I kind of went crazy buying decants with all the holiday sales, even breaking my recent rule to not blind buy any more niche decants - however highly rated - due to a string of blind buy failures. The majority will be arriving next week. So… I think I need to delete my Shop App and go on a no decant buy January. But it won’t count if I like one of these decants enough to get a full bottle, right? PS Happy new year, everybody!

My first Phantom fragrance, though I’m not new to Rabanne. I remember trying the original silver Phantom in store and finding it alright. So far, the general consensus seems to be that Phantom Intense is the best of the line. Well, I have some news. The opening hits with strong, aromatic lavender paired with warm saffron spice. Although the note breakdown only lists these two, I’d bet my toaster there’s plum in here. Not the usual rich or syrupy kind. This one feels fresh, almost “peeled”, if that makes sense. Think peeled grapes rather than jammy fruit. Unfortunately, the plum behaves a lot like the raspberry in Forever Wanted Elixir. It disappears far too early, leaving you wanting more. The lavender is sweet on its own, but as it develops, benzoin joins in, adding a resinous sweetness. As the fragrance dries down, the woods become more prominent and form a nice relationship with the resins, keeping everything balanced. The ambers slowly emerge, and the so called “oud” seems to add a faint sour milk nuance, at least to my nose. Overall, it smells like a typical Paco Rabanne release. Loud, unapologetic, and synthetic. This feels like PR’s take on the JPG Le Male Elixir Absolu style. Best suited for younger wearers who already enjoy the Rabanne DNA. Performance is exactly what you’d expect from the brand. Around 6 - 8 hrs total, with the first 2 hrs projecting like a beast. Surprisingly, I didn’t go anosmic to it. After the initial blast, projection settles into a moderate but consistent scent bubble. It smells noticeably better in the air than up close. Since I haven’t really explored the Phantom line before, I did my due diligence and went through multiple reviews across the entire range. As more reviews roll out, I genuinely think this will end up as a top two release in the Phantom lineup. Bottom line: this is a good, mass appealing, youthful fragrance. Nothing artistic or groundbreaking, just very mainstream and commercial. If you have a teenager in your family or know someone who can’t get enough of the Le Male Elixir DNA, this is a safe introduction.