Clive Christian Perfume is a British perfume house, that creates the world’s finest fragrances. This house was established by famous and talented British interior designer Clive Christian.
He began with the design of kitchens and completely transformed the role of this room in the house. In his vision, the kitchen was the most important place. The place, where comfort, coziness, and communication were united.
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Clive Christian resurrected the interest in the interiors of the Victorian era with his first bespoke design. It was a kitchen in Victorian style with the chandelier, and it showed Clive Christian’s passion for tradition, history, and refinement.
In 1999 Clive Christian purchased the Crown Perfumery Company and founded Clive Christian Perfume. This perfume house creates unique, sophisticated and very artistic fragrances, inspired and driven by British traditions and history.
The image of the crown of Queen Victoria as a bottle stopper, together with the finest and rarest ingredients create an unforgettable sensual experience.
Today I review The Noble Collection XX Art Nouveau Clive Christian Perfume. But first, I will tell you a little about this great and fascinating epoch, called Art Nouveau.
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau was an international artistic movement, that flourished and was the most popular between 1890 and 1910.
It originated in Belgium and France and had different names in other countries, such as Jugendstil and Secessionsstil in Germany and Austria, Tiffany Style in the USA, Modern and Glasgow Style in Britain.
In France, this period is also known as La belle époque (The beautiful era) because it was the time of flourishing of all forms of art, time of cafes and cabaret, of films and photography, of beautiful and powerful courtesans and many other marvelous things.
Read here my perfume review of Melle Cleo Les Cocottes de Paris by Anaïs Biguine
As the movement, Art Nouveau was a protest against the academic art of the 19th century and past ways of life. It was practiced in the fields of art, architecture, applied art, and especially the decorative arts.
This movement is characterized by organic and plant shapes, lines and motifs.
Alphonse Mucha, F. Champenois Imprimeur-Éditeur, 1898
The most famous representatives of Art Nouveau style were Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, Alphonse Mucha, Rene Lalique, Gustav Klimt, Aubrey Beardsley, Antoni Gaudi, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and others.
Perfumes of Art Nouveau time
This period was the time when the first perfumes with synthetic molecules appeared. Before that time all perfumes were made only of natural ingredients.
With the invention of the molecule of coumarin in 1882, that has sweet, a little bitter scent, a new era in perfume making began.
The same year the perfumer and owner of the Houbigant Paul Parquet has introduced the world new perfume Fougere Royalle with the notes of bergamot, geranium, coumarin, and oakmoss.
This perfume has determined the new category of fragrances – fougere, that we all know today.
After that, other great perfumes with synthetic components appeared: Jicky by Guerlain (1889), that was loved by both women and men, Le Parfum Ideal by Houbigant (1900), inspired by the Gibson Girls, which were the ideal of women’s beauty, a little scandalous Le Trefle Incarnat by L. T. Piver (1900), the must-have of dandies Mouchoir de Monsieur by Guerlain (1904).
Louis Théophile Hingre for Parfumerie Violet, 1900
After the invention of other molecules, that have the scent of violets, begun the fashion for violet perfumes. All perfume brands introduced the perfumes with the scent of these flowers.
Some of the most famous were Vera Violetta by Roger & Gallet (1892), L’ Origan by Coty (1905), Apres I’Ondee by Guerlain (1906), and other perfumes.
As we can see, the perfumes were very popular in the time of Art Nouveau. This artistic movement also affected the style of packaging and advertising of perfumes and other cosmetics.
At that time, perfumers began to pay attention not only to the content of the perfume but also to the design of the perfume bottle. Genius jeweler and glass designer Rene Lalique created incredibly beautiful bottles for perfumes.
Nowadays the epoch of Art Nouveau continues to inspire different artists. And now I would like to introduce to you The Noble Collection XX Art Nouveau Clive Christian, that represents this wonderful and artistic era.
Perfume review of The Noble Collection XX Art Nouveau Clive Christian
With two new perfumes, Water Lily and Papyrus, Clive Christian Perfume invites us to the journey back in time, to the unforgettable era of Art Nouveau, full of elegance, passion, and sensuality.
More feminine Water Lily and more masculine Papyrus give us a chance to experience that marvelous time.
Noble XX Water Lily
Water Lily perfume has a very bright, a little soapy and clean aldehydic beginning. After a while, a beautiful and tender floral heart with iris, tuberose, and jasmine appears on the skin.
This perfume has a light powdery scent, that was very common in the time of Art Nouveau. Musk makes this perfume alive and sensual, like the nature that was the inspiration for the artists of that time.
Vetiver gives its deep and dry woody scent, while patchouli makes Water Lily a little bit earthy.
The Noble Collection XX Water Lily
This perfume is a beautiful floral bouquet with a tender and attractive scent. It is like the ornaments of Art Nouveau, which were inspired by the natural lines and shapes of plants and flowers.
As for me, Water Lily depicts the perfect woman of Art Nouveau, a little dreamy woman from the artworks of Alphonse Mucha, because this perfume is very elegant, soft, but at the same time charming and expressive.
Water Lily by Clive Christian Perfume is exquisite, sensual and alluring floral perfume. It would stand on the vanity table of all elegant ladies of that time. It has timeless beauty and charm. It is not too loud, but sonorous and very bright like the brilliant time of Art Nouveau.
Notes: Aldehydes, Tuberose, Jasmine, Iris, Orris, Patchouli, Vetiver, Cashmere Musk.
Noble XX Papyrus
Papyrus depicts the obsession with Egyptian Art during the era of Art Nouveau. The great actress of that time Sarah Bernhardt played the role of Cleopatra wearing the Egyptian jewels, that were very popular.
Egyptian art was on everyone’s lips, and together with Papyrus by Clive Christian, we can embrace this passion.
This perfume begins with the fresh and very green scent of galbanum together with bergamot. The spicy pink pepper makes this scent warmer, a little dry and gives Papyrus its slight sweetness.
After a while, a beautiful and aromatic heart of lavender, basil and geranium appears. Woody papyrus and smoky vetiver create the deep and alluring base of this perfume, and tonka bean with its unique sweet, spicy scent makes Papyrus very creamy and warm.
The Noble Collection XX Papyrus
Papyrus by Clive Christian Perfume is the perfume of contrast. It begins with a very strong freshness, but over time it hypnotizes you with the softness and the depth of its scent.
This perfume has something mystical, like ancient Egyptian papyruses, that still keep many of the mysteries of the past. Deep, warm and seductive unisex scent, that is so easy to become obsessed with.
Notes: Bergamot, Galbanum, Pink Pepper, Lavender, Basil, Geranium Vetiver, Papyrus, Tonka Bean.
The era of Art Nouveau was one of the most fascinating time in our history. Time, full of art and freedom, of elegance and style, experiments and inventions.
But everything tends to end. And this wonderful period ended with the beginning of the first World War. La Belle Epoque, as this time is also called, continue to live in our memory and hearts, and serves as an inspiration for such a great perfume house like Clive Christian Perfume.
It was my perfume review of The Noble Collection XX Art Nouveau Clive Christian, and I hope you enjoyed it.
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