No. 1 for Women Clive Christian 2001

This is labelled "the most expensive perfume in the world"! Is it worth all the money you have to cash out for it? My husband gave this to me for my birthday and I had a chance of indulging in a blind test before getting the actual present. I wore "Clive Christian No. 1" for an entire day without any bias, without even knowing if it was French, English, Italian - and I immensely enjoyed it from the very first minute I sprayed it on. It smells lush, opulent and grand. Your nose will tell you that it is made from top ingredients. It's a gorgeous woody floral with an ultra-elegant, beautiful vibe to it. Not very innovative or modern, but a great perfume in the classic mould. Nevetheless, over-priced.

CLIVE CHRISTIAN
No 1 Feminine (2001)

One of my perfumes which has a very special place in my heart. Something which I was dreaming of but never mentioned it to my husband. And just one day he came home from his trip to Italy and he gave me this as a souvenir.

I remember when trying this for the first time a long time ago. My first impression was “hell no, what is this”, the blend was so unfamiliar. Later I found myself spraying the little vial and sniffing myself continuously.

This is one of those vintage style perfumes which has a successful yet totally unique scent profile. It’s glamorous, rich and very complex. It’s charmingly soapy and it’s powdery but it’s as well woody and even fruity but not in the way than the fruits are mostly performing. There is a rich floral heart of Iris, Osmanthus, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Carnation, Rose and Orchid. The whole mix opens up with fruits including many of my favorites - Plum, Peach, Apricot and Mandarin (+ Mirabelle, Lemon)- with a spicy kick from Pimento and Cardamom. But those fruits are not juicy fresh joyful ones, they are so refined, luxurious and classy fruits, a little bit dusty and melancholy ones (in the nice way). They are like that ancient painting of fruits with dark yet faded colors. All those flowers and fruits are laying in the bed of Vanilla, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Cedar and Tonka beans. And again it’s not how it sounds - not sweet, not Vanilla like. It’s creamy and soft though.

This perfume is not only special because of how I got it. It’s very special as a blend and it’s not anything like Chanel No 5 or Samsara (I love those both) or any other vintage scent. Just wanted to mention since some seem to find it similar with those which I absolutely can’t understand. Special is as well the formula which has remained unchanged.

I highly recommend this one for everyone who love vintage or vintage style scents. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked my review and it was helpful.

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This is a good perfume but there are better and I have better....it is certainly not worth it's price...But overall a good perfume .
Edit
this has so grown on me that I just bought a back up bottle of 50 ml, I really like it a lot now....and more one does not smell it often on others, it has a kind of uniqueness .'.

A fruity, warm, sweet, and lightly spiced opening gradually softens into a gorgeous powdery phase that feels smooth and effortlessly refined. As it settles, the fragrance reveals a truly beautiful character—elegant, understated, and quietly captivating in a way that makes it easy to imagine as a signature scent. It maintains a balanced presence with moderate sillage and longevity, offering enough staying power to be appreciated without ever becoming intrusive.

I had to be frugal, very frugal.
It contained only a tiny drop, the sprayer, a tiny drop of that financially precious liquid that should not be wasted, should not evaporate in the passage of time between arrival and the test.
I had waited a long time for the right moment, the exclusive moment that was worthy of her, that was worth wearing her, Clive Christian's No. 1, which - so it was said - was unparalleled.
Velvet and silk would be her frame, I thought, a flowing robe at least, or the Armani blazer.
I wore a black polo shirt and jeans from a gray era.
Casual wear, workwear - not too shabby, not too fancy.

She was by my side in difficult conversations, she held a toddler on her lap with me.
She stood with me in front of students and in the evening in the kitchen, sat with me on the sofa, embraced my loved one.
She was gentle and friendly, almost cheerful, everything loud and ordinary was foreign to her.
Warm, ripe fruits, no longer plump, sun-soaked.
A bouquet from the garden, fully bloomed, already a bit wilted.
Rich and dense and transparent.
Unpretentious, calm, confident - a little also fallen out of time.
An old Guerlain, Balmain, Chanel too - I would have believed it.
A bit of "Shem-el-Nessim," a lot of understatement.
Warmth of heart, education of heart, far from any arrogance.
Silver strands, a halo around warm, alert eyes.
In twenty years, I would like to be her.

It doesn't matter how I wear the "No. 1."
It demands little from me - no grand frame, no expensive clothes, certainly no bling-bling.
That is not her, that is not me.
This fragrance with the rather uninspired name is like a good friend, a bit older, a bit more established, who never annoys, never imposes, with whom I feel good by my side.
It may be due to the small dose I wore each time that no heads turned, no remarks were made.
Yet one or two hugs lasted longer, a small child's head stayed close to my neck.
Effortless well-being, unforced elegance.
Lovely, worth wearing - certainly.
However, with my bank balance, not my number one.