He has different skincare routine for day and night
November 23, 2009
THE cluttered bathroom sink of Mr Jake De Leon, 27, is not unlike most women’s.
About 20 grooming products for his face and hair compete for space.
Mr De Leon, who does marketing for Procter and Gamble, uses exfoliant, cleansers, moisturisers, blemish treatment, masks, skin whitener, anti-ageing cream, hair gel and leave-on hair conditioner.
While some of the skin care products are specifically for men, he also uses some that are usually targeted at women.
He has one skincare routine for day and another for night. And the same goes for his crowning glory. It takes him about 30 minutes, and he spends about $500 a month on hair and facial products.
The Singapore permanent resident, who is from the Philippines, considers his image androgynous, but stops short of wearing women’s clothes or putting on make-up.
He explained: ‘I would never do make-up, besides I’ve seen how much women spend on it, it’s too expensive for me!’
His wardrobe is filled with tailored shirts, cardigans and straight or skinny-cut pants.
And he tends to accessorise his look with leather cuffs, bracelets and sometimes scarfs. He typically spends about $500 to $700 a month on clothes.
He started sporting this look when he came from the US to work in Singapore about 31/2 years ago.
The idea of male beauty in Philadelphia, where he lived for 22 years, and in Asia is ‘very different’, said Mr De Leon, who is single.
He has also travelled to Hong Kong and Thailand for work.
‘In the US, the look is burly and macho, whereas in Asia, the look tends to be slightly feminine,’ he said. ‘The preferred look is someone fair, well-groomed and slim-built, not with big bulging muscles.’
He said: ‘In my field, how you present yourself is important, because it says a lot about your character and they way you work.’
If someone calls him a pretty boy, he would not be offended.
‘It’s cool. Maybe many years back, being a pretty boy was something to be frowned on, but now it’s widely accepted,’ he said.
But, he added: ‘I don’t consider myself girly however, maybe just flamboyant.’
His ideal woman, however, does not have to be groomed to the nines.
He said jokingly: ‘Someone who’s a natural supermodel would be good.
‘I don’t like girls who put five layers of make-up – that’s too obvious.’
The NewPaper