JEAN PAUL GAULTIER
SCANDAL ELIXIR
2026
blackberry
iris
patchouli
‘In first class on the Gaultier train, Scandal Elixir makes a bold statement, as provocative as its fruity amber chypre fragrance. Behind the hushed mystery of its luxurious cabin, a precious iris pushes desire to its peak. Lush blackberry and patchouli unabashedly awaken the senses. Opulence, pleasure, exuberance. This heroine’s irreverence displays an insolent sensuality, reserved for the most unruly. No rules exist beneath the sensual velvet of its pink case! Its silver gradient and golden legs overturn conventions without hesitation. The intensity is at its peak. Too torrid, too Gaultier? Perfect! Scandal can erupt around her neck.’ – News-Parfums
This has to be one of the bigger surprises of the year. Sure, the notes read berry, iris, patchouli and that’s what you get exactly here, but the focus is entirely different from what I anticipated.
I was expecting something closer to Rabanne Fame in Love, which I tested on the same day; all-out fruits, sweetness and the iris untraceable no matter how hard I looked for it. I couldn’t be more wrong. Instead, Scandal Elixir is a dedicated iris fragrance; perhaps the most iris of all the iris-designer flankers in recent years. Hence the comparisons people have made so far to La Vie Est Belle Iris Absolu, however, that iris is only truly upfront for minutes on my skin; here, it’s the most prominent factor from start to finish.
To those (for whatever reason) looking to blind-buy Scandal Elixir, I can’t state enough: There is very little fruitiness; barely noticeable. It has a tartness and growing patchouli (not too earthy)-woody backbone reminiscent of retro fruit-chouli’s. The fruitiness from blackberry here reads more like a gust of wind carrying a mild, airy fruity touch from a nearby bush, including the rest of the plant or tree, but nothing like a vibrant, juicy fruit.
Instead, it’s iris. Dry, chalky. Now, I love iris in all its forms, so I was happy with this fragrance and its surprise made it stand-out from almost anything released in this level of designer realm. But it’s because I love iris and because it’s NOT overly sweet or fruity. I don’t love it because it’s so interesting, because frankly, it’s very neutral and plain. Even compared to other iris fragrances; it doesn’t get as earthy, nutty-rooty, nor does it go in a distinct carrot-seed direction. It’s muted and dry. In a sense, it mimics all the extremely tart fragrances as of late. But whereas those tart-fruity or floral scents usually remind me of cheap feeling, unpleasant hairsprays, with the iris so prominent at its core, it makes more sense; it fits with the scent.
As mentioned, it’s retro-ish; the tart, dry iris-patchouli coming across like something you may half-recognize from a Coco Mademoiselle style fragrance, just less sweet and more beige.
The more the wear progresses, the less I’m interested in it; I think because the initial surprise wears off. That said, it’s still one of the few recent designer releases that I could see myself wearing. I like it. I have a feeling a lot of people may feel different, or at least, that they would expect something different from it and from the Scandal line.
