Perfumes to Wear for Halloween

This weekend before Halloween is the traditional time to throw parties for those long past the age to go door to door for candy. Here is a look, all in fun, of what perfumes to wear for Halloween!

Vert de Fleur by Tom Ford

A green so dark it is almost black. Sinewy, bitter, and poisonous. Twisting, smothering green, pungent and sharp. An earthy and fierce opening, which fades to something tamer as time progresses. Notes: galbanum, iris, hyacinth, neroli, bergamot, basil, jasmine, vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss.

Vlad Dracul by Sixteen92

You are entering a forest. It is dark, dank, and misty. You smell the fir needles that have fallen to the path, padding it with a softness that muffles your footsteps, and maybe the footsteps of those watching from the shadows. The needles and leaves are rotting and decaying, moist from the rain on dark paths that never see sunlight in the depths of the forest. Suddenly you sense something, actually you smell it. It smells like disturbed earth, something ancient. A smell that attracts you at the same time it repels. It's too late. He's come for you. You fall in the depths of the verdant earth, that wet leaves, and the scent of the long dead. Notes: Carpathian fir needles, red cedar, black amber, black patchouli, scorched earth, blood musk.

Bat by Zoologist Perfumes

You are in a limestone cave, the wall oozing dampness and wet to your touch as you glide your hand along the surface to find your way in the dark. There is the smell of vegetation that clings to the walls, surviving on the filtered shards of sunlight that penetrate the depths of the cave in the lightest part of the day. Suddenly there is an animal smell mixed with leather. You can see nothing but you sense the movement of a hundred thousand tiny flapping wings as the bats rush past you for the nightly ritual of the hunt. Notes: soil tincture, fruit, fig, green notes, musk, leather, vetiver, sandalwood.

Oud Immortel by Byredo

They move among us and pass as human. But if you are still and mindful, you can know them by their scent. It is dry like the papyrus tomes in which their history is written. Just as the trees which make oud are infected with mold which over the course of time forms a seductive resin, so do these creatures turn a disease, life in perpetuity, into a temptation. They leave a trail of smoke, moss, and earthy patchouli. To tempt they carry the redolence of sweet tobacco fields and the lightness of lemon, but do not be taken in. Their wish is to turn you into one of them. Notes: limoncello, incense, cardomom, patchouli, papyrus, tobacco leaves, moss.

 Cuir et Champignon by DSH Perfumes

Deep in the forest hide the woodland sprites. They have magic ways. They can call to the animals and make them do their bidding, as they are part animal themselves. Have you ever walked through the forest and felt that there was something there, watching you silently? Perhaps it is the woodland sprite. They can disappear into tree trunks and blend into the background of the forest, it's their secret camouflage. The only way you may know they are around is the small white mushrooms they feast on in the dead of night, they need them to survive. Train your nose to smell the subtle earthiness of the little white mushrooms that grow in the dark loamy earth. They will smell of the woods of the forest, of the animals that rustle amongst them, of smoke, and of forest herbs like clary sage and wild chamomile. Notes: castoreum, civet, cedarwood, vetiver, leather, cepes, peru balsam, wild chamomile, bergamot, clary sage, galbanum.

Bull's Blood by Imaginary Authors

The first thing you smell as he comes for you, appearing from nowhere as a wraith is the cold, astringent, and metallic scent of blood. Then your mind whirls with images of dirt, an animalic miasma of fur and skin, and the incongruous note of a beautiful red rose. As you seem to fall and melt toward the earth you realize that the ringing smell of blood is your blood. Notes: Patchouli, rose, costus root, black musk, bull's blood

Encens en Lavande by Serge Lutens

The cold stone which has stood for one hundred years should feel safe and stable, but instead the mists lend an air of danger. Strangely there is the scent of incense from the ancient crypts of the church and a faint lingering note of lavender. Notes: Incense, lavender, iris, amber, wood notes.

Longbourn: Imagining the Scented Lives of Elizabeth Bennet's Servants

It is always a small thrill for a perfume lover to find mention of scent when reading a novel. Some authors even go so far as to have their character use a particular fragrance as part of the character's development, but more often it is just a fleeting mention to add descriptive substance. Thus, when I came across a mere two sentences of such scented snippets while reading Longbourn by Jo Baker I eagerly pounced on this tidbit of information and tried to figure out how these two characters would be scented.

Jane Austen died 199 years ago in relative obscurity at the age of forty one, having completed six novels. She would most likely be quite bemused at what a literary icon she has become, so much so that there is term for her legion of fans: Janeites. Janeites, of which I might be one, are enthusiastic in anything remotely connected to Jane Austen and have an insatiable demand for more works in a similar vein. This has spawned movies, television mini series, and numerous books imagining Jane's characters as everything from modern day misses to zombies.

In Longbourn, the reader is taken behind the scenes of the Bennet house and into the lives of the servants who work for the family. There are mere glimpses of the matrimonial worries of the Bennet sisters but the heart of the story is the servants:  Mr. and Mrs. Hill who run the house and whose lives may not be exactly as they seem; Sarah, an orphan who has worked in the house since she was young and questions her life of servitude; Polly, a younger orphan who crosses paths with the treacherous Mr. Wickham; and James, the mysterious footman who has a hidden and secret connection to the Longbourn house.  The charm of this book for me was the way Jo Baker has captured the cadence and melody of the words on page that feel very much like Jane Austen herself could have been the author. It is not as laugh out loud funny as Austen's works can be, but then these servants lives are not very amusing. She does capture Austen's acerbic witticisms, and it is as if Pride and Prejudice has been turned inside out as we view it through the lens of the servants' lives.

"If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she'd most likely be a sight more careful with them."

The above is a quote from Sarah, the book's heroine, who looks after the Bennet sisters and tends to their everyday toiletry needs. Sarah is far too busy and far too poor to have access to perfume, but there is a passage where she makes lavender soap for the sisters. In that era this was an unpleasant occupation involving lye soap and animal fat. To try to make the concoction more luxurious flower petals were added.

"It had never failed to astonish her, down the years of helping Mrs. Hill, how soap that made things clean was such a foul thing in its own making. She stripped the pale dried lavender, and dropped the buds into the curdling porridge."

I imagined that Sarah would never dream of a luxury such as perfume, but just perhaps she kept a tiny bar of the lavender bud soap aside as a small treat for herself. A present day soap that fits the bill is Mistral Savon Aux Fleurs, Fleurs de Lavande.

 This French milled soap smells softly of lavender and has actual bits of lavender bud embedded into the soap which serve as an exfoliating agent during washing. I would imagine that in the era Austen's characters lived, baths were infrequent and the rose petal or lavender buds added to soap would help to scrap the dirt off. We may not need such heavy duty cleaning today but it is still a nice sensation to have the lavender act as a skin polishing buffer! I have a bar of this in my shower now.

James Smith, a mysterious jack of all trades who wanders to Longbourn looking for work, becomes Sarah's eventual love interest. James is a Byronic hero in that he is a brooding, tortured outsider, but he lacks the demonic characteristics; James is as gentle as a lamb. There is a scene where James and Sarah first notice their attraction to each other:

"James passed a baggage strap behind the post, and fastened it around Sarah's waist, buckling her safely in. He had to lean close in to do this. The scent of him--leather, horse, hay--the angle of his cheekbone--she would keep the memory with her."

I have chosen two scents for James. The first is Dame Perfumery Leather Man. Jeffrey Dame makes beautiful colognes and describes them as "clean, subtle, and interesting." Notes are gurjun balsam, iris, jasmine, gardenia, water lily, sandalwood, amber and leather. Don't be fooled by this flowery list of notes because you'll be hard pressed to pick them out. Initially I smell the water lily and it is not really floral so much as watery. Gurjun balsam does not have a strong scent and can in fact have the property of tempering other notes and bringing the intensity down.  The leather comes out after a short time and reads more like a blonde supple suede, not brown boot leather. The florals are very quiet but add an interesting background touch of outdoor plant elements. This is one of the softest leathers I've ever smelled and for our purposes here, it is as if our character James has come in contract with the leather bridles and whips but they have left a mere whisper of scent on his skin. I tried this on myself and my husband, and he liked it very much.

The second scent I would put James in is one I have already reviewed, Imaginary Authors The Cobra and the Canary. This perfume features notes of both leather and hay. The leather is much darker than Leather Man, but not at all overpowering. The hay adds an earthiness and dryness to the overall feel of the perfume and also tones down the strength of the leather.

I very much enjoyed Longbourn but I give you fair warning; people seemed to adore it or find it extremely tedious. Read reviews at Goodreads to get an idea if the book is for you.

Photo top from Goodreads.com. Photo of soap from Mistral website.

Imaginary Authors, Part Three

Today is the last in a three-part series of reviews of perfumes in the Imaginary Authors line.  It does not include some of the more recent entries, just the ones I've been able to sample. The two reviewed today are the most gourmand leaning of the ones I've tried. Both perfumes are well done and they are my favorites from the brand.

Yesterday's Haze

I enjoy fig perfumes. They are malleable and perfumers can emphasize various characteristics of the fruit, even though fig itself is a distinctive smell. Fig can smell sweet without coming across as a sugary mess. The green note gives fig a clean smell, not unlike the feeling you get with lavender but it lacks the sterility you sometimes find with lavender. Some perfumers emphasize coconut notes which takes fig in a tropical direction. Any one of these facets can be amped up so that there is a surprising amount of diversity in fig perfumes.

Yesterday's Haze seems to get everything right. It is a touch gourmand in that the fig smells ripe and succulent but it is not so gourmand that it treads into fig cake territory. There is the green feeling that is inherent in fig perfumes but it does not overpower. When the green note in fig perfumes is strong the scent can take on an austere air to me. Here the green just tempers the sweet. I get no coconut in this fig. Coconut is not necessarily a bad thing, but for me it does segregate a scent into beach territory and mainly wearable in summer. While wearing Yesterday's Haze I kept lifting my wrist to my nose. It is very delicious.  

On first spray the scent is soft and hazy. The fig comes out first but it is gauzy. Listed notes are fig, iris, cream tonka, tree bark, walnut bitters, and orchard dust. The tonka is very nice and gives the effect of warmth and a balmy lassitude.

“Just as sunsets are more beautiful on hazy days so, too, are the memories of yesterday.  -Lenora Blumberg

The pseudo novel, Yesterday's Haze, imagined by perfumer Josh Meyer, is reminiscent of a novel like The Postman Always Rings Twice. An orchard farmer in the San Joaquin Valley discovers his wife has been having a decades long affair with a cropduster and tragedy ensues. The perfume does have a bit of an alluring and hypnotic effect with its luscious fig and vanilla-like cream. Yesterday's Haze it my favorite of the perfumes I've tested so far in the Imaginary Authors line.

Memoirs Of A Trespasser

The backstory for this perfume concerns the writer Philip Sava, whose exotic travels spawned many famous novels. The author has retreated into hiding on his ranch in Madagascar to avoid fans and publicity.

“Who needs love when there is still cognac in the glass?” -Philip Sava

Notes  in Memoirs Of A Trespasser are Madagascar vanilla, guaiacwood, myrhh, benzoin, resin, ambrette seed, and oak barrels. This is the vanilla entry to the Imaginary Authors line. The opening is pure vanilla but almost immediately the perfume goes darker with the addition of guaicwood. I love vanilla, even sweet gourmand vanilla, but it can have the effect of making me crave cupcakes!  So I love getting my hit of vanilla without the sugar shot. The addition of myrrh and benzoin make Memories Of A Trespasser even creamier without veering into sweetness. Ambrette seed is ued to add a richness, both sweet and nutty to the fragrance, as well as give a cognac smell. 

This perfume reminds me a little of Serge Luten Bois de Vanille, but if SLBdeV  is the guy at the bar commanding everyone's attention through loud talk and showy demeanor, Memories Of A Trespasser is the nice guy sitting at the end of the bar who is more interested in getting to know you than in trying to impress . This is a nice mellow vanilla that would be great on a guy, but I love wood and resin notes so I also love it on myself. The fact that it is more woody than sweet makes it a great pick for males, but if you're like me and don't fancy overly sweet vanilla perfumes, give Memoirs Of A Trespasser a try.

These two are the most gourmand leaning fragrances in the line of the ones I've been able to try and both are very well done and enjoyable to wear. To read the other reviews see Part One and Part Two.

Top painting vintage Al Parker. Bottom photo vintage travel poster on Google. Samples my own.

Imaginary Authors, Part Two

The scents I'm reviewing today are the ones I consider the "manly" ones. I don't shy away from wearing some men's scents but I would consider these Imaginary Authors perfumes on the more masculine end of the spectrum. 

Cape Heartache

“If you are looking for the pieces of a broken heart, you might try rifling through the twigs and needles on the forest floor.” - Philip Sava

Picture a cabin with smoke curling from the chimney in the depths of a dark forest, somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. This is the inspiration for Cape Heartache. Its list of notes are indicative of a woodland stroll; fir, pine, hemlock. But there is one note on the list that is out of context: strawberry. The first time I tried Cape Heartache I smelled the forest with the pine needles and firs. The smoke smoldered softly in the background like a campfire burning low but I never smelled anything remotely resembling a strawberry. Skin can be fickle, though, so I thought I'd give it another try. This time I smelled the whole cabin in the woods scene but I also got the faint whiff of strawberry. On my skin it is very quiet and gives the fragrance a slight lift or lightness, but the note flits in and out. I don't know if this is a big strawberry note on others but on my skin it is a background note, just adding a creaminess to the pine and fir notes which take precedence. The notes are interesting in that they seem to appear, disappear, then reappear; first woody notes taking center stage, then the smoke, and then the interesting berry note. I enjoy this more every time I wear it. I find it likable and an unexpected combination of notes. 

The Cobra and the Canary

This perfume starts out dark and woody and the smell reminds me of vetiver, but as this note is not indicated I believe it may be how I am interpreting the hay and orris. The Cobra and the Canary smells dry, a little muddled, and earthy on my skin in the opening stages. About thirty minutes in the lemon note brings a brightness to the scent.

“We were driving faster than dammit, headed due west for a place called Anywhere But Here.” - James Spundt

Notes of leather and tobacco flower add a softness and slight sweetness as the formula settles into the skin. A note of "asphalt" is listed and contributes to the story of two farm boys who take a road trip to California, zipping past the hay fields on the country back roads in a fabulous antique roadster. The perfume actually lives up to the story line with the smell of hay, old leather car seats, and the hot pavement spooling a ribbon like path to the big world beyond the border of  their little town. About an hour into the wear the harsh opening has totally disappeared and the scent is smooth and warm as a sunny day in the country.

Bull's Blood

Josh makes the statement on his website that he views "scent as art and art as provocation." The scent Bull's Blood provoked one of the most extreme reactions I've ever had to a perfume, so in that regard he achieved his purpose!

“A man who has killed is a man who knows passion.” - Devante Valéreo

Have you ever tried a perfume that left you feeling deeply unsettled? Here is a podcast for you science geeks that discusses what makes scent memories so emotionally evocative. Often the memories are pleasant flashbacks to childhood; I've experienced a few of those. This was the first time that the memory was a dark one. When I first smelled Bull's Blood its opening was cold, metallic, brash, a bit astringent, and yes, there was a slight metallic ting reminiscent of blood. I had a visceral feeling of dread, then suddenly my mind flashed to an incident in my childhood that I had not thought of in decades. I was at my church on Wednesday night for children's choir practice. For some forgotten reason I stayed later and was alone, going down a dark cement stairwell. I tripped at the top and literally bumped down each step on my chin, leaving a smear of blood staining the steps from top to bottom. I remember the acrid smell of the blood, the warmth of it down my dress front, and the awfulness of my face glimpsed in the mirror  when I went to grab some paper towels to stench the flow and clean up the mess. (My Mama trained me well!) The memory was so strong that I've been unable to try the perfume again, even though I very much doubt I would have a repeat reaction! This is why I say Imaginary Authors perfumes did provoke an extreme reaction in me, even if it was not perhaps the expected reaction.

All this is not to say that the scent smells bad in any way. The imaginary novel is a lurid tale of seduction set in the world of the Spanish bullfights.  Bull's Blood accurately dipicts the dusty arena, the fierce, sweaty, animalic smell of the angry bull,  home rolled cigars, and a floral rose note drifting from the ladies in the stands. The rose is pretty much subdued by the dust, dirt, and animal fur. Floating above all of this is the disturbing (for me) smell reminiscent of blood. Josh calls it Bulls Blood and why not? He has certainly created that effect. Is this a perfume that I personally could ever wear? Never, it leaves me feeling very uncomfortable. But as an art concept it is a fascinating journey into the artistic mind and creativity of Josh Meyer.  If you read reviews on Fragrantica there are extreme reactions, positive and negative, to this perfume, so even though my reaction would not be common, it does seem the most provocative of the line. 

Notes listed are patchouli, rose, costus root, tobacco, black musk, and Bull's Blood, a veritable witch's brew. The patchouli is a particularly dirty fetid one, probably made more animalic by costus root, which can simulate fur or hair. Although Josh has created the bull fighting arena and performance with this perfume,  I could imagine another story concept that might fit the notes equally well. Imagine a vampire who has just risen from his moldy grave and goes in search of his first victim, the dirt still clinging to his cape.  A real Halloween scent! This really fired up my imagination!

To read other reviews see Part One and Part Three.

Painting above by John Zaccheo and can be purchased at paintingandframe.com. Samples my own.

Imaginary Authors, Part One

Imaginary Authors was founded in 2012 by perfumer Josh Meyer and created quite a stir in fragrance-land with its unique narrative approach. These pseudo books have a vintage vibe, as if riffing from The Great Gatsby or The Grapes of Wrath, and the fictitious authors have an interesting backstory. A perfume is built around each story and as an avid reader and perfume lover I was SO the demographic to fall for the whole Imaginary Authors concept.  The descriptions of the various authors and books were so catchy that one would like to believe they might really exist.  Olafactif and Perfume Polytechnic did great interviews with Josh when he first hung his shingle on the web. I highly recommend reading them for more information on an interesting perfumer and how he got his start. In Josh's own words:

"Imaginary Authors is born from the concept of scent as art and art as provocation. Like a good book, these scents are meant to inspire you. In these bottles are layered narratives that are sure to generate stirring conversation, fragrances that might be capable of changing the course of your own personal story. the hope is that they not only invigorate and intoxicate, but also take you to new places." 

I'm all about the journey, so for me it's easy to fall for Josh's world of Imaginary Authors.

Falling Into the Sea

When I first apply Falling Into the Sea  I get a burst of pickle! Then it's gone so quickly I'm not sure it was there. Their is a slight ozonic feel. This is a summer beach scent but to me it doesn't speak of manicured sand beaches, tanning beds with navy and white striped cushions in neat tailored lines, and the smell of Bain de Soleil wafting on the breeze. This feel like an actual beach you come across on a hot drive from Naples to Pompei. Pulling your convertible to the side of the road you hike down the hill of scrub bush and lemon trees to a deserted beach for a refreshing dip. There is a slight sourness wafting in the air, as the tide washes in seaweed and a piece of driftwood to the hot golden beach. The smell of jasmine blossoms from a distant shrub cast a diaphanous veil, floating in the warm salt air.

“Caught in the undertow of his salty lemon lips I caught myself drifting helplessly into a soundless summer unconsciousness.” -Nica Gala

Listed notes are lemon, bergamont, grapefruit, lychee, tropical flowers, and warm sand. I don't really smell the bergamont and grapefruit very much. The lychee is the note which is giving it a piquant, sometimes slightly sour smell. The tropical flowers are jasmin centric to my nose. While this perfume has some notes in common with other beach perfumes, it feels more original like this beach is a wilder, undiscovered place.

Violet Disguise

“Invigorated by the reckless blooms of spring she took to the street like a blossom on the breeze.” - Lenora Blumberg

Violet scents are tricky for me and I don't seek out this note in perfume. Violet notes come to my skin to die, so in the opening all I get is a muted dusty floral with a plum note, nothing very distinctive. About fifteen minutes in I begin to be able to distinguish the violet and plum. This violet is not the powdery violet I am most accustomed to and it morphs into a pleasant floral. An hour into wearing the perfume the bottom notes of amber and balsam, two notes that love my skin as much as violet hates it, are now joining the party and have pretty much put violet and plum on the sidelines. The amber and balsam smell very nice and I like this stage of  wear. 

Listed notes are plum, violet, dried fruits, balsam, amber, evening air, and the month of May!

The Soft Lawn

“They hopped the fence of the Governor’s Mansion, laid side by side on the cool grass tennis court, and invented constellations until the sunrise usurped their astral empire.” -Claude LeCoq

The Soft Lawn is a green scent of sorts, but not a dark green galbanum powerhouse. This pale green scent opens with linden blossom which imparts a refreshing and slightly sweet presence.  Laurel and ivy leaves make a soft green bed to support the linden. Vetiver gives a slight woodiness to the perfume as it develops. After about an hour the perfume stays fairly linear--a soft green with the slightly woody heart (which translates into the clay tennis courts of the vignette). This is cheerful and unassuming fragrance and like many in the line, very original. It captures a softer side of green.

Listed notes are linden blossom, laurel and ivy leaves, vetiver, oakmoss, fresh tennis balls, and clay court.

To read reviews of other perfumes in the line see Part Two and Part Three.

Top photo National Geographic, bottom photo vintage Life cover. Perfume samples my own.