The Heritage
The Story of Regalien
Regalien is a Turkish niche perfume house that blends the country’s rich botanical heritage with contemporary olfactory storytelling. Founded by brothers Bilen Besen and Varol Besen in 2016, the brand quickly earned a reputation among collectors for its bold colour‑coded bottles and scents that reference both historic trade routes and modern urban life. From the marine clarity of Aqua Notte to the desert‑inspired warmth of Marrakesh, each launch adds a new chapter to a growing catalogue that now spans more than a dozen distinct fragrances.
Heritage
Regalien emerged in Istanbul in 2016 when brothers Bilen Besen and Varol Besen turned a lifelong fascination with flowers into a commercial venture. Their first public offering, Aqua Notte, arrived the same year and introduced a marine‑fresh profile that resonated with local perfume enthusiasts. In 2018 the house released Antidote, a composition that paired citrus top notes with a smoky base, signaling a willingness to experiment beyond conventional Turkish scent palettes. The following year, Posh and Marrakesh arrived, the latter drawing on the spice markets of North Africa while the former explored a sleek, minimalist aromatic structure. 2021 proved prolific: Turkuaz, Ala and Meftun each explored different facets of the Mediterranean, from sea‑salted greens to sun‑baked herbs. The 2023 releases, Ceremony Flu and Efil, continued the brand’s narrative of seasonal celebration, with Ceremony Flu evoking the fleeting aroma of spring blossoms and Efil offering a nocturnal, incense‑laden journey. Throughout its evolution, Regalien has partnered with the MG Gülçük & Firmenich fragrance team, a collaboration that brings technical expertise from a global scent laboratory while preserving the founders’ creative control. The brand’s growth has been marked by a steady expansion of retail presence in boutique perfumeries across Europe and the Middle East, yet it remains anchored in Istanbul, where the founders still oversee formulation and packaging decisions. This blend of local roots and international partnership defines Regalien’s heritage as a modern Turkish house that respects tradition while forging new olfactory paths.
Craftsmanship
Production at Regalien follows a hybrid model that blends artisanal techniques with modern laboratory precision. Raw materials are sourced primarily from Turkey’s Aegean and Anatolian regions, where lavender, rosemary, and wild thyme are harvested by small‑scale farms that employ organic methods. For exotic ingredients such as oud or sandalwood, the house works with certified suppliers in Indonesia and India, ensuring traceability through third‑party audits. Once the botanicals arrive in Istanbul, they undergo a cold‑press or steam‑distillation process that preserves volatile aromatics. The resulting essential oils are then handed to the MG Gülçük & Firmenich team, who formulate the heart and base accords using a combination of natural extracts and select synthetics that meet IFRA safety standards. Each batch is aged in stainless‑steel tanks for a period ranging from three weeks to several months, depending on the fragrance’s structure, allowing the notes to integrate fully. Quality control includes gas‑chromatography analysis to verify concentration levels and sensory panels that evaluate consistency across batches. Bottles are hand‑blown in a Turkish glass workshop, where artisans shape the iconic colour‑coded vessels that have become a visual hallmark of the brand. Caps are machined from brushed aluminium, and each unit receives a hand‑applied label that includes the fragrance name, launch year, and a brief poetic description. The final product is sealed in a recyclable cardboard box, with packaging design reflecting the scent’s thematic inspiration. This meticulous approach, from field to final presentation, ensures that every Regalien perfume delivers a stable, nuanced experience that aligns with the founders’ artistic intent.
Design Language
Regalien’s visual identity is built around bold, monochrome bottles that use colour as a shorthand for the fragrance’s mood. Aqua Notte appears in a deep navy glass, while Turkuaz is housed in a bright turquoise vessel; Marrakesh arrives in a warm amber bottle, and Antidote is presented in a stark black silhouette. The minimalist typography on the label—often a simple sans‑serif font in white or gold—creates a clean contrast that draws the eye to the colour block. Caps are uniformly matte aluminium, giving each bottle a tactile weight that feels substantial in the hand. The brand’s marketing imagery frequently features stark architectural backdrops, such as Istanbul’s historic mosques or modern waterfronts, linking the scent to a sense of place. In retail settings, Regalian displays are arranged on reclaimed wood shelves, reinforcing a narrative of sustainability and craftsmanship. The packaging’s interior often includes a short poetic note that hints at the scent’s inspiration, encouraging the buyer to engage with the story before the first spray. This cohesive aesthetic—colour‑coded glass, restrained typography, and contextual photography—positions Regalien as a contemporary Turkish house that values both visual elegance and narrative depth.
Philosophy
Regalien’s creative vision rests on the idea that scent can act as a bridge between past and present. The founders speak of honouring the rituals of Ottoman perfume making—hand‑picked botanicals, slow maceration, and reverence for natural ingredients—while translating those practices into a language that speaks to today’s global collector. Each fragrance is conceived as a narrative moment, whether it is the quiet contemplation of a night market or the exuberant burst of a spring festival. The brand values transparency in sourcing, favouring regional growers who practice sustainable harvesting, and it maintains a policy of limited batch releases to ensure consistency and avoid over‑production. Regalien also emphasizes the sensory experience of the bottle, believing that visual design should echo the scent’s character, creating a cohesive story that begins before the first spritz. This philosophy is reflected in the brand’s commitment to collaborate with established fragrance houses such as Firmenich, allowing the founders to focus on concept while leveraging technical expertise for stability and safety. In interviews, the brothers have highlighted a desire to make perfume an accessible form of personal expression, encouraging wearers to interpret each note in their own context rather than prescribing a fixed mood.
Key Milestones
2016
Regalien founded in Istanbul by brothers Bilen Besen and Varol Besen; launch of debut fragrance Aqua Notte.
2018
Release of Antidote, marking the brand’s first foray into smoky, resinous compositions.
2019
Marrakesh and Posh introduced, expanding the line with desert‑inspired and minimalist aromatic scents.
2021
Three major launches—Turkuaz, Ala, and Meftun—explore Mediterranean marine and herbal themes.
2023
Ceremony Flu and Efil released, celebrating seasonal transitions and nocturnal atmospheres.
At a Glance
Brand profile snapshot
Origin
Turkey
Founded
2016
Heritage
10
Years active
Collection
1
Fragrances released
Avg Rating
4.5
Community sentiment
Release Rhythm