From Miracle Products to Secret Surgeries, Sheikha Dana Al Khalifa Shares Her Entire Beauty Routine With Bazaar
The Bahraini fashion blogger, businesswoman, and lawyer reveals her favourite make-up brand, in-flight essentials, and her off-duty hair secrets here…
The founder of popular Instagram page @theoverdressed shares her skincare, haircare, and beauty secrets with Bazaar here…
MAKE-UP / FRAGRANCE
Favourite make-up brand and why? Bobbi Brown. I love the brand; they have a good range of subtle ‘no make-up make-up’ looks. I like to mix it up though, so all summer I used the Marc Jacobs Glow Stick everywhere: on eyelids, cheeks and lips. (Dhs145). I also used Bobbi Brown lipstick in Brown Rose on my eyelids and cheeks for a rosy glow.
Foundation / concealer: I don’t like foundation because I don’t like that powdery look. I prefer a very glowy, dewy one. I use Supergoop Glow Screen SPF40 (Dhs157) before my make-up but after my vitamin C and Hyaluronic acid and RMS Beauty Uncover-up 33 (Dhs140).
Go-to lip colour: Charlotte Tilbury Super Fabulous (Dhs160).
Mascara: Diorshow Blackout Mascara (Dhs179).
Signature scent: Prada Iris (Dhs545).
Signature make-up hack: Lipstick on cheeks!
HAIR
Hair schedule: I’m so bad at maintaining. I am very dramatic. So once every 6 months when I feel like I cannot take it anymore!
Style secret: I style my hair dry with a curling wand. The secret is that it is 110 per cent dry!
Favourite products: Olaplex No. 3 (Dhs135).
Off-duty hair look: I love a ponytail. I like my hair down but I feel most comfortable when my hair’s away from my face.
Bad hair-day secret: Hair half-up half-down, then tie it all together for a stay-in-place ponytail, centre-parted of course, and slicked down with Olaplex No. 3.
SKIN & BODY
Skincare routine morning & evening: I shower twice a day. In the morning after my workout and at night before bed. I am so old-school, I love a bar of soap and loofah routine. My go-to soap is Green Bar’s Detox Clay Bar Soap. Or if I really want a deep clean I go for Green Bar’s Exfoliating Bar soap. I love both, they smell like a spa. I finish by moisturising with Weleda Skin Food everywhere. I have really dry skin. I sometimes I even dab a little on my face and wipe through my ponytail to keep baby hairs down.
Go-to product for skin emergencies: Moisturiser: Weleda Skin Food and Avène Cicalfate.
Cleansers: Cetaphil (Dhs50).
Flight essentials: Weleda Skin Food. I wash my hands so much this is a heaven-sent product. It moisturises everything, even deep into my cuticles!
Miracle product: Green Bar Lip Balm in Island Rose. It’s always in my bag. Dab lips and cheeks for an instant glow.
Manicure: I just discovered gel polish. I used to do weekly manicures. My go-to colour is an orange-based red or a translucent beige-white. The best red I have found is OPI Tasmanian Devil Made Me Do It (Dhs70).
Suncream: Supergoop Glow Screen on my face and Avène SPF50 on my body.
INTERVENTION
Attitude to injectables: You do you. For me personally I’m very wary of looking like everyone else. I’m not against it, I just want to look like me. My goal is to look vibrant and radiant. I do an annual peel called Cosmelan and I also do Scarlet laser resurfacing treatment four times a year. My dermatologist lets me take my time deciding what I want to do. I’ve recently done Profhilo and love it!
Cosmetic dermatologist: Dr Rana Shahab.
Future intervention: Probably Botox.
Secret surgeries: What’s a secret these days?
Most invasive procedure: Probably Profhilo. It really hurt!
DIET & FITNESS
Food preferences: I eat pretty much everything that’s excellent quality. Apart from sugar, I don’t eliminate anything so vehemently.
Go-to snack: Pink Lady apple.
Workout method: A mixture of weights and cardio.
Guilty food pleasures: Baked Alaska and anything with meringue.
Beverage preference: I start every day with ginger water and might have a second coffee mid-morning.
Food dislikes: Anything made in haste.
Complied by Anahita Ghai
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia October 2021 Issue.