How to smell like a witch this summer

A case for this being a spooky time of year 🦇 ✧˚.🔮⋆

Whoever decided summer should be reserved for light, airy, floral scents has clearly never spent a warm night in a candlelit room, incense burning, draped in a black slip dress, an impending thunderstorm in the air while you pull tarot cards and contemplate the vast, glittering mysticism of the universe. As a matter of fact, I’d argue there’s something inherently witchy about summertime —the moon seems to hang lower and brighter, the sticky air is heavy with tension, and you find yourself out at night just as much as during the day. The season also has a strange way of ushering in big, life-altering events. Maybe it’s just me, but life feels a little more charged and destined in the summertime.

I know I incessantly discuss how much I hate the brain rot drug that is TikTok, but during a recent relapse, I did come across a video that moved me. It simply read “I need to find a perfume that smells like this,” over a plum and lavender-soaked montage of velvet cloaks, black cats, crystal ball altars, incense smoke against lacy drapes, moons and starry nights, and bats flying in cool dusk sky — a comforting, cosmic collage that captured the exact nostalgic, moody, whimsigoth mysticism I’ve always associated with this time of year. And so began my search for a perfume that embodied that vision. I wanted a perfume that could help me lean into the feeling that summer is spooky, and perhaps find a way to wear fragrance not just as scent, but as personal spell work.

I posted a question on Instagram asking if anyone knew any fragrances that fit the description, and to my surprise, was inundated with replies from people sharing what they thought I might like. I tested a few over the last few weeks, and have compiled a list of my favorites.

If you want to smell like a witch’s altar

Vyrao “Witchy Woo”
This perfume will sit you down at a modern witch’s altar. The sharp, powdery scent of orris and thorny rose smell like the flowers she collected for a ritual. Then nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper come in with a subtle, cozy spice of her home. The base is frankincense, patchouli, sandalwood, and a hint of musk, which wraps around you like curling smoke from burning incense. It’s like wearing a spell, which you almost literally are, as every bottle of Vyrao perfume contains a supercharged diamond crystal energized by their in-house healer. Also!! What’s really cool is that Vyrao’s site shares the magical botanical properties of every ingredient used in their fragrances — so you not only smell the scent, but you can also connect with the deeper, mystical meanings behind each note.

If you want to smell like a ghost

Byredo “De Los Santos”
This is, without question, one of my favorite perfumes I’ve ever owned. It’s soft yet herbal, musky, and a tiny bit sweet in a way that feels intimate and lived-in (all qualities I naturally gravitate toward), but what sets it apart is this atmospheric, almost paranormal quality which I suspect is on account of the soft palo santo and clary sage. There’s this smoky depth lingering in the background, as if someone was once there burning something, that makes the whole composition feel a bit ghost-like. It’s not loud or obvious, but it smells expensive, mysterious, and just a little enchanted. I cannot tell you how many compliments I get whenever I wear this fragrance out. It’s truly intoxicating, and something I know I will be repurchasing once this bottle runs out.

If you want to smell like the color purple

Régime des Fleurs “Himitsu Violets”
There’s a strange magic in this fragrance , the kind that feels less like perfume and more like a memory unfolding. Candied violets, heliotrope, and lily of the valley create a wistful, airy opening before pulling you into deeper, moodier shades of amethyst. It smells a bit like you’re whispering a secret to someone you love— sweet, mischievous, familiar, and oddly intimate, like the color purple itself. The suede and balsam feels nostalgic and weirdly comforting, like putting on the jacket of a loved one. It’s sweet and sheer, but it lingers on your skin like something from the past you only vaguely remember. So yeah, it makes total sense that Himitsu means “secret” in Japanese.

If you want to smell like an enchanted forest on a full moon

Andrea Maack “Coven”
This is truly one of the most interesting perfumes I’ve ever smelled in my life, and I’m so grateful to the friend that recommended it to me. I’ve never had a perfume take me on a journey quite like this one from Andrea Maack, an Icelandic perfumer whose scents are renowned for their unique, transportive ability. This fragrance quite literally feels like stepping into a witch’s gathering in the enchanted woods beneath a full moon. You can almost feel the damp grass beneath your feet and the luminous air around you — it’s eerie, beautiful, and completely immersive. The most powerful note is moss, which I’ve never smelled so intensely in a perfume before, but it also has these notes of vanilla and spicy dark pepper threading throughout it. This scent is so mysterious, extremely earthy, and deeply magical. You gotta give this a sniff.

Which scent comes to mind when you think of incense-filled rooms, purple velvet, and thunderstorms?

What to listen to while you wear these perfumes: