Hinoki Fantome

I guess I’m alone here, but I actually really like this. It’s kinda weird, and it goes sweet on my skin. But every time I’ve tried the sample I keep smelling it to try and figure it out, it seems to be constantly shifting... it’s definitely not linear or mass appealing. I don’t have the candle, so I can’t really compare to that. My notes that I jotted down initially were: weird, complex. Sometimes smoky, sometimes fruity, sometimes sweet, with a light wood that remains throughout. Really really interesting. Amazing, unique opening, develops into something shifting and perplexing. Edit: after smelling several of their candles, I realized this actually smells more like the Boy Smells Iris Fantome candle than the Hinoki Fantome candle. (They both have a similar vibe/base and the difference is subtle)

I can hardly believe how much I like this fragrance. I do like woody, but I have never actually smelled a single smoky fragrance that I have liked. All of the stuff in the "people who like this also like" section are fragrances that I don't like. But man, do I like this. It is intense, so I can see how it would be polarizing. I don't get any of the salmon/ashtray/char smell. Just dark wood and smoke, but not a "natural" smoke, because it never gets irritating the way that actual smoke does. In fact, despite its intensity and impressive longevity, nothing about this irritates me. Every time I breathe in it just smells really really good. Earthy, forest, nature. This is why it is worth trying something even if it doesn't seem to work on paper.

9.0/10 It's part of my signature scents. I may stockpile it so it's with me til I die. You become the tree. It's also strong and long lasting. It was love at first spray. I found this at sephora. I fell in love and I saw that only the travel spray was available. That was a sign. I took home and it last like 2 months. It's a great no nonsense wood smell. It still doesn't smell like other wood smells because of the Hinoki. She's not like other (sandal)woods. I do give the smell 9.5 but it's 9.0 because of the bottle. Wtf is this big black cap? At least it's heavy, but if I lose that the bottle is so boring. I get it's probably sustainable, but really? Edit: I LITERALLY WROTE THIS REVIEW RIGHT WHEN THE FORMULATION HAPPENED! Diva down! 😭😭😭😭😭

i love this one. i only have a sample so i try not to use it often, and i’ve only worn it a few times. i definitely want a full bottle though. i feel like a hot tomboyish lady in the 70s who knows herself and is secure enough to wear a scent that’s not uber feminine. i don’t really like a lot of boy scent’s perfumes, i tried the sampler and the kush collection, and this one and not your baby are the only ones i like. but the hinoki wood is so lovely and calming but makes me feel so cool and hip. it’s not sexy or feminine, it’s just cool as hell.

There is just something about this that I really enjoy. It's woody, very woody, and has some slight dusty touches, which sounds kind of strange but it's one of my favorite parts about it. Opens with crisp woody notes before settling into a warm, dry wood scent. I find that I get really good longevity out of this. If you like Autumn Vibes from Maison Margiela, this is right up that alley.

Ugh yes! It’s as if Santal 33 had a baby with Patchouli 24 and called it Sanouli 57 this is beautiful and I managed to find it for just £44 for the 65ml and it’s STUN-ING! I love love love Smokey dark perfumes and as much as this isn’t as polarising as some in my collection I love its uniqueness and wearability.

Sigh. The old formulation felt like being in an actual forest, misty and foggy and breezy, with a tendril of cypress smoke. It had a subtle bracing quality to it, and it made me think that this was what taking a cold plunge in a secluded spa in the Hinoki woods must feel like. The new one is g a r b á g e

I'm a very feminine woman and I had this as my signature scent for two years before I really got into collected a diverse array of scents. It's fantastic, and I would get compliments on it.

The woods close to home, the grey haze and soot smell in the afternoon, Sydney in December, the creek dried up, a black bird in white blue sky, sweat after a long walk in the sun.

they massacred my boy. rip to the og formulation.

Fun fact: when I ordered a full bottle of this as a blind buy, Boy Smells sent me two bottles instead of just one! (To whatever Boy Smells employee put my order together, you're a good one.) I gifted the extra to a friend and it has since become their signature scent. The first whiff of Hinoki Fantome is a firm embrace of sun-warmed resiny woods, as sticky as sap in your nose. It invokes the Japanese tradition of shinrin-yoku - forest bathing, spending time out in nature, which has proven health benefits, especially in regards to mental health. No small wonder, then, that Hinoki's various wood notes (including its namesake hinoki cypress, one of the most sacred woods in the Shinto tradition) provide a calming, grounding effect, which is only enhanced by a subtle, earthy patchouli note. Very quickly into the dry-down, the fragrance takes on this light, almost other-worldly sweetness, like whipped, creamy cantaloupe souffle. There's nothing lactonic or fruity listed in the notes, but there it is all the same. To my nose, anyway. This effect gets more prominent with each additional spray, so to keep it from getting overpowering, I stick with only 1-2 spritzes, maybe 3 if I'm going to be outdoors. The leather note remains very understated throughout Fantome's development, which is one of the only disappointing things about his fragrance; I love a good leather note and would love if it were more prominent here. The other slight letdown is that in terms of smokiness, this doesn't quite live up to the bestselling candle it's based on and named after. But in fairness, per Boy Smells' promotional materials, Hinoki Fantome EDP was never intended to be an exact copy of its waxy predecessor, but more of a "take" on the original scent. I think of it as a sort of flanker to the candle, though it stands up incredibly well all on its own. I definitely see the similarity to Maison Margiela Autumn Vibes; both fragrances have that sweet wood DNA. But while Hinoki plays up the resin accompanied by a mysterious undertone of melon, Autumn Vibes sources maple for its sweetness and leans harder on its spicy notes, and it's easy to tell them apart. To me, they are different enough that you could justify owning them both. Intensity and sillage are both "just right" in my opinion, as long as you don't overspray. Two sprays last for 8-9 hours on me. TLDR: If you love the Hinoki Fantome candle, chances are good that like me, you'll appreciate this Eau de Parfum, not because it is a carbon copy - it definitely isn't - but for its own merit.

Deeply woody, intensely smoky, borderline expectorant with how resin heavy it is. if this isn't a japanese forest in a bottle, then nothing is. definitely not for everyone, it's almost too much for me at times, but when it hits, it hits like nothing else. it is absolutely not an everyday fragrance, but it sure makes a statement whenever you decide to use it. it's a cypress forest fire you smell from your kitchen as you grind spices on a cold winter night. part of me wishes this perfume was better balanced with something sweeter, but i think that would take away from the intensity of it. it wears insanely well too, long lasting and radiating off the skin and clothes. the hinoki fades into a slightly (emphasis on slightly) gentler leather and cedar as the hours pass, but the hinoki reigns throughout.

When I first received this perfume I really hated it. It didn't smell like "hinoki" wood to me at all (it still doesn't). And it feels a little busy as a fragrance. A lot of layers of scent that feel like they are competing with each other. But, resigned to owning it, I started wearing it just to see how it wore throughout the day. To my surprise, this is now in my top 10. It's definitely not an everyday scent for me, and I really have to be in the right mood. But it works well with my chemistry and when I hug people I get a lot of compliments. It's not a skin scent, but the sillage isn't huge.

If you don’t like patchouli you’re not going to like this perfume. This is basically a hinoki-patchouli concoction and I’m here for it! I’m reminded of a smoky Byredo Mojave Ghost made lemony by the Hinoki sprinkled with tobacco and patchouli. Don’t really get much of the leather note, more like suede. To me this is a unisex fragrance leaning a tad on the masculine side! I really like it! It’s great for warmer weather, think late summer to early fall! The dry down is my favorite part— soft and buttery like soft suede!

Pulls heavily towards the tobacco note upon first application, which was a bummer because it is marketed as more woodsy than smokey. HOWEVER after about two hours on the skin, it settled down into a GORGEOUS sesual, warm and woodsy scent with a HINT of smokiness. Super similar to Maison Margielas Jazz club at first, but after settling becomes an even more intimate and unique scen experience. Wish the tobacco note was toned down a bit, but other than that, a lovely scent experience.

I received a sample of this. This reminds me of my outdoor adventures. I think of Yosemite National Park as I wear this. This makes me think of the moment that I'm in the woods and take a big whiff of my surroundings. It reminds me that I have the opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life & take in the amazing aspects of nature around me.

ok, I'm feeling you boy smells. A pretty straightforward Hinoki scent, this EPD captures the Japanese cedarwood in good essence. Besides that, its creamy and earthy so its almost chocolately; or maybe oud-y. For its price, I'm not mad at this, but still not sure if i would buy. . Only downside to it is that it didn't last the longest on my skin.

i was repulsed by this scent at first- like physically recoiled. but i gave it 20+ mins to dry and it smelled, honestly, really nice. it was a very warm, ambery scent. i'd say it leans on masculine. very, very powerful opening, but i am begging u to let it dry and then decide how you feel about it.

One of my favorites from boy smells. It’s strong and very smoky. At first spray it smells like a burning forest. As it drys down, the woody notes come out and mix with the burnt paper-like top note. Definitely not a crowd pleaser, but amazing for unique fragrance lovers. -sm3llstrange

I like hinoki scents a lot. This one is not as smooth or pleasant as CDG's Hinoki or Jo Malone's Hinoki, but it's a fine woody hinoki scent. It's sharper than others, but still wearable. Unisex and slightly masculine. I would purchase and enjoy it the candle format for sure.