The art of Portuguese perfumery is not dead: it lives on in the north

OThe iconic azulejos, the Portuguese sidewalk, the salty scent of the beaches that bathe the country’s coast from north to south or the sweet aroma of freshly picked grapes on harvest day as inspirations. Bergamot, Sandalwood, Lime, Roses, Cedar, Elemi Resin, Coffee, Chestnut, Fruits, Peony, lavender, jasmine, cypress or patchouli as fragrances that each bottle carries.

It is in the city of Braga that we find Yntenzo, a niche perfumery, 100% Portuguese, for the most refined noses. More “yntenzo” than the name, only the fragrances that, when passing through the store, invade the smell of even the most distracted. In this perfumery we can find the most varied aromas, from the smell of chestnut and green bell pepper to the most floral perfumes.

This factory produces around 20,000 perfumes a day. It is the first and only unit in Portugal dedicated exclusively to the production of perfumes. Inaugurated in 2016 with an investment of more than two million euros, Yntenzo has already perfumed some well-known television faces, namely José Fidalgo, Andreia Rodrigues and Tânia Ribas Oliveira, says the founder.

Daniel Vilaça decided to open the first store at the end of last year, after the success of sales: the space has three floors, 170 square meters on each. On the second floor is the store that sells perfumes, in a mix of more than 200 ingredients, and the laboratory where the magic happens. The second floor is a more reserved space for workshops: it is on this second floor that the customer can “be a perfumer for a day” and create his own fragrance. “The customer can enjoy a unique olfactory experience, explore different ingredients and create their own perfume”, highlights Daniel Vilaça.

The top floor will soon be the Perfume Museum, a kind of tribute to the artisanal production of perfume. According to Yntenzo’s CEO, “the museum is scheduled to open later this year”. “When visitors enter this space, they will be able to experience the entire perfume production process, the distillation of the oils in the still, the mixing of the ingredients, the filtering until we reach the filling and obtain the final product”, he details.