Gladiator's Oath

Got this a few days ago. First impressions, I can see the similarities between this and Silky Woods though I tried Silky Woods a bit ago so take my word with a grain of salt. To me it's a bit more floral and less spicy then Silky Woods. It has a nice opening, I don't get much of the saffron, the dry down is sweet ,but not harsh sweetness, with a bit of woodiness. I can for sure say it's unisex, to some it might lean more feminine but I think that's because of the floral profile. I've worn it a few times, it doesn't project like Silky Woods, but it last the whole day on me. Can't complain for the price, it's mass appealing, lasts for 6+ hours, it's close enough to the original, at the end of the day it's a dupe, can't expect it to be 100% like the original.

This is such a beautiful scent! It opens with light, refreshing florals, cardamom and saffron. As someone who isn't normally a fan of florals I loved the lilly of the valley here, just enough to give a floral impression without being overwhelming. In the dry down there is a touch of woodiness and sweetness of the caramel and vanilla comes out while still remaining airy and not at all cloying. I sprayed a tester and my boyfriend smelled it on me the second I got into his car 5 hours later and was obsessed with it (said I smell like a cake baking). He has not stopped talking about it and loved it so much he's going to buy me the full bottle. In my opinion it's more on the feminine side but could still be unisex :)

This is an amazing scent! It’s all male imo. That spicy note is on point!

I just received this and yes - its a fresher take on Silky Woods. I know these brands need time to macerate so I'll come back in a few weeks to review. But straight from the box, you get the Silky Woods dna, but not nearly as dense. Something floral, fresh, perhaps even a little aquatic in the opening. Silky Woods is a favorite of mine, so I really enjoy this profile, and appreciate that I can wear this in warmer weather whereas SW would feel too thick in this hot, humid Georgia summer weather.

This opens to me very similar to Khadlaj Sawaar Vanille Blanc but then dries down very different and less vanilla. I accidentally layered this on top of Maleka by Armaf and what a fantastic scent! I recommend Gladiator’s Oath layered with something! For under $35, it’s worth the pickup. I dont necessarily get the Silky Woods Inspo, but a great cheapie!

Caramelized, salty ylang ylang tobacco. Rich and moderately spiced white floral. Corn maze date and a fancy dinner afterwards. Caramel Frappuccino. Crunchy, leaves with sporadic puddles. Trench coat with heels. This feels like the “other half” coordinate to fursan white tbh. I think it’s that salty, spiced opening (that I personally detect as nutmeg to my nose) but with a sort of powdery, tropical vanilla that’s pulling similarities.

Such a huge disappointment. Whoever said that this is an inspiration of silky woods is 100% WRONG! This is a weird, damp-wood smelling juice in one of ugliest bottles I’ve ever seen till date. Cheap juice and cheap presentation. I wouldn’t mind if the fragrance was something that could pass muster, but, wow. What a huge disappointment.

Just a really watered down less sweet version of Teriaq by Lattafa. Very disappointing projection & sillage, smell gone virtually immediately. I put both on, one each wrist. Terriaq is stunning. Glad I only bought a 1 mil sample of Gladiator, still a waste of money! Too many of the Middle Eastern perfumes smell so similar.

I think I don't like spicy fragrances.

I love silky woods- I have it I use it. I dread repurchasing pricey bottles idk why. I heard this was similar but not a dupe. This is true it’s similar- they are like siblings. This to me is a little more feminine leaning than SW which is perfectly unisex. This isn’t as loud as SW which is a very good projector and lasts long. This smells really freaking good though. It does project for the first hour or so. But not far. It’s a lot sweeter and I know it’s not listed but I get a slight candied pear 🍐 in this- it’s so good and addictive and with the caramel dry down plus it’s not smokey like SW. Dare I say I enjoy this more. I hope the more it sits the louder she gets. It’s for my elegant sexy ladies but men could pull this off too because it has a woody dry down. 10/10 scent!

SKIN TEST: The paper test left me with a better impression than the skin test by a lot! On skin, this reads as a muddy and unclear set of “brown” notes that could be chocolate, rum or caramel — who knows? Unpleasant and unclear scent journey. Wanted to like this but I can’t. 2.5/5 stars PAPER TEST: Truly unisex and is best suited for cold weather. The cardamom is blended nicely with the saffron. While the heart notes are all independently sweet on their own, the base notes ground this into a slightly spicy/mildly sweet scent without getting into gourmand territory. The caramel adds a stickiness without being cloyingly sweet. The sandalwood isn’t pickle-y. The most standout note to me is Lily of the valley. It adds a sweetness that I’m not convinced is needed here.

Maybe I am judging it too soon, but I think I don’t care for the cardamom and saffron combo. I’ve had it a month. It smells a little too masculine to me. I suppose I’ll let it sit for a couple more mos and revisit. Any suggestions for layering would be welcomed.