Be Mine...At Vu's

My fiancé travels a lot for work, so when he’s in Dubai, we like to make the most of our time together. Cue an evening at Vu’s restaurant, in the iconic Jumeirah Emirates Towers.

Having never been to Vu’s before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d heard all the stats: over 10 years’ of excellence in contemporary European cuisine, some of the best views in Dubai, gorgeous décor, the list goes on.

And so last Thursday, my fiancé and I dressed up, called a cab, and then stepped into the glass elevators that whizzed us up to the 50th floor for an early Valentine’s dinner.

The menu is by no means light on the wallet, but every mouthful is worth it. I promise. We opted for the four-course menu, specially designed for Valentine’s Day (Dhs600 per person for four courses and a glass of bubbly on arrival).

The meal extravaganza kicked off with a hot and cold starter – Norwegian scallops and beef carpaccio (and a splash of aged Pinot Noir, thank you very much).

As the courses stretched on, we came to the main event – I opted for the sea bass while my fiancé chose the veal tenderloin. He’s picky when it comes to meat, more often than not declaring that the cut, cooking method or presentation aren’t up to scratch. I held my breath. He cut a slice. My fork hovered in mid-air. He put the bite to his lips. I watched. He broke out into a broad smile. Winner! In fact, he said it might just be the best he’s had.

Dessert didn’t disappoint either, and the creamy white chocolate ice cream and the dark chocolate crisp with marinated passionfruit and strawberry puree had us practically licking our plates.

All up, we stayed at Vu’s for nearly four hours, enjoying the food, atmosphere and each other’s company. As Dubai buzzed along, 50 floors below us, Vu’s offered us the perfect place to escape for a much-needed romantic night out.

Want to take your other half for a romantic dinner at Vu’s? The Above & Beyond experience is valued at Dhs1,200 for two, and includes four courses, a glass of bubbly on arrival and a surprise gift. To win, simply tell us why you and your partner need to go above and beyond at Vu’s. This prize is to be redeemed throughout the month of February.

Madonna… Is The Show Finally Over?

Hands up to watched the American Superbowl overnight. Keep your hand raised if you sat through Madonna’s half-time ‘performance’. And finally, keep that arm up in the air if you think someone should quietly whisper to the superstar “Hey Madge, the show is over, say goodbye”.

The queen of pop wheeled out some pretty big names to help her through her mega-watt show, including the likes of Nicki Manaj, M.I.A and Cee Lo Green, who popped up thoughout the 10-minute production.

It was Cee Lo who hit the high notes in Like A Prayer, while an acrobat whose highly-charged tight-rope performance only highlighted Madonna’s lack of her own choreography and mobility, and it was MIA whose expletive shouted into the audience was the only reminder of the Madonna we used to love (you know, the one who didn’t try so hard). There was a particularly concerning moment when Madge tried to hoist herself onto a higher step, only to fail not once, not twice, but three times before giving it one more heave-ho and climbing to the higher height.

Madonna is 53. Now, before you accuse me of being ageist or calling Queen Madge ‘old’, hear me out. I’m suggesting that at 53, and the mother of a 14-year-old daughter (not to mention 11-year-old Rocco, six-year-old David and four-year-old Mercy), Madonna should perhaps reconsider doing backflips in a g-string in front of millions of people, no? I’m certainly not suggesting she should call time on her career and book herself into a nursing home, but perhaps she should spare a thought for what her grinding and gyrating on live TV will mean for teenage daughter Lourdes at school tomorrow. Just a thought.

So, what do you reckon?

The Great Man Survey



Wanna know what guys really think? All will be revealed in Cosmo's Great Man Survey!

Hey ladies, want to know what really goes through guys’ minds? Copy and paste the below survey and send it to your boyfriend, husband, guy friends and ask them to take part in Cosmo’s Great Man Survey! And don’t forget to get him to include in his email to us that it was you who convinced him to do it…because you’ll be in the running for a cool prize!

Below, you’ll find a stack of questions. Your guy can answer completely anonymously if he wishes. Otherwise, he should include his full name, age and a head shot with his reply (or make a note next to any specific questions that he’d like to remain anonymous for – we don’t want to put his safety on the line, after all). Also, we’d love if he were to add any of his personal comments along with your answers.

So without further ado…we present The Great Man Survey.

·         Who are you most attracted to – blondes, brunettes, redheads.

·         Would you prefer a pretty face or a hot body?

·         Is cellulite a turn-off?

·         What knickers do you prefer to see in the bedroom – thong, French-cut, bikini bottom, boy-leg.

·         Thoughts on false lashes – tacky or hot?

·         Thoughts on make-up – less or lots? Why?

·         What’s hottest in hair – short, long, curly, straight?

·         Curvy or super-thin? Why?

·         What do you notice first when you see a girl in a bikini – boobs, bum, tummy.

·         When you’re naked, what are you most insecure about – stomach, hair, birth marks, appendage size, nothing at all!

·         Thoughts on plastic surgery – “she should never do it” or “if it helps then why not?”

·         Piercings on a girl – hot or not?

·         Tattoos on a girl – hot or not?

·         Kim Kardashian’s butt or Pippa Middleton’s?

·         Would you prefer to see a girl in your button-down work shirt or your sports tee?

·         What do you think about most in a single day – food, sex, money, work, your appearance, your sports team.

·         Would you prefer your wife took your surname? Why?

·         Would you rather marry a woman 20 years older than you or 20 pounds heavier than you?

·         You text her, she texts right back. Efficient or desperate?

·         If a girl could only have two of the following qualities, what would they be? Good-looking, smart, caring, fun.

·         When are you most likely to zone out – when she talks about her day, when she tells you about her shopping trip, talking about her friends’ dilemmas, when she’s annoyed with you, when the game is on TV.

And on to the ‘Would you rather’ game

Would you rather:

·         Lose a limb or lose a testicle

·         Have no hair or have Trump hair

·         Be as smart as Bill Gates or be as hot as Ryan Reynolds

·         Drive a sports car or live in a mansion

·         Night in with your lady or out with the lads?

·         Buff body or gorgeous face

·         Marry Anne Hathaway or get dirty with Rihanna?

Please reply to features@cosmopolitanme.com so all answers will be treated in the most confidential manner.

Looking forward to being enlightened, guys!

Team Cosmo xx 

Kim talks to Cosmo Middle East!

Look who’s on the shelves a day early! Kim chatted to Cosmo Middle East exclusively about her marriage break-down, why she shut down filming for two months, and revealed that she won’t be spending Valentine’s alone. You’re going to want to get your hands on this issue!

Ship Ahoy!

Team Cosmo got our sea legs on today when we boarded the BBQ Donut at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

We admit, we kinda thought we’d be sitting back while someone spoon-fed us our lunch… So we were surprised when Editor Kerrie was nominated to be captain, Deputy Editor Aoife was named head chef, Fashion & Beauty Director Chee was in charge of pointing out when we were about to smash into the Floating Bridge, and Art Director Acacia was on cooler box patrol. We. Had. A. Blast!

The lovely people at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club made sure our donut was loaded up with delectable goodies, packed the drinks box for us, fired up the bbq and got the music flowing. All we had to do was throw the food on the hot plate (and look out for previously mentioned bridges).

Choose between the Afternoon Tea package (sandwiches, macaroons, tea and coffee – Dhs950), the Tasty Mix package (salads, nachos, beef burgers, chicken kebabs and sausages – Dhs1,200), the MeditArabian package (Arabic mezze, rub-eye steak, chicken breasts, prawns, fish, veggie kebabs, fruit salad and cakes – Dhs1,550) or the Creek Indulgence (sushi, wagyu steaks, lamb cutlets, salmon steaks, salads, fruit and cakes – Dhs1,950). All packages are inclusive of soft drinks and serve six people.

Want to experience the BBQ Donut for yourself? We have a Tasty Mix package to give away, so you and five friends can take to the seas! To win it, just tell us: who would your five celebrity BBQ Donut guests be, and why? Post your answers here!

Kerrie learns the basics of driving the donut

Team Cosmo

Chef Aoife in action (Kaptain Kerrie focusing on the steering)

 

Dessert is served!

 

Aoife and Acacia (with dessert)

The BBQ Donut fleet

Wanna give it a go? Call +971 4 295 6000, email creekdining@dubaigolf.com or visit www.dubaigolf.com

And the winners are…

It was a tough job to select just five winners from all the fab entries we got to meet Kim Kardashian at Sephora on Saturday, but we’ve finally done it!

The five winners will have a chance to meet with Kim, have a chat and a photo, as well as take home a Dhs500 hamper from Sephora, The Dubai Mall.

If your name appears below, please send an email to features@cosmopolitanme.com with your full name and mobile number, and we’ll send you all the important details!

Congratulations to:

Saima Khan

Delaine

Nishali Shaikh

Mairam B

Shurooq Al Haremi

See you at Sephora The Dubai Mall!

Here Come The Hot 50!

So we’ve spent the last few months hunting down the region’s hottest bachelors and then, well, convincing them to take their clothes off.

Check out what went on when Team Cosmo got together with the 50 Hottest Bachelors on the Middle East.

Turn the volume up loud!

Keeping Up With Kim

Want to meet Kim Kardashian when she visits Dubai next week?


Cosmo and Sephora are giving five readers the chance to meet the famous Kardashian (as well as take home a Dhs500 gift hamper from Sephora on October 15 in Sephora, The Dubai Mall.


Just tell us here what you’d say to Kim if you had the chance to meet her!


Good luck!

PS Don't forget to leave your name!

Kourtney Takes Cosmo

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Take one Kardashian, the ever-excited Cosmo Middle East team, and the plan to “get an amazing cover” and you’re bound to have a memorable time.

Our team flew to LA last month to shoot the October cover and we were so thrilled with the results that we decided to run two!

We’d have loved to take you with us, so here’s the next best thing – a behind-the-scenes look at a Cosmo shoot.

Enjoy!

X Appeal!

Ever since we caught up with Cosmo cover girl Nicole Scherzinger for our August issue, the Cosmo office has been buzzing with anticipation about The X Factor US which starts tonight on OSN (we’re sooo staying in tonight to watch!) But not even we could have dreamt up the judging dramas going on behind-the-scenes before the show’s even aired! So before tonight’s season premiere, we caught up with TV’s Mr Nasty himself, Simon Cowell, to find out what he thinks about the new judges and got the lowdown on what really happened with Cheryl….

Cosmo: How has it been working with completely new judges?

Simon: Well, Paula can be wacky at times, but Nicole wasn’t actually far behind which I found really amusing. For part of the auditions Nicole would change her accent for every city. She wasn’t aware of it, but when she was in New York she had this kind of Brooklyn thing going on and then when she went to Dallas she became this southern belle. 

Cosmo: How is working with Paula again?

Simon: Paula is great because after about five minutes of filming she forgets that the cameras are on and she’ll fight with you over anything! So it’s like getting an old dog back from the rescue pound, it’s great to see the old relationship is back in tact!

Cosmo: After her short lived stint on the show, is Cheryl Cole going to feature or be edited out completely?

Simon: She is in episode one. We’re just telling it as it was, she was on the show and then she got replaced by Nicole.  So, on the first half of the show next week it’s Cheryl and then the second half it is Nicole. 

Cosmo: How important are the backstories that the contestants share to the success of the show?

Simon: Personally I think they’re crucial. Really the number one priority is talent, but number two is definitely being an interesting person, with a good backstory.

Cosmo: You’ve mentioned before that you hate predictable shows, how will The X Factor be unpredictable?

Simon: It comes down to the fact that when you make a reality show good and bad things happen. One of the things we showed in that eight-minute promo was me having a sort of a meltdown. We have to show the process, but it’s not always sunny days when you make these shows, things do go wrong and we have to show the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Cosmo: Are there a lot of tears in this series?

Simon: There was a lot of crying!  Surprisingly, at boot camp Paula was quite a long way behind Nicole and then on the final two days they were completely even Stevens!

Cosmo: Finally, do you think a show like The X Factor can produce like a megastar, like a Lady Gaga or a Justin Bieber?

Simon: 100% yes!  From what I’ve seen over the last couple of years in the U.K. the artists we’ve attracted are murdering the opposition. That is the sole reason for making the show to find someone who can compete with the big artists and I will die trying to do that.

See Simon on The X Factor US, starting tonight at 8pm, and showing every Thursday and Friday at 8 pm on OSN First

Relax and WIN

Do you want to win Dhs105,000 worth of free spa, salon and well-being treatments? With the Entertainer Body voucher books, you can! And we have a set to give away today.

To be in the running to win, simply tell us why you need to chill out.

To leave your comments, just click on the post’s title.

Cosmopolitan Hottest Bachelor 2011

Know a smokin' hot bachelor?  Tell us about him!

Email his full-length photo to bachelors@cosmopolitanme.com and he could walk away with the crown!

 

Happy Independence Day!

We may be a long way from America (a 14-hour flight, to be precise), but we can still help them celebrate Independence Day with OPI at Merle Norman Cosmetics.

Start tapping your star spangled nails with the red, white and blue mini nail polishes. They’ve also thrown in a bottle of their rapid dry top coat.

Head straight to Merle Norman Cosmetics Studios at Festival Centre, Mirdif City Center, Sharjah Mall and the new showroom on Jumeirah Beach Road.

So, how are you celebrating Independence Day?

Lights. Camera. Passion

 

To celebrate the launch of Heels In The Desert, we have three bottles of Jennifer Lopez’s new fragrance, Love & Glamour, to give away!

Valued at Dhs265 each and shaped like J-Lo’s famously curvy body, Love & Glamour lingers with a sexy bouquet scents, before drying down to a smoldering musk.

To win, simply tell us the sexiest thing you’ve ever done in the desert.

UPDATE: And the winners of the gorgeous Jennifer Lopez Love and Glamour fragrance are Sarah, Falaxy and DMD. Congrats ladies!

Winners will need to collect your prize from ITP Publishing, Building 14, Dubai Media City.

Just a note, there were so many brilliant answers, but if you don’t list a name, we won’t know who you are!

To leave your comments, just click on the post’s title.

Behind The Scenes; Man Without His Shirt

Every month we convince a hot guy to take his shirt off. It’s a tough job but someone’s gotta do it! This month, we convinced him to let us record it too!

July Issue Now On Sale

The super sexy Rihanna is on our July cover. Inside, she tells us about moving on from Chris Brown, dating in Hollywood, and healing her broken heart. You don’t want to miss this!

Nicole Richie in a Britney Dance off

Check out the awesome Nicole Richie in a Britney Spears dance off with her pal Scotty. We are pretty jealous of Nicole right now, we have been trying to nail the to Slave 4 U routine for years.



Nicole recently uploaded the video to her facebook page and tweeted “In honor of my queen @BritneySpears - Can’t wait to dance tonight!”

Behind The Scenes: What Goes Through Mens Minds

Every month we get a group of men together and find out just what is going through their minds. I decided to take a little footage of the photoshoot for the July issue just for you.

To leave your comments, just click on the post’s title.

Acacia xx

We're cracking up!

Team Cosmo got our hands on the new OPI range of crackling colours. For a full rundown and review by Cosmo's Fashion & Beauty Director Chee, get your hands on next month's Cosmo!

To leave your comments, just click on the post’s title.

Who Wore It Best?

Spotted: A newly crowned royal and a Park Avenue princess committing a the ultimate fashion crime.

When the Duchess of Cambridge stepped out to the Ark 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner in London last week gasps from Gossip Girl fans could be heard around the world: 'That looks like the dress Blair wore to her own royal debut a few weeks ago!," they mused. Well spotted fashionistas, indeed it was.

Both dresses are from Jenny Packham's Spring 2011 collection

To leave your comments, just click on the post’s title.