The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Rainbow Witch arrived in 2021 as one of two super limited edition Halloween releases from Smell Bent, an indie label. The fragrance was born from materials drawn directly from the Smell Bent vault, making it a small batch perfume made for the Halloween holiday that year. The composition pulls aged ambergris, vintage incense, and oak barrel-aged vanilla from the back shelf of stored materials. Rainbow Witch was conceived as a Halloween fragrance with a different angle, one dressed in something earthier and more autumnal, more like the real October, built around the spiced ambergris, the resinous incense, and that oak-aged vanilla pulling it all together.
What makes Rainbow Witch unusual is its ingredient sourcing. The ambergris is described as pumpkin spiced, lending the composition its seasonal warmth from the very first impression. The vanilla spent real time in oak, which gives it a woody, almost oaky depth with a character that reads more like aged timber than typical vanilla sweetness. The hay adds a dry, golden warmth that bridges the spicy opening and the smoky, resinous base. Together, these materials push the composition firmly into autumnal territory without ever tipping into gourmand territory.
The evolution
The first spray lands warm and immediate, with spices and pumpkin reading soft rather than sharp, like a candle that's been burning for an hour already. The opening settles into skin with a cushioned sweetness that never tips into the candied territory you might expect from a Halloween release. As the composition develops, the incense arrives and asserts its presence, smoky and dry, and the ambergris begins to show its animalic warmth. The hay note weaves through the middle phase, lending a dry, sun-baked quality that prevents the composition from going too sweet while reinforcing the autumnal character. Once the oak-aged vanilla takes over the drydown, it carries. This vanilla isn't loud. It sits close to skin, resinous and woody, occasionally catching a flicker of incense that reminds you of the opening.
Cultural impact
Rainbow Witch exists as a limited edition Halloween release from an indie label that operates firmly outside mainstream fragrance distribution channels. It's the kind of fragrance that rewards people who actually pay attention to what they're wearing, drawn from the Smell Bent vault with aged ambergris, vintage incense, oak barrel-aged vanilla, and hay pulled from stored materials. The house's model of small batches and limited runs means Rainbow Witch was always going to be a rare find, and the use of vault materials ensures each release carries a sense of curation rather than mass production.
