When Dior Beauty announced its Rouge Premier lipstick this year, it caused a buzz for several reasons.
One was that it was billed as the first "haute couture" lipstick and another was that it contained pure 24k gold. For many years the unique properties of gold have been known. It is an anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing and even an antioxidant.
Little wonder, then, that beauty companies are eager to include this wonder material in skincare and beauty products.
Here are some that contain 24k gold.
Dior Rouge Premier lipstick
A lipstick five years in the making, Dior Rouge Premier lives up to its "haute couture" moniker. It has a velvety texture and is infused with hibiscus extract and 24k gold for hydration and glow.
With a custom-made, limited-edition case made by the storied French ceramic house Maison Bernardaud, the 0.8mm thick porcelain cover is decorated with one of Dior’s most recognisable patterns, the Toile de Jouy.
Available in 12 shades, the case can be refilled easily by snapping in a new bullet. It's currently only available at the Dior flagship store in Paris, but will be available across the US from September 1.
Price on request
La Prairie Pure Gold Radiance Nocturnal Balm
This luxurious bedtime ritual balm from Swiss beauty specialist La Prairie contains gold nanoparticles of 60 microns, which, as well as making the skin glow, contain peptides and the micronutrient polyphenol.
Together, the ingredients work to smooth and hydrate the skin for increased volume and a firmer surface texture. Refillable, it also comes with a marble tool to massage the face to improve micro-circulation.
Dh3,580, laprarie.com
Hollywood Gold 24k Instant Lifting Anti-Aging DMAE Cream
This lifting cream combines apple stem cells, vitamin E and colloidal gold to help promote cellular function and reduce the appearance of fine lines, while CO Marigold works to help plump the skin.
Dh951 (50ml), hollywoodgoldluxuryskincare.com
111Skin Rose Gold Facial Treatment Mask
These facial sheets contain 24k gold and damask rose to illuminate and calm the skin. Packed with vitamins, minerals and flavonoids to ward off free radicals, damask rose is excellent for the skin and, along with pure 24k gold, should give skin an instant boost, while making it look luminous.
Dh450 for a pack of five, bloomingdales.ae
Rosegold Cosmetics 24K Gold Elixir
This serum is infused with 24k gold to help reduce the pigmentation marks caused by melasma, as well as non-cancerous brown or blue-grey freckles and patches that occur because of sun exposure.
As the gold reacts with the four basal cells in the lower epidermis, it triggers new cell production that gives the appearance of fresher, more elastic skin, with reduced fine lines, dark spots and wrinkles.
Dh367.50 (30ml); drbashara.com
Cle de Peau Beaute Precious Gold Vitality Mask
The energising facial mask combines 24k gold with a specially formulated illuminator that acts to combat the telltale signs of ageing, including fine lines and wrinkles. Containing amino acids and botanicals, it aims to help skin appear revitalised and more radiant.
Dh1,256; harrods.com
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
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MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
