In a s(c)entimental mood
The impending Christmas season also means gift-giving headaches; and beyond the traffic woes, bodies you’ll constantly be bumping into as you traverse the malls and department stores, there’s the perennial quandary of what to get that loved one or friend you want to give a good gift to. This is in contrast to the volume “bulk” purchase buy you make that you then proceed to give to “everyone else on the list.” It’s often said that a fragrance is a very personal choice, something that the user should herself or himself choose; but in this day and age when so much is happening in the world of scents, it would be near-impossible for one to keep abreast of what’s available on the market. As long as it’s a new, classy scent, I don’t think any recipient would find it particularly offensive, and would welcome the opportunity to discover something fresh and exciting — or repack the gift and pass it on (hahaha).
Three new scents in the market came to my attention recently; two are for men, while the third is a great new ladies’ fragrance. Issey Miyake’s Intense is a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned. I’ve always kept an eye out (or is it nose?) when Miyake comes out with new fragrances. For years now, the classic has been a favorite of mine. He would come up with variations and limited editions, like Summer specials, Blue, etc., and I’d be constantly surprised by how the core essence would remain intact while olfactory improvisation would spark, like some jazz tune. Intense is the spanking new regular scent and it will be placed on the shelves alongside his classic bottle. It’s top note is citrus in nature: mandarin, yuzu and bergamot, while the middle notes are spicy, thanks to the nutmeg and saffron. The base notes are woody; ambergris and papyrus wood; and so the total effect is to get the best of all worlds. Some scents become totally heady because primarily musky in nature. With Intense, there’s an actual shifting of moods as the scent lingers and plays with our own natural body scents. There’s a subtle hint of the classic, and yet different enough to be a new experience.
The second male fragrance is Paul Smith’s Story. And here, I have to admit, the concept behind the scent’s creation had me hooked right away. Apparently, Paul Smith loves books, his office is crammed with thousands of them. From photography to philosophy, from fiction to fact, Smith readily pronounces books as his addiction. Hence, the scent christened Story. The bottle is even made to look like a book; and so it becomes literally, a “story” of this designer coming up with his own signature fragrance. The top notes are fruity — grapefruit, bergamot and green ivy, while the heart notes are floral via the rose and jasmine. The base notes are woody; vetiver, cedarwood, musk and amber. Somewhat more traditionally masculine than the Miyake for example, Story is a crisp yet refreshing scent that works in the daytime as well as it does at night.
Burberry’s Brit Sheer is a real surprise. Forget the stodgy, matron-ic image one may have had of Burberry and its ubiquitous tan plaid. The delicate pink plaid of the bottle is indicative of the playful, light-hearted approach Burberry has adopted for this new young fragrance. Sure, the check design is still firmly in place, but it’s now frosted on both the cap and glass. The top notes are bright yuzu, mandarin, pineapple leaves, litchi and grapes. The body notes are peony, peach blossom, sweet pea and nashi, while the base notes of white musk and amyris wood allow the fragrance to dry to a luminous powdery veil. Sheer in every way, there’s a lot of irrepressible romance and adventure bottled in this light Eau de Toilette.
Earth-shaking and breathless
To answer the question where was I during the Nov. 27 noontime earthquake, I would have to say I was at the Dentiste launch where earth-shaking and breathless became both metaphorical and literal. The latest in dental care and hygiene, and brought to us by the IMF Beauty and Wellness Products and its marketing director Lin Tan, Dentiste is that new, high concept product — a specially formulated nighttime toothpaste. The basic premise is that most regular toothpastes fail to effectively control and inhibit nighttime bacteria, the major cause of bad morning breath. With Dentiste toothpaste, we have a product with 14 beneficial natural ingredients that inhibit bacteria growth.
The ingredients are herbal extracts that multi-task! They serve as an antiseptic and are also antibacterial. Eucalyptus, chamomile, fennel, menta, catechu, cinnamon, commiphora, glycyrrhiza, ratannia, myrrh, sage, clove, slavia, anise and mint are to be found in Dentiste. Along with the Vitamin C and Xylitol, and the CDX (Cyclodextrin Complex), they all create a complete package that reportedly is the best the market can now offer in combating morning breath. Naturally, the claim is careful to say that there is no absolute guarantee that morning breath will be totally eradicated. But the ingredients work as a strong inhibitor for the growth of oral bacteria, and users are happy to say that they experience a drastic decrease in that morning breath sensation. The tubes come in two sizes, there’s a slightly more expensive pump, and if you want to try out the product first, there’s a Travel Kit — a 20-gram tube, one premium toothbrush, and all in a hygienic plastic zip-lock bag. It’s perfect for bringing to the office or on short trips out of town.
Arm & Hammer had its own version years back and called it P.M., but I would only get to buy that when traveling to the
Lin Tan was happy to report that their product is only one in a line of high quality products that IMF is planning to bring in. Already they have a stainless steel Tongue Cleaner and Wallet Reader — shatter resistant optical lenses that act as emergency reading glasses as they can be slipped into a wallet like a credit card. It’s these sorts of products that IMF hopes will help make a name for the company in the arena of personal care, health and wellness retail products. It will surely look for the unusual, effective and practical.
