When Seinde Signature, Nigeria’s leading purveyor of niche fragrances leveled up its collections with the launch of Saudade, an artisanal scent designed to evoke melancholic joy, rooted in Portuguese emotional philosophy from the acclaimed Spanish house, Botanicae, it was indeed a sweet memorable experience.
  
The event, which held at Gelato and Coffee University in Lagos last weekend, also marked the grand finale of Project #365, a one-year philanthropic fragrance campaign by the Founder and CEO of Seinde Signature, Olaseinde Olufemi.

In May 2024, Mr. Olusola, marked his 62nd birthday with a vision to make a lasting impact. That vision birthed Project #seinde365, a year-long initiative focused on two primary objectives: Philanthropy through fragrance – giving back to the community by gifting premium niche perfumes as well as creating awareness and education about the artistry and superiority of niche or artisanal fragrances over conventional designer brands.

Over the course of 365 days, Mr. Olusola personally gave out over 600 bottles of niche fragrances—each carefully selected from the world’s most revered houses. As of May 19, 2025, 540 bottles had been distributed, with additional gifts following. The total retail value of these donations runs into hundreds of millions of naira, making it a remarkable act of generosity in the fragrance industry. “I wanted my 62nd birthday to be more than a personal milestone. I wanted it to be a cultural statement – a legacy of giving and of elevating taste. “Niche perfumery is an art, and with Project #seinde365, we took that art to the streets – to the people,” Olusola said.

The finale of Project #seinde365 coincided with Mr. Olusola’s 63rd birthday – a symbolic climax that led to Seinde Signature collaboration with Botanicae, led by Salvador Montesinos, a renowned perfumer to introduce Saudade, an evocative scent rooted in nostalgia and artistic storytelling.
  
Departing from a conventional product launch, the brand curated a bespoke workshop experience for guests and fragrance enthusiasts. The workshop features two immersive elements where participants created their own signature fragrance under the guidance of industry experts, resulting in a scent that is entirely exclusive to them and an Artisan Gelato Session where attendees also learnt the craft of making authentic Italian gelato, celebrating the interconnected worlds of taste and scent.
  
Salvador Montesinos who was visiting Nigeria for the first time said: “Saudade is about memory. It’s that bittersweet feeling of joy and longing. It’s not just a perfume, it is a journey. Our aim was to put a destination inside a bottle and let people travel through scent.”
  
Business Development Manager at Gelato and Coffee University, Demilola Olaniyi said: “There’s dopamine in scent and taste. Our collaboration with Seinde Signature wasn’t just about flavour. It was about capturing emotion; happiness, nostalgia, joy, in every spoonful. When people taste our Saudade-inspired gelato, we want them to feel exactly what they feel when they spray the perfume, elevated, delighted, remembered.”