OPNO BeautyBasics: Tips for Surviving Oman

#1 thing you will notice is that the heat and combined humidity in Muscat plus the hard water from your tap will wreak havoc on your hair's condition. Some women actually experience thinning. The first thing you can do to lessen the thinning is to not tie your back too high.

#2 thing you can do is if you have bangs, is to never tie them back with your pony-tail. This can make your hairline recede. Pin them instead.

#3 thing you can do is avoid elastic hair ties, instead opt for tooth clip combs (again, not pinning your hair too high) or fabric scrunchies which are gentler on the hair.#4 Use a gentle shampoo like Johnson&Johnson's baby formula and pat it into your scalp rather than rubbing.

#5 Always condition but read the ingredients list on your conditioner bottle carefully before buying. Make sure it does not contain "sodium" aka "salt" anything because this dries your hair out and causes breakage. Of course, hair dye containing amonia or peroxide will ALSO cuase extensive drying out and encourage breakage so steer clear, but traditional middleastern henna ACTUALLY THICKENS THE HAIR SHAFT so ask around to see if this could be an option for you. To fight frizz, a light (sodium-free!) leave-in conditioner is great.

OPNO's pick for the best mascara in the middleeast is Kanebo 38*C. It can only be washed off with water 38*c or warmer and will not melt off in the heat alone, or even come off if you cry. Plus its wonderful formula does not clump. Lovely coverage, and no under-eye shadows unless you wear it in the jacuzzi. OPNO's pick for the best eyeliner? Guerlain Kohl. Because it looks, and is applied, like traditional Arabic kohl. If you wanna know how, just go to youtube.com and type in "Guerlain kohl" and you'll find vids showing you how it is applied.

For skincare I use sunscreen, and if my lips get cracked from dry I rub them with vaseline or burt's bees chapstick. I avoid foundation for all but the most special of occasions, and instead lightly apply Yardley talcum powder to dry up the oil from sunscreen. I DO use concealer on problem spots like undereye circles, and use Maybelline's Deammouse foundation for that, but I find powder necessary to set it in the heat, so a light dusting of yardley or Johnson's Baby Powder is much kinder on the pores than real foundation powder.