Cursed

Cursed is a gothic fragrance house from England, launched in 2023 for people who wanted perfume that speaks to a darker, alternative style. The brand says it saw gothic clothing and cosmetics thriving while perfume had no house of its own for the subculture, and set out to fill that gap.

The brand says every perfume is formulated by its founder and blended in-house from individual perfumery materials, rather than bought as ready-made fragrance oils. It names Cursed Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, as the manufacturer, and describes its range as vegan, cruelty-free and made in England. The founder is not named in the brand's own material, so this profile does not name one. Every scent is built around a short legend, a dark tale of love and loss, and comes with a story card. Releases have been deliberately few: seven scents in 2023, a strawberry and amber scent in 2024, and in 2026 a salty marine floral and a collaboration with the rock band Black Veil Brides, ten in all. The brand also sells 3 ml sample vials and sets, which many buyers use before choosing a full bottle.

The house style is sweet, resinous and woody rather than experimental. There is a black cherry and almond gourmand, a strawberry and amber, a raspberry leather, a tobacco and vanilla, a patchouli and amber, a cardamom and oud woody, and florals that range from jasmine and strawberry to moonflower and sea salt. The range is sorted into masculine For Devil and feminine For De'ville scents, but the brand says this is a guide to character, not a rule about who should wear them.

Cursed sits at the independent end of British perfumery: founder-run, sold directly through its own website and priced in the middle of the market. Wearers often compare several scents with well-known perfumes from Tom Ford, Maison Francis Kurkdjian and YSL, and opinion on how original they are is divided; the brand states that its scents are original creations. Reviews praise the packaging and the lasting power of many scents, while some wearers find them sweeter and more mainstream than gothic and report mixed staying power. A sample is a sensible place to start.