Dubai Fragrance House Rayhaan Launches a Perfume Inspired by Palawan

The landscapes of Palawan have inspired everything from travel campaigns to films, and now the Philippine island has lent its name to a fragrance. Dubai-based Rayhaan Perfumes recently released Palawan, a 2026 unisex scent created in collaboration with half-Filipino fragrance content creator Noel Thomas. The perfume is presented as a bright, tropical interpretation of Thomas’ memories of the Philippines, particularly the citrusy character of calamansi and his experience visiting Palawan. Early descriptions place it in the citrus family with fresh and woody facets, while the pale green bottle prominently carries Thomas’ name above the word “Palawan.”

For Thomas, calamansi also carries a personal connection to his Filipino side. He recalled growing up with freshly squeezed calamansi juice made by his mother and later encountering the fruit again during a trip to Palawan. He described the finished fragrance as tropical, energetic and luminous, while perfumer Margherita Carini has been identified in recent fragrance databases as the nose behind the composition. Preview also attributes the perfume to Carini and describes its direction as fresh, citrusy and aquatic. What has not yet been consistently published, however, is a complete official note pyramid from Rayhaan, so claims about a full ingredient or note breakdown should still be treated cautiously.

Palawan is currently being sold internationally as a 100 ml eau de parfum, with retailers describing it as a citrus-woody unisex fragrance. One European listing currently prices the bottle at around €35.49, although availability and pricing vary by market. The collaboration stands out less for recreating the literal smell of the island and more for translating a Filipino memory into a commercial fragrance concept—calamansi, tropical travel and the feeling of returning somewhere familiar. As of October 2026, no official Philippine retail launch or peso price was found in the available listings, so local buyers should check authorized sellers before assuming it is already widely available in the country.

Would you wear a fragrance inspired by Palawan and calamansi? Share what a “Philippines-inspired” perfume should smell like to you.