Fantosmia

Fantosmia gave me a few of my firsts: my first serious perfume purchase and first ‘perfume love’. Through it, I learned for the first time, what peppery notes and ‘fresh spicy’ and ‘aromatic’ accords smell like. I can only think of fate as the orchestrator, that I happened to stumble upon it and felt compelled to make a blind purchase of the house’s discovery set—and so early in my scent journey too, knowing nothing then and receiving neither direction nor recommendation. I feel so lucky whenever I think about it. Who’d knew I’d enjoy pepper? I remember when a friend shared with me that her favourite note was pepper. Her daily fragrance was this one-note pepper fragrance from CDG. I was skeptical. Shortly after, I fell in love with this scent and I finally understood her. First impressions are definitely important and formative. I cannot forget my first few times smelling this scent; reviewer @TBonetheFella perfectly described what I’d felt then. Indeed, I remember the opening being a peppery and even metallic blast, much like that of a sword (I noted down ‘pepper’ and ‘metal’ then). Then, I felt as if I were greeted by a minty wind of aromatic and earthy elements from natural greens and spices as the sword ‘sliced though the underbrush of a forest’. The scent has evolved to me over time, especially as my nose matures. I reckon it will continue to do so as my bottle macerates. Now, it smells industrial to me, but still cozy, peppery, spicy and green, like that of pine. It reminds me of the scent of new books. When I first got my bottle, the smoke from the tobacco, and I think leather, were very detectable for a good amount of time. I had not noticed them while using the sample. I’m relieved that the leather in particular is much softer now. I wear this so often that even when I don’t, I still smell phantoms of it on my body and my clothes—it stays forever on clothes. However, I will never forget that initial impression. It was unlike anything I’ve ever smelled before. For that moment, it was as if I had a similar experience with the perfumer, a sort of phantosmia (the inspiration behind the perfume); I felt as if I had opened my eyes, or rather my nose, to something that was once elusive to me.

This is for me a great spicy fragrance with an oud background. In this case the oud used is soft and weareable, more Woody than animalic or fecal. However the mix with the spices and the castoreum gives some animalic vibe ti the fragrance, overall during the opening phase. The dry down is a bit sweeter and more delicate and elegant. It lasts for hours, more than 10 on my skin, although after the opening phase It keeps very clóse to the sking, almost without projection. It is a very nice oud option for those Who doenst like the strong oud fragrances or as an everyday use oud perfume. Scent: 9.5 Longevity: 9 Sillage: 6 Versatility: 9 Originality: 9 Global: 9

smells like shoe polish, burning rubber, sharp black pepper to start - dry down opens into a warm, aromatic and spicy leather (not listed on fragrantica, but jorum studio does list leather as a note). the opening is sharp, industrial and interesting. the dry down is approachable and cozy for those interested, the perfumer shared in an interview that the fragrance was inspired by his own experience of phantosmia. he lost his sense of smell, then as he regained it he smelled “phantom” odors that weren’t present in the room. he compared aromachemicals to his olfactory hallucinations, and developed fantosmia.

Reviewing a sample from 2024. Fantosmia was launched in 2020. This is a beautiful spicy and complex leather/white oud fragrance born of phantom smells. Fantosmia opens with a touch of sweet solvent, peppery and spiced.There are subtle fruity florals. The base is a leathery tobacco with the most gorgeous creamy white oud. Not as animalic as I had imagined it would be with the castoreum. It feels warm and radiant. Artistically crafted and well blended as expected by Jorum. Quality- excellent Unisex Performance-excellent Fantosmia is a resinous leather oud scent. Unexpectedly refined and very wearable. 9/10

i quite like this unisex fragrance and find it to be an easy, daily, go-to. it is soft, rounded, approachable, interesting enough but uncomplicated. 'might be a tad leathery though that note is not listed. the tobacco, saffron, and nutmeg are most prominent on me with the shiso still noticeable, making it a bit fresher and cleaner than it would be otherwise. wishing the pepper notes popped more on me. i'm enjoying it, though. bought a full bottle after having a few samples.

a peppery blast leads to a balancing act of freshness that comes from the herbs - a minty Shiso note and cooling cardamom with the earthiness of tobacco. I think there is a generous use of naturals here so the ‘edges’ are smoothened out and it’s very well-blended- preventing it from becoming a synthetic leather juggernaut like B683. Could have been a big hit if it were launched under a designer brand. A secret in the Jorum’s botanical universe that deserves more attention.

You've arrived at Kathmandu, Nepal, and after grabbing a quick bite of curry, you set off on a trek towards Ghorepani Poonhill. Upon reaching the first crest, you decide to take a break with your partner. She lights a cigarette, and you open a small bag of saffron stigma you'd purchased in town. You roll some on your tongue, and you breathe. Up here, the air is crisp, the horizon is clear. You are grounded, and you are alive. Fantosmia by Jorum Studio.

cozy spices &resin via the industrial route rather than the gourmand, tobacco crumbs in the bed, bright eyes, cold city streets. him & I don’t speak anymore but i will always return to this perfume like a hug from a ghost. imo very fitting that it’s part of the selective memory collection, this perfume is very special to me

Ethereal, metallic, and hallucinogenic. Wears more light and airy- contrary to what the listed notes would suggest. Split an eighth of shrooms just to see the cyber universe. Another standout from Euan McCall. 9.5/10

Truly the most bewitching and mysterious scent that has ever touched my silly little nose. I find this so captivating and enigmatic, I personally feel so evil and naughty whenever I wear this.

A sharp, metallic, and peppered opening, like the edge of a sword slicing through the underbrush to clear a path. The peppered cardamom drifting to support the minty shiso, warm pimento, and green fennel as it dries down, the smell of the brush the sword has cut. The warm radiance of tobacco and a sticky sappy oud form a miasma with most of the other base notes to form picture of a lone sword wielder within the woods. The warmth and slight leathery touch of saffron fitting in as the last puzzle piece. This is probably tied for my favorite from Jorum studios and I’ve almost run out of my sample already as it’s just so addicting. Additionally, just as other reviewers have put: this is surprisingly mass appealing but still in a niche way. It’s simultaneously fresh and aromatic yet resinous and deep. I love this fragrance through and through and it most definitely will be a purchase within the year or when I finish my sample. My only complaint about this fragrance is that because of the fresh and spicy like smell my brain stops registering it pretty quickly. It lasts forever on both skin and clothes though and projects within a nice 3 feet from me. It’s a certified banger and masterpiece in my opinion. EDIT: I bought a larger bottle and I have gotten a ton of compliments on it since the weather is turning. This is a certified staple in the rotation.

A beautifully blended, well-rounded and surprisingly smooth spiced oriental. The notes make this sound like it should be firey and harsh but it's not, it's surprisingly refreshing and tangy-crisp, the pepperiness up front feels really clean and bright, with the spicy notes dancing all warm and comforting in the background. I expected this to lean masculine but I would say it's 100% unisex due to the smoothness of the blends and lightness to the finish. The only thing I can think of anything like it is Kenzo L'Elephant which is another very smooth and sophisticated blended spice fragrance that is greater than the sum of it's parts - and L'Elephant is much sweeter and has completely different notes than this: it's just the feel to me is similar, the two share a similar warmth, sophistication, wearability and likability. And the drydown here is maybe a little similar to the toasty deliciousness of Stash by Sarah Jessica Parker? Though Stash is definitely heavier, more "cosy", more Chrismassy. These are both lovely frragrances and great favourites of mine, but neither of these comparisons quite capture Fantosmia exactly; I give these more as "if you like the feel of these ones, try this". Gorgeous stuff.

saffron saffron saffron –she's not a diva, but def the star of this scent. somehow the notes of pepper, shiso (and fennel perhaps) transform the sometimes sweat like profile of saffron into something a bit cold and metallic and also strangely citrus like. the surprising thing or me is the slight sweetness lingering about and i can't quite tell where it's coming from but my best guess would be the cardamom. a few minutes after spraying the tobacco and mate comes up as something akin to fermented/ macerated leaves. this is for the nose. as for what this conjures... i'm honestly not sure. there's definitely something chemical at first but not in an unpleasant way, almost in a gourmand way ? i'm using gourmand in a very liberal way here, take it or leave it, but maybe this would smell delicious were you a domestic robot who swifers around nooks and crannies... somehow this has a very time bound and timeless profile all at once and it kind of escapes visual or mental associations for me. interesting and interested but if i'm being honest this does not light up the right parts of my brain.

Fairly oily, sits fairly close to the skin. Smells really natural. To my nose... What jumps out at me is the black pepper, the pimento and the saffron. The fennel and other notes to me are muted. They are there, but not jumping off for attention A fairly oriental spice blend. I like it. Classy. Luxurious yet very subtle. This could be a signature scent and you can wear it anytime. I would just avoid summer high heat outside (air conditioned office is perfect, though). It's nicer in cooler/cold temps. On a blotter it feels like cold spices. When put on skin. You will feel a bit tinge like you've just rubbed a bit of pepper on your skin. This gives a warm effect. Depending on where you spray... Jacket, shirt, skin. It will give a different effect, which is super interesting. It's cold and a bit ethereal on objects, but warms up on skin. 8/10. I really appreciate the artistry here. Kudos to Euan [Update] To me this scent is ruined in the end with the heavy castoreum drydown. It's basically fairly linear. Dropping score to 7/10

Opens like light bright peppery shoe polish. It’s sort of a natural dirty earthy dry and cold smell but also sort of a synthetic leather smell at the same time. A bit green but in a dried herb way, I smell dried green tea. It’s also sort of soapy. I smell the castoreum the entire time, sort of like animal wood shavings. There’s also a non specific bright bitter fruit at times, not citrus, maybe a bitter berry but I can’t quite put my finger on what it is. Then there’s the slightly sweet earthy tobacco undertone. There’s a lot going on and I can’t quite pin it all down, it feels like a lot but it also sort of works. My bf really likes this one on me, but I also think it’s extremely unisex and could work on him. I can’t decide how I feel about it, the leatheriness feels a bit too synthetic at times. I might like it but maybe it’s just not what I want to smell like.

Primarily leather and metallic elements. There is spice and animal too. The Oud is noticeable and not of the fecal variety. This is my second Jorum fragrance. I like them both, but they burn going on, and I blind bought three different bottles lol. They had me at Boswellia Scotia, then really got me with a 50% scratch and dent sale. It does not last long but this is the only house that burns going on. This is a good introduction to niche Oud. Performance is not up to standard. It projects for about three hours then skin scent

A mirage of herbals, like opening a wooden to find the clothes of people you had long since forgotten (or at least tried to), and being wafted with a trail of their scent, and the memories you held together. The scent of the dusty box and these memories sting your nostrils and skin, but it’s comforting, despite the sharp ache inside you. You are at peace. The review below me gets the ambience of this scent spot on, better than I could ever describe it.

i'm saying this as a compliment: this smells like crayons. spicy crayons that have been rolled in the dirt. it's a fun unisex scent for little gremlins.

Smells like night of the homies

"What is this...I've smelled this somewhere before, men's aftershave, ok...I'll give it a while to get the scent out there..." the first whiff is something familiar, you're looking for where you smelled it, a bit cologne-like, but then comes a quick brutal twist... ...a cold, clean, shiny...sterile metallic scent, intimidating...it's medically terrifying, your blood stops in your veins...no kidding...aseptic atmosphere of an operating room...no organic ingredients just...perfect terror of sterility and anonymity...WOW! ---Do you seek clinic?--- It has enormous sillage and projection, if you want people around you to be a little scared, you don't feel like talking to anyone today, do you long for them to have cold sweat on their foreheads and goosebumps? Spray one more... ...and it will last for 8+ hours on your skin in warmth before it dries down into a nice barbershop soapy scent for men...it was a ride...this scent left me with a very unsettling experience...

Fantosmia opens with fuzzy white musks, dense but clean. Something a little like ambrette. It has that feeling of static, or blur, or "my skin but better"; it smells of "nothing", pale and clean, yet legible and rather loud. Kind of like the "neutral blurry" musk in Costume National Scent. It stays abstract and hard to read, though over time it gets more dusty, tan rather than white. Maybe there's woods in this? Maybe some very dry, muted spices? Hard to say. Still very abstract, blurry, neutral. Gradually it gets warmer and more distinctly dry-spiced, arguably "peppery." I don't think "white oud" is an actual thing, but insofar as it's supposed to evoke a light woodiness, that's about on target. If you need a very low-key scent that's still interesting and novel, you might like this? Completely unisex, subtle, modern/minimalist without ever feeling thin or cheap. I'm not in love myself, but I can see a place for it.

I just spilled this on myself from a tiny sample and am getting the strangest contradictory notes of fresh green mixed with animalic oud. It's so unusual. The pepper appears directly underneath the shiso, managing to stay airy and spicy at the same time. The cardamom and mate almost cancel each other out with sweetness and earthiness. The saffron in here is very leathery and straps it all together with smears of oud. I don't get a lot of tobacco, if it is here is the dried remnants in the bottom of a bag, adding little zing or sweetness. Mint, pepper, leather, oud - an odd but extremely intriguing mix. Surprisingly wearable for it's novelty.

It isn't a bad smell but it smells like slightly sweetened, planty plastic

Very spicy-hot saffrony suede. Reminds me of ganymede or maybe B683 from Marc-Antoine Barrois, but bolder. Fantosmia opens with a hot rubber aroma where you can pick out the pimento and shiso and black pepper giving it a very warm and spicy top. Underneath is a leather impression composed with white oud aka aetoxylon (saw this on their website and googled a bit) which imparts a damp, earthy, almost mushroom-like quality that later fades into soft and peppery wood with some similarities to guaiacwood. It feels slick with polish and a little smoky, but also enjoyably organic. It's kind of like a paint solvent or high quality shoe shine that plays fresh and spicy herbs like fennel and saffron against a mix of sultry, animalic darkness. There's bits of umami here from the kitchen herbs and smoked wood. I like the herbal, inky, charred-suede character. It's very clear in it's approach and doesn't feel muddled or too heavy. Overall really interesting and I had to review it for how unique it was, but it's not something I'd wear. If spicy leather is your thing though, definitely try it out.

I don’t think I know how to talk about this perfume, so instead, I am just going to run their list of notes through my internal translator and speak them to you in my language. This is the scent of a leather armor repurposed into a stewing pot into which you stir the sticky sap of a wounded tree, the sour scrapings of the inner rind of a pumpkin, the last few crumbles of Transylvanian honey bread blessed by the holy sisters and studded with spirit-soaked dried plums, and a scant handful of musty seeds and peppery herbs. Stir over stones that haven’t seen sunlight in one hundred years and trap the cookfire’s ghostly smoke in a glass vial for after-dinner divinatory purposes. This scent is a cryptic recipe written in a forgotten tongue; I can almost decipher the symbols, but ultimately, it remains maddening, a mystery, a riddle that I can’t solve. I can admire it, yet I can't quite call my own.

It’s very interesting the way it flips through notes initially, disappearing and reappearing, crystalizing and vaporizing, as the name of the perfume suggests: it’s phantasmagoric. After a thirty minute warmup it turns out to be a dry, stearn, jet-black leather and oud fragrance with zero sweetness. It is a close relative of Hamdani by Parfums de Marly (both remind me of the smell of an old dusty bottle of Scotch Whiskey) but thankfully, Fantosmia is softer and more wearable. Not my kind of scent at all but this is suited to people who enjoy a stiff oud leather scent but, at the same time, who don’t like to wear loud, heavy projectors. 3 out of 5.

So disappointed this didn't work on me at all. I got a sort of cedar that smells like peanut butter (it's a certain type of cedar and yeah, it smells like peanut butter on my skin), a sticky sugary note and spiky wood alcohol. It came across faintly, thin, boring. I scrubbed it off to get rid of the spiky woods and it became soooo much nicer. Then I could smell spice and tea and a little tobacco. MUCH nicer after I got rid of the majority of it. I'm guessing if I couldl've waited for the three hour dry down, I might've skipped to the end. But it is not one I will try again.

The opening is bdsm, black lacquered vinyl pepper. I didnt care for it. But my nose kept yearning to smell it again. About 15 minutes into its doing this faintly creamy version of black afgano. The castoreum gives it a dirty hair but clean quality thats a bit lanolin reminiscent but my god I cant stop sniffing my best friends wrist who sprayed it on herself. This is very unique in my opinion and it keeps morphing into something else.

If Ghost in the Shell (LLdO) and Steamed Rainbow (DS&D) had a baby, it would smell like this. Cold and metallic, verging on that just-blown lightbulb quality that Laura Oberwetter captured to remarkable effect in Warm Bulb. The warming spices pull a lot of weight here to round and soften this fragrance on the skin. I am a big fan, but more as an admirer of the composition than a wearer. I would buy a bottle if I moved to Berlin.

Well, this one was a weird and wild one for me... From beginning to the mid there was an off-putting burnt plastic note. It was very difficult to ignore, and actually kinda ruined it for me... The floral dry down is nice, but you have to go through too much to get there. Vetiver present throughout, but not to the point that it ruins... Not for me...

beautiful spicy scent with white oud onset. initially the white oud is strong, dominant but it quickly fades away. later it will have a creamy, powdery scent. The oud is present, but it is delicate on my skin. not loud! later again the spice will be dominant, but with a delicate, soft, almost powdery feel. Fantastic and special scent.

I do not get any “oud” with this. It opens like a show polish with tons of spices. After about an hour everything subsides to creamy powdery saffron musk. Must be tried if you are a fan of spicy frags. Again, no oud. More of a leather scent.

You open the spice cupboard and BAM!... a suede shoe falls out Inky shiso, leathery saffron dark, animalic, & crude

Juicy dry dirt. An absolute favourite