Since launching her eponymous makeover series on MBC over ten years ago, Joelle Mardinian has become a household name in the Middle East. Born in Lebanon, the Arab beauty isn’t only a TV presenter, but an entrepreneur as well. She received the Arab Businesswoman of the Year Award by L’Officiel Middle East after founding Maison de Joelle, a salon with branches all over the GCC. But the momentum didn’t stop there; shortly afterwards, the 37-year-old opened Clinica Joelle, a cosmetic clinic that offers surgical and non-surgical solutions to women in Dubai.
Apart from being a successful businesswoman, Mardinian is also a celebrity makeup artist and beauty expert, the brand ambassador for many international brands, and a mother of two—an inspiration for women all over the region. Style.com/Arabia caught up with the blonde bombshell (a day before she colored her hair turquoise) to discuss how she stays in shape, her spending habits, and of course, some exclusive beauty tips.
KHAOULA GHANEM: Who is your favorite beauty icon?
JOELLE MARDINIAN: I love Kate Moss’ bone structure. She is an effortless beauty and yet she is not perfect. She is definitely someone I would love to be on shoots with. I’m obsessed with her beauty. Also Marilyn Monroe, I love everything about her.
As someone who loves to experiment with color, how do you keep your hair healthy?
Well, I obviously dye my hair all the time and I’m going to go turquoise blue in the next ten days, but it’s important to look after your hair. I only give my hair to experts; I go to my own salon, and I don’t use straightening irons on myself. So I’m super careful. I wash my hair every day and always with a good shampoo. I look after my hair like I look after my body or my skin.
Blue hair? Are your eyebrows going to be blue as well?
No, when I had pink hair I kept my eyebrows natural. Blue eyebrows would be bizarre.
What hair color would you recommend for olive skin tones?
For olive, you can’t do ash or platinum, you have to go warm—warm blond, warm brown, or even warm highlights. You can also go very dark.
