Le Mâle Elixir
Jean Paul Gaultier (2023)

Very similar to JPG Le Male Le Parfum but sweeter, heavier, thicker in the air. Le Parfum is the fresher pick of the two and more versatile, while this Elixir is the cold weather, not-safe-indoors pick. Big projection and longevity.

Le Mâle Elixir by Jean-Paul Gaultier (2023) is nothing new under the sun, to be sure. One could also say that highly in-demand industry perfumer Quentin Bisch understood the assignment here and made the next escalation in sweetness and power for the never-ending "sweetness war" that has been raging in men's market designer perfume since about 2008 with the introduction of 1 Million by Paco Rabanne (2008). With niche/luxury players like Parfums de Marly wading into the melee ostensibly since about 2012, and competitors like Versace Eros (2012) dominating the space since their own introduction around the same time, there isn't much room for growth in the sector compositionally-speaking, so instead brands have opted to engage in a battle of volume not altogether unlike the one the music industry waged at the turn of the century. Emporio Armani Stronger With You (2017) and various flankers, plus the dozen or so releases from Carolina Herrera, Valentino, Ralph Lauren's Polo Red (2013) range , and Giorgio Armani's Armani Code (2004) range, all seem to do battle with the likes of Gaultier and Versace in this arena. Le Mâle Elixir is just the latest entry in this "arms race", and it is tiring.

That said, I wouldn't say Le Mâle Elixir is terrible, just redundant and adding nothing to this particular conversation (or shouting match) other than more sweetness and some remixing of the gourmand elements. Finally, the Le Mâle DNA originally put forward by Francis Kurkdjian retreats entirely from this release, meaning no real interplay between orange blossom and lavender, although the latter remains in the mix with the original's tonka bean and mint preserved. The rest is a Nürburgring full-send of gourmand notes, mixing hot buttered rum and toasted almond with the lavender and sweet mint, combined with caramel tones and sheer amber musks. The usual praline fantasy notes are here, as are the saffron materials, the legacy of another Francis Kurkdjian creation from his own house that I shall keep nameless only because I am tired of referencing it in modern designer releases that all seek to eat each other's lunch at this point, instead of striking out new diners and dives of their own. If you like sweet wintry toasted snickerdooles and hot cider sort of vibes, and want to foghorn blast it with an Alpine subwoofer to everyone around you at the nearest no-cover nightclub with overpriced well drinks, wear this and be my guest. I'll pass.

Le Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier (1995) was always a contender alongside Joop! Homme by Parfums Joop! (1989), the origin of the species composed by Pierre Bourdon and Michael Almairac, furthered in evolution by the former in Montblanc Individuel (2003) almost a decade later, and given an upmarket doppelganger by the same with Creed Original Santal (2005). Eventually it was tinkered with by the likes of Dolce & Gabbana with By Dolce & Gabbana Man (1997) or Jacomo Paris with Aura for Men by Jacomo (2000), and made greener in both cases. Most other clubbers of the day followed late 80's forefathers like Lapidus pour Homme by Ted Lapidus (1987), until Lagerfeld Photo by Karl Lagerfeld (1990) came along and taught everyone how to play with orange blossom and vanilla; something taken to heart by the likes of Nikos Sculpture (1995), another contender in that space. Now we are thirty years removed, and Paco Rabanne has taken the place of Ted Lapidus, while Lagerfeld discontinued almost everything of note (including Photo), and Puig (who owns both Rabanne and Gaultier) uses one as the gay foil to other's straight man (pun intended), becoming the Mounds and Almond Joy of fragrance options for cluelessly-horny young guys across Western civilization. Neutral

Having been quite the fan of Le Male and almost all of its flankers this one's a bit of a disappointment.

I heard some youtubers claim honey and tobacco in it giving it a Mugler Amen Pure Havane vibe but this is not true at all, not by a long shot.

There is some resins and (mainly) amber which you could say resemble honey with some imagination but there is little to zero tobacco. Just tonka and woods to me.

In fact, Le Male Elixir simply joins the bandwagon of sweet woody genericness like for example 1 Million Elixir, Parfum and Royale, Montblanc Legend Night, some of the Azzaro Wanteds... and probably many more I'm forgetting or haven't smelled.

That said, in that genre I do have to say it's the best of the bunch. With the Montblanc being the worst because it's the most screechy and synthetic and let's say the Azzaro's and Paco's are tied at the number 2 spot for me. But I'm not a fan of any of 'em.

For other Le Male and flankers lovers: the OG Le Male DNA is just plain absent in this except for a very faint lavender and the tonka.