The Vampire Fragrance You Didn't Know You Needed

With Robert Eggers' highly anticipated Nosferatu 2024 remake approaching theaters this Christmas, fans of horror and fine fragrance are in for a treat that combines both worlds. In collaboration with Focus Features, Heretic Parfum has launched Eau de Macabre, a limited-edition fragrance inspired by the dark and eerie essence of Count Orlok, the infamous vampire. 

A Fragrance Born from Shadows

The creation of Eau de Macabre wasn’t a straightforward affair. To recreate the essence of Nosferatu’s shadowy, gothic aesthetic, Heretic Parfum founder Douglas Little meticulously crafted the fragrance after an in-depth exploration of Eggers' upcoming film. Combining historical research with a scientific approach to scent, Little sought to answer a curious question: "What would a vampire smell like?" The result is a fragrance that promises the “uneasy chill of encountering an apparition.”

Eau de Macabre is described as a hauntingly “otherworldly” scent that straddles the boundary between life and death. Abstaining from traditional “vampiric” elements like blood or smoke, Little chose a fresh perspective for Count Orlok. Instead, he conjures the chilling, musty air of a castle at midnight, a sense of damp earth and thunder, and floral notes that fade in and out like eerie ghosts.

Crafting a Vampire’s Fragrance Notes

The notes in Eau de Macabre are layered to create an immersive experience. The fragrance opens with top notes of lilac and ambrette seed for a fresh, ghostly floral impression. As the scent deepens, heart notes of violet absolute, orris root, and the smell of petrichor—the earthy aroma after rain—begin to arise. Petrichor’s inclusion is key to establishing the fragrance’s setting: the damp, rain-soaked Carpathian Mountains outside Count Orlok’s castle.

At its base, Eau de Macabre closes with rich, earthy notes of vegan ambergris, oud, and labdanum. This combination serves as the fragrance’s final touch, grounding the wearer in an experience of dark, ancient woods and a haunting, animalistic musk. The ambergris, produced without animal byproducts, blends velvety warmth with a saltiness reminiscent of distant oceans.

Each 30mL bottle of Eau de Macabre is adorned with Count Orlok’s sigil and arrives in a sleek, black coffer that displays printed notes and descriptions of the fragrance. For Little, it was essential to create a product that matched the gothic elegance of Eggers’ film, one that could transport wearers to a place as ethereal and unsettling as Orlok’s castle.

An Homage to Eggers' Dark Vision

Eggers' remake of Nosferatu, set for a Christmas Day release, brings a modern twist to F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent film. Known for his work in horror with The Witch and The Lighthouse, Eggers dives into the shadowy world of the undead with a story set in 19th-century Germany. The tale follows Ellen Hutter, portrayed by Lily-Rose Depp, who finds herself the object of the vampire Count Orlok's dark obsession, played by Bill Skarsgård. The star-studded cast also includes Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, making this one of the most anticipated horror releases of the year.

Heretic Parfum’s collaboration with Focus Features allows fragrance enthusiasts to experience Eggers’ vision in a unique, sensory way. Eau de Macabre extends the world of the film, inviting fans to embody the unsettling allure of Nosferatu in their everyday lives. The fragrance’s release on October 31 was strategically timed, allowing fans to wear it during Halloween while awaiting the film’s holiday debut.

Building a World of Gothic Intrigue

Heretic Parfum’s approach to Eau de Macabre goes beyond creating a mere scent. Little and his team aimed to design an experience that interacts with the senses much like a film does. This fragrance evolves over time, each note revealing itself gradually to replicate the mystery and horror that surrounds Count Orlok.

Douglas Little explains that this journey required moving away from clichéd vampire motifs like rose and smoke. Instead, he embraced petrichor, a scent that evokes damp earth, creating a vivid image of rain striking the stones outside Orlok’s castle. This scent is meant to haunt you. It’s both familiar and unnerving, like a memory you can’t quite recall.

The brand’s dedication to authenticity extends to its ingredients as well. Eau de Macabre is crafted from plant-based elements blended in organic sugarcane alcohol, adhering to Heretic Parfum’s standards of “beyond clean.” Every ingredient is carefully chosen to achieve an otherworldly quality without compromising the brand’s commitment to natural, cruelty-free formulations.

A Fragrance That Transcends Horror

While Eau de Macabre is steeped in the aesthetic of Nosferatu, its appeal stretches beyond horror fans. This fragrance is designed for anyone who appreciates the gothic beauty of nature or has an affinity for moody, atmospheric scents. With its unique composition, Eau de Macabre taps into the primal side of scent, evoking dark forests, ancient castles, and the unknown.

Eggers’ film offers audiences a modern reimagining of a classic, and Little’s fragrance captures the same blend of reverence and originality. In the gothic fragrance space, few scents have managed to achieve this balance of mystery, allure, and historical nods as Eau de Macabre does. 

Will Eau de Macabre Haunt You?

As fans eagerly await the arrival of Eggers' Nosferatu in theaters, Eau de Macabre serves as a powerful reminder that scent can be as evocative and haunting as cinema. Although this fragrance is ideal for Halloween or horror buffs, it’s also a collector’s piece, a conversation starter, and a tribute to the classic fascination many have for vampires. With a few spritzes, Eau de Macabre places wearers in a gothic story of obsession, longing, and the eternal allure of the undead.

The Halloween season may have come and gone, but thanks to Heretic Parfum, the haunting scent of Count Orlok’s world can follow you through winter and beyond. 

Will Eau de Macabre be the fragrance that haunts you? Only one way to find out.