Clive Christian Perfume Guide: Town and Country, Blonde Amber, X and the Private Collection

Clive Christian makes unusually concentrated perfumes: every bottle has a perfume oil content of 20% or more, and some reach 25%. The house traces its story to the Crown Perfumery Company of 1872, and a crown still sits on top of every bottle. This guide explains the Clive Christian collections, what Town and Country, Blonde Amber, X and C Woody Leather smell like, and which one suits you. Parfum Central carries seven Clive Christian perfumes, all shipped from Dubai.

Who is Clive Christian?

In the house's own words, "In 1999, Clive Christian OBE acquired the storied Crown Perfumery Company, which dates back to 1872." Clive Christian was known for luxury interiors before he took over the perfumery and relaunched it under his own name.

The crown on the cap is the heart of the brand's story. Clive Christian says the rights to the crown "were first granted to the Crown Perfumery Company by Queen Victoria herself in 1872," and that her crown now stands "as the cap of every perfume."

Two numbers explain why the house is priced where it is. Clive Christian says it uses "a perfume oil inclusion of 20% or above in every bottle," and that "Anywhere between 120 and 300 different ingredients can be found in every Clive Christian perfume." Many designer perfumes sit below that concentration.

Perfume concentration is the share of perfume oil in the bottle, with the rest mostly alcohol. The higher it is, the richer the scent and the longer it tends to stay on skin. Our guide to perfume concentrations explains the categories.

The Clive Christian collections

Clive Christian groups its perfumes into collections, and the concentration follows the collection. These are the ones we carry:

Perfume	Collection	Concentration (brand)	Headline notes (brand)	At Parfum Central
Town and Country	Crown Collection	25%	Clary sage, sandalwood, grey amber	50 ml, AED 1,600
Blonde Amber	Noble Collection	25%	Bitter orange, blonde tobacco, tonka	50 ml, AED 2,300
Crab Apple Blossom	Crown Collection	25%	Apple blossom, rhubarb, sandalwood	50 ml, AED 1,600
X	Original Collection	20%	Cardamom, orris, oakmoss	50 ml, AED 1,300
1872	Original Collection	20%	Petitgrain, clary sage, cedarwood	50 ml AED 1,175, 100 ml AED 1,750
C Woody Leather	Private Collection	20%	Mandarin, saffron, tobacco	50 ml AED 1,400, 100 ml AED 2,200
Kinam	Dubai Store Exclusive	40%	Saffron, metallic accord, kinam oud	50 ml, AED 2,900

• The Crown Collection is, in the house's words, "An exploration of Clive Christian's origins in the Crown Perfumery Company." It brings back perfumes first made by the Crown Perfumery Company.
• The Noble Collection retells "stories from the past," paying tribute to "architectural, artistic and horticultural importance in Britain."
• The Original Collection is "Comprised of six perfumes all unchanged since 1999," a tribute to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
• The Private Collection is "Exploring a life written in perfume," and each perfume carries a single letter.

Clive Christian Town and Country

Clive Christian Town and Country is the house's crisp, herbal side. Clive Christian says it was "Originally created in 1925 and famously worn by Winston Churchill," and that it has been "reimagined with the Clive Christian hallmarks of complexity, concentration" and quality of ingredients.

The brand builds it on three notes: clary sage at the top, sandalwood at the heart and grey amber in the base. It describes clary sage as "herbaceous and slightly floral… evoking the scent of the English countryside," and the grey amber as "evoking the warmth and comfort of a cosy fireside." The house sums up the idea in one line: "Capturing the natural beauty of the countryside and the elegance of London town."

It is a 25% concentration in the red Crown Collection bottle. Choose it if you want something polished and herbal rather than sweet: it works for the office, for dinner, and for anyone who likes a classic British style. 50 ml, AED 1,600.

Clive Christian Blonde Amber

Clive Christian Blonde Amber, sold as XXI Blonde Amber, is the house's warm amber. Clive Christian tells it as an Art Deco story: "a warm amber fragrance, infused with aromatic and smoky blonde tobacco," built from "a complexity of 219 components."

The brand lists bitter orange at the top, blonde tobacco at the heart and tonka in the base, and its description adds tuberose, jasmine, "sticky dried fruits" and deep amber. Bitter orange keeps it bright at first; the tobacco and tonka make it rich and slightly sweet as it settles.

Blonde Amber is a 25% concentration from the Noble Collection, in a black bottle with a black crown. It is the one to choose if you love amber, tobacco and a little sweetness, especially for evenings and cooler months. 50 ml, AED 2,300. It also appears in our guide to amber fragrances.

Clive Christian X

Clive Christian X is the masculine half of a pair: X Masculine and X Feminine. Clive Christian says the duo "channels the passionate love story of Marc Antony and Cleopatra," and it uses 178 ingredients.

The brand's headline notes are cardamom, orris and oakmoss. Around them it names pink pepper, ginger and bergamot at the top, orris butter, violet, cinnamon and jasmine at the heart, and vetiver, tree moss and vanilla in the base. The result is spicy and powdery over a mossy, woody base.

X belongs to the Original Collection, which Clive Christian says has been unchanged since 1999. It is a 20% concentration, and at AED 1,300 for 50 ml it is the most accessible way into the house.

Clive Christian C Woody Leather (Private Collection)

Clive Christian C Woody Leather is the leather-and-oud perfume of the Private Collection, and the house places it "At the heart of our collection." Clive Christian describes it as "a deep, woody fragrance" with "a complexity of 208 ingredients."

Its headline notes are mandarin, saffron and tobacco, with the tobacco "accented by hints of maple and caramel." In the brand's words, "When paired with Oudh and leather, it exudes a distinctive masculine essence." It is a 20% concentration, and it is the Clive Christian to choose if you want oud and leather in a smoother, rounder form. 50 ml AED 1,400, 100 ml AED 2,200.

If oud is what you are after, our guides to the oud perfumes we carry and kinam oud go further.

Clive Christian 1872 and Crab Apple Blossom

Clive Christian 1872 takes its name from the house's founding year. Clive Christian describes it as "a tribute to the year Queen Victoria granted the crown to adorn every bottle," in an emerald green bottle. The brand lists petitgrain, clary sage and cedarwood, and its description adds peach, lavender, citrus, rosemary, black pepper, jasmine, neroli and frankincense. It is fresh, herbal and clean, a 20% concentration from the Original Collection. 50 ml AED 1,175, 100 ml AED 1,750.

Clive Christian Crab Apple Blossom comes from the Crown Collection and, in the house's words, "traces its origins back to 1886." Clive Christian says the Crown Collection relaunch began with it in September 2020. Its notes are apple blossom, rhubarb and sandalwood, with a marine bergamot and a "mint and sugar accord" in the description. It is the lightest, freshest Clive Christian we carry. 50 ml, AED 1,600.

Clive Christian Kinam, the Dubai exclusive

Clive Christian opened a boutique in The Dubai Mall in 2026 and launched Kinam with it, under the brand's own label "Dubai Store Exclusive." It is a 40% concentration built around kinam, the rarest grade of agarwood. We cover it in full in our kinam oud guide, and alongside the other Dubai exclusive perfumes. 50 ml, AED 2,900.

Which Clive Christian should you choose?

1. For a fresh, herbal signature: Town and Country, clary sage over sandalwood and grey amber.
2. For amber and tobacco: Blonde Amber, the warmest and richest of the range.
3. For spice and powder: X, cardamom and orris over oakmoss, and the most accessible price.
4. For oud and leather: C Woody Leather from the Private Collection.
5. For something light and clean: 1872 or Crab Apple Blossom.
6. For a collector's bottle: Kinam, the Dubai Store Exclusive.

Buying Clive Christian from Parfum Central

Parfum Central carries seven Clive Christian perfumes, from AED 1,175 for 1872 to AED 2,900 for Kinam. Every bottle is batch code verified, sourced from reputable suppliers and shipped in its original packaging, insured with DHL Express from Dubai to 130+ countries, with delivery in 3 to 5 business days.

Frequently asked questions

What does Clive Christian Town and Country smell like?

Clive Christian builds Town and Country on clary sage, sandalwood and grey amber. It is crisp and herbal on a warm base, and the house says it captures "the natural beauty of the countryside and the elegance of London town."

What does Clive Christian Blonde Amber smell like?

Blonde Amber opens with bitter orange, turns to blonde tobacco and settles on tonka and amber, with tuberose, jasmine and dried fruits in between. It is warm, rich and slightly sweet.

Why is Clive Christian so expensive?

Clive Christian says every bottle has a perfume oil content of 20% or more, and that each perfume uses between 120 and 300 ingredients. Town and Country and Blonde Amber are 25%, and Kinam is 40%.

Who owns Clive Christian?

Clive Christian OBE acquired the Crown Perfumery Company in 1999 and relaunched it under his own name. The house traces its history to 1872.

Why does Clive Christian have a crown on the bottle?

Clive Christian says Queen Victoria granted the Crown Perfumery Company the rights to use her crown in 1872, and it now sits as the cap of every bottle.

Which Clive Christian is for men?

Clive Christian presents X, 1872 and C Woody Leather as masculine perfumes, and Town and Country is tagged for men on the brand site. Blonde Amber and Crab Apple Blossom are worn by men and women.

Where can I buy Clive Christian in the UAE?

Parfum Central carries seven Clive Christian perfumes in Dubai, shipped with DHL Express: 30 AED within the UAE and 88 AED to 130+ other countries, with delivery in 3 to 5 business days.

The short answer

Clive Christian is a British perfume house that traces its roots to the Crown Perfumery Company of 1872, known for concentrations of 20% or more and a crown on every bottle. Town and Country is its herbal classic, Blonde Amber its warm amber and tobacco, X its spicy Original, and C Woody Leather its oud and leather. Shop Clive Christian Town and Country or Blonde Amber at Parfum Central, shipped from Dubai.