Trinkets remain just objects—until we give them meaning. Take postcards, for instance. You might pick one up, jot down a date and a few words, store it in a memory box, or send it off to someone you love. It’s a small gesture, but it carries a weight of sentiment. And it’s not just postcards. We dry flowers to remember those who gave them, and we develop photos despite having the comfort of our digital phones. Though we are surrounded by the hustle and bustle of life, these moments help stop time and even immortalize them if we allow it.
We carry that same sentiment into the world of a well-known celebrity makeup artist in the local scene. Many recognize him for his artistry—especially his talent for enhancing morena skin tones—there’s another side to him, quieter but just as rich. A world where cities, emotions, and memories are captured… and kept in bottles.
In this exclusive interview with The Beauty Edit, Jason Delos Reyes opens up about his fragrance collection for the first time—taking us on a nostalgic journey through how his love for scent began, and the rich memories each bottle holds.
Knowing the Virtuoso
Delos Reyes has made his mark in the beauty industry as one of the most sought-after celebrity makeup artists. You’ve likely seen his work on local stars like Gabbi Garcia and Megan Young, or influencers like Marj Maroket and Angelique Manto—all confidently embracing their morena skin.
While this might seem standard now, there was a time when celebrating Filipina skin wasn’t so straightforward. Shade mismatches, harsh contouring, overly bright blush—the list of missteps was long. Only a few truly understood how to get it right. Delos Reyes was one of them.
The Space Between Scent and Skin
So where does fragrance fit into his world of makeup? According to Delos Reyes, he keeps the two separate whenever possible. While there are occasions when they overlap—such as his recent collaboration with Tom Ford on the Rose Exposed collection—he views them as belonging to entirely different realms. He puts it this way, “Fragrance is my personal life and makeup is my professional life. They are really separated.”
A Playful Matchmaker
Even though he keeps his hobby and profession separate, Delos Reyes doesn’t shy away from adding a twist to his fragrance and style when the situation allows. “I like to play around. For example, I’m wearing linen then I’ll spray a scent with deeper notes. I’ll play around with it because I have so much to choose from. In a sense, I like to confuse people,” he playfully shares when asked about how he selects a scent for the day.
Though it might seem like a simple quirk, it gave us a glimpse into how he perceives scents—unconventional and juxtaposed. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when we tell you that his favorite blend is leather and rose.
The Gateway Experience
Like any hobby, most of us start with humble beginnings. For Delos Reyes, his curiosity about the world of scents started years ago with purchases from Zara. “I started to buy from Zara because they have good dupes for a cheaper price,” Delos Reyes explains—a sentiment we can’t help but agree with. After all, many of us have taken that route at some point—no shame in that.
In terms of the timeline, he marks 2023 as the official start of his fragrance journey when he ventured into designer perfumes, thanks to their accessibility in malls. His first big purchase? Bad Boy by Carolina Herrera, which has a fresh, citrusy blend of cannabis and grapefruit, warming up with notes of leather and earthy vetiver.
He’s Not Like Other Guys
When asked about his collection and how he’d describe it, Delos Reyes simply says, “niche.” In the fragrance world, niche refers to scents crafted by independent brands or artists—produced in small batches, often with a focus on unique, high-quality ingredients. This gives the scent an exclusive appeal, turning each bottle into an “If you know, you know” kind of fragrance.
“When I smell perfume, I look for something unique, and you will find this in niche perfumes,” he shares. As a side note, he admits the higher price tags can sometimes give him a bit of a headache—something we can definitely relate to.
He goes on to say, “What I want is to be the only one who has it—I don’t want to smell it on someone else. So if you’re going to buy a fragrance, go for something that’s already unique. That’s why I dove into niche perfumes.”
Ever since his interest in the category grew, Delos Reyes’ collection began leaning toward Middle Eastern perfumes—known for their bold, niche scents from houses like Al Haramain and AFNAN. This kickstarted a personal hunt for fragrances that embodied the essence of “niche,” eventually leading him to amass a collection of over 80 bottles, with selections from Indonesia, Japan, London, Paris, and beyond.
An International Pastime
Since we’re on the topic of going worldwide, one of the perks of the job is that Delos Reyes gets to travel with his regular clients. Whenever he can, he carves out time to explore the area in search of a fragrance—without any particular brand or scent in mind. He explains, “Sometimes when you go outside the country, you have a souvenir, like a magnet. Me, it’s a perfume.” In a way, his collection has become a kind of memorabilia.
As the conversation unfolds, Delos Reyes reveals a sentimental side—especially when he talks about how fragrances hold memories. “Even if it’s not a local perfume, I’ll still buy it there because I have memories tied to that smell. I relate the [scent] to the [moments I experienced],” he shares.
Unfiltered Decision-Making
With all his fragrance ventures, Delos Reyes shares that he chooses perfumes in two ways—by feel or through a blind buy. Quite daring, if we must say. When it’s by feel, he says, “I really don’t have a criteria. Whatever I feel in that moment, that’s what I’ll get. Sometimes, when you have so many perfumes, you end up looking for something different.”
As for blind buying, it’s all about the adrenaline rush. “It’s about surprising myself—to confuse myself!” he laughs. “There’s a certain thrill—if you’ll like a fragrance at that price. It’s the adrenaline!”
With that perspective, his collection starts to make perfect sense. While he has his go-to picks—oud, leather, and rose-based scents—the presence of fresh, powdery, or floral fragrances rounds out the bigger picture. A prime example: his Shiro Smoked Leather Eau De Parfum from Japan. It opens with a refreshing burst, then settles into a subtle, musky dry-down—a reflection of Japan’s scent sensibilities and a testament to a fraghead’s curious, adventurous streak.
The Walk He Remembers
Each fragrance holds a unique memory for Delos Reyes, and he recalls two that stand out. The first takes him back to his third Halloween in Japan. With the cold weather at the time, his go-to scent was Coffee Break by Xerjoff—a prestigious Italian luxury brand—with a strong tobacco scent. “I never wear it in the Philippines because of the weather. But when I tried it there, I was getting compliments every day. On top of that, I still remember the drink I had and how wasted I was that day—those are my memories,” he shares. Truly unforgettable, when you think about it.
However, Delos Reyes’ sentiment toward a particular orange-hued bottle surprised us. Tracing back to his college and high school days, he shared a familiar story—one that many of us can relate to. He recalled giving the fragrance a go, liking it, but having to walk away because he couldn’t afford it. Years later, when he finally had the means, he didn’t hesitate. That’s when Clinique Happy officially joined his collection.
“It’s nostalgic, that’s why I bought it for that memory. It felt like a milestone,” says Delos Reyes as he glances over a table full of fragrances—a beautiful view into a world scented with memories.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BELLE DINGLASA. CREATIVE DIRECTION BY CARYLL CABUHAT.
