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Nina Lotia gets candid By Sumeha Khalid It was as a student that the pert and pretty Nina Lotia decided to make a career in the beauty business. Still a teenager, she got down to setting up her signature salon and spa, a venture she has successfully been running for the last 24 years. After equipping herself with relevant degrees as a beautician, in London, Nina returned to Pakistan where she set up shop in Zamzama, Karachi. Having attained a reputation as one of the leading stylists of Pakistan, she has now joined hands with Pantene as the brand’s official hair care expert in Pakistan. Nina will work with this brand to promote their new product lineup in Pakistan. Here, the celebrated Nina Lotia talks to Pakistan Today about her journey as a beautician/stylist and her latest association with Pantene.
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PT: How long have you been working as a stylist/beautician? What were you doing before getting into the beauty business? NL: Before the beauty business I was in college, and straight from there I became a stylist! PT: Have you been formally trained in your field? NL: Yes! I was a teenager when I decided to open my own salon, so I was able to start my formal training at a young age. I went to London for a yearlong comprehensive course at Robert Fielding of Regent Street. Even now I ensure that I constantly refresh my skills, by knowing the international trends and hairstyles. So to make sure I am up-to-date, with the international world of fashion, I annually enroll myself for courses at Toni & Guy and Vidaal Sassoon Academy. PT: You have worked with all the top celebs of Pakistan. Describe the process of working with celebs to create their amazing looks. How do you handle divas? NL: I really enjoy what I do, and so when I’m doing my job nothing really comes in my way! The way I work with all my clients, including celebs and models, is the same. For instance, I suggest a particular hairstyle which I think would best suit them, and ask for their feedback. Usually my clients trust my judgment so they let me do what I think looks best! And the result is always amazing! PT: What products do you like to use on your celebrity clients? A: Well, recently some of my new favorite products include the new Pantene range. This new range introduces an all improved shampoo and conditioner and taking this a step further, for the first time Pantene has launched special hair therapy treatments in ‘OR Hammam’ and ‘Oil Replacement Night Therapy’. The Oil Replacement products requires clients to take care of their hair outside the salon, so the best I can
do is suggest it to them! However, I use the Pantene shampoo and conditioners when I’m attending to clients in the salon. PT: What is your favourite celebrity look and who did you create it for? NL: I’ve created so many different looks which I’ve liked it’s hard to pinpoint one! PT: What is the most important aspect of your job? NL: Customer satisfaction.
PT: What are the most common make up mistakes you see on the streets of Pakistan? NL: I have seen women wearing base in attempts to make their skin lighter. The main reason to apply base is to smoothen ones skin, so when they apply too much make up it results in grey skin. PT: What is it in a woman that makes you cringe (make-up wise)? NL: Well, I can’t say one particular thing about make up makes me cringe. It honestly depends on each individual and what kind of look someone is looking for, the
occasion, etc. PT: Basic make up tools every girl should have in her bag? NL: Lipstick, mascara and blush! Also, since we live in a humid climate every girl should carry oil tissues with them, so when their skin becomes oily they can use the tissues. It makes your skin look fresh! PT: Your personal must-have list… NL: My phones, my gum, perfume and mini chocolates. PT: Which beauty products do you have in your bag for your use at the moment? NL: Moisturiser and lipstick! PT: Tell us about your association with Pantene. How did that come about? NL: When the Pantene team approached me with their new product range, I decided to try out the new regimen before committing to the brand. Once I tried their new shampoo, conditioner, OR Hammam and OR Night Therapy, I instantly became a believer and decided to collaborate with Pantene. PT: As brand ambassador of the brand what has your experience been like? NL: It has been a pleasure working with Pantene so far. It’s been about a month since I have partnered up with them and I am really enjoying this venture! We are already working towards providing consumers with the best possible solutions for their hair care needs. At the recent launch event, I personally analysed every woman’s hair and suggested the relevant Pantene shampoo variant to them. Which is exactly what we – Pantene and I – want to do, i.e. educate women about their hair and help them find the right hair care solution! PT: What are your future plans especially regarding your new brand partnership? NL: I look forward to working ahead with Pantene and I feel this partnership will continue being successful and I am excited for the year ahead!
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The little things that make a big difference Try following these and see the positive changes that stem from it By Redah Misbah
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lients often ask, “How is it that you stay chirpy and fresh and exude this positive aura (which I humbly believe is now my persona) with the responsibility and pressure of your job at the parlour on top of a husband and family? Well, it is no big secret really. Anyone can feel happy and just be content if you know the little secrets, like having a healthy routine starting with the first day of the week! I’ve been meaning to blog about how a healthy headstart is important. Try following these and see the positive changes that stem from it. Give your heart some loving by getting on the health track: exercise, pay attention to your diet and minimize stress. On the health track February is the National Heart Month – time to show that you love your heart! Prove it by moving more, maintaining a healthy weight, minimizing stress and, quitting the habit if you smoke. These actions can help reduce your risk of stroke, heart disease and high blood pressure. You need to fit exercise into your schedule to stay healthy. You don’t need an expensive gym membership or fancy equipment to keep fit. Remember that any
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movement that works your muscles and uses more energy than resting is exercise. So, try walking around your neighbourhood, using resistance bands, running up and down the stairs, making your own weights at home or doing pushups, sit ups, lunges and crunches. Regular physical activity benefits every part of your body and can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, type2 diabetes and more. While it’s recommended that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderateintensity activity each week, every bit is better than nothing! Start strong this week by adding activity whenever possible. It can be as simple as walking while on the phone, parking at the end of the lot, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Improve your health this week by sampling some traditional vegetarian dishes from other cuisines! Eat fresh Start this Monday by selecting some recipes that include fresh fruits and veggies. If you have a plan, you’ll be able to enjoy your ingredients while they’re fresh. A food’s expiration date is a good indication of how processed it is. If your food takes years to expire, it’s probably full of preservatives and artificial ingredients. Add fruit to your shopping list so you can make
it part of your routine this week. Add a daily dose at breakfast, as a mid-day snack or even for dessert. Salad often gets a bad reputation as ‘diet food’, but it can be a delicious and colourful way to get more veggies! Experiment with your own salad creations this week and share it with your loved ones. To turn your salad into a well-rounded meal, start with dark, leafy greens and add fresh vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, seeds and perhaps some protein like fish or tofu. Top the mix with a creative, healthy dressing like fruitinfused vinaigrette. Upbeat tunes Listening to happy, upbeat tunes tends to make you more cheerful than when you listen to slow, sad music. Your emotional state plays a big role in how you perceive the world, so your favourite songs may actually help you have a more positive day. I have a list of pick me up song before I go to work but my all-time favourites are ‘Meri Zindagi’ by Faiza Mujahid and ‘Elle Mi Dit’ by Mika. Feel beautiful Other than that, I strongly believe when one feels beautiful, looking beautiful plays some part in it as well. Adding skin care to your Monday regime is therefore a must! Did you know sun exposure and damage is the number one cause of
premature aging? Protect yourself from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems as well as increase the risk of skin cancer. For the most complete sun protection: • Use sunscreen: Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. When you’re outdoors, reapply sunscreen every three hours or more often if you’re swimming or perspiring. • Seek shade: Avoid the sun between 10 am and 4 pm, when the sun’s rays are the strongest. • Wear protective clothing: Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothing an additional layer of ultraviolet protection for a certain number of washings, or special sunprotective clothing — which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays. Don’t smoke: Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — the fibres that give your skin its strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — can contribute to wrinkles. If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Treat your skin gently; daily cleansing can take a toll on your skin. To keep it gentle: • Limit bath time: Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm rather than hot water. • Avoid strong soaps: Strong soaps and detergents can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers. • Moisturise dry skin: If your skin is dry, use a moisturiser that fits your skin type. For daily use, consider a moisturiser that contains SPF. • Manage stress: Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin and a healthy state of mind take steps to manage your stress. Set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results might be more dramatic than you expect. Try inculcating these little things into your life and see the change you want in your life! Hope this proves helpful! –(The writer is Creative Director, Depilex – Beauty Clinic & Institute)
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The Artistic Naheed Moini By Ayaz Malik
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ow here is something, which is not fashion designing, but it is fashionable, it is not styling but is very stylish, it is not creativity on paper or painting but is artful and artistic. For, ‘We are no more than Candles burning in the wind’ as one of my all-time favorite quotes go. Yes it is indeed Candles we are talking about and
some candles they are too. Naheed Moini who is practically a pioneer in Candle-Making in Pakistan, takes time out to tell us all about this unique, creative and aromatic source of light molded carefully to illuminate our lives. Moini’s candles are no less than any foreign made ones and are a compliment to any house, home or where ever there need be of ambience. Read on for what we gleaned from Naheed Moini.
Why candle making specificically, why not something else? After my Montessori course, I taught for about 16 years. Then realized I wanted something really different for myself. My husband and family owned the illustrious flower shop at the Metropole for more than 30 years. I wanted to start something, which would go in cohesion with the beauty of nature. I got the idea for candle making from there. However, they were ot as simple to develop as I had thought. But I worked it out and made a name for myself. When and what made you realize you wanted to go for candle-making? It so happened that my aunt sent me a book on candle making and I tried to teach myself how to make them through it. My workshop at that time was my kitchen. I wasn’t happy with the initial results. I knew that if I wanted to make this into a viable profession I would have to do a better job. Another thing which really bothered me was that I would see all these ladies buying candles from abroad and then hoard them and use them sparingly - so I thought that if they had the quality and design, then they wouldn’t have to look elsewhere and get them from our own country. Seemed like a good idea to encourage my own country’s products that of anyone else’s. How long have you been in the candle-making business? It has been eighteen years. How did you learn the art of hand crafted candles? 42 I February 17, 20130, 2012
I dug up the author’s number from that very book my aunt dent me and before I knew it I was on a flight to Wales where I completed my course successfully. I came back to Pakistan, turned my dining room area into a workshop and started producing candles by the dozens. It took me 4 months to complete all my designs and I had a huge exhibition the following December. I exhibited in Islamabad and Lahore and saw the welcoming response of the people and from that day on I never looked back. I was a candle maker. Who do you think helped you the most to achieve your goal? My pillar of support would be my parents and my husband. Without them this wouldn’t have been possible. I am lucky, I guess, to be blessed with such a loving family. I have 3 children and all 3 of them at some point have jumped in and helped me out with big orders, ideas or then just for the suport. They have all been a big part of my business. Who and What inspires you to create these masterpieces? Not any candle maker till I really started out. It’s wonderful to see that so many more have come up, plus candle making is being taught at the Rangoonwala hall now. Candle-making is very much a part of interior decoration. How does it add to an interior’s aura and in what manner? I love the finer things and details. It is true that candles are a very imporatant part of interior decoration. It just depends on someone’s particular taste and how they would like to place them for the right effect. Light plays the most important role in nature as well. All said and done, I can just say, light one and check yourself. What sort of candles do you make? I make all sorts of candles, from decorative to ones that can be utilized. They range in size from ½ inches high to 3 feet tall. How common is candle making in Pakistan? Lighting candles now has become a very fashionable thing - be it at parties, wedding functions or dinners. My clients get them matched to the decor - table cloths and napkins mostly. The rest depends on the person’s own preference and desire of placing them. Who are your target buyers? Anyone and everyone, since my candles are for all occasions. My biggest corporate client is Agha’s supermarket and then there are various outlets I supply to. Event managers and decorators are also a major segment in business who buy candles. February 17, 2013 I 43
Recipe
Roasted Corn and Tomato Soup Ingredients: 3 medium size ripe tomatoes 7 ears of fresh corn sliced away from the cob 1 orange and 1 red bell pepper (or color of your choice excluding green) 2 small/medium yellow onions, diced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup red wine 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth plus more if needed 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder 2 tablespoons salt 1 cup heavy cream Garnish options:Roasted corn, avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream etc. Method: Heat oven to 375. Place tomatoes in a greased glass-baking dish and roast for approximately 30 minutes until the skins darken and split. Remove and set aside to cool. Leave oven on. Place corn kernels on a lightly greased baking pan in a single layer and roast for 10-15 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Remove and set aside. Place bell peppers on gas stove directly over flame, in a baking dish under the broiler or over a barbecue flame, turning with tongs until the entire
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outside is charred and black. Immediately place in a brown paper bag, close tightly and let sit for 15 minutes. When cooled and time is up, rub the paper bag with the pepper inside to remove the skins. If any remain, pull of with your fingers. Cut away stem and discard along with seeds. Peel tomatoes. In a heavy sauce pot (the soup pot you’ll use) heat olive oil over medium high heat and sautÊ the onion until wilted, for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
Add peppers, corn, tomatoes, wine and enough stock to cover and turn on high heat and bring to a boil. Add salt and chipotle pepper. Reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes, covered. (If not chilling overnight, skip to the addition of the cream) Turn off flame and let sit until cool. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Over medium heat, bring back to a low simmer. Using an immersion blender, blend the contents until smooth while slowly drizzling 1 cup of cream. Serve immediately with garnishes.
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Books
Of two engaging literary journals By Syed Afsar Sajid
L
ahore Arts Council has recently published two engaging literary journals viz., Nigarishat (Seh-Roza Aalami Adabi Wa Seqafati Conference 2011) and Zara Num Ho..... containing the contributions of the participants in the three-day world literary and cultural moot held at Alhamra, Lahore in 2011 and a selection of the verses recited at an all Pakistan youth musha’ira organized by LAC on Pakistan Day 2012, respectively.
Nigarishat
Printed on fancy paper and bound in an attractive dust cover, the opening part of the journal contains the addresses of Chief Minister Punjab and Minister Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa delivered at the second Aalami Adabi Wa Seqafati Conference (2011) together with the prefatory remarks of the Chairman and the Executive Director of LAC. The work bears some thirteen subheads titled Urdu Sha’iri kay Klaseeki Dareechay (Meer, Ghalib, Iqbal), Pakistani Musawwiri kay Ma’ymar, Pakistan may Klaseeki Mouseeqi ki Tareekh, Alhamra Aalami Jadeed Urdu Nazm Musha’ira, Urdu Novel kay Sau Saal, Pakistan may Ghazal Ga’iki ka Mustaqbil, Urdu Sha’iri: Klaseek say Jiddat tak’, Pakistani Musawwiri may Nai JehtaiN, Drama Nigari ka Uruj-o-
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Nigarishat (Seh-Roza Alhamra Aalami Adabi Wa Seqafati Conference 2011) Published by: Alhamra Publications/Lahore Arts Council Pages: 350
Lahore Arts Council has been actively pursuing its defined objectives concerning literature, art and culture thanks to the inspiring leadership of Ata-ul-Haq Qasmi, its chairman who is being ably assisted by Muhammad Ali Baloch, its executive director Title: Zara Num Ho..... Published by: Lahore Arts Council Pages: 144
zawal, Urdu Afsanay kay Sau Saal, Pakistan may Lok Mouseeqi ki Rewayat, Art ki Taraqqi may Riasat ka Kirdar, and Tazkira. Leading participants in the conference included Dr. Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, Dr. Aslam Ansari, Prof. Akhtar-ul-Waasay, Dr. Ejaz Anwar, Ustad Ghulam Husain Shaggan, Shafqat Ali Khan, Ustad Badar-uz-Zaman, Abdullah Hussain, Dr. Shamim Hanafi, Dr. Anwaar Ahmad, Ghulam Ali, Javed Qureshi, Ustad Hamid Ali Khan, M. Islam Shah, Dr. Salim Akhtar, Siddiq-urRahman Qidwai, Kishwar Naheed, Dr. Shaukat Mahmood Maxim, Masood Akhtar, Imran Peerzada, Intizar Hussain, Mansha Yad, Zahida Hina, ReshmaN, Ataullah Eisa Khelvi, Arif Lohar, Nayyar Ali Dada and Masood Ash’ar. The nazm recited at the musha’ira segment of the conference, by Ehsan Akbar, Tabassum Kashmiri, Sa’adat Saeed, Jayant Parmar, Dr. Waheed Ahmad,
Faheem Jozi, Zahid Masood, Dr. Shabnam Ish’ai, Dr. Anwar Zahidi, and others also forms part of the magazine.
Zara Num Ho .....
Lahore Arts Council has been actively pursuing its defined objectives concerning literature, art and culture thanks to the inspiring leadership of Ata-ul-Haq Qasmi, its chairman who is being ably assisted by Muhammad Ali Baloch, its executive director. On Pakistan Day (2012), LAC organized an All Pakistan youth mushaira together with a training workshop on literature. Some sixty male and female poets of ages ranging between 25 and 30 were invited from across the country to participate in the first event whereas noted litterateurs like Dr. Salim Akhtar, Masood Ash’ar and Dr. Asghar Nadeem Syed were invited to deliver lectures on different genres of literature at the second event, to
the benefit of the new generation of poets attending the mushaira. Veteran senior poets Zafar Iqbal, Shahzad Ahmad, Dr. Khurshid Rizvi and Salim Kausar too recited their verse at the mushaira. The present publication incorporates selections of the poetry of the young generation poets alongwith a brief introduction of their person, poetic interest and style. Photos highlighting the two events form an added attraction of the work. Appreciative comments on the two events from Intizar Hussain, Masood Ash’ar, and Subah Sadiq appearing in the dailies ‘Express’, ‘Jang’ and ‘Din’ respectively, have also been included in its epilogue. It is hoped that the memento will serve a great deal to motivate and encourage the new generation of poets to help them refurbish the tradition of poetry with their individual talent.
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Films
Special 26 I
loved director Neeraj Pandey’s A Wednesday and was eagerly looking forward to his next. What could have been a better follow-up than a heist film inspired by real life events? An exciting subject backed by solid acting talent and I expected a good thriller. However, Special 26 left me feeling underwhelmed. In the late 80s, a gang of four con-men Ajay (Akshay Kumar), Sharma (Anupam Kher), Iqbal (Kishore Kadam) and Joginder (Rajesh Sharma) followed a unique modus-operandi of carrying out fake raids posing as CBI or IT officials. Since most of these raids were carried out on politicians and businessmen with loads of black money, they were never reported and the con-men had no fear of getting caught. However, one fine day the CBI wakes up to the fake raids being carried out in their name and a competent officer Waseem Khan (Manoj Bajpayee) is put on their case. He teams up with Sub-Inspector Ranveer (Jimmy Sheirgill), who is a victim of the gang’s misdeeds himself, and then starts a cat-and-mouse-game between the CBI and the rouge gang. Indeed a very interesting idea on paper but the film was let down by lacklustre execution. A Wednesday worked because of the exciting tension it created in the very first scene and held on to till the end. Special 26 takes a long time just to
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introduce its characters and come to the point. Scenes are unnecessarily lengthened and we keep getting too many shots of various characters walking towards the camera with determined expressions. Still, the subtle humour and good dialogues do help keep boredom at bay. What does not work at all is the romance between the leads. In fact all the Akshay-Kajal scenes are badly written and badly acted by both the actors. The film would have been better off without the whole track altogether. The songs too act as irritating speed breakers to the narrative. They seem to have been added only to give the film a commercial feel but, just like the romance angle, they are totally unnecessary. The film scores in capturing the 80s era well, especially Delhi and Mumbai. Kudos to the art director as well as the cinematographer. The costumes
and styling too is mostly authentic. The best part of the film is the last 45 minutes. The whole heistplanning is pretty well done. The twist in the climax is indeed shocking, even if full of loopholes. The competent supporting cast is in good form and it is their sincerity that keeps the audience involved in the film even when the writing lets it down. However, the same can’t be said for the lead stars as Akshay is inconsistent and Kajal plain bad. If only Neeraj Pandey had done away with the songs and love track, and kept the film one hour shorter with tighter writing, this could have been a worthy follow-up to A Wednesday. What we get here is a middling thriller – which is still a decent watch, but it would be advisable to keep the expectations low.
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