People not only enjoy looking their best, as evidenced by the countless high-end fashion lines around the world, but they also enjoy smelling their best. Colognes and perfumes are always among the biggest sellers. Whether you classify perfumes as health and beauty products, fashion accessories or hygiene products, most people would simply call them “must-have” essentials.

However, a perfume doesn’t usually seem like the “ultimate” gift. It’s always a nice gesture, and if it’s a good designer brand you know you’ll score some points. But the idea of perfume being comparable to other luxury gifts out there doesn’t sit right. Well, until now, that is, with Clive Christian’s No. 1 Perfume.

What makes Clive Christian No. 1 Perfume the ultimate gift? For starters, you can expect to pay around $1,000 USD (give or take) for a one fluid ounce bottle of this designer fragrance. To justify the high price tag, the ingredients list reads like a formula for nuclear fusion, in the sense that most of it is extremely rare and, in some cases, unheard of.

There are two versions of Clive Christian’s No. 1: men’s (cologne) and women’s (perfume). Believe it or not, each version is completely distinctive from the next, with very few shared ingredients. Christian put an enormous amount of effort into producing these exclusive fragrances.

The men’s version of No. 1 has wonderful cedar-like undertones that come from the Ancient Indian Sandalwood used. The character of the scent is strong and bold, yet it’s understated in the way it lingers in the air. It’s a potent mix of rare ingredients that sticks to the body and clothing like oil, not wearing off like typical fragrances.

The women’s version takes a lot longer to develop, due to the six-month development process of the delicate scent. Tahitian vanilla is used in this blend, as well as peach, jasmine heart notes, tonka seeds, and even pineapple. It’s sweet without coming across as overpowering, and the vanilla is accented perfectly by the floral notes to create an indescribable blended scent you can almost taste.

Christian himself is relatively new to the designer fragrance world. He is best known as being one of England’s finest furniture makers with high-end stores scattered across the globe. Christian purchased the Crown Perfume Company in 2000 and started to develop his now famous No. 1 perfume.

At around a grand, some rich and famous individuals in the world still didn’t feel as though this exclusive perfume was exclusive enough for their purchasing power. Take Elton John for example. Not only did he want the No. 1 blend, but he wanted it in a custom-made piano-shaped bottle. He paid a reported $250,000 USD for the honor.

For that type of money, Clive would also make you a custom bottle of No. 1 and then you’d truly have an ultimate gift.