Holy Terror is reminiscent of the utterly somber and fearsome spirits which are known to haunt certain long-deserted chapels, monasteries and abbeys. An unsettling, austere blend of burning frankincense, sandalwood, deep myrrh and dusty beeswax candles. It is an incense-laced atmospheric fragrance that is vegan and cruelty free. Holy Terror is an eau de parfum, edp.
Arcana Wildcraft perfumes are indie, small batch handmade.
Fragrantica: Holy Terror unfolds like a waking dream, a fragrant tale that blurs the boundary between consciousness and slumber, where honeyed richness of beeswax candles intertwines with resinous incense. As it settles on the skin, the frankincense and myrrh meld with the mellow warmth of the beeswax, their individual notes blurring like secrets inked on damp parchment. There's a golden amber vein comfort woven through the austere resins, reminiscent of candlelight flickering against ancient stone walls. The longer you wear it, the more Holy Terror becomes a sensory lullaby. It's the olfactory equivalent of that drowsy state just before sleep claims you, when the words on the page of your gothic novel begin to swim and the tendrils of incense seem to form shapes in the air. The sandalwood provides a steady backdrop, like the spine of an old book, while the honeyed incense notes dance and swirl, becoming indistinguishable from one another. As you drift deeper into this scented reverie, you find yourself wandering the shadowy corridors of a crumbling castle, where portraits seem to breathe and suits of armor creak with unseen movement. The amber-tinged air carries whispers of ancient prophecies and long-buried secrets. In your mind's eye, you see the ingenue fleeing through moonlit cloisters, her trembling fingers leaving trails in the dust of centuries. The scent of Holy Terror wraps around you like a cloak of shadows, at once comforting and mysterious, much like the hidden passageways that both terrify and beckon in these tales of old. This fragrance doesn't so much evoke fearsome abbey spirits as it does the gentle ghosts of stories half-remembered, of dreams that linger upon waking. It's what you might smell if you fell asleep reading by candlelight and woke to find the smoke from the snuffed flame mingling with the last wisps of incense, all suffused with the ambery glow of beeswax.
Fragrantica: this smells like an old, haunted church. think ethel cain, southern gothic. it smells like you’re walking between the old, dusty church pews to an altar of beeswax candles and incense. for those that grew up in the deep south, this might smell like home. it smells like an unsettling dream. not necessarily a nightmare, but more like a liminal space. it’s dusty, musky, waxy and warm. definitely one of the heavier scents in my collection, but i do love it for what it is.
The Redolent Mermaid: Smoldering euphoria. Fragrant offering. Just opening this amber flask of fragrance releases a honeyed plume of burning resins and woods that take flight and rise like the fuliginous spirits of ravens passing into the next realm. Dabbed fresh onto the wrists and crooks of the arms, sandalwood incense warm and thready weaves itself under my nose. Honeyed plumes of smoke cling to this corporeal being, absorbing prayers then lifting them skywards. Stygian smoke and resins are balanced by the antique burnished glow of the beeswax candles and powdery myrrh and honey. Mysterious, ancient, sweet smoke and incensed woods. This morphling shifts and undulates like a dancing flame. Entranced by this potion. A stellar blind buy.
Indie Scent Library: I can totally see why this is a fan favorite. This is a beautiful incense blend – definitely a great base for other scents as well. Reminds me a tad of ‘Arabesque’ by Alks- as that is a great sandalwood scent this one is more complex and has depth. Very long lasting.. as well as unisex which is quite refreshing. This is going to age nicely – and I hope it starts to get a smoldering effect
Indie Scent Library: Believe the hype – Holy Terror is a delight. It smells like sweet beeswax laced with church incense smoke, which I believe is a frankincense and myrrh blend. Over hours of wear, this fades into a dusty, dry, and comforting sandalwood. At first, I found this perfume too sweet and simple. I still do, but I love it. I find it to be a good bedtime scent, as well as a good layering scent.
