Happy (almost) Halloween, boys and ghouls! We have a spook-tacular scent selection to share with you, created by the experts of potions and perfume at Demeter. In the spellbinding spirit of this most hair-raising of holidays, who better to debut a collection of frightening fragrances than Elvira, Mistress of the Dark!
As a B-movie beauty, Elvira rose to fame as the queen of scream. Her Movie Macabre series has an unshakeable place in pop culture history, so we couldn’t wait to get our talons on these darkly original scents. The line includes three fragrances: Zombie, Vamp, and Black Roses.
Grounded by base notes of tobacco leaves and black vanilla bean, Zombie is a deep, earthy scent. However, that’s where any resemblance to the Hollywood monster of the same names ends. Nuances of ylang ylang and red poppies give the scent a soft, spicy quality. The listed notes of frosty methadone accord and powdery coca petals hint at the use of narcotic flora in folklore surrounding the zombie mythos.
Vampires have quite a reputation as the Lotharios of the monster world, and Vamp’s blend of Madagascar vanilla, white musk, and Mandarin peel is very sensual. Peppery maile leaves and ivy add a smooth, sinuous green quality, while poisonous belladonna, Dracula orchid, and the nicotiana plant form the fragrance’s deep, dark heart.
Even if you didn’t go through a Goth phase, Black Roses will resonate with your darkly romantic side. Anchored by patchouli, dark amber, and Haitian vetiver, this deep, earthy floral features a blend of rose water tea, thorny stem Bulgarian rose petals, and davana blossom, swirled with red currants. It’s a tart, juicy scent unlike any other rose blend I’ve tried.
Elvira has been called a “purveyor of pulchritude” and a “slimy, slithering succubus,” but she also symbolizes everything there is to love about horror and enjoying a good old-fashioned fright.
The Dark Collection is available online in a 1 oz cologne spray ($25) and a 4 oz cologne spray ($39.50). Learn more at demeterfragrance.com.
{Disclaimer: I got a sample}