Clive Christian
Clive Christian
75 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Bergamot cuts through with immediate luminosity whilst basil introduces a savoury green note that catches you off-guard—this isn't a fruity opener masquerading as freshness, but rather an herbaceous declaration. Petitgrain follows quickly, rounding the top into something closer to aromatic than purely citric.
As the citrus fades, cypress emerges as the composition's gravitational centre, dusted and slightly austere, whilst ginger adds a prickling warmth beneath the spiced middle notes. Clove and nutmeg interweave without shouting, creating a complex aromatic envelope that feels simultaneously creamy and dry, warm and structured.
The base settles into amber-softened cedar and oak, the cypress lingering like smoke, whilst the spice gradually recedes into memory. What remains is a woody, slightly resinous skin scent—intimate rather than projective—with just enough amber to prevent it from becoming austere.
Noble XXI: Art Deco – Cypress is a fragrance that refuses to whisper. From the opening accord, there's an architectural precision to its construction: the bergamot arrives bright and clean, immediately joined by a peppery basil that lends an herbal snap rather than sweetness. This isn't a citrus fragrance playing coy—the petitgrain deepens the top notes into something more verdant, almost green-tinged, before the cypress begins its slow emergence.
The heart is where this composition reveals its true character. Cypress—that dusty, resinous note that recalls Mediterranean hillsides and botanical dryness—sits at the composition's core, flanked by warming spices that feel deliberate rather than accidental. Ginger provides a subtle heat; clove and nutmeg layer in with restraint, preventing the fragrance from tipping into gourmand territory. Instead, they create a spiced-wood effect, as if you're standing in a high-ceilinged room with cypress panelling and incense burning somewhere unseen.
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3.4/5 (150)