Daniel Padilla’s cherished memories of Japan are now in a bottle
Daniel Padilla is a star of his generation with a recognizable, distinct style. There’s that pared-back, casual elegance — you can even smell it on him.
These days he’s all about the orange, garden accord, bergamot, jasmine rose, musk, and sandalwood notes of Shiroi, the EDT in his line of new fragrances with Bench.
“Yung amoy natin, personalidad din natin yun, diba?” he says during the launch in BGC.
He gets it from his family. His parents are huge fragrance collectors while his famous uncle, bad-boy action star and senator Robin Padilla, is the opposite. The younger Padilla shares, “May signature scent siya and yun ang naalala sa kaniya.”
His own approach to fragrances, just like his style, is all his own. “It evolves eh–your personality. Hindi ako masyado nag-stick ng matagal sa isang pabango kasi nag grow na ako,” he explains. “Iba na scent ko, iba na dating ko. Pag nagbago ako ng scent ko, dinadala niya din ako.”
His phase right now? “Everything Japanese. Gusto ko ng malinis.”
This captures his two body spray variants, Earth and Akai. “Cool, fresh lang. Kakalabas mo lang sa shower. Ganun ang dating,” Padilla describes. “After ko mag-basketball, ayoko muna mag perfume pero gusto ko fresh parin.”
But is there more to these scents? We spoke to Padilla about scents and memories during the recent launch in BGC.
YSTYLE: You’ve talked about scent as a way to express your personality, but do you agree that scent has a direct link to our emotions and memories?
DANIEL PADILLA: Yes! Malakas ako sa ganun. Ginagamit ko yun tuwing may eksena ako na mabibigat. Hindi din lahat pabango. Diba minsan may scent na pag naamoy mo, may naalala ka?
What scent is like that to you?
Yung bahay namin sa San Juan before, yung lola ko doon nagsisigarilyo. Pag nakakaamoy ako ng bahay na alam ko may nag-sisigarilyo, bumabalik ako sa memory na yun. It’s like these fragrances.
These three fragrances are all inspired by Japan. What’s your favorite memory there?
Nothing beats the first time. It was the best — with the family and syempre with my partner, Kathryn (Bernardo). Yun ang masasayang trip. Bumabalik din ako with friends.
Did you do anything you’ll never forget?
Yeah, we went to Hokkaido and went snowboarding. Doon ako na-in love sa snowboarding. Tuwing December, andoon kami sa Hokkaido kasi gustung-gusto ko nagso-snowboard.
I love Sapporo. Nung nag tourism ambassador kami ni Kathryn sa Japan in 2019, pumunta kami sa Sapporo, and doon nag first drop yung snow habang naglalakad kami. Astig diba?
Do you know the superstition about the first snow? That you’ll be together forever?
Yes. I heard that. It’s very cool.
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Shiroi, Earth, and Akai are exclusively available at all Bench stores and online at shop.bench.com.ph, LazMall and Shopee Mall.
