My bucket list mostly contains items that involve travel and money, or require several stars to be aligned. One such item is to get my hair cut by a celebrity stylist. I have long been enthralled by the idea of giving my hair over to someone trusted by the world's elite, to see its potential and bring out my inner rock chick, whom I keep hidden under a shield of straight, shoulder-length dark hair and a heavy fringe.
Thanks to cosmic intervention, I had the opportunity to meet Rossano Ferretti at the opening of his hair spa in Abu Dhabi, his second in the UAE, as well as a personal consultation and cut with him. Located in a villa on Al Karamah Street, the chic venue is done up in wood and warm-grey tones, and includes a coffee shop. The lighting is bright without feeling harsh, and the furniture and display cases of hair products and nail varnish seem more like artwork organic to the decor. The salon offers a range of treatments including nail care, waxing, threading, facials and massages.
The opening of Ferretti’s 22nd hair spa is the latest chapter in a career that spans decades and that put him in the international spotlight due to the innovative technique he developed with his sister, Lorenza, called The Method, which takes into consideration the intrinsic nature of each person’s hair, based on elements such as its texture and fall, to bring out its natural beauty. To that end, Ferretti’s patented scissors take off just 18 per cent of the hair and produce the so-called Invisible haircut, which is bespoke to each client, and doesn’t replicate styles, trends or a picture you find on Pinterest.
For a stylist who generally charges Dh4,500 a cut, and whose clients include the Duchess of Cambridge and Angelina Jolie, Ferretti’s big smile and warm “ciao!” make me feel at ease and as important as one of his regular A-listers. I feel even more special when he tells me that he only cuts hair at launch events, preferring to spend his time training his "Method directors" to do the same at his salons around the world and for all types of hair.
“What is your hair dream?” he asks me, as he runs his hands around my head, inspecting my hair by lifting it and letting it fall, and getting to know what he has to work with. I tell him I am open to his ideas, but that I have recently grown my hair out and would be happy to keep the length. He agrees and says: “I’ll give you some volume and movement. You can’t get that with this,” gesturing to my straight tresses.
Using long, fluid strokes, Ferretti begins slicing through my hair, creating layers from sharp angles. I am immediately reminded of what Michelangelo said about every stone having a statue inside it, and that it is the job of the sculptor to chip away at the superfluous stone. With each broad shear, I feel that inner rock chick begin to appear and my own facial features become brighter and more pronounced. Soon, I am no longer hiding under my armour.
Following a blow-dry by a stylist using Ferretti’s signature products, my look is complete and I feel more like myself than I have since relying on trends, and then giving up and letting my hair grow out. “You are now one of few women in the whole world with this Method cut,” he says, when I thank him for the experience. Already convinced that I will keep up with my new look, I ask Ferretti when he'll be back in Abu Dhabi. He assures me that his stylists in the capital, as in all of his hair spas, have the same standards and vision as he does and will be able to help me maintain my style.
Bucket list item checked. Now to see the aurora borealis from an ice hotel.
The Rossano Ferretti Hair Spa is open from 9am to 9pm, from Sundays to Thursdays; and noon to 8pm on Fridays. Hair cuts cost from Dh450. Call 02 645 3313 or visit www.rossanoferretti.com
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Read more
‘You cannot modify hair’ – Rossano Ferretti brings his organic haircuts to the UAE
No point fighting curly hair when it’s humid, and other tips by Sally Hershberger
UAE makes itself over as a comestics hotspot
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Blonde
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
McIlroy's struggles in 2016/17
European Tour: 6 events, 16 rounds, 5 cuts, 0 wins, 3 top-10s, 4 top-25s, 72,5567 points, ranked 16th
PGA Tour: 8 events, 26 rounds, 6 cuts, 0 wins, 4 top-10s, 5 top-25s, 526 points, ranked 71st
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
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ARGYLLE
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More from our neighbourhood series:
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Salem Rashid, Mohammed Al Attas, Alhassan Saleh
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Yahya Nader, Ahmed Barman, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
How to help or find other cats to adopt
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)