I know I already wrote about this today, but I’m genuinely impressed with this fragrance. It’s the first time I’ve felt compelled to revisit and expand on a scent within the same day as my initial post. That alone should tell you how much I like it. Seance Perfumes creates fragrances inspired by characters across different mediums, and with their Penny Dreadful series, classic monsters and their stories are interpreted through scent. Their latest creation—The Phantom—is really staying with me. There’s something undeniably magnetic about it. I feel something when I wear it, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it is. Whether it’s confidence or subterfuge, I’m enjoying the emotional tension it creates. The Phantom is inspired by both the character from Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, The Phantom of the Opera, and the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. With notes of rose, sandalwood, and bourbon, I find myself fixated on a particular scene from the book. I even went back to confirm it—and my memory held. Though Erik is a disfigured and tragic figure, the fragrance he inspires is haunting and vibrant—an emulation of the tender, sorrowful truth that only Christine Daaé could see. The scent pulls me directly into that moment: Erik, in his secret lair (sandalwood), removes his mask and kisses Christine’s forehead (rose). She returns the gesture, and he confesses (bourbon) that he has never kissed anyone—not even his own mother. Overcome with emotion, Christine takes his hand, and they weep together. She softly says, “Poor, unhappy Erik,” and in that instant, he is transformed—no longer a figure of vengeance, but, as Leroux writes, “like a poor dog, ready to die for her.” After revisiting that scene, I could clearly map each note of the fragrance to the emotion of the moment. The power of scent, my friends, is very real. I give this fragrance a 8 out of 10, while it’s not perfect as there’s something that holds it back from being “free” it’s is a great fragrance to wear and enjoy. Not a standard review from me as it was more emotional, my classic phrase is still the same— as usual, your sillage may vary; fragrance discretion is advised.

I'm looking to learn from your wisdom and am asking for suggestions of how I should open my scent account. I live in Bangkok - it's hot every day. I want a cornerstone scent that I could theoretically wear 365 days a year. I am interested in a fragrance for day time wear. I don't work in an office, but I do travel on the BTS (Sky train) which can get packed, so need something inoffensive. I have very little reference to say what I like - although I am going to the department store later today. Thanks in advance for your advice 🙏