Mendittorosa
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The aldehydic dodecanal arrives first, soft and waxy, making space for bright bergamot and a green-tinged lavender that suggests less a perfume counter and more an herbalist's cabinet. Within moments, the composition feels purposefully restrained, almost demure, gathering its forces.
By the second hour, the floral heart blossoms into its full complexity—blackcurrant and raspberry create a tart counterpoint to the creamy jasmine and narcissus, whilst pomegranate juice adds an unexpected sparkle. The hyraceum begins its slow ascent, introducing a warm, slightly leather-touched animalic whisper that transforms the florals into something altogether more sensuous and grounded.
The base notes settle into their unhurried work: beeswax and amberwood create a golden-resinous halo, whilst patchouli and sandalwood weave together with white musk, leaving a skin scent that's intimate and faintly ecclesiastical—sweet without saccharine, warm without cloying, lingering more as a memory than a presence.
Rituale is a fragrance that trades bombast for intimacy—a scent that unfolds rather than announces. Amélie Bourgeois has constructed something genuinely unusual here: a floral composition that feels simultaneously lush and restrained, sweetened without becoming cloying. The dodecanal in the opening provides a subtle waxy-aldehydic shimmer, a whisper of something slightly soapy that prevents the bergamot and lavender from veering toward the fresh-citrus cliché. Instead, they establish an almost medicinal baseline, herbaceous and slightly austere.
What makes Rituale compelling is how the heart notes negotiate their competing demands. Blackcurrant and raspberry bring a tart fruitiness that cuts against the creamy narcissus and jasmine; it's a tension that keeps the composition from becoming a one-dimensional floral swoon. The pomegranate adds an unexpected juicy brightness, whilst rose and jasmine anchor the composition in a classical sensuality—but never a predictable one. The hyraceum in the base, that fascinating animalic material with its almost leather-like warmth, prevents the florals from floating into abstraction.
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3.7/5 (186)