Despite Covid-19 briefly threatening to cancel beards for good last year, what with mixed messaging about the safety of facial hair, they seem to have survived the worst of the pandemic. In fact, they’ve thrived. You need only look up #CoronaBeards on social media to see what we mean.
And as any grizzly veteran will tell you, beards are everything if you want to add that extra layer of personality and character to that beautiful face. So this World Beard Day on September 4, we asked experts what the best beard styles are and what’s the best way to pick them.
Carlos Gamal, owner and founder of CG Barbershop in Dubai, says the most common mistake he sees is the right beard on the wrong face shape. “Before you decide to grow one or style it, it’s very important to know what your face shape is. They can vary from round, oval, square, heart-shaped or long,” he explains.
Seif Hamata, a barber at Chivalry: Gentlemen’s Salon in Downtown Dubai says round, square and triangular face shapes are the most common.
He explains that you can determine your face shape by taking into account three main factors: the length of your face; width of the forehead, cheeks and chin; and the shape of the top angles of the head, which can be either narrow or wide.
Once you’ve determined your shape, it’s easy to pick the best styles for you.
Styling your beard
For round faces, it’s better to let the beard grow a little long to the point where you will be able to sculpt it, says Hamata.
“In my opinion, both rectangular and triangular-shaped beards would suit the face shape perfectly,” he says. "If your face is square or rectangular and you have a sharp jawline, keep your beard short or shave it entirely. This way the natural shape of the face can also be appreciated.
“If your jawline isn't sharp enough, you can grow just a little bit under the chin to balance it out, and sharpen at the bottom."
For triangular faces, Hamata advises, one option is to grow it long and sculpt it so that it fills the narrow area from the cheeks to the chin. This way, the face will look more of a square than a triangle.
"If the face is long, it's good to avoid long beards, but try to fill the narrow shape of the cheeks to the jaw area," he says.
For oval faces, it’s better to not grow the beard lower than the chin because that would make your face look even longer.
"If your face isn’t that long and you don’t have a sharp enough jawline, it's preferable to grow the beard a little and create some sharp edges and angles on the cheeks and below the jawline,” says Hamata.
One of the most popular beard trends right now is the "reverse fade", which tends to suit most face shapes, says CG Barbershop’s Gamal.
“But if you have a heart-shaped face, be careful not to go too pointy at the end of your beard,” he cautions.
For those who have thin beard hair or are struggling to grow thick facial hair, keeping it nice and short is the way to go.
“You can also ask your barber about beard colouring. This can create a much thicker look to your beard and still looks natural,” Gamal points out.
Shaving at home
If you're shaving at home, never shave against the natural direction of your hair to avoid stubble rash, Gamal says.
“Use a smaller beard clipper. If you have sensitive skin that is prone to a flare-up, it's best to invest the money and see a professional who can give you the razor cut without the painful bumps," he says.
"Those who have a crown within their beards should seek a good barber who knows how to trim based on the direction the hair grows. Have the barber give you good at-home styling advice and recommend suitable products."
According to shaving brand Gillette, the best time to trim your beard is after a shower and when your beard is dry. "Your hair will be hydrated and easier to cut, and will give you a better idea of how it will look once it’s tamed," the company says on its website.
Beard hygiene
Growing a beard also means daily care and that involves washing it regularly , says Adel Djazaerly, owner of Be Groomed Barber Shop at the Park Regis Business Bay, Dubai.
“Beards are not like hair… you eat regularly, you touch it so it gets dirty faster than the hair on your head. So daily washes are essential. Make sure you invest in a good beard shampoo and conditioner,” he advises.
The next step after a wash is beard oil. “A lot of people with beards still don’t do this. Your beard hair is tougher than other hair so make sure you apply beard oil right after you wash it. Otherwise, it will get dry and itchy,” Djazaerly says.
Use your fingers to massage the oil thoroughly, he says. Then you can style it with a hairdryer or use beard styling cream, which is optional, for that sharp finish.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Indoor Cricket World Cup
Venue Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE squad Saqib Nazir (captain), Aaqib Malik, Fahad Al Hashmi, Isuru Umesh, Nadir Hussain, Sachin Talwar, Nashwan Nasir, Prashath Kumara, Ramveer Rai, Sameer Nayyak, Umar Shah, Vikrant Shetty
