5 Filipino perfume brands putting Philippine fragrances on the map
A new generation of Filipino perfume brands is gaining international recognition by incorporating local ingredients like sampaguita, pandan, and ube into their fragrances. This movement reflects a broader trend in Asian perfumery where brands are increasingly drawing on regional culture and heritage.
Why it matters
It highlights the growth of niche, culturally-rooted industries in Southeast Asia and their successful entry into the global luxury market.
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)
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.
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