Top: Tuberose

Middle: Black Fig

Base: Sandalwood


The first thing I noticed about this fragrance is the juice itself—a deep red-brown hue. It looks like a potion meant for a midnight rendezvous, a visual promise of the drama to come.



The Opening Act: A Dramatic Entrance

The opening is nothing short of a grand entrance. It’s captivating, alluring, and unapologetically loud. A dramatic tuberose takes center stage, but this is no innocent, garden-variety floral. This is a scandal in a scent. It’s a little dirty and makes you lean in closer, wondering if you should be blushing. This bold, provocative blast dominates for the first five to ten minutes before, like a roaring engine shifting into a smooth cruise, it settles into its true nature.



The Heart of the Matter:

As the floral curtain drops, the perfume reveals its secret identity. The initial shock gives way to a warm, sensual, yet slightly animalic blend of black fig and what I can only describe as a "dirty" amber. I was so surprised by the amber's presence that I had to cross-reference the official notes. Sure enough, it’s classified as an amber chypre.

The fig is quiet: creamy, deep, blended. A touch of expensive sandalwood provides a classy, mature foundation.

But the most fascinating transition happens here: from the middle notes onward, the scent morphs into something unmistakably, yet fittingly, the inside of a newly worn leather high heel.

It’s a scent that’s both intimate and powerful—the warmth of skin, fine leather, and the faint memory of a journey taken. This olfactory image is brilliantly mirrored by the fragrance's official campaign, which features the bottle nestled between a pair of black leather stilettos. It’s a perfect translation of scent into story.



The Final Verdict: A Scent of Two Souls

This is a fragrance of stark contrasts, not gentle evolution. It’s a tale of two faces: the initial, attention-grabbing vixen and the subtle, sophisticated ghost that remains. The floral notes vanish almost entirely after the opening, leaving a warm, mellow, and ultimately elusive skin scent that whispers rather than shouts.

While some may find it jarring, there's no denying its compelling journey.

It’s for those who want their presence known, only to become an intoxicating mystery that you can’t quite grasp.

Personally, I tend to stay away from dirty, amber fragrances, which is what influenced my score. While I can see this being an absolute must-have for most, it's not one I will be getting a full bottle of.

The final score: 6 / 10



Have you tried Scandal Absolu?