Daiso USB fan
Summers in the UAE are harsh. Luckily, Daiso has us covered. The Japanese store sells adorable mini USB fans that are not only amazingly quiet, but powerful enough to help keep the temperature down despite the miniature size. Even better? There are no batteries or tangled wires to deal with. The fan just needs to be connected to a USB port, switched on, and the cool down begins. Another plus is that the fan is made of plastic, so even if it accidentally drops, there will be minimal damage. It’s perfect for the office, home or even for travel.
• Available for Dh20 at Daiso stores throughout the UAE
* Evelyn Lau
Lashes from Pinky Goat
False eyelashes these days can be dauntingly exorbitant, costing upwards of Dh100 for a single pair. So at Dh44 per set, lashes from the UAE online retailer Pinky Goat’s latest faux mink collection are quite appealing. Various styles are available – Fadwa, Husna, Anbar, Ruby, Areej, Tania and Jana. We found Areej to be the most wearable, with a mix of medium length and slightly longer, wispier lashes for a relatively subtle look that still gives depth to your eyes and makes them pop. According to Pinky Goat, the lashes can be worn up to 20 times.
• Pinky goat lashes cost Dh44 per set and available online at www.pinkygoat.com with next-day delivery available in the UAE
* Hafsa Lodi
Mini Pet Cream from The Face Shop
The only ornament on my desk at work is a cute, bright-orange cat peeping out of a tiny yellow pot – that’s full of hand cream. Produced by The Face Shop, the Korean company with a reputation for good-quality, organic cosmetics, the Mini Pets line of creams boasts all kinds of natural ingredients. Mine, called Fruits, contains mango seed butter and peach extract. It has a velvety feel, and the perfume is mild, so it won’t give you (or your colleagues) a headache. In the freezing, skin-drying environs of the newsroom, a little dab goes a long way towards soft and (subtly) sweet-smelling hands. Now back to watching those cat memes.
• Dh35 for 30ml, available in various fragrances and designs, including Floral, Sweet and Baby (talcum), from The Face Shop
* Christine Iyer
Evernote
For a frantic couple of days in the course of switching from an iPhone 4 to 6, I was certain that I had lost four years worth of Notes, dozens of them, lovingly typed for future reference. Although, I ultimately located them, the experience finally convinced me to download and navigate Evernote. This amazing app, which tops every list of “best notes apps” I’ve seen in recent years, works across desktops, phones and iPads. Not only are any notes I make instantly synched on all my devices, I can also clip and save online articles (from my desktop or iPad), make graphs and charts, snap food labels or book titles and store recipes – complete with pretty pictures. I also love the cheerful logo, reflecting the research finding that elephants have remarkable memories.
• Evernote is available through the App store on iTunes for free. Upgraded versions cost Dh85 and Dh165
* Ann Marie McQueen
Bubble machine
Goodbyes are inevitably bittersweet, but when The National held a farewell lunch for one of our colleagues recently, all that was quickly dispelled by the presence of this cheerful Hamleys Bubble Creator. The owner joked he keeps it by his desk and turns it on whenever a particular co-worker is "sad". No wonder: this powerful little plastic device, which runs on three AA batteries, charmed everyone in sight.
•The mini bubble machine is Dh110 at Hamleys
* Ann Marie McQueen
artslife@thenational.ae
