The concept of Summerween is simple – start celebrating October 31st in the midst of summertime. For those unable to wait for their favorite fall holiday, it’s the perfect time to combine the spooky aesthetic with warm-weather appropriate festivities like pool parties and ice cream. This year, I’ve taken the liberty of coming up with 5 scents to wear for Summerween, whether you’re attending a gathering or celebrating in spirit. Each of the following fragrances captures the Halloween vibe without becoming too cloying in the summer heat.
Witchy Woo by Vyrao not only has the perfect notes for this concept – but the name fits, too. It casts a spell of nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper, freshened by thorny rose and musk. It smells like a dried rose in a crystal shop, where a whiff of incense haunts the air. Vyrao is a brand of genderless perfumes that target energy and emotion through scent; Witchy Woo taps into courage and creativity. Channel your inner Marnie Piper and give it a go.
If you’re more into the Miss Havisham genre of spooky, try Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle. Another ode to rose, it evokes imagery of black lace, velvet chokers, and opulent mansions roamed by feminine phantoms. That said, it also works beautifully as a signature scent if you love the notes of rose, patchouli, sandalwood, and incense. Portrait of a Lady is a cult classic, and one of the most beautiful fragrances I have personally ever smelled. It lasts forever, echoing off you for hours, even days, after first application. I have been enjoying the hair perfume version in the warmer months, as it’s a bit lighter.
Versace’s Crystal Noir, available at FragranceNet.com, is the ice-cold scent of an evil-yet-beautiful sorceress – white gardenia petals mingle with cardamom, amber, and sandalwood for a perfume that smells bewitched. Seductive yet mysterious, alluring yet standoffish, it is an enticement. Although autumnal in aesthetic, I actually find it to be quite shower-fresh, making it excellent for summertime. Ethel Cain, the musical artist who blends folk and pop with a gothic midwestern aesthetic, named this as one of her favorite fragrances in a video uploaded to her YouTube channel, and I think she perfectly encapsulates this scent’s ambience.
If you’re a vanilla lover, YSL’s Babycat is for you. Its notes might paint it as a heavy, cold-weather scent, but I would argue that its woodiness renders it perfect for year-round wear (just don’t overspray). If you want to conjure Morticia Addams with her elegantly melancholic fashion sense and dark romanticism, Babycat is perfect. Although it is suede, pepper, and frankincense, it is also warm vanilla and amber, reflecting her fierce, though unconventionally demonstrated, love for her family.
Finally, Atelier Materi’s Cacao Porcelana is a playful gourmand that combines white cacao with rum, tobacco, and tonka bean. I find this one to have a strangely fresh note – perhaps it’s the addition of Indian jasmine. For this creation, the perfumer collaborated with a French chocolatier in order to capture the most beautiful aspects of the cocoa bean. Wear this to evoke that nostalgic scent of a pillowcase filled with Trick-or-Treated chocolate candy (much elevated, of course). At once intense and wearable, it’s a noir-gourmand that perfectly captures the shadows of October any time of year.
