Welcome to my very first fragrance review. I hope to get better at describing smells, which is challenging when the terms I typically use are “smells good” or “smells gross.”
At $550 a bottle, I expected the packaging to be top-notch, and Mr. Clive Christian did not disappoint. This perfume comes in a solid black box that is lined with black velvet and magnetically shuts close. I didn’t worry about it spilling or the bottle getting damaged on our way back from LA because this box is STURDY.
After being so impressed with the box, you can imagine how dazzled I was when I laid eyes on the bottle. I love a little rock and roll moment, and this bottle screams rock royalty. The perfume comes in a squared matte black bottle with red and gold letters, and the stopper is a matte black crown (gasp). Having known absolutely nothing about this brand, I thought the crown stoppers were such a cool touch.
This unisex fragrance has top notes of bergamot, tarocco orange, and mandarin. I don’t know what it is about bergamot and sandalwood, but I am attracted to them like bees to honey. As I continue the fragrance series, you will note that a lot of the perfumes I’ve purchased and am obsessed with have bergamot and/or sandalwood in them. The middle notes are lavender, rock rose, and geranium. The base notes are sandalwood, saffron, and cedarwood.
The Clive Christian website describes Rock Rose as a leather fougère fragrance and provides an interesting summary of what a fougère fragrance is and when it was created. According to the website, a fougère fragrance describes a family of fragrances that includes flora, oriental, woody, chypre, gourmand, fruity, and citrus scents. The article also mentions that when a fragrance is referred to as a “leather fougère” it means that the core of the fragrance is fougère and the secondary accent is leather. It’s interesting to read how all these ingredients are involved in making one fragrance.
As I mentioned, this fragrance is unisex (meaning my partner and I can both wear it, which might justify the expense). It smells classy, expensive, sophisticated, and sultry—full of well-balanced and high-quality ingredients. I wouldn’t say it’s an everyday fragrance—it’s more of a fragrance for a fancy dinner or a romantic night out. Even a more mellow night out with friends could work well with this fragrance.
Personally, I like to wear warm aromas in the colder months and fresh and clean in the hotter months. This fragrance is one that I like to wear in the fall and winter months, as I feel like that’s when it smells the best on my skin. This fragrance does become less potent as time goes on, but it still lingers for several hours. I find myself catching whiffs of it after a while and thinking—man, I smell GOOD! This fragrance is definitely worth the price and is an excellent addition to any perfume collection, especially for the coming months.
Noble Collection; Queen Anne; Noble VII Rock Rose.
Maggio Studio 