V for Men Amber Fougere With Smoky Vetiver

Rugged, confident, unfazed, unapologetically masculine, yet sophisticated, old-fashioned and gentlemanly in the same breath. It's something I only bought for myself recently and yet I find myself wearing so often. The scent profile is addictive. It's complex, invoking both vintage and modern tastes, suiting and any type of setting. Layers of resins, like rich elemi and deep amber, make the fragrance warm and inviting, but in a zestier way than, for example, Grand Soir (in other words, the resins lean much smokier and spicier as opposed to sweet and vanillic here). The scent profile is then entirely brightened with fresh pepper and vetiver accords, lending a fresh aspect, yet overall the vibe is still blatantly warming, spicy and ambery. I'd actually argue that, because of the multitude of shared notes, V is, in my opinion, essentially the winter version of Elysium by Roja. I do have to note, here, that just because V is a "cold-weather" fragrance, this is in absolutely no way sweet, honeyed, vanilla, tobacco, oud, or any of the classic winter notes that we know and love. At the most, it's vaguely leathery. It's actually a complete 180o from what I normally like to wear in the cooler months. BUT, I do adore it for what it is. And if you like this fragrance but wish it had a sugary aspect to it, I find that it smells divine when layered with certain fig fragrances, such as Gris Charnel or Figuier Eden from Armani. I have yet to try layering with my more vanilla-centered fragrances (Black Tie, Althair, etc.) but I'm willing to bet that the combination there would be delectable as well. Performance-wise, it's not a MAJOR projector, as I think Clive Christian intended to create a more subtle sillage, but it lasts decently long, up to 6-8 hours. I would go moderate with the sprays, perhaps even milder in an office setting, but trust me when I say this fragrance is not offensive at all. It may be rough around the edges in its vibe, at least in occasional parts of its development, but it wouldn't really cause anyone to go dizzy or anything like that. One aspect I appreciate about this fragrance is its versatility. I could see myself using this equally as well on a cool, crisp day at work, as I could for an evening soiree at some Baroque chateau around Paris. It just screams signature, and I think if one were to look for a signature, one-shot fragrance on the higher end (though I don't recommend this), V is a great contender. Overall, V was a beautiful introduction for me to the Clive Christian collection. I was reluctant to try any fragrance from this brand because of how old-school they were known to be, and actively avoided it after the one and only fragrance I've previously (and briefly) tried from them smelled like somebody's dead grandfather. I used to even question what certain celebrities who were known to use Clive Christian, such as Drake, were even thinking. But over time, I've come to appreciate vintage, timeless classics, and while not every fragrance is a hit for me, I feel that I can finally understand the craft behind it, at the very least. Now, I am ready to explore Clive Christian even further, and hopefully find even more hidden gems along the way.

The first time I wore this I received an unsolicited compliment from a woman in her late 20's - early 30's. She liked it so much she asked me what the name was and of course I told her Clive Christian V for men. There is a lot going on during the initial application. You get a nice rich pepper with a slight hint of fruitiness in the opening. After the opening the spices and resins present themselves which adds to the complexity of the composition. Later on it settles into a deep rich amber accord with hints of smoke and vetiver. It lasts for several hours and you only need two or three sprays. Highly recommended but if you can try before you buy since the pepper is quite strong and may be off-putting to some people.

I was undecided on V until I tried it on a hot, dry summer day... then I went and got a bottle. It will probably last me a long time, though. There's a business quality to this scent so it pairs well with formal occasions. It feels sober, masculine and definitely mature. There's no playfulness whatsoever. It opens peppery and citrusy then it goes for a well-behaved, mass market appeal dry down. As such, it will garner compliments. It performs acceptably, though perhaps a bit too moderately for the segment. I think most people will like it, but not "love" it. It's probably been done before and at a better price point.

this is the best smoky amber scent that i tried after testing hundred of niches . versatile for all seasons and occasions , to the point it became my signature scent as you mature you are more leaning towards green fougerees fragrances, this one isnt challenging at all, suitable as a entry niche fougerees opening is a blast of pepper, it tones down in seconds revealing a airy sweet amber smoky aroma that lingers in the air for hours, the overall scent reminds me of chrysanthemum tea

I really enjoy every second of this scent, its telling its own story and getting more beautiful as it develops. The vetiver and incense are very smooth and creamy, at the very end it kind of reminded me of Gucci Pour Homme 2, that's how smooth it becomes. 10/10 for this beautiful masterpiece

Love the DNA of this fragrance. A but too much black pepper in the opening. but once it calms down, the dry down of ambary resinous vetiver is just amazing. Mature & masculine. Makes you smell like a BOSS.

This one is gorgeous! You ca pick up the smokey tar qualities but it doesn't dominate because it is sweetened perfectly. Gosh, it's expensive though.

One of the best incense parfume, with the Armani bois d'encense are the 'must' to have for an encense lover...

I thought I was to get rid of this bottle. Then I received a sample pack reminding me how people are cruel about Clive Christian and also reminding me how CC is also overpriced. Anyway, I kept coming back to a particular sample - this one - not able to make up my mind whether I liked it or not but still I kept coming back. Then I realised I actually owned it!!!!! Well, I dunno, it’s a bit strange. One minute it’s woody, the next ambery, the next earthy and maybe the next gourmand. Well, like all CC I’m drawn to the brand despite its price and varying performance in longevity because it’s regardless such high quality oils... The initial wood shaving burst, turns vinegary, then 5 minutes later softens revealing what is for the most part the remainder of the long drydown. A woody (slightly reminding me of pencil shavings) slightly smoky slightly dark amber with a whiff of black peppercorn. I can kinda find some Vetiver in there but as far as bergamot it’s a low key player somewhere in the nose to skin sniff otherwise it would explain the vinegary opening. Again, a strange one, I think more of a personal scent not really one for wearing to impress but yeah I’m keeping the bottle...

I don't know how I feel about this one, I've been wearing it all day from a sample box I received at Saks, and I liked it when I smelled it in store better (perhaps it was the older bottle?) For me, this has a lot of elements that I really enjoy; blackpepper, olibanum, smoke, bergamot....but it tends to lean more towards smokey vetiver (as the name implies) and I'm not sure I like that aspect of it. It almost has a cannabis vibe to it, but not so much so that others would notice it...but if you smell really deep and long you can get a freshly smoked cannabis vibe from it (I'm guessing that's the smokey vetiver) I will say that it's a pretty easy to wear fragrance, you can smell the notes in there and longevity is good (I'm on 6 hours right now and it's good but sillage is medium at best. However, I was rather conservative with my little sample vial as this is expensive and I kind of want it to last. Anyhow, it's definitely a different scent and I can't really say I've smelled much that smells like it so far...so it's nice if you want something different, and dark, and a little mysterious.

The name gives away everything there is to know about the fragrance. V Amber Fougere is yet another fougère fragrance from Clive Christian and, like the others, it's also nice. In the air you get a classic citrusy and aromatic fougère scent with a slight pepperiness, but on skin you detect the smokey, almost ashy vetiver mixed with a nicely done frankincense that makes me think of a church. There isn't much to this scent, however, and from Clive Christians fougères it's my least favorite one. Performance was underwhelming but I couldn't spray on adequate amounts off my sample as its atomizer wasn't working well. Projection was moderate to weak for about an hour, sillage was light and longevity was maybe 6 hours at best. I'm sure that it would have performed better if I had been able to spray it on in the same amounts as all the other Clive Christians I tried before it.

Got this as a free sample from a fragbuy order. In the first five minutes, you’re blasted with black pepper, it’s almost unpleasant. It’s kind of ambery, but it’s hard to place any of the other notes. After this harsh opening, the vetiver and frankincense come out of hiding, and blend beautifully with the pepper. You’re left with this faintly sweet, ambery, smoky vetiver. A mature scent perfect for spring and fall, very usable in the heat if you’re light on the sprays. Very versatile, but I imagine someone dressed formally when I smell it. The pepper adds spiciness, but the frankincense and vetiver are the stars of this scent. I imagine the faint sweetness comes from bergamot, but I’m not detecting the note itself. Amazing if you want something for formal occasions (but is also versatile,) or if you’re just looking for a spicy spring/fall scent.

This is more like an oriental to me. The vetiver is nowhere near smoky, or strong. It is more like a smooth, woody background rather than a distinctive vetiver scent. I get a syrupy-amber, woody, fresh scent which works and, in fact, is extremely smooth and ridiculously sensual. For being a syrupy-oriental (fougere as it claims) with the "smoky vetiver" note, Clive Christian executes the unbelievable balance of heavy vs fresh and it creates a gratifying juice. As I said before, it's very sensual and smooth. This can easily be an everyday casual fragrance and I know for a fact this will garner compliments. Heavy, syrupy, yet light and airy fresh. Really great high-quality everyday driver. Good stuff, CC!

I agree with below, simple and high quality for discerning people. Incense, pepper on an ambery base freshened up with Vetiver and citrus. A bit old school, poor performance though for the price compared to say Xerjoff, Parfums de Marly etc but this is not their style of course. I received 12 samples and whilst CC has my respect it hasn’t won me for the price especially when I prefer Comme Des Garçon 2 Man which is slightly more modern and cheaper.

I own and wear most of Clive Christians fragrances. I like the V fragrances in the winter only. This is a heaviest scented cologne I own. The original V fragrance was more spicy or peppery. The initial spray is strong but the dry down is very warm and pleasant. You only need a couple of sprays. Again I would recommend that you consider V for your coldest winter days and evenings.

This is nowhere near the masculine velocity of the original (no longer a pepper-frankincense bomb), and as the name suggests, it's vetiver centric (with only a hint of the original). The entire line has been redone to cater to the "commercial customers who have too much money"; some of you might think this is more balanced and wearable, but to me it just smells cheaper...

Again, not what I'd call fantastic. This brand has two major loves from me, and this isn't one of them. There's a lot of vetiver, and it is smoky. There's lavender and it's nice. Is it worth the price of admission? Again, no. Pass. Boring and uneventful.

Reminds me of cardboard. Put your nose on cardboard, inhale deeply - that's it. Harness that scent profile, liquify it, place it in a bottle and apply - you'll smell like cardboard. Not bad - just what it is.

Really really masculine. Like the scent itself, heavier version of TF FDA. Smoky, barbershop. Wouldn’t wear until I’m 40.

Amber fougere to me, would have been better named as Oriental Fougere - I don’t get much amber from it. It opens refreshingly pleasant with bergamot and lavender, providing that typical fougere element, before a large array of pepper joins in: white, black and pink pepper stimulate the senses significantly. It’s from here that a sweet, resinous freshness creeps in coming from the elemi and frankincense, leading way to a very polite vetiver and touch of incense. Unfortunately I don’t get much more from this scent, before it soon dies down on the skin. This is a pleasant enough fragrance, however I find it to be rather mediocre overall. It’s incredibly overpriced for what you’re getting - it’s very gentle on the skin in my opinion and doesn’t have much character to it. It’s simply a fairly simple and mass appealing pepper affair with fougere qualities to it.

It is fine. Potent pepper! Will I wear it, sure....am I happy I blind bought a full bottle....No! 6.3/10

Think Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan but *much drier, virtually no sweetness at the start or for a hour at all and an unapologetic blast of pepper and sawdust. Not a nice citric, zesty Tellicherry like 'fruity' pepper - this is austere and woody and dry to the max. For my Ultra-sweet tooth this was a big no no and a far worse proposition than the already spicy Serge but I find that much more refined ,richer, ambery and even a touch of sweetness at the start that makes near all the difference. Not forgetting - all for over $100 less than the Clive! My rating: 4/10.

Ultra masculine amber fragrance. Opening is interesting, but the rest of the development rather dull and unexciting. Even mainstream. This is what a leather jacket-motorcycle rider- wanna be macho man- dude smells like, in the most ordinary and predictable way possible. It's crazy what they charge for this. No me gusta. 5/10

The opening reminds me of a spicy, peppery designer blue fragrance. It later transitions to a smoky, rooty vetiver dry-down. Not a fan.

#36 review Not get positive to my nose. Just nothing above mid in every kind of thing. Fortunately just sample. My rate 4/10

Very very very black pepper. This should definitely be called Black Pepper with Amber or something to that effect. At least on my skin, that is the note that screams out above everything else and is by far the star of the show. I haven't given it a full wear yet but it's pretty good! The atomizer is wimpy and it's not especially potent so I feel like it's one you need to spray a little bit liberally. $400+ for this is asinine but I got it in a swap so I'm happy with it. Edit a few months on: I still think the price is too high (much like most Clive Christian when looking at the ratio of price to what you get) but I would upgrade this from a "like" to a "really like". The performance is great - projects for maybe 3-4 hours but I'm nearly at the end of a 12 hour shift and I can still distinctly smell it on skin. That uber-peppery opening is actually really nice, and then it dries into a smoky amber with just the right touch of vetiver - nothing that makes it feel overly herbal or dry. Perfect office/daily scent.

Vetiver / peppery fragrance; starts off with a light bergamot top note that quickly volatilized and leaves behind a smokey ambery base. Like with most Clive's the oils are of high concentration and quality. I'd pull for Encre Noir A L'extreme over this bottle however (which is similar but not the exact same, Encre Noir is much dirtier and lacking the frankincense; however the quality is similar and Lalique is one 10th of the price per ml). Overall, the Olibanum gives the vetiver base a slightly brighter, more feminine scent than that of Encre Noir A L'extreme. Not very intense vetiver, it leans more towards frankincense bergamot.

Fan freakin tastic. Not too much vetiver at all. Even moderate doses of vetiver clear a room on my skin. The olibanum is the star here. This is a resinous fougere. The opening reminds me of boundless minus the vanilla. And the dry down gives you a damp wood scent from the vetiver. Longevity and projection are stellar but this smells very natural. Clive Christian really does do a good job and putting high quality ingredients in their products. None of them are worth retail though, but what you pay at discounters is usually well worth it IMO. This is one of the cheaper ones I’ve seen. To me it’s FBW.

Starts off very promising, but to my nose there is little to no amber, as the vetiver takes over and simply dominates. Thing is, it is a fantastic sweet, airy vetiver, and it has great lasting power. I just wanted there to be a warming amber in there somewhere as advertised, but alas... if it is there then it is fleeting. I have received several compliments whilst wearing this, but I have several other vetiver fragrances that receive equal attention, and some are a lot cheaper. Clive Christian has some hits and misses in this extended range. This one however is simply middling in my opinion.

Sensational Olibanum, Vetiver opening, say that because it's kept special and not crossing the boarder on the bitters, not relying on citrus neither. Smooth, got the wattery Earth, no smoke, not a Pepper heavy. For sure an indoors fragrance, shut them scenarioes down with this. Bit of sillage but too much of a general settle on the -1°C outdoors walk rather than that perfect heavy Vetivers parfums ballance. It's a Clive, so one will get the big time lively up skin scent and dry down.

Pretty amazing fragrance, I only had it as a sample, but I give it a full wear. 100% cold weather scent. Classy, Sexy, and really masculine, and not a safe blind buy. 9/10 because of the price. I just picked up Khadlaj's Creation De Reve (which is about 30$) and it smells close, or at least its reminicent of this. Definietly try it, if you love this one, and searching for a more affordable alternative.

This is a great amber fragrance. Nice twist with a smokey vetiver which becomes incense-like. The opening feel really dry due to the black peppercorn. Never been a huge fan of peppercorn in perfume but this one actually succeed, since it's combined with other "dry" notes. I would categorise this perfume as quite masculine that fits both for special occasions and could also be used as a daily driver.

I adore the opening and mid notes. But it seems to get stronger as the day wears on with a super Smokey Vetiver. It becomes too much for me and I tire of it quickly. It’s almost impossible to wash off as well. Learned my lesson to wear a few times before committing to an expensive full bottle. Should have started with a decant and not the I ital impression in the store.

Olibanum & black pepper... This is almost a direct olibanum blend! spicy and herbal with touches of vetiver, tiny sweet smoky amber, & hazy bergamot. I enjoyed this one the most. Quite beautiful indeed.

I got this first with a compliment of Noel 2017 promotion of Clive Christian with only 10ml. This fragrance smell very good. I got a lot of praise for this from female. So I decided to go for 50ml.

I regret buying a bottle of this its not bad but its way too simple nothing special here i get pepper some bergamot and in the drybdown just like some wood where u crushed black pepper on

Smells very much like Chanel's Egoiste Platinum but not as "sharp" in the opening. Luxurious barbershop once it has dried down, also reminds me strongly of MFK's Masculin Pluriel.

Like the updated C, very close to the original but not nearly as daring or bold. Now E is daring and bold. Garbage, but daring and bold. Why defang C and V?

An easy 10/10. It has a familiar sweetness in it but with none of the familiar cheap synthetics. It's like a wealthy rugged man's version of YSL Body Kouros

This is what a MAN wears. This is the smell of an adult man who leads his life as a full-fledged adult. Signature scent worthy.

The fougere scent appears strongly, followed by the scent of frankincense, pepper and creamy amber.

Black pepper. Im waiting patiently for it to change.