Introducing the House of Creed

James Henry Creed founded the House of Creed in London in 1770. The Court of England instantaneously became fond of the perfume house that Queen Victoria appointed Creed as the official supplier. Shortly after, the House of Creed was chosen by other Courts of Europe: Napoleon III, Empress Eugenia, Francois-Joseph of Austria-Hungary and Queen Christina of Spain. In 1854, the House of Creed moved to Paris as Creed went on creating unique perfumes. More than 200 exclusive perfumes were originally hand-made by the Creed family over the years.

I first wrote about Creed over 10 years ago but I have been using its products for slightly longer than that. Creed is finally here as its new boutique creatively designed by Anton Mendoza opened at the ground floor of Rustan’s Makati. Seventh in the Creed family line Erwin Creed, son of House of Creed president Olivier Creed, graced the opening and unveiled the new shop with Vice President Noli de Castro.

What makes Creed perfumes unique is the use of the infusion technique now abandoned by modern industry. This enables Creed to preserve the originality of its fragrances by manufacturing its own vanilla, civet, musk and ambergris which are all weighed, mixed, macerated and filtered by hand. The result is a fine fragrance that lasts and is currently used by Robert Redford, Richard Gere, Naomi Campbell, Clint Eastwood, Ricky Martin, David Bowie, Pierce Brosnan, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Elton John, Victoria Beckham, Eve Herzigova, Nikki Taylor, Harrison Ford, Bette Midler, Cindy Crawford, Madonna, Queen Elizabeth II and Julia Roberts.

Even better news is that Creed is actually cheaper here in Manila than Paris, London or New York! Women should check out Spring Flower, Royal Water (created for Princess Diana) and Fleurissimo created in 1972 and was used by Princess Grace and Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis. Men should check Green Irish Tweed, Silver Mountain Water or Millesime Imperial, three fragrances I use! Creed is exclusively distributed by Prestige Brands Philippines and is now available in Rustan’s Makati.

Shu-Nami-Moto Year 5!

Nami, one of Boracay’s most luxurious and unique resorts, has annually organized some of the most indulgent weekend trips for anyone. Getting bigger and better every year, Nami partnered up with brands Motorola and Shu Uemura to produce Shu-Nami-Moto Year 5!

The Shu-Nami-Moto goal has always been about having fun under the sun, drinking endless amounts of Moet & Chandon and Premier Wines brands like 3 Vodka, Alize and Zen Paraiso Liqueurs while getting sun protection using Shu Uemura and Kerastase products and smelling great — thanks to Giorgio Armani fragrances.

This year, Motorola flew everyone out via SEAir on a 35-minute flight on its latest Dornier model. The goody bag that everyone received included a pair of Havaianas and a shopping spree at the Manami Boutique. A personal Nami butler was assigned to each guest throughout the stay. Also, a 24-hour buffet and unlimited treatments at the newly added spa building truly made it a weekend of ultimate indulgence.

For the Love Boat-themed party cruise on the M/S Vianelle trimaran hosted by Captain Mari Litonjua of Motorola (on the eve of his birthday) and chief purser Tina Tinio, the ultimate surprise was revealed: every guest on the boat received either Motorola ROKR E6, KRZR, Orchid Pink V3i, RIZR, V3xx and V6 Maxx.

(For inquiries and reservations at Nami Resort, please contact the Manila office at 810-6949 or log on to www.namiresorts.com)

Scent of a man

Luxasia Philippines recently launched the Burberry London Men’s fragrance that celebrates London’s distinct sense of style and history. The new men’s scent is inspired by the sophisticated English style of the Burberry London fashion collection. The launch was held in Piedra at The Fort.

The breakdown of the fragrance’s notes was made available for the guests to experience on their own before presenting the fabulous scent. The premiere of its latest advertising campaign featuring the face behind the London Man, Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd, was also shown. Guests also enjoyed wine from Rene Barbier Wines and canapés from the chefs of Piedra.

Burberry London for Women which was launched last year and the new fragrance for men are both available in all leading department stores.

Van Heusen scores at the Enrique Zobel Cup

For the second year in a row, Van Heusen sponsored the annual Enrique Zobel Memorial Polo Cup. The Izod co-sponsored event was held to pay tribute to the late tycoon Enrique Zobel.

Polo players led by the high-goaler Iñigo Zobel, as well as international players Mark Field, Mark Austin and Paulito Pierres, wore Van Heusen polo uniforms of whites and blues, while battling it out on the Enrique Zobel Field.

"Van Heusen is guided by the principle that success in business must be complemented with social responsibility," said Bob Mirani, chairman of Van Heusen in the Philippines. "We support the Enrique Zobel Cup so that we can help the foundation build schools for poor children. And, of course, the image of the sport of polo is also consistent to our brand’s image. So it’s win-win for everyone. We’re very inspired with the support we have received from others. We are especially proud of the large turn-out of guests from the elite circle, ambassadors, media, people from the corporate world and known personalities who took time to grace the affair. We hope that The Enrique Zobel Polo Cup will continue to grow every year."

Others seen were EVP-finance and control director for Nestle Peter Noszek, editorial director of World Report Louis de Fouchier, US Defense Attaché Col. Terry Cook, Tessa Dragon, Lal Gopwani, Carla Tengco, Doody Tuason, Gigi de Jonghe and Maricris Zobel.

(E-mail me at [email protected])