What We Are Reading Today: The Patient Assassin by Anita Anand
Updated 06 July 2019
Arab News
The Patient Assassin is the dramatic true story of a celebrated young survivor of a 1919 British massacre in India, and his ferocious 20-year campaign of revenge that made him a hero.
Author Anita Anand is a British radio and television presenter and journalist.
At the core of The Patient Assassin is the story of Udham Singh, an Indian who sought to avenge the murders of his fellow countrymen by shooting Sir Michael O’Dwyer to death in London in March 1940. O’Dwyer was the lieutenant governor of Punjab at the time of the massacre in Amritsar.
Singh’s character and motivations “are rendered in such broad and sometimes speculative brush strokes that readers are likely to be left wondering what really drove him. Yet the book more than makes up for this shortcoming by reconstructing its key events in compelling, vivid prose,” critic Yudhijit Bhattacharjee said in a review for The New York Times.
Singh was executed on July 31, 1940, four months after he killed O’Dwyer.
His trial at the Old Bailey in June 1940 lasted only two days.
Amy Schumer revisits stance on Israel’s war against Gaza in new interview
Updated 6 sec ago
Arab News
DUBAI: US comedian-actress Amy Schumer has clarified her stance on Israel’s ongoing war against Gaza after receiving backlash for her social media posts about the conflict.
Speaking to Variety, Schumer said that while she supports the Jewish people, she does not agree with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I don’t agree with anything that Netanyahu is doing, and neither do the Israelis I know,” she said. “Of course, what’s going on in Gaza is sickening, horrifying and unthinkable. And I don’t think it’s OK to hate anyone because they were born Jewish.
“It’s gotten to this place,” Schumer added, “where you can’t speak up for other Jews without people feeling like it’s a slight to the conditions in Gaza.”
Since the events of Oct. 7, Schumer has used her official Instagram page to campaign on behalf of Israel’s operation and call for the release of hostages held in Gaza.
She is also among more than 700 Hollywood figures, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Gal Gadot and Jerry Seinfeld, who have signed an open letter from the Creative Community for Peace in support of Israel.
Bella Hadid unveils debut fragrances from her new brand Orebella
Model and runway star to launch brand with 3 perfumes
Alcohol-free products highlight Hadid’s health concerns
Updated 01 May 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: American-Dutch-Palestinian model Bella Hadid has unveiled “skin perfumes,” the inaugural products of her new brand, Orebella.
The runway sensation turned to Instagram on Wednesday to showcase images of her fragrances, which are named “Salted Muse,” “Blooming Fire” and “Window2Soul.”
Crafted from glass and adorned with a gold cap, the bottles are offered in 10 ml, 50 ml and 100 ml.
Hadid in her caption described the fragrances as “hydrating, alcohol-free and enriched with essential oils.” She urged her followers to “shake to activate the transformative bi-phase formula.”
The “Salted Muse” perfume has “top notes” of sea salt, pink pepper and carbon dioxide extract, “heart notes” of olive tree accord, fig and lavender, and “base notes” of cedarwood, sandalwood and amber, according to reports.
The “Blooming Fire” fragrance has bergamot, cedarwood, clove leaf and cardamom, followed by Tahitian monoi and jasmine, and finishes with patchouli.
The “Window2Soul” scent has a blend of lemon, geranium and mint in its top notes, transitions to jasmine and damask rose, and concludes with a base of tonka bean.
The brand will launch on May 2.
Hadid wrote on her website: “For me, fragrance has always been at the center of my life — helping me feel in charge of who I am and my surroundings,” she said. “From my home to nostalgic memories, to my own energy and connection with others, scent has been an outlet for me. It made me feel safe in my own world.”
“Through my healing journey, I found that I was extremely sensitive to the alcohol in traditional perfumes — both physically and mentally — it became something that was more overwhelming than calming to me,” she added. “That is the main reason I wanted to find an alternative, so essential oils became an artistic and experimental process for me.”
She started growing lavender on her farm, walking through the garden every morning and learning about her family’s tradition of making homemade scents. “I realized I might have a calling in this. I found healing, joy, and love within nature’s scents,” she said.
“This is why I am so proud of Orebella. It was truly a dream and a passion, that through the universe and authentic dedication, was able to become this brand,” she wrote.
Simi, Haze Khadra thank Saudi fans after beauty masterclass
Updated 30 April 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: US Palestinian beauty moguls Simi and Haze Khadra concluded their beauty masterclass sessions in Riyadh this week, before flying to Dubai.
The masterclass sessions celebrate the Middle East launch of their eponymous label SimiHaze Beauty, with their products now available to purchase at Sephora stores in the region.
“Best day with all the amazing people in Riyadh. Thank you so much for all the love and so happy you all love everything,” the sisters posted on Instagram Stories.
The twins launched their US-born cosmetics brand in 2021 with a range of stick-on makeup designs that can be placed on the face for a bold beauty look achievable within seconds. The sticker book features an array of edgy designs inspired by their favorite DJ looks from the past, such as chrome wings, neon negative space eyeliner and holographic cat-eyes.
SimiHaze Beauty has expanded to include a range of products, including lipsticks, bronzing powders, a lifting mascara and more.
“Chicago” is a tale of passion, murder, greed, betrayal and redemption through the journey of two competitive women – an aspiring jazz performer, Roxie Hart, and a former vaudeville star, Velma Kelly.
The production spawned numerous beloved tunes such as “All That Jazz,” “Cell Block Tango” and "Razzle Dazzle.”
Since its premiere on Broadway New York 27 years ago, “Chicago” has played in major cities around the world like London, Sydney, Tokyo, Seoul, Paris, Berlin and Madrid.
Floris London’s Edward Bodenham on designing scents for the Middle East
Updated 30 April 2024
Saffiya Ansari
DUBAI: Established in 1730, British perfume label Floris London is the only perfumer to hold royal warrants in the UK. With a historic client list that includes British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, the storied label is also particularly interested in the Arab world — besides designing bespoke fragrances for clientele in the region, the brand has released a men’s scent that is exclusive to the Middle East.
Having designed custom fragrances for individuals in the region before, Edward Bodenham, brand director of Floris London, told Arab News that that the perfumery team “noted a trend in warm, comforting, deep fragrances. Definitely, a strong connection to rose, patchouli and precious Cambodian oud oil … a particular highlight to the forward-thinking taste of these clients is their interest in dynamic notes like cashmere and smoke.”
The untrained nose will be able to detect the vast differences in typically European scents and those that are popular across the Middle East, and Bodenham made further distinctions between British perfumes and those found in mainland Europe.
Edward Bodenham, brand director of Floris London. (Supplied)
“The differences between traditionally English or British fragrances and those that are popular in the Gulf is that our classic scents generally tend to be lighter in comparison. I would say that French and Italian fragrances, generally speaking, tend to be more intense though, so more similar to fragrances popular in the Gulf,” he said.
With regard to their latest regional offering, Santal Intense, Bodenham explained that it builds on the same notes found in the Santal Eau de Toilette that was released in the early 2000s.
“When creating the original Santal we wanted to compose a sandalwood themed fragrance for a new generation. We created a scent with a reassuring fougere theme, but with some modern and unexpected twists, like the inclusion of notes of green grass, black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg and tonka bean,” he said, using the term “fougere” that means “fern-like” in French and describes one of the main fragrance families.
“When creating Santal Intense we focused on increasing the levels of amber, woody amber and frankincense within the fragrance, which provided a greater depth and longevity as well as increasing the sillage of the scent,” he explained, referring to the scent trail that a perfume leaves behind as it evaporates.
Floris London’s royal warrants give the label the right to be named as an official supplier to the British royal family and use the royal coat of arms on their products.
“I think that, to some extent, holding royal warrants and having a connection to the British royal family does have an appeal, because, unlike a sponsorship from a celebrity who is paid to use and endorse a fragrance, the royal family remain impartial and are free to choose and support fragrances from any fragrance house they prefer,” Bodenham commented on the company’s royal connection.
