I have a confession to make. Not many know this little fact but I am a bonafide migraine sufferer. There are many factors that can trigger the throbbing vascular headache on my left temple and strong, overpowering scents is one of them. There's nothing we can do about it Mr Petch, so said my family doctor. But that doesn't stop me from enjoying one of my favourite simple pleasures in life: men's cologne. They say the clothes maketh a man. I dare say the right fragrance makes you an even hotter man! It is important to understand that how you smell do play an important part in your everday life. Hmmm, let me quote a quick simple example. Ask any women about their ex-boyfriends, often than not, the prologue of her conversation would start at "You mean, That Rat...?!!!". Maybe because most of the time, we guys don't make much effort to smell right. Still not convince? Now, a little human biology refresher course for you boys. Women have two X-chromosomes in their sex genes while we guys have one Y and one X. Now what the hell makes you think that your ex-boyfriends/ lovers/ one-night-stand-turned-stalkers/ sugardaddies will not call you "The Rat" the next time you drop them like a hot burnt potato?!!! Hahaha! Okay, enough of my silly logic. Here I would like to share with you my Top 5 Favourite mens' fragrances. On me, they smell hot. On other men crossing my path, they smell way superdelicious! So, if you are still drenching yourself with your usual Hugo Boss, Calvin Klien and Armani cologne, maybe it's time for you to stop smelling the same old and explore new horizons. Of course we must not forget that matching the right personality and attitude with the right fragrance can be a little tricky but trust me, with these recommendations, you can never go wrong...or smell bad! So this weekend, if you have time, drop by the frangrance department at the shopping mall and you might be amazed by these undiscovered heavenly masculine scents!
No: 5 Pleasures by Estee Lauder
I was told that this cologne was spin-off from the best-selling Pleasures perfume for the ladies. At first I was a little apprehensive but man, this one is hot! The top note promises and delivers a sexy kinda of oriental freshness of bergamont (one of my most favourite aromatheraphy essential oils) with a hint of exotic spices. If you are young at heart, sporty in a classy way and is someone who is tough and sweet at the same time, this citrusy cologne is perfect for you!
No: 4 Allure By Chanel
Between Allure and Allure Sports, I much prefer this one. When I meet an Allure man, he's telling me that I'm sorry but I'm a very tough man, not very good with words, might not be very articulate in my actions but this fragrance explains what I'm all about. Inside, I'm all calm, gentle, centred, loving, decisive, ambitious and I need you to understand that I need you. Now, with a statement like that, how can I or any other guys let you go when we catch you smelling that way?!! FYI, Petch is currently wearing this one, hahaha!
No: 3 Envy By Gucci
Every man deserves an addiction, and Envy is definitely my "opium". I have a love-hate relationship with this one: Wear this too liberally and my head will be throbbing to its own trance music (actually, it's my migraine, remember?). Wear it right and the next thing you know, I will be tearing off every fibre of clothings on your body. When that happens, all you have to do is to say "Please fuck me, Petch..." in your manly voice. With exotic ingredients like musk, amber, cedar, nutmeg and ginger, the only signal you get from the Envy man is "I am man, I am confident, I am in control"...but not when Petch is around!
No: 2 Signature by Kenneth Cole
When I was living in New York, my ex-lover got me a bottle for my birthday. Man, I loved it instantly! Woody and spicy, this one is really about me. I'm not sure if we can get it here in Singapore (I bought mine last bottle online from a US-based e-retailer) but if you have the indulgence to try Signature, you'll understand why I love this one so much! If I'm not mistaken, you can smell a hint of violet, coffee (maybe, hahaha!), cardamon, grapefruit, sweet waterlilies, the exotic patchouli...now, with such intoxicating orgy of nature's sweet nectars, there is no way you can resist the seduction of Signature's manly qualities. I have only one word to describe this cologne: "Romantic". For the true brave romantic man who is not hopeless, that's my bet!
And the Winner is...No:1 Miracle by Lancome
It was a tough fight between this and Signature, but the verdict is out: Miracle would be the best bet for most Singapore/ Asian men. Truth of the matter is, Asian men generally displays a "quiet" kind of confidence, thus my decision. I personally find this a rather masculine frangrance, and trust me, you don't need bulging muscles to feel like one. Yet, Miracle somehow will spellbind you with it's fresh "maturity" and strong "tender" feelings. I simply can't explain to you guys but with a quick sniff from the bottle I have at home, I swear the secret lies with the vetiver (a kind of wild grass found in south Asia like Indonesian's Java island that gives off a smoky woody scent), coffee (maybe again, hahaha!), pepper (yes, this I'm sure!) and a sexy oriental hint of lychees (not 100% sure but it damn smells like one!), which might explains the mysterious "yin and yang" attraction. I cannot stop raving about this one but if you really want a positive change on how you smell, please get this one. I promise you will smell like a miracle waiting to happen, ha! You'll never know which hunky guy you might seduce with Miracle so why not give it a shot, man!
Petch Grooming Guide: The Way To Smell Right!
1. If you have sweaty armpits, please trim them regularly. That will ensure that any kind of body odour from that Department will be under control. I strongly discourage guys from shaving their armpits completely. Imagine, you are on the subway, wearing sleeveless, your naked armpits in full view to the public because you have to hang onto the hold pole...not very manly, and some "aunties" probably would curse you secretly for having a much smoother armpits than theirs!!! This is merely my personal opinion.
2. More is not necessarily better. The secret to smelling delicious with cologne is to wear them sparingly. Here's my trick: I do not "power-spray" my favourite cologne on my armpits because if I do that, I will ended up smelling like the Tang's Fragrance Department as soon as I leave the house. My secret is to wear a "complementary" (something neutral-smelling or similar-smelling to your current cologne choice) anti-perspirant roll-on on my armpits. Before I get dressed, I will dispense one full "squirt" of my favourite cologne on my left under-wrist, rub both wrists together, and run both wrists onto 1. the back of my ears, 2. my neck, and 3. my chest. Do not spray onto your clothes because the chemicals in your fragrance works best when come into contact with your skin body heat, which will result in the unique "individualised" fragrance. Yes, it is that easy! See, you don't have to drown yourself in your favourite cologne and choke others in the same elevator to smell good, man! Of course, before you do that, you need a shower first!
3. Even though wine gets better with age, fragrances are the opposite and they degenerate over time. Light, heat and humidity destroy colognes and change the fragrance. The best place to store your fragrances is in your table drawer or in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator. Fragrance is made to be used and enjoyed - use it or lose it! So when your favourite cologne starts to smell funny, it is time for you to let go, man. For maximum shelf life, store fragrance away from bright sunlight, in a cool, dark area, with the cap tightly secured. Now having said that, considering how sensitive and fragile perfumes are, you should buy them in small bottles, instead of buying big bottles (even if they seemed economically cheaper-by-the-nett-volume) and letting it get old!
