Stora Skuggan Hexensalbe (Anna Barkne) 2023 + Fragrance Vault #Cybermonday Giveaway 

 Stora Skuggan Hexensalbe review

Stora Skuggan Hexensalbe image courtesy of the brand

 I am drawn to fragrance houses whose intellectual curiosity is as vibrant as their sensorial abilities. Stora Skuggan is just such an independent brand. A small group of perfumers and designers compound fragrances by hand in their lab in Stockholm, Sweden. Stora Skuggan Hexensalbe is their newest release,  launched in November 2023 to coincide with the Day of The Dead showcase both their olfactive skills and their brilliant conceptual artistry and was

Tomas Hempel co founder of Stora Skuggan. Photo by Ulf Skarin

Tomas Hempel co founder of Stora Skuggan. Photo by Ulf Skarin © from former editor’s Dana Sandu’s Moonmilk review

Stora Skuggan Hexensalbe is the reconstructed scent of a hallucinogenic flying ointment said to be used in the practice of European witchcraft. Francis Bacon listed the ingredients as “the fat of children digged out of their graves, of juices of smallage, wolfe-bane, and cinque foil, mingled with the meal of fine wheat.” In reality, contents are likely to have included belladonna, jimson weed, black henbane, mandrake, hemlock, wolfsbane, and opium poppy. Many occult scholars have died trying to reconstruct its exact ingredients, which are fatal if swallowed. In practice, the ointment was applied and absorbed through mucous membranes, such as the vulva, creating fantastical hallucinations of flying, meeting with the devil, and fornicating with him and other beasts. The intense and supposedly heightened sexual experience of Hexensalbe created vivid dreams and led to its application on phallic objects like broomsticks (quite the witch’s ride!). Stora Skuggan Hexensalbe brings us an olfactory glimpse into this spellbound world through the magic of fragrance.

botanical print of belladonna that may have been used in flying ointment via wiki

Hexensable opens with the sharp herbal-green pinch of Wormwood, bringing to mind the narcotic effects of absinthe and the intoxication of wormwood aromatizing vermouth. Salty Licorice layers an anisic and lightly camphoraceous complexity to wormwood’s herbal bouquet with earthy and peppery undertones. The wormwood becomes drier and more sylvan with time, drawing out the sweet and caramelized facets of rooty and salty licorice. The effects are otherworldly and captivating; this is a unique fragrance with charm and allure.

painting Tree of Knowledge Hilma af Klint* public domain 

Our witch’s brew bubbles over into a dark forest of fantasy with the herbal heart of Angelique and Rosemary. Vibrant earthy greens and spicy pepper notes reminiscent of the wild green of Chartreuse rise into the air from Angelique. Rosemary’s woody herbaceousness adds its minty-green and balsamic tones. Belladonna’s floralcy and wayward sweetness add an impish edge to the heady and sensual tuberose. The touch of indolic muskiness found in tuberose certainly enlivens the fragrance with body and allure. Layers of tension and contradictions between the piquant greens and sultry floralcy work to elevate this composition. Unsettling yet tempting, Stora Skuggan’s voyage is one of dreamy satisfaction.

Stora Skuggan Hexansalbe

Stora Skuggan Hexensalbe image courtesy of the brand

As the elixir dries down, Hexensable delivers us to the forest floor, the very site of our poisonous conjuring. Warmly pungent Patchouli with its earthy woods and sweet botanic softness rounds out the base. Mossy Lichen is delightful with the decadence of damp earth and mysterious depth of decay. Hemlock’s musky animalics reminds us of the dissolute nature of our adventure. Stora Skuggan Hexensable bewitches the beloved vocabulary of green scents we all know and love, and through some modern alchemy, creates an exciting and energetic fragrance, and one of my favorites of 2023.

Notes: Wormwood, Salty Licorice, Angelica, Rosemary, Belladonna, Tuberose, Black Hemlock (Tsuga), Patchouli, and Lichen

*Hilma af Klint was a Swedish artist and mystic whose paintings are considered among the first abstract works known in Western art history.-Michelyn

Disclaimer: Bottle of Stora Skuggan Hexensalbe gifted. My opinions, as always, are my own.

~ Rachel K. Ng, Senior Contributor

Hexensalbe Stora Skuggan

image courtesy of the brand

Thanks to the generosity of Fragrance Vault we have a 30 ml bottle of Stora Skuggan Hexensalbe for one registered reader in the USA ONLY. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Rachel’s review  of Hexensalbe. Giveaway closes 11/29/20203 and the winner will be announced within 10 days.

Art Direction-Michelyn

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26 comments

  • Torax says:

    Fantastic review by Rachel here, as always.
    Stora Skuggan looks like such a promising independent fragrance house and overall one that is not scare to innovate and try new things.
    Hexensalbe caught me off guard to be honest. This magical narcotic fragrance is something I really need in my collection. I love green herbal fragrances. The patchouli, the earthy notes and the animalic musk really make this so interesting. I hope I try this soon.
    USA here

  • INYA says:

    As a gardener, all the notes speak to me. Green and earthy…sounds fabulous. Thanks for a wonderful review and draw. Mich USA

  • rachel says:

    Love love love the story behind this fragrance! Anything that speaks of folklore, mythology and or the occult has my immediate interest. Rachel’s description as, “The effects are otherworldly and captivating; this is a unique fragrance with charm and allure,” have me sold. I recently watched the Documentary about Hilma af Klint which is a must see for anyone interested in art history and understanding how women have been marginalized and in fact plagiarized.
    I’m in NYC

  • Teresa C says:

    Frankly the minute I saw “salty licorice” coupled with Sweden, I thought of salmiac rocks, a candy I absolutely adore, and it made me drool. The herbal and witchy elements also attract and I’m always game to try a loamy forest floor scent!

  • castlemicro says:

    Hello from Florida, and thank you to Rachel for the review!

    I adore the concept for this perfume: tribute to a medieval hallucinogenic flying ointment — are you kidding me? What could be better? I also love the idea to combine salty licorice, angelica, and tuberose. All these notes are so vivid that the fantasy of how it might come together feels almost corporeal, but I expect the real thing might surprise me. I’d absolutely love to give Hexensalbe a try!

  • ianbradleyandrews says:

    I love this brand and this one sounds weird and awesome. I especially like the sound of Forrest floor dry down. I’d love to win and live in Indiana.

  • Tea Cobb says:

    A scent based on a hallucinogenic flying ointment and based on witchcraft? Color me intrigued. This scent sounds alluring. The notes of Notes: Wormwood, Salty Licorice, Angelica and belladonna are standouts for me. USA

  • rmsssss says:

    I love wormwood and tuberose but never would have thought to combine them! I love the green and witchy vibe I get from Rachel’s review as well. Thanks for the opportunity to win! I’m in MN, USA.

  • johnmadison says:

    Great review of Hexensalbe, Rachel!
    I love the Stora Skuggan line and I’ve gotten my nose on their 6 first releases (and own two; Fantome de Maules & Mistpouffer) and have yet to experience the dark magic on Hexensalbe!
    I am so excited to see what they did with the wormwood note. This sounds like quite the olfactive journey through the dark forest to its poisonous conjuring. This is the kind of fragrance that brings out the witch in me 😛
    This is a very exciting draw for me!
    I’m John from USA!

  • Arron_Q says:

    Oh my, this sounds like an incredibly unique offering, I love scents that are designed to tell a story and give the wearer a specific experience. I love hemlock and wormwood in fragrances, as they offer unique herbal and almost animalic touches that you just don’t get with many other aromatics. Rachel said it was one of her favorites of 2023 and that really says something. I would love to give it a try. Best of luck to everyone. I live in NC, USA.

  • b says:

    hexensalbe sounds dark, mystical, and erotic. I can practically smell the coven of witches gathering under moonlight in a dark, eerie forest drinking absinthe and performing rituals that this scent conjures, and I’m eager to try it.
    -B from nc usa

  • Dina says:

    Oh Rachel, stora skugga hexensalbesounds incredibly green and dark. Imagine a flying ointment that was so toxic it liked people.
    Thumb sucker is new also and I hope you review it because it’s amazing. I always wanted to go to fragrance vault for their vintage perfumes and from I love this store Oliver. Right now I have three samples of vintage perfumes in my cart

  • AleksCipri says:

    This brand is quite unique. All of their offerings I find very interesting. I love green foresty fragrances, but also licorice notes. Naturally, I’m very veryyyy curious to smell and see their interpretation of this type of a fragrance. I’m from Illinois, US.

  • Donna S says:

    This sounds very enticing. The notes along with the details of the fragrance and story behind make it quite tempting. Just as it should be. Would love this.

  • skye says:

    What a fascinating review Rachel! And what an interesting fragrance. This does sound like a witches’ fragrance with the very green addition of belladonna, angelica, hemlock and lichen. The salty licorice and wormwood make for an anise two-punch and seem to provide an astringent counterpoint to the heady tuberose. I would love to try this! MD, USA.

  • David Furman says:

    I’m interested in this because I think it suits my personality, dark and alluring. That adds mystery and it’s utterly unique. This note breakdown is complex and I’m not what sure to think as im only familiar with some of the accords. I’d love to try, from Jacksonville NC

  • foreverscents says:

    I love unsettling fragrances! Rachel’s review was so vivid and made me experience the creation that the perfumer has conjured up. I love the idea of recreating a fragrance based on a hallucinogenic ointment. The wormwood, lichen, belladonna, and black hemlock notes sound mysterious, wayward and wild. Green and earthy fragrances are just wonderful!
    I live in the USA.

  • Frank G says:

    What sparked my interest in regard to Rachel’s review of Hexensalbe is how the wormwood becomes more drier and sylvan with time drawing out the sweet and caramelized facets of rooty and salty licorice. Thank you for the opportunity. New York, USA.

  • Trinity33 says:

    The notes in Hexebsalbe are fascinating. Salty licorice and wormwood supply a hit of anise. The herbal bouquet of angelica, rosemary and belladonna gives some green earthiness. The tuberose and patchouli combination is one of my favorites. I think they pair so well together. I appreciate Rachel’s description of the composition as layers of tension and contradiction. I’m in MD.

  • mmerline says:

    That bottle immediately catches the eye, and its ominous black color, scratchy illustration, and top-heavy form suggests something unusual therein. I love it! Tomas Hempel’s interpretation of Hexensalbe is a really interesting herbal design, focusing on wormwood and anise, sharpened with a range of other bitter, peppery, and balsamic herbs. The “salty licorice” accord is particularly intriguing to me. I’m curious if a fragrance this medicinal and green wears brisk or weighty on a warm day. Would love to try it. Great review, Rachel!

    I’m in the USA.

  • akb says:

    I have yet to smell a Stora Skuggan scent that has not been completely captivating. And the notes in this one! And Rachel’s description of it! I love a witchy scent, and I am excited that this one as also licorice and tuberose aspects. I’m in New York, USA.

  • wallygator88 says:

    Thanks for the lovely review Rachel.

    The bottle for this fragrance is quite enchanting. I really how the story of this fragrance is based in the occult and the house’s interpretation of it. Wormwood and salty licorish make for such a great scent opening. Moving into green herbiness with rosemary and pepperiness is such a great foil to the opening. I also appreciate that the waxiness of tuberose makes a feature in this.

    Cheers from WI, USA

  • sav17 says:

    I love Stora Skuggan and was very excited when they released Hexensalbe. It sounded like the perfect fragrance for me. I am fascinated by the occult and witchy things, so before I even knew of the notes I wanted it. However, after learning of the notes, it sounds even better. I love absinthe, so the wormwood and licorice opening intrigues me. The rosemary and tuberose sound great combined with the other notes. I am especially intrigued by Rachel’s comment about Hexensalbe being “unsettling yet tempting”. The foresty drydown sounds like the perfect endpoint for Hexensalbe. I love the forest, and witchy forest fragrances are some of my favorites. Also, I love the black bottle!

    Thank you, Rachel, for the great review, and thank you to Fragrance Vault for the generous giveaway. I am located in the USA.

  • Michael Prince says:

    What interests me about Rachel’s review of Huxensalbe is learning about a small and independent brand that has creative perfumers that push the limits of perfumery. This sounds really interesting with its green, herbaceous, and mysterious earthy qualities. This sounds super realistic and unique which I love. I am from the USA.

  • Sarah R says:

    Rooty and salty licorice is like a siren song to me. I am here for this interpretation of history that has always piqued my curiosity. I love green fragrances and anything with anise facets. This one sounds like a tincture meant to ensorcel the senses. Can’t wait to get my nose on it. —Sarah R. From MA, USA