5 Tips to Instantly Improve Your Look

by Max Law from MaxMayo.com 

Everybody has crazy daily schedule to a certain extend. Dressing well on a daily basis may seems like a rather resource-consuming task and that is why many men would take it for granted.

In a nutshell, it's the details that affects the overall look of a man. I personally follow 5 tricks on a daily basis, and I think one can improve his look simply by following them as well. It may not give you a dramatic effect, but it helps enhancing your presentability, and somehow makes you appear more reliable indirectly as people can notice the little advantage from these simple effort .

1. Style Your Hair

Yes, your hair may be short, or you may have an ordinary hair cut that doesn't really require any further styling after getting out of the shower. In fact, styling hair doesn't necessarily mean to give a new "shape" to your hair (e.g. mohawk) but to make sure your hair goes in the right direction, not greasy and not wet. Even the infamous "bed-head" style requires certain level of styling.

The truth is, people know whether you style your hair or not, although unsaid.

2. Smell

Smell is one of the elements that make up a person's first impression. You may not be the best-dressed person in a group, but a good scent always leave a positive and long lasting image in anyone that you met. People prefer men who smell good, rather than just looking good. It's science.


3. Shave Them Off

Not all men can grow full stubble. Some men grow in a very sporadic and patchy pattern, and it won't look any better even if you've trimmed them down to a few millimeters, as they'll make you appear sloppy and less polished. The best way is to shave them off completely.

4. No Over-sized

This is a proven tip: no over-sized clothes! (Unless it's a jumper, or you're embracing the oversize trend.)

Sometimes we compromise the sizing because of sales, and sometimes we receive clothes as gifts from our loved ones but they're a size too big and we don't want to waste them. This normally happens to T-shirts, formal shirts and trousers.

So this tip lies heavily in making choices: avoid wearing anything that's too big / too long for you. If the pieces you have currently are mostly over-sized, try wearing those that fits you better, and it's time to start planning for a shopping mission.

Over-sized works better for women, but not for men in most cases because menswear is more about the fit and size.

5. Oil-control film

Having a shiny face is like owning a Ferrari with a horrible paint work.

If you have an oily face (e.g. like me) you'll know it's not an easy job maintaining an oil free face while running around, from places to places. However, it's not impossible. The easiest way to maintain a fresh face is by using oil-control film. It definitely works better than using tissue papers. It is one of my must-have daily grooming items.

Keep a package of oil-control film with you and clean your face whenever it's necessary.

---

Hope these tips will be useful to you.

Image 1 2 3 4 5 6

Regards,

Max Law

Menswear Fashion Blogger

Checkout Max at MaxMayo.com and follow him on twitter @maxmayo for more updates and fashion tips!
Max Law is also Nuffnang's Blogger of the month for September 2013!

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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6 Best Retail Fashion Sites For Women

by Marcela De Vivo

There are plenty of shopping to go around online today, most of which is dominated by high profile sites like Amazon and EBay. While those are great retailers who can certainly offer some excellent products and services, they aren't uniquely crafted for women, those of whom are typically the more avid and enthusiastic online shoppers.

Yet, there are some great lesser-known online retailers that are specifically targeted towards a female audience, both in terms of their products and their style.

These sites (though not exclusively) center around clothing and carry products that are primarily marketed and geared towards women. Style and beauty makes up most of what these places have to offer, and, since they’re focused solely on the female consumer, they have a more diverse selection as well as a more personalized shopping experience.

1. Asos

Asos is the largest online-only retailer in the UK as they include over 50,000 different brands, including product lines from their own label. One nice feature of the site is that it allows users to create marketplaces for buying and selling their own products. The site also has a “Fashion Finder” feature, which allows customers to create and customize their own clothes and fashion videos. 

2. Net-A-Porter

This website has a recently launched a male counterpart, called Mr. Porter, and both sites are excellent places to find luxury clothing, shoes and accessories. In addition to offering a huge selection of designers to choose from, Net-A-Porter adds an equally substantial selection of handbags and accessories. As far as women’s luxury clothing goes, this site is simply one of the best.

3. Singer22

Singer22 is all about getting you the clothing and styles worn by today’s most well-known celebrities. In fact, you can even search their products by different names, like Kim Kardashian or Victoria Beckham. Find plenty of styles worn by your favorite celebs and view how they look on Singer22 models as well as us regular folk.

4. Zappos

More about the deals and low prices than anything else, Zappos prides themselves on providing the best and most affordable prices to go along with their designer clothing and footwear. Have questions? There’s a 24/7 live chat messenger that you can use for whatever questions you may have about their products and prices.  Zappos was known to have the most friendly and helpful customers service in the business.

5. Otteny

Otteny focuses mainly on understated luxury clothing as well as more contemporary pieces. You can actually pay Otteny to have their team assemble the perfect outfit for you, which can be great for certain special occasions where you might want to benefit from a little consulting before throwing together an outfit.

6. Shoptiques

Shoptiques essentially a collection of boutiques that allows users to shop locally if they’re near one of the locations supported by the site. Bigger cities, like San Francisco, New York and Miami are included. For one flat rate, you can have products from any of the boutiques shipped to you. Some people might prefer to actually go to these stores, but having them available online is a nice touch for the consumer and the retailer, as it gives small stores a chance to tap into the online community of shoppers.

Finding What Works for You

There are plenty of sites to choose from, so focus on what you like and select a place that best suits your shopping style (and budget). With so many options to choose from, you’re bound to find an online retailer that meets your criteria for inventory and convenience. Plus, it’s always nice to be able to shop for clothing from your living room.

So if you know any other retail fashion sites that might works for some of us here, please do share it down at the comments below. Merci beaucoup!

Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer from Los Angeles whose writing covers travel, health and marketing. In addition to writing for Retail Packaging, she loves shopping online as it not only saves her time, but many of her favorite online retailers offer the best prices. 

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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[ENDED] Art of Khaki & Giveaway by Maxmayo.com

by Daniel Chiam

So one of our frequent and stylish guest blogger is doing a giveaway for all of you fashion lover out there. I took the liberty to share a bit about the giveaway here and if you would like to go straight to the point, you can get all the info HERE.

In collaboration with Dockers, Maxmayo.com is giving away RM250 Dockers voucher each for 3 lucky readers. You can buy yourself or for your lover one anything at Dockers stores with the vouchers. It's not just for the Art of Khaki collection.

The winners will be chosen randomly, and the winners will also be invited to an exclusive Dockers event in June 2013 as well. This is not only your chance to shop for FREE at Dockers but also to be their exclusively invited guest for one of their event. Now how cool is that?!

So what are you waiting for? Click away to Maxmayo.com and get the full details of how you can actually be in the running to win the vouchers and also the exclusive invites from Dockers!

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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Top 5 Fashion Blogs You Should Know Now

by Max Law from MaxMayo.com 

New fashion blogs pop up out of nowhere every single day and it's difficult to really keep an eye on who's next. Over the years, there's only a few that eventually made it into the "Hall of Fame." What sets them apart? Their distinctive photography works and unique voices.

Here's the Top 5 Fashion blogs that you should know now even if you're not really into fashion:

1. The Sartorialist

The Sartorialist can be said as the father of all street style bloggers. Scott Schuman, the author has been wandering on the street and fashion shows of Milan, New York, Paris etc to capture inspiring and stunning fashion style worn by both ordinary people and fashion pro in the industry.

http://www.thesartorialist.com/


2. Jak & Jil

If Scott Schuman is the father of all street style bloggers, then Tommy Ton is the son. He is the second wave, and also the living evidence of how the somehow undemocratic fashion world is starting to embrace the blogging world. Tommy Ton captures great pictures from street style to runway.

http://jakandjil.com/


3. Bryan Boy

The infamous Bryan Boy is a success story in his own right. Started at his home in Phillippine, Bryan blogged his way into the front row of international labels like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and the last gag - he's one of the judges in American Next Top Model Cycle 20. His quirky posts and tweets, not to forget his flamboyant fashion style, are what propelled him to his current position.

http://www.bryanboy.com/


4. Garance Dore

I absolutely love Garance Dore and her blog. She's funny and her photographs are always very artistic. Originally from France, she's also an illustrator and Scott Schuman's girlfriend. Together with Scott, they make a powerful duo.

http://www.garancedore.fr/en


5. Man Repeller

I love this lady! As the blog name suggests, Leandra Medine writes about fashion that men hate but women like. It is her funny posing and creative writing that really caught my attention. The New Yorker is currently the shiniest rising star in the fashion blogging world. (She also inspired my one blog posts here.)

http://www.manrepeller.com/


Check out these 5 bloggers now and I hope you'll enjoy their blogs.





Regards,
Max Law
Menswear Fashion Blogger

Checkout Max at MaxMayo.com and follow him on twitter @maxmayo for more updates and fashion tips!
Max Law is also Nuffnang's Blogger of the month for September 2013!

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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Top 10 Men's Fashion... You Just Don't Get It

by Max Law from MaxMayo.com

We understand that not all fashion are meant to be worn on the street, but there are times when even the fashion lovers can't get what the designers are trying to express in their works.

Art and beauty is a subjective field, but when 9 out of 10 fashion lovers gave the same response on a work, you'll know that the response won't go wrong. Here are the Top 10 Most Popular Men's Fashion that fashion lovers just can't appreciate:

1. The Origami

2. Mankini

NSFW so please don't search for this word if you're in office. :)

3. Monster Shoulders

4. Big Knit

5. Men Tube Top

6. Something like 1-piece skirt

7. Garbage Monster

8. The Transformer

9. The Seeing-My-Dentist

10. Carbon/ Driftwood

Hope you enjoy the pictures. Haha!

Photo source: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9


Regards,
Max Law
Menswear Fashion Blogger

Checkout Max at MaxMayo.com and follow him on twitter @maxmayo for more updates and fashion tips!

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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The 4 Types of Fragrance

by Max Law from MaxMayo.com

When I bought my first fragrance, it was almost like a gambling – I simply picked a few with really nice bottle design, followed by a few times of sniffing, and that's it. The whole process only took about 15 minutes.

I completely had no idea what I actually bought back then. To me, fragrance means... fragrance. "It makes you smell nice, and they all smell almost the same!"

As I've become a little bit more knowledgeable right now (I'm at my fourth bottle,) I'd like to share with you a very important step in deciding on a fragrance, which is getting to know the types of fragrances.

There are mainly 4 types of fragrances, and they are categorized based on the level of concentration of fragrance oil.

Perfume Extract / Parfum

Perfume or Extract is fragrance with the highest level of concentration. A perfume generally contains 20% to 40% of fragrance oil. As it contains higher level of oil, it is the longest lasting and smells the strongest.

Pure fragrance oil is expensive and that explains why parfum is the most expensive among all fragrance types.

Eau de Parfum (EDP)

With concentration level between 10% to 30%, Eau de Parfum is second to Extract, both in terms of price and longevity. Eau de Parfum is denoted by the abbreviation EDP on the bottle.

Tom Ford Noir Men EDP

Eau de Toilette (EDT)

EDT has a concentration level between 5% to 20%, and it's longevity and intensity is naturally lower than that of an EDP.

Bang by Marc Jacobs EDT

Versace Men EDT. This is what I'm wearing.

Eau de Cologne (EDC)

Eau de Cologne is sometimes similar to EDT, but in general, it's concentration level is below EDT at 2% to 5%. EDC is the mildest of all and thus it doesn't last all day. However, EDC and EDT are more popular in men's fragrances.

Tommy Hilfiger Men EDC

Hugo Boss Baldessarini Men's EDC

The reason why there are many types of fragrance is because different fragrance serves different purpose. Typically, a person should wear lighter scent during daytime or when the weather is warm, and stronger scent in the evening or when the weather is cold.

Hope you'll find this post useful :)

Image source: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8



Regards,
Max Law
Menswear Fashion Blogger

Checkout Max at MaxMayo.com and follow him on twitter @maxmayo for more updates and fashion tips!



"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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How to Deal with "Fat" Wallet

by Max Law from MaxMayo.com

Do you have a "fat" wallet? Have you ever had trouble to sit comfortably while keeping your wallet in your back pocket?

A big, fat wallet might be a sign of prosperity, but when it's getting too big even for your pocket, it's a sign to call for some house-keeping. You may have already used to sitting with a lump on your butt cheek, but scientifically this lump can cause you back pain, namely the hip-pocket syndrome.

Personally I always avoid sitting with a fat wallet for the sake of my debit and credit cards. I actually cracked my ATM card once. :P #TrueStory

Here's a guide on how to reduce the size of your wallet:

Audit Your Wallet Regularly

Wallet vs iPhone

Wallet requires some spring cleaning once in a while. Technically, it's not difficult to check and clean your wallet, but making it a habit is a different story. Try to check your wallet once a week to remove unnecessary things and I think that's the "diet plan" your wallet needs.

File Your Receipts

I know, because I kept all my credit cards receipts in my wallet too :) If you still can find a receipt dated last few months, you probably need to start working on your personal filing system. Besides, some receipts fade really fast so it's it's best to file them before it's too late.

Remove Coins

Coins not only bloat your wallet, they also damage your wallet.

Only Keep Frequently Use Cards

Remove the less popular cards from your wallet. You don't always need all the cards, especially membership cards.

Remove Pictures

Well, you can always keep your photos in your smartphone.

Choose The Right Wallet

Always go for slimmer wallet design with less compartment or layers. Go for wallets that are minimal in design in order to reduce the bulk. For example, try to avoid zippers, 3-fold-design and thick leather or fabric.

Hope this post is helpful to you. :)

Regards,

Max Law

Menswear Fashion Blogger

Image 1, 2, 3, 4

Checkout Max at MaxMayo.com and follow him on twitter @maxmayo for more updates and fashion tips!

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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Rip Curl: Sun, Sand, Beach and Shades

by Daniel Chiam

Olla people, updating live from Terengganu! If you've been snooping around here long enough then you'll know that I will be at Batu Burok, Terrenganu for the weekend to cover for the Rip Curl Pro's Malaysia first ever 6-Star Asian Surfing Championship! It's happening from 30th November till 2nd December. So if you are nearby, do drop by for this happening event!

Just for this this event, I have raided the Rip Curl's fitting room just to find something nice from them to wear on the beach, enjoying the sun, listening to the ocean's wave and checking out girls in bikinis :D

It's blardy red mate!

I really like the fabric of Rip Curl's t-shirt. It's soft, thin and very comfortable as a beach wear. Especially with the sun trying to burn you up, a normal cotton t-shirt just makes it even warmer and you'll easily sweat but that's not the case with Rip Curl's t-shirt.

Checkout the awkward smile mate

You can even feel it when the breezing wind is blowing at you because of the thin fabric. It is just an awesome and soothing feeling; a full body experience with nature. I'm also checking out their shorts and was hoping that I can buy one for my future island or beach trip, haha. They have a lot of good looking pants but I like this particular one. 

Hmm should I buy the pants or not....

Just to let you know, Rip Curl is an Australian brand and their sizes are one or two size bigger for Asian. I was trying out size XS and S for all the shirts here, that's why you can see my tummy and how I tried my best to suck it in to make it less obvious, haha.

Freakin' awesome pants

Anyway, I am very much looking forward for the event later in the morning. I'll try my best to update it at night and letting you in on what's going on in Malaysia first ever 6-Star Asian Surfing Championship. All the best especially to our Malaysian surfers - Brenda, Semmy and Bryan Ng.

All the hair, beard and mustache for #Movember

Shades are crucial to protect the eyes from the sun, to look cool and to steal a few glimpses of the people around you, hahaha. I am so ready for the beach and also to surf the wave (if I got the chance)!

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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Men, Make-up & Concealer

by Max Law from MaxMayo.com

Photo source

Please don’t squirm after reading the title of this post. :)

Men cosmetics is becoming a commodity nowadays. If you’re not working in the showbiz or the fashion industry, the idea of men wearing make-up in daily life might still be very alien to you. For Malaysian men, it might be even more so.

“Should men wear make-up?”. Well, that’s a subjective question.


Why Men Make-up?

“Make-up” means applying substance onto one’s face in order to enhance or to alter one’s appearance. In a generation where physical look is important and physical attractiveness is highly valued, it’s natural that men are putting more and more effort into maintaining themselves.

From my experience of browsing resumes and searching for interview candidates, I can honestly tell you that everybody always prefers the “shinier” looking ones, albeit the rest of the candidates display the same qualification & skills. #TrueStory

In reality, not many men gets 8 hours of sleep everyday. Unless you’re genetically gifted, you can’t run away from under eye dark cycles, puffy eyes, acne and dull skin.

But, how does one still look great with all the crazy schedule and timeline? (Yes, now think of male celebrities). And it’s true that we really expect you to look fresh and all during the job interview. :)

Men’s cosmetics were invented to address this new need of men. Technically speaking, they “fix” the imperfection of reality.

Before and after. Photo source

Male celebrities or actors are supposed to look perfect on-screen. So for normal guys, the question remains: how far would you go?

How Far is Too Far?

The common cosmetics for men to enhance their look includes foundation, concealer, bronzer and eyebrow fillers.

As a working adult man who’s not a make-up artist, I think a concealer is generally considered acceptable. It is very useful, and it’s that little trick that you can do to appear more lively and awake within a few minutes.

Well if you think even applying concealer is threatening your manhood, let me tell you what somebody once taught me: real men don’t need other people to tell them they’re men. :P #Quote

The Concealer for Men

The ultimate goal of concealer is to conceal your zits, dark eye circles, redness and sometimes acne scars.

You’re not going to apply concealer all over the face, and you just need a concealer that can do the job, so any brand of concealer is sufficient. You can even ask your girlfriend to choose and buy for you.

Here’s a useful guide about choosing the right concealer and how to use it:

So, are you ready to get your concealer? Haha!

Hope this post is helpful. Good luck :)

Checkout Max at MaxMayo.com and follow him on twitter @maxmayo for more updates and fashion tips! 
Max Law is also Nuffnang's Blogger of the month for September 2013!

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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How to Tell Real Leather from Fake Leather

by Max Law from MaxMayo.com

If you're not a fan of leather goods, most of the time you can't tell the difference between a real and a fake leather.

In general, fake leather (or synthetic, artificial, human-made leather) is made of plastic compound and its identity is naturally reflected in the price tag.

You may have already known this:

         

                    Genuine Leather is never cheap.

However, there are times when a premium priced leather good may appear dubious.

For example, a new or a relatively unknown label that claims to use genuine leather in their bags. A "Made in Italy" or a "Genuine Leather" tag inside the bag can't really guarantee their statement.

Before you seek for the advice of experts, here are a few quick tips you can try:

• Real Leather Doesn't Smell Like Plastic

Real leather is made of real animal skin. It should smell like a skin, and it never smell like a plastic, even when it's still a new bag.

• Real Leather Looks Like Skin

Scrutinize the leather and if you see uneven pattern on the leather, it's most likely a real leather. Real skin is not perfect.

Real skin has pores, and the texture varies on different spot of the fabric, just like your skin.

A fake leather will look "too perfect" in comparison. You should be able to notice almost identical pattern and texture across the surface.

Faux vs Genuine Leather. Which is which?

• Real Leather Feels Like Skin

Touch and feel the leather with your hands. The smoothness should be very pleasant, as if you're touching a skin.

Related to the previous point, the texture on the leather should feel natural, not "bumpy".

• Real Leather Wrinkles

Try to flex or pinch the leather. Real leather should wrinkle according to your pressure, while fake leather will stay the same. Fake leather is similar to Botox-injected faces: they won't wrinkle naturally when they smile.

Wrinkles appear when pressed = Genuine Leather

No wrinkle = Faux Leather

So now, let's do a test:

By looking at the texture, can you tell if this leather below is genuine or faux? Let me know your answer at the comment below and do tell me why.

[Click to enlarge]

Ending this post with an informative video on how genuine leathers are made. The tedious process explains why genuine leather is much more expensive than faux:

Hope you find this post helpful.

Source: Image 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Checkout Max at MaxMayo.com and follow him on twitter @maxmayo for more updates and fashion tips!

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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