Fragrance comparison

Killer Instinct vs Imperial

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 16 Oct 2026 535 ratings analysed

Killer Instinct

Marc Gebauer

3.5553 votes

Rank #16,131 WoodyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Imperial

Boadicea the Victorious

4.26482 votes

Rank #1,516 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Imperial takes 5 of 7 categories.

Killer Instinct
Choose it for a woody and powdery character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Imperial
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Killer Instinct2/7

Imperial5/7

Ratings & consensus: Imperial
Community sentiment: Imperial
Longevity: Imperial
Sillage & projection: Imperial
Value for money: Killer Instinct
Versatility: Killer Instinct
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Imperial

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Killer InstinctMarc Gebauer

ImperialBoadicea the Victorious

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.55/ 5 · 53 votes

Have 28%Had 15%Want 56%

4.26/ 5 · 482 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerImperialRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

26%Love

38%Like

17%Ok

2%Dislike

17%Hate

53 votes

54%Love

30%Like

7%Ok

7%Dislike

2%Hate

482 votes

Category winnerImperialMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate64

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityImperial

SillageImperial

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value35

Category winnerKiller InstinctBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

powdery83%

green65%

oud48%

musky30%

woody100%

amber92%

fresh spicy84%

leather77%

oud69%

balsamic61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both woody and oud

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

Green NotesAgarwood (Oud)Black CurrantGraperfuit

Heart2-4 hrs

CedarCypriol Oil or NagarmothaLavender

Base6-8 hrs

Woody NotesSandalwoodMuskAmber

Top

Brazilian RosewoodLavenderBirchAngelica

Heart

GeraniumRoseFreesiaJasmine

Base

Agarwood (Oud)Guaiac WoodLabdanumLeatherAmberPatchouliSandalwoodOlibanum

InformationalShared notesAgarwood (Oud), Lavender, Sandalwood and Amber. Durations are only published for Killer Instinct, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer88

Fall91

Winter47

Day100

Night44

Spring69

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerKiller InstinctMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men30

Unisex68

Women2

Work 43%Casual 31%Date 18%Party 9%

Men61

Unisex33

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,131

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews18

Overall rank#1,516

PerfumerChristian Provenzano

Launched—

Reviews52

Category winnerImperialHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Forget the aggressive title. Marc Gebauer Killer Instinct surprises you right out of the nozzle. It opens with an unexpected flash of tart grapefruit and bitter black currant before settling into lush green notes. Then comes the real texture. Creamy lavender softens a clean backbone of cedar and cypriol oil, pulling t…

Reviews →

Imperial opens with an aromatic burst of lavender, sharp birch wood, and green angelica before settling into a warm core of geranium, rose, and jasmine. As the initial herbal brightness softens on skin, the composition develops a rich resinous base dominated by Brazilian rosewood, dark agarwood, labdanum, and supple l…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Killer Instinct or Imperial?

Imperial takes 5 of 7 categories. Killer Instinct is rated 3.55/5 from 53 votes; Imperial is rated 4.26/5 from 482 votes. Choose Killer Instinct for a woody and powdery character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Imperial for a woody and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Killer Instinct or Imperial?

Imperial lasts longest (Imperial 80/100, Killer Instinct 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Killer Instinct or Imperial?

Imperial projects furthest (Imperial 73/100, Killer Instinct 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Killer Instinct and Imperial smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and oud accords. Common notes include Agarwood (Oud), Lavender, Sandalwood and Amber.

Is Killer Instinct or Imperial better for summer or winter?

For summer, Killer Instinct is the stronger pick. For winter, Imperial is the stronger pick. Killer Instinct suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Killer Instinct and Imperial?

Killer Instinct has top notes of Green Notes, Agarwood (Oud), Black Currant and Graperfuit, heart notes of Cedar, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha and Lavender, a base of Woody Notes, Sandalwood, Musk and Amber. Imperial has top notes of Brazilian Rosewood, Lavender, Birch and Angelica, heart notes of Geranium, Rose, Freesia and Jasmine, a base of Agarwood (Oud), Guaiac Wood, Labdanum and Leather.