At a time when fragrance reviews are becoming increasingly technical, focused on notes and ingredients, O Boticário proposes a new perspective on perfumery: one driven by emotion and art. To celebrate Fragrance Day, on March 21, the most loved fragrance brand among Brazilians* unveils an unprecedented and exclusive project that transforms the emotional reactions evoked by fragrances into unique artworks, created using technology and algorithmic intelligence.
Developed by AlmapBBDO, the initiative stems from a territory that O Boticário has built for decades: fragrances are more than formulas—they are emotional experiences capable of awakening memories, sensations, and personal stories. This vision reflects the brand’s own approach to the art of perfumery, combining technique, creativity, and raw materials to create compositions that go beyond scent and connect with emotions.
For this reason, O Boticário invited content creators and perfumery experts to an immersive experience at its Pinheiros flagship store in São Paulo. During the fragrance testing, participants’ facial expressions are captured and analyzed in real time by an emotional recognition system capable of interpreting micro-expressions and identifying emotions such as surprise, joy, and nostalgia, as well as the intensity of these reactions.
The technology behind the experience is developed by XRStudio and uses MediaPipe, Google’s open-source framework, to map more than 48 facial points and extract precise expression data. This information is processed by a proprietary algorithm that classifies and assigns percentages to the identified emotions. The data is then combined with an artistic database developed by AlmapBBDO and sent to the generative AI Nano Banana, also by Google, which transforms these emotions into unique visual compositions.
The result is a series of personalized artworks that visually translate what each fragrance evoked in the participant—a kind of emotional portrait of the olfactory composition. Each piece is signed with the participant’s name, the fragrance tested, and the predominant emotions, creating a new way of documenting the relationship between people and fragrances.
“We actively listen to our consumers and lovers and understand the importance our fragrances hold in their stories and in awakening emotions. As the most loved fragrance brand in Brazil, we decided to materialize this connection to celebrate Fragrance Day, bringing together high perfumery and the art of feeling, transforming the perception of those who choose us into our greatest inspiration,” explains Carolina Carrasco, Branding and Communication Director at O Boticário.
According to César Veiga, perfumer at Grupo Boticário, the project materializes a connection that has always been at the heart of perfumery. “The sense of smell is one of the most powerful forms of emotional connection. A scent can instantly transport someone to a forgotten memory or evoke an emotional sensation. With this project, we take it a step further by making this connection visible, translating emotions into unique images.”
A NEW WAY OF REVIEWING FRAGRANCES
The initiative also repositions the traditional review format in the perfumery universe. Instead of technical analyses of notes and accords, participants are encouraged to explore their sensory and emotional perceptions, giving rise to a new, more subjective and experiential review language, deeply connected to real usage.
The entire process—from experimentation to artwork generation—will be documented and shared on social media starting March 21, expanding the conversation about how people relate to fragrances beyond technical aspects.
During Fragrance Day week, from March 21 to 24, the experience will be open to the public at the brand’s flagship store, allowing consumers to have their emotions captured and transformed into art in real time. The creations will extend beyond the physical space and take over the digital storefronts of more than 3,000 O Boticário stores across the country, turning them into a large dynamic gallery of emotions. The artworks will also be featured in out-of-home media and the brand’s digital channels, expanding the initiative’s reach.
In addition to in-person participation, consumers across Brazil will be able to join the project remotely by describing their emotions on the brand’s social media channels—stories that will also become part of this collective gallery. “Perfumery has always been a meeting point between science and sensitivity. There is an entire engineering process behind each fragrance, but what truly marks people is what they feel. This project materializes exactly that intersection,” César adds.
PERFUMERY AT THE CORE OF THE BUSINESS
The brand is a reference in the use of advanced techniques such as the “digital nose”—an olfactory analysis system that identifies and decodes, through highly precise artificial intelligence software, the composition and evolution of aromas and raw materials, enabling the brand to continuously enhance its ability to translate consumer preferences.
O Boticário also maintains Quintana Lab, its own research center dedicated to creating exclusive ingredients. There, it invests in sophisticated methods such as supercritical CO₂ extraction, headspace technology, enfleurage, and distillation—practices that sustain and evolve a unique and sustainable olfactory palette exclusive to the Group.
In 2019, O Boticário also launched the world’s first fragrance created with the help of artificial intelligence, Egeo ON, developed in partnership with fragrance house Symrise and IBM’s Watson, combining unconventional formulas for the market.
“For us, innovation has never been just a goal, but a transversal value that guides all our decisions with responsibility and passion. Our commitment is to continuously evolve in a sustainable and conscious way, placing our consumers at the center of everything we do. As a result, we have built a diverse, high-quality portfolio deeply connected to who we are and to those who choose us every day,” concludes perfumer César Veiga.
