The Backlash: Why So Many Parents Are Concerned

Critics were not responding to ingredients as much as to intention. Dermatologists pointed out that children need little more than sunscreen and a basic cleanser. Parents questioned why skincare was being positioned as entertainment in the first place. For them, the concern was not a single product but the idea that beauty habits are being introduced long before they are relevant.

The Line Between Fun and Pressure

Rini sparked debate because childhood now unfolds inside an aesthetic landscape that children absorb before they fully understand it. Imitation has always been part of growing up, but imitation today takes place in a world shaped by tutorials, routines and performance. What once felt like pretend play now sits alongside the language and rhythms of adult self-presentation. The discomfort around Rini reflects this shift rather than the masks themselves.

Totkay to TikTok

Image: Netflix

In Pakistan, care rituals have long existed, but they belonged to the home. Many grew up with rose water before school, mothers oiling their hair or the familiar comfort of haldi or yoghurt used as remedies. These were intimate, domestic moments shaped by family rather than trend cycles. Today, children encounter beauty through influencers and aesthetics that travel faster than products do. The move from totkay to TikTok marks a broader transition in how childhood is shaped and seen.

Not Everything Needs a Product

Part of the reaction to Rini also reflects fatigue with the hyper-commercialisation of beauty. Children can enjoy sensory, playful moments without entering a cycle of buying. A slice of cucumber on the eyes or a simple yoghurt or oatmeal mask offers the same excitement without turning care into something packaged. What unsettles many parents is how easily even gentle forms of play are reframed as consumer habits, positioning children as future customers before they understand the implications.

Where Does Rini Fit Into All This?

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This is why responses to Rini are so split. The brand positions itself as gentle, calming and free of strong actives, and many appreciate that. Yet it also steps into a market increasingly interested in younger users. In softening a trend, it contributes to it. The question is whether Rini reflects a shift that is already under way or whether it widens the lane for more child-focused beauty products.

The Question We Cannot Ignore

A sheet mask used occasionally is unlikely to cause harm. What concerns parents is the trajectory of these changes. Childhood is becoming another place where care is bought, displayed and discussed. These moments depend less on what is being applied and more on how adults frame them. A bit of fun is not the same as a routine. Comfort is not the same as correction. Parents, siblings and caregivers shape these distinctions long before children do.

The mask is not the problem. The message that comes with it can be.

The post Shay Mitchell’s Kids’ Skincare Brand Rini: Harmless Fun or a Red Flag? appeared first on Glam Magazine.

Islamabad’s water is naturally high in minerals, especially in houses that rely on private bore wells. As groundwater travels through the city’s mineral-rich layers, it picks up calcium and magnesium. These minerals are safe to drink but they cling to the body in ways that most people do not realise. If you have ever seen a chalky layer on your taps or kettle, that residue is the same mineral buildup your hair and skin are reacting to. With the onset of winter dryness, the effects can feel even more noticeable.

On hair, mineral residue forms a thin coating that makes strands feel dry and rough. It also builds up on the scalp, which is why wash days can feel heavier and you may notice more shedding than usual.

The thinning you see is temporary and usually settles once the mineral film is removed. Styling products also stop working properly because they sit on top of the buildup instead of absorbing.

Skin reacts in a similar way. Hard water disrupts the natural barrier, leaving that familiar tight, slightly uncomfortable feeling after a shower. Some people develop dullness or small bumps on the arms and legs that no moisturiser seems to fix.

The good news is that a few small changes make a noticeable difference. A shower filter is the simplest place to start. Choose one that targets calcium and magnesium and replace it regularly. A weekly clarifying shampoo helps lift buildup, and a quick apple cider vinegar rinse can smooth the cuticle and bring back shine, as long as it is properly diluted.

For the face, washing with a little filtered or reverse osmosis water is surprisingly effective. Reverse osmosis systems filter out the minerals that make hard water feel harsh. Most homes have a small RO tap in the kitchen, so filling a cup or jug with this water for face washing is an easy way to avoid mineral residue.

Follow with richer moisturisers for the face to balance dryness.

Islamabad’s hard water is not going anywhere, but with a few easy adjustments your hair and skin can recover quickly.

The post Is Islamabad’s Water Ruining Your Hair and Skin? appeared first on Glam Magazine.

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Khan Tumhara is shaping up to be one of the more anticipated upcoming releases. Directed by Ehteshamuddin and produced by Momina Duraid Productions and Behive Transmedia, in association with Bilal Ashraf and Ehteshamuddin, the film brings together a team known for thoughtful, narrative driven work. The screenplay is written by Mustafa Afridi, with Bilal Ashraf and Maya Ali in the lead roles.

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The teaser offers a controlled, confident introduction to the film’s world. It opens with sparse dialogue and a sequence of deliberate visual beats. One shot lingers on Ashraf in a moment of stillness before the tension shifts again. There is no shortage of impact either; the teaser shows flashes of explosive action that sit alongside the film’s quieter, character-led beats. The images move between tense close ups and stark landscapes. Together, they hint at a story shaped by both internal and external pressure. Each shot offers just enough of the film’s mood to guide the viewer without revealing narrative details or character arcs.

Speaking to Variety, director Ehteshamuddin described the film as an exploration of “what happens when love, loyalty and vengeance collide in a world that does not give its people easy choices”. The soundtrack brings together Urdu, Punjabi and Pashto tracks, reflecting the film’s regional breadth. The team says the film’s post production has been carried out to meet international standards.

The release is expected around Eid ul Adha 2026. For now, it is the clarity of the film’s vision, combined with the confidence of those shaping it, that positions Khan Tumhara as a release to track closely in the months ahead.

The post Khan Tumhara: What We Know About the Upcoming Epic Action Film appeared first on Glam Magazine.

The event brought together a diverse group of attendees, including local celebrities, philanthropists and community leaders. During the event, it was announced that Syed Javaid Anwar contributed 300,000 dollars towards the foundation’s education initiatives, highlighting a strong commitment to expanding learning opportunities.

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During the programme, guests received updates on the foundation’s ongoing work, the challenges students face, and the specific areas where support is most needed. The discussion focused on practical priorities, including scholarships, learning materials and academic guidance.

Alongside raising funds, the event also helped build awareness of the foundation’s programmes and strengthened support within the Houston community. The M&D Foundation will now use these contributions and the momentum from the event to advance its mission of widening access to education in Pakistan.

The post M&D Foundation’s Houston Event Strengthens Support for Education appeared first on Glam Magazine.

The first thing you notice is that roles form almost immediately. No one assigns them, but everyone slips into one. There is the person who ends up planning everything, not because they want to, but because uncertainty makes them uncomfortable. Then comes the one who contributes nothing to the planning, yet develops strong opinions once you are actually there. Someone’s suitcase always suggests permanent relocation. Someone else arrives with only two T-shirts and a sense of confidence the rest secretly envy. There is also the traveller who genuinely enjoys a neatly colour-coded itinerary, treating the day’s schedule like a gentle mission plan. And without fail, there is the early riser who treats the holiday like a disciplined fitness retreat, baffling those who consider breakfast at 11am perfectly reasonable. These mismatched energies can be amusingly chaotic, but they also create a balance. Each person fills a gap the others did not realise was there.

Decision-making is where personalities truly emerge. Travelling removes the structure of routine, and without that structure, small choices feel oddly amplified. Picking a restaurant becomes a referendum. Choosing an activity becomes a responsibility no one wants because it carries the risk of collective disappointment. Even the logistics, the bills, the taxis, the tiny expenses no one wants to calculate, weave themselves into this dance. There is always someone who pays first to make things easier, someone quietly budgeting, and someone who treats the table without ceremony. These unspoken exchanges shape the day as much as the itinerary.

Then there is the emotional weather of the group, unpredictable and oddly revealing. Hunger, heat, lost sleep and overstimulation turn minor inconveniences into defining moments. A misplaced charger becomes a crisis. A wrong turn feels personal. At least one person will reach a point where they simply go quiet from sheer sensory overload. But there is another side to it. The friend who notices before anyone else, the one who slows the pace, offers water or suggests a break. Group trips expose the cracks, yes, but they also show who pays attention.

For all the friction and missteps, these trips tend to leave you with the moments that matter. The laughter, the silent negotiations, and the small adjustments everyone makes along the way all become part of the story. What stays with you is not the plan, but the shared effort to make it work.

Travelling together may not always bring people closer, but shared chaos often does.

The post The Unspoken Social Politics of Group Trips appeared first on Glam Magazine.

With the city entering its best weather of the year, the festival is built around a simple idea: two full days outdoors with food, music and space to unwind by the water. Visitors can expect pop-up kitchens, artisan stalls, workshops, live performances, and dedicated areas for families.

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It is set up as a come-and-go space rather than a tightly scheduled programme, so visitors can stay for a quick walk around or settle in for most of the day.

The kids’ section includes games, sports and pony rides. Around the venue, visitors will also find a mini petting zoo.

It blends relaxed corners with a good range of activities, which makes it an easy choice for a weekend outdoors.

Venue: The Lakefront at Islamabad Polo Club (opposite The Rock Musicarium and near Naval Sailing Club).

The post Lakeside Picnic 2025: A New Outdoor Festival Comes to Islamabad appeared first on Glam Magazine.

Northern Lights, Finland

High above the Arctic Circle, the night sky becomes a shifting canvas of green, violet and gold. Locals call it revontulet, the “fox fires”, after a Finnish legend that tells of an Arctic fox sweeping its tail across the snow and setting the sky alight. Whether you are watching from a glass igloo in Lapland or standing beneath a frozen horizon, the Northern Lights feel as though the universe itself has started to move.

Best time to see it: September to March, when the nights are longest and the skies clearest.

Petra, Jordan

Carved into rose-red cliffs, Petra feels like stepping into another century. Narrow canyons lead to the Treasury, its facade glowing gold in the desert sun, then softening to amber as the light fades. At night, over a thousand candles flicker along the Siq, turning the ancient city into a sea of light. It is history you do not just see. You feel it in the stillness between the stones.

Best time to visit: March to May or September to November, when the days are warm but not scorching and the desert light is at its most beautiful.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

Miles of dazzling white crust stretch far enough to blur the line between earth and sky. The world’s largest salt flat sits high in the Andes at over 3,600 metres altitude. When the rains come, it turns into a shimmering mirror that reflects clouds, mountains and travellers alike. When dry, it becomes a surreal white desert with hexagonal salt patterns glowing under an endless blue sky.

Best time to visit: For the mirror effect: December to April. For dry, crisp landscapes and clearer skies: May to November.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Hidden high in the Andes, Machu Picchu rises through clouds like a secret slowly revealing itself. Built in the fifteenth century and forgotten for centuries, the Incan citadel stands as both an architectural wonder and a spiritual refuge. The terraces, temples and stone paths feel perfectly in tune with the surrounding mountains. It is proof that humans once built with reverence rather than dominance.

Best time to visit: April to October, during the dry season when the skies are clear and trails are safe for hiking.

Bioluminescent Bays, Puerto Rico

On the island of Vieques, the ocean glows with every stroke of a paddle. The water flashes neon blue, alive with millions of microscopic dinoflagellates (a kind of plankton) that light up when disturbed. It feels like floating through a liquid galaxy, each movement igniting a trail of blue light that fades as quickly as it appears.

Best time to visit: December to early April, when rainfall is lowest and the water is clearest. Avoid full-moon nights for the brightest glow.

Cappadocia, Turkey

At sunrise, hundreds of hot-air balloons drift above a landscape shaped by ancient volcanoes and time. Valleys dip into soft curves, stone spires known as “fairy chimneys” rise in clusters and cave dwellings glow in early light. From inside the balloon, the world seems to slow. Villages shrink to dots, light spreads across the horizon and the silence feels endless.

Best time to visit: April to June and September to October, when the weather is mild and skies are clear enough for safe flights.

Serengeti, Tanzania

Every year, more than a million wildebeest and zebra move across the Serengeti Plains in one of nature’s greatest migrations. From June to July, the herds push north towards Kenya’s Maasai Mara, crossing rivers thick with crocodiles. By October and November, they return south as the rains begin and the rhythm of survival starts over again. The air fills with dust, the ground trembles beneath hooves and the horizon becomes a living tide of movement. It is the closest you will come to seeing the planet exactly as it was meant to be: wild, moving, alive.

Best time to visit: June to October for the dry season and the northbound migration, or January to February in the south when calves are born.

Waitomo Glowworm Caves, New Zealand

Deep beneath New Zealand’s North Island, a quiet river winds through limestone caves lit by thousands of glowworms. Their light is a soft blue, mirrored in the still water below and turning the darkness into a starlit sky. As the boat drifts forward, the cave ceiling seems to breathe above you.

Best time to visit: Although the caves are open year round, visiting in the Southern Hemisphere’s summer months (October to February) offers the warmest weather and easiest access.

Kyoto, Japan

Each spring, Kyoto turns into a blur of soft pink. Cherry blossoms line the Philosopher’s Path, drift over wooden bridges and settle on still temple ponds. It is busy but fleeting, the kind of beauty everyone stops for, even if only for a moment.

Best time to visit: Late March to mid-April, when the cherry blossoms (sakura) are in full bloom.

Hunza Valley, Pakistan

High in the Karakoram, Hunza seems carved from light and stone. It is a place where glaciers meet orchards and history lingers in the air. Rivers cut through apricot groves, turquoise lakes glint beneath snow-tipped peaks and the valley offers a rare blend of natural beauty and historical sites, from ancient forts to centuries-old trade routes once part of the Silk Road.

Best time to visit: April to October, when the roads are open and the valley shifts from spring blossom to autumn gold.

The post 10 Places Around the World That Feel Almost Unreal appeared first on Glam Magazine.

Hydration Begins Here

Cold weather does not just dry out the air, it pulls moisture straight from your skin. Start with a cleanser that removes buildup without leaving your face tight or stripped. A cleansing balm is an ideal first step. It melts away sunscreen, makeup and dirt while keeping your skin barrier intact.

Follow up with a hydrating face wash that restores moisture rather than removing it. This two-step routine helps your skin stay soft, clean and ready to absorb the rest of your products.

Local pick: Oh So Cherry Makeup Removing Balm by HER Beauty for the first cleanse, and CoNatural ’s Vitamin E Face Wash for the second.

Your Skin Barrier’s Winter Coat

This is the season to go rich. Lightweight gels might have worked in summer, but winter calls for thicker, barrier-repairing creams. Look for formulas with ceramides or squalene to help seal in hydration. Apply while your skin is still slightly damp to trap moisture better.

Tip: Spray your face with rose water and layer a hyaluronic acid serum under your moisturiser to maximise hydration and glow.

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Local pick: Cerapair Barrier Repair Moisturiser by Primary Skin helps strengthen the skin barrier while keeping dryness at bay, making it a perfect daily staple.

These products have gained popularity for their gentle, barrier-friendly formulas, and they are all proudly home-grown.

SPF Isn’t Just for Summer

Just because the sun feels softer does not mean it is safe to skip SPF. UVA rays are present all year and they are the ones responsible for premature ageing and dullness. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning, even when it is cloudy. A simple trick to keep your skin from drying out is to layer your moisturiser under your sunscreen. It adds an extra cushion of hydration and prevents that mid-day tightness.

Tip: Make sure you’re applying enough. Use roughly two fingers’ worth of sunscreen for your face and neck to get full protection.

Local pick: Several local brands now offer lightweight, broad-spectrum sunscreens that suit different skin types and climates.

Tiny Acts of Care

Your lips and hands are the first to surrender to winter. The air indoors is dry, the cold outside harsher than it looks, and before you know it, they start to crack and sting. Keep a small balm in your pocket and a hand cream by your desk, and reapply often. These tiny acts of care make a big difference on cold days.

Tip: Apply hand cream right after washing your hands, and use a thick balm before bed to wake up to softer skin.

Make It a Ritual, Not a Routine

Good skin in winter is not just about what you apply, it is about how you live. A little intention goes a long way. Add moisture back into the air with a humidifier, keep showers short and warm instead of scalding hot, and make hydration a quiet ritual instead of a chore.

At night, let your routine slow you down. Mist your face, light a candle, and take a few deep breaths while applying your cream. These small, steady moments tell your body it is safe to rest, and restful sleep might just be the most powerful skincare step of all.

The post Winter Skincare Essentials You Actually Need appeared first on Glam Magazine.

Viral challenges captured that shift before we even realised it was happening. What began as light-hearted fun, planking on pavements, pouring ice water for charity, freezing mid-dance, slowly turned into something bigger: proof of belonging in a world where visibility is its own reward.

The Planking Challenge, which spread globally around 2010, was simple and absurd, with people lying flat in unusual places and posting it online. The Ice Bucket Challenge, in 2014, took that same spirit and added purpose, raising millions for ALS research and turning empathy into engagement. By 2018, The Kiki Challenge had people dancing beside moving cars to Drake’s In My Feelings, showing how quickly participation can tip into risk.

Each of these moments says something about how we live now. We crave connection, community and the small thrill of being part of a shared trend. Yet, in chasing those moments, we also learn to curate ourselves, to stage spontaneity and rehearse authenticity until it feels natural.

But not every performance is empty. Some of these challenges have raised millions for research, inspired collective acts of kindness and reminded us that visibility can be powerful when used well. They show that the same tools that fuel vanity can also drive empathy, creativity and change.

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Still, the line between living and performing is thin. The performance never really stops. The best we can do is decide which parts are worth playing.

The post Viral Challenges and the Rise of the Performance Self appeared first on Glam Magazine.

And while you can’t always choose the colour of the walls or the furniture around you, you can choose the details that make your corner feel lighter, calmer and a little more yours.

Bring Something Living

A bit of green changes how a space feels. A small plant, even one that barely needs watering, think snake plant or succulent, softens the harsh edges of a desk and helps your mind slow down between tasks. If sunlight is limited, try low-light options or a cutting from a plant at home.

Light That Works With You

Light is instrumental in setting the mood. Natural light, when you can get it, helps your body fall into rhythm. A warm desk lamp can do the same when the day turns heavy. Harsh overhead bulbs make you rush; soft light invites you to stay. You will feel the difference without noticing when it happens.

Clear the Noise

Clutter does not just take up space, it takes up focus. Keep what you actually need on your desk and give everything else a home. A small basket, box or tray can hide the mess while keeping things tidy. The goal is not perfection, it is peace of mind.

Make It Yours

A workspace feels different when it reflects you. A photo, a note or even a line of poetry can anchor you when the day gets noisy. It reminds you that you exist outside your inbox. That small moment of familiarity can quietly pull your attention back to yourself.

A Gentle Reminder

You do not need to redesign the office to feel better in it. Just making small changes that make you happy can quietly shift the way you work and feel. Your surroundings are not neutral, they respond to you. When your space feels balanced, so do you.

The post The Space You Work In Is Shaping How You Feel appeared first on Glam Magazine.