Scents of Self: Finding Your 2026 Alter Ego in a Bottle
As we step into 2026, fragrance has become not just about wearing a scent but also about curating an identity. The perfume world is shifting toward emotional luxury—bottles that feel personal, sensual, and quietly powerful. The fragrance game is changing with trends revolving around sustainability, unisex scents, and customized fragrances that can be worn day to night. Consumers want to shop from brands with transparent marketing and sustainable supply chains.
What will your signature scent be?
Maison Margiela Réplica Jazz Club Eau de Toilette
Top notes: Pink pepper essence, Primofiore lemon oil, neroli oil.
Middle (heart) notes: Rum absolute, clary sage oil, Java vetiver oil.
Base notes: Styrax resin, tobacco leaf absolute, vanilla bean
A spicy and sophisticated scent that packs a punch. This unisex fragrance is warm with hints of sweet smoke and saffron. A luxury perfume that encapsulates warm fireplaces, a cozy bar corner, and the slight scent of cigar smoke that lingers in that large leather chair in your living room.
This perfume screams anticipation — the kind that lives in the heartbeat before the music swells. A sharp amber, and a smoky vanilla aroma swirl through the air like velvet shadows, mingling with the faint sweetness of rum. The comforting smell of cedar-wood and soft leather wraps around you, creating an atmosphere that feels both daring and seductive. It’s the scent of a story just beginning — the moment when red nails catch the glint of candlelight, a martini glass tilts, and the low hum of jazz fills the room. Each note unfolds like a slow exhale — rich, seething, and full of promise — a sensory crescendo that captures the thrill of the night before it even begins.
Photography: Emma Detwiler
PHLUR Golden Rule Eau de Parfum
Top notes: Mandarin, Pink Pepper, Golden Pear.
Heart (middle) notes: Orange Flower Water, Jasmine Blossom, Coconut Milk.
Base notes: Vanilla Cream, Benzoin, Sandalwood.
A feminine, luxurious scent that lingers. Creamy, sweet, with touch of opulent jasmine. Yet still rich and full-bodied. A very fresh and alluring, a modern take on milk-based scents that push the fresh pear and mandarin to the forefront.
This scent is a flowery bubble bath filled to the brim with indulgence. Sweet milky cake meets the scenes while the jasmine, orange blossom, and pear top notes spill from the fluttering of a nearby candle. This scent is serene and opulent, mingling with the soft citrus of mandarin peels and the dewy greenness of newly cut flower stems that fall from the vase on the kitchen table. The result is a scene that feels both intimate and grand — a sensory duet of indulgence and clarity, where every breath feels like the calming moment in an exorbitant bubble bath.
Photography: Eva
Merit Retrospect L’Extrait de Parfum
Top notes: Bergamot, Pear, Ambrette (musk mallow seed), Aldehydes.
Middle (heart) notes: Jasmine, Rose, Violet, Orris (iris root), Rosemary.
Base notes: Vanilla, Musk, Moss.
A subtle luxury with modern twists on classic scents. A natural scent of fresh moss and crisp morning air. It embodies daybreak in the Italian countryside, where the air smells of pear blossoms and wild jasmine carried by a cool breeze. You can almost hear the quiet rustle of the moss underfoot, feel the damp earth after a passing rain, and catch the faint sweetness of vanilla from a nearby patisserie. It’s that perfect in-between — clean yet grounded, floral yet musky, familiar yet impossible to place. This fragrance captures a fleeting moment of serenity — a field of memory and modernity intertwined, where every note feels both lived-in and brand new.
Photography: Nyah Khan