Olfactory Update: New Fragrances to Shop in the Philippines

Picture a woman who gives off a cold impression at first, so independent that it’s intimidating. While she appears deliberately untouchable, she softens and opens up as time goes by. She allows you to come closer, but takes her time as you get to know her, keeping you on your toes as she gradually unravels beyond expectation. That is how Issy’s 536 Scent of Permission feels.

The first spritz catches you off guard with the coldness of a nail polish accord, sharpened by the aromatic burn of cardamom and molten brown sugar. It’s unsettling, but addictive. As the scent settles, cocoa butter softens the initial edge, melting into jasmine sambac and rose water. The dry-down turns warmer and sweeter, with vanilla, cashmere wood, benzoin, and white patchouli creating a cozy, skin-like finish.

Wood Sage & Sea Salt has become one of Jo Malone’s most recognizable scents. Now, the brand heads back to the British coast with Sea Salt & Bergamot. If the former captures the essence of walking along the coast, the latter reveals itself when you plunge into the water.

The cologne opens with a burst of sparkling bergamot, eventually revealing the crunchy nature of sea salt. With driftwood at its base, the scent goes beyond the tropical associations of a sea-inspired fragrance, evoking instead the untamed beauty of the Celtic Sea, where wild waters, cold air, and rugged coastlines meet.

Chloé Atelier des Fleurs rewinds the clock to summer with The Mediterranean Essences. The French luxury fashion house’s fragrance line has released four new perfumes that capture its signature fluidity, free spirit, and instinctive beauty. The collection draws inspiration from the seaside escapes of Gaby Aghion, founder of Chloé, and Karl Lagerfeld in Ramatuelle.

The Mediterranean Essences takes a step away from postcard clichés toward a naturalist view of the Mediterranean. Think of a more intimate relationship with the South of France, where hidden byways and coastal paths, crackling pine needles, and warm sand come into focus.

Le Labo's City Exclusive Collection is here! For the uninitiated, Le Labo crafts perfumes dedicated to specific cities, imagining their unique energies as fragrances. It is a way to honor the invisible imprint they leave on their visitors. These perfumes normally stay within their hometowns, but every September, they leave and travel to meet people around the world.

The latest bottle to join the special collection is Shiu 25, created as a tribute to Beijing. With the city’s abundance of time-honored spaces and traditional artisanship, the scent is an homage to contemplative refuges for the self. Shiu is the quieter expression of the ho tree, known for offering balance and inner peace. The compact composition of Shiu 25 features ethereal iris notes and olibanum, floating above warm and anchoring woods, enveloping its wearer in an atmosphere of centered calm.

Pure Musc by Narciso Rodriguez was introduced in 2019 as a captivating musky scent featuring a blend of cashmere woods and flowers. Seven years later, Narciso Rodriguez is set to release Pure Musc Blanc. It belongs to the same floral woody musk category, but this time, it emerges with a “whiter than white” concept, reflecting the American fashion designer’s penchant for elegance and purity.

Pure Musc Blanc is a chypre white floral fragrance that opens with aldehydes, jasmine, and bergamot. At its heart are musk and white flowers that settle into vanilla, cedarwood, and amber.

Coco Mademoiselle was first imagined by Jacques Polge in 2001 as an ode to the free spirit embodied by Coco Chanel. It has since become a signature scent of the French luxury fashion house, and in 2026, Chanel introduces a more vibrant and magnetic take through Crush Absolu. A personal experience comes alive when it is worn, awakening a feeling similar to being in close proximity to someone you're crushing on.

The composition, signed by Olivier Polge, is an amber fragrance threaded with the sensuality of vetiver and vanilla. It also draws from various olfactive profiles: fruity notes of grapefruit and lychee, floral notes of rose and jasmine, and woody notes of patchouli, blending them into a bold, contemporary perfume.

Homegrown designer label Proudrace has ventured into beauty for the first time through a collaboration with Human. The eau de toilette, called I Love U, was formulated so that it “smells like childhood, but wears like a grown-up,” as described by creative director Rik Rasos.

It opens with bright mandarin and bergamot, setting the scene for pink pepper, lavender, and vetiver to reveal themselves. I Love U settles into a warm base of cedar and labdanum, leaving a mature, woody trail. “It’s clean, nostalgic, a little sensual, and ultimately, a love letter in a bottle.”