Skip to main content
Comparison

Elysium vs Scandal

Side by side. Scored honestly.

← Compare different fragrances
Notes overlap

Side by side

Comparing the originals — price, breadth, listed-note depth.

Original price
$380
Elysium
$415
Scandal
Season coverage
2/4
Elysium
3/4
Scandal
Note depthtied
7
Elysium
7
Scandal
What Elysium smells like

Grapefruit and bergamot hit clean and sharp at the opening — citrus with real bite rather than sweetness. Galbanum adds a faint green edge that keeps the early stage from going soft. As it settles, the heart turns woody and grounded, cedar and patchouli layering in a dry, almost resinous quality. The dry-down is where vanilla and amber quietly pull things warmer without tipping into gourmand territory. Projection is moderate, sillage stays close but present. — A polished, skin-close summer-to-fall choice for anyone who wants citrus that actually finishes well.

What Scandal smells like

Bergamot opens things with a citrus snap that doesn't linger — it hands off quickly to a lush, creamy floral heart where tuberose and gardenia do most of the heavy lifting, supported by orange blossom adding a honeyed edge. The whole thing feels polished and deliberately indulgent without tipping into headache territory. Dry-down settles into warm amber wrapped in soft sandalwood and a skin-close musk that keeps sillage intimate but persistent. Projection is moderate, not a room-announcer — it works as a signature trail rather than a statement. — Best suited for date nights, evening outings, or anyone who wants a confident floral-amber that skews romantic and grown-up across spring through fall.

How they overlap

Elysium and Scandal share 2 notes (bergamot, amber). The same note name doesn't always mean the same scent — different houses use different vanillas, different woods, different musks — but a multi-note shared spine usually does indicate genuinely-comparable wear character. The remaining notes (5 unique to Elysium, 5 unique to Scandal) are where the divergence happens.

The buying decision

Elysium is the cheaper original at $380 compared to $415 for Scandal — about 8% less. Scandal covers 3 seasons (spring, summer, fall) — wider weather range than Elysium, which leans spring/summer-only. Heads up: Elysium is marketed masculine, Scandal is marketed feminine — they target different wearers, though plenty of buyers cross those lines.

The closest match for each

The match each fragrance’s own page ranks first, with its own price and scores.

Free: The 30 Best-Tested Dupes Under $40

A community-scored cheat sheet you can download now — 30 designer scents matched for under $40, ranked by accuracy and longevity.