ParfumPlus Arabia

BEFORE YOU ASK what I smell like, take a closer look at me. Some of my stories begin with a fragrance. Others begin with a symbol, a memory or an idea that refuses to sit still. I am Mendittorosa, an independent Italian perfumery founded by Stefania Squeglia in 2012. My beginnings are rooted in a rediscovery of creativity, childhood experiments with flowers and water and an encounter with Stromboli, the volcanic island that helped awaken my founder’s imagination. I have grown from that personal journey into a house where perfumery meets art, and every new creation begins with the freedom to take a different path. I SPEAK IN SYMBOLS Some of my stories are best understood through the objects I carry. Take Le Mat, from my Talismans collection. Inspired by The Fool in Tarot, it draws on the idea of setting out without knowing exactly where the journey will lead. Perfumer Anne-Sophie Behaghel brings together nutmeg, black pepper, cloves, geranium, rose, patchouli, cashmere wood and immortelle to give the fragrance its character. A BIRD, A CAGE AND THE MEANING OF FREEDOM IN 2026, I OPENED ANOTHER CHAPTER WITH MY FREEDOM COLLECTION: ASORAL, RE-EVOLUTION AND OUTOPIA. THIS TIME, I WANTED TO EXPLORE A QUESTION THAT BELONGS TO EVERYONE. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE FREE? SO I INTRODUCED A BIRD. HANDCRAFTED IN CERAMIC AND METAL LEAF BY ALESSANDRO REGGIOLI, IT SITS ABOVE EACH TRANSPARENT GLASS FLACON. AROUND IT IS A BIRCHWOOD CAGE DESIGNED BY ALESSANDRO STABILE, SHAPED MECHANICALLY AND FINISHED BY HAND. THE CONTRAST IS DELIBERATE. THE BIRD SUGGESTS MOVEMENT AND POSSIBILITY; THE CAGE REPRESENTS A BOUNDARY THAT MAY EXIST WITHIN US, AROUND US, OR BOTH. THE COLLECTION CARRIES THIS IDEA THROUGH ITS COLOURS. SILVER CONNECTS ASORAL WITH THE TRANSLUCENCY OF THE ROSE, COPPER LINKS RE-EVOLUTION WITH RED ALGAE, AND GOLD REFLECTS THE MYRRH AND PRECIOUS RESINS ASSOCIATED WITH OUTOPIA. EVEN THE LETTER O IN THE FRAGRANCE NAMES BECOMES PART OF THE VISUAL LANGUAGE. P A R F U M P L U S 13