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Micaroon’s Rima Khoreibi on her Love for Purple Hair and “Made in UAE” Makeup

interview-rima-khoreibi-micaroon-cosmetics-new-store-dubai-mall-01With her vibrant, purple hair and piercing blue eyes, Lebanon-born Rima Khoreibi could pass as a Middle Eastern Katy Perry. When she’s not turning heads with her eccentric style, she’s filling our bathroom counters and makeup bags with her Micaroon cosmetics which look good enough to eat (note: don’t try this at home). Originally of Palestinian descent, Khoreibi spent a considerable period of her childhood in Saudi Arabia with her parents and three siblings. She moved to Canada at the age of 12 with her family and studied Cultural Anthropology in Toronto.

After meeting her husband in Toronto, she moved to Jordan and started a charity organization, Black Iris, before settling down in Dubai in 2002. Khoreibi self-published her internationally acclaimed children’s book series, The Adventures of Iman, and then launched her cosmetics line over a year ago. Style.com/Arabia sat down with the beauty entrepreneur to discuss her journey, unconventional hair, and future plans for Micaroon.

KHAOULA GHANEM: How did you go from being a philanthropist to an author, to a beauty entrepreneur?

RIMA KHOREIBI: The path from philanthropy to writing a book series to launching a cosmetics line occurred naturally at the right time and at the right place. I’m, of course, still a philanthropist—always have been and always will be, as that is something embedded in me, and it is [also] a part of our business today. All profits from the Dania lipstick are donated to cancer centers in the region.

How did you come up with the Micaroon concept?

The idea of Micaroon makeup came to me around five years ago. I love macarons; they look so pretty, colorful, and feminine. As someone who always loved cosmetics, I began toying with the idea of putting the two together—makeup and macarons. I conducted extensive research on what it takes to create a cosmetics brand and the resources required, attended exhibitions, studied the market, branding, and so on. I was finally able to bring it all together and launched Micaroon makeup over a year ago.

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Where do you manufacture your products?

I visited factories in Europe, mainly Italy, for I had plans to manufacture there, but I soon realized that all the factories in Dubai abide by international regulations and are very stringent about health and safety. So I invested in an existing factory in Dubai and it has been great. It was not only the best option, but also the one I am most proud of—to have the words “Made in the UAE” on the packaging. We are documented as the first colored cosmetics manufactured in Dubai.

What is your everyday makeup look?

My everyday makeup look is pretty much day glam, but I like to keep light. I’m definitely against wearing too much makeup and masking your face—makeup is for enhancing your beauty, not masking it. My lippies, blush, mascara, and eyeshadow (for evenings) are always from Micaroon. I love the eyeliners from Benefit Cosmetics; they are easy to apply and very long-lasting.

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