There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing glossy-faced influencers flaunt their favourite formulas all over TikTok, only to find you can’t buy them in the Middle East. While this is still the case for many, many brands (Rhode and Jones Road, we’re glaring at you), more brands are thankfully hopping across to the desert. Hopefully 2023 will see the Middle East become the beauty hotspot that it deserves to be, and if this month’s arrivals are anything to go by, we’re right on track…
The Ordinary
One word: FINALLY. The brand that pioneered targeted, multi-step routines at purse-friendly prices, The Ordinary ultimately simplified the science behind skincare – demystifying clinical technologies via complete transparency, lighting the way for today’s hyper-informed consumer. Now, they’ve finally skipped across the pond, and you can find The Ordinary exclusively at Sephora.
We sat down to speak with the brand’s CEO and Co-Founder, Nicola Kilner, who told us that she noticed an “appetite” for The Ordinary in the Middle East after receiving a wave of requests for the brand on social media. Nicola’s goal is to ultimately sprinkle a little of The Ordinary’s magic across the Middle East, bringing us everything they’re known so well for: “Our aim is to empower the Middle Eastern audience with the information they need to curate a personalised and highly effective skincare regimen, all whilst educating them about the science of skin and the ingredients within the formulations.”
When discussing the Middle Eastern consumer specifically, Nicola noted that we tend to want formulas for dark circles, large pores, oiliness and congestion. For this, she recommends the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum to soothe, smooth and brighten, or the Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution and Multi-Peptide + HA to even skin tone and strengthen. Then there’s the Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG – the perfect companion for dark circles and puffiness.
DR. DENNIS GROSS SKINCARE
If you haven’t heard of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare before, we’d recommend a trip to Sephora at your earliest convenience. Dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross and his wife founded the eponymous brand to bring “science-backed products with immediate and long-term results for all skin types” to the masses. One of the first mainstream Dr-founded brands, Dr. Dennis Gross was pioneering in the industry, popularising the combined use of chemical exfoliants like BHAs and AHAs. Whether you struggle with fine lines, dark spots or breakouts, this brand is guaranteed to have something that’ll suit you – from overnight treatments to cutting-edge tools.
We must confess, a pack of the brand’s glow-bestowing Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel pads has been a staple in our bathrooms since forever, and now we won’t have to harass our overseas friends for a refill. Trust us, every beauty editor on earth swears by these peel pads, thanks to their visible instant and cumulative benefits. They gently lift away dead skin cells to allow your fresh, high-functioning cells to shine. They’re gentle, (what redness?), easy to use and they make you look like you’ve just had a facial. Think: better tone and texture, refined pores and incredible radiance.
AĒSOP
This is a brand that needs no introduction. Their chic soaps and lotions are undeniable sink-side staples for the beauty conscious – as much décor as they are beauty – and are spotted in the background of many a celebrity reel. Aēsop is best known for its incredible range of hand care formulas – which each smell utterly divine – bringing a sensorial, spa-like experience to the comfort of your own home. Then there’s their skincare range (the famous Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum safeguards skin from airborne pollutants), their hard-working haircare range, and their addictively fresh and earthy androgynous scents (a gifting favourite).
Though previously shoppable in the UAE via their website and one lonely shop in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall, the brand has finally opened its very first Dubai-based store in Dubai Mall. Each of Aēsop’s stores is unique, with different, carefully considered interior designs that are set to inspire and awe – entering an Aēsop store is an experience in itself, and Dubai Mall’s iteration is a captivating ode to the future. It features sky-high walls coated in glossy, mint-green tiles, accompanied by rows and rows of neatly stacked Aēsop delights, all overlooked by a central glass column that looks as if it might shoot you into the future. The best bit? A mysteriously concealed “Fragrance Library”.
After trying the brand’s bestsellers, our favourite has to be the Reverence Aromatique Hand Wash, which brings so much joy to the most mundane of activities. With its finely milled pumice and intoxicatingly woody and smoky scent, this soap cleanses and exfoliates with vetiver root and bergamot rind to leave hands looking smooth and refreshed.
