Mendittorosa
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Immediately, white pepper and clove create a sharp, almost aggressive bite—think black pepper freshly ground into warm cream. The nutmeg softens this only marginally, adding a creamy, slightly woody undertone that prevents the opening from being entirely austere, but this is a fragrance making its position clear from the first breath.
The spice gradually becomes the frame rather than the subject as geranium emerges with green, slightly herbal character—peppery itself, which amplifies rather than counteracts the opening's bite. The rose threads through as a muted, slightly dusty floral element, almost like dried petals stored with peppercorns. The woody notes begin their ascent, with patchouli lending earthy, slightly animalic depth.
Here, immortelle's resinous sweetness finally takes prominence, creating an amber-tinged warmth that's neither gourmand nor purely woody. The patchouli and cashmere wood form a soft, slightly smoky bed—earthy and contemplative rather than comforting. What remains is predominantly resinous and woody with only the faintest memory of the opening's spiced aggression.
Le Mat announces itself with the assertiveness of someone who refuses to soften their edges. Anne-Sophie Behaghel has constructed something deliberately peppery and mineral—a fragrance that bristles rather than coddles. The opening salvo of clove and black pepper creates an almost culinary sharpness, reminiscent of mulled wine before the sugar arrives, whilst nutmeg adds a faintly narcotic warmth that suggests neither sweetness nor typical spice-as-comfort.
What makes Le Mat compelling is its refusal to let florals dominate. The geranium and May rose that emerge in the heart are rendered somewhat austere by the spicy scaffolding surrounding them—the rose becomes peppery, almost slightly metallic, rather than romantic. This is geranium that smells of green stem and slightly bitter leaf, not soft petals. The woody base—cashmere wood and Indonesian patchouli—arrives with earthy, slightly smoky insistence, whilst Spanish immortelle contributes a resinous sweetness that prevents the composition from becoming entirely severe.
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3.6/5 (356)