Osang

In Naples, three times a year, people await whether the dried blood of Saint Januarius will liquefy again. MENDITTOROSA Osang translates this ritual into honey, fenugreek, myrrh, iris, and a smoky darkness that opens to light. Giovanni Festa created a masterful spiritual composition.

Fenugreek absolute, honey, and meadow flowers open the extrait sunny, dense, and unusually edible. Szechuan pepper and nutmeg release sharp, almost scorched sparks through the golden sweetness.

Labdanum, iris, and myrrh then create a dramatic moment: the resins are sticky and dark, the iris scatters like ash, and honey falls over everything like amber rain. Benzoin and styrax further thicken the ritualistic feel.

Stefania Squeglia dedicates the composition to Naples, the "city of blood," and the belief that the liquefaction of the saint's relic signifies protection, while the absence of the miracle portends misfortune. Osang was a finalist for the Art & Olfaction Awards in 2018.

Sandalwood, amber, oud, frankincense, Peruvian balsam, and animalic musks later lead the fragrance into a swirling darkness. Fenugreek remains hungry and bitter, while honey gradually transitions from sweetness to glowing resin.

Inside the bottle is a small, handcrafted red coral horn, and the cap interprets the saint's mitre. The fragrance is Neapolitan blood of fenugreek, burnt honey, myrrh, iris, oud, and frankincense — a prayer for the skin that seeks a miracle from the shadows.