There’s a point where fragrance stops being about what you recognize and more about what it reminds you of. At The Scent Studio, that idea shapes how scents are made and experienced. As the first DIY perfume-making studio and a retail space, it puts equal focus on the finished fragrance and the process behind it—how notes come together, how they evolve on skin, and how familiar notes can be reworked into scents that feel more refined.
Across all three of the scents in its latest collection, the Notes Collection—available exclusively at The Beauty Edit Gallery at Spatio—there’s a strong sense of memory at play. Each one is rooted in something specific to Bernadette Lim, fragrance specialist, perfumer-educator, and the founder of The Scent Studio. It marks a personal first: After years of creating fragrances for clients and teaching the craft, Lim now turns inward, guided entirely by her own life.
Her inspiration is drawn closely from moments connected to her mother and everyday life at home. Afternoons that feel light and unhurried, evenings that wind down into something warm, and mornings that start clean, quiet, and open.
But interestingly, the way these scents are experienced now wasn’t how they were initially conceived. As Lim shares, “When I actually made these, I didn’t really have that concept that it’s morning, afternoon, and night… I really just wanted to create something that people would already be able to create in the first place.” The structure—and the personal meaning behind it—came later.
For Lim, it comes down to making fragrances that feel easy to wear and easy to come back to. Their scents are something you reach for without thinking but still appreciate throughout the day.
Crystal Pear: Light and Effortless
Wearing Crystal Pear is like stepping into a slow, unhurried afternoon, where everything feels light and easy. It’s built around pear—chosen for its softness and fluidity, rather than the sharper bite of more familiar fruit notes—so the opening feels juicy and clean without leaning too sweet. That brightness slowly settles into sheer florals, a touch of honey, musk, and sandalwood.
As Lim shares, “Pear is the preferred fruit of my mom… she doesn’t like apples, [so] she would use pears instead. So like pie, juice, everything like that.” That personal reference carries through in how the scent feels—gentler, more relaxed, and easy to wear.
“So this one is more of an afternoon fragrance where, let’s say you’re in the middle of a busy day, you just want to go to a cafe, relax, do your errands, and just chill. So that’s what Crystal Pear is really about,” she explains. And it comes through in its light, easy character. It diffuses softly and lingers in a way that comes off more like a trace than a trail—always there, but never overwhelming.
Crystal Pear by Scent Studio
P999, The Beauty Edit Gallery at Spatio
Pound Cake: Warmth You Can Wear
Pound Cake feels like coming home on a Sunday night, when everything is already winding down. It opens with vanilla and a touch of orange zest—simple, familiar, almost like dessert still warm on the table. There’s a soft sweetness from caramel, while soft florals and a hint of patchouli give it a bit of depth as it settles, keeping it from feeling too sugary.
The scent comes directly from memory. “Our usual dessert during Sundays… my mom would always prepare pound cake with vanilla ice cream, and then she’d put orange zest on top,” Lim recalls. “And then it’s more [of a] light, comforting fragrance,” she added.
What it really leans into is that feeling of ease at home: dessert shared, conversations slowing down, no rush to be anywhere else.
Pound Cake by Scent Studio
P999, The Beauty Edit Gallery at Spatio
White Sage: Calm and Grounded
Wearing White Sage is like stepping into a slow morning: soft light, fresh air, and a sense of calm grounding you while letting space for quiet reflection. Clary sage opens with a fresh, calming clarity, while cedar adds structure and gentle warmth. Jasmine softens the edges, and a hint of vanilla rounds it out with smooth and comforting balance.
It’s inspired by those slower stretches of time—white shirts, clean linen drying in the breeze, the smell of greenery after rain. It’s light, steady, and calming on skin, like a small reset you can carry through the day.
White Sage by Scent Studio
P999, The Beauty Edit Gallery at Spatio
Shop The Scent Studio and more Filipino fragrances at The Beauty Edit Gallery at Spatio, located on the 3/F of Opus Mall, Bridgetowne Destination Estate, Quezon City. An editorial-led retail concept—and the first-of-its-kind in the local scene—the gallery spotlights indie innovators, cult icons, and niche trailblazers shaping F-beauty today.
