Get Ready for Spooky Season

Halloween is upon us again, and after the Covid cancellation of 2020, I want it to be a good one. I’ve planned everything including food, fun, and freaky ghost stories, as well as my costume. With an extra year to think about it, I have gone very in-depth this year. Not only is my make-up planned for the spooky season, so is my perfume and home scents. To get everyone into the haunted holiday spirit, I have compiled a list of make-up for costumes, fragrances and home goods that add a bit of spookiness this October.

Costume-worthy Cosmetics

Make—up is a crucial element of most Halloween costumes- for example, how will people know you’re meant to be a vampire without a red lipstick blood drop trickling from the side of your mouth? So, start your Halloween make-up look off right with the dark and moody Smoky Eyeshadow palette from Profusion make-up. This palette includes 12 shades from bright white to vivid black, with matte and shimmering shades of browns, nudes, and pinks in between, and a double-ended brush. With the perfect colours for making looks that are deceptively natural or shockingly distinct, these shadows can extend beyond your eyes to other parts of your face and body to achieve the perfect Halloween look.

I usually go for something a little less monochrome than vampire makeup, however. Some of my favourite Halloween products are those that can help you mimic the legendary sea myth of the mermaid, which often means a lot of blues and a lot of shine. Ulta3’s Mermaid Blue nail polishis a shimmering ocean blue polish that applies smoothly, perfectly complementing a sea-themed costume look. You can further tie it to a costume with the addition of Revlon’s Mermaid Blue colourstay eyeliner, which has a roller ball applicator and a waterproof formula so that it stays on when you return to the sea.

To add a bit of science magic to your Halloween look, as well as to your general make-up collection, with Ulta3’s Green Magic lipstick. Green Magic is a colour-changing lipstick that responds to the pH level of your skin, changing from a mossy green to a shade of pink that is unique to you and your skin chemistry. An impressive trick to show friends and family, Green Magic also provides an everyday shade of subtle pink for everyday wear.

Fragrances

Lollies, chocolates, and treats are the main appeals of Halloween, so why not extend the sugary attraction to the fragrance you wear on the day? For the first lolly-like perfume, there is the swirling fruity sweetness of Ariana Grande’s Sweet Like Candy. This fragrance opens with notes of blackberry, pear and gentle bergamot, middle notes of milky whipped cream and sugary marshmallow with black currant, frangipani and jasmine, and base notes of heady vanilla and cashmere wood. This fragrance is predominantly vanilla-sweet and fruity scented, but the cashmere wood and floral notes add a powdery floral depth with a slight woody undertone, grounding the fragrance to keep it from getting sickly. Treat yourself to a fragrance that smells like your favourite lollies with an added depth and long-lasting scent.

For something with a pure lolly smell, there is Aquolina’s Pink Sugar. This fragrance is sugary-sweet, with fairy floss and caramel being the most prominent notes for a fragrance that is brown-sugar golden and sweet. Other notes include raspberry, vanilla, red berries, and liquorice, but it is the sugar-based fairy floss and caramel that are the stars of the show. Alongside the spray bottle, we also stock a roll-on perfume containing shimmering glitter so that your body can shine on Halloween while smelling like the lollies you’re hoarding.

Hugo Boss’ Private Accord is a masculine take on the lolly theme. With the top notes of ginger and bergamot, middle notes of nutty Maninka, coffee and pepper, and base notes of vanilla, woods, patchouli, resin and, most prominently, cacao, Private Accord is a chocolatey fragrance with a warm-spicy kick. Chocolate is the most noticeable note, but the ginger and coffee with the bergamot and vanilla add a gentle depth while keeping the fragrance warm and inviting. Enticing and gentle, Private Accord is a chocolate bar scent with a slight spicy-spooky twist.

If you are not after a fragrance that reflects the treats you will eat, there are dark and stormy fragrances to enhance the haunted atmosphere of the night. For a spooky fragrance for men, there is Joop! Homme Eau de Parfum. A little bit lolly scented, this fragrance opens with top notes of hazelnut and cinnamon with subtle bergamot, with mid notes of orange blossom, heliotrope, honey, and cardamom and base notes of vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood, cashmeran, moss and vetiver. Joop! Homme is a heady vanilla fragrance with prominent woody and warm-spicy notes for balance, creating a fragrance that is moody and mysterious, perfect for Halloween.

For women, there is the ever-popular but ever enticing Black XS. One of Paco Rabanne’s most popular fragrances, Black XS is a fragrance for any occasion, not just the spooky season. With notes of cranberry, vanilla, fruity pink pepper and cacao, this fragrance does have a fruity and slightly chocolate touch, but most prominently this perfume smells of cool and mossy woods from dusky floral notes of rose and black violet, and earthy notes of patchouli, sandalwood, and massoia wood. Sensual and intense, Black XS is a passionate and moody fragrance of sweet woods, perfect for someone wanting a witch-in-the-forest vibe this Halloween.

For someone after a spooky scent that is mature and sophisticated, though, look no further than Poison from Dior. Poison is an intricate fragrance with over 20 notes, making for a perfume that is fruity, sweet and resinous amber. Poison is built on a base that includes vanilla, amber and sandalwood, mid notes with incense, honey, cinnamon, jasmine, and carnation, and top notes of plum, berries, coriander, anise and rosewood. No one note is more prominent than the other, though plum is notable, making for a fragrance layered with scents of fruit, woods, florals, and sweetness. Shaped like a tainted apple ready to smite Snow White, Poison is a deep and mysterious perfume that can help you bring out your Evil Queen for Halloween.

Spooky Home Goods

For a moody scent for home and body this Halloween season, there is the witchy Wild Sage range from Mor. We have a previous blog on the Wild Sage collection, as we feel it has been underappreciated, but I wanted to mention it again for its haunted coven feel. This range is scented with sage leaf extract, and vetiver, cedar and bergamot oils for a fragrance that is deep and smoky with a touch of citrus clarity. The body care range includes body lotion and wash, soap, and luxurious hand cream, infused with fragrance oils and body butter, while the home range has a candle and diffuser.

With smoky eyeshadow, varied perfumes and haunted home fragrances, this list has everything you need to make Halloween an occasion this year. Why stop at one day and one costume, when your whole month or even your whole year can take a little bit of sinister spook with you.

Written by Emilia