Perfumes for The Witching Hour

I like to wear spooky, mysterious fragrances all year round, but they really come into their own as the nights draw in and I’m back in black. You can of course, go down the pumpkin spice route – (I don’t care how clichéed it is, I’m a fan) but when you want to bring out your inner Siouxsie and the Banshee(s), here are a few sure-bets that will get you followed home by bats.

Papillon Anubis

Astonishingly, this accomplished fragrance (and FiFi finalist) was a debut from Liz Moores from Papillon Perfumery. Anubis evokes ancient Egypt, incense and the kind of catacombs that should never be disturbed. Hypnotic and mysterious.

Dana Tabu

I refuse to be parted my beloved bottle of Dana Tabu. My current bottle cost a mere £13.35. Smoky, spicy and incense-y, it’s hard to find in the shops but readily available online for a wink and a smile. Don’t be put off by the feeble sounding cologne strength, this beauty has big muscles.

Kingdom Scotland Metamorphic

Why does this make me think of the witches in Macbeth? Inspired by metamorphic rock, there is a damp volcanic heart to Kingdom Scotland Metamorphic, enhanced by deep incense, the scent of Islay Malt whisky, Rose Absolute and a hint of leather. Having seen Outlander, this is how I imagine Jamie would smell. Lucky Claire! You could call this a masculine scent, if you like, but I say piffle to labels. This would smell incredible on anyone, especially in cold weather. In the witching hour, it conjures ancient castle walls. Ensnare it here.

4160 Tuesdays Red Queen

I had lunch with perfumer Sarah McCartney who made this, and she was wearing Red Queen. By the end of the meal I had the whole bottle off her. Roses meet Frankincense in perfect harmony and it has become a firm favourite of mine. I always strut when I wear it and expect people to fling open double doors for me. Can’t help it. Not even sorry.

Guerlain Mon Guerlain Eau de Parfum Intense

Mon Guerlain Eau de Parfum Intense isn’t particularly Gothic but its very intensity makes you smoulder. The black smudge of liquorice had me at hello like a cat’s eye. Plus, nobody is more of a witch than Angelina Jolie as Maleficent.

Ruth Mastenbroek Firedance

Firedance was inspired by those nights where you’re outside and having such a good time that you don’t want to go indoors, even when the sun goes in and the air gets cold. Smoky roses mingle with oud and leather until you feel sure there must be a bonfire around somewhere lighting up the soot black sky.

Aftelier Embers and Musk

Smoke on the water, smoke in your hair, smoke in the woods. Mandy Aftel has worked her magic to create a liquid fragrance that smells so like the embers of a campfire and the woods above it, that you marvel at how it came to be. A tiny dab seems to make a hazy forest grow around you.

Damn Rebel Witches by Sarah McCartney

With a name like Damn Rebel Witches, I can’t leave this one out, nor would I because it is a work of genius. The nose is Sarah McCartney and the scent is twigs, tobacco, musk and moorland. It is magick. As luck would have it, this witches’s brew is currently on sale before being retired, so head to this website, my darling crones.

Where to buy

I’ve put some little hyperlinks in for you so you can click and buy.

Disclosure

Some of these samples and fragrances were gifted to me by the perfumers. No strings were attached and opinions and the choice to blog about them were and are my own. Unless stated, all images are from the brand.