AM to PM Beauty – Hala Abdallah

COMPILED BY: OLIVIA MORRIS

AM TO PM BEAUTY

Hala Abdallah, Saudi jewellery designer and founder of Ofa, talks us through her daily beauty routine

Talk us through your morning routine. After I wake up, I only wash my face with cold water – without using any products. I want to protect my skin barrier as much as I can. I only apply sunblock SPF 30 and I usually don’t wear foundation. How about your evening routine? I jump into my evening skincare routine just as I arrive home. I like to feel comfortable and let my skin breathe. I start with removing my makeup and then I double cleanse. I gently exfoliate my skin twice a week. After cleansing, I apply some toner and my serums. I start with a hyaluronic acid serum, followed by one with antioxidants and retinol. I finish my skincare routine with a hydrating moisturiser. I also do skin fasting twice a week. I like to pay attention to what my skin needs and be gentle to it – I think it’s important to let it rest. What are your go-to skincare products? Dr. Barbara Sturm’s cleansing products and Skinceuticals’ antioxidant serum. Are you a fan of masks? I’m always busy, so unfortunately I don’t always have time to put on masks

Clockwise from top left: Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum 70ml Dhs1,140 Maison Francis Kurkdjian available at tryano.ae; Enzyme Cleanser Dhs251 Dr. Barbara Sturm available at Apotheca Beauty; Airwrap™ multi-styler Dhs2,399 Dyson; Brow Gel Dhs106 Anastasia Beverly Hills available at Apotheca Beauty; Le Jardin de Monsieur Li, Eau de toilette Dhs568 Hermès available at bloomingdales.ae; C E Ferulic Antioxidant Vitamin C Serum for Normal/Dry Skin 30ml Dhs721 SkinCeuticals available at lookfantastic.ae

IMAGES: SUPPLIED – but I aspire to use them! I do like to massage my face when I finish my skincare routine though. How would you describe your approach to makeup? It’s a love and hate relationship. I only wear makeup whenever I have a shoot or an event. What can always be found in your makeup bag? Anastasia Beverly Hills’ brow gel – I feel that if I’m in control of my eyebrows I’m in control of my life. Let’s talk fragrance. What are you loving at the moment? I’m currently obsessed with two fragrances – Le Jardin by Hermès and Peut-Être de Lancôme.

How do you choose your evening fragrance? I like MFK Baccarat Rouge – its scent is very intense and long-lasting. Talk us through your hair routine. I wash my hair every other day. Usually, I just air dry my hair and put it in braids. Whenever I feel like styling it, I use my Dyson Airwrap to avoid damaging it as much as possible. What is the most unusual item in your makeup bag? I can’t really think of anything that is unusual. What I think is unusual is that I barely carry makeup with me when I go out.