PENANGGAL

LORE
/pəˈnaŋ.ɡal/ noun (Malaysian)

origin: Malay tanggal (“to detach, remove”)

A mortal woman transformed through black magic, the Penanggal is said to sever her head from her body at night, entrails and organs trailing as she flies in search of blood. She preys upon pregnant women and newborns, slipping through floorboards or perching on rooftops during childbirth to drink from new mothers and spread wasting illness. By day she appears as an ordinary woman, with her true nature hidden until nightfall.

FRAGRANCE FAMILY
Yellow Floral, White Floral, Chypre, Tropical, Citrus, Fruity

PERFUMER’S NOTES
“In parts of Southeast Asia, jasmine and ylang-ylang are sometimes linked with omens of misfortune. What I wanted to capture was a Southeast Asian summer night. The heat, the sweetness sitting in the air, insects buzzing, everything feeling a little overripe. Joy by Jean Patou has long been my reference for jasmine, but I wanted to see what that kind of floral would feel like through the lens of South East Asia; the humidity, the heaviness, the way scent moves differently there. I pushed the ylang ylang right up to the IFRA limit. It’s a very specific atmosphere, and for reasons I can’t fully explain, it feels comforting like home.”