Blood mandarin smells like a mandarin that's been kissed by autumn—rich, almost wine-dark sweetness with deeper, slightly earthy undertones. Imagine peeling a regular mandarin, but the juice tastes faintly bitter-sweet, like marmalade or candied blood orange. There's a floral whisper underneath the citrus brightness, almost like carnation or rose petal. It's sunnier than grapefruit, darker than regular mandarin, with a subtle spiced warmth that lingers on your skin like the fruit has been simmering gently.
Blood mandarin originates from Italy and Spain, where these crimson-fleshed citrus fruits grow in Mediterranean orchards. The distinctive deep red pigmentation comes from anthocyanins—the same compounds that colour blackberries and pomegranates. The fragrance note is typically created through extraction (cold-pressing the peel releases aromatic oils) or reconstituted through synthesis, blending natural mandarin oil with darker, more complex fruit and floral molecules to capture that moody, wine-like character absent in regular mandarin.
Perfumers deploy blood mandarin as a sophisticated citrus heart-note that adds sensuality and depth to compositions. Rather than the bright top-note sparkle of conventional citrus, it lingers longer and provides richness—ideal for balancing sharp notes or anchoring gourmand fragrances. It's particularly effective in chypre, oriental, and modern fruity compositions where complexity matters more than simple freshness.
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