Clive Christian E for Men takes the idea of a Gourmand Oriental to the extreme. Upon initial spray you’re blasted by an intense accord of oak barrels housing beautifully aged rum and red wine of the highest quality, with a noticeable alcoholic burn hitting the back of your throat. From here there’s a slight fruity, leathery touch from peach and labdanum, which paves the way for the dominant note of clove. Clove is the biggest hitter in this fragrance - it’s dark, earthy, powerful and intoxicating, supported ever so slightly by cinnamon. The base is where the gourmand qualities shine through however; bourbon vanilla, maple syrup and caramel make up the delicious edible facet of this scent. This takes gourmand perfumery to a whole new level and is perfect for those who love boozy scents. It smells like gorgeously sweet and syrupy mulled wine which makes it perfect for the Christmas period. Completely unapologetic and overpowering, this is definitely not one to blind buy but so so incredible for the right audience.
I've got to say I really like this perfume. Having worn it when it was released (Thanks Clive Christian for the samples) I remember being quite taken by this. It's a chewy, resinous, gourmand, a kind of dark, boozy dessert, with ashy, smoked wood undertones. Sounds lame, but it's completely unique I'd say, I really can't think of much that smells like this. I revisited it today because I found this sample in my garage, randomly. This is the kind of thing I should really hate coz it's in the style perfumes everyone seems to rave about, and I'm just kinda like 'really?' but this one is a better version of your Black Phantom (another one I revisited in the last week or so) or a bit like the sort of boozy, cakey stuff I do like, see 1270 by Frapin. This has something extra for me, it smells expensive and I can't help liking it A LOT! I'd never pay the daft price tag and do I think it's what I consider 'proper' perfume, no, and not really. However, I'm really enjoying wearing it today and did the first time (the fact I could remember it says that it left a lasting impression) that's what counts.
One of the rare from Clive Christian which has full bottle worthy uniqueness and the pleasant scent and I don't talk about the price, I don't think about the price when considering if something is full bottle worthy. Opening is very strong but intoxicating and it gets the positive attention immediately. It's mostly smoky and spicy with a little bit of subtle sweetness but it's not fruity. Just to mention since I love Peach so much and it's not present here as a Peach. The feeling is like sitting next to the fireplace. The smoke dissipates in 15 minutes and the scent evolves into the smooth blend of spices, not so boozy rum and a sweet, resinous, woody aroma from Labdanum. It's not leathery her at all. This is not a strong scent at all, it's only in the opening. The scent is not actually oriental at all but if thinking the definition of gourmand, it's not exactly that either so the name "gourmande oriental" is fine, it's some kind of mix of those styles made in a unique way. The scent is totally unisex, very wearable and versatile and it's office safe as well as long as you don't spray it at the office. The sillage is moderate and the longevity is good. This review is based on a sample. Thank you for reading and I would appreciate a lot if you want to follow me on IG: @ninamariah_perfumes