Gladiator

The opening is a 1:1 but elevated Mentos peppermint, very realistic. If that’s a scent you enjoy, you’ll most likely love this opening. Right away, you get a lovely mint note, slightly sharp (can be too sharp for some), as it should be to my opinion, with a touch of sweetness, beautifully dry yet mouthwatering. You can already detect hints of citrus and fruit, especially apple, that will bloom more fully later on. Impressively, this opening manages to pull all of this off without ever smelling too synthetic. As it dries down, the Mentos-like peppermint becomes less prominent, allowing other notes to come forward. The fragrance takes on a more mature character, with cedar, Tahitian vetiver, and patchouli providing a solid base, and coumarin adding roundness. There's also a sense of "airiness" introduced by some floral elements. The fragrance is airy, light, where something like erba pura would be dense, almost sticky. I understand the Aventus comparisons (particularly with certain batches), but to me, they’re quite different. Aventus isn’t as sweet, doesn’t have this minty brightness. I also understand the blue comparisons, yet I dont think this is a typical blue frag even tho it shares similarities. Later on, the fruity notes become very noticeable, especially pineapple, orange, and apple. The peppermint remains, but now sits more quietly in the background, rather than being the whole show. Longevity is quite good, lasting close to 7 hours. Projection is moderate, it turns into a skin scent rather quickly. 8.5/10 for me, not enough to make it in my rotation, but close, i'm on the edge.

This is truly a special fragrance. It’s familiar and mass appealing as a blue fragrance but not in a “me too” sense. The three notable comparables (I also own these) are PDM Percival, LV Meteore, Bond no9 Scent of Peace. These three fragrances feel like upgraded versions of their designer counterparts. Put the three in a Venn diagram then you have Gladiator in a huge central overlap, but with a super upgrade. The perfumer accomplished a way to improve where the past three are lacking: performance, sillage, richness. It has that addictive quality where I smell something and I want to actually swallow that scent. When sprayed on skin, you can see the sheen of the oils used. I had it on the back of my hand and I can draw scent trails in the air. The olfactory equivalent of light trails in long exposure photography. Extrait concentration with moderate projection (a couple feet past arm’s length) but with CRAZY sillage that lingers. Someone will smell you in a hallway or room that you left half an hour ago. Easily 12 hours performance before it becomes a skin scent. This outlasts the aforementioned three. And it’s a scent that most people will like, unless they hate blue type fragrances. Marketed as unisex but leans very masculine. It’s fresh, but deep enough to wear year round, even during winter. Only complaint is that the bottle sizes are too small. Uniqueness 7.5/10 Quality 10/10 Performance 10/10 Sillage 10/10 Price point 8/10 Overall rating 9.5/10 Impressed enough to try out the others in this house.

Well, damn...I have to admit, this is really good. It leans effortlessly masculine right from the start. My only gripe is that this scent profile has been done countless times before. It’s something we’ve all smelled hundreds of times, but this particular composition is executed exceptionally well. In the opening blast, the mint takes center stage, but it avoids any toothpaste-like vibe. About ten minutes in, the fruits step in to mingle with the mint, and the blend is genuinely amazing. The pineapple is very reminiscent of the pineapple in Aventus, while the apple, grapefruit, and lemon add a wonderfully vibrant touch. As it settles, it dries down into that familiar masculine woody base. Think along the lines of Aventus-ish, Montblanc Legend, Fierce, or Percival. As a bonus, the performance is definitely above average. I wore it yesterday and had a very positive experience. I wore it again today as a base layer and applied Michael Malul Ocean Noir on top of it. Lawd have mercy, it smelled so good. Gladiator provided that dry, woody base, while Ocean Noir added in some blue juiciness.

I've worn this a few times now, and while I get the Aventus and Hacivat references, I find Gladiator primarily a minty and herbal experience with some added citrus undertones, rather than the other way around (at least on my skin, that is). Yes, there is the familiar pineapple accord accompanied by a blast of citrus right in the opening, but I feel like they die down rather quickly - say, within the first 10 to 15 minutes - and after that, the mint and the herbs take over, remaining as the dominant notes throughout the wear. Likewise somewhat against the grain of the public discourse around this scent, I find Gladiator to be a rather unique creation exactly for this reason. Yet, I can totally imagine it appealing to the masses - it's not a challenging scent by any measure! This is exactly the kind of niche perfumery I appreciate and love. Excellent execution by Sora Dora.

I'm pretty surprised by the low rating on here . It has a crowd pleasing scent . This smells great! It has a big burst of citrus and freshness when first sprayed . The peppermint subtly cools down the top not. Light cedar then comes out with very little patchouli but the white flower comes out the most at this stage . Once it dries down it keeps a pretty good balance of wood and citrus notes. I will say that this reminded be of Bleu de Chanel . Like a lot, except this one is more brighter when dried down . It also has cleaner wood notes . I haven't had Bleu in about 2 years but I think this is better. This is definitely on my buy list now after using it for a few days . It projects pretty well for like 3 hours . It will stick on the skin for 8 hours plus . Solid performance. Now to hope it eventually dips in price. While I would pay the 220 I don't need it right now

I sampled the EDP before getting a really good deal on the Extrait, I am glad I got the Extrait (smaller bottle). While they both have the same "blue" smell, The Extrait has weaker projection, but a better separation of notes. With the extrait you can smell the mint in the opening mixing with the apple and citruses, drying down into orange, white florals (smells like Tiare or something equally light/powdery), and tonka bean. While they have the same notes, the EDP focuses on projection and elevates the apple note to the point where it feels almost like YSLs Y. Like I mentioned, the projection is tame, not a room filler like the EDP or Percival, but rather a six foot bubble that last 8-10 hours. If you want a niche "blue" scent that won't gas out a room this is the perfect hot weather option (for cooler weather I'd still go with 7 Cobalt).

A joy to wear when it's hot outside. Starts off with a fresh blast of herbal, bitter mint, a lot like Amouage Beach Hut does. This bitter freshness is doubled with grapefruit. Has pineapple and apple in the heart, but it doesn't remind me of Aventus or Elysium like it does for some people. In fact, in some whiffs it may remind you a teeny bit like Dior Sauvage. A fleeting resemblance only. The woody-musky drydown is masculine, yet has a calming quality to it. This one surprises me with how well it lasts and projects, especially when you go out directly in the sun. The notes may have you believe that this is going to be fruitier, more citrussy than it really is, but I'm glad that's not the case. My ratings: Scent: 8.5/10 🎖️ Packaging: 9/10 🎖️ Longevity: 8.5/10 🎖️ Sillage: 8/10 Uniqueness: 8/10 Price: 7.5/10

To religare and all future raters- Please make sure you are reviewing the correct version. This is the 50ml Extrait, whereas the 100ml bottle is the Eau de Parfum (much weaker)... there is a different page for that one

This fragrance is fantastic. The initial blast of mint and citrus is outstanding. I agree with someone else that said this smells like a mix of Aventus and BDC. Great juice and definitely full bottle worthy. 9/10

For my men out there, don't hesitate to blind buy this. It's by far the best freshy, citrus frag in my collection outside of PDM's Percival. Do yourself a favor.

Phenomenal, far superior to the EDP. Mass appealing, smells great through the life of the spray. Highly recommend.

I’ve been in this game for a while now and have a nice collection of niche fragrances of all types but sometimes I just want an easy wear, versatile, accessible fragrance but with great quality. Aventus used to be that fragrance for me until it was butchered and lost its potency and also copied to death by every other house and their mother! So onto Gladiator. I’ve just discovered this house and the reviews for this fragrance got me intrigued so I ordered a sample, with some fairly high hopes. Could this be a great replacement for Aventus? Different enough so it’s not a clone but still with great versatility, performance and quality? In short, the answer is no. I’m not sure why this fragrance gets likened to Aventus as much as it does. Perhaps there’s some slight similarities in the top notes but there’s no deeper base here. It’s very much a warm weather citrus freshie. It seems that any fragrance with pineapple as a note automatically gets referenced to Aventus. Tbh, I can’t even smell the pineapple here. As for the scent itself. If I had to compare it to anything, I’d liken it to FdB’s London Oud or London Spice, mainly because of the citrus mixed with mint with some light floral touches. I find it very fresh and a little soapy and it’s fairly potent for a citrus fragrance with great projection and longevity. However, I wish there was something more to it. Something heavier or muskier in the base. Don’t get me wrong, it’s pleasant enough but it doesn’t grab me. I feel like I’ve smelt similar many times before. I like the way it’s been executed and the quality is a notch above the usual standard. But, ultimately, I’m left wanting more. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Having grown bored with Aventus, I was hoping this might make a good alternative. Different enough so that it’s not a clone but also a fragrance with great performance and versatility to wear in all seasons. This has the performance but lacks the versatility and it’s just a little too generic for my tastes. Perhaps I need to test in spring or summer as it’s winter here now. However, for those that like a quality fresh citrus fragrance then it is certainly worth testing out.

This might be the new hype in the community. Sora Dora is a new house, making good things with what it seems good ingredients, yet Gladiator as good as it smells and is blended, tends to lack of personality. So this opens very Aventus, with a juice sweet pineapple along a beautiful grapefruit. Is not smoky, just fruity and sweet. As it settles, after 5 to 10 minutes a zesty, bright and cold hearted mint comes along with the geranium and apple. This might remind you Sauvage, not as for the smell, but how the ambroxan comes along in Diors EDT. With that said, after 40 to 50 min, the woods come along and rounds up the citruses and flowers, making it fresh and with Invictus Paco Rabanne vibes going on in here, but in a more mature way (kind of an older brother). After almost 2 and half hours, you get a beautiful and intoxicating dry down with a little touch of musk (is not listed, yet you can smell some traces) flowers and ambergris, just greatly combined. All and all this is a great 4x4 scent that will give you a good amount of compliments, with 2 an half hours of good projection and up to 6 to 7 hours of an arms length projection, with +10 hours of longevity. Is good, yet it reminds me very much to other fragrances. EDIT: I don't know how nearly four years have passed since I wrote this review. Naturally, my bottle has changed a lot since I first smelled it. It is a fragrance where mint and ambergris have taken center stage. Excellent longevity and decent projection. It is one of the fragrances that has earned me the most compliments. It seems to me that comparisons to Aventus and Invictus are wide of the mark. There is no trace of that left in my bottle.

Great fragrance. To me it comes across as a niche version of Legend Blue by Montblanc, which itself is a great fragrance but a little synthetic/industrial in that designer way. Gladiator is a much smoother and refined version of roughly the same scent profile, just with a bit more fruity/sweetness (but nothing over the top), and more natural woods/vetiver instead of the Legend Blue ambroxan bomb. Performance isn't as good, but still pretty solid. Don't get me wrong though, this isn't a Legend Blue clone (putting aside Gladiator came out years earlier), it is its own distinct fragrance... it is just that that is the strongest and clearest way I can think to described the fragrance. If you are a new collector who has Legend Blue in their collection (if not you should, excellent cheap entry fragrance) but are looking for something more refined, a little sweeter (but not too much), and with a bit of that niche funk/challenge, then Gladiator is a great choice.

I'm working off a decant of this, so I can't speak to the presentation. The juice, however, is quite good. It's firmly in the "Aventus adjacent" camp, meaning it's fruity and woody and musky. The mint is a really nice addition and a standout note for me. I think it makes this more suitable for hot summer days than Aventus itself. Longevity is solid, around 8 hours or more and projection is moderate for a few hours. It's really a scent with designer sensibilities, while having niche quality. If you're into the Aventus style scents, then this is really worth checking out.

Starts off mossy and fruity like a certain fruity chypre but quickly gives way a traditional blue scent. Well done, and with a slight twist to the many ‘reminds me of’ blue fragrances listed at various points, nice smelling but a little played out. It’s like they took bits of different popular mens fragances and mashed them together. If you can’t decide between them just get this and you’ll have smell good but unmemorable.

Gladiator I definitely like. It's a classy, very masculine, fresh and aromatic scent with a bit of a retro feeling, like the "in your face" male fragrances from the 80s. This definitely works for Gen Xers. Good lasting power, good sillage. Good day wear on hot days.

Masculine apple, fresh, boring, price tag is the most interesting thing about this. Still good if you can get it of course.

Lovely scent dont get me wrong but just a really well done blue fragrance which isnt something i reach for much often.

smells pretty basic, fresh citrus clean aromatic. boring take on a simple dna. nothing to ride home about. 6/10

Gladiator is a very powerful fresh and masculine fragrance with intense fruitiness and aromatics. As soon as it’s sprayed you’re blasted with an intense note of peppermint which is quite harsh and abrasive, before an array of juicy fruit notes emerge - most prominently pineapple, apple, grapefruit and lemon. There’s a gentle touch of white florals in the heart which aim to balance out the rest of the notes, but everything seems to be dominated by the mint. The base is woody and masculine with hints of earthy vetiver and patchouli, alongside a bitter orange. But again, this is overpowered by the mint. While it’s not listed, I get a strong note of ambroxan coming through - this fragrance reminds me a lot of Sauvage and smells like a niche version of it. There’s a lot going on and it smells like a bit of a mess, but if I’m honest I’ve never been a fan of mint notes so this cannot be a love for me. It comes across as a synthetic mess of notes jumbled together carelessly.

Citrus, fresh, aromatic and sweet. upon first sniff instantly smells familiar and I cannot pin point exactly which one bc its a combo of men's well know well loved fragrances. Basically enter a lounge/bar where the boys are sitting around the bar and you pretty much get the accords. longevity & performance are fantastic on the skin (8+ hours) not something i would wear. (very masculine) Does it smell nice? Yes. Unique? no. Would consider purchasing if this was 100ml but not just 50ml with the price tag. beautifully blended, have to say; it works. Love the Pineapple in this.

Tried to revisit this because i keep seeing it online, ive already left a review once before and im doing so again just reiterating my previous statement. It smells nice dont get me wrong, but its just an average manly scent done well. Smells like every mens body wash with axe sprayed afterwards. Is it worth the money? No. its just too average and doesnt do anything that i havent tried before. If you only care about prestige of the fragrances you own and dont want to be seen with savauge or axe on your bathroom countertop then sure this is better but it does nothing new.

Normally love “blue” fragrances but I didn’t like this. I also don’t like Roja Elysium so that’s probably why. Does not smell like sauvage or aventus don’t listen to the comments below. Yes it’s a “blue shower gel like fragrance” but it’s in it’s own lane , doesn’t smell like any blues I currently know of, it’s okay Edit: after not smelling it for a while I smelled it on a blind test and really enjoyed it. Don’t know if it masturbated over a couple months but it smells a lot better

Starts off with a typical blue shower gel scent with some mint and then it develops into straight up shaving cream. I would say it's something basic to wear to the gym, But as an everyday scent?..No. It's not worth the price. There are better smelling body sprays and aftershave lotions that you could get for soooo much cheaper.

Yea definitely basic Bleu scent. Fruit notes.. forget about it! Nothing stands out, it’s a mash of notes that don’t match the actual smell, creates this generic male aroma. Definitely not bad, but it’s been done countless times over. LR Carbon is far superior.

This is a very enjoyable fresh fragrance. It immediately reminds me of designer fragrance. To me this is disappointing, it smells generic, like some cheap deodorant.

Have a 5ml sample. Definitely your typical blue fragrance. But with a cheaper teenage first cologne scent. It’s not bad. But not what I was expecting. 6/10

axe and savauge + mint, smells like a quality dude bro scent.

This is OK. It's way too minty for me, though. The mint is second in the breakdown, and that is correct because it isn't a support note, it's a main one, and it is present from opening all the way through to the drydown. Because of that mint, it has a herbal quality to it that I don't like. Almost like an ingredient in a dish and not a scent. Fresh and bright, with pretty good projection and longevity, but the mint (which I will admit makes it different) isn't for me. Worth sampling or testing if the notes interest you, as it smells good quality.

Bought a sample bottle of it just came in and this smells exactly like axe body spray with a minty opening.. I will say it can be versatile but I could never see myself wearing this out even for a daily smells way to mass appealing and synthetic.

Typical boring blue scent.. really nothing new or special. for the ppl from the eu, this is literally nivea 2in1 shower gel... iknow everyones dad in europe uses this shower gel and its so generic. i hate every single bit of it

No resemblance to Elysium or Tygar as mentioned below, this is a slightly fruity Sauvage flanker. If you love Sauvage you’ll love this. I hope this helps x Also, whoever thinks this compares to ATH Supernova should be shunned!

Smells like those -75% clearance colognes that you see on the same shelf collecting dust for years, and nobody bothers to buy them because they suck. Smells sooooooo cheap, synthetic, and screechy.

To me this only smells like locker room deodorant. can't identify a single note that brings me away from that. It smells cheap :/

The name is definitely accurate! This is one of the most brutal, robust, strong, bitter and stereotypically masculine fragrances I've ever smelled. First impressions in the air were masculine deodorant and A&F Fierce. Smelled on skin I almost choked, but the bitter grapefruit and mint definitely pop out more. Overwhelming strength. No similarity to Aventus and very little similarity to Elysium IMO, this does its own thing. I guess I was expecting something way more light from so many fruity citrus notes being listed as prominent. But this really is a sledgehammer to the nose, and WILL be smelled by everyone in the room. I can't even really smell the top notes in detail because the base is so robust and strong that they're covered up right away.

First when I spray this is get a dose of strong mint which I think is a of naturals and synthetics. This is more like a minty Dior Sauvage, it’s less sharp than the OG Sauvage but not worth it for the cost of Gladiator. Gladiator still becomes headache inducing also having a resemblance to Mont Blanc Legend. All three fragrances are annoying I gotta say, because the strength seems to be just too much and Mayr the collaboration of ingredients is just very dominant but still that doesn’t mean the scent is bad. If I were looking into to this specific style of fragrance I’d focus only on 3, Chanel Platinum Egoiste, PDM Percival, and Dior Sauvage Parfum which is smoother and less expensive and currently at the discounters. Sora Dora Gladiator is extremely overpriced. Score 4/10. Young guys as this scent is for you, save some cash and try the 3 I’ve mentioned. If looking for just a cheap version of this style MB Legend is the one. My personal pick in this style is Platinum Egoiste by Chanel.

How people can smell Aventus or Elysium in this is beyond me. I have an official sample and the opening is very minty and slightly herbal, and reminded me of the opening of Beach Hut Man. After a few seconds, you'll be greeted with an amalgamation of citrus fruits, whereby the blend may smell familiar to some. There's an undeniable salty and musky quality lurking in the back. I don't see ambroxan listed as a note, but there has to be ambroxan in here somewhere. It settles down fairly quickly and what you get is a nice smelling citrus scent with some faint green and aromatic nuances. Not particularly original but not boring either. It's an Extrait but I get noseblind from it fairly quickly for some reason. Perhaps it's the ambroxan which I'm anosmic to, I don't know. Anyway, if you can get it for a discounted price, it's not a bad purchase at all. However, don't fall for the ''hype'' of blind buying a bottle that a few people got for free. Undoubtedly masculine. 7/10

This one is like a mix of Bvlgari aqva atlantiqve and roja elysium, even a bit of bvlgari tygar. So if you like those scents try this one out. Kind of like Elysium without the smoky vetiver dry down. Well blended with medium projection. Unfortunately I only got light whiffs of it now and then which were nice but just reminded me too much of a few scents I've worn a good 5 years ago so its kind of been there done it all.

Does NOT smell cheap, synthetic or screechy...WTF ? This stuff is awesome ! Blind buy if you love Sauvage....im not saying it smells like Sauvage but similar DNA..excellent fresh spicy scent that I feel could be worn any time of year, possibly a nice signature scent....won’t listen to the naysayer....75% clearance colognes ? Really? I don’t know WTF you’re smelling but it certainly isn’t Gladiator....

this reminds me quite a bit of Escada Silver Light. I purchased it as a gift for my brother and he wore it for years. It's been discontinued so it's nice to see there's a fragrance on the market that is similar. The key notes were green apple, mint, and grapefruit. It had lavendar and violet in it but it's eerily similar to this. It's really not for women, though.

Basic done brilliantly. Ultra masculine like a mix of Elysium & Sauvage with some added mint. The mint is not pungent & sharp like in Torino 21, it is very smooth and soft, but still dominates the scent. If this is within your budget, it would be a great addition and definitely an upgrade from designer fragrances of the same style.

Very minty for the first couple of minutes then dries down to a shaving cream / barbershop vibe. This is a little bit similar to dyptique eau de minthe but a little less geranium and more blue smelling.

This is essentially Aventus (minus the smoke) and bleu de chanel mixed into one. And if you read that as a negative point, you are sorely mistaken. This is wonderful, and performance is superb..

It's your typical mall teenager blue scent, but with some stench lingering in the background like B.O. It has a screechy axe-like smell to it. So boring, tons of better options out there

Uplifting, new age, new formula type approach, bright fruity, pleasant galore, a smooth laid back tamed grabber though, great study piece.

Smells good very reminiscent of Paul Smith London from the early 2000’s. Minty ,fresh spicy and a touch of sweetness. 7.5/10

The best blue fragrance on the market I think. And if you are a woman, go try it !!!! There is no gender in fragrance !

Does anyone else experience a lack of longevity of this? It sits really quiet on the skin only after an hour or so

Wouldn’t recommend blind buying this, this smells exactly like a gym locker room body spray and sweat