Wear the scent of high society … literally

Fabric-conditioner brand Downy invited a gallery of high-society ladies to explore a new product that samples the world of artisan scents and infuses its glamour into a fashion necessity.

Having been a fashion reporter for quite some time, I’ve often found myself at luxe events, reporting on what the rich wear, what they say, what they do. But one question has long tantalized me: what does high society smell like?

My other passion, it’s no secret to some, is perfume and the various layers and notes that make up complex scents. It’s a billion-dollar industry that employs science and art to craft the most intriguing olfactory experiences.

At a recent event, “The Downy #Instaswitch Experience,” I got a chance to combine these two interests, as fabric-conditioner brand Downy invited a gallery of high-society ladies to explore a new product that samples the world of artisan scents and infuses its glamour into a household necessity.

Philippine STAR lifestyle columnist Mons Romulo welcomed us into her beautiful home, where the atmosphere was distinctly sunny and cheery thanks to the fresh yellow flower arrangements and table accents arrayed everywhere. Everything was incredibly tasteful, from the soft music to the gleaming table settings.

Mons’ guests started arriving. The high-powered list included Regal Films CEO Roselle Monteverde Teo, daughter of Mother Lily; Irene Tan, daughter of tycoon Lucio Tan; Kathleen Dy Go, general manager of Universal Records Philippines; Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng, president of Summit Media Publishing and daughter of John Gokongwei Jr.; Alicia Sy, lifestyle editor of Town & Country magazine; interior designer Carol Cabangon; and Mons’ sister Lupe Romulo, former chief of staff of Ambassador Albert del Rosario in Washington, DC.

A number of tantalizing smells wafted through the house, foremost among them the luncheon feast being prepared by Florabel Co-Yatco, the award-winning chef behind such restaurants as Florabel’s, Felix and Crisostomo. The latest is Corazon, she says, which specializes in Hispanic-Filipino cuisine.

Underneath the gustatory aromas I could smell a sweeter, non-foodie fragrance, however. When I commented on it, Downy’s country brand manager Nicole Villarojo explained that the tablecloths were the source of the pleasant scent. They had been washed with Downy’s latest addition to its Parfum Collection, Happiness.

In between bites of Florabel’s exquisite menu — baked US scallops with pan-fried foie gras and caramelized apple, roasted lobster tail with anchovy-caper butter sauce, black US Angus rib-eye in port wine sauce served with bone marrow, and seared halibut with Pinoy caviar in olive oil — Nicole let us in on the meaning of Happiness.

Two years ago Downy launched its Parfum Collection with the scents Passion and Attraction. The idea was to wear perfume on your clothes — good news for those who can’t tolerate scents on their skin — and not just any perfume, but scents on a par with the fine fragrances crafted by respected noses.

“Most people don’t know that Procter & Gamble is one of the biggest perfumers in the world,” Nicole said. “We actually are the producers of scents like Dolce & Gabbana, Lacoste, Gucci, and Hugo Boss, so we have real noses in P&G. Those same perfumers are the ones who worked on the Downy collection.”

Nicole says that all of Downy’s scents have top, middle and base notes, just like fully-fledged fragrances. “It’s like wearing perfume every day and consumers would actually say, ‘I don’t need to wear a perfume anymore,’” she says.

Aye, there’s the rub

The Parfum Collection also introduced perfume microcapsules (PMCs), which are deposited in your clothes when they’re conditioned with Downy. These PMCs are touch-activated, so every time you rub your clothes, they burst and release the scent. “So when people say, ‘Downy smells really, really good,’ it’s because of that technology,” Nicole says.

The PMC was a game-changer in the industry, and Downy has been launching new variants featuring the technology since then: Innocence in the baby-pink bottle — a tender, romantic floral wrapped in precious musks; and Mystique, a luscious mix of fruits, creamy vanilla, spices, and powder housed in a black bottle.

The new Happiness is notable not just for its yellow container and fresh scent (which accounted for the yellow theme running through Mons’ lunch), but for the fact that Downy is changing the game yet again, and staying ahead of the competition with a new technology called Scent Switcher.

“We put the perfume microcapsule in the entire lineup already, including AntiBac and Sunrise Fresh (Downy’s original scent), so we had to think of a new way to differentiate the Parfum Collection,” Nicole said. “So we added a second perfume microcapsule. It sounds simple enough, but the result is that every time you rub your clothes, a different perfume comes out. So during the day you experience different kinds of scents.”

For a perfume aficionado, this was intriguing. I hadn’t had a chance to check out the tablecloths earlier, so when Mons suggested we do the olfactory equivalent of a “taste test,” I was game. Usherettes passed around blindfolds, and once we were blindfolded, they gave us two napkins each — one sprayed with perfume, the other washed with Downy. Could we guess which napkin was which?

We found out there were a number of skilled noses in the room. Almost everyone got it right. Having lived in the States and used Downy many a time, I could instantly tell. The fabric softener has a definite scent signature, even if it’s acquired a lot of complexity and sophistication over the years. While the napkin sprayed with perfume smelled linear and one-dimensional to me, the scent overpowering and unchanging even after I rubbed, the napkin washed with Happiness was subtler and more pleasing. What I like about the concept is that you can smell the top, middle and base notes with each rub, whereas a regular fragrance on your skin needs time to develop and unfurl completely.

Happiness starts out with some citrusy head notes. After a rub you can smell a more floral heart within; rub it again and you’ll catch a whiff of a fresh, clean-linen scent.

Scent & high-society sensibilities

The majority of the ladies agreed that Happiness was more restrained than blatant perfume, and suggested some creative uses for the new Scent Switcher technology.

“I have it also on my bed sheets,” Mons said of the variant. “Because it’s perfumed you don’t need to have a scented candle beside you.”

Her guests, some of whom were longtime Downy users, echoed similar sentiments.

“I would say it’s very subtle,” said Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng, “and it catches you by surprise. First it’s there and then it builds up.”

“I like it because it’s very friendly, it’s not imposing,” said Roselle Monteverde Teo. “Some scents you get very intimidated, you don’t want to use it, but this one is really nice. It’s really cool and nice to smell.”

Added Irene Tan, “I lived in the States before, so I’ve used Downy ever since. When I came back here, I wanted the same product, but I didn’t find anything. When I found out they have it here, I was so happy. Actually, just yesterday I bought the one with the Scent Switcher, because I wanted to try it. I’m a Downy mom. My kids are Downy kids.”

Cosmetic dentist Dr. Josephine Suarez commented that Downy would be ideal for washing workout clothes: “So when you perspire, you smell good.”

Agreed Mons, “What I like is that the more you move around, the more the scent comes out and the more you smell good!” she laughed.

Friends Kathleen Go, Johanna Lao, Carol Cabangon and Michelle Gawson remarked that Downy would also be good for washing their children’s school uniforms, banishing the common problem of “amoy araw.” “I will try it,” said Kathleen. “Especially the Innocence for my kids.”

AN AFFORDABLE NEW

WAY TO WEAR PERFUME

As Lady Gaga once said, “You shouldn’t have to have money to have a luxury fragrance,” and Downy’s Parfum Collection would seem to be the answer to that. The biggest 1.8-liter bottle costs P410, the 380ml bottle is P82, while the ever-popular sachet is a mere P7.

“It’s really good because you almost can’t tell the difference between an expensive perfume and a Downy perfume,” says Nicole. “We create a scent to make it smell like an actual perfume, so if people can’t afford to buy a P2,000, P3000 bottle of perfume, this is actually a really good substitute.”

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The Downy Parfum Collection is available at supermarkets and department stores nationwide.