Sleth

As a JPG fan, I naturally had to blindly go for it again. And as with the others, here is my review.

And after a week with the fragrance, I still don't know what to make of it. The OG Elixir is one of my favorites in winter, I even have a bottle on backup. I don't think that will be the case with the new Elixier Absolu; I don't even know if I'll keep the fragrance.

Anyone expecting something louder, sweeter and more blatant than the Elixir: Wrong. It goes completely in the opposite direction.

I would describe the fragrance as follows: 3 spritzes of Scandal pour Homme Absolu for the plum (Mirabelle is also a type of plum), 2 spritzes of Le Mâle Le Parfum for the lavender and 1 spritz of Le Mâle Elixir for subtle tonka sweetness in the background. But each of these fragrances does it better in its own special way, in Elixier Absolu it's like a little bit of everything, but nothing really. It's more of a well-behaved scent, whereas I expect JPG to be so full in the face :D

I also noticed that the plum comes across much better on clothes, but I don't notice it at all on the skin, which makes the fragrance completely different. Skin is more Elixir & Le Parfum Mix, clothing Scandal Absolu & Le Parfum Mix.

Now the question for me, who owns all the JPG fragrances, is: what do I want with Elixier Absolu? It is the calmer, quieter version of the OG with fruit. If in doubt, I could also layer it and would probably have a similar result.

Not a bad fragrance in itself, but very redundant if you have virtually all the JPGs (or at least the three mentioned), as the facets of Elixier Absolu are depicted there.

That's why the release is certainly not a bad one, but for me personally it is disappointing.
If the normal elixir is too over the top for you, buy the Elixir Absolu; if the normal elixir is good for you (and you're still looking for something stronger) skip the Elixir Absolu.

I've been really into perfume for a little over a year now, so much so that I call it a "hobby" or passion. My activity on this platform also goes hand in hand with this. Today I finally did it. I have populated the "Signature Scent" section on my profile page.

And as you can probably guess, it's Gaultier² (2022). Why is that? I'll explain that to you! In the meantime, a steadily growing number of fragrances have found their way into the collection. But I always reach for Gaultier2. It always works. Many fragrances remind me of other fragrances in whole or in part. I haven't smelled Gaultier2 like this anywhere else; the fragrance is unique to me (unfortunately, I don't know the original; I don't have to, as I like this one as it is).

It can be worn anywhere and at any time, is not too loud, not too quiet, does not offend. In short, it's an "all-rounder" when you can't make up your mind, don't want to think or don't feel like doing anything else; at any time of day or year.

I can't really describe the fragrance. For me, it's more of a composition than individual notes that I perceive. A sweet, floral, soft creaminess that caresses you cleanly. Linear, without any major changes over time. I notice the fragrance for a really long time, even on my clothes the next day. It is a little louder in the first few hours, but not a beast. After that, it gently envelops you. And I don't really like floral fragrances, but here they are composed to perfection. It just makes me feel good when I wear it.

The only thing that bothers me is that it is (more or less) a limited edition and only available directly from JPG, which of course triggers FOMO. I already have a bunker bottle on backup, but I think I'm leaning towards another bottle if I can get it for a good price here in the souk. The maturing time by letting it stand is also quite good for it. My first usable bottle is from spring '23 and has matured nicely in the meantime.

I'm curious to see whether I'll be able to sniff any more fragrances like this as my journey of discovery continues. Because many are great, only a few are really brilliant.

The third JPG release this quarter; I'm still getting poor :D

Scandal pour Homme and Scandal pour Homme Le Parfum are in my closet, of course I had to get the new one. Of the first two, I like the OG better because it's just a bit fresher, more on the 12. The further development in Le Parfum didn't give me as much added value. Unfortunately.

I was all the more excited about the new Absolu. The notes were definitely exciting. And when I sprayed it on, I immediately had a big grin on my face: "I know what you've done there, JPG!" I thought to myself.

The Mirabelle plum opens very boozy and reminds me of liqueurs from the former Yugoslavia. Slivovic, Krucovaz, Julischka? Any of these. Or all of them together. That in turn reminds me a lot of Kismet Angel aka "Angels' Share | Kilian", only without the apple/cinnamon theme.

On the other hand, the fresh, clean undertone with chestnut and sweetness is reminiscent of Stronger With You, especially the Emporio Armani - Stronger With You Absolutely due to the boozy note.

So I wouldn't be surprised if JPG has now looked in the direction of SWY X Angel's Share and has been inspired by their success. The original Scandal DNA, i.e. sweet caramel toffee, is barely present. Good for those who didn't like it, bad for those who expect it to be prominent. In fact, Absolu is surprisingly "unsweet" (especially compared to its 2 predecessors). Fruity, yes, boozy, yes, but sweet? Only minimally sweet. Only subliminally. Even less than Le Parfum to my nose and more fruity-floral with honey sweetness instead of pure caramel/toffee sweetness.

The fragrance becomes creamier from the middle to the end. Probably due to the sandalwood/patchouli combination. The boozy note softens a little, but remains clearer than in SWY, it remains fruity-fresh and clean, subtly sweet, but does not come close to SWY A in terms of sweetness and earthiness.

In terms of longevity, I would rate it similarly, slightly behind SWY A. Easily 6-8 hours, even longer on clothing. Good projection for the first 2-3 hours. It's actually a bit of a shame, as one could have hoped for a little more from the "Parfum Concentre", as JPG calls it.

And now the most important thing: I like it, of course you could say that JPG is once again only adapting big hype fragrances (series) and making them his own. But once again I say: better well stolen (inspired) than badly made. I'm glad I ordered the 150ML this time, I'm definitely going to rock this fragrance. Because yes: I really like it and for me it's a slightly fresher version of SWY, as it has a fruity boozy note instead of rum. SWY is a little darker, more sedate, more mature. Absolu is more open, fruitier, lighter. However, this different presence makes it a little less noticeable than SWY, which is also reflected in the perceptibility of the fragrance (and its longevity). Absolu lacks a little of the deeper, darker fullness that SWY has. On the other hand, it is a more "summery" version of SWY A.

For me, it has all the ingredients for a mainstream hit. Connoisseurs may complain that it is too similar to SWY A and therefore not very innovative and that it would not be recognized as Scandal because it is not reminiscent of its two predecessors. I don't care about that. Meanwhile, I'm celebrating a new fruity boozy fragrance that can also be worn in spring/fall and summer evenings. Because that's not really where I see SWY. However, the two women in the house were both unanimously more convinced by SWY A. As a man, you can't do anything about it.

A new year, a new Le Male Flanker.
Not bad news for me as a JPG (Bisch) fanboy, as my fan heart jumps a little higher with joy. I just love JPG, let me!

At the moment, the fragrance is still relatively hard to get, as it is not available via the German JPG website or German on/offline perfumeries. And although I've seen a few video and text reviews from mostly English-speaking critics in the meantime, all of which were rather mixed, I thought to myself "Oh come on, what the hell, I'll just order it in Italy and test it myself".

No sooner said than done and, to anticipate a little: it's good that I did it. Because no other review has ever described the fragrance the way I smell the new Le Male Lover. And we'll get to that now.

As soon as I sprayed it on, I thought: "Huh? You know that scent? I wore it a lot in winter, didn't I?" Confused, I tried to connect what I smelled with a fragrance from my collection. And then it clicked: "Invictus Victory Elixir | Paco Rabanne" ! The opening and middle are reminiscent of a slightly fresher version of Rabanne's Victory Elixir. The same vanilla/coconut note that reminds me of many a vanilla scented candle. For me, infinitely cool, just a little fresher than the "original"

In the middle up to DryDown, a little "1 Million Parfum | Paco Rabanne" is added to my nose, fruity bubblegum sweetness with a light peppery freshness that smells slightly minty. A great combination.

Imagine Mentos. A new variety of Mentos: Vanilla Coconut Mentos. And they consist of 3/6 vanilla coconut, 2/6 are the old classic Fruit Mentos and 1/6 are the classic Mint Mentos. And voila: Le Male Lover Mentos is created.

I like it, because I like both 1M Parfum and Victory Elixir very much and consider them to be the best of the respective (still freely available) series.

Not surprising, really, because Rabanne and JPG share some of the same perfumers with Raynaud and Bisch. So I simply claim that 1M was created with Le Male as a model, Bisch then refined 1M Elixir into Le Male Elixir and now finally found "inspiration" in Victory Elixir and mixed it with his 1M perfume into the new Le Male Lover. You think this story is true? Then again, it could be...

While Rabanne's fragrances are all "coarser", the JPG fragrances seem a little finer and more balanced to me. The only unfortunate thing is that Rabanne now seems to be setting the trend (or the perfumers are trying it out) and JPG takes the ideas and refines them. Admittedly, his great-grandfather's DNA is suitable for the masses, but: not very innovative.

On the other hand, Le Male Lover replaces 2 Rabanne perfumes (Victory Elixir and 1M perfume) for me in one fell swoop. To be honest, I would rather wear Le Male Lover than one of the two, because it is simply more interesting and refined, not so youthful and in-your-face.

I see Le Male Lover in spring/autumn and possibly in winter, rather than in summer. For summer then at most in the evening/night, during the day the fragrance might be too heavy/sweet. Longevity is more than ok for me with 6+ hours for the price of 85,- (incl. shipping) for 125ml, on clothes it lasts much longer. It also has good projection in the first few hours (around 2-3 hours). Unfortunately, the two Rabannes have the edge here, but they are also significantly sweeter and less fresh. So somewhere understandable.

Did JPG do itself a favor with the packaging and presentation? Because it is more reminiscent of a blue, fresh aquatic; and in my opinion you get 0.0% of that here, as the fragrance is vanilla/coconut/fruity sweet and only offers minimal freshness from the mint. I think a different branding a la Le Beau (tropical green) would have suited it better. Although the Ur-LeMale is already green (and Aviator) and would probably have raised false expectations again...

Let's summarize: Le Male Lover is an awesome spring/fall fragrance for me and is indeed the link between Elixir (winter) and Le Beau Paradise Garden (summer). Not a bit innovative, but for me the better version of the two Rabanne originals. Unfortunately, Le Male Lover has little Le Male DNA (except for minimal peppery mint subtly in the background of the vanilla/coconut/fruity bubblegum sweetness) and is more reminiscent of a very good Rabanne fragrance. If you want Le Male, you will be disappointed; if you want a good, mass-market fragrance: Cheers Le Male Lover.

One thing is as certain to me as the Amen in the church: I need at least 1-2 more bunker bottles of this limited edition. I would be pretty sad if it were to be empty and no longer available at some point, and I didn't say that about InTheNavy, Aviator and OnBoard. However, Le Male Lover is not an eau fraiche either. Anyone expecting that will be equally disappointed. But if you want a "best of" Rabanne for spring/autumn from JPG, you've come to the right place. Puig won't care anyway, they own both :D

Ever since Le Mâle Le Parfum brought me here at the end of 2022 and got me really into perfume, JPG has had a special place in my heart.

It's just the brand I like the most; we can smell each other. I'm sure there were a few medicore releases (OnBoard, Aviator) that I got after the fact because of the new hobby, but they were just as quickly discontinued here in the souk.

The fact that I don't like a fragrance at all is rather rare with JPG so far. It happened with Le Mâle Pride Edition and unfortunately also with Le Beau Le Parfum, which brings me back to this review.

I really like the classic Le Beau, it's a simple coconut fragrance, but that's exactly what I like about it. I was really looking forward to Le Parfum, but then I realized that I don't like pineapple in perfumes at all. Headache potential. So unfortunately Le Parfum had to go to the souk.

So I was all the more excited about the new Le Beau Paradise Garden where the pineapple is fortunately (eureka!) omitted and a fig note is used instead.

And this fruity, sweet fig accompanies you from the opening to the end, even if it diminishes somewhat over the course of the fragrance. From the middle, the salty sea notes come through a little more, as does the creamy coconut. The fragrance does not change much until the end.

As in many LeMals, I don't actually detect any mint here, nor do I detect any spiciness from the ginger. What I do perceive is something fresh and "ethereal", which "opens" the nose and cools it down a little. I suspect that it is one of these two notes (or both in combination).

I describe it as Le Parfum without pineapple, but with fig and some salty sea breeze in the background, still bedded on coconut. Not quite as sweet as Le Parfum, as the fig also brings a certain sourness and thus captures the sweetness well. It is simply a fruity-sweet, sour-salty-creamy fig/coconut fragrance. Exotic, playful, just what I would expect from a Le Beau as a summer fragrance. I like it extremely well and after the disappointing EDP it is finally the upgrade to the original EDP that I had hoped for with the EDP.

Just as Le Parfum was an EDP, so is Paradise Garden. I tested it on the test strip on the first day in the morning and left it in the study. The whole apartment smelled of it when we got home that evening!
My wife asked: "Do we have any fruit that's starting to rot?" At first I couldn't place the smell, until the scales fell from my eyes: it was Paradise Garden in the room! And even if my wife's description might sound negative, the idea of sweet, juicy fruit that is already starting to ferment slightly and thus drifting into sourness is not such a wrong association to describe the scent of figs.

The test strip still smelled the same the next morning, and not just a little, but really intensely! I could smell it on my skin for 12+ hours, with very good sillage for the first 3-4 hours. I think that's extremely good for a summer fragrance, which is clearly inferior to the classic EDT Le Beau.

Paradise Garden is the best Le Beau for me and I'm seriously considering whether I'll even use the EDT now. If it's not 40°C on the beach for a swim, I honestly don't know where I'd be more likely to reach for EDT, because Paradise Garden is just as good in almost all other situations where the sun is shining.

For me, a successful release and the summer perfume 2024 and a strong upgrade to the EDT! My inner "JPG Bisch fanboy" is happy :D