What Does Heretic's Nosferatu Perfume Smell Like? An Investigation

Welcome back to Scare Me! a weekly horror newsletter. Today, my friend Sophie Desmond is taking over the newsletter for a tour through vampire-themed fragrances.

Hello, readers!

Michelle is out of town for work this week, and she’s given me the keys to the T-bird. She blurbed me in last week’s newsletter, but a little about me: I’m a horse wrangler and recovering editor based in our home state, Virginia. Frankly, I’m a relatively new horror fan. I’m a wimp! I don’t like jump scares! Gore and body horror make me squeamish sometimes!

However, I am not new to gothic romance in general and vampire stories in particular. I’m the way I am because I binge-read the Brontës and the Twilight series at a very formative time in my youth.

Today, I’m coming at ya with two of my favorite things: perfume and vampires.

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It may not be lilac season right now, but it is definitely Nosferatu season.

At this time last year, Michelle and I were both beside ourselves with anticipation for the Robert Eggers adaptation. So when Heretic Parfum released a tie-in perfume in the lead up, we both responded in a very calm and measured way. 

I was already aware of Heretic the way I’m aware of a lot of brands: the algorithm. Their ads have followed me around Instagram for ages, the bottles’ sans serif font recalling Into The Gloss Top Shelf interviews of yore. But instead of mainstream millennial pink, Heretic is going for subversion—whether it’s in the “Dirty” names of their original fragrances or in provocative collaborations like the one they did with Gwenyth Paltrow’s vagina (spare me).

I’m not too proud to admit they got me with the “eau de macabre” for Nosferatu, though. I clicked through to order myself a sample.

The Nosferatu perfume’s main draw is the lilac note. Eggers is a fiend for detail, and he uses lilacs prominently throughout the movie, especially around Ellen’s character (played by Lily Rose Depp). Obviously, lilacs would have been the marketing brief for this scent.

And do they ever hit the brief! At first spray, you immediately get the impression of dewy lilacs and green stems that snap. It’s more watery than I expected—not watered down, but that wet, cool “after the rain” sensation of petrichor. Honestly, this perfume does exactly what it promises: “wilting lilacs, velvety vegan ambergris and strikes of lightning that fill the air with petrichor and electricity.” As far as marketing tie-ins go, it’s a lot more unusual and complex than it really needed to be. 

Ultimately, however, the Nosferatu fragrance didn’t really suit me. I’ll hang on to my sample, but I don’t see myself wearing it. I much prefer Relique D'Amour by Oriza L. Legrand, a perfume I’ve been wearing for a few years now and kinda can’t live without. It’s similar to Nosferatu’s petrichor dampness, but it smells like the inside of an ancient stone church that’s covered in damp moss and ivy. There are white lilies inside the sanctuary, and incense lingers in the air. Good, good stuff.

But as much as I love Relique D’Amour, it’s not a lilac fragrance. One of my favorites is Highland Lilac of Rochester. What makes perfume so fun and interesting and addictive is how scent can create a Proust’s Madeleine moment: a direct hit to the amygdala that conjures up memory like a magic trick. Highland Lilac sends me back to my grandmother’s linen closet, where she kept all of her blankets and spare sheets and extra pillows. It’s nostalgic but not stuffy, classic but not cliché.

For a more zen lilac, I also love Ineke After My Own Heart. The perfumer, Ineke Rühland, is based in San Francisco, and all of her fragrances feel very California Dreamin’ to me. After My Own Heart is fresh and floral and green at the top, but it’s also got some sandalwood that grounds it a bit. It dries down into something relaxed and sensual, like a cat having a big stretch in the shrubbery.

Lastly, one of my all time favorite scented candles: Bella Freud Psychoanalysis. At $64, it’s spendy yet so good, and an option for those who don’t like wearing perfume but still want to indulge in something fancy. I’m on my second—after I burned the first down to the last dregs, I cleaned out the container. It now holds my travel minis and samples.

Lightning Round: 5 More Vampire Movie and Perfume Pairings

Alright! Now that I’ve exhausted the Nosferatu scents, I’ve got more vampire movie recs for y’all and perfumes to pair them with. Have yourself a little movie smell-a-thon!

Sinners (Ryan Coogler, 2025) 

Movie of the year! Maya Njie Tobak: Tobacco leaf, vetiver, cinnamon, tonka, musk, and leather.

Fright Night (Craig Gillespie, 2011)

I know, I know. It’s a remake, but hear me out: Colin Farrell’s arms. Dolce & Gabbana Intenso: Bergamot, French lavender, cypress.

Twilight (Catherine Hardwicke, 2008)

Is it sophisticated? No. Does it still hit the spot? Absolutely. Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar.

Bram Stocker’s Dracula (Francis Ford Coppola, 1992) 

Don’t tell the film bros I said so, but this is Coppola’s masterpiece. Guerlain Shalimar: Bergamot, iris, and vanilla.

The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (Roy Ward Baker and Chang Cheh, 1974) 

Kung fu! Vampires! Peter Cushing! And it’s on YouTube. What more could you want? Clinique Aromatics Elixir: Bulgarian rose, ylang ylang, patchouli, jasmine, and vetiver.

Want to smell ‘em for yourself? Sophie’s favorite sites for perfume samples are Luckyscent, Twisted Lily, The Perfumed Court, and Surrender to Chance.

Up Next: Behind the Scenes with The Twisted Spine

Thank you, Sophie!! And happy October, everyone! It’s truly our time to shine.

Next week, we’ll return to interview-land for a conversation with Lauren Komer and Jason Mellow, co-owners of NYC’s The Twisted Spine. It’s currently the only bookstore in New York City that’s entirely focused on horror and dark literature!

After that, I have a few more interview tricks up my sleeve, so keep your fingers crossed that the timing will work out for those conversations! If not, I might detour us into House of Leaves. I’m planning to dive in once I’m home from this trip, and I’m both apprehensive and excited.

I also have a very special Halloween surprise planned, but I’ll keep that under wraps for a few more weeks. 🎃

Scare Me! is a free weekly horror newsletter published every Thursday morning. It’s written by Michelle Delgado, featuring original illustrations by Sam Pugh. You can find the archive of past issues here. If you were sent this by a friend, subscribe to receive more spooky interviews, essays—and maybe even a ghost story or two.