MAN! KNOW YOUR SCENT

Guys! for men-on-the-street like us I guess you share my sentiments when come to scents.

Thinking of smelling good for your dates or for whatever reasons, walking up to perfume counters we will be very intimidated with many brands, many types of scent. Cologne, Eau de tilette(EDT), Eau de parfum(EDP), Perfume Extract and etc...

Leaving aside those couture's and over-the-top people, for us it's kind of shocking to wander around the counters, testing one another bottles and yet can't make up ur mind what to pick right! might be not for you but it's true for me. Aha! and mind you, I won't know the fragrances well but I don't wanna get too a common scent that every Tom, Dick and Harry wearing them. You know what I mean? For example, like a certain CK perfumes.

Let's see what's the specialist gotta say about having the right scent for us, men.

A brand manager of Designer Fragrances revealed in URBAN MAN that men often waste their money by wearing fragrance incorrectly. I was smiling to myself when I read this. "Paring their perfume with aftershave, shower gel, soap or hair spray in different scents that obscures the main scent r even spawns a new, unpleasant smell!"

Guys, let's get the scent right and feeling good even smelling own self OK! read the conversation that URBAN put up for us.

Q: What is the right way to wear a fragrance?
A: The traditional way is to put a couple of drops on your hands and pat onto your neck. You can also dab or spray it on pulse behind the ears and knees and on the wrist. Stick to two sprays or dabs, max.

Q: Do I still have to wear deodorant?
A: A cologne can only mask body odour(BO), while deodorant prevents it. If you have BO, a deodorant should be an essential part of your personal hygiene regime. To prevent a clash of scents, use a scented deodorant from the same deodorant from the same fragrance line, or fragrance-free variety.

Q: How often should I reapply my scent?
A: About every five or six hours, but more often if you perspire a lot. One way to make cologne last longer is by layering it with a shower gel or soap, deodorant and after shape from the same range. It will create a subtle, yet lasting scent.

Q: Should I change my fragrance for day and night?
A: Lighter fragrances or Summer versions with citrus notes like bergamot and orange are better for daytime and hot climates. A woody, heavier scent containing wood and amber will stand out better in a smoky bar or crowded nightclub.

Q: What can I wear on a hot date?
A: Look for fragrances like DKNY Red Delicious which has sensual ingredients. Vanilla is said to encourage intimacy, ylang ylang has aphrodisiac properties and tuber rose can you make you feel heady and happy.

Q: Help! my cologne gives people a headache.
A: Change to a more subtle fragrance or use less. Instead of applying cologne to the neck area, bad some behind the knees-It's less likely to overpower people because the smell with waft upwards. If it's your colleagues who are complaining, a bowl of coffee beans on your desk helps absorb the scent.

Q: Find a scent that suits me?
A: Other than going to a fragrance counters for a sniff test, most brand hold workshops for customers.After finding out what is your current scents and life style, a fragrance consultant uses the information to select a range of perfumes for a blind test.

Q: Can I wear my girl friend's perfume?
A: Yes if it contains unisex notes like orange, lemon and begamot. Estee Lauder White Linen is targeted at women, but it's popular with men who like its clean, crisp notes. If you are worried about smelling "feminine", stick to perfumes with fewer floral or sweet noted and more musky qualities.

Q: Should I change my fragrance as I get older?
A: For a mature and serious vibe, try a spicy and woody cologne.If you prefer a youthful, vibrant image, choose a lighter cologne with more citrus notes.

Q: Should I wear scent every day, or just for a special occasions?
A: while people may not be able to tell when you are not wearing cologne, they probably can when you do.And if wearing a fragrance helps to lift your mood and help you feel good, why not make it a daily luxury.

* Cologne : The lightest type of scent, with concentration levels of 3 to 7 percent. Dab it on after a steamy shower. Last one or two hours.

* Eau de toilette (EDT) : Stronger concentration of 8 to 14 percent. Tips, squirt into the air ahead of you, walk through the mist for a clingy, subtle aroma. last two to four hours.

* Eau dee Parfum (EDP) : Splash on pulse points such as wrist or neck. Concentration : 15 to 18 percent. Lasts four to six hours.

* Perfume extract : The most intense concentration of 18 percent and above: pong at its most powerful. Dab it on a pulse point. Last six to twelve hours.

Care for your skin!

Guys! I am sure you agree..to look good dressing stylish outfits, designer labels alone won't help and you need to take care of your skin too right..

You go on the streets and look around..Some guys strike a very good balance and looking so cool though they are not that handsome. They look gorgeous because they work on their bodies. Because they take good care of their skins. They dress well.

On the other hand, we saw some that wear PRADA and expensive labels but they have dull skins and do not carry a cool clean look. Ya...guys what I wanna say it .."take care of your skins" before it's too late.

I am gonna start with simple skin care things and I pick up this tips from a store near Bugis. And some photos of what skincare products I keep in my wash rooms haha..

Just follow the simple tips and you will be amazed how you look afterwards..

AVERAGE JOE.....YUP! IT'S ME..

Yup! I am no fashionista nor a fashion victim but just an average Joe with average look. A commoner with no deep pocket to splurge on designer labels, high fashion..

And before I say anything you might get the hint that I want to look good in my own right.
C'mon! who the hell on earth would say "na.. na...I don't care how I look? Tell me my next door uncles did not try to match his pants and shirts? Not the least matching the colours of his attires? Did he went to the neighbourhood shop just pick any shirts or pants without looking at the prints, the sizes?, the colours? I bet! And yes say he selected the right size that might fit on him? The colour that might not work against him. So, do we still say he do not want to look good in his own way?

Why uncle? why not young punks in your classic example you might say! Yup intentionally! I just want to tell you that not just fashionistas, not just fabulous guys with million-bucks pockets wanna look good. Any Tom, Dick and Harry are knowingly or unknowingly want to look good. Don't deny it.

So what the heck I am talking about? Why title this post "Average Joe?" It is like this boys!

I have ou, my loyal readers who will like and will read whatever I write. And those gurus and seasoned fashionistas, stylists might stumble upon this blog by chance and some of them might have some negative impression on this blog or on my personality. They might go..."Yo! you mad man.. what do you know about style and fashion world? What authority do you have to write such couture's affairs associated only with finer class??

I am saying this not that I felt inferior or feel insecure but just understand the human nature. And it is inevitable I will encounter nasty remarks while getting cheers from you kind readers. So, I just want to make public that I am prepared to accept them and will continue to write and share what I know.
And you read them online or buy a fashion or style related magazines from news stands. What do we see? The revenue-minded or rather profit-driven magazines only put pricey stuffs on their pages and we could only drool and dream of owning a piece of them. Want to go on shopping spree after seeing them on glossy pages? don't even need to think twice that we couldn't. Oh ya.. if only we are prepared to part with our whole year salaries.

I realize something that actually there is no magazine in this world that have the readers' interest. No more the magazines that weigh the balance sheets and the informative, educative sheets. What the publishers have in mind? Revenues! Profits! Advertising Dollars! Getting their columnists get down the streets to discover the more affordable brands for ordinary folks? No way without $$$. No free Advertorial. Well what we can expect, since all these magazines are published by profit-oriented businessmen after all.

So why these magazines are still thriving if they just published those branded items that far beyond we commoners' reach? I can think of this. One, we couldn't buy the real merchandises so we bought magazines to day-dream dressing ourselves with those clothes we see on them. Or are we not the right audiences that these magazines are for?

Well! for me I will continue to read those not meant for me and working hard to afford those stuffs. They are pricey but they are really nice. A lot of hard works to create them. And I will share with you those who keen to know(Especially celebrities from my country who bought expensive stuffs but mismatched-dressing them and became bad dressers).

At the same time, I will try to feature affordable items that I see, I bought and those information that some readers sent to me.

And ya.. hopefully, those brands get wind of my blog and want me to write about their designs and take photos to feature them here.

And ya... take a look at my photos. The Loafer, the Polo and Jeans are less than $100. The most expensive stuff is the watch and that is also just about $ 150. Oh...no my Oakley Shade...Anyway ..Don't you think they are stylish too..? I went for lunch appointment with a lady friend with this attires on a hot sunny day.

BRIEF ENCOUNTERS!

Aha! guys wondering I am going to reveal some juicy encounters.

I am going to talk about our briefs, our underwears. Any men of my age, might be able to relate well and share the sentiments of "Brief Encounters". But you young dudes! If you are here reading my blog, I am sure you have an interest on styles. And you like to look best and good. So you might not be strangers to the brief-his-tory..ha ha
Guys! do my selection of all these hunks with almost-bared-all attires give you a ? mark in your mind?
Yup! we all have to agree these guys are cool right. Nice and toned bodies and I have been trying to get one unsuccessfully haha... But it's not my prior intention to post them for your eyes. Think Fashion. Think Style and of course if they're appealing to my readers, it's my pleasure haa..
I was going through all the designers' runway reviews for spring/summer 2007 and their colourful, fanciful briefs caught my attention.
Until recently, I just love pure white briefs with conventional cut and bought them all white. Hae hae.. yah... you are not wrong S$10 for a pack of 3. The most expensive pairs I own are CK and are white too.
Of course I see all sort of Briefs in Men's Underwear Section in Department Stores and those fashion Magazines I read. But personally never dare to wear the like of tong, G-strings nor never thought of paying heftily for a small piece of brief that no one would see under.
Unfortunately or fortunately, on Christmas last years, I was a lucky-draw winner of a hamper with assorted underwears. Tong, G-strings and ya... all cuts, all colours from a few labels.
Well since I got it free, I tried them all and kind of weird and yeah!!!! feeling sexy having them on me too haha. And boys I tell you! I never bought just white brief anymore from there on..
And seeing all these spring 2007 briefs, my mind travelled back to my teen and think about the briefs of that time.
As far as I could remember, all the men's and boy's briefs we had are Thailand made and they were never a fashion items. Pale colour fabrics with elasticity that can support your little brothers when you carry things or are running around. Ya,...I used briefs here but not underwear. For underwear, we did have local made pieces, boxer type. And the most common underwear is multi-functioned sport shorts. We removed our sarongs and left the sport shorts on when we are playing and put on the sarongs over the sport shorts again when going for outings.
And look at the briefs and trunks here guys! Who says the men don't get it. Women can't claimed anymore they are more previlaged when come to fashions and styles. The skincare products, now what the girls get? whe get it. Designer Labels? What we are we lacking? Spending Power? Na....... Our items are more expensive. So I am sure we spend more and hence there we have the spending power that marketers love.

And here..... underneath our clothes.. the colourful, the varieties.. the designers? They are more than what you can imagine of.... So.. stay stylish.. wear some sexy underpants, briefs and spice up your looks and haha...you will never know there is someone loving to see you in a sexy brief encounters....

OH JI HO.........ANOTHER KOREAN STAR..
My cousin sisters and aunt visited me a few months ago and you know what topped their shopping lists? Korean Movies DVDs. Shops in, Shops out they headed straight to the Korean Movies Section. Who are the stars? Unchecked! Not latest? Never mind! we have not watched it. As long as the titles are new, they grabbed it so fast as if someone might snatch it before them. Ummm..ok! Though I was not sure why they're so crazy I just accepted their frenzy and helped picking up the titles.
A friend is going back on home leave and I called my sister and mum if they want any thing from Singapore. Not much of other things but the Korean Movies!! Umm......
I checked my emails before I went to work and there was a list of the Korean Movies in my inbox. I was shock to see a long list that could make me bankrupt if I gonna buy all... Oh my god!
I read on and relieved to find that actually the list was the titles that they already bought and I have to check and buy the titles those are not in the list. Oh...no..
A few months back while working at Changi Airport on a project, I witnessed a maddening crowded occupied a whole section of an exit gate. Shouting out a name, cheering, jiggling with some placards with Korean Character's on it. Later I found out. Kwong Sang Woo, was coming to town. And oh...again I was.
Every now and then, I come across in the news that Korean Movies make their way all over the world and that of Korean Actors sweeping the hearts of the ladies off the ground.
I happened to watch one or two Korean Soaps on TV and I went ok! entertaining. The plots' are so so and familiar. Love affairs between the rich and the poor. Step-mum or baddies.
I took time to think why my sisters, my aunts , my mum and ladies frieds are so caught up with Korean Affairs?
I don't know if it's right but I concluded in such...
Good Look! most of the actors are handsome and actress are cute, pretty.
Sceneries are beautiful. It was said the tourism industry boomed along with the Korean Movies Craze. And the plots are closed to Asian' heart and weepy aha... but mostly happy ending..(guys don't think otherwise huh!) and the package. I mean the wholesomeness of how the directors, the movies package and portray the main cast, the actor.

And yup.. guys..the styles. Next times if you happen to watch them, take a look at the style.. the colour the fashion and the whole head to toe. For now, Ladies ( for your eyes) and Gentlemen (look at the style)..Oh Ji Ho....

Looking at a few posts that I posted earlier and how nice they are on Oh Ji Ho, I am thinking of geeting a few Blazers..Any recommendation where to go for nice ones with reasonable prices??

Alessandro dell Acqua's Spring Summer 2007 CollectionsThese Alessandro dell’Acqua's Spring collection were punk and military.

And there are many more but I think this pieces are more streetwise and less couturous and wearable for us who are less diecerning, less fashion-adventurous.

I am sure you notice that the designer want to prevent wildlife from extinction and send the message across that no to real furs nor skins and to go for prints instead. Zebra...Elephant and putting a tiger on your strategic swimming trunk haha. Well.. just kindding buddies..

And ya.. the stripes still "IN" for your shirts.

Guys! don't you think plain white, kaki and black suits are just cool and fail-safe and timeless pieces.






For this designer biography and his full collections, please visit Alessandro dell’Acqua

URBAN, a guide to looking good (says so) released it 2006 most stylish men and women.
As it is said the style is subjective. I totally agree the statement and disagree on the some names. Well leave aside who I don't agree are stylish and let's look at those personalities that I think stylish too..and on that you guys may beg to differ haha..So out of their 20 men, George Clooney ( Clean-cut, classic yet modern, yup he is), Hideki Akiyoshi, a regional creative director of an event consultancy firm and based in Singapore ( yup..he is 41 but his youthful look and dressing isn't overwhelming but cool), Justin Timberlake (Well need us to say whether he is stylish?), Hidetoshi Nakata (Italian glam and Japanese Individuality- I couldn't agree more), Freedie Ljungberg (This CK model cum footballer.He is known better to me as sort of model but don't blame me I am a stranger to football).

For the girls, I like Denise Keller. Yup as they said of her. She is classy-quirky-sexy-cool. Love you Denise..

SHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

wow!! I am in trouble. I don't know the shops are just too good in their windows' displays? Or I am just crazy and developing fetish for shoes...Definitely it has to do somethings with my new work place. It's between City Hall and Bugis. So whichever way I am going to catch the trains there are 1000 of shops. And whenever I spotted some cool shoes I can't just resist and wanted to have it.
What happened? I ended up buying a pair shoes a month and just 3 months into this office and I bought 4 pairs. I have never been so crazy with the shoes like this before.
Just now I was unpacking the shoes I bought last week to wear it tomorrow and I was already thinking of what shoes and style to buy.
Before I knew I was already punching my key board and searching for shoes and I found these few pairs.
wow.. wow.. wow... I can't get my eyes off the shoes. Fab and chic. So stylish. Trying to buy it online but too bad they do not offer online shopping. Oh... I should be grateful they did not have it. But I really love the styles and designs man!!



I gotta see whether any online stores carry this brand. Hello! if you know of any..let me know huhhhh! I will buy you a coffee..haha cheers