The Qatar Director of Harper’s Bazaar, and Esquire opens up on routine, work/life balance, and the importance of self-care.
5:00 AM I wake up daily at 5 am, no alarm needed. I’ve always been an early riser and love making the most of the first few hours of the day when most people are still sleeping. I love putting on music as soon as I wake up to start the day on a high. I’ll get to the gym or do a quick home workout.
5:45 AM Whilst I understand the importance of starting the day with a good breakfast, I’m never usually hungry in the morning and don’t believe in eating unless necessary. I’ll usually just have my favourite Puglian coffee, Quarta, sitting on my terrace overlooking The Pearl Qatar.
6:00 AM I’m a lover of beauty products and always start and end the day with my beauty routine. My go-to brands include Dr Sebagh, Augustinus Bader, Skinceuticals, and ZO by Zein Obagi. I am never without my Lyma laser or my cryo tools, which I keep in the freezer and use for lymphatic drainage each morning.
I like to start work early so my computer is usually on by 6:30 AM, which gives me an opportunity to catch up on emails and run through what needs to be covered that day. Around 9:00 AM I’ll meet my team to discuss updates.
During the day, I rarely wear much make-up as I like to keep my skin fresh. For meetings, I tend to opt for Alexander McQueen tailoring with soft, natural hair or a statement coat in chillier months.
Each day is different in media – by 12:00 PM I’ve usually had a few Zooms and a couple of face-to-face meetings or an editorial shoot. I always make time to meet with emerging talent – whether for an interview tied to one of our Qatar titles or just for feedback on a new collection or lookbook. There’s so much exciting talent in Doha and I want to make sure that we are offering a platform to support them in their journey.
Lunch is usually quick and light – a ricotta salad or similar – unless I take a business meeting. Media can be very stressful and my team and I work on multiple events concurrently so it’s always important to make sure that we find time to laugh together and remember why we love doing what we do! It’s often in these moments that our best ideas shine through.
By 6:00 PM I’m officially done with work, although there are never really fixed hours in this business and it’s not uncommon for me to work much later. Evenings are for socialising with friends. Doha has an amazing culinary scene and some of my favourites include CUT Doha, Hakkasan, Bodega Negra, and Lobito de Mar. I like good food and conversation and often head out with girlfriends for a much-needed break. I also tend to book spa appointments later in the evening – whether at Mandarin Oriental or ESPA at Mondrian Doha, and manicures and pedicures at Beauty Hunters or Scarlett’s. For eyebrows, I always head to Privé London Aesthetics and for hair, the amazing team at Aldo Coppola, the fabulous Clinqe by Bassam Rezk, or celeb favourites Massimo Guala and Karen Donnelly. Nagmeh at Aldo Coppola is fantastic for make-up and when Amir Sdiri is visiting, he always gives me the best glam make-over. I can’t go without Charlotte Tilbury and Chanel make-up and tend to opt for a feline flick with a nude lip.
By 9:00 PM on a weekday, I’m in wind-down mode. My nightly bath is non-negotiable and I love using Aromatherapy Associate oils to calm and de-stress myself. I’ll apply a hair mask, and exfoliate my face and body, before dry brushing and applying Augustinus Bader’s Body Cream. I always apply retinol before sleeping and am currently using the Dr Sebagh overnight retinol serum which applies easily and doesn’t irritate.
I’m an early bird so I’ll go to bed no later than 11:00 PM. I like reading in bed – I’m a real lover of crime fiction as well as poetry – and I try to end the day with something uplifting rather than scrolling through Instagram although I’m not always wildly successful! I’m an over-thinker so if I’m struggling to sleep, I’ll listen to an evening meditation on the Calm app.
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