Men who care to look good

What say you on the issue below?

INDULGING in some pampering and luxury is what Kenneth Wong propagates both at work and in life.

Wong is managing director of Ideal Lifestyles and Living, the company which has master dealership for Bang and Olufsen (B&O) in Malaysia, an audio-video luxury brand that also manufactures an exclusive range of AV systems.

“I secured the dealership in 2006 because I appreciate the products and I think this brand will expose Malaysians to the finer things in life,” says Wong, 31.

The father of two girls admitted that initially, he was not an audio-visual aficionado.

“After I went into the business, I started to realise that I not only liked its timeless product designs but also the cutting edge technology that creates a big impact with many people,” says Wong, who has five years’ experience in property development prior to B&O.

Helming the company comes with its fair share of responsibilities.

Ideal Lifestyles and Living managing director Kenneth Wong.

“It is always tough as everyone is looking ahead of you. The biggest challenge is to be firm with whatever decision you’ve made regardless of whether it is workable or not, and then, facing the consequences,” adds Wong, who de-stresses by spending time with his two daughters, aged five and two, working out, playing golf or tennis.

The University of Mississippi business graduate says looking good weighed heavily in his job.

“Grooming is extremely important because I’m dealing with rich and famous clients, and I have to make sure I look presentable.

“My sense of fashion is very simple. My style is ‘less is more,’” says Wong, who is comfortable in semi-formal attire on work days, while jeans and T-shirts form his weekend staple wear.

Generally, he feels that proper grooming habits, including skincare knowledge, is lacking among Malaysian men.

“It is very important because nowadays, everyone talks about packaging or first impressions.”

Wong adds that some men were not used to applying things on their face, and find that weird or even unmanly.

“But if you think again, it is a matter of protecting the skin to prevent ageing. Men need to know the true benefits of skin products.”

Wong goes for a facial treatment once a month and uses a facial cleansing gel, toner, eye bag cream, after shave cream and moisturiser in his skincare routine.

Before buying a product, he checks the content for level of chemicals, preferring natural ingredients. Wong currently uses Biotherm.

“I came across the brand when I was travelling to Japan three years ago. Many Japanese men use skincare products. It is a common thing for them,” he adds.

Since then, he has been using the Biotherm Homme Non-drying Facial Cleansing Gel, Aquapower moisturiser, Aquatic After Shave Lotion and the UV Defense High Protection Fluid.

His favourite products are the UV defence, moisturiser and the cleansing gel.

Composer and director of Inner Voices Production, Ken Hor

“They are very refreshing. In fact, all the products are good for me because they suit my skin very much,” says Wong.

Meanwhile, composer Ken Hor believes that grooming is related to respect for oneself and others.

“My father always said that if you want other people to respect you, respect yourself first by making yourself presentable,” says Hor, director of Inner Voices Production.

Hor, 31, holds a degree in music from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) as well as a professional certificate in film scoring from University of California, Los Angeles.

After graduating from UPM in 2001, Hor ran a music school in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur, with pianist Loo Bang Hean, Taiwan-based singer-songwriter Michael Wong and veteran pop singer Chew Paul Wah as directors.

After he returning from the United States, he set up Inner Voices Production that organised a concert called Let’s Go Mamak last year.

“I wasn’t a very patriotic person before going to the United States. Looking at my homeland from afar made me see Malaysia clearer and I realised how special our culture, arts and lifestyle are,” says Hor, who is still single.

“The initial intention of putting up this concert was to showcase a cultural common ground. The music is very much about this common ground.

“This year, we have a bigger mission – unity through music where we blend our culture through music. It’s never easy to put musical elements from different (ethnic groups) together but this represents harmony in our society.

Hor teaches at the International College Of Music twice a week. When not at work, he does things unrelated to music to relax like catching a movie, playing basketball, reading or going on Facebook.

Due to the nature of his job and his style, Hor is very much a jeans and T-shirt kind of guy.

“I’m one of those people who weren’t born with a sense of fashion. I don’t pay much attention to the latest trends. Maybe I should but the most important thing to me is to feel good and comfortable. I’m happy with what I’m wearing.”

However, Hor takes the trouble to find out about skincare and goes for facial treatments every two to three months.

“The type of skincare products I use now are for hydration purposes. For example, the Biotherm Homme Aquapower helps protect and soothe my skin from the ravages of the external environment,” he says.

His favourite product is the Biotherm Homme Cleansing Gel, and he also uses the Aquatic After Shave Lotion and Aquapower moisturiser.

“I like how the products work on my skin. They are natural, smell very masculine and the textures are very light too,” he says.