Fantasist

Fantasist is a night at the circus in a bottle: toffee apples, a performer's bonfire and a mountain of bouquets. It opens bright and tart, with grapefruit and crisp apple sharpened by pink pepper and a green wave of cannabis. Rose and jasmine soften the fruit in the heart, coffee adds a roasted edge, and the base turns sweeter and rounder with praline, tonka bean, musk and incense. The result sits between a gourmand and a fresh fruity floral. Wearers describe a sparkling, tangy opening, a modern rose with an unusual green twist, then a nutty, candied dry-down. Many find it uplifting and playful, and several say it won them over despite expecting to dislike sweet scents. A smaller group finds the combination discordant: the sour-floral opening can pucker, and one wearer smells something savoury instead of dessert. Performance is middling. Reports cluster around moderate longevity and moderate projection, with a few finding it stays longer and a few finding it close to the skin. Votes lean towards spring, with autumn and summer close behind and winter lowest, and day wear slightly outnumbers night. Fantasist is one half of a contrasting pair with Realist, and the house says the two can be layered in either order. On its own it suits someone who likes a tangy fruit opening and a sweet, nutty finish with a green surprise. Sample first if you prefer smooth, traditional florals. It is a 50ml extrait de parfum with a 20% oil concentrate.