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Everything that matters to me (and maybe you as well)

Archive for the tag “review”

07 Nov 2012
3 Comments

Service Hero and Es’al Emjarib: Keeping Everyone Honest

You guys know my feelings about making sure consumers get their money’s worth of services and products. I’ve always believed that sharing a more honest and open network of customer service experience is key to not only informing people about where to get the best products and services, but also to raise competitiveness among the businesses, entrepreneurs, and service providers themselves.

For a while, bloggers were (still are?) one of the most sought after sources of opinion on products and service in Kuwait. And you can bet that this arrangement has its problems. While bloggers definitely should act as voices that people can trust to give them information about local business, some bloggers can unfortunately compromise their real opinions for a number of reasons (some of which are actually very understandable) and, unfortunately, its the actual consumer who ultimately gets screwed on the deal.

This is why I’m so happy to share with all of you these customer service surveying outlets that put the consumers themselves in charge of informing everyone about what and where people in Kuwait should spend their hard-earned money on. Because as much as I love the blogosphere and want to see it grow as both a forum for public opinion and a source of information, I truly believe that the best place to go when looking towards bettering businesses and services are the public, unidentified masses. The hoy-paloy; the every man (OR WOMAN!); the average consumer who has nothing to gain but the service itself.

And these magical outlets of customer service bliss (too much?) are Service Hero and Es’al Emjarib (‘Ask a Consumer’ in Arabic).

Service Hero is an online-based surveyor of customer service and experience. Its goal is to, basically, take the information which the people who participate in these quick online surveys provide about the businesses in question back to the service providers themsleves and let them know where and how they should improve in order to make the consumer happier. Its a service which is set up to provide the average person with the power to not only reach out to your favorite business but also directly influence the growth of their own experience on a consumer level.

Es’al Emjarib is a Kuwaiti iPhone app which has been getting a lot of buzz lately and for good reason. Its really the first app of its kind that does what it does so freaking well. It virtually brings together every single service provider that Kuwait has to offer (banks/shops/restaurants/gyms/telecom companies/whatever) and allows you to rate them and provide your own commentary on the service which will then be publicly shared on the app for everyone else to see and learn from. I’ve tried this app out myself and, honestly, the design is super fresh, the interface is easy to navigate, and the feedback is so very helpful.

So be sure to check out both Service Hero and Es’al Emjarib if you’re looking to either get some helpful info on a particular service or if you’d like to share your honest experience with everyone in Kuwait and help praise the businesses who deserve it and criticize the ones who don’t.

All my love!

[Update: Turns out that Service Hero is providing their helpful survey service from October till the end of December. So be sure to give them any feedback you may have before time runs out!]

Posted in Blogosphere, Kuwait, Musings and tagged , , , , , ,
09 May 2012
7 Comments

Four Reasons Why Ladies Will Totally Dig The Avengers

So I finally did it. After days of building anticipation and excitement, the opportunity finally presented itself. Yes, on a fateful Tuesday night, I saw The Avengers.

After hearing so much hype about this movie from both within and outside the Kuwaiti blogosphere (a good handful of bloggers here gave it rave reviews), I went into the movie theater, while totally excited, expecting The Avengers to not live up to what sometimes seemed like a slightly overblown, copy-cat sense of adoration and awe.

And, my God was I wrong. So deeply, wonderfully, and completely wrong.

Look, this is a movie that EVERYONE should see. It is, by and large, an amazing feat of cinematic genius. And that is not an overstatement. However, this particular review of The Avengers is for all the girls out there and is exclusive to them (sorry fellas!). That’s because when I asked a few of my close girlfriends to go see The Avengers a couple of days ago, a lot of them responded with something like, “Ew.”

An overwhelming amount of girls seem to think that The Avengers is a movie that a lot of guys love because of the fact that it is clearly a full blown action, comic book fanatic flick. And, for a good number of them, that did not sound appealing.

Listen ladies, I am a woman just like all of you. I’m not all that big on super action-charged, comic book geeky movies either. And so, coming from a fellow sister-girl, I’m telling you this movie will definitely not disappoint.

Joss Whedon has, by all standards, created a movie that has made history and will be long remembered as one of the greats. I mean, he was able to take a movie that is chock full of super heroes who each already have a huge fan base, epic risks, rapidly evil monsters, and was still able to make it about the characters themselves.

Sure the movie’s got high octane explosions and alien invasions, but what made it special to me was the way that the characters were all so deeply fleshed out and did not seem overcrowded. Instead, they had the most fluid, well-built, dynamic connections ever.

So, ladies, here are at least four reasons why The Avengers is more awesome than you think:

  1. Strong Female Lead: Hello, Scar Jo! Yes, finally a female super hero who does not only deliver the obligatory ass-kicking but is also insanely and outwardly intelligent to boot. Joss Whedon definitely played to Scarlett Johansen’s brilliant acting skills here and did not sideline her character or water it down (a la the previous Iron Man movies). In the moments when you start to think she’s just a sub-character aiding a larger plot line, The Black Widow rises and shows just how strong and vital her presence in this story is. You really can’t help but sit up and pay attention to her overwhelming awesomeness.
  2. Chris Evans in Spandex and other Male Hotness: Look, I have to say it: Chris Evans knows how to wear a pair of khakis. Chris Hemsworth has the biceps of a Greek god. Mark Ruffalo’s face is as adorably loveable as ever… Really, ladies, as far as eye candy goes we definitely got the bigger share of the pie on this. And, boy is it good!
  3. Superheroes with a Sense of Humor: One of the things about The Avengers that I noticed right off the bat was how truly well-written and comically strong the dialogue was. And, really, it’s refreshing to see such a big budget, Hollywood action movie with such strong comedic timing as far as writing goes. A lot of the time I was delighting at all the awesome and subtle punchlines that Whedon so skillfully delivers through these super heroes battling in the midst of an alien invasion. I mean, God, they’re brave and they’re funny.
  4. It Doesn’t Talk Down To Us: By now we all know the classic, overdone, text-book storyline of most super hero movies. Practically every other super hero movie follows the exact same formula. Its almost like these Hollywood directors and their studios are talking down to their audiences by giving them the exact same, tired storyline because they know fans of the comics will eat it up and make them a lot of money. Joss Whedon does not do that. Not a single character is forgotten and nothing about them is watered down for the sake of the super hero formula. Whedon delivers the super and the fantastic, but he also pays a lot of attention to the human and the heartfelt.

So, there you are, ladies. Besides the fact that its an all-around amazing, visually explosive movie that is skillfully and loyally directed, there are at least four reasons why The Avengers will have us proudly smiling, deliciously ogling, hysterically laughing, and grabbing for the tissue box like we were watching the freaking Notebook.

Joss Whedon is truly a first class director delivering a strong, long lasting POW! that hits you in the brain, the eyes, and, yes, in your freaking heart.

Ladies, you don’t want to miss this. Trust me.

All my love!

Posted in Everywhere Else, Musings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
08 Apr 2012

Frugal Approval: Madly Yours Blush (and Why Your Skin Will Love You for It)

Unlike many other blogs who will rant and rave to you about an item they got for free, I do not believe in that VERY FLAWED method of reviewing. But, in my own personal time, I will go out and spend my money every now and then on a thing or two that I think is worth mentioning. I do not get a single thing out of making these reviews. And this is what Frugal Approval is all about. Honest, straight-forward reviews about products, services, etc. in Kuwait that I have personally spent money on and that I would personally tell my family and friends about. And now, I’m telling you.

Look, I’ve got to say it: I’m something of a makeup snob. I have no problem splurging on a foundation, or a lipstick that doesn’t make me look like I dunked my face into an oil well or like my lips are made of pavement. I’m not saying that I splurge on every bit of makeup that I buy. I am all about the Maybelline mascara and Cover Girl eye shadow and wouldn’t trade them for anything.

What I am saying is that, to me, my skin’s health and radiance doesn’t have a specific price tag.

And this is where the Madly Yours blush comes in. In short: if you love your skin you’d check this place out.

Now, I’m not entirely sure what the deal is with these products, but MY GOD DO I LOOK RADIANT AND LIGHT. Like, seriously, one brush stroke of the Sheer Satin blush and, I swear to God, my cheeks transform into rosy, plumped up rays of sunshine. And, that is not an overstatement. It’s just that good.

And, trust me, I’ve got a pretty complicated history with my blushes. Ever since I first saw my big sister put on makeup when I was around twelve years old and I saw how, with a few dabs to her face, this stuff transformed her (already gorg’ face) into a glowing peach, I was obsessed with blush. It’s the first bit of makeup I ever tried and it was the only kind of makeup I ever used up until I graduated high school. I have gone through all kinds of blushes and received mixed results with each, all in the endless pursuit of finding that perfect balance between a natural, sunny glow, and feature defining, rosy hue.

A whole lot of the blushes I went through did not look like this natural, healthy, and enhancing glow that I was going for. For the most part, they just looked like puffs of rose pink which made me look more flushed than glowing most of the time. They weren’t exactly bad, but they were not natural looking.

So, one day way back in 2010, a dear friend of mine drove me out to, what seemed at the time, east-freaking-nowhere. It’s actually not that far off, I just have a really horrible sense of orientation. Anyhow! We arrived to this little boutique in the Behbehani Houses area (I think its somewhere in between Dar Al-Funon and Cleo Salon… not sure though) and, as a side-note I’ve got to say: the place has got the most quaint and charming vibe to it.

Now, upon seeing the huge array of blushes and powders that were laid out oh-so-delicately in pretty porcelain cups, I was immediately intrigued. I excitedly sauntered over and tried out one powder (and blush case) after the other. And, honestly, my skin has never felt this genuinely soft and luscious and freaking fresh since, I’m guessing, my very early years. I have never, to this day, found a brand of blush that compared to Madly Yours. Not a single one.

And since that fateful spring two years ago it has been the only kind of blush that I use. From The Bronzing Powder and the Sheer Satin Blush to the Sorbet and the Rose powder. I have yet to be disappointed by a single one of the Madly Yours blushes.

Now, as far as pricing goes, it is somewhat hefty: somewhere in the ballpark of 9 KD and 13 KD depending on the kind of blush you get. I believe that most of these products are mineral based and use only the lightest and healthiest (hypoallergenic) of ingredients so, if you ask me, that kind of justifies the price a bit. I mean, I’d personally rather have a light, healthy, and radiant glow for the price of a few more bucks than pay a lower price for the standard issue rose pink puffs I was talking about earlier. However, as with any purchase, the price is something you should always consider so there it is.

I haven’t personally bought (nor have I really tried) any of their other products so, in the Frugal Approval spirit, I can’t review anything besides the blushes. For what it’s worth, many of my friends who have tried their foundation and eye makeup are absolutely smitten by them. I wouldn’t personally know though.

Here’s a great article about Madly Yours’ gracious founder Maha Al-Otaibi (by Bazaar). It definitely speaks for the great level of entrepreneurship that Kuwait has in store, and Maha is a great example of this. Also, you can check out or contact Madly Yours on their Facebook page right over here. (Picture used courtesy of the Facebook page)

All my love!

Posted in Approved, Fashion, Frugal Approval, Musings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
17 Mar 2012
3 Comments

Frugal Approval: A Worthy Criticism and a New Idea

A big part of the Kuwaiti blogosphere is product review. As well it should be. It’s important to showcase the great services and products that the local businesses in Kuwait offer. If you honestly took the time and effort to create something that is worth the hard earned money a consumer pays for it, then you deserve recognition and financial profit. And, with blogs becoming as popular as they are in Kuwait, its yet another great platform for people to know about great local businesses from voices they’re supposed to trust.

So, in theory, I’m totally on board here. In practice, I’m not exactly sure.

It’s disappointing for me to say this but I have read many, many blog posts in Kuwait which review a product/restaurant/event/whatever and give an absoultely stellar and raving review when, in reality, the item in question is nowhere near as amazing as they made it out to look like.

I’ve actually fallen for these kinds of reviews on more than one occasion. Friends of mine have also been fooled countless times. We trust the voices of the people we read on the blogs and we take their word that a certain product or service is worth our hard-earned cash. Then we show up, pay the big bucks, and are sourly disappointed.

That’s right. While the happy blogger gets freebies and cushy invites for the price of a biased, sugar-coated and, in some cases, wildly untrue review, the actual consumer bites the big one and is cheated out of spending their money on an unworthy business.

The lovely couple behind His & Hers Q8 made an awesome post about this issue. Basically, they pointed out the real flaws that exist in the Kuwaiti blogosphere today in which many bloggers, unfortunately, have taken to the habit of giving the most amazing reviews to the most undeserving products because of either greed, traditional ‘politeness,’ fear that they will lose out on sponsorships, or a mixture of all the above.

And, yes, I understand that turning your blog into a source of income is a good thing (and something that I personally hope for in the future), and I know that Arab hospitality and well-mannered traditions keep us from stating comments that are too negative. Especially if we were invited somewhere and given something for free. I get it. In fact, I would probably react in that same way if placed in that awkward situation.

But let’s be honest, guys: YOU WOULDN’T MIND STATING YOUR HONEST, SOMETIMES NEGATIVE, OPINION ABOUT SOMETHING IF YOU ACTUALLY PAID FOR IT.

And this is the reason why, up until now, I’ve been shying away from reviewing stuff in Kuwait. Not because I don’t have an opinion, because I do. But because I have no interest in leading a single reader on just because I felt bad about upsetting someone who gave me a free meal.

Example: a few months ago I attended the opening night of The Live Theater comedy club in Kuwait. I called to find out their timings and ticket prices and all that jazz. They asked why and asked if I was a member of the media and I said “No, I’m a blogger and I’m thinking of attending.” They happily and very nicely offered to give me free tickets and backstage passes to the opening night, but I respectfully declined because I didn’t want to feel like I “owed” them a good review.

And so I paid for my pricey ticket, showed up just like everyone else and watched. And, well, the review was not all that great. It’s wasn’t a complete blasting of The Live Theater, but I was honest. I talked about what I honestly liked and honestly didn’t. That’s because I paid my own hard-earned money to attend this event and I did not owe anyone but myself and the people reading the blog anything but the truth.

I later read posts by other Kuwaiti blogs who had attended the opening night on The Live Theaters dime and received backstage passes from them. They made the place sound like it was the most amazing venue Kuwait had ever seen. The reviews that I saw were so praiseworthy and complimentary that, to an unwitting and trusting reader, it would definitely sound like an experience worth spending your money on.

Well, as for me, I’m going to finally relent and actually start reviewing the products and services that Kuwait (and some other places) has to offer. But on one strict condition: I will only review things that I have paid money for. And that’s it. No matter how awesome and worthy the item may be, I will only review it if I forked over my cash in order to get it. No invites, no freebies, and no hidden motives or fears.

And this review section shall be called: Frugal Approval.

All my love!

Posted in Blogosphere, Kuwait, Musings, SAY WHAAA...! and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
29 Dec 2011

Life in a Day – “…to Behold the Universe in the Eyes of Another.”

So today I was home-ridden with a slight cold and cough which has, as of this morning, congested my nasal passages so much that I can probably pull off a great impression of Kermit the Frog if I wanted to. But with the help of some over the counter antihistamines, and a bowl of warm broccoli soup it is beginning to subside and I predict I’ll be in working order again by tomorrow.

Anyhow, in my drugged out, couch potato state I’ve powered through a heap of junk food and an even bigger heap of unwatched movies. The last movie of this heap, which I just finished, is Kevin McDonald’s and Ridley Scott’s  ‘Life in a Day.’ Life in a Day is a documentary film in which Scott and McDonald collaborated with Youtube and National Geographic in order to record the sweeping, yet fleeting events that take place during one day on Earth. Basically what they did was ask people around the world to record and send videos which tell the events of their lives on July 24th, 2010. 80,000 people responded with over 4,500 hours of footage from 192 countries–all shot on that exact same, random day.

And after watching this movie, one of the first thoughts that came to my mind were Marcel Proust’s words on the true nature of discovery and knowledge: “The only true voyage of discovery would not be to visit strange lands, but to behold the universe through the eyes of another.” (And, yes, I commit Marcel Proust quotes to memory and usually draw upon them in my day-to-day more times than I would care to mention. The man was a genius and the greatest author of the twentieth century, okay? His words were PURE GOLD. And, I don’t care if I sound obsessed with him, BECAUSE I AM.)

Now, I don’t usually do the whole movie/music/product/restaurant/whatever review thing because, well, this blog isn’t specifically geared towards that end. If I like something or if it gives me an interesting, memorable experience, I’ll mention it, but the majority of what I have to say will be about my own experience as opposed to a full on critical examination of the movie/music/product/restaurant/whatever. So if you’re looking for a traditional movie review of Life in a Day in which directing techniques are discussed and a star-based evaluation is given in the end, now is the time to look elsewhere. I’m sure there are hundreds of blogs which exist for this very purpose, this just isn’t one of them.

ANYHOW. The reason why I felt so moved by the end of this film was because of the fact that it honestly put the world in perspective for me. It allowed me to see the same exact day through the camera’s eye of the entire world in all its diverse beauty and ugliness, and its meaningful and pointless expanse. It also reminded me of the fact that our realities are actually just a figment which our own eyes conjure up. Our eyes see the image, and our brain imposes and processes the meaning.

Our physical representations and the way we go about living our day-to-day lives is based upon an insane cocktail  of our past habits and our traditional prejudices. Everyday, we move forward in our lives with these prejudices and habits serving as the framework for how we should act upon our fantasies and our fears. Life in a Day showed this complex yet beautiful reality of our human experience by using the diverse physical world as a mirror for what it means to each person on this earth to simply live.

In the frenzy and the lull of our daily routine, we don’t realize that at the exact same moment 7 billion other people are perhaps doing the exact same thing in a very different way. Even right now–as each different pair of eyes reads these words, they will be applying to them their own cache of experiences and prejudices which have been ingrained in your head since the moment of your birth and which are different from anyone else’s.

And MY GOD with 7 billion people in this world, does that mean that no one really knows or feels exactly what someone else does at the same exact moment? That thought just GAVE MY BRAIN WHIP-LASH. Monsieur Proust was right (as he always is). The greatest and longest and most meaningful journeys of discovery honestly take place in “behold[ing] the universe in the eyes of another.”

I swear, some things still take my breath away.

All my love!

Posted in Beautiful, Musings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

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