What a year it’s been for fragrances. From standout re-releases to fragrance firsts from designer brands, and boutiques of the labels we love now opening in Manila, we find ourselves spoilt for choice with so many to discover, try and test, and share with fellow fragheads and budding fragrance fans. A good place to start? Our annual Honor Roll list, a year-end sensory recap, which we couldn’t better call… Scentsational.
Creed opens a new stand-alone boutique at Podium
Mid-2023, Creed unveiled a beautiful pop-up in Greenbelt 5, where The Beauty Edit was lucky to be given a first preview and host The Editor’s Room with select members of the press. Known and lauded for its rich heritage, we learned of Creed’s early beginnings (did you know they were first a tailor shop), the generations that led it, and of course, its best-selling scents.
Creed Aventus Absolu
Evolving from the classic Aventus, this scent masterfully balances tart freshness with comforting sweetness. As an oriental fougère, it ventures into uncharted territories with a unique blend of spicy-gourmand cinnamon and licorice, anchored by a smoky leather base. This combination crafts an indulgent evening fragrance, reminiscent of a sophisticated barbershop and the allure of upscale nightlife. With its lasting power and harmoniously complex structure, Absolu Aventus is poised to become the new go-to for those in search of a luxurious, meticulously crafted scent.
Creed Aventus Absolu
P22,400, Rustan’s or Creed in Podium
Creed Carmina
Creed Carmina, inspired by the haute couture sketches of Henry Creed, is a floral oriental fragrance that celebrates femininity and the elegance of florals and roses. It starts with notes of black cherry, saffron, and pink pepper, leading to a heart dominated by Rose de Mai, violet, cashmere wood, and peony, creating a harmonious blend of sweetness and depth. While some find the initial cherry note synthetic, the fragrance matures into a rich tapestry of rose, wood, musk, and amber, making it ideal for those who appreciate a modern yet timeless floral scent with a hint of Middle Eastern oud-like richness.
Creed Carmina
P17,400, Rustan’s or Creed in Podium
Maison Francis Kurkdjian releases new scents in the Cologne Forte collection
The balance and the in-between. Maison Francis Kurdjian’s reinvented its popular Aqua line in a new format called Cologne Forte in 2021, an obvious in-between of the cologne and the forte. It started wih Aqua Universalis, Aqua Vitae, and Aqua Celestia in enriched Cologne Fortes, which we think are perfect for our weather, being a lot less dense than the Fortes but lasting longer on the skin than the colognes. Bergamot (a key note in agua de colognes) is at the heart of these fragrances being in the Aqua line, but each provides a distinct character perfect for anyone obsessed with skin scents.
Aqua Media Cologne Forte, a citrus aquatic new addition to Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Cologne Forte Collection, encapsulates a vibrant freshness and balance, inspired by the interplay of water and light. This fragrance, embodying the essence of the emerald green middle color of the rainbow prism, features a lively combination of Calabrian bergamot, verbena, sweet fennel, and floral hedione, finishing with a woody musk accord. It offers a refreshing and harmonious composition suitable for everyday wear.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Media Cologne Forte
P7,550, Rustan’s
Designer fragrances unveil new, noteworthy releases
Narciso Rodriguez Musc Noir Rose
Narciso Rodriguez’s floral musky Musc Noir For Her Eau de Parfum is a captivating fragrance that pays tribute to the mysterious and sensual aspects of femininity. This scent starts with a juicy plum note, and blends with the iconic Narciso musk and suede at its heart, creating a deeply sensual experience. The fragrance, akin to the timeless elegance of a little black dress, offers a memorable olfactory journey with its mix of plum, pink pepper, bergamot, tuberose, and rich leather suede, all encased in an elegant smokey pink bottle, evoking cherished memories and intimate moments. Its strong projection and lasting scent make it a symbol of seduction.
Narciso Rodriguez Musc Noir Rose
P7,550, Rustan’s
D&G Devotion
It’s the brand’s first-ever gourmand scent. Dolce & Gabbana’s citrus floral Devotion stands out with its unique portrayal of vanilla as a warm, creamy, and custard-like essence, distinct from its contemporaries Goddess and Deep Dark Vanilla. Created by master perfumer Olivier Cresp, it combines a vivid candied lemon opening with honeyed orange blossoms and a dynamic vanilla backbone, offering a bright, intense, and heady experience. This fragrance, suitable for various settings and climates, is poised to make a strong impact with its enormous sillage and longevity.
D&G Devotion
P10,200, Rustan’s
Gucci Flora Gorgeous Magnolia
Gucci’s Flora Gorgeous Magnolia, part of the Flora Fantasy collection, is a deceptive yet enchanting fruitchouli scent that diverts from traditional magnolia fragrances. Rather than the expected astringent and citrusy notes of magnolia, it unfolds into a luscious blend of dark berries, creamy vanilla, and warm woods, accented with hints of orchid and plum. This rich, velvety composition offers a fruity, floral, and slightly sweet aroma, making it ideal for evening wear and those who favor a warm, creamy touch in their fragrances.
Gucci Flora Gorgeous Magnolia
Available at Rustan’s
Issey Miyake A Drop d’Issey Essentielle
A Drop d’Issey Eau de Parfum Essentielle by Issey Miyake is a vegan perfume that embodies the ethereal journey of water droplets in sunlight, offering a fresh, airy experience with natural scent notes. This composition uniquely combines the crispness of rain, clean blooms of lilac and rose, and a dreamy woodsy, musky base, creating an olfactory portrayal of morning mist and lush nature. Housed in a green-toned bottle resembling a water drop, it represents a serene and weightless scent journey, ideal for those who cherish the freshness and tranquility of nature in their fragrances.
Issey Miyake A Drop d’Issey Essentielle
P7,250, Rustan’s
Tom Ford Cherry Smoke
Tom Ford’s Cherry Smoke is a fragrance that skillfully blends the rich, sweet juiciness of ripe cherries with the complex depth of smoked woods, tobacco, leather, and saffron. The scent evolves from a predominant cherry brandy note to a multifaceted aroma where smoky woods, cool, elastic cherry, and powdery, green violets play a significant role. This intricate fragrance, reminiscent of the union between Lost Cherry and Ombré Leather, is well-balanced and harmonious, offering a luxurious experience for those who appreciate a bold yet refined scent with a slightly rough texture.
Tom Ford Cherry Smoke
P13,200, Rustan’s
Maison Margiela makes its way to the Philippines–and makes waves among fragheads
Margiela Under the Stars
Margiela’s Under The Stars is a unique fragrance that juxtaposes opposing connotations of oud and leather, creating a sense of tension and curiosity. It features a tannic-woody backbone that oscillates between dirty, ashen, and sooty notes and an ultra-clean, soapy profile, evoking imagery of both white and black ash. This fragrance, enhanced with berry tones and sharp pepper, presents a captivating dichotomy of burnt and vivacious, perfectly capturing the cozy ambiance of a campfire beneath the stars, making it ideal for those who appreciate complex, unconventional scents with a sense of adventure and mystery.
Margiela Under the Stars
Available at Rustan’s
Diptyque launches first refillable candles and a must-try scent
Les Mondes de Diptyque refillable candles
60 years after the launch of the first Diptyque candle, the Maison introduces its refillable scented candles collection, called “Les Mondes de Diptyque.” It’s meant to take you on a fragrant journey to extraordinary places, each candle expressing its history and heritage. The range comes in refillable versions, an innovative way to indulge in your favorite candle scent longer.
The Temple des Mousses, or Moss Temple, candle, pays homage to a temple near Kyoto that features a garden with about 120 rare moss varieties. Imagine it to be a Japanese Zen garden with every light, allowing you to reflect in solitude and its warmth.
Les Mondes de Diptyque Moss Temple
P14,350, Rustan’s
Diptyque L’Eau Papier
A floral, woody musk, the L’Eau Papier by Diptyque is an innovative fragrance that pays homage to the art of creation, blending the concepts of water and paper to evoke a sense of imagination and memory. With top notes of mimosa, middle notes of sesame and rice, and base notes of musk and woody notes, this perfume creates a unique scent profile that is both floral and woody, symbolizing the lightness of paper and the fluidity of ink. L’Eau Papier is a synesthetic experience, artfully crafted to merge the visual and olfactory realms, ideal for those who appreciate the interplay of art and fragrance in their personal expression.
Diptyque L’Eau Papier
P9,250, Rustan’s
Jo Loves opens its boutique in Manila–the biggest one in Asia
It’s Jo Malone’s CBE world and we’re just living in it. Just in time for the holidays, the much-revered British perfumer’s comeback brand and labor of love, Jo Loves, opens up shop in Manila, at Glorietta 4, and it’s the biggest one in Asia. It’s immersive, fun and festive, with every corner stamped with Jo Malone’s signature knack for storytelling through her creations and her innovative ideas that keep us inspired.
There’s the corner we call the Jo Loves library, where you can dive deep into her life story by way of her memoir (soon to be available for purchase locally) and an audio recording. One can take leisure time trying out the scents in its iterations. All her 15 scents are in store, as well as the candles, bath products, and the paintbrush fragrances. Last but not least is the fragrance tapas bar, a novel way to explore and experience the scents.
Jo by Jo Loves
P9,800, Rustan’s or Jo Loves in Glorietta
Jo Loves Pomelo
P8,550, Rustan’s or Jo Loves in Glorietta
Jo Loves Mango Thai Lime
P8,550, Rustan’s or Jo Loves in Glorietta
Niche fragrances are on the rise with the resurgence of Ormonde Jayne and Bond No. 9
Make room for the niche. This year, Bond No. 9 gets the spotlight in Rustan’s, highlighting three major scents that perfectly encapsulate the Big Apple’s energy.
Bleecker Street
Inspired by the fashion-forward district in Manhattan, this scent has notes of violet leaf, jasmine, cassis, and thyme, perfectly blending with rich layers of cedarwood, cinnamon, oak moss, suede, patchouli, amber, and vanilla.
Bleecker Street
P24,250, Rustan’s
Nolita
A favorite of Bond No. 9-ers, it’s the scent for the playful romantic, the brimming with energy, and the effortlessly chic millennial. Its scent is sparkling fresh, with distinct notes of freesia and bright tangerine.
Nolita
P24,250, Rustan’s
The Scent of Peace for Him
Designed for men, this fragrance blends contemporary and traditional notes, giving a soothing but powerful scent and a boost of confidence. Its power notes are of bergamot, pineapple, juniper berry, and black currant, layered on a cedarwood, vetiver, patchouli, moss, musk, and amber base.
The Scent of Peace for Him
P24,250, Rustan’s
Ormonde Jayne, available at the Art of Scent, is another choice fave of fragheads with a penchant for niche finds. House founder Linda Pilkington herself visited Manila to present the latest fragrance herself–Arabesque, the newest edition to the brand’s “Four Corners of the Earth” collection.
Arabesque
As its name suggests, Arabesque takes inspiration from the Middle East and the bevy of flowers, fruits, and woods intertwined in Islamic art. It opens with blackcurrant top notes, mixing with the citrusy aroma of bergamot and a hint of black pepper spice. It’s unique, classic, and complex all at once.
Arabesque
P13,500, Art of Scent
Concluding our list of 2023’s standout scents and the events that brought them, it’s clear that diversity and innovation reigned supreme. The winning fragrances offered not just a captivating aroma, but a vibrant narrative–from sun-drenched citruses that whisked us to faraway beaches to moonlit musks that whispered secrets beneath a velvet sky. These weren’t simply perfumes; they were invitations to explore uncharted facets of ourselves, expressions of individuality woven into olfactory tapestries.
