Clive Christian
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Elemi resin cracks open first with startling clarity, flanked by a zesty mandarin that feels almost green—the thyme and tea notes create an unexpectedly herbaceous, slightly bitter opening that's more akin to a botanical aperitif than a traditional cologne. Within minutes, lemon weaves through, adding a crisp counterpoint to the resinous warmth.
Raspberry surfaces briefly as a red, slightly tart flourish before the spice accord takes command—clove and cardamom bloom with considerable presence, whilst saffron introduces an earthy, almost peppery undertone that prevents the spices from becoming merely warm. The orris root settles beneath, contributing a subtle floral powder that humanises the composition's growing intensity, and cistus adds a labdanum-like rockiness that feels genuinely mineral.
Oud and frankincense emerge as the true protagonists, their resinous marriage creating an almost smoky, temple-like atmosphere that persists for hours. Leather becomes increasingly prominent without ever feeling sharp, anchored by cedar, gaiac wood, and tobacco leaf that collectively suggest aged cognac and well-worn saddle leather, whilst tonka bean and amber provide just enough sweetness to prevent the fragrance from becoming austere.
Clive Christian's C for Men is a fragrance that refuses sentimentality, instead offering a bracing collision of citrus brightness and forbidding depths. The opening presents elemi resin and mandarin as a sharp, almost medicinal prelude—there's a herbal snap courtesy of thyme and tea that prevents any sweetness from settling. But this is merely the anteroom to something far more intriguing: a spiced, leathered interior where cardamom and clove ignite against orris root's powdery restraint, whilst saffron adds a subtle, almost meaty richness that borders on unsettling.
What distinguishes C for Men from conventional masculine fragrances is its refusal to play the leather-and-tobacco safe game. Yes, those elements feature prominently in the base, but they're ensnared by frankincense and oud—a pairing that creates a resinous, almost ecclesiastical quality, as though you've stepped into a dimly lit antique dealer's shop where aged leather armchairs sit beneath gilt-edged religious icons. The amber and tonka bean arrive not as sweeteners but as warm, slightly sticky amplifiers that deepen the fragrance's complexity rather than lighten it.
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4.1/5 (492)