The Gorgeous Norwegian Repunzel - Sanam Bokhari shares her secret to those lush hair!

                            

This Norwegian beauty obviously needs no introduction as she has been walking the ramp for some of the most incredibly talented designers and has been appointed ambassador for the biggest fashion brands. Even apart from her work, there are a lot of commendable qualities about her- she’s one of the sweetest people you will ever meet, has a pure heart, has a beautiful dusky complexion but her enviable locks of hair remain on top of the list.  

Not being able to wait further, I finally asked Sanam to share the secret to her lush hair!

                                                                                                                                                            

   

1-     I normally wash my hair 3-4 times a week and only use good hair products from hair salons.

        2-     For Shampooing, I use L'Oreal Professional Expert Absolut Repair Cellular and conditioner from the same series.

        3-      Occasionally, I use masks as well and once in a while when I have time, I oil an hour before I wash my hair.

4-  I also switch between Kerastase Nutritive Bain Oleo Curl Series for my wavy hair.

5-     I'm also very careful about using heat protection  before all styling. My favorite is KMS Freeshape Hot  Flex   Spray but you can also get cream instead of spray   if u prefer. Schwarzkopf OSIS+ Flattening Iron Serum is very good.

 6-     And not to forget; I get my hair ends cut every 6th week, if I don’t have time in a busy schedule, I survive with Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Repair Rescue to seal the ends.

I feel lucky to still have this long and shiny hair after all the styling so I'm sure these products have done their work!

                                                              -Reflects a happy Sanam

Of course adding to this, the products that I use and can vouch for

1- It's been a while since I have started using the combo of Sunsilk Straight Locks shampoo and Sunsilk Dream Soft & Smooth conditioner. One word - Amazing! No idea whether the shampoo is for straight locks or supposed to make you locks straight (I have wavy hair) but the combo leaves my hair so soft, light and fragrant!

2- Being victim to dandruff and hair fall, I have started oiling a lot. I make sure I oil my hair at least 2 hours before I know I'm going to bathe. It makes such a huge difference! Mustard oil is the best for nourishment while Olive oil is good for shine and Coconut oil gives fragrance and lengthens.

3- I either get a good blow dry once or twice a month or straighten my hair with same frequency with continuously straightening my bangs. So I don't really use a hair protectant but when I used heat instruments regularly, I'd use Schwarzkopf got 2b Guardian Angel. Don't really know how to tell whether it worked. But I have heard good things about it so worth a try.

SSK

The Charming Captivator - Omer Shahzad

                                

Omer Shahzad is one of the top most models of the fashion industry. He has worked with pretty much all big names and done some international projects too. But he is not all looks. He has a charming personality to match his uber sexy looks. It’s no surprise he has been nominated for the Best Male Model at the 3^rd Hum Tv Awards this year.

TOS catches up with the charming showstopper for some quick questions

SSK: You're nominated for the Best Male Model Award this year at HUM Tv Awards. How do you feel?

OS: Obviously I'm quite humbled. I work really hard and put in all the effort sincerely, so it feels really nice when it is appreciated like this!

SSK: Who do you think is going to win this year? What do you have to say about your fellow nominees?

OS: Well, I wish everyone who is nominated, good luck. Let the best man win!

            

SSK: What do you think it takes to become the best model?

OS: As a model, a positive attitude matters a lot. Secondly, the way you dress up and the way you communicate, carries a lot of weight.

SSK: What do you plan to do, should you win?

OS: Uh..I haven’t decided yet.

SSK: What do you consider your best work yet?

OS: I love my work and always try my best to deliver in every project that I do. Though, I feel  my best work is yet to come.

SSK: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

OS: Alhamdulillah, for what I have achieved thus far, I plan to achieve more success, InshAllah.

SSK: Any message for your fans?

OS: My message for the fans is to do everything with passion and be loyal towards their work. Keep working hard and Allah will make the way easy for you.

SSK

The Wonder Boy - Jahan - E - Khalid

Jahan – e – Khalid is not a new name for anyone who is even slightly educated about the fashion industry. Certainly not after this handsome young lad was nominated and won for the Best Male Model last year at the 2^nd Hum Tv Awards. Keeping up the quality of work that is almost guaranteed with his name, he has managed to get yet another nomination.

TOS catches up with the wonder boy for some quick questions

SSK: You have been nominated for the Best Male Model award at this year’s Hum Tv. How do you feel?

J.K: I am grateful and humbled for the honour and feeling enthralled and excited like the previous year when I won this prestigious award.

SSK: Who do you think is going to win this year? What do you have to say about your fellow nominees?

J.K: I literally have no idea as all the nominees truly deserve to be there. All the fellow nominees are doing fabulous and promoting Pakistani Fashion Industry to global scale through sheer hard work dedication and commitment towards the profession. Rest I wish all of them good luck – May the best man win!

SSK: What do you think it takes to become the best model?

J.K:  Sheer discipline, perseverance, hard work, honesty and determination along with the belief in yourself & Allah Almighty that he will pave one's way to success and becoming one of the best.

SSK: What do you plan to do, should you win?

J.K: I’ll celebrate my success with my family close friends, colleagues and few diehard fans. I’m looking forward to organizing a success party if I’ll be grabbing the trophy.

SSK: What do you consider your best work yet?

J.K: It’s always hard to pick one from my extensive and diversified body of work yet ill choose Republic by Omer Farooq- Fall Campaign 2012 shot by Abdullah Haris.

Khalid for Republic by Omer Farooq

SSK: What projects do you have lined up in the future? Any shift in fields? May be try out acting soon..?

J.K: Well few interesting projects in the pipeline include Telenor Fashion Pakistan Week in Karachi – PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week in Lahore – Spring/Summer Campaign for Forestblu & Shahnameh and couple of high fashion editorial campaigns for ace designers. Shift in fields is on the cards and I am looking forward to acting, considering there is a right script & team to work with.

SSK: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

J.K: I have achieved loads in a very short span of time. Right from winning an award for Best Male Model of the year to representing Pakistan at an International Fashion Week and being a Brand Ambassador of an International Brand, these were all dreams come true. Yet I want to work more at an international level unveiling my true potential and making Pakistan proud. I am looking forward to improving modeling standards in Pakistan by teaching and guiding aspiring individuals through modeling and grooming courses. Not only this, I will try my level best to groom our nation and being an educationist and having prior experience in the field of education I might come up with a subject/course at grassroot level (Schools, Colleges, Universities etc). I see myself as an Entrepreneur cum Super Model cum Actor in next five years.

SSK: Any message for your fans?

J.K: My fans are my really precious for me as whatever I am today is because of them. Their sincere support, unconditional love and heartiest well wishes have always motivated me to keep on working to my limits and give my best each and every time. I love them equally and my prayers are always with them. Thank you all and stay blessed!

SSK

Food Review: Warning! A lot of oil here, you might slip!

This is a totally unplanned food review. But food that compels you to write and share about it isn't necessarily good. I was meeting up a friend at Atrium and she was running late. I got hungry and decided to indulge myself. Heading towards the food court, I was just amazed to see the rush their and afraid that I won't be able to get a seat since each one was occupied!

So with my first order in my hand, I stood their feeling completely awkward until these two ladies were luckily done. I first ordered the regular OPTP masala fries. I know that everyone under the sun has had them and they're old news. But I don't plan to compliment and recommend them. Hands down, the most overrated fries ever! Sure they're crispy and the masala is good too, but everyone who has had them knows there is a lot of salt too and the coating becomes unbearable when you reach the end of the cup. This is the reason, for a 100 bucks a cup I don't go for it though I might want to share it with someone occasionally, and I'd rather get those a box full of fries for 60 from a Pathan vendor on the street. I actually quite enjoy and prefere them when it comes to french fries.

Coming to the meal that urged me to write this, I ordered the world cup deal from China Grill for 600. The picture was quite deceiving as I mistook the fried chicken pieces to be prawn tempura, there was also no pointers on the poster as to what it was supposed to be. It contain a serving of chowmein, one of rice and a gravy (I ordered schezuan) and 4 pieces of fried chicken. 

              

     

I don't even know where to begin with this one. They might as well have just given me a bowl of oil, these pieces were SO oily! I felt like I had ordered a serving of cholesterol. The chicken was so juicy and soft that it could have gotten 4 stars but all of that was overshadowed by the amount of oil in the pieces. There was no sauce with it too. Even if the chicken was good, how is one supposed to have dry chicken? Thoroughly disappointed.

The chowmein had no colour in it which is why I dreaded tasting it. And I was right to do so. No taste at all plus when I mixed it, the oil started shining through! The veggies were fine, I guess. By this time two/thirds of my meal had been so disappointing I had little appetite left.

I was almost warned by the guy at the counter that schezuan would be spicy to which I was pretty delighted as I live for spicy food. And the chicken was spicy. The batter was a mixture of chili flakes, most probably, and ketchup. It was thick and the chicken was visually quite tempting. But the taste did not set well with me at all! I caught my tongue every time I took a bite; it tasted really spicy and sour and had a sweet after taste. The onion was very crunchy, something I loved but it had a sharp taste telling me it wasn't cooked properly. So I couldn't eat much of that too. I'm not sure though whether this is supposed to taste like this, luckily this gets a pass.

The  fried rice were such a delight! I had a few more bites of the schezuan just so that I could have the rice and finished almost all of it separately too. There wasn't too much pepper or garlic, something all eateries have started using in their fried rice in great amount for some reason. It looked good and tasted better, definitely deserves full marks!

I had eaten at china grill only twice earlier and both the times the food was good. Nothing great but not bad at all. I get that they have to have a lot of stuff prepared before hand, but what can excuse such a meal when it is paid for and your business depends on customer service?

It was really sad to come across a Chinese food outlet that could only nail egg fried rice successfully.
Until later, take care. And do let me know which other place I should review and if this was helpful.


SSK

Food Review : Ocean Mall Food Court

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the food court at Ocean Mall with a friend. Following is a review of the food I we had. They have recently opened a terrace area too and we obviously opted for the seating there. The ambiance was quite good, I'm a sucker for rooftop views, cold and wind. And this place gave me that though it would have been much more beautiful at night. I have just written the taste as I found it, whether that's good, bad, relatable- I leave it to you to decide.

Taco El Paso – Fiesta Fries Rs. 270 (regular)

Presentation: Panned out like a fan in a serving plate were perfectly cooked, equal sized, long and thick potato chips dressed in mince under layers of mayo, mustard, ketchup and finally topped with jalapeños.  

Taste: I was having chips with such a dressing for the first time, but they tasted quite good. Courtesy of the dressing, the chips were heavy and a bit over cooked as they broke when I tried to eat with fork. The jalapeños weren’t that spicy which is good as the dish has been made adaptable so that people can enjoy Mexican recipes without making too many drastic changes in their meals. But unlike me, if you're adventurous with your food and are looking for the most authentic tasting Mexican/jalapeños dish, this might not hit the bull's eye for you.

The outlet has now introduced kids’ meals and Burrito salads for the health conscious too so check the variety box right away.

Verdict: I might be inclined to try Fiesta Fries a couple of times more.

London Fries – Fish & Chips Rs. 390

Presentation: Presentation wise almost no point as the dish came in a box; two fish pieces placed along with potato chips, mayo and lemon wedge. If this is the same packaging for take away, it's pretty good. 

Taste: The fish we tried from here was squeaky clean on the inside,which is quite frankly a turn on, oh-so fresh and surrounded by a perfectly crisp, thin albeit a little oily coating with fries that were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The mayo had a nice acidity to it and tasted serene with the fish. We got served with lemon wedge and, my favourite, Heinz tomato sauce that makes almost everything taste ten times better anyway! 

Verdict: I found it quite expensive; 2 pieces for 400 bucks. The fish was quite plain in taste, which once in a while can be good, but since I prefer spicy food and I can get a good spicy, boneless fish at Burns Road for much less, I might not feel too motivated to try this one again.  

Bombay Chowpatty –Biryani

Presentation: The plate was nicely put together and garnished with chopped corriander. The potato was cut in cubes, though. Quite strange for a biryani.  

Taste: It had a very strong smell of all the garam masala and other spices in it. I remember the waiter placing the dish on the opposite end of the table and I could smell it from all the way and I genuinely got worried. Ye kaun aur kese khayega? - is what exactly I thought to myself. I only took a spoon from it just for the heck of it. It was dry and I could tell the ingredients weren't in sync. I tasted the potato which was so dry I actually got confused it might be something else. Still not sure.

Verdict: Like every other Karachiite, I'm a die hard for biryani. I know what a good biryani is and this is a big no for me!   

Tempura –Garlic Rice & Chicken Teriyaki Rs. 350-450

Presentation: Next I had Garlic Rice with Chicken Teriyaki hot from the kitchen of their first ever outlet. Before I can even begin to comment on the taste, the dish was a visual delight; spring onions sprinkled over brown rice and slanted julienne cut chicken dipped in such beautiful rich, dark and thick gravy. 

Taste: This one though, is an acquired taste. Its colour and taste is accredited to concentrated soy sauce which is why it’s quite salty with a sweet aftertaste. People who have a blood pressure problem should not even go near it. Since the dish is apparently supposed to taste like this, it gets a pass. The chicken was perfectly cooked and the rice had a clear peppery, garlic-y aroma to it though they were a bit under cooked. I could swear they were brown rice but the waiter insisted they were white. I'll let you be the judge. 

Fuzail's Tempura serves sea food, some fast food items and an exciting assortment of sushi.

Verdict: I liked the taste in that I found it quite strange, different from the Chinese food you normally get. But I couldn't have more than a few spoonfuls. So may be I'd order again if I were sharing but mostly, no.

Pizza & Pasta – Chicken Pasta

Presentation: There are a few things I find more exciting than el dente pasta and rice, juicy meat, nicely seasoned, boneless fish. A perfectly baked lasagna/pasta crust is one of them. This dish did superb on that front and was presented, like in most other outlets, in a tin foil rectangular container.

Taste: The pasta was nicely cooked, the corn was sweet, the mushrooms were juicy. But the lasagnia overall lacked taste, it was plain. Even though I live for spicy food, I would like my food to have at least some kind of definitive flavour; cheesy, pepper-r, tangy, ketchup-y. A meal that doesn't have any strong flavour is just confusing and off putting.

Verdict: If you're not for a strong tasting meal and go for something mild, this might work for you.

Mövenpick – Swiss Chocolate & Vanilla Dream Rs. 200 (single scoop)

Presentation: Not much of a presentation. I like the spoons though, if that's anything.

Taste: The chocolate had bits of chocolate and tasted strong, more like bitter coffee. If that's how you like your ice cream to taste, then this is a clear winner for you. I found the vanilla ice cream breaking and it didn't taste all that good for 200 bucks. 

Verdict: Did I mention this is the first time I was trying out Mövenpick? I'm not trying the ice cream here again, that's for sure. For 200 a scoop, it's just not worth it even if they were just having a bad day. I love Baloch Ice cream (60 per scoop) and the huge cone from Kaybees (70, may be). I find absolutely no reason to some here when I can get bigger serving of better ice cream for much cheaper!

Do let me know if you found this helpful and if there's any other place you'd like to be reviewed.

SSK 

TV Time: Mera Naam Yousuf Hai‏

 Director:  Mehreen Jabbar      Producer: Sadia Jabbar      Writer: Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar

Cast: Imran Abbas, Maya Ali, Behroz Sabzwari, Hina Bayat, Mansha Pasha, Waseem Abbas, Seema Sehar

Airing: Every Friday at 8:00 pm & repeat every Saturday at 12:00 am on A-Plus

In what has been described in entertainment circles as the product of a “dream team”, the much awaited 22-episode serial ‘Mera Naam Yousuf Hai hits TV on March 6, 2015 every Friday on A-Plus to anticipated fanfare.

The project which is produced by Sadia Jabbar and Alpha Productions, who previously produced director Sabiha Sumar ‘Khuda Dekh Raha Hai’ brings together the creative synergies of-acclaimed writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar; celebrated film and TV director Mehreen Jabbar and a stellar cast including, now internationally recognized, film and TV actor Imran Abbas, who plays the serial’s name sake protagonist Yousuf and Maya Ali of ‘Aunn Zara’ fame who plays his intended love interest Zulekha. The serial is supported by veterans Behroz Sabzwari,  Hina Biyat and Waseem Abbas, and rising TV stars Mansha Pasha, Taqi Ahmed and Faizan Shaikh.

Visually speaking, this will definitely be something different for Mehreen Jabbar fans as ‘Mera Naam Yousuf Hai‏’  in that the TV serial is entirely shot in Pakistan but will also retain the signature essence as it delves into the world of a lower socio-economic milieu like the directorial talent behind ‘Daam’ ‘Doraha’ ‘Pechaan’ and ‘Jackson Heights’ has habitually dealt with.

The plot revolves around how singer Yousuf first catches a glimpse of Zulekha in a train and cannot extinguish the image of her from his mind. Meanwhile, Zulekha is torn between proposals from two of her cousins,both of which are selfishly encouraged by her parents’ self-interest. Zulekha again encounters a decidedly love-struck Yousuf and has no choice but to feel only a fleeting attraction towards him as she is aware that her marriage has been fixed to one of her cousins.  However Yousuf remains adamantly vocal about his feelings for and his pursuit of her.

Am I the only one that can see the tragic overshadowing behind the lead title names? The serial, admittedly, has a lot of potential given the cast and the team behind the lens. We have still seen a lot of serials with the strongest of teams fall prey to a lot of unforeseen aspects. Here's fingers crossed for this exciting new venture. All the best!

SSK