looking for something dark and mysterious

Welcome to Basenotes, dogsinatub! There are so many great "180" scents out there that I don't know where to begin. At the moment no "dark and mysterious" scents come to mind, but that may be because I don't typically gravitate toward those sort of scents. Some that may fit the bill: Robert Piguet's Bandit, Chanel Coromandel, Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist, and Guerlain Mitsouko. I have never sniffed Tom Ford Black Orchid, but the name certainly sounds dark and mysterious! If you don't have access to a wide range of scents where you live, you may want to try ordering some perfume samples from Lucky Scent or The Perfumed Court. Both sites offer descriptions of and notes for the scents they carry. Good luck!

My favourite dark and mysterious scent is Czech and Speake's # 88.Also love Voleur de roses from L'artisan parfumeur,Opium(YSL) ,Mitsouko and L'heure bleue ( both from Guerlain)+ Midnight Violet (Ava Luxe)

I'd want to find out whether or not your girlfriend likes dark and mysterious or what kinds of scents she likes. I prefer to sample first before go full throttle on a bottle. I know it'd kill the surprise for a gift idea, but what about getting her some fun samples to test out to find something you both like? Luckyscent is awesome, lots of great niche scents and wonderful descriptions and a plethura of samples to try. I actually do prefer more vanilla/gourmand scents so long as they a rich and intoxicating and not overly cloying. Botrytis by Ginestet and Omnia by Madera are both very nice. Another classy delicious scent is Sovereigns of Egypt by Romea d' Ameor. All have great lasting power too. Take my reccos with a grain of salt of course since I probably tend to wear perfume that aren't what you are looking for. Just maybe keeping your mind open to not play the vanilla hater card
What about CB I Hate Perfume http://www.luckyscent.com/shop/categ...e_Perfume.html , they have a LOT of interesting scents. I've never tried any since I can't seem to get samples anywhere and we don't have any local shops that sell them.
Just an example of his uniqueness, November from Lucky Scent
November
Water Perfume
by CB I Hate Perfume
\t
The Scoop
This is just one book by Tove Jansson that, when I first read it as a child, I didn't enjoy. It was far too melancholy for my young taste. The story concerns a group of people who come together unexpectedly one November at a small house in a valley beside the sea. They come with fond memories of summer days spent on the shore, sitting quietly amid blooming flowers and, most especially, they remember the kindness of those who lived there. They come seeking comfort and solace from the family whose house this is. But the family has gone away and now the house is abandoned, dark and musty. Now in November the valley is filled with rain, chilled air and the scent of decay.

These people are thrown off by the family's absence. They are puzzled, upset and sometimes angry. They quarrel and they sulk. But, hopeful the family will soon return, they decide to remain and, slowly but with difficulty, they come to terms with the fall, with each other and with themselves.

As I read this book now many years later, I realize this is a fascinating character study and quite a subject to tackle in a children's book. There is no adventure here - only feeling and reflection. Now I can marvel at how well Ms Jansson tells her tale. I suppose that now I have the experience to appreciate her story, these characters and their feelings...

For decades November depressed me. As the year died away, I too longed for warm green grass, long summer evenings spent with friends outdoors and the sight of fireflies twinkling in the woods. the days became shorter and colder and i would become more and more gloomy. This feeling would never really leave me until the first snow fell. Sometimes that was a long wait...

But i have learned to embrace November and find comfort in the beauty of decay. I have come to realize the warmth I long for is still there - but it has taken other forms and it has changed just as I have. Change is inevitable and although I am still sometimes sad as the fall deepens, I know there is much to look forward to. The coming snow will being the warmth of family and friends.

So now on rain chilled November afternoons, I am content to sit quietly and wait...
November Notes
Pumpkin Pie, Fallen Apples, Bonfire, Wood Smoke, Dried Grass, Fallen Leaves, Wet Branches, Damp Moss, Chanterelle Mushrooms and a hint of Pine Forest

I second the motion for L'Heure Bleue.

There are lots of good ones. You will probably need to sample from something like The Perfumed Court, Luckyscent & Aedes are good, too.
You could look at:
Guerlain - Mitsouko, Vol de Nuit, L'Heure Bleu, Samsara
Chanel - Cuir de Russie, Bois des Iles, no. 31 Rue de Cambon
Serge Lutens - Bois de Violette, Bois Oriental, Un Lys, A la Nuit
Mona di Orio - Nuit Noir (orange liqueur & leather)
Ava Luxe - Dark Chypre
Amouage - Gold, Jubilation 25, Ubar, Lyric

The perfumed court is a great place to buy decants,but I would also check out Luckyscents for niche scents.

What age is your girlfriend? Does she like classic or vintage smelling fragrances, or modern ones?

Modern recommendations:

Eau Noire, Lumiere Noire pour Femme

Classic Recommendations:

Mitsouko EdP, L'Heure Bleue

I just got my 2ml sample of Black March absolute from CB----it's wondeful to bask in the very natural leaves, weeds and water feel that does have a late spring rainy day feel to it. Many would not consider this something to wear out, but I guess it's mysterious to the average person that someone would want to smell that way. We are basenoters, so we can relate.

I hear that Carven's Ma Griffe is supposedly dark, brooding and perhaps mysterious. I agree that Black Orchid would fit the bill for dark and mysterious.
Add Opium EdP and Patchouli 24 by Le Labo

For niche lines, try Luckyscent or The Perfume Shoppe (the one in Vancouver) for samples. For the lines these stores don't carry, you will find your best selection at The Perfumed Court. Another nice thing that TPC does is that they have special sets of samples grouped by house, historical era, and note. Perhaps an Amber-themed Coffret would do right by you.

If your girlfriend's tastes are the same as yours, don't let your age and job limit your choices. If something smells wonderful to her when she wears it, then it is appropriate, because by her very affinity for the smell, she has claimed it as her own!

I don't like the super-sweet floral and vanilla trend either, so feel free to check out my wardrobe and select some high-rated scents for your sample basket.

Oh, and since this seems to be my week for pushing this scent, you may want to consider Opponax Intense by Ava Luxe. It is available in small decants on TPC or in the Ava Luxe Etsy shop in a 5ml oil for only $20. It smells deliciously of amber, incense, and leather and smells like a much costlier scent to me. It also has some kind of weird magnetic or glue-like effect that instantly attaches my husband's nose to my neck. Hee.

Good advice.