Tasty scents: How Seinde Signature, Gelato University hosted ‘Saudade’ perfume ‘tasting’ event

Recently, Seinde Signature, in a pioneering collaboration with Botanicae and Gelato and Coffee University, hosted an exclusive event tagged “Where Perfume Meets Gelato.” The event, held on May 25, at Gelato and Coffee University in Lagos, captivated attendees with an exquisite blend of olfactory and culinary delights.

The event unfolded as a confluence of fragrance and flavour, marking the grand launch of Botanicae’s newest offering, ‘Saudade’. The ‘Saudade’ launch went beyond traditional fragrance events by incorporating a first-of-its-kind experiential workshop, hosted in collaboration with Gelato and Coffee University, Nigeria’s leading training hub for artisan gelato and barista education.

Participants not only crafted their own signature fragrances under expert guidance but also tasted gelato flavors inspired by the Saudade scent profile; vanilla, pear, white chocolate, and woody notes.

Speaking on the overwhelming success and the philosophy behind his initiatives, Mr. Seinde Olusola, the visionary CEO of Seinde Signature, said, “I can’t describe it, the feeling of gifting people perfumes for 365 days. It’s indescribable,” he began, reflecting on the year-long ‘Seinde 365 campaign.’ “Personally, when I give people things, it gives me joy. I get gratification from it. You can’t explain joy.

“I didn’t do it because of my birthday. All we did was to start on my birthday. The campaign was about popularising niche fragrance. Most people don’t know the difference between niche and mainstream. Unfortunately, you can only experience smell, you can’t describe it or tell people why it is. Hence, we decided that for every bottle we give out, the person is likely to enjoy it and tell other people about it, which I want. We’ve seen it in our record, in our numbers, it has jumped our sales by over 300 per cent. We can see that now people know more about niche.”

Regarding Botanicae, one of the 43 brands Seinde Signature exclusively represents in Nigeria, Olusola emphasised their commitment to quality and authenticity. “From time to time, to popularise what we do, we invite the maker of the perfume to come, to testify that it’s not fake. People think I make perfumes, but I don’t, maybe later.”

He continued, “We want to lower the entry barrier so that everybody can experience this, which is why we want people to enjoy the smell and taste of Saudade by Botanicae through the fragrance and the gelato being made.

Speaking about Saudade, Salvador Montesinos the founder of Botanicae who was present at the event explained that Saudade is a Portuguese word loosely translated as ‘Melancholic Joy’. Speaking about the launch, he said, the fragrance, which has notes of vanilla, white chocolate and a few other sweet ingredients is certain to become a bestseller.

He added that for Nigerians, he’s seen that frangrance is like a part of their outfit, like an accessory.

The unique collaboration with Gelato and Coffee University was a major highlight.

According to Demilola Olaniyi of the Gelato and Coffee University, the partnership is a scientific-culinary synergy, “When they shared the portfolio of the flavours, we realised that these are flavours that we make on the daily or that we sell, so we just got it together and made something out of it.

“This is a business that’s over 20 years old. We are the back end of the ice cream and coffee industry in Nigeria. So anything that has to do with equipment, raw materials, technical support, and most importantly… training, we do.”

In reality, this was not just a fragrance launch, “it was an experience that reflects who we are—innovators in luxury and ambassadors of personal expression,” said Abiola Olatunde Aloba, Head of Media Relations at Seinde Signature.

“We have always believed in raising the bar, and today’s event exemplifies that commitment.”

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