Scandal Le Parfum

I pick up a really nice vanilla with a subtle almond and a bit of cherry. To me on my skin I get an elevated version of hypnotic poison (more of a warm sweet vanilla, not the "playdough" smell). This fragrance LASTS, the sillage is pretty strong but not overwhelming. It's a 10/10 for me!

A blind buy. I asked AI what scandal flanker (chose Scandal because of the bottle) should I add in my collection based on what I currently have and picked this. No regrets. My body chemistry seems to agree with jasmine as most of my fragrances have it. Initial spray and it's all jasmine, reminiscent of Alien by Mugler and Rapture by Victoria's Secret. After an hour, the white florals fade and aIl I get is creamy, milky caramel. YUM! A type of caramel that melts smoothly without leaving a sticky residue. I can't detect the salt at all nor the play-doh scent. Disappointed with the longevity and sillage. I want this type of dry down to be loud.

My first review was in 10/10/2024 (I bought it in the US as soon as it launched) but I have slightly changed my mind so I'll start afresh. The play doh aspect of this is close to Police To Be Forbidden almondy marzipan vein which likewise contains jasmine, vanilla and caramel as Scandal Le Parfum; both simple compositions, sweet yet rich lactonic with ethereal light white floral aroma, a touch of cold powdery floral freshness. I am adamant about its resemblance to Forbidden despite the downvotes I get, I couldn't care less. Their simple notes pyramid and common notes back it up. I do see resemblance to Hypnotic Poison too due to the marzipan scent blended with a white floral profile, but the powdery tuberose with the coconut and caraway of it become overly powdery and too loud indolic which I don't smell in Le Parfum. Le Parfum has no coconut. I love Hypnotic Poison tho. The opening is fresh, sweet with dewy indolic jasmine similar to So Scandal's fresh sweet floral vein with the jasmine, minus the loud bubblegummy tuberose of So Scandal, but sometimes for a minute it reminds me of these floral fresh cleaning products for mopping floors lol I still love it tho. La Rive's impression Wild Kiss actually has more of that fresh floral detergent quality with a violet-like bluish floral element to it which is the lily if the valley as if there's tuberose in it so Wild Kiss has more of the So Scandal fresh cool toned floral elements even at the later drydown. La Rive Wild Kiss also has coconut for a more powdery effect than Le Parfum resembling Hypnotic Poison more. It has sour pear and bergamot so quite a different blend creating a similar impression but more fresh. The floral aspect here is more tamed compared to Wild Kiss where it's more artificial. Caramel as a note has lactonic facets so it explains the milky plastic-play doh impression here. The sweet caramel almondy effect accompanies the fresher floral element right off the bat. In Wild Kiss the heliotrope vanilla marzipan effect seem to join in shortly after the floral blast. In Le Parfum the floral part is more prominent in the opening and more subdued at the drydown. The floral element in this paired with the golden sweet caramel play doh impression is indolic yet not heady and it gradually smells like orange blossom throughout aside from the freshness of the jasmine. I was right about the orange blossom effect as it turns out because Wild Kiss has orange blossom just to compensate for the lack of salt. I bet it's the salt in Le Parfum that gives the jasmine note an orange blossom nuance, subtly solar, salty and green since orange blossom as a note is always quite salty, sweet and subtly green on me. In Wild Kiss despite the orange blossom presence, the effect of it is subdued and masked by the watery lily. The So Scandal fresh jasmine element mingling with the sweeter vanilla nutty caramel vein is what Le Parfum ends up smelling on me. The orange blossom impression becomes softer, muskier, more green as it continues to play with the salty buttery play doh scent. I'm used to see caramel salt combos giving a milky play doh impression as in Salted Caramel by The Dua for Salt Caramel by Shay & Blue London creating with the almondy tonka a Black opium coffee free effect. Vanilla or caramel paired with some floral notes may trick the nose with their almond-like play doh or nutty scent as in La Vie Est Belle L'Eclat with the jasmine - iris - orange blossom creating a nutty impression without caramel, not play doh though due to the absence of a lactonic caramel note. Likewise here the jasmine - salt - caramel mimic the rich play doh scent of almond. In the middle phase I detect the salt clearly - it is a savory touch to the play doh scent reminding you that you're actually smelling golden rich decadent caramel and not nutty almond. The beauty of Scandal Le Parfum is in its simple structure. It has the jasmine-vanilla-caramel of Police Forbidden, aromatic and uplifting, but here the scent is not overpowered by the marzipan effect or the intense white floral salad of Hypnotic Poison. It's the perfect balance of gourmand and floral. It is overall subtly milky (Forbidden has milk so it's definitely milky cold), but not a strictly cold scent, moderately warm by the caramel, without the super intense and very lactonic play-doh marzipan nutty scent of Forbidden. Another instance where caramel creates a play doh effect is in DUA's Caramelized Stone where the caramel contributes to a plastic-y vanilla scent also due to the coconut; So caramel does wonders paired with vanilla or/and jasmine with or without almond, producing a lactonic play doh scent and it amplifies the almond notes as in Police Forbidden. Dua's Caramelized Stone is a different scent with its coconut and other notes, but it's a play-doh plastic type of a caramel-vanilla to me with some burnt syrupy undertone from the caramelized aspect lol, while here the caramel is smooth without a smoky burnt nuance. The unique quality of these perfumes is that deep down I can tell it's not almond, but something more dimensional that opens up like a blooming flower's petals to reveal more sensual facets of it. It's also not much like the sweet balsamic powdery cherry blossom Kenzo Amour with the rice and waxy almond-y heliotrope - I kinda dislike the cherry blossom there. I love Amour just ain't crazy for it. A heavier caramel with true almond and aromatic anise, a salty vibe and heady honeysuckle floral element is Mariah's Dreams, it manages to be beachy but I get no marzipan play dog scent there and it's warm not colder lactonic.

Public toilet. I remember going on festivals and they had those public toilets and the smell was exactly like this atrocious perfume. Gross

So delicious. Gourmand for sure, very beautiful caramel creamy cake. I don’t get the florals that much. I wear it all year long, I don’t care that it might be overwhelming. I just love it so much.

Delicious and divine! Perfect caramel scent for autumn/winter.

Salty Jasmine with a caramel undertone. It doesn’t last that long which is my only gripe. It’s a floral - gourmand and the salt aspect makes it non sickly (to me) however it is incredibly sweet. Almost grape like in warm weather. She’s a beauty in cold temperatures but a bit much for sunny days. I love jasmine in anything, if you don’t like jasmine steer clear of her as Jasmine is the star of the show here. I love a salty note in perfume, once this dries down for a while you really do get the salt. Similar to Olympea in a way, a burst of sweet/ fresh opening then an hour or so later the salt comes out to play. It’s hard to explain but to me it’s such a simple fragrance on paper but feels very complex and well rounded and thought out. I love a gourmand, I love an amber floral, I love an oriental floral and somehow this is all 3.

I think this perfume is a perfect base layer in case you want to dial up or add a salty caramel note to your fragrance. Really happy with this.

Lovely salted caramel notes with the jasmine keeping it fresh, light and floral. This issue I have is that it doesn’t last long and the sillage is close. Nice perfume but needs to be over sprayed to be noticed.

Kokladığım en güzel karamel parfümü, ay o kadar güzel kokuyor ki kendimi yemek istiyorum. Biraz yasemin de geliyor ama benim tenimde daha çok karamel ve vanilya açıldı ve daha gourmand tarafa kaydı koku. İçindeki tuz kokuyu yumuşatmış, çok tatlı bir koku ama tuzla birlikte dengelenmiş. Müthiş lezzetli kokuyor 🤤. Klasik scandaldan farkıysa onda bal ve çiçek ön planda ve daha yoğun bir koku; bundaysa karamel ve vanilya ön planda, tatlı bir koku olmasına yumuşacık ve lezzetli kokuyor. Dnaları birbirlerine %25 falan oranında yakın, scandaldan izler taşıyor ama bir o kadar da farklı kokuyor, çok güzel 💕

This would smell so amazing on the right person...on the test strip it smelled like honey and cherries and then on my skin it went right to headache land. It doesn't have any generic base notes in the dry down and its unique. Disappointed as i wanted it to work on my skin. At least I got a tiny bottle.

The jasmine is overpowering, definitely not a gourmand like I was hoping . Slight caramel die down

It does lack the DNA of honey, but is that a bad thing? I kind of think of Scandals as refined gourmands (God knows there is so much gourmand trash on the market right now), so trying a different direction is a good thing in my opinion. The caramel-vanilla profile can be a slippery slope, mainly if the perfumer is not intending to use natural high-quality essences. Not the case here, this is clearly a great quality concentrate, very dense, rich and realistic. It is a kind of edible vanilla, perhaps bourbon vanilla leaning that has a bit deeper undertones. Definitely sample first before buying and don't buy this as a gift. It's a statement fragrance that one must resonate with. JPG fragrances are usually a beast mode, at least all of them I tried were, and this one is not an exception. Better fit for transitional seasons (fall/spring) or winter, definitely not a summer scent or for heat. Very nice creation. Stop with the Opiums, go for this instead! Edit after 2 days: In the later drydown, a play dough note came up. I think Supreme Vanilla by Zara has this vanilla-play dough combo, although much more prominently. Just FYI.

My friends’ partner would wear Scandal all the time & she always had this delicious cloud of caramelised, delicate white florals & subtle woodiness, that lasted entire days without missing a beat. But I’m thinking I accidentally bought a different variant than she has. This Scandal Le Parfum on me, keeps triggering memories of a My Little Pony figurine I had as a kid in the 80’s (when the dinosaurs still roamed the earth 🤭) It was scented with this really intense synthetic vanilla/caramel & gardenia fragrance and my brain refuses to recognise this as anything else now. Having done a little extra reading on the various Scandal fragrances, I think I was meant to get the Scandal EDT, not Le Parfum. If only I took 5 mins to do a smidge of research here on Fragrantica to educate myself & ensure I wasnt wasting $130 on the wrong perfume 🤦🏻♀️ Serves me right for being lazy.… won’t ever happen again now

Prefect for fall & spring in the day-time.. Very rich floral scent so good for a walk in the park.

Not a blind buy. I expected something like YSL Hypnotic Poison or Dior Opium Poison, but this isn’t it. And I like heavy, borderline nauseating scents It’s overly sweet, slightly animalistic, and gives off a strong Arabian perfume vibe—but in a bad way. More like a cheap car air freshener that makes you feel sick every time you get in. Even for someone who wears perfume like a weapon… this is too much.

I purchased this because of the packaging. It’s one of those perfumes that blindly grab and spray on-the-go. It’s not bad, and the quality is good.

This perfume is absolutely beast mode to my nose! I don’t usually like caramel and edible gourmands, but like someone else posted before, the jasmine steers this away from being too edible. Very warm and cozy smelling, but not sticky sweet. I wish there were a bit of the spiced honey notes from the original dna. Overall I like it, but not my favourite flanker.

I was a bit disappointed when I first sprayed it straight out of the bottle. My bottle has now sit a couple of weeks, and that was enough to transform it. This is a note structure that’s elegant in its simplicity. It hits you as a mix of jasmine + vanilla + slightly salted caramel. The jasmine and vanilla are a good foil to the caramel and keep it from going full on gourmand, and so I feel like this could be worn at formal occasions too. Though truth be told, it has an addictive aroma, and that may be distracting for colleagues. This is what I wanted PC molten caramel to be. The note structure is what it says. Nothing unexpected or difficult to like. Decent longetivity and sillage, this is a strong one. Perfect for fall and winter, but it could work in AC environments in the tropics too. Can’t wait for next winter to really start wearing it!

My ultimate 3 loves in the fragrance world are alien, which I wore religiously for 10 years without even attempting anything else, hypnotic poison & Olympea. Perhaps pure XS as well if I can add a fourth to the list. (Basic B to some I know) This ^^ empbodies something I get from every single one of those and somehow feels like all my favourite fragrances combined. It’s not as heavy as I thought it would be, sadly as for me I like it when people can smell me before they see me. It must be the salt but there is something remotely aquatic about this. Jasmine is very present & it’s a lot more floral than I thought it would be. I’m in love. Can’t speak much for longevity as I’ve had it on for an hour so far.

SHE is my baby my swan my baddie wifey my everything! i love her so so much her scent is so addictive & sexy 🖤 not that it smells like this at all but if ur someone that loves the addictive smell of petrol then youll understand it, she damn near make my eyes roll back. im marrying her. get so many compliments wearing this diva and she LASTSSSS yupppp this is my signature. also i HATE the other scandals like nunu this is the one and only one

sticky sweet caramel with vanilla and a hint of florals. it's very likeable, but can be too much for warm weather, so keep in mind when spraying. got it from a friend when we traded perfumes! good memories

My mom sent me this as a gift and it is lovely and feminine. To me it's jasmine heavy with a hint of an aquatic salty accord. First spray reminds me of Hypnotic Poison, but with a Muglier Alien dry down. Best of both worlds. Not blind buy safe unless you love white floral. (Jasmine smells like grapey/fabric softener to my nose. Just me?)

Very sweet but yet not cloying or overwhelming, the opening is loud, vibrant and sweet. The middle notes are the best here, spicy sweet and very catchy, although there's a hint of salt that gives a litter discomfort.. On the dry down I smell vanilla, candy sweet notes with very faint hint of caramel.. I was excited to try it because I like caramel scents but all I get is intense syrupy spicy sweet vanilla, with no obvious caramel.. It's very confusing, I can't smell frank caramel, but 2 hours later it still smells good, sugary vanilla with fruit syrup touch. For me, maybe it's not the best choice, because the best of it has gone with the top and middle notes, unfortunately.. And what's left on the dry down you can get from other perfumes with better sillage I think. Update: After almost 5 - 6 hours of trying it on my wrist and returning home, when I came to wear the smae jacket to go out again I found that the sexy middle note is still there, so sad that my clothes caught it while it faded on my skin 😢

I smelt this on a friend and had to buy it immediately! I love the idea of a gourmand but I find them mostly to be too sickly sweet, whereas the sweetness of this scent is so perfectly balanced by the jasmine. To me, the scent is perfect. It's so addictive. The only problem though, is it doesn't survive my 10 minute walk to work. It is just GONE. I've gone through a whole bottle in like 2/3 months because I have to douse myself in it to get anything out of it at all. I don't know if I got a faulty bottle or they changed the formulation or something because all these reviews say moderate sillage and moderate longevity and that is not my experience at all. I don't get compliments because if I want anybody to smell it they have to literally huff my wrist and even just an hour after spraying it is faint. Doesn't stick to clothes either. If anybody knows of a longer lasting alternative, please let me know! I already tried hypnotic poison and I don't see the similarity at all.

Works for me only in colder weather, once it’s warm it gives me headaches . The caramel is like sooo sticky sweet that it more reminds me of honey then caramel.

Smells like a good memory. Like laundry detergent+ a good salted caramel + orange blossom water + sea water. Yums. + I tried it again for the second time. The caramel smells dark and sticky, almost like a toffee. Maybe that's just the combination with Vanilla. And when I'm not sniffing too close, the peculiar scent of Laundry detergent arises, together with water/salt and... umm... some form of human odor like clean sweat (probably the scent combination everyone refers to as play-doh). Its not that its bad, its interesting. I guess that makes it quite erotic or carnal smelling. I still do get the orange blossom undertone, similar to JPG's Classique. And, I don't know why, but the scent just takes me back to my holiday in Ubud, Bali. A very specific memory of me bringing my clothes to get washed at the local laundry shop. + It stains, so beware.

Sweet, smooth caramel & vanilla with a dash of bright white florals. Straightforward & delicious without being heavy or nauseating. I like it a lot.

Someone has been spreading false news. THIS IS NOT DISCONTINUED IN THE UK. Where do y'all get these info?

I've had this perfume for well over a year, maybe more. It suddenly changed color (I know as perfumes mature they darken in color, yes) and only now I get the play-doh scent. Maybe my nose changed or the perfume became more powdery by time... Despite that it's still a lovely cosy scent, it's sweet but shy, clean but complicated. I recently got the Scandal intense and even though the Le parfum used to be my signature scent I think I prefer the intense more. It's a bit sexier and spicier.