Phantom in Red by Rabanne

It’s curious that a perfume with a youthful aesthetic features an oud accord in the dry-down that darkens it and adds mystery. It also has that unforgivable sweet side. It seems like it’s not among the worst things you can find on shelves these days…

Unlike its feminine counterpart, this Phantom is quite pleasant. It opens with a powerful mature lavender note, followed by a very pleasant resinous heart, and finishes with a sweet smoky base. It’s not generic; unlike all the flankers in the line, this is the best… but be careful! At this price point, there are much more elegant and personality-driven perfumes out there.

Bright, bittersweet, alcoholic, and liqueur-like opening. The best part, without a doubt… Then it settles into lavender and moves to multiple sweet resins with prominent dark woods and tobacco. A young, warm, resinous perfume with an elegant and dark fruity touch. It’s good, surpassing the previous ones.

Bright, bittersweet, alcoholic, and liqueur-like opening. The best part, no doubt. Then it settles into lavender and moves to multiple sweet resins with dark woods and very pronounced tobacco. A young, warm, resinous perfume with an elegant and dark fruity touch. It’s good, surpassing the previous ones.

Phantom In Red is, without a doubt, the flanker I’ve liked most from the entire Phantom line, trying to be as objective as possible. It completely removes that unpleasant facet of the original Phantom, which on my skin used to smell like kerosene or a strange chemical accord. Here, that disappears. Instead, Phantom In Red adds a much more aromatic and fresh lavender, accompanied by a sweet, slightly caramelized touch. It also vibrates quite a bit with juicy red fruits, giving it a modern and attractive character. Personally, in the air, it reminds me a bit of Prada Luna Rossa Sport, saving distances. Although the notes mention tobacco or smoky nuances, the scent feels nowhere near heavy or dense; on the contrary, it stays balanced and easy to wear. It’s clearly a trendy fragrance, with a rich and polished feel, ideal for autumn/winter or for the night. I perceive it as youthful and perfectly unisex. Longevity and trail are decent, not exaggerated but they perform well. I love it; it’s much better than previous versions. It’s designed for a younger audience and works best in extremely casual occasions: club outings, bars, or places with music and dancing. Is it a money grab? Probably, but the compliments are guaranteed. Excellent launch from Rabanne.

Another release that adds nothing to perfumery. If you let me smell it without showing me the bottle, I’d say it’s from Rabanne or JPG, because it follows the same line of sweet and repetitive perfumes they’ve been releasing for the last few years. Like all these scents, it has projection and longevity because they are designed to grab attention, not to carry class. I suppose the target will be young guys.

Phantom In Red is, without a doubt, the flanker I’ve liked the most from the entire line, and I say this trying to be as objective as possible. To start, it completely removes that unpleasant facet of the original Phantom, which on my skin used to smell like kerosene or a strange chemical accord. That disappears here. Instead, it adds a more aromatic and fresh lavender, accompanied by a sweet and slightly caramelized touch. It also vibrates quite a bit with juicy red fruits, giving it a modern and attractive character. Personally, in the air, it reminds me a bit of Prada Luna Rossa Sport, saving distances. Despite tobacco or smoky nuances being mentioned in the notes, the scent feels nothing like heavy or dense. On the contrary, it stays balanced and quite easy to wear. It’s clearly a trendy fragrance, with a rich and polished feel, ideal for autumn/winter or for the night. I perceive it as youthful and perfectly unisex. Longevity and sillage are decent, not exaggerated, but they do their job well. I love this fragrance and, for my personal taste, it’s much better than the previous versions. It’s clearly designed for a younger audience and works better in extremely informal occasions: club outings, bars, or any place with music and dancing. Is it a money grab? Probably yes. But it’s also true that compliments are more than guaranteed. Excellent launch by Rabanne.

Worst line from Rabanne by far: the bottle doesn’t lie, the Phantom scents are disappointing. A launch that passes without glory, not worth spending money on this.

I don’t know if it resembles anything listed there, but it’s not innovative at all; it’s very similar to many others.

Testing a sample sent to me, and I’ll develop a full review soon; I’ll just say that the first impression is surprisingly favorable after checking out its dark, oriental focus.