With the first spray, a bright and very peppery freshness unfolds, immediately accompanied by ginger with a certain sharpness. Almost instantly, green cardamom spice follows, which is the core theme of the fragrance. I find this very special and I can't recall a comparable opening.
The fullness of the jasmine smells very soft, not overpowering and not indolic. There is also something warm and floral, very delicate and subtle, but I can't quite identify it. I really like the beautifully dry iris root, as it comes across as not sweet, powdery, or lipstick-like at all compared to iris fragrances like DIOR HOMME INTENSE. The often tricky cinnamon also appears here dry and unsweetened - yes, I can tolerate it this way.
The base feels like the perfect embrace: gentle yet firm, with a slightly mossy and more woody warmth & spice. Perhaps minimally vanilla-tinged, as suggested by the fragrance pyramid, but for me still without sweetness; rather with a kind of balsamic sweetness. This comes across as cedar-structured and tidy. Vetiver appears over time and I like it as a fixing base note - how could it be otherwise - naturally excellent, even if it is not the main actor here.
Although I sprayed the fragrance almost untested on my wrist and then exposed myself to other people for several hours - at seated events in enclosed spaces, one can easily check the nerve factor of a perfume - the class of the fragrance surprised me once again. Although always present, X had no ambitions to flood the room or overly disturb the neighbors. I have subjected my surroundings to quite different test candidates...
A little anecdote on the side: a few days later, I coincidentally read a theater review in RBB about the premiere, and I particularly noticed this sentence:
"Men wear suits and women silk scarves with their jackets, most guests are of senior age" and then THE sentence: "In the rows of seats, it smells of expensive perfume."
THAT WAS ME, THAT WAS ME!! I swear, Alta!
I could of course perceive a few other fragrances before and during the break in the foyer, but I actually found mine the most beautiful. Haha. And regarding the "senior age," you just narrowly missed the mark, Mr. Editor....
Final consideration:
one can certainly complain about the brand CLIVE CHRISTIAN and chuckle at the somewhat heavy-handed orientation and pricing (gold crown on the bottle... well....) But on the one hand, other popular brands do similar things & are at least equally successful, moving within the same price range.
On the other hand, one simply cannot deny CC the truly high quality, and that is what ultimately counts. You expect a lot... and ultimately, you also receive it. Additionally, there is the understatement of most fragrances; because the brutality with which other labels present themselves to confuse, ahem, impress a young and more influencer-affine audience is thankfully nowhere to be found here.
Who can wear this fragrance now?
I see it more on men than on women, although that is known to be very subjective. A certain maturity and life experience could also go well with X. For the prom, uninhibited flirting, or a wild party night, I would probably reach for something else.
I am really happy with the two recently tested fragrances from the house and would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the unnamed fragrance donor here!
..."you can really test the nerve factor of a perfume at seated events in enclosed spaces"... I think that's great, as long as it's not necessarily in a restaurant ;-)
Very nice description, and I can definitely confirm that embrace. You’re only as old as you feel 😉. By the way, since we’re on the topic, happy 10th Community Birthday to you 🎂!
And at least they smelled good, the seniors, and it didn't smell like old man or old woman 😅.