FONG LEONG MING ropes in his kids to check out Acca Kappa's perfumes.

Acca Kappa Muschio Bianco, or the White Moss.

The Cedro, or Cedar perfume.

ACCA Kappa perfume vials? For me? Why, thank you. In three different manifestations too. I’m so touched. Now I guess I can vary my morning routine and venture beyond my trust-worthy deodorants, at least while they last.

But you know what? I have a confession to make. The trio — Acca Kappa 1869, Acca Kappa Muschio Bianco and Acca Kappa Cedro — have been standing like Roman sentinels on my desk observing my every move for the past one month.

Yes, until now, I had nary moved a muscle to uncap them and smell the contents, unsure as I am what to do should they disappoint or overpower me (or worse, overwhelm me with their predictability).

But like the suspense that builds over time — I am imagining a test of wills or a long-awaited chess manoeuvre — something must give way. A move must be made.
So one cold evening after hours of rain and nothing to give me an excuse to procrastinate any longer, I resolved that it’s time. I took a deep breath, blew my nose, sat my two lieutenants beside me (my kids-lah) and proceeded to uncork and take in what was supposed to be sheer luxury.

My sources tell me that this Italian company (whose name sounds like something you hear in Brickfields) has been “making princes look like kings since 1869 (while simultaneously making them feel like men).” Now that’s no mean boast, insomuch as how much one can actually believe what’s written on the Internet is moot.

But the more I click, the more I begin to like the company’s way of thinking. Still family owned and operated, Acca Kappa “dedicates itself to the body and its well-being with an impressive collection of all-natural personal care and fragrance products”.

“All-natural.” Now that’s my kind of perfume. “Technologically sophisticated yet gentle on skin.” Yes, carry on. “Acca Kappa respects and is committed to our environment. Acca Kappa does not test its products on animals. The packages are manufactured from recycled materials and are themselves recyclable. All Acca Kappa formulations are biodegradable and made from natural ingredients.” Woohoo. A thumbs-up for all of the above!

So what’s the verdict? After half an hour of soaking in the scents, uncapping one after another and generally having lot of fun applying each scent by turns on my teenage daughter and her younger brother cohort, this is what we three judges, smelling like roses and more, returned:

- Acca Kappa 1869 is a strong perfume that has a “fresh” scent (“compared to the other two,” interjects my girl, with all seriousness). She is of the opinion that it has a “morning smell” (in a good and complimentary sense, of course), is “very light” and “hardly noticeable”. The younger judge can only nod vigorously in agreement. I concur, and thus we give it an A.

- Acca Kappa Muschio Bianco disappoints but it could be just us. My daughter hates this scent while the other unbiased judge thinks it smells like Dove shampoo (which brings up conflicting emotions in me because I am extremely partial to this brand). I mainly think it is a bit strong. As for such comments from the dynamic duo who think it “smells like mosquito repellent”, “a scent with a ‘burnt smell’”, I’ll just ignore them and blame it on youthful forthrightness. But this gets a C minus.

- Acca Kappa Cedro is easy to warm up to. It’s “light” and while it “doesn’t have any fruity notes” (which the feminine nose will surely love), it has a lovely “woody” slant which is “nostalgic”, reminding one of a visit back home to the kampung, you know, that familiar scent when visiting old houses with old furniture. Unamimously, this gets a B+.

All said, Acca Kappa’s emphasis on biodegradable and natural ingredients puts it on my A-list any day. Three manifestations of the perfume for men. Hmm, which will you like, I wonder?