We used to have a costume shop called Morris Novelty in Rhode Island. It was a vast, creepy warehouse in an old mill filled with Halloween costumes, masks, theater costumes, theater makeup, props, and more. Most of their stock was vintage, and it was essentially a Halloween shop that was open year-round. This magical and unusual space was around since the mid-'80s until it burned down around 2011. What I remember most about visiting it as a child was the smell. The entire atmosphere felt eerie and charming simultaneously. The unique fragrance that permeated it —a melange of vintage vinyl, rubber, leather, and makeup tied the whole vibe together, and it was a smell that seems to linger in costume shops across the board. It's not a beautiful smell, but when you smell it, its specificity takes you right to that space.
Halloween Shop was made in the heat of the summer when I was reminiscing about wandering through Morris Novelty and the unique smell of Halloween costume shops. Do you know that blast of rubbery, powdery, foggy air that you get hit with when you first walk through the doors? For some of us autumn lovers, it's often the first scent memory that we associate with a change of seasons. So I wanted to bottle that. Highlights include rubber face masks, vinyl costumes, theatrical pancake makeup, fog machine, fake blood, and the distant caramelized whispers of wrapped candies.
It's a hyperrealistic fragrance, and much like Plague Mask, it's probably not the kind of perfume you will reach for to wear to an office meeting. It's dark, creepy, and odd. Instead, it's an experience scent. You'll reach for this when you want to take a journey through this particular type of nostalgia. You'll want to wear this one when you fancy smelling like a vintage wall of horror masks or a 200-year-old haunted doll.
This perfume oil will be available beginning on September 1 as part of our Autumn/Halloween launch. Click here to view our entire Autumn/Halloween catalog.