I’ve always admired people with the chutzpah for business, and in this case I was glad to meet in person Ms. Michelle Asence-Fontelera, the lady behind the popular Zen Zest soaps & scents which we can find in the major malls.
She’s not even 35 yet and it’s admirable how Ms. Fontelera has transformed Zen Zest into a major brand in the market today. Hers is a story of how you can turn your passion into a success. As a young girl, she was always into perfumes and looking good. Then, she thought of getting into business as a way of getting out of a broken heart. In those early days, it didn’t matter of she was riding taxis to stock her booth in a mall. One outlet turned into six in one year and then ballooned into the 130 or so booths now… what a feat indeed!
It’s easy to understand why Zen Zest has become a hit, mostly in the young market. The quality is good, packaging is hip and the price point is really affordable. Imagine getting a 50 ml eau de toilette for only P200! It’s really advisable for all those young girls and students who need to smell good on a daily basis. With Zen Zest’s reasonably-priced scents, the girls can spend their budget on other things like clothes and shoes.
During an intimate gathering with the Zen Zest people recently, we were able to sample their numerous scents and found out that it’s nothing to be ashamed of. The whole package really is comparable to buying a luxury perfume.I took a liking to their marigold scent which am told is equivalent to the scent of freshly-squeezed lemons. My other preference, Mulberry, was concocted with fresh apples and juicy pears.
Their other “fruity” and flowery scents go by the names of Tangerine, Indigo, Scarlet, Magenta, and Thistle.
Unknown to some people, Zen Zest also has scents specially for men. I got a bottle of the brand’s Aquamarine fragrance which I’ve given to my teenage son who seems to be so conscious of his appearance these days. The other manly scents go by the names of Bullet, Celadon, Turquoise, Cobalt, Teal & Periwinkle.
This April, there’s something to look forward to as the Zen Zest lab launches more scents. These are Silver, Blue and Black for men. The lone new scent for women is labelled Coral, described as having the inviting scent of flowers and powder that reminds one of those days of our childhood and innocence. (Hmm, no doubt I’ll rush to the nearest store to get my hands on one of these) 😉
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