These Witchy, Mood-Boosting Perfumes Are Amongst the Coolest I've Ever Tried

Key notes: Peach skin, osmanthus, ambrette, latex, magnolia flower, jasmine, amyris, ambrox, musk, tonka bean, sandalwood

While everyone’s fragrance tastes are so varied, I’m going to put my neck on the line and say that Ludeaux is something of a crowd-pleaser of a perfume. Yet please don’t mistake that for me saying that this perfume is a nondescript scent—in fact, it’s the first Vyrao scent that had me double-take to smell my wrist twice. This is like a skin scent on steroids. It’s creamy and comforting, yet bright with juicy peach and a rather unexpected latex accord. (Cheeky yet delightfully modern.) It’s fresh, flirty and somehow glows with vanilla sweetness, yet once it’s settled into your skin, there’s a soft milkiness and woody depth that makes it feel warm and cosy.

Key notes: Juniper berry, angelica root, gentian absolute, wormwood, fennel, apple, pink peppercorn, cypress oil, oakwood, oakmoss, patchouli, fir balsam, cedarwood

This is described as Vyrao’s mindfulness and intuition scent, and I like to think of it as my clarity fragrance—the perfume I reach for when my mind feels too frazzled to focus. It’s crisp and herbal, like taking a deep breath in the middle of a pinewood forest, but develops into something a little warmer and woody with time. I don’t tend to gravitate towards very green or herbal perfumes, but this cleverly threads more comforting notes like patchouli, apple and pink peppercorn through the more verdant elements to offer a grounding element. It clears away mental fog in moments and offers a wearable moment of calm, no matter what’s going on in your day.

Key notes: Nutmeg, black pepper, saffron, cardamom, pink pepper, olibanum, living red clay, rum, sandalwood, vetiver, cedarwood, geosmine

The fragrance equivalent of a great big hug, Mamajuju is a warm and grounding scent that’s perfect for days when all you want to do is curl up on the sofa under a cashmere blanket. Although it would be beautiful all year round, there is something about this one in particular that screams winter to me. It’s rich in spices like saffron, cardamom and nutmeg that evoke that feeling of sitting around an open fire during the festive season, while red clay and rum give it an almost nostalgic depth. If you want a fireplace fragrance that will envelop you in its warmth, then this is it.

Key notes: Lipstick, sichuan pepper, ambrette, latex, rose, orris, olibanum, ambrox, musk, sandalwood, cedarwood

Soft, powdery perfumes tend to be my jam, so it was as much of a surprise to me as anyone that this power player of a perfume has become one of my most reached-for Vyrao perfumes. There is no getting around the fact that this is an incredibly sexy scent, and while there are all the markers of a classic date night perfume (rose, sandalwood, musk), this is a decidedly modern take on the category. It’s glossy, assertive and basically like a power suit in a bottle—much in part to the almost lacquered notes of lipstick and latex. If I want to feel assertive and in charge, then this is the perfume I’ll be dousing myself in.

Key notes: Bergamot, lemon, turmeric leaf, turmeric root, fresh ginger, cardamom, black pepper, vetiver, sandalwood, amber, musk

Sunshine in a bottle, this is a joyful blend of uplifting citrus notes and zesty spices. Before spritzing this one, I was expecting a typical kind of holiday scent that would be all sun cream and coconut. And while it does capture that kind of carefree spirit of a beachy perfume, this is a lot more energising and herbaceous. The bergamot and lemon notes feel tart and freshly squeezed rather than saccharine, and the fresh ginger and cardamom really spring to the forefront to add a really uplifting zing. It might be grey and cold outside, but this is a beautifully optimistic perfume that feels like stepping into bright light.

Key notes: Moroccan orris, thorny rose, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, frankincense, opoponax, white musk, patchouli, sandalwood, carrot seed

A brand bestseller and the epitome of an energy scent, Witchy Woo is a truly unique perfume and really bookmarks Vyrao as innovators in the fragrance category. The name really does capture the spirit of this scent, which is deep, mysterious and ritualistic. Imagine throwing on your floatiest dress, lighting a candle and wandering barefoot through the woods at night to celebrate your inner power. In terms of specific notes, there’s smoky rose, heady patchouli and grounding nutmeg—all of which smell like they’ve been mixed together in a hundred-year-old cauldron and tossed on the fire (in the best way, of course). It’s creative, inspiring and unexpected yet feels grounded too. You’ll have to smell this one for yourself to believe it.