Contemporary

This is peak Clive Christian Gonna be making daily reviews for Clive Christian as I received official samples for 11 of their fragrances recently (with more on the way), and I'm starting off with Contemporary. This was love at first sniff when I sampled it on paper, and I still like it a lot after giving it a full wear. Contemporary opens up with this fruity and spicy violet with a tinge of woods in the back. The blackberry and violet blast in the opening is intoxicating, I really can't get enough of it. Although it's listed as a heart note I feel the nutmeg is more noticeable in the opening than the pepper and vice versa. As it dries down the nutmeg is dialed back, the blackberry is gone and what you're left with is a slightly spicy and woody violet that smells refined and gentlemanly. The aromatic spiciness in here reminds me very, very strongly of Creed's Viking, but Contemporary doesn't smell funky like that does, this does smell extremely well done. I must admit I'm a bit let down by the fact the dry down isn't as good as the opening, but it's still an amazing fragrance and I'd say it's probably Clive Christian's best, although that may change after giving full wears to the other fragrances I have samples for. Performance was decent overall, even though sample vials have horrible atomizers with no dispersion. Projection was moderate, it seemed to project a decent 2-3 feet off me and sillage was light to moderate. Projection seemed to last around 2 hours, which is when I was catching whiffs of it easily, but I could still pick it up randomly about 4-5 hours after spraying it on. Longevity was a good 6 hours and I'm sure with a proper atomizer it could last much longer than that. I'm pretty confident Contemporary performs better in all fronts if you apply it off a decent atomizer.

I am a Clive Christian fan and have amassed a decent collection of bottles over the years. My nose is now more "refined" to like less artsy, niche (different) stuff and more so high quality fragrances that don't veer a ton from the mainstream. This fits that ticket nicely. It is very rich and classy. As a result, I think it's a bit mature smelling, without giving "old man" vibes. I'm 30; it feels perfectly suited, especially in professional setting. It's upscale for sure. This is a year-round fragrance, but cooler temperatures bring out the best qualities. Other fragrances it reminds me of and comments on what others compared it to: - Clive Christian Cedar Leaf: this is the closest I've smelled to it. I wish I would've bought it when it was out. I think this is an improvement upon its scent profile. Cedar Leaf is a lot more cedar-forward. This is more barbershop-y. - Clive Christian Rock Rose: the base smells rather similar. Contemporary is a smoother version. Rock Rose can be a slightly sharp. I prefer Contemporary. - Ralph Lauren Purple Label EDT: someone called this a "niche" version of it. I'd somewhat agree. Purple Label has a lot more tobacco. I think both smell equally high quality, but Contemporary fixes the performance issues of Purple Label. By proxy, this also is slightly akin to Bond No. 9 Bleecker Street. - Mixing Rock Rose and Purple Label is surprisingly close to Contemporary, although Contemporary is like taking that and improving it. Overall, this is one of my favorite Clive Christians I've owned. Jump Up and Kiss Me Hedonistic is the only one I like better.

I love the style of these bottles, something about them feels very prestigious, and they all have such explosive atomizers!! This fragrance has such a juicy blackberry sweetness, with an absolutely invigorating peppery spice, and a freshness that makes you sing joys of praise for your sense of smell and respiratory system Halleluyah

I love the opening of this. It's perfect for me. It kind of has the base of rock rose and has some similarities to Bleeker St a little. This is my 2nd fave behind Blonde Amber.

Today’s review marks a return to the house of Clive Christian, following my recent experience with Town & Country, with Contemporary now taking the spotlight. As the name suggests, this fragrance positions itself as a modern interpretation of refinement, aiming to balance the brand’s reputation for opulence with a more streamlined and current sensibility. Rather than leaning fully into richness or excess, Contemporary suggests a cleaner, more controlled approach, one that emphasizes polish and approachability while still maintaining a sense of luxury. Sitting at the intersection of tradition and modern taste, the question becomes how successfully it translates Clive Christian’s signature style into something more restrained. Let’s see how that modern interpretation presents itself once worn. Opening: The opening is fruity, earthy, and woody. The most prominent notes are blackberry, moss, cedar, and nutmeg, with blackberry and moss immediately taking the lead. Right from the first spray, I pick up on a sweet, juicy blackberry accord that feels natural and vibrant rather than syrupy. It closely resembles the blackberry used in Amouage’s Jubilation line, sharing that same ripe and realistic character. Moss arrives almost simultaneously and in equal measure, grounding the sweetness with a distinctly earthy accord reminiscent of damp soil and forest floor. Cedar follows, adding a dry, sturdy woodiness that avoids the pencil shaving effect sometimes associated with cedar notes. Finally, nutmeg rounds out the opening with a gentle warmth and subtle spiciness that adds depth and dimension. Geranium is also present, contributing a faint rosy floral nuance, though it remains firmly in the background. The interplay between the blackberry and moss is particularly compelling here, recalling the idea behind Ralph Lauren Purple Label, but executed with noticeably higher quality and refinement. Dry Down: The dry down shifts into a powdery, woody, and spicy profile. Iris and cedar now emerge as the dominant notes, supported by nutmeg and moss. The transition is more pronounced than expected, with iris stepping into the spotlight through a strong powdery presence. While floral facets are present, the emphasis is clearly on the smooth powder rather than overt florality. Cedar reinforces this phase with an amplified dose of dry woodiness, pairing so seamlessly with the iris that it initially gives the impression of sandalwood. Nutmeg gains more presence as well, offering a warm, softly spiced undertone that echoes the opening. Lastly, moss recedes significantly, lingering only as a quiet earthy accent beneath the composition. There's some leftover sweetness from the blackberry as well, but it's an afterthought at this stage in the development. Performance: Projection during the first hour is strong, reaching roughly four to six feet and producing a clearly noticeable scent trail. Around the four hour mark, both projection and sillage remain largely unchanged, maintaining a steady presence without becoming overwhelming. By the seven to eight hour point, the projection settles closer to three to four feet, with the scent trail becoming lighter but still perceptible. The fragrance eventually transitions into a skin scent at approximately the ten hour mark. Overall, performance is respectable, though it stops just short of being particularly impressive, especially when compared to Town & Country. When to Wear: Contemporary proves to be a surprisingly versatile fragrance. The fruity and earthy opening feels well-suited to warmer weather, while the powdery and woody dry down adapts comfortably to cooler conditions. Its balanced nature also makes it easy to dress up or down. Casual wear, formal settings, and special occasions all feel appropriate, and it can even work in an office environment, provided application is kept in check. Blind Buy: This is not a safe blind buy, primarily due to the pronounced earthiness from the moss in the opening. That damp, soil-like quality will not appeal to everyone. However, for those who gravitate toward earthy compositions or enjoy powdery, iris-forward dry downs, Contemporary is well worth sampling. Final Verdict: Contemporary immediately captured my attention with its opening, where the combination of juicy blackberry and earthy moss creates a striking and well-executed contrast. That initial phase feels confident and engaging, setting expectations high. While the dry down remains pleasant and well blended, it lacks the same level of inspiration and intrigue found in the opening, settling into a more familiar powdery and woody profile. Performance is solid but falls slightly short of what I experienced with Town & Country, making the overall impression feel a bit less compelling by comparison. As a result, Contemporary does not quite earn a place in my personal collection. That said, it remains a well-crafted fragrance and an enjoyable wear, even if it ultimately feels like a missed opportunity rather than a standout within the house. Scent: 7/10 Longevity: 8/10 Sillage: 8/10 Versatility: Very high Mass Appeal: Average Gender: Masculine Value: Extremely overpriced

Bear with me when I say this gives me sour gummy worms with a masculine twist. You know, those blue and pink gummy worms. Now take those blue and pink gummy worms, suck all the sour sugar off, and you get Contemporary. The moss keeps it leaning masculine without being too sweet. It is very unique, high quality, and a good fragrance. I don't know if I love it quite yet, but I am glad to have it in my collection. I have nothing like this!

It’s like the same foundation and vibe as Rock Rose, smells like a nichefied Ralph Lauren Purple Label to me as well with the blackberry and woods, I wish that dark, tart fruitiness persisted a little longer after the first hour and a half or so it loses its luster and charm to me. The dry down is your pretty basic woody mossy Chypre cologne not bad but there’s not enough novelty in it. 9/10 opening tho

I bought 150 Timeless and Contemporary. Contemporary starts with a blast of violet, and followed by blackberry. In heart note, I can definitely feel nutmeg with cedar. It's profile is very similar to that of XIX Cedar leaf(Violet, Cedar) with a hint of Matsukita(nutmeg). And I couldn't feel any geranium. The sweetness of blackberry is much fruitier than that of X women.

Very mossy, woody violet with blackberries and a smooth fizz from black pepper. You want elegance that Creed once upon a time had? CC brings it here full force. Blended to perfection. Edit 23/12/25: I think this is a feminine scent, but for girls who dress in Ralph Lauren and have this very serious, strict yet beautiful style

The opening where the blackberry and the violet pop up in your face is so good. Not good in a way that i like to wear it, just good, as an appreciation of the quality of the notes. Luckily i got a sample of this. It's enough for me to experience the beautiful opening, appreciate it and stash it never to try it again. The drydown is meh. Old school aromatic fougere that smells expensive, but dated. Not special at all in terms of smell, very high quality though.

This smells like a basic typical 90’s mens cologne. Nothing special and what I’m getting is basically a green Acqua di Gio so just get one of those for a fraction of the price instead of this. Best one imo is Profumo so try to find that one but it might be difficult since it’s discontinued. If you can’t find it you can settle for the Parfum which is essentially the same shit minus the incense note.

This is the world’s most expensive way to smell like a gummy , I guess....? It definitely has a name that matches the fragrances. It’s basically kind of a fresh fragrance with a berry note that keeps going after 5+ hours of wear. I’d say it’s very unisex- even a tad feminine .....? A bit odd, really. Definitely not for a man older than 25.

I have really come to the conclusion that I don't understand this brand. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a CC hater, I happily owned Amber Fougere and Town & Country in the past but everything else that I've tried didn't really connect to the quality of notes selected and the proportion of such masterful creations of the two perfumes I mentioned. The scent is ok, to my nose the initial spray is giving me some kind of Axe or "cool" & edgy drugstore spray deodorant vibes, I have a sample and tested it more than twice, and it still gives this vibe off. When blackberry starts to settle down cedar comes in with a wonderful sparkly black pepper, definitely the materials used are high quality. But that's about it. In my honest opinion there's nothing complex about this one, it starting to get full fledged linear in the middle. I wont really get into the pricing at all because it's subjective, All I'll say is that from where I stand money is not a problem in my life, but I'd better be off getting something else. TLDR; expensive drugstore body spray

New scenario r there, pretty much in the whole parfum game. Very much unique with the high class to it, warm, slight bitter and it turns woody. Definitely get a photorealistic warm wood by the fire, like those close to a burning fire or sm like that? Enwarmed wood? With the nonsweet fruit and florals that make for a real neat mid phase. Get the Moss and Nutmeg more towards the drydown. Important, gentle green with the uplift to it.

Curse Clive Christian for making this. It uses the same base as my favorite Rock Rose, though replaces the labdanum with violet leaf, one of my favorite notes. On one hand, owning both seems nuts, particularly in this price range, on the other hand it is beautiful.... You may want to grab this sooner than later. The Saks near me sold out of it immediately, where they had plenty of Timeless left.

after i tried this fragrance i came in conclusion that my skin react badly to moss notes, it gave me a nishane hacivat kinda of vibe which also doesnt work and last on my skin...and it smells like a moldy fruit. rock rose have a similar opening but doesnt give me that salty sweat smell nuance. and it also lasts on my skin.

Ejay Timeless is more along the line of creed viking cologne or a classic gentlemen fragrance like tom ford BDJ. It has a old school vibe. I blind bought it and kind of regret it. You can get a similar fragrance for one tenth of the price. It doesnt even last long. It smells good but becomes a skin scent vary fast.

Fruit and spice green opening stylish treat. Anniversary feel in deed, adds expensive candy with the nutmeg spice, brings out more joy, stays elevated fresh. Got it's place between the upper shelve green Clives, hits futuristic, right down the middle part appealing grabber, part rare.

Thank you all for the reviews on Contemporary. But I’m interested in hearing if you had any thoughts on Timeless? Is it similar to anything more mainstream? I’m contemplating an online purchase thru Saks, but torn over which to go with.

If you want cheaper version of this that is 90-95% same, go for new Armani Profondo Parfum Not the" EDP " version

SolemnSleight - Can you stop chatting if you don't even own it? Your nose is broken btw.

I have few tester bottles if anyone interested text me 786-563-6004