An Istanbul house between East and West
The Besen brothers say they came to perfume almost by chance: they wanted to buy essences for their own blends, and to do so they had to set up a company. The first series of perfumes came out in 2019. The fragrances are made in Istanbul, and the house groups them into themed collections, each devoted to a place or a ritual, such as the Ottoman court, the Turkish bath or the gardens of the East. The names are almost all Turkish words and help convey the intent: Şah is the sovereign and Turkuaz is turquoise. All the perfumes are extraits de parfum in an 80 ml bottle.
The Regalien collections in our selection
Heritage: the Ottoman palace
The Heritage collection is devoted to court life. Turkuaz, which the house describes as marine, earthy and spicy, is inspired by the breeze of the summer palace that opens onto the sea. Şah is an oriental dedicated to the warlords of old, with Turkish rose, saffron and Cambodian oud; the house likens it to the smell of earth after rain. Meftun is dedicated to the Ottoman harem, built on patchouli, frankincense and sandalwood. Then there is Ala, the palace amber, inspired by the amber and musk that Ottoman calligraphers mixed into their ink. Finally, Hatir is a Turkish coffee gourmand, and its name recalls the proverb that a cup of coffee is remembered for forty years.
Turkish Bath Rituals: the hammam
This collection is devoted to the ritual of the Turkish bath. Hammam smells of white soap, with a steam accord. Dem is built on tea, and Efil is the collection's fresh rose.
Exclusive: Ceremony, Antidote, Hazz and Kashmeran
Among the Exclusives is Ceremony, a fruity floral oriental inspired by the gardens of the East, with tiare, tuberose, coconut and vanilla, next to the variations Ceremony Flu and Ceremony Bold, each with a character of its own. Antidote is built on honeyed tobacco. Hazz combines licorice and caramel, and the house compares it to a lemon cheesecake. Kashmeran, named after the fabric, is a rose with Laotian oud.
How to choose a Regalien perfume
If you start from an ingredient, the listed notes help you find your way. Oud is in Şah and Kashmeran, iris in Ceremony Flu, Kashmeran and Hatir, and vetiver in Hammam, Hatir and Ceremony Flu. Oakmoss appears in Ceremony Bold and Turkuaz. Tea and coffee are in Dem and Hatir; licorice and caramel are in Hazz.
Frequently asked questions
Which Regalien perfume smells like tea?
The Regalien tea perfume is Dem, from the Turkish Bath Rituals collection. It opens with white tea, bergamot and pink pepper, has mate, green tea and black tea at the heart, and a base of patchouli and amber. The house drew on the elegance of tea and the rituals of the Ottoman bath.
What does the name Regalien mean?
Regalien comes from Latin and means "belonging to the king," in other words regal. The name reflects the theme of much of the line, the Ottoman court, the palace and its warlords, and it carries through the Heritage collection in perfumes like Şah, inspired by ancient rulers, and Meftun, dedicated to the harem.
Which Regalien perfume should I choose for freshness?
If you want a fresh Regalien perfume, you can start with Turkuaz, with marine and aromatic notes inspired by the sea breeze reaching a summer palace. The alternative is Hammam, which combines white soap, bergamot, ozonic notes, lavender and eucalyptus.
What is the difference between Ceremony, Ceremony Flu and Ceremony Bold?
They are separate perfumes, all extraits de parfum, not different concentrations of the same formula. Ceremony is a fruity floral oriental; Ceremony Flu is a chypre, with pink pepper, bergamot and iris. Ceremony Bold, which the house describes as powerful, pairs mandarin and orange blossom with oakmoss.
Which Regalien perfume smells like coffee?
The Regalien coffee perfume is Hatir, a gourmand that opens with the aroma of freshly ground Turkish coffee and has white chocolate and amber at the heart, which make it soft and sweet. It belongs to the Regalien compositions inspired by the flavors of Turkish tradition, like Dem for tea.
Which Regalien perfume is the rose one?
There are two rose options. Efil is the fresh version, with lemon, Pink Lady apple and blackcurrant in the opening, followed by rose and lilac, while Kashmeran is the warm one, with Turkish rose absolute and Bulgarian rose essence over vanilla and amber.
What is the Regalien Turkish Bath Rituals collection?
Turkish Bath Rituals is the Regalien collection inspired by the ancient rituals of the Anatolian hammam, between purification and calm. It includes Hammam, built on white soap, and Dem, built on tea notes, along with Efil, a fresh, fruity rose with lemon, Pink Lady apple and blackcurrant.
Which Regalien perfume should I choose if I love warm, spicy notes?
Among the warm, spicy Regalien perfumes is Ala, an amber with cinnamon, cognac, whiskey, honey and vanilla. Meftun combines cinnamon, coriander, rum, cognac and ginger. Şah is a spicy, woody, resinous oriental inspired by the warlords of old, and for lovers of honeyed tobacco there is Antidote.
