Three Gothic Perfumes for Dark Winter Nights + Quartana Parfums Wolfsbane Giveaway

Best Gothic Fragrances

Three Gothic Fragrances for Dark Winter Nights image by Steven

There’s a difference between gothic stories and horror stories. They are both dark genres, but they differ in their approach to fear. Gothic stories are known for complex characters with twisting and turning plot lines. They are thrillers not blood and gore, like Nightmare on Elm Street or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Good examples are Dracula by Bram Stoker, Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and the Showtime series Penny Dreadful.

In this co-curation Steven and I chose three Gothic Fragrances for Dark Winter Nights. I paired each with a fictional character. -Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

Noir de Noir Tom Ford review

 The Portrait (AKA The Picture) of Dorian Gray via Amazon

Tom Ford Noir de Noir (Harry Fremont and Jacques Cavallier) and Dorian Gray. 

Dorian Gray was obsessed by youth and appearances and had a dark secret. In exchange for his soul there was a portrait of him that aged, while he was eternally young. He thrived on beauty and sensuality. The first fragrance that I thought of for Dorian Gray was Tom Ford Noir de Noir, that has a scent trail so enticing that unlike Dorian’s painting, you won’t be able to keep Noir de Noir a secret.

Notes include: Black rose, black truffle, saffron, rose, patchouli, oakmoss, oud, vanilla

Kilian Paris Dark Lord

Louis Jourdan as Dracula, 1977, IMDb (a French Dracula?)

Dracula (he doesn’t need an introduction, just carry a wooden stake).

Dark Lord by Kilian Paris is a gothic olfactory expression blending the spiciness of black pepper with the earthiness of dry vetiver. Rum in the heart is enticingly boozy and seductive while the leather accord in the dry down preserves the gothic element for the entire duration of the perfume’s life. Hints of jasmine flower entertain the wearer while birch adds a mysterious smokiness to the composition. –Steven Gavrielatos

Ethan Chandler Drinking Absinthe

Ethan Chandler drinking Absinthe in Penny Dreadful IMDb

Quartana Parfums Wolfsbane (Philippe Paparella-Paris) and Ethan Chandler: I am a big fan of the TV series Penny Dreadful from 2016. Ethan Chandler is one of my favorite characters on the show. He’s an American sharpshooter and performer in a Wild West show, who is revealed as a werewolf and escapes to Victorian London. As I write this, tonight is a supermoon, (perfect for gothic perfumes) which would trigger Ethan Chandler’s transformation from man to be beast. Quartana Wolfsbane would be the perfect fragrance. Balanced between animalic, florals, aromatics, and sweetness Quartana Parfums Wolfsbane is earthy with absinthe adding booziness. The dry down is a mix of sweet resins and woods blended with vetiver, castoreum, and some black truffle. It is also certified Vegan, so Ethan won’t be chomping on anyone.-Michelyn Camen

Top: angelica root, fig leaf, cumin seed, black ginger root Heart: absinthe, patchouli, cedarwood, tuberose, tobacco flower, castoreum; Base: benzoin, sandalwood, spiced black plum, vetiver, deer tongue, black truffle

Video Contributor Steven Gavrielatos reviews our three Gothic Fragrances

Disclosure: Steven was gifted a bottle for this review; Michelyn owned a sample

Quartana Wolfsbane Review

Thanks to Joseph Quartana we have a 50 ml bottle of Quartana Parfums Wolfsbane. To be eligible you must be a registered reader in the USA ONLY. In addition, please comment about what you enjoyed about STEVEN’S VIDEO ON GOTHIC PERFUMES AND MICHELYN’S INTRODUCTION and REVIEWS. Draw closes 11/8/2025

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30 comments

  • Kassie Tocko says:

    LOVE gothic fragrance! i was lucky enough to get a small sample of wolfsbane & it is definitely an enigma, in a good way. it is hard to really be able to produce such gothic fragrances & i love how steven really sheds light to these wonderfully dark fragrances. joseph quartana is an incredible person, besides being an incredible creator, as well. he absolutely knows what he’s doing with these fragrances. the notes in them are so mysterious & gorgeous. thank you steven for the reviews- as always, they are so great! & thank you, so much, joseph for your continued generosity.

  • Agent47 says:

    Steven’s video and Michelyn’s article were a great combo for anyone into moody, atmospheric fragrances, especially if you love patchouli and smoky notes like I do. Steven’s breakdown was clear and engaging, and I liked how he didn’t just list ingredients but explained how each perfume fits the gothic vibe. Even though he usually leans toward gourmands and compliment-getting fragrances, it was nice to see how genuinely he enjoys exploring darker scents too.

    Michelyn’s article was just as enjoyable. She introduced the theme beautifully and gave thoughtful reviews of all three perfumes. I especially appreciated how she highlighted the smoky and earthy aspects. Those are exactly the kinds of fragrances I’m drawn to. Her descriptions made it easy to imagine how each scent would feel on a cold winter night.

    Together, they gave me a few new favorites to check out and made me feel even more excited about wearing deep, mysterious perfumes this season. Scented regards from NY, USA.

  • xoe says:

    What I loved about Steven’s video was his genuine enthusiasm, and that he mentioned a lot of other fragrances that could fit the theme. I love the cleverness of Michelyn’s introduction and reviews, and the pairing of the scents with iconic gothic characters. I am in the US.

  • GPGod says:

    Regarding the video, I agree with Steven.. these really do seem like mood-setters. Even just from the way the notes are put together, they sound like they’d pull you into that dark, wintry, gothic headspace. Very intriguing compositions, and I’m especially curious to see how the atmosphere develops on skin. Wolfsbane also sounds fascinating great theme and concept. Thanks for the thoughtful feature!

  • Sybelle16 says:

    Steve emphasizes the “gothic aesthetic” embodies architecture and literary elements both sharing visual and thematic components. In perfume, that is conveyed as dark, mysterious, sometimes sinister or spooky and alluring notes that are deeper and more complex, tying scent to literature through imagination. Each scent is the definition of what a Gothic scent should imply. Michelyn compares Tom Ford Noir de Noir (Dorian Grey), Dark Lord by Kilian (Dracula), and Quartana Parfums Wolfsbane (Ethan Chandler from Penny Dreadful). Three characters that embody each scent. All great options for darker, winter nights.
    USA

  • Raymond Johnson says:

    I enjoyed how Steven explained the perfume in details making me feel like I can smell the scents from the TV

  • Monika says:

    I love absinthe notes in perfumes and I would love to try Quartana Parfums Wolfsbane, especially since Michelyn highlighted its boozy and animalic (but vegan!) notes. Steven’s video did a great job describing the romantic aspect of these Goth perfumes. I live in US. Thanks for the draw!

  • Ramses Perez says:

    I can see Steven mentioned most of these can lean masculine because darker scents are usually more attractive to men. It’s 2025 and I still have not smelled Noir De Noir despite how iconic it is. I like how Michelyn paired each scent with a character to sort of give us a POV of how to perceive each scent, especially for those of use who have not tried them. Parfums Quartana doesn’t shy away from putting out unconventional and unique scents and for that, we’re thankful! Kilian is another iconic house and Dark Lord seems to be the darker of the 3 fragrances presented here, proceed with caution. I’m located in the USA.

  • April says:

    I always love Steven’s videos as he is very thorough in his description of fragrances—so thorough that sometimes I can imagine the scent. I appreciate his suggestions on who would enjoy the perfumes based on his knowledge of the three scents and people’s scent profile/note preferences. Michelyn’s article perfectly matched the fragrances to Gothic characters. I, too, loved Penny Dreadful. This was a very unique and perfectly timed collaboration that exposed this newbie to a type of fragrance that wasn’t even on my radar. Much appreciated!

  • Emma says:

    I really loved Steven’s review of the Gothic perfumes. He always explains them so beautifully that it makes you want to buy them.
    In the article, Connecting the fragrances to the characters was a great touch. Michelyn’s breakdown of each fragrance is also very thoughtful and engaging. It makes them feel real. I have always loved romantic and dark scents. Thanks for the draw and great review!
    I live in USA

  • Bran J says:

    I love the description of how dark and rich this fragrance is is. The earthiness from the fig leaf the alcoholic absinthe, the sweet animatic and dry vetiver. This cries out to the moon as Michelyn description paints. Steven highlights this floral and sexy truffle. This sounds incredible

  • Sair says:

    This is such a unique way to discover new fragrances. I loved watching Steven’s video, as per usual he gave wonderfully detailed descriptions of the fragrances that definitely piqued my interest. He has a way of pulling you in while giving concise overviews, always perfectly done.
    Michelyn’s article appealed to the literary nerd in me and brought the fragrances vividly to life with the pairing of well known gothic fictional characters. I know these characters, and yet I now have a deeper sense of them thanks to Michelyn’s fragrance associations.
    All in all this type of collaboration is beautifully creative, and something I haven’t seen before in the fragrance community. I’m so intrigued, I’ll be adding all three to my list of perfumes to explore. I prefer deep, dark, mysterious fragrances and now is the perfect time of year to discover new ones.
    I would love to see this type of collaboration more often, the combination of Steven’s video and Michelyn’s article really gives a well rounded perspective of the fragrances discussed. Well done, brilliant!

  • Kensolfactoryodyssey says:

    How can u not love steven presenting gothic fragrances… all of them sound delightful in a spooky way . USA resident here

  • reyessence89 says:

    Michelyn’s Ethan Chandler parallel is spot-on! Now, what would Vanessa Ives wear? In the Cut-Wife episode?!
    As for Steven’s review, I wish he had chosen more interesting and less predictable offerings. Noir de Noir is a favourite of mine, but doesn’t really push the Gothic envelope. Same with Dark Lord. Now, Wolfsbane was a great choice, and Michelyn’s review provided a nice narrative that may or may not be the same as what Quartana had in mind, but nevertheless made the perfume more interesting. It piqued my curiosity. Of the three, I’d definitely choose Wolfsbane.

  • opalbear says:

    Three pretty solid selections. Steven talked about how much he loves the house of Quartana and wants to start including them in more reviews. He talked about the Rose patchouli in Noir de noir and the darkness in the Kilian offering. Wolfsbane sounds the most intriguing to me from both reviews and just knowing the uniqueness of the house’s releases. I prefer the more “off the beaten path” style of niche.
    Located in California.

  • Danniel says:

    As someone who has identified with a darker aesthetic for most of my life these scent profiles sound very intriguing. I’ve sadly not experienced any of these fragrances yet despite having Noir de Noir and Dark Lord on my “to sample” list for years. I agree with Steven concerning the Gothic aesthetic. The romance has to be there with the darkness in order to qualify in my mind. I’ve tried ATH Onyx which I love and is said to be close to TF Noir de Noir and if so I can see and agree with Michelyn’s choice of Dorian Gray to represent that fragrance. I’m in the USA

  • Taschaunda H says:

    I am a gourmad lover but I am looking to expand my fragrance profile. This was an informative piece. The words the really grabbed me would be boozy and seductive. That’s exactly how I want people to describe me during the cold months.

  • JohnHenry says:

    I truly enjoyed Steven’s video review of these three fragrances, and Michelyn’s intro and review. I love how Steven describes these fragrances in a way that makes me want to try them, he seems so sincere in the way he loves them. To me, Gothic means a dark elegance. Of course i will be thrilled if i win the giveaway of Wolfsbane but i am sure i will be looking to try it some day even if i don’t win.

  • Robert Alan Alfar says:

    I would draw a parallel between Gothic architecture and this fragrance genre—both grand, intricate, and shrouded in a captivating sense of mystery. Just as those towering cathedrals evoke awe through their dramatic interplay of light and shadow, this scent captures a darkly romantic allure that feels both timeless and otherworldly. Its floral heart is laced with an animalic undertone, balancing the primal with the divine—clean, ethereal, and hauntingly beautiful. There’s an ancient magic within its composition, a spell that lingers long after the first encounter. Iconic, exquisite, and unforgettable—winter will never be the same.

  • Annika says:

    I remember Penny Dreadful on Showtime! I lived that series although I must admit my favorite character was Vanessa Ives played by the incomparable Eva Green. I can see Quartana Wolfsbane as the scent du jour for Ethan Chandler. He was rugged and feral but had an underlying fragility and sweetness to the character. The other two selections, TF Noir de Noir for Dorian Gray and Dark Lord for Dracula seem spot on. MD, USA

  • mmerline says:

    There’s often a lot of overlap between horror and Gothic stories, but Michelyn’s distinction between the two is apt and succinct. And like Steven said, Gothic trappings certainly apply to these fragrances, even if the overlap requires a little bit of imagination. While Dark Lord’s dry pepper and vetiver combination is intriguing, I’d most like to try Quartana Parfums Wolfsbane. That earthy, animalic, and savory spin on boozy absinthe sounds utterly unique and compelling. Steven highlighted the truffle note, which makes a statement if done right. “Elegant, but mysterious at the same time.”

    I’m in the USA.

  • perico says:

    Steven always describes the fragrances so well in depth compare 3 different fragrances for different occasions that are gothic vibe. While Michelyn’s compare them to a werewolf Dracula and some one who doesn’t age.It sounds very intriguing how it would smell on skin.

  • crownroyale47 says:

    I have to say I laughed slightly at Quartana Wolfsbane being certified vegan when we’re talking gothic. The 2 are completely unrelated but it just seemed so opposite lol. I enjoyed Michelyn’s introduction because she set the tone with a clear distinction between gothic storytelling and horror, which instantly pulled me into the mood of the review. I like how she connected each fragrance to a fictional character because it made the scents feel more alive and cinematic. The way she described Dorian Gray and tied him to Tom Ford Noir de Noir made the fragrance feel seductive and dangerously beautiful, which I really enjoyed. Her descriptions made the gothic theme feel elegant, dramatic, and immersive, and it made me curious to explore each scent for myself. As for Steven’s video, I mean he didn’t have to do much when he had Kilian as one of the fragrances. But he always provides the most insightful information to make even blind buys feel comfortable. As always, I’m from New Jersey, USA.

  • Froaderick says:

    Brooding and dark-perfect for my little goth heart (wrapped in a golden retriever/orange cat like exterior mind you)! Both Michelyn and Steven tie these to works of literature and film to perfectly set the mood. Nosferatu, Dracula, Dorian Gray and the works of Poe. Have to give a special nod to adding Noir de Noir to this mix, as it’s one I’ve let fall off my radar, but no more! And with a name like Wolfsbane, it la got to conjure up the dark, mysterious side so perfect for Autumn! Cheers from Ohio, USA! 🙂

  • zibbyz says:

    I’ve not really heard of “gothic” fragrances and I don’t know why! I do love smoky, spicy, woody scents, so this sounds right up my alley. As always i enjoyed Steven’s video, with his knowledge and insight into perfume and the industry. I always enjoy Michelyn’s ability to identify or create

  • zibbyz says:

    Oops, I hit post by accident! Second part of post…I enjoy Michelyn’s ability to identify a story or theme, and the Gothic theme was lots of fun! I would love to try Wolfsbane with the truffle note, and have been wanting to find the time to start Penny Dreadful…. now with a theme scent. I’m in the us.

  • David F says:

    Sold me on the Wolfsbane but the noir de noir would be my first choice simply because of Tom Ford reputation for quality and who it appeals to. The Killian dark lord has the name and stat quo but I’ve never tried any of these three houses. Back to the Wolfsbane and it’s uncharacteristic note breakdown. Not only does it have plenty of strange elements but the appeal and presentation make for a plaque on a shelf. The review was considerate and classy making the gothic standouts laminate under this weeks passing bolder than usual moon. From USA.

  • Max Corvinus says:

    If you’re into Gothic fragrances like me, here are some recommendations:
    Meo Fusciuni – Viole Nere, Buio, Varanasi
    Simone Andreoli – Camouflage, Smoke of desert
    Tiziana Terenzi – Laudano Nero
    Calaj – Transilvania
    Atkinson’s – James
    … and so on.

  • Ayush says:

    Wow — what an incredible journey into the dark side of fragrance! I loved Steven’s video on gothic perfumes and Michelyn’s intro & reviews were mesmerizing. The mix of absinthe, truffle and woods in Wolfsbane sounds so hauntingly beautiful. Thank you for this amazing giveaway opportunity — I’d be thrilled to win! ✨ #GothicWinter #WolfsbaneGiveaway

  • wallygator88 says:

    Thanks for the writeup Michelyn and video Steven.

    It’s nice to see the notes for Quartana’s Wolfsbane, absinthe is an interesting ingredient but fits nicely with the theme. I love that Steven says that “This scent is as gothic as it gets”. Interesting to see truffle in 2/3 of these.

    Cheers from WI, USA