What do Singapore smell like? These Singapore-manufactured perfumes have the answers

What smells come to mind when you think of Singapore? Fresh orchids is the closet thing that comes to mind.

Online perfume store, Singapore Memories, have come up with a collection of six new fragrances, all made from native orchid oils. They are named “Aranda 1965”, “Vanda 1981”, “One Degree North”, “Orchid By The Bay”, “Peranakan Oud” and “The Orient”.

All the perfumes are manufactured and assembled in Singapore at Singapore Memories’ facility in Tai Seng. The bottles used to contain the perfumes are all made from 340grams of BK7, hand-polished crystal. Each perfume is hand sealed and inspected for quality assurance.

Cost range from S$28 (18ml EDT) to S$168 (100ml EDP) and are available online and at Cruise Center, Sentosa, as well as other tourist shops.

We were provided with samples and found the perfumes to be of good quality. The scents can last through the day and were not too overpowering. I particularly like Aranda 1965 which from the description provided below – seems like a scent designed specifically for the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s approval.

Each of the scents are carefully designed and prepared by Je’taime Singapore, a home-grown company that conducts perfume workshops and specialises in creating scents from orchids.

The quality is good and the perfumes would make for interesting gifts for both foreigners and Singaporeans alike.

You can see some of their media coverages here.

Details on each of the fragrance are as below, with product descriptions provided by Singapore Memories:

Peranakan Oud

A unisex fragrance, designed for Peranakans, Malays and visitors from Europe and Gulf. Peranakan Oud is inspired by the Peranakan culture and takes its base notes from oud combined with soft tonka bean, praline and green tobacco leaves.

Oud oil is distilled from agarwood, and is one of the most expensive ingredient in perfumery. Often, 70 kg of agarwood will produce only 20 ml oud oil.

Vanda 1981

A mischievous yet gentle Vanda perfume, for a smart and curious young lady, ready to explore the world.

Vanda orchids are said to be the most natural choice for perfumery notes, because of its soft, haunting, and feminine fragrance. Vanda Mimi Palmer and hybrids can smell from sweet-jasmine to powdery, sometimes almost like a baby-powder. One of the most famous Singaporean Vanda is Vanda Miss Joaquim, the national flower. It was picked from among 40 flowers, particularly for its vibrant colours, hardiness and resilience – qualities which reflect the Singapore spirit. Other famous Vanda includes Vanda Shah Rukh Khan and Vanda William Catherine.

1981 was a symbolic year in Singapore history as it was said to be the year where the nation-state moved to first world status. Changi Airport had opened its doors; Singapore River was almost clean; the port was already the second busiest in the world; and a courtesy campaign was launched.

Aranda 1965

A strong-masculine perfume is the scent of natural born leaders, of achievers, of visionaries and yet compassionate souls.

Aranda Orchids are beautiful, but tough for perfume application. Top notes of bergamot, kafir lime and other citruses had to be added to ‘Aranda Peng-Lee Yeoh’ to come up with a beautiful masculine scent. The base was made heavier and long lasting by adding masculine musk, amber and woody notes.

Singapore’s own Aranda Chocolate Orchid: Aranda Peng-Lee Yeoh was registered in 1966 and has a distinct vanilla fragrant that children often identify as chocolate, making this the ‘chocolate orchid’.

1965 was the year Singapore became independent. The development brought uncertainty and fear, but Singapore’s leaders and pioneer generation turned it around into a country with the third highest per capita GDP in the world.
This perfume is dedicated to the leaders around the world, people of action, people with courage and people who believe in possibilities. People who know the way, go the way and also show the way.

Famous Aranda hybrids include Aranda Majulah and Aranda Lee Kuan Yew.

One Degree North

A fragrance for a happy, carefree man, said to be like a box full of sunshine and rain.

The equatorial rain and fresh breeze reminds us daily of Singapore’s geographic location – a beautiful garden city, located “One Degree North”. This has inspired art, pubs, clubs, drinks and now a perfume.

This perfume has timeless notes of variety of orchids, combined with refined new-age notes of sea-salt and aqua, topped with joyful citrus.

The Orient

The scent for spirituality, of yoga, of meditation. It’s meant for people looking to recover from today’s stress.

It’s a mindful immersion in nature. It’s the calming scent of still water. It’s the beauty of Asia. The pure balance was created by adding agarwood, sandalwood, neroli, rose, champaka and other Asian flowers.