Clive Christian - No.1 For Women | Perfume Review |

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Clive Christian – No.1 for Women.


History:-

An American living in the UK who started corset-making business in 1840 in London, William Sparks Thompson, a name that is not known to many but plays a vital role in perfume history. It was a time when corsets were worn by every woman, even though it would lead to breathlessness, owing to which sometimes his clients would faint due to the tightness of the corsets. His son, a chemist, created their first fragrant product by adding lavender to salt and placing it in a beautiful green bottle with a stopper and named it, Crown Lavender Salt. Its application would help revive the fainting ladies. After attaining huge success with their salts there was no stopping for the Thompsons, the family started making more scents and scented products and quickly became one of the most sought-after perfume houses.

    

                  In 1872, Queen Victoria of England gave her blessings to the house and allowed them to use the image of her crown as their bottle’s cap. They enjoyed huge success in the fragrance world and had a large number of scents in their repertoire. William Spark Thompson passed away in 1907 which was a huge shock to the company and with World War I being fought simultaneously the company started to lose its grip and was eventually sold to Lever Brothers (Unilever) for $400,000 and after having used its resources Lever Brothers decided to shut the company completely in 1939.

In 1999, Clive Christian acquired the Crown Perfumery and brought it back to life, but not for too long, in 2019 Clive Christian Perfumes was acquired by Nichebox who also has Liquides Imaginaires in their portfolio. 


      

                        Clive Christian is a name that is very closely associated with unequaled quality and intricate packaging in the entire perfume industry. It is one of the most expensive perfume houses around the globe and most of the time they deliver for the money they charge. Since long before Clive Christian, they’ve been making fragrant products as a perfume house was acquired by an interior designer and the house has been renamed after him. Before being Clive Christian the house was called ‘The Crown Perfumery’. Clive Christian was also appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire  (OBE) in the 2012 New Year Honors for services to the luxury goods industry. No.1 Eau De Parfum for men and women were both launched in 2003 and pure parfum was launched in 2001. The perfumers were given the liberty of creating the most exquisite fragrances without worrying about the costs.

 

Notes:-

Top: - Apple, Peach, Pineapple, Plum, Cardamom, Bergamot, Paprika, Lemon.

Middle: - Ylang Ylang, Iris, Jasmine, Rose, Orchid, Carnation.

Base: - Sandalwood, Vanilla, Benzoin, Tonka Beans, Musk, Amber, Virgin Cedar


Fragrance:-

                        No.1 for women starts with a cloud of notes; the top here can be a little too strong and even offensive to some. Upon initial application the scent opens with a very fruity accord, mainly smelling of peach and plum. To add some spice to the top cardamom and paprika give it a fun-sized touch,  although cardamom here only adds some warmth to the fruity top. The one thing which is constant about this perfume is its persistent sophistication, which is expected if you’re paying that amount of money for the perfume. After repeated applications I realized I am not a fan of the top of this perfume, I enjoy it more after the fruity top has settled and the perfume then approaches the heart notes.

                        The heart of the perfume consists of several notes but my nose enjoys the most are Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, and Iris. Most fragrance aficionados are well acquainted with Jasmine, a white floral which is mighty in any concoction it’s added to. I’ve realized over the years that some notes are hard to understand and even harder to carry when you’re new to the fragrance world, Jasmine is one such note. The fruity top starts fading away and the heart of the perfume takes over making everything powdery and soft. In this perfume, Jasmine which plays a vital role in the middle shows its white floral facets more than the indolic touches. The notes here seem to be handpicked in a way that all of them scream lavish and royal. This part of the perfume is where one would love this fragrance for what it is, an opulent white juice in a golden bottle. Along with Jasmine, the other important notes are Iris and Ylang-Ylang. The first batch of Ylang-Ylang, its early morning extraction batch, makes the Ylang-Ylang a powdery and slightly narcotic. It is used in many perfumes to add some powdery or soft touches to a perfume usually at the heart of the perfume. There are hints of rose somewhere, not too present to my nose but it a part of the powdery heart.

                                 

                    The third most important note in the heart of the fragrance is Iris, a symbol of Royalty and Wisdom; it was used by the royals in powdered form. It is a note I’ve recently started loving and I enjoyed it very much here as well. There was a lot of confusion regarding the name, Iris and Orris. I used to think that they are the same thing, but I stand corrected. Iris is a very beautiful note, it has a floral top, some nuances of violets but its body is powdery and soft, one could say that it has some musky undertones in it.

               

                                                      The entire powdery structure of the perfumes rests beautifully on a sweet and calming combination of Sandalwood and Vanilla; both are very prominent in the dry down. The base accord isn’t packed with any surprises; it is only there to brace the middle notes. Tonka, benzoin, musk, amber, and cedar seem to be a part of an accord and used in very small quantities. This does not mean that the journey of the fragrance has come to an end, its middle is stronger than its base and hence it still smells beautiful and lingers on. 

                    Clive Christian - No.1 isn’t a fragrance you sniff from the cap; you’ve to wear it for a day, let it change as it does, and keep enjoying the whiffs that keep coming to your nose and reminding you how amazing you smell that very day. Once you understand the fragrance you would want to keep coming back to it. No.1 for Women might take its own time to open and present itself, it is by no means a shy perfume, and rather it’s egoistic, mysterious, and tempting all the same. 

 



Picture Source:- 

Ashwin V. (@ace._photography)

https://ashwinv.com

Saltscentandsociety.com

www.glassmessages.com 

 

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