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DUBAI: US Palestinian beauty entrepreneurs and influencers Simi and Haze Khadra took to social media this week to promote Swedish retailer H&M’s latest collaboration with Belgian designer Glenn Martens.

The twins posed in a series of items from the new collection in a paid advertorial post on Instagram, captioning it “fade to black.”

The creative director of Diesel is part of Paris’ new guard of fashion designers and is known for infusing humor into his conceptual collections. Martens is also the creative head of Y/Project, which he expanded into a unisex brand.

Martens’ collection with H&M twists clothing archetypes into new and unexpected forms. The designer explored H&M’s archive and selected a range of historically popular key pieces, from best-selling T-shirts to checked shirts, bomber jackets and jeans. Each is reimagined as a newly designed piece, with trompe-l’œil elements. Many of the pieces can be transformed by the wearer thanks to the use of reshaping techniques, such as foil and wiring, to create sculptural forms.

“I see this collection as a big family of garments, all of which have multiple purposes and personalities: Like people, they grow and change each day. I am always interested in the clothes that we really live in, and the idea of archetypes and wardrobe staples was the starting point for this very special and joyful project,” Martens said in a released statement.

The Khadra sisters showed off a trench coat, scarf and various boots from the collection on social media.

The pair are no strangers to creativity and co-founded their own beauty brand, SimiHaze Beauty, in 2021.

Known for their bold and innovative stick-on makeup designs — such as chrome wings and holographic cat-eyes — the brand began with eye products and then expanded its offerings to include lipsticks and bronzing powders.

In 2024, they expanded their brand to the Middle East, describing the experience as “so surreal” to Arab News.

“The market has been such a huge goal of ours since we started because we grew up here,” Simi said in an interview at the time. “We’re so happy that our products are finally accessible to our amazing followers here.”

DUBAI: Lebanese celebrity makeup artist Bassam Fattouh, founder of his namesake cosmetics brand, shared his expert tips during a Dubai masterclass at Beautyworld Middle East, the region’s leading international trade fair for beauty, hair, fragrance, and wellbeing, which took place this week.

The session provided a glimpse into his signature soft, glowing approach that has made him one of the Arab world’s most trusted beauty figures.

Fattouh began by revealing that he usually starts any look with eye drops to remove redness and prevent tearing. “Tearing is a nightmare for us makeup artists,” he said, adding that eye drops also help hydrate the eyes, keeping them bright and refreshed.

When the model came on stage, she already had basic base makeup and lashes applied, allowing him to focus on the artistry and refinement of his techniques. He started with the eyes, applying a thin line of kohl along the lash line before gently smudging it for a natural, diffused finish. 

“Blend, blend — it’s your best friend,” he reminded the audience, emphasizing that perfect blending can transform any look. He also applies very little product on the brush to achieve a smooth, even blend.

As a professional tip for fellow makeup artists, he revealed that he uses a puff under his fingers while working on the eyes to avoid disturbing the base. 

Fattouh said that there is no fixed order between doing eyes or skin first. It depends on the look and mood he is going for. 

When it comes to brow gel, he advised applying brow mascara quickly to avoid a white cast, regardless of the product or formula. He also warned against placing concealer too close to the lash line, because it can make the eyes appear smaller.

On contouring, his trick is to brush over the entire nose, then highlight only the bridge — a simple method he recommends if you find nose contouring tricky or hard to perfect.

During the masterclass, Fattouh teased the launch of a new foundation early next year and a nano brush mascara designed for precise definition. 

He concluded by unveiling his latest innovation — a “see-through” highlighter with almost no pigment, designed, he said, to give the skin a natural, long-lasting glass-like glow.