Gaultier turns the wick up: Scandal Elixir lands for her and him

If subtlety was your New Year’s resolution, skip this one. Jean Paul Gaultier has uncorked Scandal Elixir and Scandal Pour Homme Elixir, new flankers to the original Scandal from 2017 and Scandal Pour Homme from 2021. Last year we got Scandal Intense, which turned the volume knob right to the edge. This year Gaultier twists it further with that potent little word: Elixir.

Let’s be honest. “Elixir” has become the industry’s code for denser, longer-lasting, more nocturnal versions. The Scandal line has always been the opposite of beige - think lights down low, heels on tile, a pulse you can smell. I still remember my first encounter with Scandal. One spritz before a Monday meeting was an accidental social experiment. Colleagues looked at me like I’d brought a martini to a spreadsheet. It was sticky-sweet, brazen, and completely unbothered. That’s the point.

So where do these new bottles land? Scandal Elixir likely leans into the gourmand-lush signature that made the original a club classic, just with more velvet and persistence. Scandal Pour Homme Elixir should push the 2021 formula into a darker, more concentrated groove, the kind that sticks to a leather jacket and refuses to say goodnight. If Scandal Intense was the red dress moment, Elixir is the after-hours invite.

What intrigues me is the strategy. Gaultier is not chasing pared-back clean musk or techy “skin-scent” minimalism. The house keeps doubling down on extroversion. In a market crowded with “fresh woodsy” and “light floral musks,” the Scandal family is a deliberate provocation. Wear me. Notice me. Argue about me in the Uber.

Do I have full note lists yet? No. Do I expect higher concentration, plus a more plush, late-night texture for both Scandal Elixir and Scandal Pour Homme Elixir? Absolutely. If you loved the swagger of Scandal or the gym-to-club confidence of Scandal Pour Homme, these will sit right in your playlist. If the original line felt too syrupy or loud on your skin, Elixir probably won’t convert you. And that’s fine. Perfume without opinions is just air.

I’ll report back once I’ve worn them through a full day and a full dance floor. For now, consider this your heads-up: the Scandal saga continues, louder, longer, and less polite.