< Previous70 February 2020 Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast LOVE Tech Gizmos and gadgets are a pretty innocuous gift no matter the relationship. Boys and their toys, eh? 1.TED BAKER Cufflinks, tie bar and collar stiffener set, Dhs350 2.TED BAKER Laptop bag, Dhs931 3.PLAYSTATION PS4, Dhs1,679 at Sharaf DG 4.COACH Customised backpack, POA at Coach 5.AMAZON Amazon Echo Dot, Dhs132 at amazon.com 6.ACER Acer Swift 5 14 inch Notebook, Dhs3,999 at Sharaf DG 7.BANG & OLUFSEN Beoplay E8 True Wireless Earphones, Dhs1,450 at bang-olufsen.com 8.RYZE Ryze Tello Drone, Dhs618 at Virgin Megastore 1 2 3 5 4 6 7 y2020 8 COMPILED BY SARA ALHUMIRI & NIMOTALAI OKIFebruary 2020 71 Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast LOVE Second chance love Blame Brad and Jen, but is revisiting a past relationship destined to give you breakup déjà vu, or should you keep those nostalgia-induced rose-coloured glasses on? By BROOKE DALLOW “Own your past and don’t make the same mistake twice” T here’s nothing like the potential resurrection of one of the most iconic couples ever to make you look at your ex in a new light! Before there was Justin and Hailey, or even Chandler and Monica, there was Brad and Jen, a couple so famous, so apparently perfect, that the Pitt and Aniston parts of their names weren’t required. But then, after seven years of marriage, it was over. Fast-forward 15 (!!!) years – and a couple of divorces - and a touchy-feely red carpet rendezvous at the SAG Awards last month has the world practically salivating over the potential of the two of them getting back together. If it happens, Jennifer won’t be the fi rst woman to give an ex a second chance – even the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge called it quits before reuniting – but if it’s inspired you to hit rewind on a romance as well, how can you be totally sure it doesn’t end up the same way it did the fi rst time around? Couples therapist and counsel lor Nicola Beer (NicolaBeer. com) says it’s about both of you being open and honest with your feelings about the past. “If you can see the mistakes or disengagement that led to the break-up, take ownership of them and keep open communication fl owing, there’s a chance you can make it work,” she says. The fi rst step on the road to getting your love back on track? “Set expectations for what you really want your relationship to be like and how you love to be treated,” Nicola suggests. “If you want it to work, be aware of any resentments you’re carrying and try to let go of the past and move forward with love in your heart. You can’t let go of each other’s resentments – you have to do it yourself.” For Jennifer, that’s probably going to mean confronting those rumours about a cross over between her and Angelina Jolie – and being aware of repeat behaviour. “Nothing changes if nothing changes,” Nicola warns. “If you’re going to brush issues under the carpet and carry on as before, it won’t work.” So Brad, if you’re reading this: own your past. And don’t make the same mistake twice. The ultimate second-time-lucky love hack according to Beer is “listing all of the resentments over what went wrong the fi rst time and get your partner to do the same – importantly though, the lists are NEVER to be shared with each other! Then individually, look at each item on the list and decide whether you’re able to let them go or not. Then burn the piece of paper or bury it. For the items you’ve said you can let go, mean it. If any of the resentments that you can’t let go of keep coming up, ask your partner to change their actions, so that their new behaviour can help you let go once and for all.” PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGESLeft: Rinky wears polka organza dress, Dhs239, Missguided. Trainers, Dhs920, Sandro. Right: Ritu wears polka organza dress, Dhs239, Missguided. Boots, Dhs1,530, Sandro DOUBLE VISION DOUBLE VISION Teetering on the periphery of social media’s merry-go-round, Ritu and Rinky have minutely documented their lives in the little square boxes of Instagram for thepast few years. Now, we discover why 2020 is going to be their year and how their sisterly solidarity is a unifying force to be reckoned with photography by MICHAEL KRUGER fashion & styling by CHLOE BOSHER hair & make-up by THT & ANGELIQUE TURNER 74 February 2020 Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast COVER STORY in THE GLORIOUS AGE OF INSTAGRAM, with its endless bounty of fashion and beauty bloggers cropping up anew, where infl uencers saturate our scrolls and fl at lays spill out of our saved folders, it’s hard to know just who is authentic – but with Rinky and Ritu Pamnani the feeling is, well, instant. We’re sitting on the terrace of the Emerald Palace Kempinski’s Royal Suite after a full day of shooting. It’s cold–well, by Dubai’s standards, at least–we’re all hungry and pretty exhausted after six outfi t changes and fi lming multiple TikTok and YouTube videos, yet the girls, however ready for bed they may be, pull up a chair and ready themselves for another hour- long chat with me without a hint or hindrance of diva. Ritu and Rinky may just be in their twenties, but they have a softness, a genuineness and serious dose of ambition that belies their youth. They are identical twin sisters in just about every literal, spiritual and metaphysical way one could be an identical twin sister. They fi nish each other’s sentences like I’ve never seen before, they can communicate with just the raise of an eyebrow or the fl icker of a smile, and they have this palpable sisterly bond that is, quite frankly, hard to put into words. “We were born in a small state in India and moved to Jaipur in Rajasthan where we lived for about eleven years before moving to the UAE,” starts Rinky. “We went to high school in Sharjah and did our post- grad at Heriot-Watt University in Dubai…” “…where we studied Business Administration,” fi nishes Ritu. “Wait, you both did the same degree?” I query. “Yeah!” they answer simultaneously. “Don’t tell me you got the same grades as well…” “Almost always,” they reassure me. Somewhere out there there is a screenwriter just waiting to get their hands on you two, because this back-and-forth is the stuff of movies. The girls started grafting at 13-years- old when most of us were still applying blue eyeshadow. “We got into modelling, which is why we joined social media in the fi rst place,” they say. So what came fi rst, the chicken or the infl uencer? “We were already working commercially with brands, and when we shared photos from our shoots people used to message us asking about our make-up or our outfi ts. We had no idea what an infl uencer was back then, but we started sharing little styling videos and it escalated from there. Kind of like supply and demand,” says Ritu, that business administration degree oozing through her words as she speaks. “The best thing about social media is that you get to share your knowledge and experiences. For example, I’ve been through a journey with my skin, and there are so many young girls who suffer from acne or skincare problems, and it’s amazing to share my tips with them. Even if they’re the other side of the world, I can speak to them simply via DM.” One look at Ritu and Rinky, and it’s little wonder that young girls rely on them when it comes to make-up, hair and skincare tips. They’re the kind of women who are disarmingly pretty in the fl esh, from their perfectly shaped almond eyes to their tumbling resplendent tresses that hold a curl better than Kim Kardashian’s circa 2011. In fact, they’re so beautiful, and their Instagram is so full of light, love and laughter that Ritu and Rinky are the sort of girls that women would fi nd it every easy to…hate. They seem to have it all going for them and never seem to put a perfectly painted acrylic nail out of line. Their social media channels radiate positivity and philanthropy (they once chose a follower at random and treated her to a full Diwali make-over), and it’s the kind of page you can imagine makes people go green with envy. But more fool us, it seems, for judging a book by its cover. Or, in this case, an infl uencer by her feed, because it hasn’t all been plain sailing for the twins. “When we fi rst moved to Dubai we were basically struggling to survive,” Ritu explains. Ritu “When we first moved to Dubai we were struggling to stay afloat. We had barely any money were quite lonely” OPPOSITE PAGE: Left: Rinky wears dress, Dhs1,890, Elisabetta Franchi. Sunglasses, Dhs1,340, Valentino Right: Ritu wears dress, Dhs2,095, Elisabetta Franchi. Sunglasses, Dhs160, Beachcity.aeLeft: Rinky wears sunglasses, Dhs1,340, Valentino. Pajamas, Dhs7,000 Rubeus Milano Right: Ritu wears sunglasses, Dhs1,340, Valentino. Pajamas, Dhs189, Missguided. Cupcakes by Magnolia Bakery “Sisterhood goes beyond family. When you find your sister it’s like finding someone who completes you”February 2020 79 Follow us on InstagramFollow us on Instagram @CosmoMiddleEast @CosmoMiddleEast COVER STORY “There was limited money and not a lot of people to talk to. I remember one year, it was our birthday. Our parents were back in India and we were in Dubai and hardly had any cash. We were broke and alone, but I took what little money I do have and bought Rinky and I matching t-shirts that had the Eiffel Tower on them, because she loves Paris.” “All we had that year was each other,” Rinky interjects. “At that point we had totally lost our spark, but we also had to remind ourselves that it’s okay to lose your spark and it’s okay to cry. It’s about getting up when you fall down. I feel like we’ve seen so many bad situations that we now have such a positive outlook on life.” Hardship, doubt, and diffi cult times–all things we don’t speak about enough in an age of highlight reels and hyper-fi ltered perfection, and all things that Ritu and Rinky own with absolutely zero shame. I remind them, though, that perhaps one of the reasons they were able to pick themselves up so easily, in a way that not many would, is because they have each other. “But sisterhood goes beyond family,” Ritu earnestly impresses upon me. “Finding your ‘sister’ is like fi nding someone who completes you. They support your fl aws, your highs; they make you become a better person. I love that about sisterhood. It’s all about women having each other’s backs.” Rihanna once famously said, ‘I can’t really say I’m a role model. I’m not trying to sell that.’ So what about them? What are they trying to sell and who are they trying to be? How really fi ltered are their lives on social media. I can’t possibly imagine having a full-time job on Instagram and not at least be tempted by a Facetune here and a Photoshop there… “We just want to teach girls not to follow what society expects of them,” says Ritu. “I once had a girl ask me tips on how to lighten her skin. And I was like, ‘I’m going to be that person who tell you your skin is beautiful and perfect the way it is.’ When we used to model commercially, clients always photoshopped our faces, and it was out of our control, but now we’re in control of our own content, that’s not the message we want to put out there.” “I’m not going to say we didn’t try Facetune,” adds Rinky. “We used it a lot when we fi rst joined Instagram, and our friends started calling us out on it, and after a while I thought no, it’s not my thing.” But with great Facetuning abilities comes a great many trolls, who lurk in the virtual corners of the internet making social media platforms feel unsafe. “I bless them,” says Ritu on how she approaches online haters. “Trolls are the ones who need the most care and love. So when we get negative comments we just bless them and don’t reply.” If there were ever an answer to sum up how sweet and temperate these girls are, that would probably be it. So what does the future look like for Ritu and Rinky Pamnani? Well, aside from being on the cusp of their social media stardom (you heard it here fi rst!), the girls have dreams that lie beyond the realms of digital infl uencing. “We want to start our own vegan brand,” says Ritu. “A vegan make-up brand,” adds Rinky. “We’ve been vegan for two and a half years now and it’s had such a positive impact on our lives. We only eat plant-based food, we never wear leather or fur, and we really try and only use vegan beauty products.” “A lot of people made fun of us at fi rst, asking if we were only going to eat salad for the rest of our lives, but it’s actually changed our lives. It’s really had a positive effect on our mental health.” As our day draws to a close - to loosely paraphrase Carrie Bradshaw - I couldn’t help but wonder, after seeing Rinky and Ritu’s can’t-live-without-each-other attitude, would one have agreed to a cover without the other? I mean, surely if there were ever a reason to do something independently, it would be this, right? I ask the question and am met with incredulous looks. “But…It’s so much better with her,” replies Rinky. It’s safe to say this is just the fi rst you’ll see of Ritu and Rinky Pamnani. They plan on taking 2020 by storm, and they plan on doing it together. Rinky “I’m not going to say we didn’t try Facetune. We used it a lot when we first joined Instagram and our friends started calling us out on it” OPPOSITE PAGE: Left: Ritu wears dress, Dhs2,945, Elisabetta Franchi, Trainers, model’s own. Right: Rinky wears Corset top, Dhs1,310 and skirt, Dhs1,890, both Elisabetta Franchi. Trainers, Dhs900, Maje With special thanks to Emerald Palace Kempinski Dubai and Magnolia BakeryNext >