Marina Barcenilla
Marina Barcenilla grew up in Spain, where a teenage fascination with scent sparked a lifelong quest. She earned a PhD in astrobiology and then turned laboratory rigor toward perfume. Over the past two decades she launched two independent perfume houses and founded The Perfume Garden, a Glastonbury studio that offers six oil‑based scents crafted from traditionally extracted ingredients. As a freelance nose she supplies fragrance and skincare accords to boutique brands, and she teaches natural perfumery at the School of Creative Perfumery. Her work bridges scientific curiosity and artisanal craft, earning her a seat on the Academia del Perfume board.
The hits
Notable creations
The signature
How Marina composes
Marina favors cold‑pressed and steam‑distilled absolutes, preferring ingredients that retain their original texture. She builds accords around a single botanical anchor, then layers complementary notes that echo the anchor’s natural rhythm. Her oil‑based formats highlight the richness of raw extracts and avoid heavy synthetic fixatives. In the lab she records each batch with the precision of a researcher, adjusting ratios until the scent breathes as a living entity. She often incorporates mineral powders or trace aromatics inspired by her astrobiology work, giving her creations a faint, otherworldly edge.
Philosophy
What drives Marina
Marina believes that scent should emerge from the raw character of plants, minerals and the occasional cosmic cue. She treats each material as a clue, letting its native aroma dictate the composition rather than imposing a preconceived theme. Her scientific background drives a methodical testing process, yet she embraces the unpredictability of natural extraction. She aims to create fragrances that feel honest, that invite the wearer to pause and notice the world’s subtle chemistry.
The houses