At The Beauty Edit Gallery in Spatio, fragrance became a journey at The Scent Social—an intimate gathering created to spotlight the scent brands shaping our growing local fragrance community. The space, warm and inviting, became a playground for exploration where guests went from one brand’s fragrance corner to another, discovering stories bottled through craft, memory, and culture. Every fragrance had its own personality, from bright and playful compositions to deeper scents, encouraging everyone to pause and engage with each creation in a personal way.
Péthalo Makes Its Debut
The fragrance discovery session opened with the introduction of Péthalo, the newest fragrance house welcomed into The Beauty Edit Gallery and the creative brainchild of Leandro Santiago. After nearly two decades of experience working for global beauty brands, Santiago founded Péthalo to bring world-class precision and a refined approach to Filipino perfumery.
The goal, Santiago explained, was simple but ambitious: to create fragrances that Filipinos could be proud of and that could compete on an international level. He also talked about the name, explaining that it comes from the Spanish word for petals, with an extra “h” added to make it uniquely theirs—a small twist that gave the brand its own identity.
Quality and precision are central to Péthalo’s approach. Santiago emphasized that every product is made to the highest standards. “If we’re making something for Filipinos, it has to be the best. That’s why we ensure our fragrances meet IFRA or International Fragrance Association standards—the gold standard for fragrance suppliers,” he said, underlining the brand’s commitment to both safety and quality.
He also noted that Péthalo uses premium raw materials sourced from Grasse, the renowned French region celebrated for world-class perfume ingredients, further highlighting the brand’s standard of excellence.
We were introduced to Péthalo’s two fragrances, Cariñosa and Capricho. Cariñosa opens with pepper and pink berry, flows into rose and iris, and settles into a warm base of sandalwood and musk. Capricho is a citrus‑oriental scent with bergamot, lemon, and juniper at the top, pepper, pine, and iris in the heart, and amber, vanilla, and incense at the base. Together, they showcase Péthalo’s careful craftsmanship and premium ingredients, creating wearable scents with personality and a distinctly Filipino identity.
Cariñosa Extrait de Parfum
P3,499, The Beauty Edit Gallery at Spatio
Capricho Extrait de Parfum
P3,499, The Beauty Edit Gallery at Spatio
Tadhana and the Art of Stillness
Next, we entered the serene space of Tadhana, which revealed the first two scents of its Pause Collection. Crafted around quiet moments and mindful rituals, these fragrances encourage wearers to slow down, take a breath, and let the day pause for just a little while—turning everyday life into a gentle, fragrant escape.
Speaking about the first scent of the collection called Hello, Silence, Monica Micu from the Tadhana Fragrance Development Team took us through the emotional roots of the fragrance, describing it as “grounding, introspective, but also calm,” a reflection of quiet moments many of us forget to claim in the middle of everyday rush. She explained, “It’s about breathing the silence within you, that’s why we named it Hello, Silence,” adding that the scent draws inspiration from the quiet atmosphere of a library. “It is very grounding, very woody. It just feels as if you could take a moment for yourself to just be in solitary peace.”
Hello, Silence is built around Almaciga and Elemi, with top notes of neroli, cypriol, and iris accord, middle notes of black tea, ambrette, and blackcurrant, and base notes of sandalwood, leather, and vanilla.
Its counterpart, Breathe, Darling, brings a brighter and warmer character featuring calamansi and salabat as hero ingredients, top notes of bergamot, cashmere, and peony, middle notes of apple, honey, and mimosa, and base notes of white musk, norlimbanol, and immortelle. The two scents introduce the Pause Collection’s balance of reflection and ease and the scents were absorbed by the guests the way Tadhana intended: slowly, intentionally, with space for reflection.
Breathe, Darling Eau De Parfum
P3,700, The Beauty Edit Gallery at Spatio
Hello, Silence Eau De Parfum
P3,700, The Beauty Edit Gallery at Spatio
GP Fragrances and Stories Worn on Skin
We then immersed ourselves into the world of GP Fragrances, where each perfume felt like a story waiting to be discovered. Greg Parilla, co-founder, emphasized right away: “These are all fragrances based on stories.” Parilla introduced attendees to the brand’s two main lines: the Dreamer Collection and the Elements Collection, sharing the inspirations behind each while encouraging everyone to explore the scents and find what spoke to them.
The Dreamer Collection is a personal reflection of Greg’s journey, inspired by his past, present, and future. Each fragrance evoked its own mood and memory, drawing wearers into a personal and almost reflective experience. Guests explored the collection closely, uncovering the subtle layers and distinctive character that make each scent unique.
The Elements Collection, on the other hand, draws from nature itself. Each fragrance embodies a different element, such as air, water, and earth, giving it a distinct character and atmosphere. This collection also highlights collaborations with talented local perfumers, including Gib Osbert Veluz Ang, Bernadette Lim, and Shale Albao, who helped shape each scent’s unique identity.
Most of the guests were especially drawn to Siargao Escape, a vibrant and fresh scent that instantly evoked the sun, sea, and surf of the island. Its lively, uplifting character became an instant favorite, sparking conversations and playful comparisons as guests imagined themselves transported to the beach.
GP Elements Siargao Escape Eau de Parfum
P2,200, The Beauty Edit Gallery at Spatio
GP Elements Banaue Bliss Eau de Parfum
P2,200, The Beauty Edit Gallery at Spatio
GP Elements Baguio Verde Eau de Parfum
P2,200, The Beauty Edit Gallery at Spatio
Personal Touches and a Celebration of Filipino Fragrance
As the afternoon unfolded, the gallery buzzed with curiosity and excitement. Guests wandered from scent to scent, sampling, asking questions, and discovering new favorites along the way. Some found instant connections with a particular fragrance, while others savored the process of exploring, letting the fragrances reveal their personalities one note at a time.
Adding a thoughtful final touch, visual artist and calligrapher Micole Tam provided on-site bottle engraving. Names, initials, and small dedications were etched into glass which turned each perfume into a keepsake and an intimate reminder of the moment, the scent, and the experience.
By the end of the afternoon, The Scent Social became a celebration Filipino perfumery itself—its craftsmanship, its stories, its growing presence in the wider beauty landscape. Each brand brought a distinct perspective, but together they painted a vibrant picture of an industry blooming with intention and artistry.
