When you think about a career in creativessuper game, perfumery is probably one of the last things that come into mind. A delicate balance between art and science, creating fragrances doesn’t just require an understanding of chemistry and raw materials but also a keen sense of imagination and creativity as well as a penchant for storytelling.
Here in the Philippines, while the fragrance industry may still be a budding one, it is filled with potential for greatness, thanks to a large number of excellent local brands popping up here and there.
In recent years, local perfumery has seen a surge in talents who are redefining the country’s fragrance landscape. Among these pioneers are Renato Lopena Jr., Bernadette Lim, Oscar Mejia III, and Shale Albao—four professionally-trained perfumers with a raw passion for the art of scent. Together, they founded the Filipino Perfumers Society, born from a shared vision to uplift the perfume industry in the Philippines and educate people on the craft.
“Our mission is threefold: to elevate the standards of the local perfume industry, to develop Filipino talent in perfumery, and to make perfume education and resources accessible to more Filipinos,” elaborates Filipino Perfumers Society co-founder Bernadette Lim“Our mission is threefold: to elevate the standards of the local perfume industry, to develop Filipino talent in perfumery, and to make perfume education and resources accessible to more Filipinos,” elaborates co-founder Lim.
“Through this, we hope to not only nurture the next generation of perfumers but also help the public understand and appreciate the artistry behind every creation. By defining the role of a perfumer and highlighting the value of their work, we hope to inspire a cultural shift—one where Filipino perfumers are celebrated, supported, and empowered to make their mark both locally and globally.”
While it is a long road ahead for our country to be placed on the map for its talent in the art of scent, Lopena, Lim, Mejia, and Albao are working hard to shift the perspective. The future of Filipino perfumery is bright—get to know the perfumers crafting unique scents and fostering a community of passionate perfumers and fragrance enthusiasts.
Renato Lopena Jr.
Renato Lopena Jr.
Also known as his online moniker The Filipino Nose, professional perfumer Renato Lopena Jr. never imagined a career in crafting fragrances despite the fond memories of his childhood visiting his family’s laboratory and concocting his own scents. But after the revelation of how fragrances can evoke strong emotions sparked his curiosity, Lopena pursued the art professionally, graduating from the prestigious Grasse Institute of Perfumery (GIP) in 2015.
“One of the highlights of my training in France was the complete immersion into the world of perfumery. We had the opportunity to go on field trips to iconic locations, like the rose fields in Bulgaria and the lavender fields in Valensole,” he says. “We were also fortunate to learn from some of the industry’s most renowned perfumers and experts. A particularly special experience was creating perfumes inspired by paintings, which were later exhibited in a museum in Paris.”
Wren Atelier Valensole Romance
After kickstarting his career crafting a scent for a brand in collaboration with Heart Evangelista, Lopena proceeded to create more perfumes for other labels like Neil Felipp, Francis Libiran, and Edro Manille, among others. He launched his own brand, Wren Atelier, in 2020, which has consistently been a favorite among local fragrance enthusiasts and revered for its nuanced, original creations—Valensole Romance, a buttery, slightly sweet fragrance inspired by freshly baked bread and lavender fields, gained an international following and is regularly sold out.
Lopena is the first Filipino to be a member of the International Society of Perfumer-Creators, alongside other prestigious perfumers such as Francis Kurkdjian, Dominic Ropion, Carlos Benaim, and many more.
Best advice for aspiring perfumers: “Keep learning and refining your craft. But above all, stay grounded. Don’t let positive feedback on your creations go to your head.”
Bernadette Lim
Bernadette Lim
“The moment I truly fell in love with fragrance was deeply personal,” shares perfumer Bernadette Lim. “My dad gifted me a bottle of Dior Me, Dior Me Not for my high school graduation. That single bottle wasn’t just a perfume—it was a moment of pride and celebration, something I treasured and wore sparingly. It made me realize how a fragrance could hold memories, emotions, and significance all at once. That was when I knew fragrance was more than a luxury—it was a language.”
Growing up learning the ins and outs of her family’s chemical company, the basics were already in Lim’s blood. After recognizing a gap in the Philippine fragrance industry, Lim pursued her formal training in New York. This involved taking fragrance classes and attending luncheons with magazine editors. These gatherings gave Lim a glimpse into the US fragrance industry’s sophistication and creativity—an industry far ahead of the Philippine market at the time—eventually forming her goal of uplifting local perfumery.
Bernadette Lim is known for her popular workshops educating scent enthusiasts and aspiring perfumers at Scent Studio
While running her companies BC Fragrance and Scentful Living, Lim is known for her popular workshops educating scent enthusiasts and aspiring perfumers at Scent Studio. Her courses include basic perfumery classes as well as an two-day long perfumery workshop where participants can get an Asia Perfume Foundation Level 1 certificate.
“I don’t just teach people how to create perfumes; I aim to change the way they think about fragrance. I help participants break down their preconceived notions, guiding them through the creative process, introducing them to the raw materials, and showing them how a simple idea can be translated into a beautiful scent.”
Best advice for aspiring perfumers: “Start with a genuine love for fragrance and a willingness to learn. Perfume-making is as much about patience and practice as it is about creativity. Be open to learning different techniques—there’s no single “right” way, only the one that works for you. Above all, find your unique voice as a Filipino perfumer. Your perspective is your strength, and this journey, though endless, is as rewarding as the scents you create.”
Shale Albao
Shale Albao (second from left)
Shale Albao’s long affair with fragrance stemmed from her childhood—while she never had the luxury of owning her own perfumes back then, she fondly remembers sneaking into her aunt’s bedroom just to have a whiff of Cacharel’s Anais Anais and Jovan’s Musk. As she grew older, she never stopped loving fragrances, finally being able to collect them and lose herself in the niche perfumery rabbit hole.
“My collection grew fast and my mom and partner both asked me to consider making my own perfumes. After all, I’m a chemical engineer and have a chemical business. It kind of made sense,” she says. “So I decided to find the best perfumery school and apply.”
Shale Albao’s brand Tadhana is inspired by the concept of fate and serendipity
Albao made her way to Versailles, France and spent a summer at ISIPCA, a renowned school for cosmetics and perfumery founded by Jean-Jacques Guerlain. There, she studied the art of French perfumery as well as advanced perfume compositions and fragrance development.
Currently, Albao is in the process of launching her own fragrance brand called Tadhana, inspired by the concept of fate and serendipity. “In the case of the brand, it’s the surprising meeting of my French perfumery training and Asian ingredients, to create something quite unique and long lasting. My goal for the fragrances is a sense of surprise or discovery. I want Filipinos who wear it to feel proud of wearing a high quality local perfume made by a Filipino perfumer.”
Albao’s ultimate goal is to grow Tadhana into a platform that not only represents Filipino culture but also supports the development of local perfume talent, with a vision to impact the lives of Filipino farmers and communities who cultivate the natural ingredients she uses.
Best advice for aspiring perfumers: “‘Malayo pa, pero malayo na.’ A lot more local talents are being developed every day. Ask for help—our community pushes each other and supports one another.”
Oscar Mejia III
Oscar Mejia III
Growing up, Oscar Mejia III was surrounded by sweet-smelling flowers in his family’s Davao City orchid and cut-flower farm. His early fascination with scent led him to experiment with creating his own “fragrances” by boiling flowers in his father’s mini home laboratory, a hobby that would eventually become his career.
Mejia’s training as a perfumer started after graduating from the Ateneo de Manila University with degrees in chemistry and materials science and engineering. He was then taken under the wing of French perfumer Nicolas de Barry, and flew to Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, to immerse himself in a week of fragrance workshops.
Oscar Mejia III at MaArte at the Pen 2023
“Many people may think that perfumery is just a practice of putting together oils that smell good. They often miss the fact that perfumery is an art. And as an art, every creation is born of inspiration that is carefully reflected upon,” Mejia muses. “The role of a perfumer is to capture inspiration and translate abstract ideas, memories, emotions into something tangible: scent. Like art, our appreciation of fragrances always happens in solitude, and our response to it is intimate.”
Mejia’s creativity as a perfumer is rooted in his profound connection to nature and his love for art and music. From his original line of fragrances, his favorite is his Mito Collection, blending storytelling with fragrance so his audience may experience the tales of Filipino gods and goddesses through scent.
Mejia is optimistic about the art of scent in the country. “We are in an exciting chapter in Philippine fragrances. A lot of local brands are releasing their own lines that are at par with those abroad yet still carry clear Filipino nuances. More people are also looking into perfumery as a viable career—something that may have been unheard of a few decades back.”
Best advice for aspiring perfumers: “Be daring. Push boundaries further by creating novel fragrances that would surprise any wearer. That waysuper game, we can create dialogues around our creations, inspiring more to consider Philippine-made fragrances.”