Jun 16, 2009 02:35 PM
5265 Views
My affair with Clinique Happy for Men started many years ago, while I was on a trip to the US. Even though I'm a guy who is(mostly) miserly, I didn't refrain myself from one of those window shopping trips to a luxurious mall selling those oh-so-expensive perfumes and cosmetics.
Orange happens to be my favourite colour and I am naturally drawn to all things orange! Needless to say, this simple-looking yet very stylish orange bottle of a perfume named Happy attracted my eye. At that time, I was not a perfume person and Clinique was a completely unheard brand back home. That didn’t stop from me from asking the beautiful salesgirl to let me try the perfume. She was quite responsive and starting by telling me that it had a fresh citrus tone and that she herself liked it quite a lot(some selling tactic, ;). As she sprayed Happy on the paper strip, the first notes hit my olfactory senses like nothing before. It was love at first whiff!
Then the came the big shocker, she quoted the price in the range of$40-50 and it almost broke my heart. The salesgirl sensed my apprehension and asked me if I wanted to try something else. She went on to spray some other perfumes but nothing quite matched up to the happiness that Happy had stirred in me. Just as I decided to leave, the girl handed me a sampler of Happy saying I could try it a few times and come back if I liked it.
I used the Happy sampler sparingly but every time I opened the vial, it felt just as refreshing. I came back to India without buying it and unfortunately even lost the vial. I tried searching for Clinique perfumes in India, but not even Shoppers Stop or Lifestyle stocked the brand. It was during this time, that I figured out that Clinique, indeed, was a premium brand and much sought-after for its quality products.
A year or so passed and the memories of Happy faded away. On another trip to Europe, I again came across Happy in one of those duty-free shops at the airport. The citrus fragrance filled my senses with ecstasy just like the first time. This time, the price in Euros seemed even more expensive. Once again, I let the practical side of me dictate terms and came back to India with only a lingering need to possess Happy.
However, so intense was the effect of Happy this time that even after returning to India, I could not numb my money-minded head. I convinced myself that such things stay with us for years and finally asked a colleague, who was coming back a few days later, to get me a bottle of Clinique Happy for Men from the airport duty free shop.
As my colleague handed over the bottle to me in office, a few curious friends at work asked me to try it on. The compliments started that instant and continue till today. My sister feels that whenever I put on Happy, it is a sign that I’m in a good mood and I’m happier than usual after I wear it.
Even after having used Happy for a couple of years, its cool and crispy aroma continues to delight me and others around me. Clinique Happy for Men is going to be my signature perfume for years to come!
