Behind The Beauty with Rosemin Opgenhaffen

Whether it is presenting on stage, running her newly launched beauty brand Rosemin Beauty, or interviewing guests for her podcast Legacy Talks with Rosemin — her podcast that puts her in conversation with some of the world's most compelling figures — there's always a sense of intention to everything Rosemin (Madhavji) Opgenhaffen does. It is a quality that feels right at home in Dubai, her home of twenty-five years, where beauty and luxury are not aspirations as much as they are assumptions. "I love how Dubai celebrates beauty and femininity," she says, "It truly is the best of the east and west."

That position — at the intersection of cultures, industries, and aesthetics — gave Opgenhaffen a unique vantage point that most in the industry don't have. And it was precisely that, which led to the creation of Rosemin Beauty. "After decades working across luxury fashion and beauty, I witnessed the gap firsthand," she says. "Too often, warm complexions were treated as an afterthought. Shades did not truly match, or coverage felt heavy or dull. Products required constant mixing, layering, and compromise to achieve the desired result. I set out to change that." The result was a refined edit of high-performance essentials, including the signature Daily Radiance Correct & Conceal Duo, Velvet Glide Eyeliner, Velvet Ink Liquid Eye Pen, Velvet Lash Lift Mascara, the Maximalist Radiant Veil Corrector Duo and the Pro Concealer Brush.

Below, the products she reaches for to achieve her signature glow, the Dubai experts she trusts for her skin and hair, and where she draws inspiration as a founder.

What does a typical day in your life look like?

My days are never the same as I manage a few businesses. I wake up early — I like that time for myself in the morning to watch the news, reply to emails, map out my day and get in a good coffee for that caffeine kick! Some days I’m preparing and researching if I am going to be on stage that night, on other days I’m working on my brand and upcoming podcast. Everything is mapped in my diary, every hour is accounted for. I’m a visual person so I need to see my day typed out before I start.

What does your beauty routine look like?

I enjoy wearing makeup! There are a few things I can’t live without — my Beautyblender, the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Liquid Foundation by Fenty Beauty (I’m shade 310!), Makeup By Mario’s Soft Pop Blush Stick and the Airbrush Matte Bronzer by Charlotte Tilbury. When I’m presenting on stage, my secret to long-lasting makeup is the Powder Melt Glass Setting Spray by One Size. It gives such a beautiful, radiant finish and helps my makeup last a long time. I also love all my Rosemin Beauty essentials, of course; every single product is a testament to give an effortless and elegant finish, and designed for the woman who knows what she wants.

When it comes to my hair, you will definitely find a Kevin Murphy Everlasting Color Wash in my bathroom. I like the fragrance of their products and they do a great travel size hairspray which is easy for me to take on shoots or travel with. Kerastase is another brand that I have been using forever and I’m always changing up the bottle depending on what my hair needs in the moment. I love K18’s Peptide Prep™ Detox Shampoo; I use it twice a month to remove any product buildup, especially before I go for my hair colour touch-ups.

I tend to blowdry my hair 2-3 times a week and it can take a toll on my hair. I swear by my Virtue Damage Reverse Hair Serum which is a great heat protector and also helps improve any hair damage. I also cannot do with my Dyson hair dryer and straightener as well — I have been a Dyson girl for over twenty years!

Three products that are non-negotiable for you while traveling.

Picking only three is too difficult! I love good skincare. My signature is my eyes so I can’t live without a good eye makeup remover. For me, it’s the L’Oréal Waterproof Makeup-Remover; one swipe and my the skin around my eyes is super clean. 111skin’s Cryo Depuffing Eye Masks are a must, especially when travelling; they instantly hydrate and revitalize fatigued under eyes post-flight.

I’m all about a double cleanse at night so I also make sure to carry my Nuxe Very Rose Cleansing Oil which I swear by, the Foreo Luna and a good gel cleanser (I love Cerave’s Blemish Control Cleanser), as well as Augustinus Bader’s The Eye Cream, the C-Tetra Advanced Gel-Serum from Medik8 and Dr Dennis Gross’ DRx SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro LED Device.

Your favorite beauty spots in Dubai.

I love how Dubai celebrates beauty, wellness and femininity! My go-to spots here are the Privé 7 Salon on Al Wasl Road for nails, Jacques La Coupe in the Dubai Marina for hair and the classic facial at the Biologique Recherche Expert Center at the Palm Jumeirah (ask for Huda!).

If you had to encapsulate the essence of Dubai in a product, what would that look like?

I like to think of Dubai as the very best of east meets west. One product that reminds me of the city is the Armani/Privé Rose D’Arabie. It’s an oud and rose based fragrance that my company, RR&Co, actually worked on with the Armani Beauty team for the global launch. It’s both iconic and luxurious and the fragrance has the power to ignite beautiful memories.

What treatments do you get as part of your beauty routine?

I had terrible cystic acne for the longest time, which can really affect your confidence and the resulting scars require quite a bit of maintenance to handle. I am committed to treatments like Fraxel (a non-invasive fractional laser treatment that is designed to improve texture and tone by stimulating the skin’s natural healing process), Secret RF (a fractional radio frequency treatment that combines microneedling with RF energy delivered below the skin surface) and microneedling (a collagen induction therapy that uses a device with fine needles to create micro-injuries in the skin, helping trigger the skin’s natural healing response and stimulating collagen and elastin production).

My go-to clinics are Dr. Dray’s clinic in London and Abu Dhabi (they do the best meso microneedling) and the Lucia Clinic in Dubai.

A piece of advice that you would have for an aspiring founder.

Surround yourself with people who believe in your vision. Mentors, advisors and a team that complements your strengths.

Makeup and hair stylists across the world that you have worked with and you would recommend.

My all-time favourite makeup artist is Bassam Fattouh, he did my makeup for my wedding as well as for other events when I’m on stage. He’s the best and I learn so much from him every time! For hair, I only trust Jack from Jacques La Coupe, his salon is in Dubai Marina and he is truly exceptional at what he does.

Who inspires you as a founder?

Tory Burch is always at the top of my list. I have been fortunate to spend time with her and watch her build a global empire but what truly motivates me is that she created a business model that gives back through her foundation and emphasises the importance of women having their own finances. In addition to this, she is also a wife, mother, daughter and sister and one of the most stylish women that I know. And also Emma Grede, I haven’t met her personally but I have listened to her podcasts — she’s smart, a bold risk taker and juggles it all so well.