It is common in Filipino culture to think that imported goods are far superior than local ones in terms of quality. However, Filipinos' unwavering passion and undeniable talent for craft, particularly in formulating products like food, cosmetics, and the like, continues to give us reason to keep supporting local, despite the common misconception. Local brands, through their persistent dedication to quality and innovation, as well as the on-going dream to be at par with foreign brands continue to make us all immensely proud—helping push the industry further, expanding our reputation on the global stage.

Jessy So, fragrance enthusiast @hellojesso_

On the topic of supporting local, there's a growing market for not just makeup and skincare, but Filipino perfumes as well. To help us get to know Filipino fragrances better, we acquired helpful tips from Jessy (@hellojesso_), a perfume expert and beauty influencer, who guided us thoroughly on the subject of scents by local brands without drying out our pockets. Her recommendations are sold at good price points for the majority of Filipinos. A self-confessed 'fraghead', Jessy regularly reviews fragrances from both foreign and local brands.

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A post shared by Jessy 雷 (@hellojesso_)

Firstly, Jessy provides us the insight about the uniqueness of the local perfume brands compared to foreign, expressing, “I find that the Filipino approach to perfume is more airy and volatile in a way that the scents dance more in the wind and play along with the hot and humid Philippine weather.” This is interesting, because a lot of Filipinos are picky about the kind of perfume they wear, often opting for light scents because they like feeling fresh.

Furthermore, Jessy shed a light on some Filipino myths to help us get on track when buying these aromatic bottles, saying, “My biggest pet peeve has to be the term “oil-based” in marketing perfumes. Calling a fragrance oil-based means that the carrier of fragrance oils or essential oils is oil. But it defeats the purpose of marketing something as oil-based when you disclose that the oil percentage is, let’s say, 30% and that you mention alcohol in the ingredients. This means your perfume is alcohol-based.” Clearly, this tidbit provides us with wisdom when selecting perfume bottles, spending our hard-earned money on a scent that's formulated well and lasts all day in this weather!

In the gallery below, swipe to take a look at our list of the top local perfume brands recommended by Jessy:

Wren Atelier - Named after a bird, ‘Wren’, this local perfume brand offers a bespoke scent service that creates a signature scent for every Filipino without harming the environment by using the right concentration from sustainable resources. Jessy’s picks are the scents Cerveza Rosa, Valensole Romance, Banqueros, and Manila Oud.@wrenatelier

Parfums Astraux - ‘It’s more than just a scent, it's an art’, That’s what Parfum Astraux believes in. Their dedication to crafting perfume is a form of self-expression that enhances the overall mood of the moment. Their bottles are also named after Filipino slang, namely: Yosi Break, Makiling, and Quiapo Streets. SHOP HERE

Home Studio Scents - This premium hand-poured Eau de Parfum brand offers long-lasting fragrances. More than their aesthetically pleasing packaging, their scents will definitely exceed your expectations. Their top scents come in the bottles of The Dessert Lounge and Urban Alchemy.@homestudioscents

L'Abondance - This European-inspired local brand is hand-made by a one-woman team. Her fragrances are made for passion, carefully created to meet standards both locally and internationally. Jessy’s recommendations for the scents are Pain au Chocolat, Creme Brulee, Ambrette, and Œillet (Carnation).@abondance.ph

Ilum Studios - Crafted using the highest quality materials, their delicacy for scents gives you the best sensory experience from candles, perfumes, body care, and reed diffusers. We got the best scent recommendations with perfume bottles: Muse, Matcha Mochi, and Nightfall.@ilumstudios

Hopefully, this recognition of Filipino-made items continues to grow, encouraging brand owners to produce more quality products, and to keep on producing 5-star reviews from their customers in the perfume scene. Lastly, Jessy gently expresses her thoughts about these local brands, saying, “We’ve come a long way from being just about dupes and inspired scents in the Philippines. I’m glad and am super ready to welcome more experimental and original Filipino experiences bottled in fragrance.”

We're truly in a new era of local beauty. With the help of us, the customers who demand quality products, we can count on local brands to keep producing beautiful, original fragrances that are uniquely Filipino; masterpieces that are made with heart.

Text by Ryan Claveria

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