Indie perfume house Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has launched Dark Moon, the brand's holiday fragrance for 2016. Also new: Musc al Madina and Onycha.

Dark Moon (shown) ~ "At the darkest times we need solace; comfort and warmth are paramount. The Dark Moon signals a new beginning… This Holiday Season, the New Moon / Dark Moon comes just after the winter solstice and in the northern hemisphere, the darkest day of the year. As for me, I plan to go inside (literally and figuratively), sip dark wine, eat dark chocolate, and commune with my soul. Dark Moon is the perfume that I’ll take with me… for comfort and companionship. For this Holiday fragrance, we chose an unusual balance of gourmand and chypre elements ; notes of red wine, dark chocolate, bergamot, spice, jasmine, rose, sacred resins, vanilla, and oak moss."

Musc al Madina ~ "A dense and very dark, animalic musk with rich and earthy nuances. There are some aromas that just feel … ancient. Like they have been around since the beginning of time. (Some have). Musk is one of those deeply historic and essential perfumery materials; it’s been prized by kings and common folk alike. There are temples that have musc grains worked into the mortar to release it’s fragrance as the building heats. The perfume wafts in all directions giving pleasure to all who encounter it. Musc al Madina is based on an olde worlde vision of the classic dark, animalic musk fragrance. It’s earthy and sultry, slightly smoky, and with a rich black coffee nuance in the background. In other words, it’s luscious. Notes of: Ambergris, Ambery Artemisia, Chinese Geranium, Coffee Absolute, Indonesian Vetiver, Sensual Musk, Oude / Agarwood, Spice Notes, and True Arabian Myrrh."

Onycha (all natural) ~ "...is ancient, mythic, and esoteric. It’s an aromatic that scholars merely speculate as to what it is. Some say a mollusc, others say benzoin, and yet others say labdanum. For our Onycha fragrance, we’ve used them all…and then some. To celebrate the winter solstice, I’ve decided to finally get to work on a design I’ve had ruminating in my mind since I first read about it in 1993. [...] Even the name is mysterious (it means fingernail in Greek) and is said to be a holy aromatic from antiquity used in the sacred incense of Solomon’s Temple. What came from this inspiration is something smoky, rich, divine, and with a fascinating lilt that gives a clue to it’s oceanic origins. A woody, creamy, rich, GOLDEN, incense oriental fragrance with subtle oceanic brine and animalic nuances in background. Notes of: Onycha tincture, Labdanum, Siam Benzoin, Oude, Fossil Amber, Himalayan Cedar, Siam Wood, Mysore Sandalwood, Choya Nakh, Oppopanax, and Frankincense (Sacra)."

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Dark Moon, Musc al Madina and Onycha are available in a variety of sizes and formats, for more information see the website.

(via newsletter from DSH)

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