Nivea: Man’s road to evolution

Afew years back, if you asked most men about skincare, you’d get a brief, if careless, discourse on the various ways of how to pimple-pop, the magical zit-zapping abilities of toothpaste, and a matter-of-fact reference to all-around bath soap. Throw in a question on moisturizing and you’ll get an off-hand remark on the merits of baby oil. Men’s skincare prowess was as meager as the carbohydrates on an Atkins diet; their vanity manifested through skin-squeezing and scab-peeling practices.

The consumer industry, however, had other ideas for the male psyche. Through magazines like GQ and Details and TV shows such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the image of the ideal modern man was slowly transformed, taking inspiration from Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond, instead of from Joey on Friends. The consumer industry pegged man as stylish, suave, getting the girls with clean nails and subtle cologne rather than funny jokes and pickup lines.

As man’s wardrobe choices increased, so did his skincare IQ. His interest shifted to his girlfriend’s vanity counter, and he began to experiment with creams, gels, washes, and masks that were once alien to him. Man began to realize that looking good had a lot more to do with feeling good and confident about himself than just running a flat iron over his dress shirt. And society, noticing man’s efforts, began to bestow on him the name "metrosexual" to connote his urbanity and style sense. And the consumer industry began to create products to satisfy the needs of the contemporary man.

Heading the pack is Nivea. The popular purveyor of skincare products takes today’s man to metrosexual modernity with Nivea for Men, an entire range of specially-designed products for cleansing, moisturizing, and shaving. Nivea for Men serves all skin types and personalities.

Sleek, no-nonsense cobalt blue packaging houses six different products formulated for the emerging modern male. Everyday cleaning is simplified with the Double Action Face Wash, a soap-free gel-like formula enriched with Pro-Vitamin B5 that attacks dirt and excess oil; and Nivea for Men Facial Foam, a cleansing and refreshing prescription in a softer consistency that contains Vitamin E to moisturize skin. Nivea for Men suggests its Facial Scrub for twice-a-week deep cleansing. The micro-particles and vitamins purify the skin and zap away built-up dirt and blackheads.

The early morning shaving ritual starts off with Nivea for Men Mild Shaving Foam that softens the facial hair for smoother shaving. This is followed up by the Mild Shaving Gel, a post-foaming formulation that turns into a creamy foam and promotes a gentle, close shave. Both products, infused with sea minerals and vitamin F, prevent razor burn, irritation, and moisture loss brought about by shaving. The post-shave is completed with the Mild After-Shave Balm which has vitamin vitamin E and Pro-Vitamin B5 that both moisturize the skin and protect it against inflammation and irritation.

To finish off, Nivea for Men’s anti-wrinkle Revitalizing Q10 Cream serves as a moisturizer. The cream is an effective barrier against pollution, environmental influences, and light-induced skin aging.

Nivea for Men is the modern man’s antidote to the changing lifestyle scenery. The collection responds to his growing need for confidence boosters to supplement his go-getter attitude, his suave sophistication, and his new outlook on fashion. The metrosexual demeanor is completed by a snazzy wardrobe. When Nivea launched its new skincare line for men, it also presented five designers’ takes on the 21st century man. The Fashion Design Council of the Philippines’ Randy Ortiz, Vic Barba, Joey Samson, OJ Hoffer, and Robi Lolin each came up with a collection to represent the different lifestyles of modern manhood. Each collection was epitomized by celebrities from the society, business, and entertainment scenes.

Robi Lolin’s collection, the "Power Player," embodied by PBA cager Rob Duat, showed the modern man in sporty and colorful muscle tanks, and deconstructed drawstring bottoms with lewd phrases stitched on his rear end. The "Artist" lifestyle interpreted by Joey Samson, sent out models in romanticized vintage pieces in earth tones. Sleek vests and fitted coats were worn over updated schoolboy knickers and narrow pants. Photographer Victor Consunji epitomized the collection. OJ Hoffer portrayed the "It-Boy," as personified by young actor Cogie Domingo in thin gray denim bottoms and modernized versions of the classic white shirt. White skin-tight tops with geometric cut-outs, dress shirts were cut and frayed, tanks given a playful twist. Vittorio by Vic Barba came on next, presenting the "Fashionista," aptly represented by model/DJ Robby Mananquil, wearing retro pieces inspired by Eastern philosophy. Loose pants in earth tones, layered tops, scarves, Chuck Taylor sneakers, and hats were accentuated by dragon prints, Hindu god images, sandals, and huge prayer beads. Randy Ortiz capped off the fashion presentation with his take on the "Trader" lifestyle, personified by entrepreneur Mikee Romero. A master of the suit, Randy littered the runway with stylish pinstriped suits, sleek peacoats, and muted jackets playfully lined with a colorful striped silk. Street-slick Puma trainers completed the look.

As man continues to evolve, so do the tools he needs for survival. Nivea outfits the modern man in everything he needs to keep his complexion in top skincare style, and eventually bring pimple-pops and blackhead pinches to near-extinction.