NASOMATTO
FANTOMAS

2020

PERFUMER
Alessandro Gualtieri

Rubber
Plastic
Melon
Gunpowder
Smoke
Earthy Notes
Caramel
Sweet Notes
Cashmeran
Tropical fruit
Patchouli

Fantomas is a work of art, highly abstract and conceptual. But some art is made to revolt and without insulting the perfumer, that’s the direction Fantomas goes in for me. With notes like rubber, plastic and gunpowder, it seems meant to cause a stir in a field of relatively safe releases. I can appreciate that a lot as a reviewer, but I can in this case not appreciate it as a wearer.

The plastic scent is what I get the most, with melon (and some wafts strawberry). Are Chupa Chups flavored condoms a thing? It’s smoky, latexy, sweet, fruity and also earthy. It’s like opening a vacuum-sealed bag of fruity candies, but there’s been some dirt (cashmeran?) mixed in. It’s interesting for sure, kind of a mixture of these ‘artistic scents’ that we’ve seen done before (asphalt, plastic, batcave) combined into one wild ride.

It is surprisingly wearable despite everything I just said and it’s a well-made perfume. If you don’t mind that slightly muddy cashmeran undertone (think of Escentric Molecules Molecule 05 or Amouage Figment Man), give this a try.