5 rising Filipino perfume brands putting the Philippines on the map
Discover five Filipino perfume brands redefining fine fragrance with scents inspired by sampaguita, pandan, ube and the rich culture of the Philippines.
(Art: Jasper Loh; photos: Tadhana, Wren Atelier, Oscar Mejia III, Olfaction and Orca)
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The Philippines might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of fine fragrance. For decades, perfume aficionados have looked to the powerhouses of France and the Middle East. But a new generation of Filipino perfumers is making a compelling case for looking closer to home.
Drawing on the country’s ingredients, traditions and memories, Filipino perfume houses are bottling a distinctly local sense of place. Pandan and calamansi appear alongside ube and sampaguita – the Philippines’ national flower, also known as jasmine sambac – in fragrances that feel at once nostalgic and new.
The movement comes amid a broader shift in Asian perfumery, as scent lovers increasingly seek fragrances rooted in regional culture. China’s To Summer, for instance, has found global appeal with compositions steeped in Chinese herbs, plants and fragrant teas.
Now, Filipino perfume houses are carving out an identity of their own – and the world is taking notice.
In 2025, niche perfume label Tadhana was invited to France as an exhibitor at the inaugural Grasse Perfume Week. Not long after, the brand began retail distribution in the US, signalling both its growing reach and the Philippines’ burgeoning presence on the international perfume scene.
From native botanicals to scents inspired by freshly cooked rice, Filipino perfumers are transforming familiar ingredients and memories into something unexpected.
Ahead, discover five brands introducing the world to Filipino perfumery.
1. TADHANA
Perhaps one of the most recognisable names in Filipino perfumery is Tadhana. The brand’s name translates literally to fate or destiny, but in the hands of founder and creative director Shale Albao, the idea takes on a more intimate meaning – one shaped by the small encounters and fleeting moments that quietly steer our everyday lives.
After studying at renowned French perfumery institution ISIPCA, Albao set out to create a label that would place her country’s identity firmly at the forefront. Each Tadhana fragrance is anchored by a native ingredient, turning elements of the Philippine landscape into olfactory stories.
Hello, Silence, for instance, features almaciga, an ancient conifer tree indigenous to the rainforests of the Philippines. In fragrance form, the ingredient lends a grounding character, with clean, balsamic facets. Paired with black tea, leather, juniper berries and lemon, it unfolds into a deep, woody fragrance with a quietly contemplative quality.
Available at Tadhana.
2. WREN ATELIER
Founded in 2020, Wren Atelier was established by Renato Lopena Jr, who trained at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery. His olfactive creations are steeped in cultural heritage, drawing inspiration from everything from sinigang, the beloved Filipino dish, to Batok, the traditional art of tattooing practised in the northern province of Kalinga.
The label is making its mark on the global stage, too. Its Smoky Gourmand scent clinched the Emerging Perfume Brand Award at the APF Asia Perfume Awards 2025 in Hong Kong. The fragrance brings together two distinctly Filipino references: mango, the country’s national fruit, and tupig, a charcoal-grilled sticky rice delicacy.
Translated into scent, the pairing becomes an unexpectedly delicious interplay of juicy sweetness, gourmand warmth and smoky depth – familiar enough to stir a memory, yet unusual enough to keep you coming back for another sniff.
Available at Wren Atelier and select retail partners in the Philippines.
3. OSCAR MEJIA III
Oscar Mejia III is the founder and nose behind his namesake perfume house, but his relationship with fragrance began long before the brand itself. Growing up on a cut-flower farm in Davao City, Mejia developed an early fascination with scent that would eventually become his craft. Today, his commitment to putting Filipino fragrances on the map sees the house working with essential oils native to the Philippines.
One of its standout fragrances is Handumanan. Loosely translating to memories or remembrance in Cebuano, the scent centres on ylang-ylang, a tropical flowering plant native to the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia. Lemon and gardenia lend brightness to the composition before sandalwood and cedar emerge, bringing a warm, woody finish as the fragrance settles onto the skin.
And the olfactory journey does not end with personal fragrance. The brand also produces home scents, including linen sprays and candles, allowing its fragrant universe to linger throughout one’s space.
Available at Oscar Mejia III and select retail partners in Metro Manila.
4. OLFACTION
For Olfaction founder and perfumer Claire Mavreen, fragrance is a portal into memory – whether lived, half-remembered or entirely imagined. Inspired by people, places and even food (ube perfume, anyone?), Mavreen has a particular knack for dreamy gourmand fragrances that begin with an irresistible familiarity before developing into complex, lingering dry-downs.
For an instant hit of nostalgia, consider Samyo Ng Bagong Kanin which means the aroma of freshly cooked rice. The fragrance captures an everyday scent with remarkable vividness. Notes of rice and steam open the composition, while pandan and clove add warmth and dimension.
The brand likens the fragrance to the comfort of a mother’s embrace, an image that comes to life as cedarwood, white musk and mimosa envelop the skin. The result is subtle and tender – less a literal recreation of a bowl of rice than the memory and feeling surrounding it.
Mavreen also conducts bespoke fragrance design workshops for those looking to take the experience one step further, offering a hands-on opportunity to develop a signature scent of their own.
Available at Olfaction.
5. ORCA
Orca begins with one deceptively simple idea: uncover forgotten chapters of perfume history and bring them into the 21st century.
Created by Gib Osbert Ang, Orca Parfums revisits fragrance profiles that have fallen out of fashion – chypres among them – and reimagines them through a contemporary understanding of molecular chemistry.
Rather than merely reproducing the past, Orca pays homage to these long-overlooked compositions by giving them a decidedly modern edge. Its fragrances are powered by synthetic aroma molecules selected to perform in tropical heat and humidity, resulting in scents with impressive projection and staying power.
For an introduction to the house, look towards Steel Petals. Fresh pear and bergamot lend the opening a crisp brightness before a rich jasmine sambac absolute takes centre stage, sharpened by fizzy metallic and mineral facets. Floral yet futuristic, familiar yet difficult to pin down, it is a fragrance that feels very much of the moment.
And perhaps that is what makes Steel Petals such a fitting representation of the rising power of Filipino fine fragrance: nuanced, distinctive and confidently its own.
Available at Orca.
Source: CNA/yy
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