Scandal Pour Homme, from Roja Dove was released in 2011. The perfumer behind this creation is Roja Dove. It has the top notes of Basil, Bergamot, Lavender, Lemon, Mint, Petitgrain, and Tarragon, middle notes of Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley, Rose, and Violet, and base notes of Ambergris, Cardamom, Cashmere wood, Cedarwood, Cloves, Labdanum, Musk, Nutmeg, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Rhubarb, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, and Vetiver.
Okay so upon purchasing my first (and I suspect my last) Roja Dove fragrance I insisted on getting some 5ml vials filled of the other scents seeing as I shelling out so much on Enigma. Thankfully I got them in the end, I'm quite familiar with Fetish and Danger already so these were the other two I wanted to wear properly and review. This yet another triumph! Honestly, although my recent reviews may tell a different story, I'm not a cheerleader for Roja parfums. One thing however cannot be denied, they are of supreme quality and transcendentally deep. This has a classic manly aromatic nature to it, doesn't last well and the pricing is quite frankly stupid...but I still adore it. Surely that is testament to how good this stuff smells? Quick mention of the name...This seems to be a theme of similarly provocative adjectives used in Roja's line like Scandal, fetish etc...and I have to say there's nothing Scandalous about this one. I accept he can't very well call it... "Fairly generic late 80's/90's masculine fare which is very pleasant and well made" aside from the fact it wouldn't be very dynamic, it won't fit on the bottle. To me this one opens with a trademark bergamot & some lemon verbena then into fresh spicy herbal type territory, something I love. There's a fruity sharpness about it and maybe even a slight rhubarb note? There's certainly labdanum and the warmth of woods, oakmoss and sandalwood... it's brilliant. This is one that just keeps getting better and better as it dries down, with more nuances coming through. I'll be honest upon application in the first few minutes I made the mistake of thinking... yeah this is some standard stuff. Not too awe inspiring, a very good masculine and like a upmarket Pasha de Cartier or Ralph Lauren Safari. Then it develops further and you realise it's so much more. I remember seeing a Youtube video review asking...'What is quality? and can you smell the difference when the best quality ingredients have been used?' Well it's a pertinent question and I'd be the first to admit...maybe not always. However this is a case in favour of the likes of Roja parfums and Xerjoff etc...where in this instance you DEFINITELY can. Does that mean I want it? Well I still feel a bit hard done by on the performance front but I except that it's not everything. I have the parfum version and it lasts several hours which is more than acceptable but I don't think it's too much to ask for to be nothing short of astonished by the performance, certainly not at this price. I'm starting to think that the EDP's might even be better on the performance stakes (My Enigma EDP is excellent for longevity) and if that's important to you, perhaps avoid the parfum versions and save yourself substantial money for twice the juice. Scandal is great smelling and luckly I have enough left for another wear at some point.