By Kilian Black Phantom (Memento Mori) is the most recent release from Kilian. And it’s a fun one. Notes of rum, sugar cane, dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, almond, heliotrope and sandalwood.
Notes from the release “A ghostly pirate treasure-ship which forever silently cruises the Seven Seas without wind or air, but with her empty sable sails drenched in perfume – and the eerie clash of spectral cutlasses still resounding from her decks. Kilian Hennessy intrepidly explores these dream-like visions in a unique, surreal & supremely sophisticated new gourmand-woodsy fragrance. He weaves in, too, the dark and ancient concept of the Memento Mori: the death that sits unseen beside us in this life. To enjoy life fully and wholly, just as we love perfume: reveling in a sensual but inescapably transient moment which can be remembered and treasured – but never preserved. If it’s dirty, kinky, naughty, messy, or just plain wrong, I want it.”
Normally I’d laugh at that, but it’s really fun and fits the fragrance amazingly well. An oriental woody vanilla that hits on the sweet notes, buttressing them with some coffee and boozed chocolate. Seriously? This is the best gourmand they’ve done since Back in Black. It’s not a heavy gourmand, surprisingly, and I’m thinking I can even wear this during the summer – lightly! Mostly, it’s an adult, fun gourmand that will be one of the best sellers in the line over the next year. Count me as a huge fan of this. I never loved Back in Black like others did, though I understood it. This one is perfection.
Can we talk about my kitchen remodel? It’s done!!!!! 
This is the angle from the living room, that’s the partial well we took out for the breakfast bar. Cooktop is in the bar with a euro style vent. I’ve got two wine racks. There’s a place for everything (at least for now!), so I’m trying to keep my counters basically clear. Below is the view from the kitchen to the living room.
I love it, it turned out great and was really fast. About a month start to finish, though some of the minor finish things took another week or so.
Winners of the Basenotes grab bag sample sets (huge!) with Bogue Gardelia sample – Claudia S and Foxredlab. Winners of a Bogue Gardelia sample – Anna Egeria P. and Eliz88510. Just click on Drop Us a Note at the top, send me an e-mail, remind me of what you won and get me your mailing address. I’ll send you a quick e-mail to let you know I got your e-mail and it didn’t land in a spam filter and then get it on the way to you.
We’ll do a drawing this time for a By Kilian Black Phantom sample. You want to smell this, unless you absolutely hate all gourmands, then you don’t. Drop a comment to be entered. I’ll draw four winners at random next week!
I think you’ve already done the draw on this so I’m not commenting for that – but only to say, forget about the kitchen, those FLOORS are GORGEOUS! Congrats on having almost a new home now!
Love Back to Black, so would be excited to try this. Thanks for the draw!
Yes! I want to try this. Thanks for the opportunity. BTW, the Candy Perfume Boy likes it, too.
Your kitchen is beautiful!
Ad the new Kilian sounds delicious.
This sounds exciting
Your kitchen is gorgeous. Love the floors, too! This Kilian sounds right up my alley. Thanks for the drawing!
Intense kitchen envy! Congrats on having it done, living through renos and particularly the heart of your home are so hard, but the results so worth the pain. I’ve barely sniffed even a single by Kilian and this one sounds like a good one. Thanks for the draw!
Black Phantom sounds delicious! Your kitchen looks great! We recently did a kitchen remodel and chose very similar cabinets and floors. Of course ours took quite a bit longer than a month…
Gorgeous kitchen – your faucet is a thing of beauty! I’d adore a sniff of Black Phantom. Sandalwood, rum, caramel, chocolate… I’m swooning!
Your kitchen is gorgeous and I WANT that perfume.
I would love to try the Black Phantom. Thanks for the drawing.
I think “a place for everything” in a kitchen sounds like perfection!
I want YOUR contractor the next time I do kitchen work. That’s quick! Impressive and it looks nice. It almost makes me want to cook. Love the idea of an oriental for summer–thanks for the draw.
I’d love to try this fragrance! Your kitchen is so beautiful! Thank you for this drawing!
This sounds delicious and I must try! I’m drooling over your kitchen…stunning AND functional! Thank you for the draw.
I was desperately trying to find samples and reviews of this one! I’m so excited to finally give it a try. And your kitchen looks amazing! If only we could find a decent priced home in central coast CA with a beautiful kitchen
I would love to try the new Killian! I do like back to black. You kitchen is gorgeous!
I want to try this one so badly I can hardly take it! 🙂 Absolutely everything I want in a fragrance. Fingers crossed!
Congratulations on everything being completed! I would love to try this. Thanks for the opportunity!
Oooooh! Lookit your kitchen!!! Love it — it turned out fantastic! Not a huge fan of gourmands — really depends on the gourmand — but I love Kilian, and I love the dark, memento mori idea behind it.
Beautiful kitchen! The perfume sounds gorgeous … please count me in on the draw.
Your kitchen is gorgeous! I like your style!
I’d love to sample the new Killian gourmand fragrance, sounds like one I’ll enjoy as well.
I’m so jealous of your new kitchen, mine has literally no counter space but for one square foot next to the sink, which is where I keep my toaster. So I’ve discovered that I love love love a rum note in perfume, even though I always hated the drink, and I would love to try this. Thank you for the chance!
An oriental scent for the summer as well? Sounds right up my alley!
Hey, Patty, the kitchen looks fabulous! Congratulations on getting it done. Two wine racks–atta girl! I love the notes for this Killian, so please count me in for the draw–and thank you.
Beautiful Kitchen and thanks so much at a chance at sampling this fragrance I love the packaging for this one and it sounds incredible I’d love the chance to try it and hope to pick up a bottle in the future for my own collection, thanks.
Wow, it sounds sinfully delicious. This one is definitely going on my “to-read” list!
And congrats on the remodel wrapping up! The kitchen looks amazing – I hope you enjoy putting every inch of it to use!
A gourmand with a dark name, sounds great! Thank you!
Kitchen looks great! Wish you all the best!
Great kitchen!! I’d love to actually keep my counters clear; I inherited someone else’s fairly new kitchen so the storage is les than ideal but it’s not time for a remodel. Would love to try Black Phantom!
Your kitchen looks great, and I’m jealous that you got the work done so quickly. This Killian sounds like something I would love. I’m also a big fan of their oud series, with Rose Oud being one of my favorite roses.
Your kitchen looks beautiful…..very inspiring as we’re considering a similar project. I like Back to Black but only in cold weather…way too heavy for spring summer. This one sounds interesting…would love to try it.Thank you!
Love the kitchen. Not too big and looks like you have everything you need at just a couple paces.
The Black Phantom sounds wonderful plus where better to wear a gourmand than in a awesome kitchen. Feeling a tad envious.
Kitchen looks great! I like Back to Black but it’s very heavy and sweet on me and therefore not very wearable. This one sounds better. Thanks for the draw!
Patty, your new kitchen is gorgeous! I love the countertops, are they quartz or granite? And please count me in for the draw, sounds awesome, and thank you!
That sounds really interesting. I would love to try this. How strong is the sandalwood note? Your kitchen looks great.
Wow, the kitchen looks fabulous! Would love to try the Phantom (Shouldn’t “he” have a mask?)
Oh wow does this ever sound scrumptiously beautiful…
The image is also way cool, very pirate-y. Looooove that kitchen too!!!
Thanks for the draw!
“Momento Mori” rum, sugar cane, dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, almond, heliotrope and sandalwood…. the perfect notes for what’s happening now….would LOVE to try this!!!!
Thank you for the chance.
… and your kitchen looks beautiful!!!!
Your new kitchen looks great and Black Phantom sounds right in my wheelhouse! Thanks for the drawing.
Congrats on your lily kitchen! Clearly, you have about twice my patience. I can’t stand anyone interfering in my kevin tchen and would have become homicidal within two weeks.
That should have said “lovely.”
Where would Autocorrect have gotten “kevin tchen?” Not hardly words at all.
Congrats on completion of the kitchen redo! It looks fabulous. 🙂
This sounds like something I’d love! Thanks for the drawing!
I can’t wait to try this. By Kilian is one of my favorite lines and this sounds just perfect. Your kitchen is lovely!