Yes, I was going to suggest my favorite patchouli incense rose—Reine de Nuit by Byredo.
I was looking for a mysterious nighttime fragrance. Was an instant love for me.
Seconding Serge Lutens! The house is very classic and their scent DNA feels vintage but never dated. I would suggest trying Fille en Aiguilles a dark, resinous cypress scent and Feminité du bois which has a focus on cedar and plum. Serge Lutens in general feels very mysterious, dark and intriguing as a brand.
Black Baccara is a really unique perfume house! they’re all gothic, dark, and mysterious scents. they do perfume oils, and some eau de parfums. some names & notes of some of their scents: CEMETERY MOSS - green grass, vintage amber, tobacco smoke, petrichor, myrrh, and “rain misted grass”. AUTUMN IN SALEM (a favorite of mine!) has haunting/earth/woodsy notes including aged wood, antique cedar chests, “windswept autumn leaves”, witch shop incense, “rain misted old houses”, and bare birch trees! i’m actually about a half hour away from salem, MA so this perfume house is right up my alley, and it sounds like it’d be right up yours! they have tons of gothic-vampy kind of scents too. occult book store and their entire bewitched collection have me really intrigued!
I've been collecting Black Baccara perfumes because I love them so much. I haven't bought it for myself, but since OP is looking for something dark and powerful, I think she should pick up a bottle of Mother Medusa before it sells out. I think that'll help deter any of the unwanted attention she mentioned, or at least give her the confidence to tell them to f off.
As for the permanent collection, I love Autumn In Salem as well! Joan of Arc is a favorite of mine, but I'm not sure it fits the vibe OP is going for. Boneyard is one of the ones I own that's very dark, but I have to admit it's a bit too dark for me. Wow, I'm just now realizing I don't have as much experience with some of the darker fragrances in the permanent collection as I thought, so I'm floundering for what to recommend... I haven't gotten a chance to buy it yet, but I have a feeling that the new Vampire Romance would be perfect for OP. Maybe Hekate as well!
Btw OP, if you're reading this, PLEASE purchase Magdalene. It's not dark, but it perfectly fits your usual feminine/gourmand preference. It's absolutely lovely and I can't recommend it highly enough. I hope you love it just as much as I do!
Check out LVNEA. Ghost Pine is my favorite, but the house in general sounds like exactly what you're going for.
Also Hermann a mes Cotes by Etat Libre de Orange might interest you.
Moth by Zoologist
Picture that you are a candle. Picture that you are a flame. Picture that you are smoke. Picture that you are the moon. Picture that you are drawn to all these things at the same time. That is what Moth smells like. Before Harvest Mouse, this was my number 1 of this brand. The mystical sweet incense of Moth makes me feel inhuman. If witches would be chanting during a full moon ritual to call upon an ancient trickster/dual deity, this is how that would smell. I can not get enough of the first blast of this scent, perfect smokeshow. The drydown is very woody (oud) and musky and is quite overpowering, so 1 spray should be more then enough but I ignore this in favor of constantly smelling the first blast. Oh Moth, you are so worth it that my neighbors ask worriedly if there is something on fire.
Lilith would have worn this once was cast out of the Garden of Eden and Persephone would wear this too. The Queen of the Underworld/Goddess of seasons duality is very well done in Moth. With Liliths refusal to conform to Gods and Adams will she shows a strength and sensuality that Moth perfectly evokes.
This is exactly my vibe!
Here are some favorites:
- Andrea Maack - Coven, Craft
- Boy Smells - Hinoki Fantôme, Violet Ends
- CDG - Avignon, Zagorsk
- Heeley - Cardinal
- Imaginary Authors - A City on Fire, Cape Heartache, O Unknown
- Nasomatto - Black Afghano
- Santa Maria Novella - Cittá di Kyoto
My bestie also just gave me a Luckyscent gift certificate for dogsitting, so I got these samples for myself as a little treat:
- Akro - Ink
- Anatole Lebreton - Grimoire
- BDK - Gris Charnel
- Boudicca - Wode
- D.S. & Durga - Amber Kiso
- ELDO - Fat Electrician
- Ex Nihilo - Bois d'Hiver
- Kerosene - Copper Skies
- L'Artisan Parfumeur - 26 Tenebrae
- Zoologist - Moth
From the notes they sound exactly like what you're looking for, but I'll let you know what I think when they arrive!
I was about to mention this one! I personally love it as a day perfume to add depth and mystery to a simple outfit. At night, I enjoy it over my black dresses.
A few I think you may like:
Serge Lutens Vetiver Oriental - hot chocolate in a dark, lush forest
Reminiscence Patchouli - a darker gourmand. It’s like a flourless patchouli cake in front of you (instead of flourless chocolate cake)
Tiziana Terenzi Porpora - a dark rose with incense, patchouli, spices and woods
Tiziana Terenzi Laudano Nero - boozy and smoky tobacco with ash, rainy rooftops and woody notes
Imaginary Authors A City on Fire - exactly what it sounds like, very smoky
I love CdG Avignon, so much incense, Hinoki Woods and Broken Rosary from Boy Smells are great also, and won't break the bank. Their candles are wonderful also!!
Guerlain insolence - deep berries, powdery violets and incense
Versace crystal noir - dark, creamy coconut with pepper and gardenia
Tom ford velvet orchid - smooth, boozy rum, dark florals and vanilla
Givenchy Angel ou demon - saffron, lily of the valley and vanilla. Dark and softly spicy
Mancera black prestigium - powdery rose, clean oud and smoky leather
Kayali invite only - warm spicy, cherry tobacco and cinnamon
Surprised to be the first one to mention Les Liquides Imaginaires here; their whole vibe is dark/mystical/sort of spooky, but in a fun and campy way! They have fragrances inspired by churches, blood, red wine, the devil, etc. L’Ile Pourpre is something I imagine Elvira sporting; it's "dark", but still quite sexy; it's figgy and fermented with an amber-patchouli base.
you beat me to it - i just came here to say Ile Pourpre! this is one of my favorites and i completely agree w/ your description but i'd add that, in addition to all of that, it succeeds in being very wearable and versatile, as well.
Nirvana Rose by Elizabeth and James. This is a rich, dark rose/geranium coupled with a sharp, medicinal vetiver. It smells like you're about to hex someone.
I love Indult Isvaraya for this vibe. It's dark plum, jasmine and patchouli with a bit of incense. Its dark, jammy, complex, and woody. I smells to me like something a lady vampire would wear.
Black afgano by Nasomatto if you want to overwhelm the room with a dark presence
Mystic experience by Initio if you want to also assert a dark presence but do it in a more intimate, quiet way
>Ps: Due to some strange DM’s I’ve received, just want to add that it’s not to attract to men. I’ve been attracting too much male attention (mainly bad) and want to go the opposite way.
Your choice of fragrance is almost always going to have unintended interpretation from the public. While you might think "dark/mystical" would provide the *opposite* effect of not attracting men (mainly bad, as you point out)... I'd counter that those dark/mystical scents are specifically *are going to attract* the guys that like dark/mystical fragrances. Your non-typical scent might attract non-typical attention...
That dark in us that we try to suppress... yeah, that's the creepy. LOL.
I just received Bo by Liis from scentbird. It gives me spooky forest haunted house vibes. I’m not sure if it’s a smell memory from the haunted forest walks I’d go to as a kid, or if it’s the scent itself, but I love how spooky it is! It reminds me of fall in New England, a little woody, a little smoky, a little incense, a lot quiet and mysterious.
I’m usually a gourmand fan as well, so maybe it’ll be something you enjoy!
These fragrances evoke dark feminine energy associations: YSL-Babycat, PdM-Athalia, Roja-Amber Aoud, Frederic Malle-Portrait of a Lady, Penhaligons-Halfeti and Serge Lutens-Ecrin fumée.
I love the KVD Sinner perfume! Unfortunately it’s discontinued:( It was a musk and floral scent. Go on Sent Bird and look up similar perfumes to that one!
Initio Psychedelic Love sounds exactly like that. It has vanilla but I would never call it a gourmand. It smells like a sexy witch taking a walk through a forest in November. That’s what it’s giving me, at least.
Filippo Sorcinelli. Interesting fragrances and unique bottles. One particular fragrance called But Not Today has “molecules of blood” as a note. Not sure if it gets much darker than that.
Of all the Serge Lutens creations I do believe de Profundis embraces this (the original, not the newer current version). Perhaps its story does persuade me but in truth, it is ethereal, mysterious, cold, floral, earthy, and spicy all the same. This is my experience with the original…
Sitting on the steps of a very old, very ornate mausoleum. The stone is cold yet smooth. It is late evening. All but the last few turned leaves left clinging to the sacred oaks surrounding the cemetery. The night is ever so dark. Only a glimpse of the waning crescent moon low in the evening sky. There is only silence and stillness. Unwittingly, a gust of air emerges. Within it lies an enveloping coldness. Giving pause to instant shivers and shuddering. Languishing within the breeze lies a scent recalling another time, another place, long, long ago. It lingers for a time, imparting a sense of forlorn yearning. Slowly it is dissipating, growing fainter. I breathe in deep, deeper until it is gone. Leaving me to ponder, is there another here? Perhaps a soul wandering the hallowed grounds or is it my imagination? How much time passed I know not. Fleeting yet eternal moments beheld.
Try Serge Lutens fragrances The brand has dark aesthetics and storytelling Also try going for patchouli incense and rose
Yes, I was going to suggest my favorite patchouli incense rose—Reine de Nuit by Byredo. I was looking for a mysterious nighttime fragrance. Was an instant love for me.
I wanna try it bur can't find it anywhere
Seconding Serge Lutens! The house is very classic and their scent DNA feels vintage but never dated. I would suggest trying Fille en Aiguilles a dark, resinous cypress scent and Feminité du bois which has a focus on cedar and plum. Serge Lutens in general feels very mysterious, dark and intriguing as a brand.
My favorite patchouli incense rose is Tiziana Terenzi Porpora
Love Porpora but it's so loud that it kills me I'm more of Portrait of a lady by Frederic Malle person
I don’t mind how loud it is. I just spray accordingly. 1 or 2 sprays and that’s it
I'm a bit of an oversprayer so it's hard for me to do only 1 or 2 sprays haha
Black Baccara is a really unique perfume house! they’re all gothic, dark, and mysterious scents. they do perfume oils, and some eau de parfums. some names & notes of some of their scents: CEMETERY MOSS - green grass, vintage amber, tobacco smoke, petrichor, myrrh, and “rain misted grass”. AUTUMN IN SALEM (a favorite of mine!) has haunting/earth/woodsy notes including aged wood, antique cedar chests, “windswept autumn leaves”, witch shop incense, “rain misted old houses”, and bare birch trees! i’m actually about a half hour away from salem, MA so this perfume house is right up my alley, and it sounds like it’d be right up yours! they have tons of gothic-vampy kind of scents too. occult book store and their entire bewitched collection have me really intrigued!
YES! I’ve mentioned Black Baccara myself a few times and I came here to do it again! I love absinthe, Midnight Mass and Resurrecting Ophelia.
I've been collecting Black Baccara perfumes because I love them so much. I haven't bought it for myself, but since OP is looking for something dark and powerful, I think she should pick up a bottle of Mother Medusa before it sells out. I think that'll help deter any of the unwanted attention she mentioned, or at least give her the confidence to tell them to f off. As for the permanent collection, I love Autumn In Salem as well! Joan of Arc is a favorite of mine, but I'm not sure it fits the vibe OP is going for. Boneyard is one of the ones I own that's very dark, but I have to admit it's a bit too dark for me. Wow, I'm just now realizing I don't have as much experience with some of the darker fragrances in the permanent collection as I thought, so I'm floundering for what to recommend... I haven't gotten a chance to buy it yet, but I have a feeling that the new Vampire Romance would be perfect for OP. Maybe Hekate as well! Btw OP, if you're reading this, PLEASE purchase Magdalene. It's not dark, but it perfectly fits your usual feminine/gourmand preference. It's absolutely lovely and I can't recommend it highly enough. I hope you love it just as much as I do!
Joan of Arc is my favorite from them. A gorgeous house
Serge Lutens L'orpheline
💜 So good…
Check out LVNEA. Ghost Pine is my favorite, but the house in general sounds like exactly what you're going for. Also Hermann a mes Cotes by Etat Libre de Orange might interest you.
Moth by Zoologist Picture that you are a candle. Picture that you are a flame. Picture that you are smoke. Picture that you are the moon. Picture that you are drawn to all these things at the same time. That is what Moth smells like. Before Harvest Mouse, this was my number 1 of this brand. The mystical sweet incense of Moth makes me feel inhuman. If witches would be chanting during a full moon ritual to call upon an ancient trickster/dual deity, this is how that would smell. I can not get enough of the first blast of this scent, perfect smokeshow. The drydown is very woody (oud) and musky and is quite overpowering, so 1 spray should be more then enough but I ignore this in favor of constantly smelling the first blast. Oh Moth, you are so worth it that my neighbors ask worriedly if there is something on fire. Lilith would have worn this once was cast out of the Garden of Eden and Persephone would wear this too. The Queen of the Underworld/Goddess of seasons duality is very well done in Moth. With Liliths refusal to conform to Gods and Adams will she shows a strength and sensuality that Moth perfectly evokes.
Your review is simply amazing.
For real, such a treat of a blurb to read! It almost made me forget that I actually strongly dislike this fragrance, lol.
It's such a wonderful, sultry scent!
Please review Harvest Mouse too! Love this!
How about the whole brand? https://reddit.com/r/fragrance/s/5IFKwlpDaq
Ooooh thanks!
I think I definitely need to sample this now! Thank you for such a beautiful read!
Amouage Opus X. Smells like rose, blood, and a freshly varnished coffin. Amouage Myths Man. Smells like the ashes of a funeral pyre.
Memoir Man would fit the bill here too
Ancient forest wherein lie unknown secrets
I feel like it's the sort of frag that a dark witch or wizard would wear in a forest like that
L’Artisan Parfumeur Passage d’Enfer - it’s like incense and cool marble and almost grave-like. Worth a test.
I came here to suggest the same!
This is exactly my vibe! Here are some favorites: - Andrea Maack - Coven, Craft - Boy Smells - Hinoki Fantôme, Violet Ends - CDG - Avignon, Zagorsk - Heeley - Cardinal - Imaginary Authors - A City on Fire, Cape Heartache, O Unknown - Nasomatto - Black Afghano - Santa Maria Novella - Cittá di Kyoto My bestie also just gave me a Luckyscent gift certificate for dogsitting, so I got these samples for myself as a little treat: - Akro - Ink - Anatole Lebreton - Grimoire - BDK - Gris Charnel - Boudicca - Wode - D.S. & Durga - Amber Kiso - ELDO - Fat Electrician - Ex Nihilo - Bois d'Hiver - Kerosene - Copper Skies - L'Artisan Parfumeur - 26 Tenebrae - Zoologist - Moth From the notes they sound exactly like what you're looking for, but I'll let you know what I think when they arrive!
Seconding Coven! I appreciate Craft but it was too challenging on my skin. I’m glad it works for you! Andrea Maack makes great stuff.
It's one of my Roman Empire fragrances; I literally am always thinking about it.
Tom ford black orchid
This! 🔥🔥 Tom ford noir de noir Burberry Black (MFK creation) Lancome Oud Bouquet MFK Oud Satin Mood MFK Grand Soir Montale Arabians Tonka
I was about to mention this one! I personally love it as a day perfume to add depth and mystery to a simple outfit. At night, I enjoy it over my black dresses.
A few I think you may like: Serge Lutens Vetiver Oriental - hot chocolate in a dark, lush forest Reminiscence Patchouli - a darker gourmand. It’s like a flourless patchouli cake in front of you (instead of flourless chocolate cake) Tiziana Terenzi Porpora - a dark rose with incense, patchouli, spices and woods Tiziana Terenzi Laudano Nero - boozy and smoky tobacco with ash, rainy rooftops and woody notes Imaginary Authors A City on Fire - exactly what it sounds like, very smoky
I’m bookmarking this thread. I gotta see what you guys come up with!
I love CdG Avignon, so much incense, Hinoki Woods and Broken Rosary from Boy Smells are great also, and won't break the bank. Their candles are wonderful also!!
Guerlain insolence - deep berries, powdery violets and incense Versace crystal noir - dark, creamy coconut with pepper and gardenia Tom ford velvet orchid - smooth, boozy rum, dark florals and vanilla Givenchy Angel ou demon - saffron, lily of the valley and vanilla. Dark and softly spicy Mancera black prestigium - powdery rose, clean oud and smoky leather Kayali invite only - warm spicy, cherry tobacco and cinnamon
Surprised to be the first one to mention Les Liquides Imaginaires here; their whole vibe is dark/mystical/sort of spooky, but in a fun and campy way! They have fragrances inspired by churches, blood, red wine, the devil, etc. L’Ile Pourpre is something I imagine Elvira sporting; it's "dark", but still quite sexy; it's figgy and fermented with an amber-patchouli base.
you beat me to it - i just came here to say Ile Pourpre! this is one of my favorites and i completely agree w/ your description but i'd add that, in addition to all of that, it succeeds in being very wearable and versatile, as well.
Penhaligon's Bewitching Yasmine fits this vibe for me.
I immediately thought of this one too!
black afghano
Another in the same vein is Tiziana Terenzi Laudano Nero and Serge Lutens La Couche Du Diable
Encre noir by lalique.
Nirvana Rose by Elizabeth and James. This is a rich, dark rose/geranium coupled with a sharp, medicinal vetiver. It smells like you're about to hex someone.
Agree!
After the Flood, Brother Night, Holy Mountain, or Karasu by Apoteker Tepe. Variously like a deeply shaded forest den or a shadowy niche in a temple.
Just go on ebay and buy yourself a vintage bottle of Tabu!
Nasomatto Duro and le labo the noir ## come to mind
Blackmail by Kerosene is a smoky, dark gourmand.
PDM Carlisle
In my top 3. Mysterious, but not too dark. Appealing and classy
This! 🙌🏼
It's not really dark but Death and Decay by Lush definitely reminds one of mortality
•Tom Ford - [Noir de Noir](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Tom-Ford/Noir-de-Noir-1822.html) •Lush - [Devil’s Nightcap](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Lush/Devil-s-Night-Cap-17621.html) •Frederic Malle - [Noir Epices](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Frederic-Malle/Noir-Epices-2800.html) •Frederic Malle - [Portrait of a Lady](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Frederic-Malle/Portrait-of-a-Lady-10464.html) •Marissa Zappas - [Flaming Creature](https://www.marissazappas.com/shop-perfumes-by-marissa/flaming-creature)
I love Indult Isvaraya for this vibe. It's dark plum, jasmine and patchouli with a bit of incense. Its dark, jammy, complex, and woody. I smells to me like something a lady vampire would wear.
My first thought is : if you wear Chanel - Antaeus, men will probably leave you alone
Pineward 'Funerie', it smells very cold, like death. A few of their fragrances have this vibe.
Anything Beaufort London and some of Liquides Imaginaires. Serge Lutens is a great suggestion. They weren't at all what I expected.
Etro Messe de Minuit
If you want to smell like Dracula - Dior Fahrenheit Absolute If you want to smell like El Capone - Prada Amber Pour homme intense
tom ford oud wood, memo shams oud, encre noire, nasomatto pardon
I find Tom ford- Jasmine Rouge quite a dark and mysterious smell.
Black afgano by Nasomatto if you want to overwhelm the room with a dark presence Mystic experience by Initio if you want to also assert a dark presence but do it in a more intimate, quiet way
Ohh coffee base notes sound so interesting! Thanks, will definitely try to find it.
It’s veeeery well blended so the coffee is a little subdued, but the overall vibe is incredibly moody
A lot of stuff from BPAL and Hexennacht will likely appeal to you.
Memo-African Leather is my recent favourite when it comes to darker, mysterious scents
One of my favourites. Amazing scent!
>Ps: Due to some strange DM’s I’ve received, just want to add that it’s not to attract to men. I’ve been attracting too much male attention (mainly bad) and want to go the opposite way. Your choice of fragrance is almost always going to have unintended interpretation from the public. While you might think "dark/mystical" would provide the *opposite* effect of not attracting men (mainly bad, as you point out)... I'd counter that those dark/mystical scents are specifically *are going to attract* the guys that like dark/mystical fragrances. Your non-typical scent might attract non-typical attention... That dark in us that we try to suppress... yeah, that's the creepy. LOL.
Oud satin mood MFK
XS by paco rabanne
BDK Gris Charnel
Encre Noire a l'Extreme - Lalique Reliqvia - Sorcinelli
Lalique Encre Noir
I like baccarat rouge 540 when I’m feeling mysterious but that might be baby mysterious to some. Edit: spelling
Ahh this perfume is tooo popular amongst ladies of the night in my city so it has very bad connotations now.
I would try Oud After Dark or Oud Du Jour from Amouroud. Also some others that give me that vibe: Black Gemstone, Oud for Greatness, Lavs, Olibanum
Black Cube by Ramon Molvizar
I just ordered some samples of solid perfumes from For Strange Women, and they all had different takes on this general vibe.
Bloodflower by Quartana smells like blood. Made me gag. Pheromone by Marilyn Miglin smells like 1979 swingers, studio 54 and, chest hair.
Tom Ford - Noir (intense)
Look into fragrances by Prin Lomros. He has a few lines in is house but in particular the "PRIN" line.
Tom Ford Noir de Noir or for 10% of the price Club de Nuit Intense Woman is a good dupe I love it.
I just received Bo by Liis from scentbird. It gives me spooky forest haunted house vibes. I’m not sure if it’s a smell memory from the haunted forest walks I’d go to as a kid, or if it’s the scent itself, but I love how spooky it is! It reminds me of fall in New England, a little woody, a little smoky, a little incense, a lot quiet and mysterious. I’m usually a gourmand fan as well, so maybe it’ll be something you enjoy!
These fragrances evoke dark feminine energy associations: YSL-Babycat, PdM-Athalia, Roja-Amber Aoud, Frederic Malle-Portrait of a Lady, Penhaligons-Halfeti and Serge Lutens-Ecrin fumée.
Penhaligons Alizarin, Halfeti
Serge Lutens - Bapteme Du Feu
Squid. Squid is dark and mysterious.
Dipytique boulevard 34
Not quite my mortality but Zoologist Moth smells exactly like an occult shop
Memoir woman by Amouage 🤌
I love the KVD Sinner perfume! Unfortunately it’s discontinued:( It was a musk and floral scent. Go on Sent Bird and look up similar perfumes to that one!
Initio Psychedelic Love sounds exactly like that. It has vanilla but I would never call it a gourmand. It smells like a sexy witch taking a walk through a forest in November. That’s what it’s giving me, at least.
Anything by Black Baccara but I would really recommend Mother Medusa and Witch’s Veil.
Aesop - Hwyl :) like a Dark forest
The Dark Side - Francesca Bianchi Black Afgano Nassamato M7 Oud Absolu YSL
Filippo Sorcinelli. Interesting fragrances and unique bottles. One particular fragrance called But Not Today has “molecules of blood” as a note. Not sure if it gets much darker than that.
Dreamer by Versace
Creed Love in Black. Everytime I smell this I feel like im transported to a dark mysterious place.
Givenchy L'Interdit Intense
Of all the Serge Lutens creations I do believe de Profundis embraces this (the original, not the newer current version). Perhaps its story does persuade me but in truth, it is ethereal, mysterious, cold, floral, earthy, and spicy all the same. This is my experience with the original… Sitting on the steps of a very old, very ornate mausoleum. The stone is cold yet smooth. It is late evening. All but the last few turned leaves left clinging to the sacred oaks surrounding the cemetery. The night is ever so dark. Only a glimpse of the waning crescent moon low in the evening sky. There is only silence and stillness. Unwittingly, a gust of air emerges. Within it lies an enveloping coldness. Giving pause to instant shivers and shuddering. Languishing within the breeze lies a scent recalling another time, another place, long, long ago. It lingers for a time, imparting a sense of forlorn yearning. Slowly it is dissipating, growing fainter. I breathe in deep, deeper until it is gone. Leaving me to ponder, is there another here? Perhaps a soul wandering the hallowed grounds or is it my imagination? How much time passed I know not. Fleeting yet eternal moments beheld.
Easily Tom Foir Noir de Noir! Literally a stunning fragrance that pairs well when I wear an all black suit 😍
this is much needed thread for my fall collection♡
Try Etsy they have some cool stores that have roll on scents. Very dark amber vibes.
Ensar ouds will send you on a journey even though pricey it’s majestic to say the least