Ectoplasm Fantôme 2020 Extrait de Parfum

Fantôme scents - even the more experimental ones ones - tend to be quite linear (i.e. what you get after a few minutes is what remains). Ectoplasm is the opposite. It starts off as a deceptively mainstream vanilla/mallow gourmand that turns into an atmospheric shapeshifter that eventually returns to its simpler base notes.

Act I
You’re in a nice dining hall being served a beautiful dessert topped with spun sugar. There is a light brown toast on the marshmallow bits. A very faint essence of lit candles and freshly cut flower stems surrounds you, and something isn't quite right.

Act II
The illusion of the room is lifted and you find yourself alone in a dusty old manor. The dessert is still in your mouth, but scent of dried up flower stems on the table and aged chair cushions takes over your senses. A ghostly light musk drifts around you, disturbing the dust on the table.

Act III
You leave the house. Amber & myrrh warm up the vanilla, which comes back into focus once more. It is here where the subtle green notes really surface. New life?

Epilogue
The vanilla/amber/myrrh stick around for a surprisingly long time, pleasant and wearable and you are free to go about your day as if nothing happened. Sillage is very low through all phases, but the scent does last.

7.5 for the experience/vibes, but I’d say a 6.8 for the overall scent. A more thoughtful marshmallow than most. Not something I'd full size, but I think I'd rate it much higher if I were more mallow-inclined.

It doesn't smell like marshmallows nor sugar, just a softened ambers that lingers in the space like remains of a ghost. For being a gourmand, it's not tooth-aching and I like it very much. But yes, I have to admit it's giving a bit of Yankee Candle too, I can't lie. The only thing that bothers me it's a warm scent - I imagine ectoplasm and everything ghost-related to be wayyyy colder.

I've been wanting to try this one for a while and luckily was gifted a sample. It smells exactly like play-doh upon first spray. Like, exactly. And that stuck around briefly until it dried down into more of a marshmallowy scent. But it's not overwhelmingly sugary. It's got a hint of green to it. Then that gradually fades away down to something spicy-sweet.
I like it a lot. I'll keep using the tester and then decide if it's something I would buy a bottle of.

I wore this perfume for Halloween while dressed as Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors. It felt fitting to incorporate something equal parts green and sticky into my costume, hehe... As a liker of Killian's "Princess", I was looking for something with even more of a "green" kick, and I think I've scratched that itch with this fragrance.

This is a strange, yet safe gourmand. If you're looking to expand into more "experimental" scents while comfortably nestled within one's gourmand's preferences... this is for you. Sticky green sap mixed with jet-puffed marshmallows. Powdered sugar and green, oozing syrup. It's unique enough to stand out, but sweet and pleasant enough that even my non-perfumery interested friends found it pleasant and delicious. One coworker described it as "nostalgic", and was surprised when I mentioned the notes, saying it reminded her of a candy she couldn't quite name from her childhood.

Not particularly complex, but strong and long-lasting. Another lovely sample from Fantôme to longingly dream of adding a full bottle to my own collection.

I am an enjoyer of perfumes and like to test all different types to see what's special about them in their own different categories. Gourmand has been challenging for me since I am sensitive to cloying, sugary syrupy scents. Marshmallow in itself is lightly sweet and I am happy that the perfumer did not overdo it in its complexity as well as not keeping it overly simplistic as well.

The green notes are really what makes this perfume special as it starts to come out after drying down. It is further enhanced by any other perfumes that complement those notes. In this case, I had sampled Finist the Falcon next to it which had green notes and was bright, citrusy and airy. Since I am on a budget and have a bit too much of rose scents, rather than make another full bottle purchase, my best alternative to achieve the same effect is Nectarine Blossom & Honey by Jo Malone.