C for Men Clive Christian 2010

Quality or status?

One must consider such a question before considering the name "Clive Christian". Have you ever looked at a Zegna suit and thought, they ought to drop the price? Or a pair of Valentino shoes for that matter? Yes, Tuscan Leather and "C" come quite close, almost meeting in the middle. However, there is no alternative to what you like because an alternative simply wouldn't be the same. You can't substitute preference. I found Tom Ford Tuscan Leather to be dry, linear and focused on the leather note. Clive Christian "C" to my nose was warmer and more complex, due to the spices and resins. They're both excellent fragrances, but what it boils down to is concentration and note preference. A classic case of Dior Homme Intense and L'Instant de Guerlain Extreme.

A complex pyramid of 30 notes. Upon entering it's
structure, each impression draws you in deeper.
Stunning from the start, with a charming and
masculine finish. Liquid confidence delivered in a
high concentration and remains with you as if it
were your shadow. Rich as velvet and staining to
the senses.

Initially, I would not even try Clive Christian because I knew I could never afford (or be willing to drop) so much money for a perfume. But, as often happens, a knowledgeable sales associate can entice one into doing just about anything.

That is how I discovered this whole range: a lady who really understood perfume walked me through each and every scent available with accompanying story, list of notes, history of the brand and layering experience. I walked away (which was hard to do) without a purchase but with a much bigger appreciation for this brand.

Out of all the smells I partook of that day, C was the most amazing. Yes, it is quite noticeable that there are many many ingredients in each composition. Yes, it is very apparent that they are top quality. And no, they do not clash but smooth out the perfectly-blended scent, some notes coming in and out, being replaced by others which will soon take a step back and allow new notes to emerge.

C is a work of art for me simply because I adore the notes and because as a man's perfume, it does not have that bitter orange, citrus, bergamot opening. The spices and wood are rich and deep but also totally unisex. While all the perfumes in the collection impressed me, C was the favorite by far.

I remember a beautiful frankincense, red wood, potent clove and a tiny hint of orange. I am not able to decipher the multitude of other notes. Suffice it to say I would gladly own and use the very expensive C in the future.

C for Men opens on skin with a transient hint of rose and jasmine before a rubbery petrol-like oud and leather base note tandem rises up and dominates the scent from the early heart there-on-out with the jasmine as background support. The scent is extremely linear and keeps the rubbery leather accord through the end. Projection is average, while longevity is excellent.

C for Men is a very nice leathery oud scent to be sure, but despite what appears to be a laundry list of ingredients, I confess I pretty much get jasmine, leather and oud with just the faintest rose, nothing more, nothing less. The scent is much more polite than you would think given its co-stars and the oud is only ever so slightly sweet from possibly the inclusion of tonka bean and amber in the composition. That said, there really isn't a lot of complexity here and at the absolutely scandalous price C for Men is being hawked I expected more than what it delivered. C for Men gets a very good 3.5 stars out of 5 for the scent, but if you are looking for a relatively pleasant leather scent you can find any number of strong candidates available for a quarter of the price of C for Men. Skip this puppy unless money is burning a hole in your pocket.

Quite the opening with the spicy saffron flanked by the resins and balsamic notes, and of course the leather, which does take center stage through the development on skin.
An objectively dark fragrance, that fortunately doesn't veer into into the smoke/animalitic territory through clever use of the balsamic notes.
Longevity is excellent and so is projection - wearing this is a statement, and you will be associated with this scent

More and more perfect somber that C Woody Leather With Oudh Intense, I guess needs a while to work with PH, months, did the misty warm 7°C 45 mins outdoors and indoors and don't get none of the multiple times previously overactivated florals almost completly dimming out the Leather. Extrait like behaviour on 2 puffs, It's a grabber but it's a Clive, and in the top few for Leather enthusiasts. As far as the Oud in this, forget about it, class and realness through the roof.