The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
SABBA takes its name from a word that echoes through ancient forests and midnight rituals, a gathering that happens after the light retreats. Matilda Morri Beauty, the Italian fragrance house founded by content creator Matilda Morri, built its identity on compositions that refuse to be polite. Eau de Divorce. Sepulcra. Now SABBA. Each name is a provocation, a promise of something that won't be easily forgotten. The brief for this one was clear: create the scent of a nocturnal ritual in a dark forest. Not the tourist version of darkness, the real thing, where shadows have weight and the air smells like something older than you. Perfumer Rosa Vaia translated that concept into a composition that opens with light and ends in smoke, without ever resolving the tension between them.
The most interesting thing about SABBA's structure is how it refuses to commit. Most fragrances with a coffee note lean heavily into it, dark roast, espresso, the whole Ristretto personality. Here, the coffee blossom and lightly roasted hazelnut create something more delicate, more aromatic than assertive. It's coffee as a supporting character, not the lead. The real star is the contrast: bergamot and grapefruit open bright and almost medicinal in their sharpness, then coffee blossom and hazelnut pull the composition toward warmth before the heart deepens into damask rose, incense, and violet.
The evolution
The opening hits with citrus brightness, bergamot, grapefruit, pink pepper, that reads as almost medicinal in its sharpness. The coffee blossom and roasted hazelnut arrive quickly, softening the edges before they can become harsh. Fifteen minutes in, the composition shifts: the citrus doesn't fade so much as deepen, becoming the light that survives inside something darker. The heart is where SABBA reveals its true character. Damask rose and violet arrive without apology, but they're not delicate florals here, they're darkened by incense, grounded by aromatic woods, complicated by coffee bean and a hint of licorice root. The frankincense doesn't smoke so much as linger, resinous and slightly sweet, a presence that refuses to be ignored. Two hours in, the structure inverts. The brightness that opened the fragrance hasn't disappeared, it's become the light that survives inside the dark. Roasted hazelnut bridges the phases, connecting the freshness of the opening to the heaviness of the base.
Cultural impact
SABBA arrives at a moment when fragrance enthusiasts are increasingly seeking compositions with narrative weight rather than polite accessibility. The brand's positioning, content creator as auteur, community insider as designer, reflects a broader shift toward creator-owned fragrance. The dark forest ritual concept taps into a specific cultural register: the fragrance enthusiast who wants a scent that feels like a story being told, not a product being sold. SABBA's 2025 release places it squarely within this movement, appealing to wearers who prioritize distinctiveness over mass appeal.
