Vibe Café Founder Noora Salem On Skincare and Shoutouts From Drake

Best known for her deliciously pink eatery, located in Dubai’s DIFC and on al Wasl road, she brings us along on her daily routine

The founder and director of Vibe Cafe and Lash Cosmetics shares her very busy but nonetheless fabulous day with Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, in our April 2021 issue.

Morning is the one time of the day that is for me. I’ve always been an early bird, which means I wake up by about 6:30 A.M. First things first, after waking up is that hot cup or Americano, followed with a nice warm shower using OGX shampoo, Byredo Gypsy Water Shower Gel and Paris-Venise Les Eaux de Chanel hair and body shower gel. Then 8.00 A.M is gym time, I train five times a week and prefer to dress in Nike or Alo Yoga, training includes boxing, circuit training and strength and conditioning. I also love adding Megaformer pilates to my routine. I conclude my post-workout shower regime with my morning skin routine. This includes using my all-time favourite skincare products, Vichy Mineral 89, Vichy Vitamin C Serum, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid, The Ordinary Niacinamide, and last but not least, Vichy UV Protect as sunscreen is so important for the skin, especially with our UAE weather. My everyday look is track pants or leggings and a hoodie by OVO or in an abaya by the brand Nafs, and of course my Apple Watch to track my daily steps and calorie count.

Alo Yoga , At Ease Hoodie 433 DHS.

When it comes to makeup, it’s just the Huda Beauty Legit Mascara and Erborian BB cream. When I’m in a hurry, I like to put on the Alyazia Lash by Lash Dubai. To carry my daily essentials, I prefer mini bags such as a Loro Piana pouch, Prada Re-Edition 2000, or Bottega Veneta Woven Pouch. A final touch to my ensemble is perfume, I am currently head over heels for Byredo and Frederic Malle.

Lash Dubai, Alyazia lash, Dhs100

Byredo, Mixed Emotions, 685 DHS

Around 10:00 A.M. I head to one of my Vibe Cafe locations either in DIFC or Al Wasl depending on my mood or where I am needed. Vibe, was established in 2018 and we were honoured to have His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum do the grand opening. We’ve also been graced with His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and many other royals. The rapper, Drake was kind enough to give us a shout-out on his Instagram and share the recipe of his favourite smoothie which is actually one of our best sellers and named after him ‘Drake’s Vibe’. We’ve also been visited by Fat Joe, Ne-Yo, Huda Kattan, Seth Rollins, and Becky Lynch. Back to breakfast, I eat either before starting work or whilst responding to emails.

My diet consists of low carbs and a low-calorie intake and for breakfast I choose from my two favourite dishes at Vibe: the Pear of Nuts granola bowl or the Toast Malone (poached eggs with avocado on toast). I am constantly working on improving quality and innovating new items, a latest addition is a pizza line called Slim Thicc by Vibe. Iwill work through the morning on customer experience and catching up with my assistant and executive chef. My lunch is around 1:00 P.M. I go for either the healthy N7 Salad which was created by me or What She Order? Fish Fillet.

Vibe Cafe’s Fish fillet, Dhs81

The menu is designed with puns for each dish and are which make our dishes unique and fun – they’re also super colourful as food presentation is something we take great pride in. I am a perfectionist and my team will vouch for that. I am always very clear about what I want and how I want it. During the work day, I also need to spend time on my other business Lash Cosmetics, which was established in 2014, we have sponsored many make-up classes including those by Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian and we’re popular with influencers like Dana Al Tuwarish, Fouz Al Fahad, Karen Wazen and Maryam Hussain.

I personally manage the day-to-day operations of my restaurants and my Lash brand – that includes everything from emails, customer feedback, phone calls, and back-office issues. It can get hectic and stressful really quickly but that’s what I like, every day is a new challenge and I’m always up for it.I usually leave work by about 8:00 P.M. to catch up with friends. We either go out or even have a quiet BBQ at home. For me, food is at the centre of relationships with family, friends, and loved ones. You will always find me trying different cuisines in one of the foodie hotspots or hidden gems in the UAE.

Usually, for night outs, I opt for a wardrobe change to go from work mood to fun mood. Some of my go-to brands are Off White, Jacquemus, Marine Serre, and Alexander Wang. If I’m not out, I love watching TV shows as a mode of relaxation after a full day’s work. Lately, I’ve been binge-watching Peaky Blinders, The Queen’s Gambit, and Money Heist. I end the day with a light Internet search for new ideas on how I can better my brand and myself. Competition drives me and in today’s day and age, you must always be up-to-date and on top of your game with the latest trends and innovation. I usually go to bed between 10:00 P.M. and 11:00 P.M. depending on if I’ve stayed in or been out.

Lead image courtesy Instagram/@vibeuae

From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s April 2021 issue.