The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Arina P. Franzén composed The Witches as a direct translation of a dark, witchy scene into juice: black liquorice, ripe fruits, shadowed florals, and the smoke that lingers after a forbidden ritual. The composition reads as edible and dangerous at the same time, with the sweet-and-smoky tension carrying the entire arc. Each note interaction is deliberate, from the sticky dark fruit that opens the scene to the resinous leather-ash quality that closes it. The licorice-and-cherry accord works against actual smoke from the start, and clove threads through the composition to keep the sweetness from reading as innocent. In the heart, chamomile softens everything, frangipani adds a creamy tropical undertone, and the dark florals settle in alongside incense and the woody base notes.
What makes The Witches worth slowing down for is the licorice-and-cherry accord working against actual smoke from the opening. This one pairs black cherry and blackberry with clove and licorice, then threads chamomile through the heart to soften the sweetness. The result is a composition that reads as edible and dangerous at the same time. The base pulls in choya nakh, a base note with a leathery, salty character, which grounds the fruit in something mineral and animal. It's a structural choice that keeps the scent from collapsing into simple gourmand territory.
The evolution
The opening is where the fruit makes its loudest case. Black cherry and blackberry hit first, sticky and dark, with red mandarin giving them a brief acidic lift. Clove and licorice arrive almost immediately, which keeps the sweetness from reading as innocent. There's a candied quality to the opening that feels deliberate, almost performative, like a sweetness meant to draw you in. As the composition develops, the heart opens: chamomile softens everything, frangipani adds a creamy tropical undertone, and the dark florals settle in. The smoke hasn't arrived yet at this stage, but you can feel it loading in the base. Later in the wear, incense and the woody base notes take over. The fruit retreats but doesn't disappear, leaving a dried-cherry, almost wine-like residue beneath the smoke.
Cultural impact
The Witches sits in a niche conversation where fragrance is read as scene-setting rather than accessory. The composition pushes into smoky, resinous territory with an unapologetic ritual-coded mood, leaning on incense, guaiac wood, and choya nakh to build a leather-and-ash backbone that survives everything else in the blend. It's a scent that rewards slow wearing, with the candied fruit-and-licorice opening eventually giving way to a warm resinous drydown that stays close to skin for hours.
