It seems as though this Halloween season has left just as quickly as it arrived and while I feel some sadness as the end draws near, I cannot help but look forward to the holiday season rapidly approaching. To honor the end of spooky season, I decided it would be fun to rank and review Bath & Body Works’ Halloween line for the 2025 season. Released back in July as part of a ‘”Summerween” collection, these spooky scents have left a lasting impression on me, and as an employee under the company I find that I have had tremendous amounts of exposure to the product line-up for this year. However, for the sake of this article, I will strictly be rating the body care products from the line under the title “Frankenstein’s Bakery”. Sorry, candle lovers, this one is for the body care enthusiasts! So, from a Bath & Body Works employee, here is my cohesive review of the body care products for the 2025 Halloween season.
- Vampire Blood
Originally launched in 2015, Vampire has since been a staple in Bath & Body Works. With notes of red berries, plum, and jasmine, this fragrance is the embodiment of a sexy vampire in a bottle. It is a dirty floral scent that perfectly captures spooky season, but can also be worn all year round. I really enjoyed the floral-fruity aspects of this fragrance, with the berry and jasmine notes being the most prominent to my nose. I found it worked really well for going to class, running errands, or even just going to the gym. With that, I rank it as my number one pick from the collection this year. If you want to smell like the vampires from Twilight, then this is the fragrance for you.
- Ghoul Friend
Bath & Body Works’ fragrance Ghoul Friend was released in 2021, and similar to Vampire Blood, it has since been a recurring product for Halloween collections. Ghoul Friend has notes of strawberries, peonies, and citrus. This fragrance was my go-to workout scent for this Halloween season. It is a very airy and clean scent that lasts forever on both skin and clothes. But in typical Bath & Body Works fashion, this is a run-of-the-mill fruity fragrance; there is nothing special about it. Ghoul Friend smells fresh, but also very similar to another Bath & Body Works, Gingham Geogrous. Not to say that this fragrance is bad, I just feel it is not groundbreaking whatsoever. But then again, what Bath & Body Works fragrance is? Ghoul Friend is a likeable, inoffensive fragrance that you really cannot go wrong with.
- Candy Apple Cauldron
Apples are one of my favorite notes in any body mist or perfume; there is just something about them that screams fall and spooky season to me, and Bath & Body Works’ Candy Apple Cauldron is no exception. Released in 2024, this fragrance has notes of green apple (obviously), sugar, and bergamot. Similar to Ghoul Friend, I find that this scent works really well at the gym because of how fresh and zesty it is. Would I wear this on a night out? No. Would I wear it when I want to feel clean? Hell yeah. Like Ghoul Friend, this is another basic fragrance that is easily likable and inoffensive.
- Wicked Vanilla Woods
The previous three fragrances listed are products I actually enjoy, but the following ones I will write about are products that I did not like whatsoever; Wicked Vanilla Woods is one of those. Launched in 2021 with notes of vanilla, amber, and pink pepper, this is a fragrance I never want to smell like. To me, it smells like a dusty old book that has been sitting in a library for ages, old and musty. This fragrance is far too spicy for my liking, which automatically makes me avoid it at all costs. At first, I thought I was judging it too harshly, but after smelling it again, I find that I just dislike it. I believe that the pink pepper note is what throws me off; it just comes too strongly that it actively makes me nauseated. If you are wearing this, please get away from me! (Just kidding.)
- I Scream Float
Oh I hated this one. I do not even know where to start. Who in their right mind decided it would be a good idea to make root beer into a fine fragrance mist? I know I didn’t. This fragrance has notes of cola, vanilla, and what Bath & Body Works describes as “spooky sweetness.” First off, I do not even know what “spooky sweetness” is, but whatever it is, I hate it. This scent was released this year, in 2025, and I really hope it does not return for the following years. While I appreciate how experimental this fragrance is, I just do not see the appeal of wanting to smell like a root beer float. However, I am sure many people do enjoy I Scream Float; unfortunately, I am not one of them.
Bath & Body Works has so far dominated the fragrance market this Halloween season, and each one of these fragrances has truly made a mark on its consumers. While I may not have been impressed by all of the products listed in this year’s lineup, I still look forward to seeing what is to come next as we begin to make way for the upcoming holiday season.