FANTÔME DE MAULES

Eau de Parfum

The delicious green snap of stems and crushed leaves introduces the strange world of Fantôme de Maules, perhaps one of the most whimsical perfumes in the Stora Skuggan collection. The whoosh of initial green is beautifully enhanced by the savoury piquancy of bergamot, lime and the mulchy scent of galbanum resin.

Fantôme de Maules is inspired by the eerie urban legend of Le Loyon in Maules, a village in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, an area of forests and rolling agricultural land. Sightings date back to the 1990s and 2000s of a mysterious tall figure dressed in a boiler suit, an old camouflage cloak and a vintage GP-5 gas mask. It all sounds rather sinister, but Le Loyan posed no threat, in fact quite the opposite, he was quiet, skittish and made every attempt to stay away from other people. If glimpsed, he was looking at plants and flowers, content in his forest environment.

Then in 2013, Le Matin published an unambiguous image of the Fantôme that changed everything. Soon after, his carefully folded cloak was discovered in the woods, gas mask on top and a note from Le Loyon saying the photograph has destroyed his ability to continue being himself and the publicity might impact the eco-balance of the forest. This was the last contact from this strange figure.

He is the most wonderful inspiration for a perfume and Stora Skuggan has created something that smells surreal and elusive, using materials that connect and camouflage with Le Loyan’s beloved landscapes like his legendary cloak.

After the delightful bright green opening, there is a musky engaging swell of coriander, forest flowers, cardamom and the bruised purple of lavender absolute that smells poised and contemplative before sinking into a mossy, woody base with resinous leafy echoes. It is a withdrawal back into the shadows, despite flashes of spice and dewy verdancy, reaffirming its mystery in the face of exposé.

As with all the Stora Skuggan perfumes, the Fantôme de Maules storytelling is idiosyncratic and enigmatic, permitting appreciation of materials and inspiration.

Composition:

• Bergamot, Galbanum, Green Leaves, Lemon
• Coriander, Forest Flowers, Cardamom, Lavender Absolute
• Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Labdanum, Cedarwood, Tonka Bean, Vetiver

inci list: alcohol denat., parfum, aqua, alpha-isomethyl ionone, limonene, benzyl salicylate, linalool, geraniol, coumarin, citral