Contemporary

The Verdict

Clive Christian released Contemporary as part of their 150th anniversary collection in 2022 — celebrating 150 years since the founding of Crown Perfumery in 1872. Alongside its companion Timeless, it represents the brand's attempt to articulate both its heritage and its future in a single bottle. Contemporary manages this better than most anniversary editions do, largely because it avoids the trap of being merely nostalgic.

With 203 ingredients at a 25% concentration, it is by any measure a technically complex fragrance. Whether that complexity translates to wearability and value is the community debate — and the answer leans toward yes, with reservations about price.

What It Smells Like

The opening is where Contemporary makes its best impression. Blackberry and Geranium arrive first — the blackberry is juicy and naturalistic rather than synthetic, the geranium clean and slightly rosy. Oakmoss enters almost simultaneously, and the contrast between fruity brightness and earthy damp greenness is genuinely striking. The moss here is real and specific: damp forest floor, tree bark after rain.

Violet contributes a soft powdery floral note that cushions the more aggressive edges of the opening. Pepper adds a quiet heat throughout, more felt than distinctly identifiable. Cedar and Nutmeg form the heart — dry wood and warm spice giving the fragrance its structural backbone. The cedarwood is clean and precise rather than resinous.

The base lands on Malt and a continued Oakmoss signature that pulls the composition firmly into aromatic fougere territory. The malt note is unusual and surprisingly effective — slightly sweet, slightly grainy, it anchors the earthiness of the moss in a way that prevents the dry-down from becoming overly medicinal. Several reviewers have noted that the dry-down is where the fragrance finds its strongest form.

When to Wear It

Contemporary works across three seasons because its fruity-mossy-spice composition has enough range. In spring the blackberry and geranium feel alive and appropriate. In summer the earthiness of the moss stops it from reading as just another citrus fresh. In fall the cedar and nutmeg take prominence and give it genuine seasonal weight. Deep winter is where it loses some momentum — the structure needs warmer temperatures to fully bloom.

Daytime and business-casual settings are the community consensus. Strong enough to make a statement, restrained enough not to overwhelm.

Longevity & Projection

Performance is one of Contemporary's genuine strengths. Reviewers consistently report 8 to 10 hours of longevity, with sillage that projects 2 to 3 feet during the first two hours before settling into a more intimate skin register. One reviewer described it as "a sweet fresh powerhouse — sillage and performance are fantastic." Fragrantica community averages support this: longevity rated 3.79 out of 5, sillage 2.42 out of 4 — strong numbers for a fresh-leaning fragrance.

At 25% concentration this was always going to perform above average for its category. Clive Christian's materials quality supports the performance claims.

The Community Says

Reception within the Fragrantica and Parfumo communities has been generally enthusiastic, with a notable caveat about price. One reviewer called it "peak Clive Christian — love at first sniff on paper and still loved it after a full wear." A comparative reviewer noted it shared architecture with Creed's Viking but "doesn't smell funky — it smells extremely well done." The dry-down draws slightly less enthusiasm than the opening: "a bit disappointing that the drydown doesn't match the opening," though most still considered it "an amazing fragrance" overall, potentially the brand's best. Dissent centers on value — reviewers note the price is difficult to justify against alternative aromatic fougeres in the same performance class. The fragrance's release as a 150th anniversary limited edition gives it collector cachet but doesn't help the value argument.

Who Should Buy This

Contemporary is for those who want a sophisticated aromatic fougere with fruit-forward opening, genuine oakmoss earthiness, and strong longevity — and who are either committed to the Clive Christian house or willing to pay luxury pricing for quality materials. The profile will appeal to fans of chypre-adjacent fragrances, those who enjoy Penhaligon's Halfeti or Creed's woodier expressions, and anyone drawn to blackberry-moss combinations.

Those who've built wardrobes at lower price points may find that alternatives in the aromatic fougere space offer comparable experiences without the premium. Sample before purchasing — the opening is spectacular and creates high expectations for the full wear.

The Bottom Line

Clive Christian Contemporary is a well-crafted anniversary fragrance that earns its praise on scent quality and performance, even if the price-to-value equation requires the wearer to already be invested in the house's positioning. The blackberry-moss opening is exceptional, the fougere structure is classical and refined, and longevity is genuinely strong. If you can get past the price, this belongs among the better aromatic fougeres released in the last several years.