Mrs Scandal

Scandal built its reputation on being unapologetically loud, and Mrs Scandal borrows the same honey-gardenia core: blood orange brightens the opening, honey and gardenia carry a glossy, slightly sticky-sweet heart with orange blossom lifting it, and patchouli with beeswax anchor the base. The first hour reads close to the designer original, sweet and attention-seeking in exactly the way Scandal is meant to be. The difference shows up in the drydown. Jean Paul Gaultier's version keeps a licorice-edged, almost gourmand chypre grip through the patchouli and beeswax for most of the day; Mrs Scandal's base thins out faster, losing the tacky, glossy quality that makes the original feel expensive and settling into a simpler honeyed-woods finish within a couple of hours. Projection starts strong then drops off rather than holding steady. It's a fair loud-honey stand-in for casual wear and nights out, but doesn't have the staying power of the fragrance it's inspired by.