Black Phantom
Kilian (2017)

This has to be the best roasted marshmallow accord at Saks! The only thing that puts me off is the [idk] Onekh medicinal oud? Labdanum? Stank? Would be Thumbs Up if I could wear it but it's still made well.

The maitre d’ leads you outdoors, to a quiet corner of the patio flanked by woods. Your table is awash in sunshine, a relief given the day’s brisk temperature. You order a Hot Buttered Rum and within moments the server arrives with the frothy, heavily spiced cup of indulgence.

Black Phantom opens with a sharp, dark caramel shot of rum, then quickly turns creamy with snickerdoodle undertones. This mouthwatering stage doesn’t last long - maximum of 2 hours I’ve found - and afterwards you’re left smelling a mixture of deep green woods and sun kissed skin.

This scent is intoxicating. Very soothing, but in no way maternal, more akin to the soothing balm of high end luxury. A cool weather scent, appropriate Autumn through Spring imo. A single spritz lasts a full day, projecting noticeably through the first eight hours.

Overall, a resounding YES PLEASE.

Oh, no. This smells like musty peanut butter. Actually it smells exactly like--

You know when you went trick-or-treating? You went home afterwards, and you dumped out all your candy. You divided it into four piles. The great amazing candy, the pretty good candy, the so-so candy you might get around to eating by Thanksgiving, and.... The Gross Stuff.

(There's also the pile of things that aren't candy. That weird hippie lady who crochets her own ponchos? She made oatmeal and raisin cookies. Why, why. The smug dentist gave out little toothbrushes and I didn't shed a tear when the teenagers egged his house for it. And a weird stockbroker guy gave out pennies because he "has too much money or wants everyone to think that he does" according to my dad. ALL of the items from this pile went straight. in. the. trash.)

Black Phantom "Memento Mori" smells exactly like a specific candy from The Gross Pile. There's an old candy -- I think it's called Chick-O-Stick but it might possibly be Atkinson's Peanut Butter Bars-- and this fragrance smells exactly like it. I assume the people who handed out that candy probably bought a gargantuan barrel of it in, like, 1917 and they just handed out fistfuls of the ancient atrocity every year.

I traded a piece of it to my little brother one year and he cried.

Old, musty, peanut butter candy. Dry as dust. To punish children. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Memento Mori.

If I was on a deserted island wearing Black phantom, and I had to choose between seeing and smelling. I would choose smell. I'm a bad nose - so I can rarely tell you exactly why - the notes and how they all dry down ... but I do know I can't keep my nose away from my wrist! I'm pretty sure I get the rum, coffee, chocolate and almonds ... Momento Mori is an object
serving as a warning or reminder of death, such as a skull.
"he placed the picture in his room as a memento mori" ... well yes, I sort of get the Goth and pirates aspect of this brand. That makes it fun. They did put that Rum in it, riiiight?

A muddied sweetness. Nothing is clearly itself but that isn't a virtue here: it just isn't at all interesting.

A pleasant smelling sweet gourmand. Lots of coffee, caramel and vanilla. Not worth the price but please to own a large decant.