The Scents Of A Man

According to a New York Stylist, fragrance is a must for men just as it is essential to women. There is an existing rule when it comes to men and the scents we wear. This general rule implicates that men should have at least three different fragrances at a time. One is a signature scent which is usually the favorite scent, while the other two breaks the monotony in the system- depending on your mood or the occasion. By following this rule, you allow yourself to create unique scents by simply applying a very thin layer of perfume over another very thin layer of a different perfume - or using both but on different parts of the body. 

I'm an addict when it comes to perfumes. If there is something that I'm well versed with, it's distinguishing different types and smells of perfumes. I had no problem with this rule and I constantly change my brand every now and then to experiment with different scents and new products. My favorite and staple scent is Polo Sport Blue and CK Crave which I alternately use on very rare special occasions.

To a typical, ordinary Filipino man, having three different perfumes may seem quite impractical. Perfumes don't come in cheap these days after all;but let's not forget that having three bottles of different perfumes equals to a year of supply. Roughly, this will cost you just about the same amount as keeping a single brand which you would be replenishing three times the whole year for consumption.

Citrusy, floral and fresh scents are ideal for day wear while musky, leathery and other scents with heavier base tones should go well for a night out.

I had the privilege of going to Powerplant Mall at Rockwell yesterday, and I saw some perfumes that will definitely suit any man's taste. 

• 
  Unforgiveable By Sean John- Perhaps the most masculine and most luxurious scent I ever smelled during my perfume hunting yesterday. Many people would probably describe this as cool and explosive due to it's rich scent that lasts almost the whole day.  The Main Notes: Moroccan tangerine, tuscan basil, air accord, champagne accord, birch leaves, sage, Amber, Tonka bean, Rum, Australian sandalwood.  

• L'eau D' Issey Pour Homme By Issey Miyaki- A cool relaxing scent from the brand that has been widely known in Men's perfume. This herbacous scent also gives of the subtlest of spicy notes and woody undertones. It is also long-lasting like it's predecessors and ideal for both night and day wear. The Main Notes: verbena, tangerine, yuzu zest, coriander, geranium bourbon, blue water. lily, nutmeg, amber tobacco, sandalwood, musk. There are several variations to this scent: The aftershave (containing the least amount of perfume oil), Eau de toilette (contains more perfume oil and longer lasting), cologne (has lesser perfume) and the eau de parfum and parfum (which contains the most oil perfume)

• Touch for Men by Burberry- This timeless but elegant scent is for the refined gentleman. It has a musky, floral but light scent hints of the summer sun making it ideal for daytime wear (but not exclusively). The Main Notes: artemisia, violet leaves, mandarin tree leaves, white pepper, nutmeg, tonka bean and vertiver roots.

•  Light Blue Pour Homme by Dolce & Gabbana- Perfect for the man who wants to be mysterious but confident, cool but crisp, this is a must. Scent is citrusy and woody that recalls the Mediterranean shores. On the olfactory, it is sensual, deep and confident. The Main Notes: Sicilian mandarin, bergamot, juniper, musk wood, Szechuan peper, incense, oak moss. Just be sure that you put on the right amount of perfume. Too much of this scent can be a bad thing.

•  Aqua Pour Homme Marine by Bvlgari- A vibrant, sporty fresh scent that highlights an aquatic fragrance ideal for the freedom-loving man. The Main Notes: neroli beigarade, grapefruit, rosemary flower, white cedar wood

•  Black Code by Giorgio Armani- A contemporary and resolutely masculine new fragrance from Armani. This scent releases a soft, oriental fragrance ideal for a sexy, everyday use. The Main Notes: lemon, bergamot, aromatic Mediterranean scents, tonka bean, guaiac wood.

•  Angel Men by Thierry Muggler- A clean but decidedly virile and masculine scent perfect for the man possessing brute strength and soul for it gives off fiery and woody scent. The Main Notes: lavender, bergamot, peppermint, coffee, musk, vannila chocolate.  

•  Clean Men by Clean- Is a scent that captures the essence of a man who has just showered. Manly, fresh, sexy, and of course, clean. The Main Notes: ruby red grapefruit, English lavender, wild raspberry, musk, olibanum.  

Although Coco Chanel once said perfumes should be applied where you expect to be kissed, it is safe to say that generally, all perfumes can be applied just about on any pulse points of the body. Fragrances should be sprayed from a safe distance to allow the formation of a pool on the skin. This allows the scent to truly be absorbed by your skin and give it a long lasting effect. Contrary to usual habit, avoid rubbing the skin where the perfume was applied. This basically causes distortion of the scent and the fragrance.

So there you have it, my top scents that are advisable to ever man on the go. Just remember that no matter scent you decide to go far, it can only do so much. The confidence, attitude and style must still come from within.

A perfect man is without the perfect scent!

Piracy Has A Brand

The holiday season is just around the corner; and while people on the Upper East Side are busy filling their shopping bags with designer originals, we see another side of the pinoy lifestyle that is just truly unavoidable- shopping for 1st class designer copies. Most of these designer copies can be found just about anywhere; but for a true pinoy baratista, there's no place like Quiapo, Binondo, Avenida and the ever sosyal Ruins in BF Parañaque where all good finds (and everything in between) can be found.

Original Louis Vuitton Designer Bag

I'm a shopaholic myself. Though I don't own a closet full of designer originals, I always make sure I stay away from anything that is obviously fake. A trip down Quiapo one day made me realize that as everything was created by God, the rest were made in China. 

Fake Crocs

The first thing that caught my eyes were these fake Crocs I found displayed at the bangketas of Quiapo. I personally find these shoes to be ugly- even the original ones. But the fact that they are "hip" to many people and they're comfortable to wear (according to some of my friends who bought original Crocs), Quiapo just couldn't resist to come up with their own line of fake Crocs. I must admit- it looks almost like the original; except that the rubber isn't quite as soft and as sturdy. The bad side of buying a fake is that you can never tell when the material wears off...

Fake Dolce & Gabbana Belt

Going farther south, I decided to drop by at Robinson's Place in Malate. Can you just imagine my surprise when I found rows and rows of set up table-stalls along the road selling fake belts! From WWE buckles, to D&G- you name it they have it! One sales person I talked to even told me that the bigger the buckle the better. Why won't it? A bigger buckle means that you can get to flaunt your belt has a brand- but its a fake mind you! Original designer belts don't have big buckles. Designer originals are subtle and they normally keep the brands as small as possible. You don't wear a designer original like a cheap bling bling. People can tell if you're wearing a fake or an original That's a relief these days when almost everything is being pirated.

Fake Lacoste Shirt

The ever popular wardrobe from the 90's are being pirated as well. Don't think anything ever escapes the pirates. Lacoste shirts are being sold for 3 for P500! Avenida carries this classic line from Lacoste- without the license to reproduce it that is. It is equally as comfortable to wear because the material they use is soft- but if you're like me who are allergic to anything that's fake, you'll easily get nasty itches with this shirt after wearing it two or three times. The material easily wears off anyways so if you happen to have one of these stashed in your closet somewhere, I'm sure that after wearing more than twice its also twice your size as well.

Fake Gucci Wallet

Another thing that caught my eye are fake designer wallets. These wallets are sold everywhere- from tiangges to ukay-ukays... even some malls carry these fake wallets and pass it on as originals. However, it is quiet easy to spot a fake wallet. The tip? Not all designer brands have a leather wallet collection. Gucci has and LV's are very popular- but when you see a leather wallet that says Christian Lacroix- you can bet 100% that it's a fake. Plus, check the leather. Designer originals uses soft but sturdy leather materials. Fake ones don't. And the stitch lining as well. Fake designer pieces have very bad stitches- you can almost see it when you inspect the item!

Fake Chanel Sunglasses

One of my favorite fake items to spot are sunglasses. Just like the wallets- they are easy to spot and sold almost everywhere. Malls and tiangges normally carry this line of wannabe items. From fake Chanels, to fake Ray-Bans... they even have some that has LV on it! Again, beware! These glasses look almost authentic- at first glance. But when you check the material, you wouldn't say they're all original at all. Fake designer sunglasses are normally made of soft and almost breakable plastic. They bend easily and the paint comes off when you scratch it. Designer originals obviously don't. 

Fake Converse Chucks

From clothes to accessories, almost everything these days are fake. But what would a true baratista would look like if they don't have fake shoes as well? Presenting you this years best fake shoes- fake Converse chucks. Almost every wannabe owns this. The originals are bad enough but the fake one's even worse! Ever heard of the saying "Worse for wear"?. I couldn't help but associate that phrase with these designer wannabe. Emos love it and A-Listers hate it! The downside with this designer wannabes is that the soles come off after 3weeks of use. Try walking on bare foot instead- it comes more fashionable naturally.

Fake Havaianas

And since we are talking about footwear- I wouldn't miss this for the world. A real laugh was the fake Havaianas I saw the other day at a mall called Starmall.  From Havanas to Hawaianas, the ever popular sandals are being sold only at a cheap price of P100. What a great deal right? Yeah right- if you want to get scabs on the soles of your foot! They look almost as good as the original alright but imagine what would people say when they read the label and it says Hawaianas. Did you buy that somewhere in Hawaii? 

I was saving the best for last- and ladies, don't hate me for this. Presenting you... this year's best designer copy ever... fake Louis Vuitton  bags!

Fake Louis Vuitton Bags

 

I agree- anything that's LV is surely on top of the list. For just P350, you can already own a designer copy of an LV bag! But don't get carried away ladies- people who knows original designer bags know that when you carry this one it's a fake. Original LV bags are made of soft leather- in fact they are so soft that if their compartment space aren't maximized, the bag loses it's shape. The fake ones are made of hard leather (if they really use leather that is). It's so hard it can almost stand on its own- with or without stuff in it! Online, you can find lots of fake LVs being sold; just because a designer bag is being sold at 10K doesn't necessarily mean it's an original.

With all that being said, let me leave you with this: A designer original costs a lot of money but the quality is definitely worth every cent you spent. Personally, I have nothing against fake designer copies and wannabes. But when it comes down to the real thing- there's nothing like having the original if you plan to stay on top! So which one are you gonna be- a fake or an original?