Morticia collage by Nicoleta: Daryl Hannah, Charlize Theron, Catherine Zeta Jones, Carolyn Jones, Anjelica Huston for Five Fragrances for Halloween 2021
Still having not outgrown my teen goth persona (it’s not just a phase, mom!), each year, no matter how old I get, my eyes light up on October 1 and the promise of Halloween to come makes me giddier than… any other holiday, to be honest. With a nod to other fictional ladies that have inspired my sense of style and aesthetics over my formative years (Elvira, Lily Munster or Vampiria… do you see a pattern there?), I must admit that my heart belongs to the one and only Morticia. In the 90s and before, Morticia was a real pop-culture icon, teaching pale awkward little girls everywhere to embrace being different and the valuable and ongoing lesson of living life authentically.
Anjelica Huston in The Addams Family movie 1991, screen capture
Still not being able to resolve the decades-long question (that faces me every year, during the winter closet rotation) of exactly how many black evening gowns can one woman have, or the impossible quest of counting how many shades of crimson red lipstick one NEEDS, I will settle on the slightly simpler task of rounding up my Morticia-esque scents to just 5 for Halloween 2021, with the help of the five actresses that have played her character, over the years:
Daryl Hannah as Morticia 1998 and Putain des Palaces ELDO, edit by Nicoleta
Etat Libre d’Orange Putain des Palaces (Nathalie Feisthauer) 2006: I just love Daryl Hannah! From her badass role in Blade Runner to the visual bonanza of Kill Bill, her unapologetic raw and powerful personality just shines through in every role, including her highly personal spin on the interpretation of Morticia in the 1998 film Addams Family. What better perfume to pick for her than Etat Libre d’Orange Putain des Palaces: traces of dark vampy lipstick, the rustling of a heavy brocade dress, leather gloves, a light dusting of powder, and there she is: a sophisticated, take-no-prisoners-seductive woman who is nonchalantly wearing her beauty like a weapon, in plain sight.
Top notes: Mandarine, Ginger Orpur®, Raspberry; Heart notes: Iris, Rose Absolute, Rice Powder;Base notes: Tonka Beans Orpur®, Sandalwood, Musk
Carolyn Jones as Morticia, 1964 True Lust Etat Libre d’Orange, edit by Nicoleta
Etat Libre d’Orange True Lust Rayon Violet De Ses Yeux (Nathalie Feisthauer and Violaine Collas “a mashup” of Putain de Palais and Dangerous Complicity produced by Etienne de Swardt)) 2015: The OG Morticia, a bit retro but with a delicious mixture of offbeat intelligent humor and a pale aristocratic delicacy that hides steel-strong sharp claws, Carolyn Jones’s performance created a legend and brought the character of Morticia into popular culture. True Lust, Rayon Violet De Ses Yeux is a perfect match: with a retro sensibility that pucks a punch, the fragrance starts like a well-behaved, properly powdered, pearl-wearing floral that hides a tasseled leather whip behind her smile.
Top notes: Rhum Pure Jungle Essence™, Ginger Pure Jungle Essence™, Coconut Jungle Essence™, Heart notes: Iris, Rose Absolute, Rice Powder; Base notes: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Musk
Charlize Theron as Morticia in Addams Family 2 and Etoile d’une nuit from Goutal Paris, edit by Nicoleta
Goutal Paris Étoile d’Une Nuit (Mathieu Nardin)2019: Taking one of the most well respected, talented, and chameleonic actresses: Charlise Theron, with her reputation of the blonde “the ice-queen” of Hollywood and lending her voice to Morticia in the animated comedy adventure Addam’s family spinoff from 2019 seemed like quite an odd match, at the time. But great things come out of unexpected pairs that just work! Looking at the beautiful turquoise bottle, intricately decorated with a little satin scarf with an art deco print, and displaying it on my perfume tray, I had to quote to myself (aloud) one of my favorite Morticia quotes: ”All that I can forgive. But Debbie…..pastels!!!!” Étoile d’Une Nuit has been my “pastel goth” scent ever since autumn started (and I have been draining my little bottle with record speed, spraying it with abandon almost every night, before sleep), as it’s the kind of comforting, plush, feminine perfume that hovers, caressing the skin, as a reassuring soft lipstick scented cocoon.
Notes: Iris, rose and raspberry
Anjelica Huston, Addams Family Movie 1991 Voleur de Roses L’Artisan Parfumeur, edit by Nicoleta for Halloween 2021
L’Artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Roses (Michel Almairac)1993: She needs no introduction, “she’s creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky”, and I’ve been trying to emulate her cheekbones with bronzer and blush every morning, for the past 20 years – Angelica Huston
L’Artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Roses (translated as the rose thief) has stolen every trace of sweetness and rosy pleasantry from the bud, leaving us with a stripped-down, sensual thorny rose that vibrates on some kind of feral, low-humming frequency. It’s dark, it’s self-assured, as the black silhouette of Morticia standing in dim light, drinking a glass of old wine, with a ghostly hollow around her eyes and a smile on her lips. Besides the dusty wine cellar feel and dark tannic wine aftertaste, there’s also an autumnal quality to it, smartly put into play by the plum note, that mixed in with patchouli, gives the effect of damp earth, wet, dark, sweet, and encumbered by ripe fruits fallen from trees, heavy with the sugars of decay.
Catherine Zeta-Jones in Vogue 2001 and Olibere Dangerous Rose, edit by Nicoleta for Halloween 2021
Olibere Paris Dangerous Rose (Luca Maffei) 2018: So deadly sensual, she’s almost vampiresque, Catherine Zeta-Jones will embody Morticia in an upcoming Netflix spinoff series named Wednesday. What better scent than a spicy rose with irreverent spirit and modern character than Olibere’s Dangerous Rose (built on the classic rose-oud-patch combo, but with enough pizzazz to make it different). Smiling maliciously, with crimson red lipstick hiding some pointy fangs, a hint of properly pale powdered cheeks, surrounded by the warmth of spices, dressed in intricate Victorian laced embroidery paired with latex and leather, this one is a rose with brains, humor, a nod to the past classics, and a wink to the future.
Top: Bergamot, Passion Fruit, Nutmeg, Pink Pepper, Cardamom; Middle: Rose Absolute, Oud; Base: Patchouli, Benzoin, Labdanum, Oakmoss, Musk
Nicoleta Tomsa, Senior Editor
Disclosure: All perfumes from my own collection (with the exception of Putain des Palaces, gifted by Etat Libre D’Orange much loved and appreciated, thank you! )
Photo by Nicoleta for Five Fragrances for Halloween 2021: Etat Libre d’Orange Putain des Palaces, True Lust Rayon Violet De Ses Yeux, Goutal Étoile d’Une Nuit, L’Artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Roses riginal bottle), Olibere Paris Dangerous Rose
Thanks to the generosity Etat Libre d’ Orange we have a reader’s choice of 100 ml of either Putains de Palaces or True Lust Rayon Violet Des Yeux for one registered reader in the EU. USA or UK. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Nicoleta’s Five Fragrances for Halloween 2021 , which would you like to win of the two choice for draw and where you live. Who is your favorite Morticia? Draw closes October 31. 2021
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