I am not one of those women who enjoys smelling like a cupcake or, as Mean Girls said so well, a baby prostitute. I much prefer something androgynous, verging on masculine—vetiver, musk, oud. Never, ever rose.

Then, a few weeks ago, I found French perfume and cognac house Frapin’s new scent, Nevermore — a spicy, cold rose (gasp!) with warm cedar, musky amber, pepper, and nutmeg that makes you smell like something out of a gothic fairytale. In the past few weeks, my life has become a frenzy of admiration for it. Even the lady selling me cigarettes at the corner shop has noticed.

Inspired by the macabre, David Frossard (Frapin’s creative director) created the dark, woody scent as a kind of tribute to Edgar Allan Poe, intending to evoke misty nights, sinister allure, mystery, and general wonder. And while that sounds like the dreamiest thing ever, concepts within perfumes only go so far before you just want to know what it smells like.

I’ve gone as far as to spray it while sitting in my bed just to really drive the film noir heroine bit home. The only downside is I don’t want to wear anything else, so I'm refusing to investigate new fragrances to write about. But that’s a sacrifice I’m totally OK with right now.

—Oliva J. Singer

Photo by Olivia J. Singer.