Botanicae

The story

Botanicae was born from a long journey. In 2012 Salvador Montesinos entered the fragrance industry and went to learn in the Middle East, where, the house says, “perfume is culture”: in every home people know the ingredients, and the blends are handed down from generation to generation. He worked alongside the multinationals of the sector and with the region's historic brands, coordinating the formulation and supply of their fragrances, amid “endless talks over tea”. Emirates, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon, India, Pakistan, then East Africa and South Asia: years that taught him to open his eyes to other cultures, their smells and their traditions.

At the end of 2018 “the Mediterranean claimed us”, and it was time to go home, to Murcia. That is where Botanicae was born, with a challenge written in the first line of its story: keeping a destination inside a bottle. In 2019 the first five Eaux de Parfum came out, conceived as postcards: travel impressions were once sent by mail, the house entrusts them to the sense of smell. Each perfume tells of a moment and closes with the name of a place. Patio is the Spain of courtyards in bloom, Flower Café a café in Beirut, Matin a Mogador the awakening of the medina of Essaouira, Shomal the north of Iran, En Route the road, always.

In 2022, at Pitti Fragranze in Florence, came Highlands, Epoque and Tramonte: Scotland, a corner of Perpignan where time has stood still, the sunset on the Tyrrhenian coast of Campania. In 2024 it was the turn of Meraki, a summer in Santorini. Meanwhile, at the end of 2023, the Elixir collection was born, the “Great Journeys Collection”: 75 ml Extraits de Parfum that no longer tell of places but of great feats. Taro is dedicated to the photojournalist Gerda Taro, Ebano to Ryszard Kapuściński's book on Africa, Noa Noa to Paul Gauguin's Tahitian diary, Itaca to Kavafis's poem on the journey of Odysseus, Endurance to Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition.

The house always speaks in the plural and presents itself with a few clear commitments. Its fragrances are “for people”, with no distinction of gender. The compositions are suitable for vegans, because they contain no substances of animal origin, and they are not tested on animals; the ingredients are traced, the packaging designed to be reused. And then the prices: Botanicae cuts unnecessary expenses and long distribution chains because, it writes, good perfumery “should not be available to only a few”. No big campaigns, no barriers of ultra-luxury: perfumes made in Spain, with artisan care, and a single question for those who try them. “Will you travel with us?”

The collections

At OUD Profumeria Artistica you will find the two Botanicae collections. Next to each name is the place or the story it tells.

• Eau de Parfum, the olfactory postcards, in a 100 ml bottle: Tramonte (the sunset on the coast of Campania), Matin a Mogador (the awakening of Essaouira, in Morocco), Highlands (the Scottish Highlands), Patio (the courtyards in bloom of Spain), Flower Café (a café in Beirut), Shomal (Masuleh, in the north of Iran), En Route (the road, always), Epoque (Perpignan and its objects from another time), Meraki (a summer in Santorini).
• Elixir, the Extraits de Parfum of the “Great Journeys Collection”, in a 75 ml bottle: Taro (the courage of Gerda Taro), Ebano (Kapuściński's Africa), Noa Noa (Gauguin's Tahiti), Itaca (the journey of Odysseus), Endurance (Shackleton's expedition).

OUD Profumeria Artistica is an authorised Botanicae retailer, online and in our store in Nettuno (Rome).

Frequently asked questions

Are Botanicae and Botanicae Expressions the same brand?
Yes. Botanicae Expressions is the full name of the house, the one that appears on the trademark and on the official website; everyone simply calls it Botanicae. Behind it there is a single idea: every perfume is the expression of a place or a story, from Tramonte to Flower Café.

Where is Botanicae from and where are its perfumes made?
Botanicae is a Spanish brand, based in Murcia. The project was born at the end of 2018, when its founders returned to the Mediterranean after years of work in the perfumery of the Middle East, and the perfumes are made in Spain, handcrafted. The compositions are suitable for vegans and are not tested on animals.

What is the difference between Botanicae's Eaux de Parfum and Elixirs?
The Eaux de Parfum are the collection the house was born with: 100 ml bottles, each dedicated to a place, such as Matin a Mogador or Highlands. The Elixirs are Extraits de Parfum, more concentrated, in a 75 ml bottle: they form the “Great Journeys Collection” and tell of great feats, from Taro to Endurance.

What kind of perfume is Botanicae Tramonte?
Tramonte is an amber, woody Eau de Parfum, presented in 2022 at Pitti Fragranze. It tells of Campania: the beekeepers collecting honey and the sun setting slowly on the Tyrrhenian coast. It opens with yuzu, bergamot and nutmeg, has a heart of cedar and incense and a base of amber, sandalwood and vanilla. The house describes it as an intense woody amber, refreshed by citrus notes.

What kind of perfume is Botanicae Meraki?
Meraki is the fruity, floral Eau de Parfum of 2024, dedicated to Santorini. The name is a Greek word: it means doing things by putting your soul into them. It smells of wild strawberry, fig and blackcurrant, with a heart of violet and iris and a base of sandalwood, patchouli and vanilla: “an eternal summer” amid the blue and white of the island.

What is the best Botanicae perfume?
It depends on the journey you are looking for. The three to start with, for us, are Tramonte, amber and woody with a light of citrus, Matin a Mogador, spicy with violet, leather and incense, and Highlands, aromatic and green between juniper and Earl Grey tea. Those who love fruit look to Meraki, those who love white flowers to Patio, those seeking an intense extrait to Taro or Ebano.

Are Botanicae perfumes for men or for women?
They are all unisex. The house calls them “fragrances for people” and does not divide them by gender. Those looking for a bolder signature usually turn to Highlands, Matin a Mogador or Endurance; those who prefer a softer trail to Patio, Epoque or Meraki. These are matters of taste, not rules.

Where to buy Botanicae perfumes in Italy?
OUD Profumeria Artistica is an authorised Botanicae retailer: you will find the house's Eaux de Parfum and Elixirs online and in our store in Nettuno (Rome), where you can try them in person. Shipping is free in Italy over €60, and over €100 we add 10 complimentary samples.