everything's gone green

korres brushless shaving cream

Al gore is freaking mr. productaddict out.
i have it on his good authority that the world is going to hades in a handbasket. the arctic is becoming a lukewarm puddle, spf 5000 will soon be de rigueur, and our fossil fuel resources, unlike the assortment of b-list celebrity fragrances, are quickly being depleted.
what is a productaddict to do?
should i get that rock crystal deodorant and try to convince myself that it works? or recycle all those plastic six-pack rings and turn them into a makeshift loofah? maybe i could make my own exfoliating soap from melted vanilla tea lights and discarded people magazines? hmmm…i was beginning to doubt the existence of any superior eco-friendly products when, eureka in the bathtub, i came across korres absinthe brushless shaving cream.
korres is a new product line created by top-notch scientists in greece (where else to look to save our civilization than it’s cradle) that uses naturally derived herbs and other active ingredients with environmentally friendly packaging. i liked the sound of it and loved the look. one hitch – i am a skeptic of the brushless shaving cream. they always feel flimsy and never seem to soften the beard enough. since most are translucent when applied, i’m never sure whether my face is fully covered of where i’ve already shaved. confusion and a razorblade are not a good match. still, with equal parts apprehension and ecological brava, i decided to give it a try.
to my surprise, even a thin layer seemed substantial when applied. the cream remained opaque, too, so i could clearly guide my razor. my skin felt supremely softened during and afterwards – plus, well, kinda tingly…in a good way. i’m guessing that’s the absinthe extract, which are rich in strong antioxidants known as flavoniods. who knew that verboten 19th century liquors were becoming the new green tea? my bad for failing to see the wholesome goodness of fermented wormwood. did I mention that the packaging is also great? the minimalist clear tube lets you see just how much product you have left and is dispensed by a handy pump that forgoes all of those ozone-harming chemicals. mr. productaddcit loathes chlorofluorocarbons.

so, i guess a thanks is in order, mr. gore.
thanks for scaring the bejesus out of me with your charts and graphs of doom, but also for making me realize that products can be good for both me and this crazy spaceship we call planet earth. afterall, even though we will soon be fending off locusts while wading through central park, a proper shave will still be expected - that’s just the inconvenient truth.

sound investment: 7
does it turn back time?: 7
sensory satisfaction: 8
cool factor: 10
rate of addiction: 8

the spraylist: mr. productaddict names names

chanel pour monsieur concentree

1955 was a very good year for men. brando was getting the oscar for on the waterfront, nabokov was publishing lolita, eisenhower was, well, eisenhowering, and a truly original scent was born. a scent that has been my personal favorite since I was just a sixteen-year-old babe in the product woods. but listen, i can wax lyrical with a lot half-baked descriptive drivel (ahh…the calla lilies are in bloom again…) but none of us want that. so I’ll just give you the lowdown:
-the top notes of mandarin and lavender give it an instant clean, lemony crispness
-middle notes of cardamom and nutmeg blend it into more spicy complexity
-the base note of oakmoss, vertiver, and vanilla give it a very original soft finish.
-yes, it may be going on 50 years old and lacks an ad campaign with some pretty faced euro soccer star, but this scent is by no means stodgy.
-the original eau de cologne is good, but i find the concentrated version above more long lasting.
-if want something classic but original, satisfying without being overpowering, then this is for you. It’s all very French…without the calories.

of course all of this means nothing till you go out and smell some on yourself. take it from mr. productaddict. Or should I say, monsieur productaddict, nes pa?

sound investment:10
sensory satisfaction: 10
cool factor 9
rate of addiction: 9

scents and insensitivity- a mr. productaddict intervention

ok, so here’s the thing…

I would be perfectly happy to throw out the occasional kudos to a favorite fragrance and hope my advice takes root, but, quite frankly, i don’t think that’ll make a dent in the big picture. yeah, more guys than ever before are diving into the world of scent – and there’s the problem. they are literally drowning themselves. and in less than stellar scents, too. it’s made me shudder even more at the thought of public transportation.

solution? well, i think some education is in order. summer may have just arrived, but there’s still one last test we’ve got for you. we call it the productaddict S.A.T. (scent aptitude test)…take a whiff:

1.first and foremost, the person i wear fragrance for is…
a.) myself
b.) my wife/girlfriend/soulmate and/or life partner
c.) everyone on the 7:52 from syosset

2. my personal taste in scents gravitates toward…
a.) the heady orientals
b.) the light effervescence of a citrus or verbena
c.) whatever maxim magazine smells like this month

3. i was swayed into my current scent by…
a.) it’s cedar top notes
b.) a drydown that hints of first flush darjeeling tea
c.) the donald trump umbrella gift with purchase

4. my favorite place to shop for a new scents is
a.) bergdorfs
b.) serge lutens shiseido salon in the palais royal
c.) the duane reade checkout while i wait for my generic prescriptions

5. when deciding on a new scent, i always trust
a.) my instinct
b.) the opinions of friends, family, loved ones and mr. productaddict.
c.) the overly rouged saleslady who sprayed me while browsing the discount neckwear…but hey, she was wearing a labcoat – she must know her stuff, right?

6. originality is key in your choice of scent, that’s why i…
a.) asked creed to whip up something special just for me
b.) keep abreast of new entries in the niche fragrance market…l’artisian, bond, whathaveyou
c.) write kevin federline thrice daily begging him to launch a scent already.

7. to me the concept of “layering” scents means…
a.) reinforcing a classic like hermes eau d’orange verte with it’s matching soap
b.) the subtle audacity of pairing a crisp acqua di parma with an earthy sandalwood aftershave
c.) axe deodorant + axe shower gel + axe body spray = awesome

8. i understand that scent is a powerful memory trigger. mine evokes…
a.) that summer in capri
b.) dawn at angkor…after the rain
c.) that road trip I took visiting every chemical plant and overchlorinated public pool along the new jersey turnpike

9. i’ve found my cologne always gets compliments…
a.) on a date
b.) from random strangers
c.) for the way it strips paint off old furniture

10. when applying fragrance, my motto has always been…
a.) a little goes a long way
b.) brevity is the soul of the spritz
c.) if it burns, it must be working

how’d it go? truth hurts, huh?
scent, you see, is not for the faint of heart or weak of nostril.
i will soon be adding reviews of some of my favorites, but in the meantime i recommend checking basenotes.net for some serious fragrance tunnelvision.

lotion will tear us apart again

natura bisse diamond extreme anti-aging cream

A cautionary love fable…
boy meets girl, boy falls for girl and her glowing complexion, boy thinks girl is crazy for spending small fortune on creams, girl convinces boy to try a ‘just a dab’ and see what a difference it makes, boy acts indifferent but instantly understands phases like “improved elasticity” and “bio-regenerative”, boy begins stealing lotion blatantly from girl, girl gets wise, girl dumps boy, girl shacks up with a nice dermatologist from Schenectady, boy is left chaffed and alone.

the moral of the story here is twofold…

one…
if the good graces of skincare knowledge smile upon you , appreciate and acknowledge it. the world of hard core creams is a secretive maze full of multi step regimens, daunting prices, and marketing campaigns that are anything but guy friendly. the woman in your life is probably leaps and bounds ahead of you – so listen up. a great cream like this one from natura bisse is not likely to be found next to the aqua velva counter, so it’s easy for guys to miss out on a great product that totally works wonders.

two…
stop being so cheap - buy your own. or share openly and chip in. or just go out and pick up some of this amazing product and turn her on to it.
what’s that? products that bring people together? that’s what we call thinking outside of the botox.

sound investment: 8
does it turn back time: 10
sensory satisfaction: 8
cool factor: 9
rate of addiction: 8.75

muji, take me away

muji milk bath salt

Not to stoke your fires of insecurity…but you will never be as cool as the japanese.
they of the land of the rising sun posses more cool by 9am than your or I will muster all day. take, for instance, muji – the brand that succeeds by being the very antithesis of branding. never a logo, never a marketing blitz, never a sales pitch with the promise of a better existence through commerce only to be left unfulfilled. nope – just everyday stuff made great by simple design.
i have become obsessed with anything muji.
muji notebooks? check. muji luggage? check. muji dishes, cashemere sweaters, disposable cameras, tortilla chips, underwear and garlic press? check and double check.
my particular product addiction, though, are the muji bath salts (mr. productaddict likes baths, ok.) with scents like lemongrass and grapefruit they are already original, but it’s the milk variety that really stand out. not only do they soften the water and leave a soapy, subtle scent, but a few handfuls and the water turns an instant opaque white. crème de la cool, indeed.
now, here’s the fly in the ointment – while muji stores abound in japan, hong kong, london, paris, and milan…they are not to be found in your local strip mall. the MoMa design store carries an anemic muji assortment, but it’s mostly post-its and pencils. there is buzz of a new york store opening soon, though. check out muji.net for updates.
still worried what your tight wound chums might think of your dairy downtime? go ahead and leave them to their stress. real men soak.

sound investment: 8
does it turn back time?: 6
sensory satisfacton: 10
cool factor: 10
rate of addiction: 8.25