The Voice Of The Snake

A deep, haunting blend of what my nose tells me is slightly animalic, mostly natural oud with saffron and patchouli. Personally, I love that there isn't a rose anywhere near this fragrance as I am fast reaching the point of fatigue with rose/ouds. The scent here is richer and more complex than either (my beloved) Guilty Absolute or Guilty Oud, but I see some similarities. It is no surprise, therefore, that like Guilty Absolute, this fragrance is far from universally loved. Just look at the reviews below this one and you'll see the evidence of a divisive fragrance. I am on the love side of this divide. The leather accord produced by the interplay of the saffron with the oud is great. The oud itself is high quality smelling and has great depth. The patchouli is funky and musky and sexy. On my skin, this fragrance is marvelous. Personally, I like the packaging on the Alchemist's Garden line and appreciate the old apothecary bottle look of the painted flasks with their embossed caps. Atomizers are very good throughout the line. I think Voice of the Snake is one of the stand-out fragrances in a generally excellent product range. But it seems that many reviewers here dislike this scent. To each their own, I guess. Obviously, with such divided reviews, you'll want to sample this stuff on skin to see if it works for you before considering a purchase. Given the high prices Gucci ask for this fragrance, I would think very few people would blind buy Voice of the Snake anyway. I must admit, however, that blind buy is exactly what I did, and I am delighted to own my bottle. It is a shame the negative reviewers were not in the biblical garden in place of Adam and Eve. Had they reacted to the voice of the snake there the way they have to this fragrance, we'd all still be in Eden. As for me, I can resist anything except temptation, and, appropriately enough, I find the Voice of the Snake plenty tempting in its oudy goodness and musky, leathery naughtiness. Recommended for oud/saffron lovers and folks looking for a richer, deeper variation on Gucci's Guilty Oud or Guilty Absolute.

I reviewed this a while back, on my first impressions as I experienced it on my partner. I want to update: this stuff is gorgeous on the right person. The opening is sublime - it's like cassis liqueur and leather - the jammy, intense dark rose with the bitter oud is a classic combination. I've experienced that combination in MFK's Oud Silk Mood, but really 'Snake' is more compelling, plus the way it works from start to finish reminds me of proper old-school perfumery - not that it's old fashioned, just the way it takes a beautiful journey from start to finish. Somewhere in the middle you have a dark avant-garde smoky Lapsang Souchong that seems softened by woods, towards the end it's a little more patchouli, but chocolaty and bitter/smoky. It's very sensual - I find it quite swoon-worthy on my partner. I don't think it would be right for a man who seeks something more fresh and light - I do think it suits a more mature man, or at least someone quite grounded and assertive. Also Id definitely say more evening than daytime. That's just my subjective experience though, so apologies to anyone who experiences it differently! Sillage and longevity excellent.

This is truly a niche scent so it won't be for everybody. The initial blast and dry down are unisex and the middle is more masculine leaning... sharp, spicy and warm which reminds me of something an older gentleman would wear. I'm a girl btw and I purchased it blindly, absolutely love it and I think it could be my new signature scent. If you consider yourself to be confident, mysterious, somewhat elusive, unique enough to wear something other than the stereotypical flowery/fruity scents and enjoy complex, bordering dark fragrances then you'll appreciate this. This isn't mass appeal so don't expect compliments. This is for you only. Update: I have my bottle for almost 2 months so it's macerated causing the scent profile to change slightly from when I initially got it. The opening and mid are just so perfectly blended giving a very sophisticated unisex scent. The base is mainly oud which can get a bit animalic. At this point, getting whiffs of this in the air from my little scent bubble makes it more tolerable than smelling it directly off my skin. Performance is good..it should give you a solid 6 hours with 4 sprays in cool temperatures.

I have this for a while now.. I used ombré nomade and Nishane mana more lately as replacement but came back to it last days.. and whoooow!!! It has changed or my nose got better. This is a different vibe then those other 2 which I thought where similar. Now .. the blast of oud and a warm leathery saffron kick immediately. Very Smokey and intens. But at the same time so comforting ( oud ). After a while the patch settles the base and the oud calms down. You’re left with this leathery vibe ( saffron) with a very intens dark patchouli.. the oud never fades completely to hold the structure. This is the kind of scent that is mysterious, bold yet comfortable. Exactly what you’d expect from a designer with a high price: deep yet comfortable. Daring yet not difficult. The dna is pretty common though, but it’s blended to perfection here. The transition is very smooth. Longevity is very very good. 4 sprays on my wrist and it goes 12+ hours easy. Clothes ... weeks even after laundry. 9/10 for me definitely! No fruits and definitely not animalic. Something sweet is lingering but not to present as well.

This is a good oud fragrance and oud is not in your face like some others. It's a fresher and more wearable take on oud and quite enjoyable. I like this but also this is not something that everyone would like it. IMO, targeted to more mature gents. Gucci Guilty Absolute is ranked first in terms of similarity but smelling them next to each other, they are their own things and not that similar. And I have no earthly idea why this says it is for women and men!!! Spoiler alert! It's super masculine. Having said all of that, I yet cannot justify the price of this. To me it is very expensive for what it is. I can think of a lot of other nice fragrances that are not even half of the price of this. Not sure how you can test it without spending a lot of money on it but if you can, definitely do because it has a $300+ price tag. Also it looks like it is one of those frags that smells quite different depends on what you spray it on. For me it smells much better on my shirt than my skin. Moreover, for me silage is just OK. Longevity is good though. It will go for hours.

One of the 'Cons' of this fragrance is that its 'Not unique at all' and you might see that only two people have given this the thumbs up, I am one of those who gave that the thumbs up. But not as a criticism; I do think that this is similar to other fragrances in the same milieu as it, at first, does not smell any different to the many 'oud' fragrances. But then its it different, like, well if you are a fan of punk/Hardcore music, you could be mistaken for thinking all of them sound the same. It's only when you really delve deep do you see/hear/smell the nuanced difference . And when you are open to that the differences are like a chasm - like the different styles of the Wu-Tang Clan. For me the oud and Leather in this perform like Method Man and ODB on a Wu-Tang track. Legendary. I don't know what it is about Gucci fragrances that I like but it is surprising. 9/10

I never used to like the saying "hard to wear" when it came to fragrances but, this fragrance has changed my mind. It's very odd, you definitely have to be in a certain mood and outfit to make this work in my opinion. It's good, I don't hate it but it's just so weird. I wore it to the airport on one day and then wore it again the next day and mother said she could get the smell of the airport out of her nose when it was the fragrance I was wearing. She says it smells like a sterile environment like a hospital (or airport). I pick up on rubber or like, a old woman's house. Very nice; intriguing, lasts very long, and very distinctive. Up close to the skin and in warm weather I get a rosey sweetness but in the air I, and people around me say I smell like "burnt tire" haha. I think a good place to wear this would be a punk concert or avant garde art show.

İlk sıktığımda güllü oudlu tatlı bir koku alıyorum. Ama zaman ilerledikçe koku harika bir oud deri kokusuna dönüşüyor. Ve koyu, karanlık, muhteşem bir deri kokusu olarak yaşamına devam ediyor. Kalıcılık ve yayılım çok iyi. Kumaşlarda günlerce harika bir deri kokusu olarak kalıyor. Karanlık, koyu bir soğuk hava kokusu. When I first spray it, I get a sweet rose and oud scent. But as time passes, the fragrance transforms beautifully into a stunning oud-leather aroma. It continues its life as a dark, rich, and magnificent leather scent. The longevity and projection are excellent. On fabrics, it lingers for days, leaving behind a deep and luxurious leather scent. It’s a dark, intense fragrance — perfect for cold weather.

If you layer TF Oud Wood or Versace Oud with a couple sprays of Gucci Guilty Absolute you will get 90% of the idea behind this release. Although, after about 45min it becomes a little sweeter and I detect some ginger or cola vides. I’m certain that Gucci just watered down Guilty Absolute and added a little saffron to tame it and smooth it out. Is this good? Yes. Is it worth $300+? Nope. I blind bought this for $90 because it was a damaged bottle so I feel fine with the purchase, but if I had blind bought at full retail based off of YouTube reviewer hype I would be pissed. This is a 4/5 on scent. Definitely a western take on Oud with western type 4/5 performance. The bottle is gorgeous 6 out of 5 based on appearance.

I wore this today at work and a co-worker walked in to my office and said “it smells like insulin in here” 😆 this is the bandage king of Oud scents, very medicinal, which I love. So far in the bone-dry cold air of the Texas winter the floral accord really comes through, no rose listed but the impression is there, however I have a feeling in warmer weather this won’t be the case and the Oud will heat up and the patchouli will dominate. Something about TVOTS feels very clean like a dentist office. It mellows out and slightly sweetens up a tad in the mid dry down which gives way to an incense-like accord. Moved up into my top 10 👌🏻Exceptional longevity and huge sillage, one in the line that is worth the price IMO.

My partner was given a vial of this at Harvey Nichols. I wasn't sure at first - I like a touch of oud, but this is fairly tarry and distinct, with patchouli (though it's subtle) lending an extra hint of darkness. I'd compare it to MFK's Velvet Oud maybe, though it's less 'dirty' in feel. It worked well when he wore it at an arty party this November - where the dark edginess of Voice of the Snake worked well with his black suit. It's quite sexy in that setting, but it's too pervasive and distinct for daytime, in my opinion. Definitely not one for summer either. It dries down really nicely, retaining a subtle smoky air to the next day, a bit like lapsang souchong tea maybe.

Professional, steely, clean - cut. For certain it is not loud. There is no struggle to manage this absolutely beautiful composition. Unheard of at any point of departure. Notch it up a bit with a floral to confirm soft might. A Side Note: In warmer weather, this is gorgeous. This is a basic designer oxford evening professional money-mister. People who talk about living for the dry-down are on The Voice of The Snake. Update: 2 years of macerating and the patchouli molts into waxy chocolate. Dark bitter honed with coconut oil, coatings used to ensconce fruit jellies and sometimes creme de menthe. Not a cocoa butter chocolate, only a slight hint of mint.

First of all, I completely see why someone might hate this fragrance. It’s a very dirty, leathery, smokey, almost animalic scent, and I do get how people smell bandaids. However, to me this is the most incredible scent. The oud is strong and so is the saffron, with a base of patchouli. It does lean a tiny bit masculine, but as a woman I love it as a night time scent. Lasts forever on my skin, I can still smell it clearly after 12 hours and lasts on clothes until they’re washed. Definitely not a safe blind buy, but if you’re into dirty oud fragrances it’s worth trying a sample because it does last forever! Instantly became my new favourite.

I got one of the original Gucci paper blotters sprayed in the store two years(!) ago and keep it in my wallet. Every time I open it I can smell the most delicious raw leather, like a brand new purse or the interior of a new car. Again, it was sprayed on the blotter two years ago and the wallet is made of synthetic materials! Voice of the Snake is one of my favorites among all the perfumes I own and will always have it in my collection. This is a very bold perfume, and the saffron is not only there for its leathery aspects but adds a fresh and floral note to the oud and patchouli base. Strong love.

Literally the sexiest fragrance you could ever wear! Went out to get a completely different perfume, went home with this, i simply couldnt resist it. Its so well blended n it stays on for a long time. Only thing is sillage is quite intimate in my opinion. Wld still buy it over n over though ❤️ Ok quick edit, sillage is amazing! I just couldnt tell because i was the one wearing it and my nose got used to it , but when my friend wore it he filled every room he went to ! One of my favorite fragrances no doubt

For stanky lovers only. almost smells leathery, smoldering upon first whiff. There's a slight spice, dark burnt wood. the patchouli is extremely dirty and withered not at all green. It is a snakes habitat, the perfect amount of putrid piss and foilage for cover. if this all sounds like a nightmare stay away. I love a beautifully done stanky fragrance. Most in the same vein go over the top as an art piece or not nearly enough, they all aspire to be what this frag is- the perfect wearable balance.

It's got the medicinal sterile touch that Gucci Guilty Absolute has but it's a lot more toned down with an earthy woodiness, in the same way Dior Oud Rosewood works. Also Sebastian (ThePerfumeGuy) was right, it has an almost nuttiness in the open, like earthy walnut or or pecan. It's also got a slight hint of rose in there drifting around in the background. Overall I think this builds on GG Absolute and perfects it, the presentation is quality and so is the juice. 10/10

Admittedly I'm not an easy person to please when it comes to fragrance so I'll get to the point. Categorically this is in line with kilian Musk Oud without the citrus. Saffron, rose blend, Agarwood dance together to create a perfect light attarish type fragrance that is unique enough to stand out in a crowded rose/oud field, perfect, price notwithstanding. Also I know it's the perfume that matters but the bottle is a work of art and sort of hisses when you spray it.

***Fake Alert*** I received a fake bottle of this. The sticker at bottom had no batch code; the juice lighter than the original with a rose scent trail and mildly dark / leathery. It was as if the original fragrance had been watered down by some rose essence. I did buy a full bottle again, since I love the fragrance (dark, mild Oud, strong leather with Patchouli). Modest projection but good longevity. Be careful on this one to buy from legit sources.

This is an experience to behold! I agree that it smells like a sterile environment, almost hints of antiseptic. However, irrespective of the challenges, it is magical and addictive. Oud, dirty patchouli and slight leathery saffron. It took me a while to mature up to this fragrance and the turning point was waking past a Gucci fragrance store where I smelled the magic from a distance. Above average performance. Test before you buy! Shukran Habibi!