There’s nothing quite like Halloween – whether you’re dancing till dawn with Dracula, bowling with Bigfoot, grabbing some drinks with your ghouls (or simply bunkering down with a stock of sweets to fuel the teeny terrors who’ll be knocking at your door). But we did some research to come up with 10 spooky scents to get you in the mood… (Click the blue fragrance names to find them on-line.)
1. Diane Pernet In Pursuit of Magic If the name didn’t give it away, this is a perfect scent for a gorgeous cloak of mystery. Based solely around citruses, it combines a lovely aromatic edge with an interesting bitterness and is sure to surprise. It’s even equipped with a stylish, spooky spider on the bottle. Magic in a bottle.
Diane Pernet In Pursuit of Magic £88 for 30ml parfum
2. Blood Concept Black Series ‘O’ Cruel Incense ‘Blacker than night and stronger than desire’ is how Blood Concept‘s O reads. Named ‘Cruel Incense‘, this fragrance could be the start of a horror movie – yet is anything but horrific, with notes of black pepper, cedar, guaiac wood, patchouli, amber and incense. (Be sure to check out the rest of Blood Concept‘s collection for all your vampiric needs.)
Blood Concept O Cruel Incense £98 for 50ml parfum
3. Etat Libre d’Orange Sécrétions Magnifiques A fragrance where ‘confusion reigns supreme’, the quirky Etat Libre d’Orange wanted to evoke four bodily fluids; blood, sweat, sperm and saliva. Combining an adrenaline accord and a blood accord, it’s either hate or love at first sniff. A subversive, disturbing perfume that’s sure to shock wherever you go.
Etat Libre d’Orange Sécrétions Magnifiques £70 for 50ml eau de parfum
4. Dior Poison Scorned lover? Betrayed friend? You may want to get your hands on some Poison… of the Dior variety. The mesmerising scent combines coriander, wildberries, honey and opopanax to conjure a forbidden fruit: a dark and mysterious perfume that has been spell-binding for decades. But be careful: this alchemy in bottle can be lethal.
Dior Poison £43.50 for 30ml eau de toilette
5. Library of Fragrance Dirt Never before a scent so true to it’s name: this one takes you right to the graveyard. It’s earthy and dirty and bizarrely addictive, with a strange attraction to it – so just make sure you don’t attract the other-worldly sort. Try layering with Funeral Home, Pumpkin Pie or Devil’s Food for turbo-charged ghoulish effects.
Library of Fragrance Dirt £15 for 30ml Cologne
6. Lancôme Magie Noire Be lured over to the darkside with the aptly named Magie Noire. A bewitching ambrée fragrance that’s sure to hypnotise. Enchanting and confusing with no set top or bottom notes, it’s a swirl of rose, blackcurrant buds, jasmine, amber and incense. A sexy intoxicating scent that has been casting spells ever since its release in 1978.
Lancôme Magie Noire £63 for 75ml eau de parfum
7. True Blood Forsaken If you’ve ever seen the incredibly sexy/scary vampire show True Blood, you might be able to imagine how mysterious and seductive this scent is. Described as ‘an addictive and opulent blend of light and dark notes’, it combines night-blooming jasmine (fitting), dark musk and patchouli. We’re considering acquiring some fangs for this one.
True Blood Forsaken £28.99 for 50ml eau de parfum
8. Lady Gaga Fame She’s renowned for being different. So for her first fragrance Lady Gaga created something as distinctive as her, mixing up the composition with three chords -the first of which is the dark accord (evoking the poisonous flower belladonna, or deadly nightshade). Even the eerie, spider-like bottle contains a black juice that becomes invisible once applied to the skin – now how’s that for spooky?
Lady Gaga Fame £25 for 30ml eau de parfum
9. Givenchy Ange ou Demon This offering from Givenchy has a dualistic element, combining both the heavenly and demonic in this fragrance via florals, vanilla and oakmoss. The bottle itself is a dark incarnation that descends into lighter tones. Only question is… which side are you on?
Givenchy Ange ou Demon £40 for 30ml eau de parfum
10. Imaginary Authors An Air of Despair Based on a tale of mystery, melancholy and high glamour, An Air of Despair, was inspired by a story of a cunning, evil girl who plots the murder of her parents. No more fitting a fragrance for All Hallow’s Eve. Best suited to wailing banshees and malevolent ghosts.
Imaginary Authors An Air of Despair £50 for 60ml eau de parfum
By Carson Parkin-Fairley
