It’s raining men in Manila!

Gone were the days when skincare products were mostly intended for women.

Bringing the skincare products for men to the fore is Pond’s Men as it hosted an exclusive party called “The Pond’s Men Manor.” The event venue was transformed to look like a manor with modern-day knights, overflowing drinks and pool tables.

The night had performances from foreign acts and local talents such as Rico Blanco, DJ Nina, DJ duo KimKat and top Dutch DJ trio Shermanology.

The brand introduced the new Pond’s Men Energy Charge, a line of skincare products that will keep men bright, energized and recharged all day long. It also revealed the new faces of men’s skincare: celebrity Xian Lim and Pond’s Men Lifestyle ambassadors — director and producer Paul Soriano, Azkals player Anton del Rosario, music icon Rico Blanco and real estate mogul Victor Consunji.

Xian said, “It’s so great how Pond’s Men takes out that ‘haggard-look,’ which usually happens to my skin when I’m in long shoots. I really like how it energizes me even after a long day at work! It’s nice because I go to work feeling so fresh and clean and I go home still feeling the same.”

Event hosts Apples Aberin and Marc Nelson called on stage Unilever brand manager for male grooming Jonathan Pua who said, “Pond’s Men is truly a breakthrough innovation in skincare. It is the first men’s skin product in the Philippines infused with the power of coffee bean extracts, perfect for men who are active and on-the-go in the social scene.”

Others spotted at the event were Fabio Ide, Daniel Matsunaga, Phil Younghusband, Aly Borromeo, Maggie Wilson-Consunji, Toni Gonzaga, Brent Javier and marketing director for skin Mian David.

(For more information, visit www.pondsmen.ph or follow @PondsMenPH on Twitter and Instagram.)

Healthy & refreshing

The long days of summer bring the need for one to be refreshed and stay healthy even under the scorching heat of the sun.

Vita Coco, America’s leading coconut water brand, recently celebrated a refreshing launch in the party island of Boracay.

 Century Pacific Food Inc. president Chris Po said, “It is a privilege to bring this healthy product to the Philippine market. With Vita Coco, Filipinos can enjoy the purest coconut water anytime, anywhere — no need to crack a coconut. It is freshly sealed and packed with no shortage of health benefits.”

The event was attended by Vita Coco senior vice president for marketing Jeff Rubenstein and vice president for supply chain Jonathan Burth who flew in for the launch.

Rubenstein talked about the brand’s achievements and future goals. He showed how America’s favorite coconut water is rising in popularity across the globe with its pure, low-calorie and electrolyte-rich drink. He said, “Our coconut water drink comes from a tree, not from a lab, so it’s guaranteed that Vita Coco uses only the fresh coconut water, minimally processed before it’s packaged in Tetra Pak.”

It was the first brand in the US to market fresh coconut water in Tetra Pak starting in 2004, and has since became America’s favorite coconut water with over 60 percent market share.

The nutrient-packed drink, exclusively distributed by Century Pacific Food Inc., is a favorite among health conscious consumers, foodies, athletes and even celebrities. Madonna reportedly likes Vita Coco coconut water so much that she invested in the brand in 2010 along with Matthew McConaughey, Demi Moore, Alex Rodriguez and Anthony Kiedis. 

Other celebrities who are fans of Vita Coco are Halle Berry, Kevin Bacon, Kerry Washington, Sarah Jessica Parker, Emma Stone, Jay Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, Lenny Kravitz, Heidi Klum and Karolina Kurkova.

Keeping it cool

Perfect for the summer heat is Levi’s newest and coolest line, the Coolmax.

Launched at the Levi’s store in Glorietta 2, Makati City, the brand’s new collection is a denim and non-denim line of tops and bottoms innovatively constructed and designed with fibers that produce a cooling effect on the body. Each piece was showcased through a mini-fashion show.

Guests got to try on and take home their favorite Coolmax pieces. The event was hosted by KC Montero while DJs Mars Miranda and Emel Rowe spun to entertain guests and keep the vibe up while shopping. Ice pops were served in the event as well, a creative touch to hype the Coolmax spirit.

(Visit www.levi.com.ph or www.facebook.com/Levis. Follow @LevisPhil on Twitter and @Levis_PH on Instagram.)

Investing in tomorrow’s young leaders

Undergraduate students from eight Philippine universities recently competed for the chance to represent the country in the regional leg of the HSBC Business Case Competition.

The HSBC Business Case Competition brings together students from around the Asia Pacific region to present quantitative and qualitative analyses and come up with business solutions to business cases provided by the competition organizers.

The local leg of the competition was held at the Ateneo de Manila University to determine the students to be trained by the HSBC Philippines management team and sent to Hong Kong to compete with other schools in Asia Pacific.

The student team from the University of the Philippines, recent graduates of Business Administration and Accountancy, won the championship title and brought home P100,000 cash prize. Following them were first runner-up Ateneo de Manila University and second runner-up Silliman University with P50,000 and P25,000 cash prizes respectively.

HSBC president and CEO Wick Veloso said, “HSBC believes in empowering today’s youth and investing in tomorrow’s young leaders. We are proud to support a program that will develop key talents who we believe will make a significant impact in the country’s social and economic development in the future.”