Scents of Horror

Elizabeth Renstrom has developed a cult following as @basenote_bitch, the Instagram alter ego under which she posts self-described “unhinged fragrance reviews” that masterfully blend kaleidoscopic pop-culture references and tart commentary to critique well-known scents. A photographer and artist, Renstrom also composes colorful, witty still lifes to accompany her reviews.

For this issue of Gigantic, she inhabits the role of classic scream queen, imagining which scent the female protagonists of famous horror fare—both film and TV—would wear. Does Poison, that ever-present perfume of the 1980s, rear its fragrant head? We bet you’re dying to find out. —Kristina Feliciano 

All photos and descriptions by Elizabeth Renstrom

Scream Queen: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I Know What You Did Last Summer)

There are many reasons why Buffy the Vampire Slayer became a true icon beloved by so many, the main one being the depth of her character as she alternates between her teenage and superhuman self. Existing in these two identities, she gives the show its emotional heart as Buffy Summers navigates teen turning points like prom alongside the constant threat of an apocalypse led by bloodsucking demons. Thanks to her relatability—as well as her ability to wield a weapon—the audience is as invested in her interpersonal relationships as they are with the slay-age. I imagine her wearing a fragrance that alludes both to her position as "The Chosen One” and her being the heart of her Scooby Gang. The anointed perfume would have to be Demeter’s Dust. It screams, “I’m going to save the world in my Yummy Sushi pajamas!” 

Scream Queen: Jaime Lee Curtis (Halloween)

One of the most shocking things about Halloween, which redefined the horror genre, is the fact that the victims could have been anyone anywhere. In the film, we follow three very normal high school girls on Halloween night who unknowingly become targets of a crazed murderer donning a William Shatner mask. The most subdued of them, Laurie Strode, fights back against the killer, Michael Myers, with knitting needles, wire hangers, and a very shiny kitchen knife. She’s the good-natured protagonist we root for in her now iconic button down. She’s also a final girl on a babysitter’s budget, so the perfume on her dresser has to be affordable. Given the year is 1978, Revlon’s floral green classic Jontue would have been on every high schooler’s wrist. Its tagline was the creepy and classic “Sensual, but not too far from Innocence.” Let’s hope Laurie can fend off sexism in advertising as skillfully as she battles Michael Myers! 

Scream Queen: Rachel True
(The Craft)

The Craft is one of those cultural touchstones for all teen witches in training everywhere. The storyline is powerful because magic gives agency to four outcasts wanting to take control of their lives. For teenage girls, watching this coven become powerful was thrilling. I also believe it caused the great tween Wiccan boom of the early aughts. Rachel True plays Rochelle Zimmerman, classic outcast and proud wearer of suspenders. Rochelle would only use a scent as intoxicating as the spells she casts, and that would have to be Christian Dior’s Hypnotic Poison. Even though this juice premiered slightly after The Craft hit theaters, I’m confident the slow seduction of bitter almond and jasmine overpower even the most anachronism-averse.

Scream Queen: Linda Blair
(The Exorcist)

In 1973, Linda Blair’s powerful performance as a little girl gripped with the presence of the demon Pazuzu shook countless moviegoers to their core. Considering her 360-degree head rotations and projectile vomiting of green goop, Regan would naturally gravitate toward only one signature scent: The Devil’s Potion Cologne. A classic aftershave after a fallen angel’s heart, it’s the perfect fragrance for both resisting exorcism and levitating while rotting from the inside out. 

Scream Queen: Takako Fuji
(The Grudge)

The Grudge describes a curse born when someone dies in the grip of extreme rage or sorrow, with Takako Fuji playing Kayako Saeki, a murdered wife who becomes a fulfiller of the Ju-on curse in her former home. Saeki literally put crawling like a creepy crab on the map, and this vengeful spirit needs to wear a perfume that screams, “I will eat you up with my scorned energy." Thierry Mugler’s fragrances are all deeply polarizing and not for the faint of heart, so any would work for a spirit looking to leave some sillage. However, the one I think best suits female rage is the 2010 classic Womanity. With contrasting notes of fig and caviar, it’s feminine with a hint of death—ideal for haunting!