No. 1

An authorized CC store decided to quit carrying the brand, and they cut prices in half. Combining with some coupon codes and rewards points, I purchased 4 from the brand (1872, No. 1, Rock Rose, and X) for much more relatively reasonable prices because I doubted I'd ever get an opportunity to get shady eBay-like deals from a real boutique--no worry of authenticity or spoilage. Got this 50 mL for $382.50, normally $850-$865. I feel like that's worth mentioning. The box is identical to the others in the original collection, just a gold outer-box. Disappointing for a fragrance that's over double the cost. The bottle is a lovely gold glass. Only a slight imperfection at the bottom corner of my bottle--like a dent, which is ridiculous to have at this price. You can only tell if you're holding the bottle and looking at the bottom or looking from the right angle when it's sat down. This aside, picking up the bottle feels special; I'm lucky to have this! I heavily debated on buying this, even at the "good deal" that I was getting. The first time I tried it, I thought it was straight old lady Chanel No. 5. As it settled in, I was on the fence. Then I tried it again, and this time got a heavily sprayed tester card to put in my car. That sold me. It was just so wonderful that I had that "Okay, I get it" moment. NO regrets buying this! Haters of this often likely can't afford it, want to talk it down, and probably go into smelling it without an objective nose. If you appreciate nicer things, you're going to appreciate this; it smells expensive without a doubt, even if the scent isn't quite your cup of tea. This is a scent for a dapper gentleman, which I like to pretend to be. This pairs perfectly with my finest suit, and it adds that perfect next level to stand out. It's the perfect amount of floral that ties in so nicely with the woody notes. Then there's just a hint of powder that tickles the nose to make this smooth--almost as if it's a bridge in the middle to join the floral and woody notes. It just keeps getting better all day. This is my confidence fragrance, which every man needs. Putting this on makes me feel like I need to be stepping into a Ferrari driving into London to broker a large contract, not a Jeep Cherokee heading into Jackson, Mississippi. You come to like the opening, which is granted a tiny bit old lady, but that phase only lasts about 10-40 minutes or so. Then it's just the most heavenly cloud of luxurious woody notes with a masculine floral. It's not sharp; it's suave. I don't think anyone could say it stinks. There may be a few people who don't like it, but you won't get anyone who just plain turns his or her nose up at you--or covers it. You only need a VERY small amount. I spray around a half spray on the wrist and behind the ear, and I'm good for the day. This is very potent and intoxicating stuff. It's good year round I think, but it's going to shine best in any season but Summer. Don't get me wrong, I still have worn it a lot this Summer without regret and have loved it, but it's probably going to be even better when the temperature drops. Longevity is incredible, usually 10-12 hours or longer--often longer. It gets closer to the skin after about 6 hours, and really becomes closer to a skin scent after about 8 or so. I've only had this for the hot and humid MS summer, so I can't comment fully on performance yet since my skin eats perfume when it's hot. However, it's performed very well for the conditions. Is this full bottle worthy? I think so. At $850? If you have the money and appreciate finer things enough and have run out of other fragrances that don't have you bored, then yes. Would I buy it at $850? No, I honestly wouldn't. Clive Christian directly sells a 10 mL for $95; I'll get that if I ever run out. I think that's not an awful price for this fragrance--especially since you must use it sparingly. I never want to be without this one again! 10/10 scent--very unique, 10/10 longevity, 10/10 sillage--very engulfing.

The composition opens with a hesperidic burst utilizing bergamot, lime, and Sicilian mandarin, which are gently mixed with spices of cardamom, nutmeg, caraway, and artemisia. The opening is certainly robust, and dare I say cloying and somewhat off putting initially. Heady florals dominate the second phase of Clive Christian's 'No. 1'. Muguet, rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, iris and heliotrope create a floral bouquet which initially rings very feminine for a male branded fragrance. Within this floral accord it is the exotic and indolent ylang-ylang which pierces through most prominently. Its searing yellow-floral scent is tamed by the powdery heliotrope and iris. In the base cedar, sandalwood, vetiver, amber, tonka bean and vanilla create a warm, sensuality. One is still able to notice the proceeding sweet florals, yet their femininity has been subdued by the musky, woody basenotes. It is here that the fragrance is at its most captivating. For me, Clive Christian's 'No. 1' is all about contradictions. Here is a masculine fragrance utilizing an abundance of feminine florals. It is at once fresh and hesperidic, and then rich and oriental. Initially clean, powdery and later somewhat dirty and indolic. Unabashedly luxurious and original, I am hard pressed to compare 'No. 1' to any previously experienced fragrance of recent memory. Both elegant and refined, this composition seems perfect to be worn for a special and/or formal occasion. Its sillage, projection, and longevity are superb upon initial application, becoming average after one hour into the dry down. Due to its over reliance of floral heart notes, this can easily be considered unisex and worn by women. Many men may find it too feminine to personally own. I must admit my first reaction to smelling 'No. 1' was not a pleasant one. I found the overly harsh and cloying citrus, floral opening to be garish and obtrusive. With patience, the fragrance magically transformed itself into something quite beautiful after 30-60 minutes. I've learned to never again judge another scent based upon the initial few seconds after it being sprayed. Certainly it must live and breathe upon the skin first, allowing its full splendor to unfurl itself for our senses to adequately behold in its finest. Read my complete in depth review at my personal fragrance blog

“Clive Christian No.1 For Men” Since 1965 Sene... evet, tam anlamıyla 1970’ler. 40 yaş üstü bir beyefendisiniz. Nasıl ifade edeceğimi düşünürken aklıma şu geliyor: 1970 yılında, 40 yaşında, aşırı zengin bir iş insanısınız. Ancak bu adam yalnızca işkolik değil; aynı zamanda farklı, neredeyse hayali bir “okula” gidiyor. Evet, bir okula... Ama bildiğimiz türden değil. Bu, bir centilmenler okulu. Size “nasıl daha iyi bir beyefendi olunur?” sorusunun cevabı öğretiliyor. Hem teorik hem de fiziksel, adeta teatral bir anlatımla... Bir duruş, bir bakış, bir hareket nasıl olmalı; hepsi ince ince işleniyor. Bu adam artık bir aile babası olmuş. Ama spor salonuna gitmek yerine bu okula gitmiş biri. Ne demek istediğimi çok net anladınız. İşte bu parfüm tam olarak böyle bir karakteri yansıtıyor. Oldukça yumuşak ama aynı zamanda güçlü bir yayılıma sahip. Baştan sona kadar hissedilen o pudramsı dokunuş hiç kaybolmuyor. Açılışta ferah narenciyelerle başlıyor; zamanla yumuşak sandal ağacı ve miskle derinleşerek kapanıyor. Zarif, kontrollü ve olgun bir erkek parfümü. Ama kesin çizgilerle sınırlı değil; kadınlar da rahatlıkla kullanabilir. . . . The year... yes, exactly the 1970s. You are a gentleman over 40. Let me put it this way: in 1970, you are a 40-year-old, extremely wealthy businessman. But this man is not only a workaholic; he also attends a different kind of “school.” Yes, a school... but not an ordinary one. This is a school for gentlemen. It teaches you how to become a true gentleman—through both theory and almost theatrical, physical demonstrations. Every detail is refined: posture, взгляд, movement... everything is carefully crafted. This man has become a family father. But instead of going to the gym, he chose to attend this school. You understand exactly what I mean. This fragrance reflects precisely that character. It is very smooth, yet it has a strong projection. That powdery texture is present from beginning to end. It opens with fresh citrus notes, then gradually softens into sandalwood and musk. Elegant, controlled, and mature—a true masculine fragrance. But not strictly limited to men; women can absolutely wear it as well. 10/7.4

Absolute love at first sniff. Damn it, why do I always really like the expensive ones? No. 1 has a combination of some of my favorite notes in perfumery resulting in a unique, powdery, creamy, woody, floral, clean soapy musk. It is a wonderful example of a powdery accord done well, a slight nod to perfumes from the past, buttery iris, heliotrope for an almost almondy/nutty effect, and creamy, soapy sandalwood. Can’t stop sniffing myself. Just like Roja Dove’s Roja Haute Luxe, this literally made my eyes physically roll into the back of my head the moment I first sprayed it onto my skin. Hedonistic, kaleidoscopic. Much more complex than it appears upon first encounter, incredibly well blended. I opened a door to go outside about an hour after that first spray and the air rushing out and around me brought the fragrance up to my nose in whiffs of pure anosmic ecstasy, slightly different than what i experience when i put my nose straight up to my skin, so I know this must smell lovely to others in the air. And if not, that’s okay, because I absolutely am infatuated with this stuff, and I wouldn’t care if it makes others happy or not, because it makes me happy. 50ml for $700 is quite expensive, but you can grab 10ml in the $300 traveler set, which comes out to $100 for 10ml. That’s a little better value per ml if you want a small bottle, which is funny because usually with most houses and designers you usually pay more per ml for their smaller bottles. If you think this smells feminine due to the florals, or “grandmotherly” due to the powder, I don’t know what else to tell you. To me, it’s incredibly smooth, modern, clean, fresh, airy, creamy, rich, and woody, and sweet but not that typical cotton candy sweetness. It doesn’t even slightly resemble the type of perfumes (chypres, animalics, rose heavy florals) that usually get that association from younger or naive noses. God tier superb... 10/10.

I can truly understand the hate/love relationship that people seem to have for Clive Christian No.1 for men. I used to be one of those haters but now I'm lover. I don't know whether it's because my senses have changed or maybe it's that I never gave this scent a chance. Personally, I think this scent is misunderstood and it needs to be worn in a certain way. If your reviews/opinions on this scent are based on the first 10 minutes of its development, then you're not going to be satisfied. If you wear this on a cold, winter day, or evening, then you're probably not going to experience the pinnacle of its peak. It is true, that the opening of this scent does resemble an "old grandma perfume". This scent is expensive "ridiculously overpriced". I think because these tend to be two of the most common reviews about No.1, it turns people off. With preconceived perceptions such as those, you're almost guaranteed to dislike it before you've even given it a chance. I'm not going to give you a breakdown of how this smells to me. A scent like this needs to be experienced. The best information I can provide you with is to buy a 1ml sample and try it on during the warm summer months or in warmer hemispheres/climates. I've had women who have smelled this on a test strip and found it to be absolutely repulsing and I've also had the very same women smell it on me and have commented "OMG what are you wearing, you smell amazing". Like I said get a sample... Pick a hot day or a tropical environment and wear it. I suggest applying it sparingly because too much will be a little over powering to the wearer. I would say this scent is more fitting for men ages 30-50. Give it a chance. Don't be distracted by its price or the first 10 mins of applying.