HALLOWEEN SPOOKY SEASON FRAGRANCES

We are nearing the end of autumn and with October comes pumpkins, spices and the darkness of Halloween. As the air cools and starts to make way for winter, warm yet intriguing notes take centre stage - smoky woods, sweet ambers, and creamy vanillas. Here are a few fragrances that capture the essence of the season, the heart of autumn, and Halloween's iconic characters.

Black Phantom by Kilian

Despite it's name and the decadent dark chocolate note, this perfume isn't very "phantom-like" to me, but it is perfectly in tune with "Spooky Season’s" mystery. The opening is quite bitter, with the coffee, rum and dark chocolate mix attacking the senses, but it gets warmer and creamier the longer it wears, with the sweeter notes of caramel, sugar and vanilla creating a warm, sweet aroma. A perfume fit for Count Dracula.

Sillage: 5/10

Opera by Xerjoff

This perfume is perfectly named, Opera - a musical drama. This is by far my favourite leathery scent, and it's the perfume I'd have worn on the set of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' music video. Woody, leathery amber, with sweetness from ylang-ylang - just beautifully done. It is one of the few perfumes I go light on the sprays with, and I have a 5ml decant available for you to purchase here.

Sillage: 8/10

Rêve D'Encens by Van Cleef & Arpels

This isn't a popular perfume because it's quite hard to find and even harder to sample, but it is truly beautiful. From it's presentation to the juice in the bottle, this fragrance rich and mysterious with notes of saffron, rose, olibanum and sandalwood. This is a sophisticated, yet animalic, slighly smoky perfume that gets lots of compliments and that nobody can guess the name of. Perfect for maintaining a mysterious edge like Halle Berry's Catwoman.

Sillage: 9/10

Noir de Noir by Tom Ford

This is definitely the perfume Wednesday Addams' mum, Morticia Addams from The Addams Family, wears, a sensually dark and mysterious rose. Like Rêve D'Encens, this has a top note of saffron and contains vanilla, but that is emboldened with truffle, patchouli and oud. This scent profile has now been replicated a few times since Noir de Noir was released in 2007, but none quite managed to replicate the seductive mystery in this bottle.

Sillage: 7/10

Elixir 11 by Kayali

Kayali has so many popular fragrances, that Elixir 11 has been pretty much forgotten, but it is perfect for this time of year. This rose patchouli perfume with it's amber base is the right balance of spicy and woody without being overpowering. The red apple note at the top immediately brought Maleficent to mind, the most glam villain in the Disney franchise.

Sillage: 5/10

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