Lierac Sunific Suncare event at Vivaldi Hotel
Although the Season at the Manoel Theatre is over for the summer months one’s social diary is still overflowing with cultural and other events. A great deal happens on these islands throughout the year. Elisa McKenna emailed to ask me to ‘save the date’ weeks ago. Her company, PharmaMT Ltd. was going to launch a range of Sunific products by Lierac Paris, in time for our sunny summers. Dr Raina Zarb Adami, the surgeon with qualifications in aesthetic surgery as well, and with a practice both in London and in Malta, was going to do the presentation at the Golden Tulip Vivaldi Hotel in St Julian’s.
We know that our looks depend on our DNA first of all. However the way we have looked after ourselves over the years is important too: too many cigarettes and too much alcohol and of course hours of baking in the sun take their toll. Those who are regular users of beauty salons and cosmetic surgeons may also hang on to their youth longer I suppose. Perhaps you can divide society into those who look good for their age, the half-way house ones like me, who care but are not obsessive and then the let-themselves-goers. I wonder what Naomi Wolf author of that bestseller The Beauty Myth, does these days that she is no longer young? Does she have bee-stung lips and multiple facelifts or does she, like me, have anti-ageing boundaries, let nature take its course but still will not let everything (in my case except my waistline) go?
Most people stay schtum about the various treatments they indulge in to keep their looks and hang on to a few more years of relative youth. But once you start on Botox or whatever else there is, where do you stop? Anyway, I would rather spend the money on something delicious to eat or a holiday with my family. But thankfully for the multi-billion industry, many have other ideas. These treatments are to them also a nurturing of the soul, I suppose.
The Lierac products which were being launched earlier this month are non-invasive; they are anti-ageing and anti-dark spot products. In her excellent presentation at the Settimo Cielo terrace of the Vivaldi, Dr Zarb Adami gave a convincing analysis of the dangers of staying for too long in the hot sun and how these Lierac products can help us to get a tan without ruining our skin: ‘The formula combines sweet orange citrus bioflavonoids and fresh carrot cells that stimulate and trigger melanin production for a rapid golden tan,’ she explained, while also stressing again and again how harmful the sun is to our skin. The whole range is made up of products to use before starting to tan, during and after the beach.
It was a most pleasant evening and an occasion to talk to these two successful young women. Elisa loves what she is doing and it wasn’t long ago that she was pregnant with her second child, now almost a toddler. Raina comes from an intellectual family who are all high achievers. He brother is an astrophysicist at Oxford or Cambridge. There were so many intelligent women in my class at school who are domestic goddesses but who could have done equally well in the intellectual or academic world, given the chance. Autres temps, autres moeurs, as they say. I am glad that times are achanging for women who want more than a husband and children. Now there are no excuses. They have so many opportunities and the choice is entirely up to them if they are determined enough.
Reception at French residence
The Ambassador to France M. Michel Vanderpoorter hosted a reception in conjunction with the Franco-Maltese Chamber of Commerce at his residence in Zebbug in honour of the Junior Chamber International European Conference which was being held in Malta last week. Some 2000 people from around Europe and further afield attended this conference. Enjoying the reception in the gardens at Zebbug was an important delegation which included the former ambassador to Malta Mr Mark Miggiani; Mr Shine Bhaskaran, President of JCI; M. Ismaël Haznedar, Executive Vice-President of JCI Europe; M. Jocelyn Lauret, President of the Jeune Chambre Economique Française and M. Jacques Arnal, President of the Association des Sénateurs Européens. I met at least two leading businessmen at the reception, Pier Luca Demajo, who needs no introduction and Mike Aroskin, Director of Renault Services and Insurance (RSI) who has been in Malta for just three months. The French ambassador told me that Mr Aroskin speaks perfect French. Besides the ambassador there were three other members of his team at the French Embassy: Laurent Croset, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Action, Frédéric Depétris, Premier Conseiller and last but not least Laurence Laude, the ambassador ‘s personal assistant. There are only six members of staff at the embassy and it is a wonder that they manage to achieve so much.
There were short and pleasant speeches and naturally Champagne and nibbles. I met a M. Michel Tizio and his wife. He is the mayor of Bouffay and told me that although his surname is Italian however, some of his ancestors were Maltese who emigrated to Tunis and he is hoping to track them down. I shall see what can be done to help him. He will give me further details on email.
A most enjoyable evening as the weather is still pleasant and the high temperatures and humidity have not yet with us.
