Released in early 2026, this is the newest and most intense chapter in the Scandal saga. I kinda skipped straight from the edt to the Elixir. This flanker moves away from the bright, caramel-heavy DNA of the original, leaning instead into a dark, boozy, and seductive profile. Perfumers Quentin Bisch, Natalie Gracia-Cetto, Christophe Raynaud & Louise Turner all worked on this formulation. It's a Woody Amber, but is defined by a "Black Cherry" note that replaces the traditional clary sage and caramel opening of the line. It opens with Black Cherry, Lemon & Bergamot. A punchy, liqueur-like cherry. It’s sweet but dark, avoiding the cough syrup pitfall. At its core, notes of Patchouli, Lavender, Rum & Geranium. The cherry melts into a boozy rum accord with a clean patchouli that adds structure. At the Base, Tonka Bean, Vanilla & Akigalawood. You get a deep, smoky, yet creamy dry-down that feels more mature and velvety than previous versions. Performance is so good, I'm hitting the 8hrs mark on my skinBecause it is a "Parfum Elixir," the oil concentration is high, meaning it clings to skin and clothes well into the next day. Projection is also strong for the first 2-3 hours before settling into a dense, noticeable scent trail. It's ideal for Cold weather, date nights, and clubbing. It is likely too heavy for a gym or a high-heat office environment. If you found the original Scandal or Le Parfum too bubblegummy or youthful, the Elixir is the correction you’ve been waiting for. It is darker, woodier, and feels significantly more sophisticated. It sits in a similar space to Tom Ford Lost Cherry or L’Homme Idéal Parfum, but with that signature JPG "loudness." My Rating 8/10 Scent 2.5 Longevity 25 Sillage 2 Y/N 1

So I've been hinting about an upcoming trip to both Ireland and the Mediterranean for the last bit. Well that trip starts tomorrow with 2 days in the big city where I actually will get a chance to go to some Niche. Perfumeries and specialty stores as well as a very high-end department store. So looking for some recommendations of Niche and other high-end fragrances to potentially try out. Some rules to make it interesting is that I'm hoping to get a few travel size or samples to take with me on the trip especially for the Mediterranean cruise section. However, all recommendations appreciated! Also feel free to recommend stuff that I should take with me on the trip as I haven't haven't figured out everything to take. Leaning obviously to warmer weather fragrances, but also probably need a few for the non on-mediterranean legs of the trip. Looking forward to the suggestions!