Clive Christian + No.1 Perfume

Scents and Sensibility 

Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Historically, royalty and rich aromas go together. The launch of the Clive Christian Perfume House in 1999 heralded the return of luxury perfume to the world stage. As custodian of a British perfumery first established in 1872 and uniquely granted the image of Queen Victoria’s crown, Clive Christian has revived the original values of the perfumery, creating only pure perfumes with complex formulae that use the rarest ingredients in their most concentrated forms.

Applying his philosophy of design without reference to cost, he became the creator of No.1 The World’s Most Expensive Perfume. It costs a six figure sum and that’s not including decimal points. The eponymous brand is synonymous with British luxury, from cabinetmaking bespoke oak libraries for anonymous clients to producing hand cut crystal perfume bottles with imperial crown stoppers for celebutantes.

This vision of luxury perfume culminated in the release of the Original Collection headlined by No.1. Understated yet distinctive, No.1 for Men is a refined perfume rich with ancient Indian sandalwood. In contrast, No.1 for women is serene and sophisticated with ylang ylang at its heart. The fragrance releases a gentle Tahitian vanilla, an ingredient which takes six months to crystallise and gain the desired delicate spice. Katie Holmes chose No.1 as the wedding perfume for her marriage to Tom Cruise. At least that decision made good scents.