Balance, inner harmony, healing and positivity: Keywords reflecting a philosophy that many are currently seeking in this rat race world we live in where consumerism is the main drive behind a seemingly unconscious existence. Where “success” is measured by the number of followers and likers we have on social media and the “good life” is merely an accumulation of more, bigger and better as compared to others.

These keywords happen to be some of the main ingredients in the Rituals brand product line as well, a brand that I had the pleasure of experiencing recently after meeting with and interviewing the man behind this concept, Raymond Cloosterman.

What really intrigued me was this very philosophy and the story telling aspect behind each collection, which is not merely a marketing tool but a true experience that you can only savor once you give it a try yourself.

As he explained, the idea to ‘Transform everyday routines into more meaningful moments’ lies at the heart of the RITUALS philosophy and forms the basis for each of its products.

“stop, breathe, connect...”

I loved the fact that the products are not made in the lab with a functional theme in mind ranging from dry to acne prone skin, but rather a wellness theme that you can connect to and choose from according to your emotional scale at the time. Giving that extra soul connection ingredient to everyday necessities just feels right as we all deserve to stop and enjoy the moment, the now, even when performing a simple task such as showering everyday.

Finding happiness in the smallest of things and transforming everyday routines into more meaningful moments lies at the heart of the brand philosophy.

So next time you need an uplift, savor the collection of the laughing Buddha. Been in Dubai for long? Focus on nourishing your Yin energy with The Ritual of Dao collection that helps you find inner peace and tranquility in your busy life. These are a few of the collections I got to sample and I can tell you one thing, they are pure luxury indulgence packed in a bottle – an affordable one I may add.

The first Rituals store in the Middle East is now open in MOE after the huge success the brand had across Europe for the past 10 years so now you can walk into the store yourself for a personal experience that will start a hand massage before contemplating which mood enhancer you would like to go for today. Please feel free to share your experience with me and remember we all need to stop, breathe and connect.

I have just finished working on a TV fashion makeover last week and I am so excited to share with you what goes into producing a TV show from the behind the scenes work to the final result that I personally loved! Hope you enjoy the process and don't forget to watch the video at the end of the post :) Here is Mounia, a gorgeous soul, who just didn't know - or as she put it - doesn't have the time - to reflect her beauty to the world! The picture of her on the left is what she sent me from her office, before the makeover. My first impression was that she looked tired, old and frumpy! Getting to know her on a personal level I can tell you she is anything but that!

mounia before_after

Mounia is a hard working 37 year old career woman with 2 gorgeous kids, who leaves to work at 6am in the morning and comes back home anywhere around 7pm. She often has after office work events to attend to and as she doesn't have the time to commute back home to change, I took that into consideration putting together the outfits below. Her days off on the weekend are spent with her kids and so practical comfort is key here.

Corporate business

Look no 1. Corporate. Structured Grey jacket on white trousers and blouse with statement accessories.

As Mounia is not a big fan of colours, I tried to take her away from the 50 shades of grey and neutrals she lives in to a lighter basic outfit to start with, all white - perfect for the summer - and showed her how to mix and match different jackets to turn it into corporate. The pop colours were added through accessories, shoes with interesting print and bold coloured bags.

Corporate business casual Etoile La boutique

Look no 2. Cream and gold jacket on same white trousers and blouse with statement accessories. Perfect for office too.

night look Etoile La boutique Ingie Paris

Look no 3. Leaving from office to business event, all she needs to do is change into this amazing statement coat from Ingie Paris, swap her work bag with a clutch, and add a necklace!

Day to night

Look no 4. Using the same jacket and shoes from look no 2, we created a new outfit with this amazing leather fitted dress from Jitrois. Again, all she needs to transform it into a business event night outfit is take jacket off and replace bag with a clutch!

day look casual Etoile La boutique

Look no 5. As Mounia won't want to spend her weekends in anything close to corporate or heels, we chose this laid back casual outfit that could take her from lunch with the kids to the mall in style.

reveal look Etoile La boutique

Mounia's wide smile, the final result of the quick one day makeover, is the best reward I can ask for. I personally don't believe in extreme TV makeovers and drastic changes to impress the audience. What I loved about this experience working with Rulan Al Omari and the team of experts, is that we agreed that our goal is to bring out the best in Mounia by reflecting her true character : Fresh, young, successful and a woman in total control!

Mounia's makeover included the work of beauty experts Jaques Hanna for the hair makeover, Samira Olfat for makeup tips and Dr Majd for that perfect smile.

Wardrobe from Etoile La Boutique.

Watch the full makeover in video here