Phantom
Rabanne Phantom Eau de Toilette opens on lemon, cold and citric, with lavender close behind it. The lavender is clean and aromatic rather than soapy, and it leads into a base of vanilla and vetiver where the sweetness and the earthiness balance each other out. Nothing here is hidden; the four materials are all audible from the first spray.
From lemon to lavender to vanilla and vetiver, the composition narrows as it goes. The top is fresh and citric, the heart aromatic with a fresh spicy edge, and the base woody and earthy beneath the vanilla, with a faint smokiness and a trace of fruit sweetness holding the two halves together. It is a short note list and the structure is easy to follow on the skin: a cold opening, an aromatic middle, then the vanilla and vetiver pair that accounts for most of the wear. Neither half overwhelms the other, and the sweetness never gets far enough ahead of the earthiness to turn the fragrance into a gourmand.
Phantom was composed for Rabanne by Anne Flipo, Dominique Ropion, Juliette Karagueuzoglou and Loc Dong, and launched in 2021. The house began in couture with Monsieur Rabanne's debut collection in 1966 and came to fragrance in 1969 with Calandre, a metallic rose in a bottle of metal and glass. Metal has shaped its fragrance identity ever since.
It is moderate in both longevity and sillage, so it sits close rather than announcing itself across a room. That restraint is what makes it usable for professional wear, and it loses nothing on casual days or on a night out, where the vanilla and vetiver base gives it enough weight to register. Spring, summer, autumn and winter all suit it; the lemon handles warm weather and the base handles cold.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
MORE FROM PACO RABANNE
THE RABANNE COLLECTION
RABANNE IN MOTION
The Scent Vault
Join thousands earning on every order
Earn points as you shop, redeem for money off, and unlock member perks.
Find out more
The Scent Vault Gift Cards
Give the gift of choice
One card, every scent. Let them pick the fragrance that is truly them. Send it instantly by email, or schedule it for a future date with a message of your own.
Shop gift cards
