friends live farther away (within a 2-mile radius), the chances drop to 22%—probably due to fewer gettogethers.
9 Chop veggies
It’s a favourite unwinding technique. After a particularly emotional and stressful, go straight to the supermarket. Buy ingredients and cook them. There is something about chopping vegetables, making order, creating something wonderful that whole process neutralized my negative mental state. On the menu: soup, vegetable lasagna, and poached salmon.
10 Do a good deed
People who volunteer are likelier to be happier than those who don’t’ regardless of how much money they make or other socioeconomic factors. Pitching in for a regular cause in your community is ideal, but you can make a difference in other ways in mere minutes simply by becoming an organ donor or signing up for a charity walk. Researchers believe volunteering boosts happiness because it increases empathy, which makes you appreciate all the good stuff in your own life.
HOW
TO
LOVE
EXERCISE: The Crucial Mindset Shift
The New Paradigm: An Uplifting Lifestyle, Not an Optional Chore
O
kay, okay, you may have read that heading and thought — all of this build-up just to tell me that exercise should be a lifestyle? I’ve heard that a million times. Yes, we understand that people have been preaching an ‘active lifestyle’ for decades, but hear us out. Have you really stopped to reflect upon the gravity of that statement and the shift in paradigm that it entails? Most people who fail to incorporate exercise into their life never make this pivotal leap. They continue to view exercise as this optional, strenuous, annoying thing to get out of the way. We’ll tell you this if you view exercise as optional, pretty soon it will be absent. If you view it as annoying and undesirable, you will never find time for it.
YOU M IG HT WON DER HOW COU LD PEOPLE LOOK FORWAR D TO EXERCI SI NG? 24 insight
People too often forget that from evolutionary standpoint, we’re still living in the same bodies as primitive humans people who had to be active all the time to stay alive. This means that our bodies and minds simply do not function optimally without physical activity. Truthfully, that’s all it takes to love exercise. There are no shortcuts or secret tricks to make it effortless. Forming the exercise habit will require some sweat and determination. For a bit more direction, we came up with this list of 16 uncommon tips. These suggestions will make it easier to think differently about exercise, form the habit, and eventually love the process.
16 UNCOMMON TIPS 1. Love the process, love the pain.
Loving exercise isn’t just about loving the results. This is where many people get hung up. They hate the actual process. They find it boring and painful. Do not think
in this way. View the process as a chance to slow down, an escape from the usual endless to-do list. Exercise is a chance to be present, to be patient, to feel your body’s power and to be thankful for it. When you begin to push yourself, there will be pain and discomfort. Don’t shy away from this. You don’t have to be a sadist to derive gratification from pain. Embrace it and feel it fully. Pain means effort and growth. Show the pain that you’re stronger than it. we can’t stress enough the importance of this.
2. Set a trigger.
A trigger is simply something that happens right before you perform a habit. For example, showering might be a trigger for brushing your teeth. Having a trigger for exercise, especially when you’re first starting, can be incredibly helpful.
3. Be spontaneous. Diversify constantly.
A lot of people become bored when they try to only run or only swim or do only a certain
set of lifts. It’s better for your body (and more fun) to do a whole mixture of things. Jog one day. Rock climb one day. Do yoga the next. Play soccer the next. Dance wildly for 30 minutes the day after that. You get the idea. Diversify your environment too. Go to the gym, the club, outdoors. Take a run with no set route.
8. Really notice and celebrate small victories.
4. Doing anything always beats doing nothing.
9. Gradually cut down on consuming nasty foods.
People often don’t feel up to working out for an hour one day, so they don’t do anything at all. Do something. Jog for five minutes. Do twenty push-ups. Something.
5. Start so small — microscopic.
Many folks try to start exercising and become overly ambitious. They run three miles the first day, but its so hard and they’re so sore afterwards that they don’t want to do it ever again. Instead of doing this, start so small that it’s easy. Run a quarter mile three or four days per week. Do a few sit-ups each day. Gradually increase in the coming weeks.
6. Do it for someone else.
If you need an extra pinch of motivation, think of all of the people who want to see you live a long, healthy life your parents, children, friends, siblings, grandparents. Furthermore, you can literally think, “This one’s for __________” while you’re lifting to get that extra oomph or while running to get that extra push at the end. This is extremely motivating.
7. Join a class, club, or organization. There are countless options for joining a group that encourages exercise. Take a cycling class. Join a martial arts dojo. Sign up at a gym. Find out if your city has a local group of runners. Meeting other people who are also trying to exercise is a great way to enjoy yourself and stay inspired. Even if you don’t join something, try to befriend other fit people.
“
G IF WE AR E CR EATIN OU RS E LVES ALL TH E TIM E, TH E N IT IS N EVE R TOO LATE TO BEG IN CR EATING TH E BODIES WE WANT IN STEAD OF T H E ON E S WE M ISTAKE N LY ASS U M E WE AR E STUCK WITH. Deepak Chopra
“
Went for a 15-minute walk? Pat yourself on the back. Worked out every day this week? Take pride in that. Lost 2 pounds? Give yourself a hug. Positive change comes in increments. It makes it easier to keep going if you appreciate every small step.
You don’t have to do this at first. Starting to exercise is hard enough without also changing your eating habits. However, over time, you’ll find that diet and exercise really do go hand-in-hand. If you’re eating deep fried, fatty, artificial foods all the time, you feel clouded, bogged down, and low on energy. Because of this, you don’t exercise as much. On the other hand, a healthier diet makes your exercise more effective and gives you the energy you need.
10. Respect yourself.
When you want to give up, respect yourself. When the couch sounds better than the elliptical, respect yourself. Love who you are enough to not slip into a life of obesity and lethargy.
11. Listen to that fiery music, that burning passion music.
The music that makes you want to conquer the world. Maybe it’s the Rocky soundtrack, a Beethoven concerto, or an Eminem album. Whatever it is, play it in your headphones and get in the zone. One study found that exercisers who listen to music can improve their performance by as much as 15%.
12. Get addicted to the high.
In rare cases, exercise addictions can be harmful. However, it’s pretty hard to overdo it. The natural high that exercise provides is seriously invigorating and uplifting. Let yourself feel it and fall in love it. Crave it. It will get you to the gym.
13. Find a natural setting.
Exercising in nature might be your thing. The air is fresher. The scenery is vibrant and interesting. The space is open and inviting. It just feels so raw and primal to run through the club garden. Give it a shot.
14. Just put the clothes on.
Throw on the shorts. Lace up the shoes. This is one of the simplest ways to push your mind into a place of expectation for a workout. If you can just do this, it will seem silly not to at least step outside and go for a short jog.
15. Don’t set goals.
This might seem counterintuitive, but focus on “losing 30 pounds” or “running a marathon” then become discouraged when we realize how far away our goal actually is. And what happens we we reach a goal? It’s simply onto the next one in a never-ending succession of goals. What we should do instead is— love the process. If you learn to love the process and stop keeping score, you’ll exceed all of your expectations and gain more satisfaction than any amount of goal-achieving. If you insist on setting goals, base them on effort, not results. Make it your goal to give it your all for the next week at the gym and with your eating habits. That’s the type of goal that will serve you.
THE MOST IMPORTANT HABIT We would argue that exercise is the most important habit, the one that allows all of the others to fall into place. Exercise allows you to see and feel the benefits of striving to better yourself. Just start. If you don’t think you have the time, make time. You’ll never regret investing in your health. Without our health, what else is there? Nothing. We need to remember this, and we can do it. You can.
The Formula
to Achieving YOUR EVERLASTING
RESOLUTIONS
C
hances are at some time in your life you’ve made a New Year’s resolution — and then broke it. This year, stop the cycle of resolving to make change and then not following through. If your resolution is to take better care of yourself and get healthy, you will have a much better year if your resolution sticks. Here are some of the most repeated New Year’s resolutions and how to achieve them…
1LOSINGWEIGHT st
Y
Resolution
ou may want to lose 15 or 20 pounds, but a vague goal such as this is difficult for your mind to decipher. It’s okay to have the end in sight, but first determine how you will get there by breaking it down into smaller, more doable actions. Resolutions that focus on healthier actions can help build the momentum that will eventually lead to weight loss.
EXAMPLES INCLUDE: 1 I will walk 20 minutes after work every other day. 2 I will drink water instead of soda during dinner. 3 I will take the stairs instead of the elevator at work.
28 insight
KELLY OSBOURNE
The Fashion Police star has reportedly dropped 70 pounds since she began her weight-loss journey a few years back. She looks fab, and she clearly has some fun with her fitness: One of the ways Kelly gets her exercise on is through hula hooping.
JONAH HILL
Hill lost 40 pounds after appearing in the 2011 film Moneyball, but made headlines when he returned to his former weight less than a year later. The weight gain was a surprise to his fans because the actor has previously said that slimming down was a sign of maturity to him. Hill attempted to cut out carbs and follow a diet similar to the Atkins plan.
OUR ADVICE TO YOU
T
here are several food-brands in Egypt that can help you eat healthy delicious meals and still lose the extra pounds like NGS, Gourmet and The Vegan Kitchen.
Exercising ExercisingMore A
s exercise is another important component in weight loss, many people resolve to exercise more in the New Year. Choosing changes that won’t be too much of a burden helps ensure that you’ll stick with them. Remember, it doesn’t help you to start training for a triathlon if you’ll work on it twice and then give up. If you currently exercise, plan to increase your workouts by 10 minutes per session or 1-2 times per week. If you don’t currently exercise, start small, like taking a 15-minute walk during your lunch break.
MORE EXAMPLES OF REASONABLE EXERCISE INCREASES INCLUDE: 1 I will add 10 minutes of weights after my usual cardio routine. 2 I will park further away from the building at work or the mall. 3 I will switch my Thursday Pilates class to something that challenges different muscle groups, like zumba
Don’t let the weather be an excuse for nonexercise. It only means you need to move your exercise to a different location.
ANGELINA JOLIE
The Angelina Jolie workout routine is the secret behind her weight loss. When it comes to getting in Hollywood shape, Angelina Jolie works out with celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson. Angelina’s workout uses a lot of circuit training. This means Jolie is constantly doing different exercises that work her arms, abs, chest, hamstrings and glutes.
JESSICA ALBA
Jessica does not like hitting gym or practicing tedious indoor workouts. However, her personal trainer has her do 3-2-1 workout. The workout is composed of cardio workouts, strength training, and core workouts. Having reached superb proficiency level, the kick-ass beauty abides by three circuits at one time.Her workout regime varies from five to six days in a week and she spends minimum one hour on her workouts. Cardio workouts such as running on treadmill and kickboxing are her ways of scorching pounds and creating calorie deficit in her body. Besides that, Jessica keeps rolling back and forth among varied sets of workouts, which actually keep the magnificent star in high spirit.
2
OUR ADVICE TO YOU
M
ake sure you try Zumba classes in several places like Body Works Fitness Studio or Try Idea with coach Marc Bahoury at Heliopolis Sporting Club.
nd
3
rd
QuitSmoking
S
topping tobacco use is a difficult, stressful task for most smokers. For this reason, it’s especially important to use the “one at a time” technique and tackle this resolution independent from any other. Set a date for yourself and announce your plans to others so they can provide support. Elect a way to distract yourself from the urge to smoke, such as by exercising. Change your routines so certain patterns don’t trigger the desire to smoke. Contact your doctor to discuss medications or smoking cessation products, for example, gum or lozenges.
FINALLY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING AS SMALL CHANGES YOU CAN MAKE, OR MINI-RESOLUTIONS, ON YOUR PATH TO QUITTING: 1 If you usually smoke in the car, choose a different route to work or to your destination. 2 If you smoke while in a particular room or while sitting on a particular piece of furniture, rearrange the room or get rid of that piece of furniture. 3 If you smoke after a certain meal, change the room you eat that meal in. 4 Remember that smokeless tobacco is still addictive and can cause a number of health risks such as heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. This is NEVER a safe alternative to smoking.
30 insight
GWYNETH PALTROW
Gwyneth will only light up for films now, having stubbed out her last cigarette when she was 24. Despite the odd puff for movie roles, she’s managed to stay a non-smoker. The trick is that you really need to want to give up otherwise you’ll soon be back on the ciggies. A good trick to maintain the effort is to change your routine to avoid as many of your usual lighting-up times as possible.
GISELE BUNDCHEN
Like many models, Victoria’s Secret babe Gisele Bundchen smoked to pass the time backstage at shows. Gisele hesitated for a while for fear of the weight gain associated with quitting, but says she actually prefers her body better now. If you’re concerned about gaining weight after you quit, also consider that kicking your habit will improve your lung capacity and ability to exercise without feeling so burnt out!
OUR ADVICE TO YOU
Y
ou can simply do something fun that won’t make you think of smoking like playing Paddle Tennis at Katameya Heights or play Paint-Ball with your friends at Rehab City, New Cairo.
4 Abusive Relationship Getting Out of an D
omestic violence and abuse can happen to anyone, yet the problem is often overlooked, excused, or denied. This is especially true when the abuse is psychological, rather than physical. Noticing and acknowledging the signs of an abusive relationship is the first step to ending it. No one should live in fear of the person they love. If you recognize yourself or someone you know in the following warning signs and descriptions of abuse, reach out.
THERE IS HELP AVAILABLE. 1 End the relationship as soon as possible. Depending on how involved the relationship is, you may need to make preparations for your departure, making certain to keep yourself as safe as possible. 2 If you live with the abuser, suddenly starting a new routine that involves staying away can be challenging. 3 If you eventually face your abuser in court, hard evidence can help you get a restraining order, win a custody battle, and otherwise ensure that this sort of abuse will never happen again. 4 Remember that it’s not your fault. You are not responsible for the actions of your partner, whatever they may say. You don’t “deserve” to be abused and you couldn’t have done anything to keep your partner from becoming abusive.
RIHANNA AND CHRIS BROWN
Rihanna has been strongly criticized for publicly flaunting her reconciliation with Chris Brown. With millions of girls looking up to her as a role model, she has set a bad example by demonstrating that it is okay to return to an abusive relationship. However, condemning Rihanna may not be the answer. The problem lies much deeper than her. Returning to an abusive relationship is a common problem among those that have been abused. Rihanna, along with many others, may have fallen into this cycle. Why do people so often return to these destructive relationships? Yet, she was finally able to set herself free and breakup with him.
th
WHITNEY HUSTON AND BOBBY BROWN
By the mid-2000s, Houston had endured a roundelay of rehab stays. She admitted she made habitual use of marijuana and crack and specified that Brown’s highs of choice were alcohol and marijuana laced with cocaine. By that point, the couple’s fights had entered a physical realm. In 2003, police responded to a domestic-violence 911 call to their Georgia home and discovered Houston with a bruised cheek and a cut lip. Brown subsequently turned himself in and was charged with misdemeanor battery for striking the superstar and reportedly threatening to “beat her up.”
OMD MENA has a stellar 2014 is selected media agency of the year It has been an especially good year for OMD, most recently OMD Egypt has swept award ceremonies, both including two gold and one silver and returned from the Global Cristal Awards with another Emerald for Mirinda. On the heel of these international wins, OMD has just been selected Media Network of the year by Campaign middle east magazine for the second year in a row. If judging the quality of advertising content is subjective, evaluating its performance is a more precise exercise and event, held recently in Dubai, OMD Egypt had produced for HairCode Gel (Gold in the personal care category), Vodafone (Gold in the best use of social media category) and Mirinda (Silver in the best use of social media category). Mirinda also made a global impact by winning an Emerald at the Cristal Awards held in France. These victories are testament to the transformation of OMD over the past three years, including the expansion of media agency. Awards are just one of the things that make for media agency of the year; Campaign ME looks for business growth, media innovation, talent, culture, and industry contribution and CSR. OMD MENA has “A key factor in the success of this year’s campaigns was our ability to capitalize on changing media habits and the synergies that exist between media platforms,” said Rania Hafez, general manager of OMD Egypt. “We have Collaboration was also key to our success; working with BBDO on the Mirinda and Bravo Agency on the Vodafone successful winning initiatives, meant we were involved in the whole process from beginning to end. Bravo Agency These awards and winning media network of the year for the second year in a row, prove that our current strategy for excellence and innovation that ultimately drive outstanding results is indeed working. We look forward to “Working with OMD Egypt is like working with an extension of ourselves,” commented Youssef Shoukry, marketing head of Marico. “They work seamlessly with our marketing department to drive the media agenda forward and they constantly come to us with new opportunities. Their digital team delivered an outstanding activation of our well. multiple parameters, the most powerful combination being energy, experience, passion and teamwork. BBDO, Proximity and OMD form such a phenomenal team that consistently delivers success.” “Vodafone Barakat and Super Teta campaign hammered on Vodafone’s online services. The campaign was extremely successful and had a huge impact on our Brand digital assets and the unmatched customer experience we are providing. OMD exceeded all expectations in this campaign. We are so proud of the award and the partnership,” said Amr El Badry, Vodafone Egypt Brand Manager.
www.omd.com
CREATIVE MAKEUP
tips
You’ve Never Heard Before F
or every impossible hairstyle that requires two packs of extensions to execute, hair, makeup and nail gurus inevitably pass on several practical tips backstage at Fashion Week, too. And this season we were paying attention to these gems. Read on for more tips you can easily incorporate into your daily beauty routine.
BEAUTY CONFIDENTIAL Hanging out backstage during the shows at Fashion Week, you’re bound to pick up a few tips from the makeup artists and hair pros. Take this example from behind the scenes: To keep foundation from getting smudged, tuck a powder puff between your hand and chin when brushing on lipstick.
GETTING DECKED To prevent the dreaded bumps that metal clips can leave behind,
34 insight
hairstylists keep playing cards handy. The thicker paper and smooth finish make them ideal for the job.
SLEIGHT OF HAND Beauty pros know that looking at a woman’s hands is the best way to find out her true age. Botox and fillers can make a face look years younger, but extremities don’t lie. Behind the scenes a model (likely still in her teens) has concealer brushed onto to her hands to make them look even more pristine.
NEED A LIFT? At one recent show, models were given the Botox treatment by way of tape (not that a single runway model actually needs her skin pulled taut). The goal was to create dramatically arched brows. Although we wouldn’t suggest this strategy for everyday wear, it certainly could be fun come Halloween.
LASH OUT Looking to lengthen your lashes? Use the tip of your mascara wand to fully coat individual strands.
CURL POWER
A LEG UP
Even models with stick-straight hair can achieve glorious waves. The trick? Weaving small sections of hair in and out of a U-shaped bobby pin, and then clamping with a flatiron to set the shape.
Even perfect-looking gams are fair game when it comes to runway prep. For the runway preparations, a model with lovely legs goes under the makeup artist’s brush to get them burnished with a darker foundation.
36 insight
“
I meet a lot of people who tell me we called our
DAUGHTER Because we love you Such words are greater than any kind of
AWARD
“
Since she first appeared on the silver screen, she stole our hearts with her angelic face and genuine smile. Following her huge success in ‘Cairo’s Residence’ and ‘ Excuse Me!’, Kinda Alloush succeeded to prove herself not just as a Syrian beauty but as a true talent that deserves to be highly respected!
38 insight
Syria’s Sweetheart By: Rania Ihab
What attracts you to the role you play?
The most important thing about any new project is the script, it is very important for me to see how well the role is written. Also it must be different than my previous roles. I like playing colorful, rich characters that are close to human nature with its conflicting characteristics and features. I hate playing naïve and superficial roles; they don’t attract me at all! The only thing that may drive me away from a role I like is the fear of repeating myself, as I am always eager to present a variety of different roles I didn’t play before.
How do you prepare for a new role, especially if it’s different from your character’s nature?
By studying! It is really important to understand the deep features of the character, and her relationship with other characters. What are her aims and motives in the story line; in order to believe her and mimic her feelings and aspirations. Even if the character has a bad or dark side, I must feel that I am attracted to her in order to portray her in a good way.
Why did you stop your production company?
I established this company in Syria, now that I reside full time in Egypt it became more difficult for me to handle its work along with the projects I am committed to as an actress.
What was your hardest scene in ‘Ad Tanazoly’ (Countdown)?
The scene of the son’s death was really hard, as it was repeated throughout the series from several viewpoints of different characters. For me, I wanted people to believe me as I am portraying the most heartbreaking moment any person can live. It was such a tiring scene for me; it made me really sick for several days after shooting. The other scene is when her husband decided to commit suicide, dramatically it was really heavy and technically it was really difficult and took more than 18 hours of shooting.
40 insight
I like playing
H IC R , L Rt arFe cU COLO e r tu a n n a m u h to e s lo rs tha characte WITH
ITS
CONFLICTING
characteristics and features
Kinda Alloush
42 insight
Last Ramadan you portrayed two successful characters in Countdown and ‘Dala’a Banat’ (Spoilt Girls), yet the entire season was really rich with successful series, was there a different role that sizzled your eyes and you secretly wished to portray?
I was offered lots of projects last Ramadan, but I had a wish to portray two completely different characters and that’s what attracted me to Countdown and Spoilt Girls. Ghada in Countdown may seem similar to other characters I portrayed before, but my challenge was to present her from a different angle. I enjoyed playing Ghada’s character very much; I felt each and every scene deeply, yet I was still able to achieve my aim by portraying Heidi in Spoilt Girls. It was really hard to play both characters perfectly and be shooting at the same time, but I am really happy that I was able to balance between both of them. As you said, last year was filled with a lot of successful series like ‘Segn Elnessa’ (Women’s Prison) and ‘Saba’a Wasya’ (The Seven Comandments) that have some brilliantly written female roles that are tempting for any actress to play.
Which role did you enjoy the most, Ghada or Heidi?
Maybe Countdown’s nature as a drama is closer to my heart as I did a lot of dramas before, but I was really thriving to do a comedy and I enjoyed every single moment in Spoilt Girls.
People compared Spoilt Girls to ‘Bakiza we Zaghloul’ (Bakiza and Zaghloul), you even said so yourself in a previous interview, doesn’t that comparison make you afraid?
I was terrified! Bakiza and Zaghloul is nothing but an epic comedy written by the mogul Esaad Younes and staring two huge comedians! But the story of Spoilt Girls was different, the acting and directing techniques were different as well.
What about your role in ’Lamoa’akhza’ (Excuse me!) ? Is it true that you accepted the role before reading the script?
More than one factor attracted me to that movie. First, my belief that we need to present good movies especially in this crucial time. Second, I have a lot of trust in Amr Salama, Mohamed Hefzy and the entire crew behind the movie, that they will present nothing but an excellent project. I don’t care about the size of my role as long as I know that my character is imperative to the storyline.
What are your coming projects?
Next Ramdan I have a series called ‘El Ahd’ (The Era) with the same crew of ‘Niran Sadeeka’ (Friendly Fire) and fellow stars like Asser Yassin, Ghada Adel and Hana Shiha. The series has a fantasy nature and is imaginary in time and place. It’s a new genre and a new challenge for me. I totally trust Mohamed
Amin Rady, Khaled Mary and Tarek Alganainy, we succeeded together in Friendly Fire and I am really happy that I am working with them again!
Friendly Fire introduced a new genre to the Egyptian drama, what encouraged you to take this risk?
Friendly Fire is a very tempting project for any actor that is hard to refuse! It opened the door for a different genre that presents a new story with a different angle; even the incidents were presented differently to the audience! Unlike other series, the series has a different nature; the incidents are not chronological, they are interweaved in a difficult way that needs a lot of concentration and attention from the viewers to follow! Thank God we had an amazing feedback!
How do you evaluate your journey in Egypt?
I feel that I still have a lot to offer! But I am really happy that I am viewed like a talented actress, not as a Syrian actress acting in Egypt, even in the nature of the roles I am offered.
What can you tell us about ‘Betawkeet Alkahera’ (Cairo Time)?
Amir Ramsis is a very talented director, when he offered me the role and I read the script I was excited to be part of this new experience. Although I am just a guest star, but Rasha, my character, is different from previous roles I played and I was really excited to portray her.
We’ve also heard that you are preparing for a new series with Ahmed Elsakka. All that has been written about this project is far from being true. I would have been honored to work with such a huge crew, Mr. Sadek Alsabah (the producer), Ahmed Shafic (the director) and a super star like Ahmed Elsakka. Naturally, I don’t talk about any project before I sign it! I was offered a role in this series but we couldn’t arrange the schedules, and it became difficult for me to shoot because I have already signed different projects. What was written on my behalf was very rude and inappropriate and it’s not like me at all to say these things!
What’s your greatest reward as an actress?
I have been awarded for several roles I played, but my greatest award is people’s love! I meet a lot of people who tell me we called our daughter Kinda because we love you, or because we feel you are close to our hearts! Such words are greater than any kind of award!
INSIGHT SCOOP
Beauty Brief
Haya
Alshishtawi By Rania Ihab
Insight got a glimpse into Haya Alshishtawy’s world as a growing bag designer, her sustainable ethos, which makes her bags ethically pleasing, and what inspires this small business owner to keep on pushing towards a more viable way of approaching fashion.
What can you tell us about yourself?
I am a girl who adores fashion and design. I graduated from Ain Shams University, Faculty of Arts, Media and Communication Department. After graduation I decided to pursue a career in my dream field. I took courses and learned how to cut patterns and sketch designs. I believe that everyone must have a goal and work hard to achieve it regardless of the difficulties they face.
What inspires you as a designer?
My work is inspired by the eternal beauty and elegance interweaved with modern life’s fast pace.
Why did you choose to specialize in oil painted portrait bags? I come from a family of painters, so it’s natural that my work is inspired by oil painted portraits. It’s a beautiful feeling to incorporate the elegance and beauty of past and present, creating a unique work of art.
Is there one piece that you created that is closest to your heart, and why? Of course Omar Sharief’s oil painted bag. Although it required a lot of hard work and time but I enjoyed working on it a lot.
How can you evaluate the fashion industry in Egypt today?
The fashion industry is definitely booming, we have a lot of aspiring talented designers, but what we lack is sponsorship.
What fashion advice can you give our fashionistas this season? Do what you like, be yourself and don’t imitate. Be the best version of yourself cause everyone else is already taken.
In your opinion, what one bag every woman should own? A unique black crafted handbag that suits every occasion.
What is the blessing/curse of being a designer?
I get a lot of positive feedback and that makes me really happy. I feel my own success when I exceed my fans’ expectations.
What are your coming projects?
44 insight
I am planning to launch a line for female apparel that matches my bag designs. I am still in the early steps of the process and I hope it turns into a huge success.
W
hile fatigue manifests itself in aching muscles, shorter strides, and decreasing speed, your mind is actually the culprit behind your tiring body. Science has found that your brain is hard-wired to slow you down and keep some energy in reserve so you don’t run out of fuel. There are simple training tactics you can use to deceive your brain and utilize some of that unused energy, though. Try them during your next workout to run farther and faster than ever before.
U N ing R N Tips and Tricks
46 insight
1 Interval workouts feel less unwieldy than a long run. Breaking any long run into more manageable chunks of distance makes it seem like you’re not running as far. When you divide it into warm-ups, fast repetitions, recovery intervals, and a cool down, the total mileage seems less daunting. You can go harder during those short intervals than you would when just doing a steady run for the same distance, too. This increases your VO2 max, or how efficiently you take in oxygen to turn calories into energy, so you can push your body farther and faster.
DO THIS:
Head to a track and warm up with 10 to 20 minutes of easy jogging. Run 6 x 800 meters at your 5K race pace with a 400-meter jog between each. The interval pace should feel difficult, but sustainable for a half mile. During the 400-meter recovery, focus on bringing your heart rate down and mentally preparing for the next interval. By the end of this workout, you’ll have banked 3 miles of hard running and anywhere from six to eight total miles including warm-up and cool down.
SPEED UP YOUR WORKOUTS
DO THIS:
BOOST YOUR STRENGTH
Sprint workouts are already tough. But if you want to take yours to an all-new level, throw some quick body-weight training between your sets. You’re changing the stimulus and challenging your body in new ways instead of just thinking about the next sprint. When you attempt your next sprint, your mind will consider it a brand-new workout instead of a continuation of the previous sprint. The result: You’ll be able to push your limits and finish more sprints than you could before.
DO THIS:
Fartlek is Swedish for “speed play,” meaning you vary your pace during your run. Doing this allows you to focus more on effort and running intensity, rather than total distance. You’ll throw in speed changes that are typically faster than your normal steady-state pace, which will give you a better workout than if you jogged for the same amount of time. Plus, increasing your speed and intensity for short bursts mimics running a race with hills and turns. This causes your heart rate to remain higher during a fartlek run, ultimately improving your overall fitness and preparing your body for race day.
Perform a short warm-up. Then begin your running route. Somewhere in the middle of your run, pick up your pace for 30 seconds, slow down for 30 seconds, and then repeat four more times.
2
BREAK UP YOUR MILEAGE
Head to a flat field, park, or track. Complete four 50-, 100-, or 200-meter sprints. Between each sprint, perform a strength move—15 situps, 20 pushups, a one-minute plank, or 30 squats—instead of walking. Once you complete all four sprints and all four strength moves, take a short rest. That’s one round. Do as many rounds as possible.
3
Fayrouz ends 2014 with outstanding achievements and prepares for a stronger start in 2015 Fayrouz A Smile Goes a Long Way towards thousands of families and children Fayrouz keen on community development with initiatives reaching Upper Egypt
As part of its sustainability strategy of supporting the Egyptian community, Fayrouz successfully put a smile on thousands of faces in 2014. Fayrouz has launched a number of charity initiatives to achieve society advancements and support familiesin need. Fayrouz’sinitiatives were not limited to Delta and Greater Cairo, as they extended their reach up to Upper Egypt. Last October, Fayrouz rolled out an initiative, in cooperation with Nile Valley Scouts Association, to paint 5 houses made of mud in Nubia as well as clean and develop their surrounding roads. This project delighted the residents and motivated them
to make further contributions. Fayrouz also provided volunteers with transportation and distributed T-shirts, capsand Fayrouz products among all the participants and inhabitants. Out of its belief in the importance of supporting people with special needs to allow them to better integrate with the community, Fayrouz donated a fridge to the benefit of «ElGhad Al MouchrikAssociation», which represents a breakthrough for Fayrouz towards creating more job opportunities in the future, especially for people with special needs at the association. Fayrouz also donated 38 computers for a number of schools in El-Obour, El-Gouna
andGianaclis areas, aiming to support and develop education at these areas. As part of its annual activities, Fayrouz was keen to share with Egyptians their happiness during Eid El-Fetr; Fayrouz employees volunteered to distribute 2000 kilos of cookies among 1000 families in El-Nahda, ElSharkia and Gianaclis areas, in cooperation with Orman Charity Association, aiming to please the families at these areas. Fayrouz success results from its employees› dedication and loyalty; they work together as one big family. Fayrouz is always eager to take care of its people and their families to strengthen the values of loyalty within each
employee. For the second year in a raw, Fayrouz in cooperation with WellSpring Egyptorganized a summer camp in 2014 for employees’ children in Beit El-Wady, Wady El-Natroun. Covering many edutainment activities, the children enjoyed their time and made the best of it; participants recorded a 30% increase compared to 2013. Believing in the importance to contribute in boosting its own society, Fayrouz prepares for more social initiatives in 2015, so that the company can continuously draw a smile on more faces thus maintaining its leading position in CSR activities, as well as in the Egyptian beverage sector.
INSIGHT SCOOP
Acting and becoming famous was a far-fetched dream to Sanaa, yet with her several talents and a strong resume that included a TV series with legendary Actor Adel Imam, she managed to set herself as one of the up-and-rising stars proving that she is more than just a pretty face or a sexy voice! By: Rania Ihab
WHEN DID YOU DISCOVER YOUR PASSION FOR ACTING? I discovered my passion for acting during my school days. I started singing at school concerts when I was ten. Back then I never aimed to be an actress instead I wanted to be a singer, but I was drawn to the allure of theatre and it attracted me to acting.
HOW WERE YOU NOMINATED TO STAR IN THE TV SERIES ‘FERKET NAGY ATALLAH’ (NAGY ATTALAH’S GANG)?
The production company contacted me to meet Mr. Ramy Iman and the superstar Adel Iman, after they watched my movie ‘Elhadsa’ (The Accident) that was displayed in various film festivals. I am beyond happy that my first acting debut in Egypt was with the legendary actor Adel Imam.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM ADEL IMAM?
I guess no words will be enough. He’s such an intellectual person, you’ll never learn enough from him. He always cares about each and every member in the crew. He taught me to be punctual and to love my work regardless of the size of my role. I really enjoyed the entire experience.
HOW DID YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR ROLE IN ‘DALA’A BANAT’ (SPOILT GIRLS)?
My role in Spoilt Girls was a surprise even to me! I’ve never been offered a part with such a candid combination of hatred, greed and selfishness. I was really afraid of playing her, but after I met the director and understood her vision I started to concentrate on the little details as well as Nagwan’s history to draw the authentic reasons behind her character. Research is the most important part in portraying any character, as it helps improve the actor’s performance and makes him more convincing. The appearance is also as important, I had to change a lot in my look and style to become Nagwan, especially that she faces a lot of turning points during the series and they have to manifest on her behavior and general appearance.
Sanaa Youssef TV Screen’s New Siren
50 insight
NAGWAN IS A COMBINATION OF HATRED, JEALOUSY AND GREED. WEREN’T YOU AFRAID OF AUDIENCE’S FEEDBACK?
WE’VE SEEN YOU AS A SINGER IN ‘NOKTET DA’AF’ (WEAKNESS POINT), ANY UPCOMING MUSICAL PROJECTS?
My role in Weakness Point was a good step to show the audience my abilities as a singer. Only a few know that in the beginning of my career I participated in a lot of musical plays. Through Noor’s character, I was able to re-distribute a number of songs and people started to praise my voice. I love music and I hope to be a singer but I am waiting for the right time and opportunity.
I expected the feedback to be different but I wasn’t afraid people would hate me. As an actress, I must portray both good and evil characters and hope not to get stuck in one genre.
YOU’VE RECENTLY BEEN HONORED WITH THE SPOILT GIRL’S TEAM BY DAKAHLIA PROVINCE, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?
WHAT ARE YOUR COMING PROJECTS?
I am preparing for a new movie project but I am still reading the script! I have been offered a lot of movies since Nagy Attalah’s Gang but I didn’t like any of them. It is important for me to do a role that will be beneficial for me as an actress.
I am more than happy for being honored as best emerging actress. I worked hard in this project, and rejected a lot of other projects just to concentrate on this series and I am glad that my hard work paid off. Yet I am also worried as this increases my responsibility in my future choices.
WHAT’S THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING AN ACTRESS?
WHERE ARE YOU FROM THE MOVIE INDUSTRY?
I admit I am unlucky when it comes to Egyptian cinema, maybe because I moved to Egypt before the revolution and since then the movie productions are very limited. I have been offered a lot of roles that didn’t attract me. I did a movie in America and another in Tunisia that I am very proud of. I want to offer Egyptian audience a movie with good subject and content. Now that we reached a state of political stability, the movie business should start recovering, and producers are starting to work on projects with better content. You’ve acted in Egypt, Tunisia and America. What’s the difference? I am pleased to participate and work in a number of projects in the Middle East and internationally, they’ve all added a lot to my balance as an actress. I didn’t witness any difference in the process, as I worked with a lot of Arab directors and producers who use the same techniques as the foreign ones!
I
am BEYOND
HAPPY that my first acting
debut in Egypt was with LEGENDARY ACTOR
Adel Imam
Acting has a special allure, but the hardest part is incarnating the character I am playing. When I am preparing for a new character I lock myself away from my family, friends and even my habits and live the character I am playing. The whole process takes a lot of energy, but it is a very fruitful one.
HOW DO YOU EVALUATE YOURSELF AFTER EACH ROLE YOU PLAY?
I guess what’s more important is how the audience and critics evaluate me, because that’s really how I know if I performed well or not.
IF YOU GET THE CHANCE TO PORTRAY A HISTORICAL CHARACTER, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
I have no problem portraying any reputable figure that had an imprint during her time, but if I get to choose I would choose Fairouz, Warda Al Jazaeria and Soad Hosney.
Photography by: Emad Joe / Styling by: Ahmed Abdallah / Makeup by: Rahsa Khalaf / Hair by: Alfred and Mina
MOST POPULAR
FRAGRANCES
EAU DE LACOSTE POUR FEMME This rich fragrance of white flowers recalls clean white cotton shirt scent. It is made of notes of white pineapple, mandarin and bergamot at the top; Sambac jasmine, orange blossom and pineapple blossom in the heart, and sandalwood, peru balsam, vetiver and vanilla in the base.
FOR HER
ELIZABETH ARDEN UNTOLD Untold by Elizabeth Arden is a floral fruity fragrance for women. The nose behind this fragrance is Clement Gavarry. Top notes are pink pepper, bergamot, pear and cassis; middle notes are Egyptian jasmine and gardenia; base notes are patchouli, amber and musk.
LA VIE EST BELLE LÉGÉRE
ESTÉE LAUDER MODERN MUSE EAU DE PARFUM
The new version exudes white musk aura, which is added to the original “edible” aromas of black currant, chocolate praline and vanilla mixed with flowers of jasmine and iris.
TORY BURCH EAU DE PARFUM Tory Burch opens with notes of grapefruit, pink pepper, currant buds and leaves, mandarin and neroli. The heart blooms with peony, tuberose, mimosa, jasmine, carrot seed and sweet alyssum, on a base composed of vetiver, cedar, sandalwood and white musk.
This perfume is Estée Lauder’s attempt to climb back to the top of the perfume houses. Modern Muse symbolizes what it means to be an independent and self-confident woman today, sure of herself and her style. It is a confidence that inspires.
EAU MOHELI ROGUE BY RIHANNA The fragrance is announced as a flirtatious and sensual oriental, containing accords of lemon blossom, cyclamen, jasmine, rose, plum and suede over a base of musk, woods, patchouli, vanilla and amber. 52 insight
Eau Moheli by Diptyque is a floral woody musk fragrance for women and men. The nose behind this fragrance is Olivier Pescheux. The fragrance features floral notes, ylang-ylang, patchouli, pink pepper, ginger, vetiver, benzoin and incense.
“
MOSTPOPULAR
FRAGRANCES FOR HIM NAUTICA VOYAGE N-83 For a man setting sail on his own heroic journey, capturing his adventurous spirit as he navigates his endeavors with precision and passion. This fragrance is anchored by a rich fusion of dewy moss and refined woody amber.
GAP ESTABLISHED 1969 ELECTRIC Electric fragrance is created by David Apel. Its woody - aquatic composition begins with sea spray, bergamot and cassis. The heart of black pepper, petit grain and linden blossom rests on the woody base of patchouli, vetiver, blonde cedar and clary sage.
PERRY ELLIS FOR MEN Perry Ellis is an Aromatic Fougere fragrance for men. The fragrance features spicy notes, lemon, citruses, seawater, bergamot, geranium, jasmine, sandalwood and birch.
DEREK JETER DRIVEN RUSH Derek Jeter Driven Rush by Avon is a Woody Aromatic fragrance for men. Top notes are mint, mandarin orange and watery notes; middle notes are suede and violet leaf; base notes are cedar, sandalwood, moss and amber.
RESERVE BY ORIGINAL PENGUIN Reserve by Original Penguin is an Oriental Fougere fragrance for men. Top note is a citrus; middle note is a spicy note; base notes are woodsy notes and amber.
JAMES BOND 007 OCEAN ROYALE The fragrance opens with refreshing notes of bergamot, lime, anise, and seaweed accord. The heart is elegant and sensual thanks to iris, cedar and teak wood. The base includes woody accords of sandalwood and guaiac rounded by intense aromas of tonka and coffee from Jamaica.
BANANA REPUBLIC WILDBLUE NOIR Wildblue Noir by Banana Republic is a Leather fragrance for men. Top notes are green notes, spices and sea notes; middle notes are musk, vetiver and coffee; base notes are suede, leather and dark chocolate.
WINTER TRENDIEST
A
CCESSORIES
Our favourite accessories trends straight from the F/W 2015 Ruways SCARF IS THE NEW NECKLACE ALTUZARRA
GLOVES ITH PERSONW CHRIST ALITY IA
NE DIO
R
SCARF IS THE NEW NECKLACE SCACI
ONE IS ENOUGH SALVATORE FERRAGAMO
ONE IS ENOUGH CELINE
FANTASTIC FURS FENDI
FANTASTIC FURS DEREK LAM
THE FLORAL NECKLINE
SIMONE ROCHA
ORNAM
BOOT CAMP
SAINT LAUR
ENT
ONE IS ENOUGH
H GLOVES WLITITY A N O S PER EL CHAN
PROENZA SCHOULER
ENTATI
ROCHA
S
ON
54 insight
SCARF IS THE NEW NECKLACE MICHEAL KORS
ORNAMENTATION VERA WANG
ONE IS ENOUGH LOUIS VUITTOM
SCARF IS THE NEW NECKLACE RALPH LAUREN
12
Investing in a carry-on bag you’re proud to tote around is one of the most important purchases you’ll make, which is why we culled 12 you’re certain to fall in love with. They are handy for mothers, for the gym, for travelling. Fit all the essentials (and more) into these stylish designer bags. Carry on, carry-all, carry on.
Stylish
Carry-Ons
Baggu Basic Leather Tot
Pull & Bear Bag
Bric’s Life Holdall 22” Duffel
For Every Budget
Clare V. Weekender Bag
Everlane Twill Weekender Marni Tote
Herschel Supply Co. Novel Weekender
Givenchy Lucrezia Weekend Bag
Givenchy Bag
Cote & Ciel Seine Bowler Bag
Givenchy Rave Medium Shoulder Bag Jack Wills Gym Bag
CHRISTMAS N CELEBRATIO
M NOËL Bûche de Noël At Sofitel El Gezirah Sofitel Cairo El Gezirah lately hosted their annual Bûche de Noël cocktail reception. This year also marks half-century of Sofitel’s artful blending of the best of French art-de-vivre with local cultural refinement in more than 120 luxury addresses in 40 countries around the world. The event was held in honor of the legendary Dalida who stayed at Sofitel Strasbourg, the first hotel of the Sofitel chain at the beginning of her career. Cairo’s elite were all in attendance to celebrate and enjoy the delicious buffet & entertainment that included a beautiful ballet show, and some fabulous fireworks lightening the night sky.
Y R A S R E V I 50 TH ANN 56 insight
CAIRO’S ELITE
MAKE UP FOR EVER PAI NTI NGS
IN MOTION MAKE UP FOR EVER
Celebrates
IN STYLE AT PACHA IBIZA DUBAI
In celebration of its 30th Anniversary, MAKE UP FOR EVER partnered with Pacha Ibiza Dubai to host an exclusive bash. Dany Sanz, Founder and Artistic Director of MAKE UP FOR EVER put ‘paintings in motion’ and glared the dance shows by sketching the looks of the dancers with a large team of makeup artists. Attended by over 700 people including VIPs, celebrities and media, the event brought the world of professional makeup from backstage onto the center stage and dazzled the huge number of crowd with its unique and impactful artistic touch.
UNIQUE AND IMPACTFUL ARTISTIC TOUCH
30TH AN N IV
E RSARY
LE
“FRIDA KAHLOS”
N E I D I MER
ARA
SIN I U C BIC
E
MEZZEH AND INDOCHINE
Launch in Style AT LE MÉRIDIEN CAIRO AIRPORT Le Meridien Cairo Airport welcomed the holiday season with a special treat for its distinguished guests at two of its latest additions; Mezzeh and Indochine. As guests arrived, they were escorted to Mezzeh where they savoured a range of contemporary interpretations of Lebanese classic dishes. Then they were entertained by an extraordinary fashion show inspired by the individuality of Frida Kahlo at Indochine, where designers Farida Temraz and Nada Akram created exclusive lines for the show. Following the fashion show, DJ Khaled Hussein engaged the crowd with fabulous tracks while international South African bartender Denzel Heath added sparkle to the night with a range of cocktails inspired by South East Asia.
58 insight
STYLE & GLAMOUR
TALENT PROGRAMS Granted Titles and Lost Stardom By: Hisham Amin
Talent programs and reality TV have became the latest obsession of Arab viewers in this time and age as we all know. As a result, cable channels are constantly competing to get the rights to produce these shows or at least land the rights to broadcast them. Unfortunately, lately most of these programs have become either ad magnets or a structure for bleeding voters’ money with semi-fake countdowns that are often totally irrelevant or are deviating from the main objective of the program, which should’ve been showcasing real talent. The trend of talent programs initiated in the Arab world in 1992 with the Lebanese program ‘Studio Elfan’, which was regarded as a unique phenomenon back then. This program witnessed the birth of many talents like, Magida Alroumy, Nawal Alzoghby, Ragheb Alama, Elissa and many others who turned into the brightest names in the industry. ‘Studio Elfan’ is maybe the only program that advocated real talent, but unfortunately cable started seek quick profits away from the submitted content, so originality and transparency didn’t last for long. During the past 15 years, more talent programs started to appear on the scene like ‘Star Maker’, which only stayed for four seasons without presenting any real talent worth the mention. After that, Arab versions of international programs began to spread starting with ‘Star Academy’, which managed to stay for nine consecutive seasons and currently airing its tenth. Despite the huge success and viewership rates the program witnessed, yet it failed in presenting any tremendous talents to date. It seems that the granted titles in these programs are part of a political war that controls the results significantly, no matter who the audience vote for! For example ‘The X Factor’ title was granted by Mohamed Alrifi, who became the second 60 insight
Moroccan to be granted a title after his fellow Moroccan Mourad Bouriki won ‘The Voice’ several months prior. Despite the small number of the Moroccon population, it is a wonder that they were able to vote for two winners in one year! This raises a big question mark regarding the voting procedure resulting in the rumors that the king of Morocco ordered to open all telephone lines for free votes, to ensure the success of Moroccon contestants. And even if that were the case, what kind of fair game is it then if politics will run the show?
‘Arab Idol’ is no better! It just ended last month with the victory of Syrian Hazim Sharif, despite the high votes and audience preference for Palestinian contestant Haitham Khalayleh, who obviously did not earn the title for the following two reasons. First, the title was previously obtained by Mohammed Assaf who was Palastinian as well, second the political dielema’s in Syria tipped Sharif’s chance as a winner, which proves again that politics became the ruler of everything, even art. One is left wondering if the rise of these so called ‘Talent Programs’ has actually added anything to the music or the art industry, other than some money in producers’ pockets, a venue for advertisers and a singer per capita! Previously, superstars like Tamer Hosney and Sherine Abdel Wahab - who participated in a joint first album back in 2002 - as well as Mohamed Hamaky, who were all discovered not through any talent program, these three are now amongst the golden horses in the Arab world. This only means that a true talent can succeed and continue to grow away from the “illusion” of talent programs. It is true that talent programs are supposed to make it easier for true talent to be seen even if just for the first time instead of relying on producers who sign them up for peanuts – but it seems they have proven to be no better as they have become biased and politically oriented or deviated. They also only sell fake success to
new aspiring talents. This fake success ends the final day of each season and they become has-beens the minute the preparations for the new season start! No time or genuine attention is given to those who are granted these titles as well as the fact that the voting process is intervened with a lot of afflictions and agendas. For instance, you’ll rarely find two winners from the same country in two consecutive seasons and this confirms the manipulation to attract as many audience and voters from different Arab countries as possible. For instance, Lara Scandar did not win and yet she has carved her own way to stardom but Mohamed Atteya, Nesma Mahgoub and Carmen Soliman are only three of the names of the Egyptian winners who are starting to be forgotten. On an international front, it seems to be a very similar case, as Jennifer Hudson has carved her way to the top while the name of the winner of American Idol 2004 is not even remembered. Unfortunately, the journey for many of these talent program winners always ends with a granted title and a stardom lost forever! SO what are the alternatives for these lost talents? Is it back to making a demo and finding an art-loving producer to discover them? Is it posting on YouTube and hoping to get enough viewership to start a career? Or is it simply relying on being seen on one of these shows and doing it yourself from there? Or is it all of the above? The jury is still out on that one but we do wish them all our best in their future.
S T
A
R
S t s o L
DUST
ON
THE SILVERSCREEN This year the Egyptian movie industry was flourishing with creative movies, deep storylines, professional directing and acting talents. Said no one ever! Okay let’s not get too harsh; honestly speaking very few movies were actually worth watching... By Nada S. Shahin
‘LAMOAKHAZA’ (EXCUSE ME!):
‘ELFEEL ELAZRA’ (THE BLUE ELEPHANT): The golden horse this year was The Blue Elephant based on Ahmad Mourad’s novel, thus he wrote the script too; and directed by the talented Marawan Hamed. The movie is about a depressed psychiatrist (Karim Abdelaziz) who returns to his work after 5 years of absence to find himself investigating the mental status of his best friend (Khaled Elsawy), who by the way portrayed his role flawlessly. Back to the story, the psychiatrist is haunted by an old love story and a complicated series of events that drew him into an underworld of black magic and demons accessed by a strange blue pill. The movie is interesting despite the first half being boring; let us not forget the hallucination sequences, amazing. The movie grossed 30.9 million L.E profit.
62 insight
‘ELGEZEERA 2’ (THE ISLAND 2): Another worth watching movie is The Island 2 written by Mohamed, Sherin and Khaled Diab and directed by Sherif Arafa. The movie follows the events of the first part where Mansour (Ahmed ElSakka) escapes prison during the revolution chaos and returns to the island trying to regain control. This starts a war not only with the government but also with a new threat, ElSheikh Gaafar, played by the late genius Khaled Saleh in his final role perfectly ending his acting career. The movie’s success was based more on the first movie as it didn’t live up to expectations and there was an inexplicable overuse of special effects, still worth watching though. The movie grossed 13.3 million L.E in its first week only.
That is not all, we still have Excuse Me!, written and directed by Amr Salama. The movie is a comedy that highlights a controversial topic, through a Christian kid named Hany Abdullah Peter (Ahmed Dash) whose father (Hany Adel) dies and leaves him and his mother (Kinda Alloush) drowned in debt. So Hany leaves his luxurious private school and transfers to a public one and pretends to be a Muslim to fit in. The boy finds himself facing a series of complicated events and consequences that highlight the phenomenon of religious discrimination in Egypt, not just that, but the social and financial differences and the way kids are raised with wrong beliefs and morals. The kids were the real stars of the movie; their realistic simple acting and the direction of Amr Salama added a lot to the movie’s success.
‘FATAT ELMASNA’’ (THE FACTORY GIRL): Okay ladies you’ll love this one, the feminist chick flick The Factory Girl; written by Wesam Suliman and ingeniously directed by Mohamed Khan. It tells the story of Hayam (Yasmin Raaees), a 21 year old girl, who works in a clothing factory like the rest of the girls in her poor neighborhood. The movie delves deep into the aspects of their lives, thoughts, hopes, dreams, especially their biggest dream of finding love and getting married; add to that the private girl talk which add some sort of comedy to lighten up the melodramatic movie. Hayam falls in love with her handsome young supervisor, Salah (Hany Adel), and faces a lot of trouble due to that. The movie highlights the masculine society we live in and the continuous judgment and pressure girls feel from society, not just from men but also from other women.
‘WARDA’:
‘ELHARB ELALAMEYA ELTALTA’ (WORLD WAR III): The movie industry in Egypt is not creative and prefers to steal movie ideas and recycle them rather than create new ones. Sorry I couldn’t find an easier way to deliver this. Let’s talk about the top three rip offs from best to worst. The first thing that comes to mind when you watch World War III is Ben Stiller’s ‘Night at the Museum’. The movie, written by Hisham Maged and directed By Ahmed Elgendy, is about a guy that enters a museum where the statues in display come to life, see! I’m not going to be harsh on it because it was a good funny comedy that you’ll enjoy watching, plus it got 30.3 million L.E of profit.
‘SONE’A FI MISR’ (MADE IN EGYPT): And the last of the goodies is Ahmed Helmy’s Made In Egypt written by Mostafa Helmy and directed by Amr Salama. It’s about an unambitious young man (Ahmed Helmy) who works in a toy store and likes the girl (Yasmin Raaees) in the opposite store, but she resents him. One night he exchanges souls with a stuffed panda that leads to a series of funny events that later change his general perspective of life and the girl’s opinion of him. It is an okay comedy, but certainly below expectations of a comedian like Ahmed Helmy, but it still managed to collect 10 million L.E in profit.
‘GAWAZA MEERY’ (OFFICIAL WEDDING): The second obvious rip off is Official Wedding, written by Khalid Galal and directed by Wael Ehsan. The movie is about a young lady (Yasmin Abdelaziz) who finds two men (Hassan Alraddad and Karim Mahmoud Abdulaziz) declaring their love to her, and she holds on to the opportunity and doesn’t let go of either of them, which leads the guys to fight for her. You will like it if you aim to see the Arabic version of ‘This Means War’.
If you watched Warda, written by Mohamed Hefzy and Directed by Hady ElBagoury with a bunch of unknown actors like Farouk Hashem, Samira Mokren and Nada ElAlfy; what was the first thing that crossed your mind? An Arabic failed attempt to imitate ‘Paranormal Activity’ with poor quality, a vague storyline and illogical disconnected scenes. Okay, Okay, I know it got 1 million pounds of profit in its first week and that it is the first real attempt to create a scary movie in Egypt, so I will not go so harsh on it and I will just say that the next time we try to make another one, let’s get more creative and make more sense.
‘HALAWET ROH’ (ROH’S BEAUTY):
And the biggest rip off of this year, and the worst, is Haifa Wahby’s Roh’s Beauty supposedly written by Ali Elgendy and directed by Sameh Abdelaziz. This one is totally ripped off Monica Bellucci’s ‘Malena’? But it seems like the makers of the film thought that people won’t notice so they copied the same poster and trailer too. Following the dielmma of Prime Minister’s decision to pull the movie from theaters even though some critics find it an act of suppression. It is something I don’t recommend watching at all.
T
he remaining movies are not worth mentioning. They revolve around crime, drugs, prostitution and a meaningless collection of explicit scenes and if not, then a comedy with a bunch of lame scenes, and actors taking stupid and silly to a whole new level. Add to cheap directing, talentless acting and an empty storyline. If more movies like the good ones I mentioned earlier are made and improved, and if scriptwriters actually use their imagination instead of choosing the easy route of ripping off story ideas, we might have a decent movie industry like the good old days! So let us all cheer up and hope 2015 brings us something better.
7
WAYS
TO LOSE
WEIGHT
THIS Holiday Season 64 insight
A
ll the festive cocktails, holiday parties, and gingerbread houses can make the holiday season seem like a month full of weight-gain booby traps. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can still indulge in the season without going overboard and setting yourself back when it comes to your goals. Now’s the time to arm yourself with tactics that will keep your weight loss going strong well into the New Year.
INCLUDE THIS IN YOUR BREAKFASTS Even though a lot of the most tempting events will usually happen at night, what you eat in the morning can play a role in keeping your appetite in check. Including peanuts or peanut butter in your breakfast can smash cravings up to 12 hours later. Clock it: That likely puts you smack dab in the middle of some kind of event with delicious offerings that could be secret calorie bombs—but since you’ll still feel full, you won’t be as tempted by them.
FEND OFF EMOTIONAL EATING
the junk. The researchers had 33 women do two different activities: First, they watched a seven-minute video that had a ticker tape of words running across the bottom of the screen. Half the group was given the directions not to read the words. Once the video was done, both groups looked at pictures of food and rated how tempting they were. The women who had to try not to read the words wanted food more, presumably because all that mental exertion sapped them of willpower and even made food seem more appealing. So if you have a work event you have to go to, give your brain a restorative break before you go.
PREPARE FOR THE TIME YOU’RE MOST INCLINED TO BINGE
Dealing with cravings? Take a glance at your watch, and don’t be surprised if it’s around 8 p.m. That’s the time people are most likely to want sweet, salty, and starchy foods. The findings suggest your body’s circadian rhythm automatically makes you want to eat more when night falls. Add in the urge for comfort food that can come with winter, and you’ve got a recipe for overindulging. One fix? Be prepared with filling snacks that do delicious double duty by tasting good but being limited to around 150 calories in portion size.
Now’s The Time To
ARM YOURSELF
BE SMART ABOUT THE BOOZE
We’d never tell you to give up cozy drinks like spiked hot chocolate—’tis the season, after all! Just be wise about which kind you choose since there may be a link between how often a person drinks and their chances of being obese. The study authors examined data from 8,000 participants who reported how many calories they’d taken in from alcohol the week before. Women drank an average of 382 on their heaviest drinking days, which is about 19 percent of their total daily intake. Men had about 677 calories from alcohol, or 27 percent of their daily intake.
WITH TACTICS
THAT WILL KEEP YOUR WEIGHT LOSS GOING STRONG WELL INTO
While the holidays should be cheery, they can often be one of the most stressful times of year. To avoid emotional eating, think about the future. Researchers conducted four studies to see how people’s emotional states influenced their food choices and discovered that when people were in a good mood, they rated healthy foods more favourably than indulgent ones. The opposite also held true: when people aren’t feeling their best, they’re more into indulgent options. Then, the researchers asked the participants to think about the future. They found that when given that prompt, the participants preferred healthier food, no matter their mood. That’s when the long-term health benefits of what you’re eating have a chance to win out over the deliciousness of something unhealthy, say the researchers.
THENEWYEAR.
RELAX BEFORE YOU PARTY
Something called “decision fatigue” can be the culprit behind you reaching for
CHOOSE YOUR DINNER MATES WISELY
The holidays are the times to bond with friends—and where better to do it than over a shared meal? Go for it, as long as the pals you’re eating with are similarly health-minded. Researchers analysed the restaurant orders of 1,459 customers who didn’t know their decisions were being tracked. They frequently chose something from the same category as the person they were eating with. Even better, when more people at the table ordered from the same category as the participants, they were more likely to be satisfied with what they got. The opposite is true, too, so be extra-vigilant when a friend is having a cheat day.
SET UP A FEW OBSTACLES
If you make food a little more difficult to eat, you might consume less. Researchers had participants taste-test wrapped and unwrapped chocolate and dried fruit (both staples of the holiday season). Sometimes they had to use tongs to serve themselves while others they didn’t, and sometimes they had to unwrap the food themselves. The study authors found that people ate almost 30 percent less when they had to unwrap the food or use tongs. The researchers think that extra time you spend getting the food ready to eat might help you consider whether you really want it or not. Something to keep in mind when grocery shopping for your holiday party!
AND THEIR FIXES
BeautyFails 66 insight
S
ometimes we mess up our makeup, hair, and nails! This is entirely acceptable, obviously, because if we were all perfect all the time, none of us would ever truly stand out. That said, should a lady like to swiftly ameliorate her errors, and return to her awless, shining glory, then she should deďŹ nitely, probably consider these simple, hasty solutions.
1 3 4
JUST SAY YOU LEAVE THE NAIL BAR AND YOU SMUDGE YOUR POLISH…
What, is it too hard to get money out of your wallet, and then put that money in the parking meter, and then get your keys out of your bag, and then unlock the car, and then put your seatbelt on without the full use of your nails? it’s impossible to do Real Life with wet polish, unless you have an assistant/three hours to sit completely still and not pick up anything or do anything. THE FIX: This is best fixed immediately, while the polish still isn’t dry. Gently press the smudge with your thumb, to gently massage the polish back into position. Don’t worry if it looks worse for a second. Now apply a coat of thick, shiny topcoat over the nail, which will – using ancient wizardry – blend it all together, mask the smudge, and create the illusion of a flawless varnish.
JUST SAY YOU HAVE FAKE TAN STREAKS ON YOUR LEGS OR ARMS…
Because you dared to go to sleep within two hours of application. Or sleep on your side with one hand pressed onto your shoulder/neck. Or apply your product half-pissed. Or sweat. How dare you. THE FIX: If you have another night before the event you want to be tanned for, do another thin coat (or two) of tanner on the limbs in question. If you need to look chipper today, then use either a tinted body bronzer – which is makeup, not self-tanner – once you’re dressed on the areas that need evening out.
“ REAL 2 LIFE TODO
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE
JUST SAY YOU HAVE APPLIED TOO MUCH BLUSH OR BRONZER… It breaks the dame’s heart to see ladies looking otherwise radiant save for enormous swipes of brown or pink molesting the sides of the face. THE FIX: Take some foundation on a sponge, or foundation brush, or even just a cotton pad, and blot over your cheeks to neutralise the colour. If your lipstick colour is too intense (is there such a thing??) go over lips in nude lip liner, or a nude gloss, which will take the volume down a notch, but maintain that delicious creamy texture.
WITH WET
POLISH
“
JUST SAY YOUR HAIR IS TOO “DONE” LOOKING AND YOU WANT IT LOOSER/ SEXIER/COOLER… This often happens when we leave someone else in charge of our hair, such as after a cut and colour, or when we get an updo, but can also be our own fault, because we are not tonging our hair right, or think we are doing it right, but if people look at your curls and waves, ‘Well they’re definitely artificial’ because they are perfect the whole way round the head, then you’re doing it wrong. THE FIX: If it’s just happened, that is you’re still in styling mode at home, you can re-curl/tong/styler some sections, and be sure to tug them out and loosen them up a few short minutes after they’re out of the heat. Then run your fingers through them and ruffle them up a bit. Shake it up, you know? Fancy, deliberate styles aside (like beehives, finger waves, slick ponytails, blunt fringes with immaculate, blunt bobs etc). So, if you’ve looked at your hairstyle, and you’re not thrilled, because it’s too stiff, or all a bit perfecty-perfecty or even too straight and plain and conservative and flat, flip your head upside down, spray in some texturiser (such as sea salt spray – a hair must-have along with mousse and hairspray and heat protector) and on high heat, but low intensity, roam your hair dryer all over for 30 seconds. This blast of heat and a bit of a tousle with your fingers will give you excellent, natural texture. Flip back up and finish with a TINY bit of Magic Dust. Even dry shampoo will do the trick. If it’s an updo, you can VERY CAREFULLY tug at small pieces to loosen it up, or have some fun, wispy bits out around the neck, or tease around your hairline with the heel of your palm for some cool, fashion frizz.
INSIGHT SCOOP
A
VOICE
OF
GOLD
AT THE VOICE
OF GERMANY
SHADY 68 insight
SHEHA
Shady Sheha impressed everyone with his talent and charm, from the judges’ panel to the studio audiences and even home viewers worldwide when he took part in ‘The Voice of Germany’. With his blind audition and battle videos reaching more than 100,000 clicks on YouTube, Shady is more than happy to have reached that far on a program so popular. He opens up to Insight about his experience in ‘The Voice’, his favorite coaches and his aspirations for performing concerts, releasing an album and embarking on a singing career. By Rania Ihab
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF?
I was born in Cairo in 1977. I grew up between Cairo and Vienna. I graduated from the German School and studied to become a certified interpreter in German, English and Arabic languages. I also speak French and Italian fluently. In 2003 I participated in the talent show ‘German Idol’ where I made new experiences and advanced to the final 90 out of 19,500 contestants after several TV appearances. The same year I wrote and recorded a song called ‘On The Ride’ for the World Music / Fusion project album ‘Eastenders’, which was released a year later and was nominated as the Top 30 World Music Album of 2004. The song has already been licensed for several compilations in the USA and UK. Lately I have been a participant in ‘The Voice of Germany’ where I reached the TOP 16 round.
WHAT ENCOURAGED YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN ‘THE VOICE OF GERMANY’?
I have been passionate about singing since I was six years old. Now at 37, I want to see how far my voice and my performance would take me if I entered a competition like this. Of course I had my doubts in the beginning and I didn’t know if they would even pick me out of the thousands who applied for a spot on The Voice’s big stage. It’s a very long process until you know months later after many casting rounds if you will be invited to the big show. And I was. That was already a very big success and I was very proud. But it was just the beginning.
WHAT DID THE EXPERIENCE ADD TO YOU?
It was such an amazing experience on so many levels! First of all I met many wonderful people and amazing talents and I made lots of new friends. I had the pleasure of working with professional vocal coaches and meeting international stars. It was a great experience to be standing on a big stage in front of 2000 people in the audience and millions of viewers on TV screens and working with the best musicians in Germany!
DURING THE BLIND AUDITIONS, DID YOU ALREADY KNOW WHICH JUDGE YOU WERE GOING TO PICK? No, I didn’t! Especially because I was standing behind a curtain during the
audition and I couldn’t see if any of them had turned around. The production team had asked me if I’d be willing to sing from behind the curtain, because they were amazed by the fact that I was an Egyptian guy with brown skin and dark hair, who was singing a country song with a perfect southern slang, while everyone would be expecting an American cowboy doing that. So they wanted to maximize this effect and not only let the coaches wonder what I looked like, but also the audience in the studio and the viewers at home. And it worked! Samu Haber and Rea Garvey were my favorite coaches from the beginning and I knew that I would pick one of them, if they both turned around.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM YOUR COACH SAMU HABER?
Samu is such a cool guy! He admired my performance and my stage presence from the first moment and the most important advice he gave me was to be myself on stage. He told me that my strength is how I communicate with the audience while I’m singing and that I should capitalize on it and keep doing it. Also Rea was very touched by my performance, especially at the battles. He said I was sexy and that I should use that!
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ‘THE VOICE’ RATHER THAN ANY OTHER TALENT PROGRAM?
I chose ‘The Voice’ because it is a bit different from other shows. It mostly concentrates on featuring the talents for their musical ability and their performance and not because of their origin or ethnicity, their life stories, their looks or their skin color. Everyone who makes it to the big stage at ‘The Voice’ is a good singer, while there are other shows that invite people and show them on TV but they simply can’t sing!
WHO WAS YOUR FIERCEST COMPETITOR?
My fiercest competitor was an Afro American singer from Chicago who lives in Berlin. He has an amazingly strong voice and an incredible singing technique. When I was told that he would be my direct opponent in the battle round, I thought that would be the end and that I didn’t stand a chance against him. I knew that technically he was stronger than me, so I had to try and play with my performance and my charm and use them together with my voice to my advantage. Anyone who has seen the battle video will know that I won. I actually needed
a few hours to realize that I really made it against such a strong and professional singer. Both my blind audition and battle videos reached over 100,000 clicks on YouTube!
WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO AS A SINGER?
My favourite singer is Garth Brooks. He is an American singer / songwriter. His first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number two in the US country album charts while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Brooks’ integration of rock elements into his recordings and live performances earned him immense popularity. This progressive approach allowed him to dominate the country single and album charts while crossing over into the mainstream pop arena. So if I ever record an album and every Egyptian buys one copy, I will sell more than Garth Brooks. But that’s just a wishful dream!
BEING THE FIRST EGYPTIAN TO REACH THE FINALS, HAVE YOU GOTTEN A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE EGYPTIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN MEDIA?
Not as much as I had hoped. I was invited to appear on the MBC program ‘Yahdos Fi Masr’ with Sherif Amer to be the main guest of the show and talk about my success on German television and sing a few songs, I was very honored. Apart from that there were a few articles about me on TNN and an online magazine called ‘Dotmasr’.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR SHADY SHEHA?
It’s my dream to make a big concert in Cairo with a big crowd of at least 1000 people. I think this is one of the things missing in Cairo. I know there are nice places to go to and enjoy live music like the Cairo Jazz Club, The Riverside in Zamalek or Villa 55 in Maadi. But there are no concerts, where people can buy tickets in advance, where there are international artists, where there are promoters and sponsors. I’m sure there are good event organizers in Cairo who could pull off a concert like that. Apart from live appearances I’m hoping to get together with producers and songwriters and take my talent to the next level. I would love to record an album and put it out there. Who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky!
You can learn more about Shady at: https://www.facebook.com/ShadyShehafanpage
SODIC
SPARKLES THE FESTIVE SEASON SODIC has welcomes the festive holiday season this year at Westown Hub, SODIC’s latest addition to its developments, during the Westown Hub Winter Festival. The Winter Festival was filled with various activities for the whole family ranging from the magical experience of meeting Santa, playing in the snow, a joyous kids area, live entertainment, delicious food, and various markets.
Egypt WHATʼS UP
RALPH LAUREN
OPENS FIRST POLO STORE IN CAIRO Ralph Lauren is pleased to announce the opening of its first Polo store in Cairo. The store is one among many Polo Ralph Lauren stores planned to open worldwide as part of a new retail strategy for the company. Opening on the ground floor of the Downtown Mall in Tagamo3, the new store is fully dedicated to the Polo Ralph Lauren Men’s collection. Spanning over 210 square meters, the space will celebrate the heritage and youthful appeal of the iconic brand and feature a full assortment of Polo apparel and accessories. 70 insight
CHI
SUPPORTS HAIRDRESSING COMMUNITY During a press conference recently hosted, Systems Egypt highlighted the important impact that the CHI Academy has had on the growth of the Egyptian hairdressing community. Now in its 7th year, the academy has supported the development of thousands of Egyptians empowering hairdressers to grow and even establish their own businesses. The CHI Academy, which is one hundred percent free, educates hairdressers not only in hairdressing techniques but also on how to successfully develop their business without exposing themselves to the harmful chemicals that traditional products use.
Egypt WHATʻS UP
EZZ ELARAB
LAUNCHES ASTON MARTIN IN EGYPT Ezz Elarab Automotive Group has launched the exclusive Aston Martin brand in Egypt. The introduction marks the first time the renowned British luxury car brand has been offered in Egypt and highlights Ezz Elarab’s commitment to bringing one of the world’s most iconic brands to the Egyptian market.
MOBINIL BUSINESS
LAUNCHES ITS 3RD EXCLUSIVE GOLF BUSINESS CLASSIC TOURNAMENT For the 3rd year in a row, Mobinil launched its ‘Mobinil Business Golf Classic’ tournament in collaboration with JW Marriott Hotel in the presence of top executives from national and multinational companies as well as Mobinil’s CEO, Mr Yves Gauthier & CFO, Mr. Kais Ben Hamida. Players and attendees expressed their admiration to Mobinil for organizing this high standard one-day Golf tournament that was full of excitement with many creative & fun activities.
BARCLAYS
LAUNCHES ACCELERATOR 2015 The Barclays Accelerator, powered by Techstars, is a 13-week intensive startup program designed to support new businesses on their journey to delivering breakthrough innovations. It follows the conclusion of the first program which saw a range of innovative ideas being pitched to industry leaders, including a new credit scoring system and a new peer-to-peer lending platform that is designed to revolutionize the home-buying process.
THE FONDUE POT SAVOUR THE EXPERIENCE
The Fondue Pot, the first fully integrated fondue restaurant in Egypt celebrated the opening of its second branch at Cairo Festival City (CFC). The company that launched its first branch less than two years ago in the Heliopolis region is continuing to create experiences and has now catered to the Katameya citizens. Located on the ravishing dancing fountain of CFC’s village, it instantly sends you reminiscing of Lake Geneva’s fountain. Serving unique and high quality fondue dishes, it is a place to truly savour the experience.
Egypt WHATʻS UP
DUSIT THANI LAKE VIEW CAIRO WELCOMES NAIRY HEGELIAN
INSIGHT & NOKIA
Dusit Thani Lake View Cairo appoints Nairy Hegelian as Public Relations Manager. Nairy earned her skills in the hospitality industry for the past 5 years at Fairmont Heliopolis & Towers; Nairy will provide an excellent addition to the hotel’s ongoing PR & Marketing strategy joining the prestigious team at Dusit Thani Lake View Cairo.
Get the chance to capture the selfie of your dreams! All you need to do is capture a selfie with your Nokia phone and send it to: compete. insight@gmail.com The owner of best selfie will receive the remarkable Lumia 530. Good Luck ;)
CAIRO CONRAD
HOSTS EUROPEAN BAZAAR For the fifth consecutive year, The Cairo Conrad Hotel hosted the awaited yearly European Embassies Charity Bazaar. Each embassy offered the best their country had to offer from local beverages to artifacts for sale. All proceeds of the sales were donated to Charity. Attendees enjoyed the experience while warming up with Ireland’s much sought after Jameson Irish coffee.
72 insight
MAGRABI
OPENS THE BIGGEST OPTICAL SHOP IN EGYPT Magrabi, the biggest optical shop in Egypt provides customized optical care and services to a growing customer base. The new showroom includes the latest and most prestigious brands of lenses, eyeglasses and sunglasses. In addition to professional optical medical staff specialized in the eye care world, Magrabi Optical offers shoppers an unrivalled selection of the world’s finest prescription spectacles and sunglasses from top brands oLuxottica group and exclusive brands such as Tresor glasses by Sama which has been specially tailored for Magrabi Optical.
Egypt WHATʻS UP
CRÉDIT AGRICOLE EGYPT CELEBRATES THE INAUGURATION OF ITS NEW HEAD OFFICE
CIB
In a glamorous event, Crédit Agricole Egypt has celebrated the inauguration of its state-of-the-art eco-friendly head office in New Cairo. The establishment of this new head office is a large investment for Crédit Agricole in Egypt, as it is a tangible proof that the bank is confident in the development of the Egyptian economy and that Crédit Agricole can play a role in this development, by serving both corporate and individual customers.
PARTNERS WITH OMAR SAMRA IN HIS NEW CHALLENGE The Commercial International Bank (CIB) and Omar Samra announced their new partnership in a press conference, whereby CIB will sponsor Samra in his new ‘Adventurers Grand Slam’, a challenge that has only been achieved by less than 40 people in history. Samra has already completed the 7 Summits Challenge last year; and aims to achieve the ‘Adventurers Grand Slam’, which is the feat of climbing the 7 Summits and skiing to the North and South Poles. Samra will head to his first destination Antarctica in an attempt to ski to the South Pole.
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS EGYPT
LAUNCHES FIRST SAMSUNG SONO SCHOOL IN AIN SHAMS UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL Samsung Electronics inaugurated its first Samsung SONO School in Egypt in collaboration with Ain Shams University Hospital. Seung-Ho Yun, President of Samsung Electronics Egypt and Dr. Ahmed Ramy, OBGYN professor and Head of the Ain Shams University Hospital Ultrasound Fetal Care Unit, Dr. Ahmed Emad El Din Rady, Dean of Faculty of Medicine Ain Shams University attended the opening ceremony as a token of their support to the development of the diagnostic skills of medical practitioners and providing them with the tools to improve the level of service they provide in addition to the development of scientific researches.
EGYPT AND U.A.E. STRENGTHEN THEIR RELATIONSHIP
H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and H.E. Dr. Maitha Salem Al Shamsi paid a visit to the Children’s Cancer Hospital 57357 for the occasion of Zayed Charity Marathon, which was held for the benefit of the hospital. In this occasion, Mr. Obeid Khalifa Al-Jaber Al-Marri has pledged 50 million dirhams to support the treatment of children’s cancer hospital (57357) in Cairo. The same day, they paid a visit to ‘Sheikha Fatima Bent Mubarak Official Language School For Girls’ after witnessing lots of re-development, as part of the pioneering role played by Sheikha Fatima to support all aspects of human building with a focus on education.
MAVI
OPENS ITS FIRST SHOP IN EGYPT Quattro Trading and Services, the premium Egyptian fashion Retail Company launched its first Mavi Store in Egypt. The company, which owns and operates leading international franchises, kicked off a full campaign in celebration of the grand opening of the brand. Mavi provides a total look collection with trendy garments for young women and men, which is available in the new shop as well as stylish and high quality jeans of the brand. Mavi’s philosophy is to build a brand around perfect fitting jeans that convey a Mediterranean feeling in terms of fashion and detail.
Egypt WHATʻS UP
FOUR SEASONS RESORT SHARM EL SHEIKH
SHAKESPEARE AND CO.
WELCOMES MARCEL OOSTENBRINK Maria Jagla, General Manager Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh is pleased to announce the new appointment of Marcel Oostenbrink as the new Resort Manager at Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh. Marcel is a second generation hotelier holding a bachelor degree from the International Hotel School ‘The Hague’ as well as a Master degree in Hospitality Management from Erasmus University of Rotterdam both of which were obtained in the Netherlands.
SOON IN EGYPT
Shakespeare and Co., the Dubai-based franchise that was recently awarded the ‘2014 Best Middle East and North Africa Franchise Brand’ has decided to inaugurate its first branch in Egypt. The brand has an aspiring plan to launch 10 branches across Egypt over the upcoming period with investments worth 100 Million Egyptian Pounds.
PORSCHE
CELEBRATES ITS SUCCESS IN EGYPT Porsche celebrates its success both in terms of launching the new Cayenne, and the opening of its new Porsche facility at Capital Business Park. This showroom is designed and fitted as per Porsche design project and norms, following even the smallest detail aiming to embrace Porsche customers in an exquisite Porsche environment. Porsche’s new showroom was completed in a record time of under six months with a size of approximately 400 sqm, capable of fitting five cars incorporating all Porsche DNA elements complete with a fitting lounge, and a shop-in-shop for the display and selling Porsche Design items and gifts.
CAIRO MARRIOTT
CONGRATULATES YASMINE EL GAMMAL Cairo Marriott hotel recently announced the promotion of Yasmine El Gammal from Marketing Coordinator to Assistant Marketing Communication Manager. Yasmine has demonstrated impeccable performance during the past two years in the Marketing Communications department. She is a shining star exuding a living example for dedication, commitment and a true passion for her role..
Egypt WHATʻS UP
ORIENTAL WEAVERS INVESTS IN NEW PRODUCTION LINES
Oriental Weavers Group is pleased to announce an extraordinary start for 2015 with its bold investments. Confirming its confidence in Egypt’s investment climate and within its continuous support to the Egyptian economy, the group announced pumping EGP 90 million as new investments in the coming four years. With its products and staff having delivered consistent and sustainable performance, Oriental Weavers was able to deploy and expand its production and efficiency through launching a new automated warehouse and 3 new production lines.
JOE FRESH AND RETAIL GROUP EGYPT
ANNOUNCE THE OPENING OF THEIR FIRST STORE IN EGYPT ‘Loblaw’ Companies Limited and its affiliates, the owners of the Joe Fresh® brand, in partnership with Retail Group Egypt, a subsidiary of Fawaz A. Alhokair & Co., celebrate the opening of the first Joe Fresh store in Cairo Festival City. The opening took place in the new 5059 square-foot store in Cairo Festival City. Several media, bloggers and VIP invitees attended the event.
PALM HILLS CLUB WELCOMES XAVI HERNANDEZ
Xavi Hernandez, FC Barcelona and Spanish National Team legend, held a press conference at Palm Hills Club during his visit to Cairo to host Campus Xavi Palm Hills. Xavi along with 15 certified trainers from Xavi Academy are helping young Egyptian players develop their game both technically and tactically and most importantly on fair play ethics.
MASSIMO DUTTI
UNVEILS EXPANDED MEN’S SECTION AT CITYSTARS Massimo Dutti invited fashion bloggers and lifestyle media to the sophisticated opening of the newly expanded men’s section of the luxury brand’s CityStars location. In line with the store itself, the expanded section invokes a sense of exclusivity, specially designed to provide the most refined customer experience.
Insight’s Picks
THE BOOKS THE MOVIES AND THE MUSIC
WE BRING YOU THE BEST AND NOTHING BUT THE BEST! FROM MOVIES THAT WE’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR TO THE BEST BOOKS IN THE MARKET, ALL THE WAY TO THE MUSIC THAT WILL ROCK YOUR SPEAKERS, WE HAVE IT ALL!
TITLE BY MEHGAN TRAINOR FURIOUS 7
A continuation of the franchise, Fast and the Furious 7 continues after Dominic Torreto and his crew took down Owen Shaw, his brother, Ian Shaw, now wants revenge. Director: James Wan Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Michelle Rodriguez
Title is the third studio album by American singer Meghan Trainor. The album comes after the success of her debut single ‘All About That Bass’ which had peaked atop of the Billboard Hot 100..
REFLECTION BY FIFTH HARMONY STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS The beginning of a new Star Wars trilogy will take place 30 years after Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The new films will feature a trio of new young leads along with some very familiar faces. Director: JJ Abrams Cast: Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill
‘Reflection’ is the upcoming debut studio album by American girl group Fifth Harmony. The group said that the album is less pop and has a more mature sound than Better Together. Fifth Harmony fans were asked to vote for the group to help unlock the cover for the album, each vote adding into the percentages needed to unveil the cover-art.
SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT BY BOB DYLAN
Shadows in the Night is an upcoming Bob Dylan album. Prior to the album’s release, Dylan recorded a cover of the tune ‘Full Moon and Empty Arms’ and made it available for free streaming online.
JURASSIC WORLD
22 years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar now features a dinosaur adventure park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. Director: Colin Trevorrow Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins and Jake Johnson
76 insight
THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE BY CYNTHIA HAND
BOOKS
The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn’t look at her like she might break down at any moment. Now she’s just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that’s all she’ll ever be. As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there’s a secret she hasn’t told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything. Lex’s brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn’t have to be real to keep you from moving on.
GONE GIRL BY GILLIAM FLYNN
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents-the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behaviour.
THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT BY MELISSA GREY Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she’s ever known. Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she’s fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it’s time to act.
Horoscope
2015
ARIES
MARCH 21ST TO APRIL 20TH Ruling Planet: Mars Symbol: The Ram Element: Fire Lucky Stone: Diamond Famous Aries’s: Lady Gaga, Robert Downey Jr., Emma Watson, and Jackie Chan Astrology 2015 horoscope is predicting that the lord of destiny, Jupiter is posited in an exalted zodiac sign. Along with this, Rahu and Ketu will also remain exalted for the whole of 2015. Due to which, you will get some special results. Although, Saturn posited in the eighth house may produce some health troubles, but its aspect on the tenth house will be very favorable. Your enemies will vanquish and you will successfully able to repay pending loans and debts in 2015. According to astrology 78 insight
2015 horoscope predictions, first half of the year will remain very cheering and you will also enjoy the conjugal life to its maximum. Predictions of 2015 horoscope are also saying that you will get financial & social growth, victory over enemies, chances of pilgrimage, and happiness from children. The second half of 2015 may give some health issues, but as per the horoscope 2015 predictions, it is a good time for wealth and married life.
TAURUS
APRIL 21ST TO MAY 20TH Ruling Planet: Venus Symbol: The Bull Element: Earth Lucky Stone: Emerald Famous Taurus’s: Queen Elizabeth II, Chris Brown, Adele, and George Clooney
Saturn in seventh house, Rahu in fifth house, and Ketu in eleventh house; because of which thoughts, conjugal life, business, partnership, income, everything will get affected. Thinking abilities may get negatively influenced. According to 2015 horoscope predictions, pregnant ladies need to take special care of themselves. Take care of health of your children and life partner. You might find yourself surrounded by the feeling of loneliness sometimes. It is important to stay alert from your employees. 2015 is not suitable for any big investment. You must follow these precautions given by astrology predictions of horoscope 2015, it will help in minimizing the bad effects of planets.
MAY 21, JUNE 21
Pilgrimage or any spiritual task is possible from your side. Try to stay away from over excitement and arrogance in 2015.
Ruling Planet: Mercury Symbol: The Twins Element: Air Lucky Stone: Aquamarine Famous Gemini: Johnny Depp, Marilyn Monroe, Morgan Freeman, and Angelina Jolie Except January, May, June, and September; rest of the months are in your great support. As per the horoscope 2015 predictions, if major or sub periods are going in your favor, you will gain immense financial profit in 2015. You will get success in almost every field, whether it is related to your fame-reputation, respect issues, promotions, new business, enemies, or anything else. But, according to astrology horoscopes 2015 predictions, caution is required for the health issues of mother and father. After July in 2015, your destiny may not support fully, but it will also not affect you much. Horoscope 2015 predictions are advising you to avoid any arguments with relatives or close ones.
CANCER
JUNE 22ND TO JULY 22ND Ruling Planet: The Moon Symbol: The Cran Element: Water Lucky Stone: Moonstone Famous Cancers: Selena Gomez, Lionel Messi, Ariana Grande, and Tom Cruise Like I said earlier, the starting of the year 2015 will yield many positive results, and positive thoughts will prevail in mind. Your decisions will make the right impact and you will also get support from siblings. But, horoscopes 2015 astrology predictions are also saying that disputes are possible, especially with the elder brother. People associated with politics and social services will get many chances to grow. Enemies will not be able to stand in front of you. Horoscope 2015 predictions are predicting that there are strong possibilities of profit from foreign land and foreign travel. Time may prove a little crucial for the children and pregnant ladies in 2015.
2015
GEMINI
LEO
JULY 23RD TO AUGUST 22ND Ruling Planet: Sun Symbol: The Lion Element: Fire Lucky Stone: Peridot Famous Leos: Barack Obama, Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Lopez, and Demi Lovato. Horoscopes 2015 predictions are predicting that for Lions, time will remain very unfavorable, if there is no period of Sun or Mars itself. With 30% support of destiny, among the four major planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu; none is placed on the favorable position. Ketu in eighth house and exalted Rahu in the second house may give sudden and short-term financial benefits, but this may not produce favorable results in long run. What to do in these kinds of situations to gain maximum benefits in 2015? How to turn unfavorable situations into your favor? How much attention is needed on which subject? Know all this by reading the astrology 2015 horoscopes. Year 2015 demands patience. It is necessary to pay attention on your finances and health, according to astrology 2015 horoscope predictions. Avoid unnecessary arguments and disputes. It is very likely that you may use unpleasant words, so think before you speak. Take special care while driving in 2015. It’s good to stay alert in business matters from the near and dear ones, otherwise you may become a victim of cheating. Avoid long distant travels and any big investment in 2015.
VIRGO
AUGUST 23RD TO SEPTEMBER 22ND Ruling Planet: Mercury Symbol: The Virgin Element: Earth Lucky Stone: Sapphire Famous Virgos: Beyonce Knowles, Michael Jackson, Adam Sandler, and Pink
For natives of Virgo zodiac sign, horoscopes 2015 predictions are predicting that this year will give mixed results. If on one hand it took something, on the other hand it will definitely give you something. Finances will come from some hidden sources and your expenses will increase beyond a limit. Horoscope 2015 predictions are alerting you that yours and your parents’ health will demand your time and money in 2015. Avoid getting attracted toward any male or female around, otherwise it may create problems in your marital life. Stay alert from your business partner, possibilities of cheating on you are very high. Horoscope 2015 predictions are saying that don’t take any business related decision impulsively, this will help in avoiding any loss. Try to maintain good relations with father, seniors and partners in 2015. It is very much needed that you stay alert from enemies. Some known may cause harm to you in near future, so try not to disclose your plans and weaknesses to anyone. Take care of money as far as possible in 2015.
LIBRA
SEPTEMBER 23RD TO OCTOBER 22ND Ruling Planet: Venus Symbol: The Scalees Element: Air Lucky Stone: Opals Famous Libras: Kim Kardashian, Zac Efron, Bruno Mars, and Will Smith You will enter in the last phase of Shani Sade Sati. So, it will definitely give you some relief in financial matters, but this relief will not be up to 100%. On one hand, you will get some relief in debt and loans. But, on the other hand, you may also get occupied by some unnecessary expenses. Your enemies will get defeat, but health may give you some stress in 2015. There are strong possibilities of gain from father or state. You will get lost fame and position back. Your decisions will make the right impact. Success is assured in matters related to property. Horoscope 2015 astrology predictions are indicating that your desire of new home and vehicle will also get fulfilled. According to horoscope 2015 predictions, time may become a little crucial for children and pregnant ladies, so stay alert. Some inauspicious event is possible at home.
enemies, and life partner. In astrology 2015 horoscopes, planets are indicating that your conjugal life will be full of tensions in 2015. Take care while driving. Don’t experiment at your workplace or don’t take any financial risks. Predictions of 2015 horoscopes are advising that try to avoid arguments in 2015, as far as possible.
SCORPIO
OCTOBER 23RD TO NOVEMBER 22ND Ruling Planet: Pluto Symbol: The Scorpion Element: Water Lucky Stone: Topaz Famous Scorpios: Katy Perry, Drake, Leonardo Dicaprio, and Emma Stone Presence of Saturn in enemy sign, mid phase of Shani Sade Sati, and Ketu in the fifth house, all in all a little unfriendly period. Specially, if major or sub period of any opponent planet is going on. Tensions will arrive because of health problems, 80 insight
SAGITTARIUS
(NOVEMBER 22ND- DECEMBER 20TH) Ruling Planet: Jupiter Symbol: The Archer Element: Fire Lucky Stone: Turquoise Famous Sagittarius’s: Miley Cyrus, Jay Z, Taylor Swift, and Brad Pitt
Because of Jupiter in eighth house, Saturn in twelfth house and Ketu in fourth house, almost half of the year 2015 will give unfavorable results. After that only, Jupiter will change its position and come in ninth house, which will help in the betterment of the situation a little bit. Shani Sade Sati is started for the natives of Sagittarius, which is going to affect you for the next 7.5 years. So, why not to prepare yourself in advance with astrology horoscopes 2015 predictions, so that even the most complicated situation gets resolved easily. As per the astrology 2015 horoscope predictions, your expenses will increase. Wasteful travels are possible and possibilities of relocation are also there in 2015. Horoscope 2015 predictions are saying that there is a need to take special care of your parents’ health. Try to stay away from legal matters. Disputes are possible with elder brother or father, so keep a check on your behaviour. If you have diabetes, take extra care of your health, as per the astrology 2015 horoscope predictions.
LEO
Ruling Planet: Uranus Symbol: The Water Bearer Element: Air Lucky Stone: Amethyst Famous Aquarians: Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Michael Jordon, and Jennifer Aniston
PISCES
SCORPIO
(JANUARY 21ST-FEBREUARY 18TH)
PISCES
(FEBRUARY 19TH- MARCH 20TH)
WISH
INSIGHT
For Aquarians, horoscope 2015 predictions are foretelling that the condition of Ketu, Rahu, and Jupiter can arise the situation of sudden accidents, financial loss, health problems, and problems from enemies during the whole year 2015. So, it will be good for you to maintain calm even in tough situations. Taking care of your health should be primary, as per the predictions of 2015 horoscopes. You might get cheated from any near or dear one, so don’t trust anybody blindly. Don’t take any decisions in anger or in hurry in 2015. Foreign or long trips are possible. People associated with business in foreign land are likely to gain good profits. You will get support from father and seniors. Some hidden enemies will try to harm you so stay alert.
CAPRICORN ARIES AQUARIUS. SAGITTARIUS
AQUARIUS
LIBRA
Don’t depend on your destiny for anything in 2015. Your courage will improve. Your interest toward religion will increase substantially, so task related to it will get accomplished. This is a golden period for lovers, it is very likely that you tie a knot. According to horoscope 2015 predictions, you will get success in matters related to property. Possibilities are arising of buying new home or vehicle. After passing half of the year, time may become a little unfavorable. Your passion will increase a lot. Your interest in immoral work will increase, which might put you in a situation of humiliation, so try to control your thoughts. Some eye or stomach related problem may arise, so horoscope 2015 predictions are advising to take extra care of yourself.
VIRGO
Ruling Planet: Saturn Symbol: The Goat Element: Earth Lucky Stone: Garnet Famous Capricorns: Elvis Presely, Zayn Malik, Betty White, and Liam Hemsworth
ARIES GEMINI CANCER
(DECEMBER 21ST- JANUARY 20TH)
TAURUS
CAPRICORN
YOU
A HAPPY
NEW YEAR..
Ruling Planet: Neptune Symbol: The Fish Element: Water Lucky Stone: Bloodstone Famous Pisces’s: Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Adam Levine, and Kesha For the natives of Pisces, Ketu will remain in the first house, Rahu in seventh house, and Saturn in the ninth house for whole of the year 2015. If your major and sub-period are also against you, this period will prove very tiring physically and mentally. Patience and calm will be helpful in getting out from bad situations. In astrology, the solution of every problem is available, but with a condition that you will perform it with full faith and devotion. Now, let’s discuss that what kind of situations you might face in future and how to prevent the bad situations with the help of astrology 2015 horoscopes predictions. If we talk about the whole of the year, it is advisable for you to stay alert regarding your marital life. In business, you might get cheated from your business partner.
THE4KINDS eing human means being highly susceptible to our feelings. But the unpredictable tides of emotion can interfere with logic. Categorizing our own relationship correctly is a decision each of us must make based on our individual needs and desires. There exist four types of love relationships, each serving a unique and necessary purpose to our improvement and evolution. We may experience only one kind of relationship throughout our lives, or we may move through the full range of four, reflect on the characteristics of the four types of relationships and gain awareness of your true love standing:
B
COM
PRO
1
Mo relat st com mo io toge ther nship o n of th ef such based ccurs whe our, a co a o s n n tw finan an a mpr relat o r o c on b ionships ial or e rangem people mise m e ecau c t n o h ome t t a iona of c t ar use se way d to ea both p e mean l stabil omfort, ity ar s. tt ch may In shor other tners ha o end c . Many and t, th onti v have e be ey nu fin to fe el th children “settle” d it diffi come v e thou e at th c , ry f u o w lt to r on hic gh ey Rela neither ’re sup h cause e other. part p s the tion The us s shi may be osed t y m tu to e ck in a ps base fully c o stay t further valu o o “co do nt ge part ate wh mfort z n a com ent or in ther, e o n p t n love e h r e r relat omi er w , or ”. B . the ionship merely e’re tru ut it’s im se keep free c l y t o p h ha m at is o will a co fortable ppy wi rtant o th o mpr prob to rema f both . In t ur par om in t erm lem or b in com ogether tners wh ise, it is s of a o e o p e t nt r sep rom ther fied, h part ise the irely ar n the dec ers may relation ate. Tho y wish ision s u n to s ot be c hips is t gh the tay o hat omp o r to go is letely sa ne tisone ’s ow n.
MIS
E:
2
L: U F UL ond
SO a soul mateobtional
82 insight
tes or em but deno hysical nd few e. p i h a p r ns im n the re fa latio t of t ful re eper tha nships a t the tes se conl u o e o s n As far d te relati often la an inte ven be a y e hing y reac l. Soulm cur, the arked b hat may st “get leve y do oc hip is m , one t eople ju ence op sent tions eopl n the whe d of rela n two p ords. Tw other’s against h e w n i c e k to ule us ea This tion betw nvey in nish opted th When so d fi y o c a c e d . n a m ne s o e t ult ave hey hing s lik diffic ther” -- t s, and h other t feeling i gether. o nd ong er the tly to ce each best frie ality, am erfec experien t, oth p h t e c g r n a n a e Bu tti n’t me es, orld ve found puzzle fi ates wo tionship. sily w e th rela of a s ha re ea oulm mate o pieces ay that s of their sues mo ful ties. e s s s i w oul o ur ir to t not t g the co olve the und by s s i s i s n o Th alo o re ren’t b a ble t lems prob will be a ples that they han cou t
O
LOVE F
THERE EXIST FOUR TYPES OF LOVE RELATIONSHIPS
3
TRA
NSIT
ORY:
A tra ns two p itory rela tio h ease ases of e nship ac ts as volut the b io a u a rela tions rden of m n. It can e bridge be hip fo ajor li her to nact twee n f c r e lesso a woman a girl in h shifts. F hange or or ex igh s ns in by all choo ample love. owin a lon lm g g , O cope marriage r a transie her to lea ay matur e rn he has e with n t r e r first their lation relatio nded div s m n serve ships are orce unt ay help hip after a per il the a gre almo y so from a s one le t purpos t always heal. Tran n e t sitory e vel o in m g p e o f self -tran ntly push rary, but sform ing a p ation to the erson next.
4
KAR M
IC:
Perh a univ ps the m erse , kar ightiest ciou m s la wron force th a is not w of the som at bo g-do e ma ener ome ings g li r one etic acc back to angs ou of ou umu us. I r t is t latio bad. r act he n i A repe nd karm ons, bot of every ating h a g alwa itsel has a r ood an y f that s entails . A karm eputatio d n for mus ic re s om t i.e., l the b play ou e form o ationshi t wit p f “ac cycl reak hi e in t Afte of recur g of so n the co ion” r m u r the r the karm ing situa e patter ple, elati tions n or a is o end, reso . nshi lv p a Karm s its pu may co ed, how r e me t expe ic relatio pose ha o an ver, s n r sive, iences t ships a been m re e h temp elevating at can b enrichi t. ng e pro orar a n d y or for t fulfilling greshe lo , ng te whether rm.
Hot2015 A E
SOFT
M
L ARB
re you ready for welcoming the New Year? Did you get enough ideas for renewing your home before the coming of the New Year? You may say that it is still early to look for what is new in the world of home decoration and the latest home décor trends that are presented to us by creative designers to renew our homes. In fact, the time is suitable now to know what is new for refreshing your home and welcoming the New Year. There are many home décor trends that are presented to us for the new year such as mixing different cultures with each others, using new materials, caring more about nature, making use of what we already have to be turned into new products and more trends that are functional, creative and modern at the same time. Let’s discover more about the hottest trends in home decoration for 2015 to know what you are going to do for adding new touches to your home in the New Year.
MORE FUNCTIONAL PRODUCTS & DESIGNS
The designs and products that are presented for our homes in the New Year differ from what we usually use, as they are more functional and do not consume a large space in our homes. They can also be used for more than one purpose.
GEOMETRIC SHAPES AND DESIGNS
Geometric designs are among the hottest trends for the new year and they will spread around us to dominate everything you can 84 insight
PASTE
LS
ELS SOFT PAST
decor trends for
imagine such as fabrics, furniture, walls, decorative items, lamps and more things that we use in our homes.
MIXTURE OF CULTURES
The new products including fabrics, furniture and decorative pieces reflect the influence of different cultures that are mixed in just one place. There are products that are inspired by the African style while there are others that are affected by Persian style and more cultures that can be found around us in the world, which has become like a small village.
NATURAL MATERIALS WHICH ARE ECO-FRIENDLY
Using natural materials that are eco-friendly is considered to be one of the latest trends that are presented for the next year. Various materials such as wood, glass, stone, copper, brass, linen cloth, burlap rope and more natural materials are going to be widely used for creating different products in the new year.
MORE FUNC L A N TIO PRODUCTS
RECYCLING WHAT WE HAVE
There are many things that you already have in your home but are not used. You can make use of these items that are thought to be useless for creating new products such as using glass jars and bottles as lanterns or containers for plants and flowers and other simple ideas that help you to save money and keep the environment clean.
SOFT PASTELS
Soft pastels and natural colours are going to dominate the next year to increase harmony and make our homes more comfortable for relaxing our minds. The New Year comes with new colors such as pink, blue, mauve, lavender, purple, periwinkle, peach, brown, mustard yellow, green and more colors that are derived from the surrounding nature.
GEOM ET SHAPREIC S
NATURAL THEMES
NATURAL THEMES
Nature continues to affect us as it can be found in bright prints on fabrics, natural and vibrant colors, flowers and plants for decoration, floral prints that appear on fabrics and walls and more designs and themes that show the influence of nature.
CHALK & HANDWRITTEN LETTERS FOR ATTRACTIVE WALLS
MAR
BLE
In addition to using posters and paintings for decorating walls in our homes, you will also find chalk drawings that you can create on your own, handwritten letters and meaningful words.
LARGE PRINTS FOR FABRICS AND WALLS
Using large prints is going to dominate the next year and it will be found on walls and even fabrics. Digital art is also one of the newest trends that are presented for decorating walls and making them catchier in the New Year.
MARBLE
It is one of the best materials that are used for walls and floors especially in the bathroom, but using it in the next year will not be restricted to bathrooms as you can also find it in different decorative items and even in tabletops to add more luxury to your home.
SOFT PASTELS
TRANSPARENT CURTAINS
Forget about the curtains which are made of thick fabrics and go for the curtains which are made of light and transparent fabrics. Sheer fabrics help you to make your rooms more inviting and allow more natural light to enter your room.
SOFT PASTELS
85 insight
GEOM ETRIC SHAPE S
OF MIXTURREES CULTU
Donatello D
Early Life
MASTER OF SCULPTING
onatello, the early Italian Renaissance sculptor, was born Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi in Florence, Italy, sometime in 1386. His friends and family gave him the nickname “Donatello.” He was the son of Niccolo di Betto Bardi, a member of the Florentine Wool Combers Guild. This gave young Donatello status as the son of a craftsman and placed him on a path of working in the trades. Donatello was educated at the home of the Martellis, a wealthy and influential Florentine family of bankers and art patrons closely tied to the Medici family. It was here that Donatello probably first received artistic training from a local goldsmith. He learned metallurgy and the fabrication of metals and other substances. In 1403, he apprenticed with Florence metalsmith and sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti. A few years later, Ghiberti was commissioned to create the bronze doors for the Baptistery of the Florence Cathedral, beating out rival artist Filippo Brunelleschi. Donatello assisted Ghiberti in creating the cathedral doors.
B
Early Work
y 1408, Donatello was working at the workshops of the cathedral. That year, he completed the life-sized marble sculpture David. The figure follows a Gothic style, popular at the time, with long graceful lines and an expressionless face. The work reflects the influences of sculptors of the time. Technically, it’s very well executed, but it lacks the emotional style and innovative technique that would mark Donatello’s later work. Originally, the sculpture was intended for placement in the cathedral. Instead, however, it was set up in the Palazzo Vecchio (the town hall) as an inspiring symbol of defiance of authority to Florentines, who were engaged in a struggle with the king of Naples at the time.
B
Unique Style
y this time, Donatello was gaining a reputation for creating imposing, larger-than-life figures using innovative techniques and extraordinary skills. His style incorporated the new science of perspective, which allowed the sculptor to create figures that occupied measurable space. Before this time, European sculptors used a flat background upon which figures were placed. Donatello also drew heavily from reality for inspiration in his sculptures, accurately showing suffering, joy and sorrow in his figures’ faces and body positions. Around 1425, Donatello entered into a partnership with Italian sculptor and architect Michelozzo, who also studied with Lorenzo Ghiberti. Donatello and Michelozzo traveled to Rome, where they produced several architectural-sculptural tombs, including the tomb of Antipope John XXIII and the tomb of Cardinal Brancacci. These innovations in burial chambers would influence many later Florentine tombs.
Late Career & Death
B
y 1455, Donatello had returned to Florence and completed Magdalene Penitent, a statue of a gaunt-looking Mary Magdalene. Commissioned by the convent at Santa Maria di Cestello, the work was probably intended to provide comfort and inspiration to the repentant prostitutes at the convent. Donatello continued his work taking on commissions from wealthy patrons of the arts. His lifelong friendship with the Medici family earned him a retirement allowance to live on the rest of his life. He died of unknown causes on December 13, 1466, in Florence and was buried in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, next to Cosimo de’ Medici. An unfinished work was faithfully completed by his student Bertoldo di Giovanni. 86 insight
WORKS -DAVID -STATUE OF ST. GEORGE -THE HEAD OF SAINT JOHN -STATUE OF HABACUC
A RT
Notable
n
te:
Da
0:0
–1
Calendar
&
ism ur To
Ex
n tio bi hi
l er nt ve pm Ce ra 00 ns lT 9: – ntio na io am nve at 00 o rn 2: l C te ,1 a In 15 ion t20 at yp th ern Eg ry 10 Int ITT ua airo an C o : J n: air m te tio , C al 0 p n, tiv e 0:0 Da a ity c s C e - 1 ard Lo sr m G yF ar 0 a ya Na 0 e : r sh , 11 t Ho Ko iro at 015 l a 2 , Ca ee th tiva lem Fair 7 1 ok Fes h Sa ook ary hary 0 pm er, Sala al B nu s – 3:0 nt tion I
88 insight
ir Ca
Za
a Ja Ko am ion Ce tern 0:00 te: n: 1 ibit ro In Da catiok Cairo 015, nal Exh Cai th 2 io 46th Lo male ry 28 ternat n The nua
: Ja airo Dateation: C Loc
January
2015
go Lo 0 pJanua – Ar ge ry Ma cati m 13 nti on in t na h Ha : C 20 ll, C ai 1 5 r , air o O 8:0 o Da pe 0p r m a t Lo e: H Ind ou 3rd ca Jan s e, ian Flo tion uary Nig or, : 3 3 ht Za 5B rd 2 Tra ma M 01 ns o 5 lek ha , 5 D c . C me :00 Lo ate end air d en Ca c : J Ma pm o ta iro ati an zh - 9:0 lM ar on ua 0 Str pm e : 4 ry di ee ta t, Sh 8th tio afi 2 n 0 k wi M 15, th an 6 : M so 00 ira ur p l St m re et 8:0 ,Z 0 am p al m ek ,
Ta uro AP
Member of
Countless oers to celebrate 150 years in Egypt To celebrate 150 years in Egypt, Barclays bank is oering new Barclaycard applicants a 5% cash back on their Barclaycard purchases in supermarkets. For more information, call us on 16222.
Terms and conditions apply. Barclays Bank Egypt. S.A.E.