Anti-dengue cologne from France and other scents from Spain to make you smell like a baby

MANILA, Philippines - Since childhood, Rica de Jesus has been trained to hone her senses towards discovering the finer things in life.

Having seen how her grandparents, Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco and the late Glecy Tantoco, brought in the best merchandise from around the world to make Rustan's the country’s pioneer in luxe retailing, Rica's senses have been working overtime. She has that eye for fashion,which was further sharpened when Glecy assigned her to handle teens' merchandising for Rustan’s.

She has a taste for good stuff, both hot and cold, which she put to good use when she worked for Rustan Supermarket and Bon Appetit. Her dad Jun Lopez and brother Noey Lopez run Starbucks which has become the national beverage of hip and restless kids as well as the corporate set.Her mom Menchu Tantoco-Lopez is the cool diva of Golden Spoon.

And then of course, her ears are always attuned to the latest buzz in the lifestyle scene. She finished International Business in Schiller University, London  but she has learned a lot more from globetrotting with her family. Rica and her husband James de Jesus share a passion for traveling and discovering products that the Philippine market will appreciate. Rica and James formed Jaric Marketing Inc., their company that imports products from all over the world and distributes them in the Philippines.

Topping their bestsellers are colognes from France and Spain which are all affordably priced between P225 to P445. “It is because of my love for colognes that we brought in these brands in the Philippines,” Rica says.

“My personal favorites are those in the Nature line by Cadentia from Provence, France — especially the Anti-Mosquito repellent, which is recommended by the World Health Organization. Nature Anti-Mosquito Eau de Cologne (P275 for the 125 ml spray) is a must-have to keep those dengue-causing mosquitoes away. Very effective against biting insects for children from 36 months, Nature Anti-Mosquito Eau de Cologne has the essences of tea and citronelle.

Believing in the natural and refreshing smell of cologne, Rica also has Eau des Collines in 11 fragrances — Naturelle, Lavende,Garrigue, Provenc, Vetiver, Figue, Fleur d'oranger, The vert, Violette and Pamplemousse.

Even more refreshing for both babies and adults as well is the Bebe Eau de Cologne, which comes in 250 ml at P295 and 500 ml at P345.

These colognes were created by Laboratoires Cadentia, a 70-year-old company established in the south of France in Provence, overlooking Marcel Pagnol’s Garlaban with its lavender fields.

From Spain comes Amalfi, another reliable name in colognes. There is Baby Fresh for children and three scents for adults — Lavanda, Royale and Limones de Caribe, all priced at P245 for the tall 750 ml size.

All colognes are available at Rustan's Supermarket, Shopwise, Robinsons Supermarket, Saddlebrown at Manila Polo Club and Rockwell Club, Mpulse at Makati Medical Center, Rustan’s Flower Shop and More at St. Luke’s Bonofacio Global City and Quezon City.