Bottling the hustle

How perfume classes are powering the next generation of scent-preneurs

- JESSICA PAG-IWAYAN

Forget the days of mindlessly spritzing a designer bottle just because a celebrity told you to.

For the new generation of Filipinos, fragrance has evolved from a simple finishing touch into a full-blown personal manifesto. It is no longer just about smelling good. It is about smelling like a specific mood, a curated aesthetic, or even a niche Spotify playlist.

Inside the bustling creative hubs of BC Fragrance and Aromatics Manufacturing Corp., a fragrant revolution is brewing. Bernadette “Bernadette” Lim, the company’s co-founder and general manager, has noticed a significant surge in Gen Z students trading their screens for scent droppers. These young creators are not just looking for a signature scent; they are looking to build their own empires. As a perfumer and fragrance specialist, Bernadette sees firsthand how the art of scent-making is becoming the ultimate tool for self-expression and creative entrepreneurship among the youth.

“They don’t just want to smell nice,” Bernadette tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “They want to smell like themselves.” By participating in the creation process, young Filipinos get to decide exactly what goes inside the bottle. In an age of fast fashion and viral trends, having a scent that no one else possesses is the ultimate flex.

Mindfulness with a dropper