Fragrance comparison

Contemporary vs Downtown

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 30 Oct 2026 198 ratings analysed

Contemporary

Clive Christian

4.31198 votes

Rank #25,723 Fresh SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

12%scent match

Clearly different

Downtown

Dermacol

—0 votes

Rank #76,545 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 2 categories split 1–1.

Contemporary
Choose it for a fresh spicy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Downtown
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on note pyramid duration.

Contemporary1/2

Downtown1/2

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: Not scored
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Downtown
Fragranxe ranking: Contemporary

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

ContemporaryClive Christian

DowntownDermacol

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.31/ 5 · 198 votes

Have 43%Had 10%Want 47%

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

56%Love

28%Like

8%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

198 votes

Not enough votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hateN/A

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value23

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fresh spicy100%

woody90%

mossy80%

aromatic70%

powdery60%

violet50%

fruity100%

sweet83%

warm spicy65%

smoky48%

violet30%

Scent match12%Clearly different · both violet

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top30 to 60 minutes

GeraniumBlackberryVioletBlack Pepper

Heart3 to 4 hours

CedarNutmeg

Base4 to 7 hours

MossMalt

Top15-30 mins

BlackberryCardamomGrapefruitBergamotMandarinNutmegGingerCassis

Heart2-4 hrs

Guaiac WoodGardeniaSandalwoodGeraniumRoseCedar

Base5-7 hrs

IncenseOlibanumMuskMossWoody Notes

Category winnerDowntownLongest dry-down: 5-7 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring94

Summer100

Fall75

Winter49

Day100

Night70

No season votes yet

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men55

Unisex34

Women11

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,723

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#76,545

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerContemporaryHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Contemporary by Clive Christian takes the traditional aromatic fougere framework and gives it a sharper, fruitier edge. The scent opens with a burst of tart blackberry and crisp geranium, dusted with pungent black pepper and clean, slightly powdery violet. As the tart fruit settles, warm nutmeg and dry cedar take over…

Reviews →

Dermacol Downtown takes an unconventional path for an everyday men's fragrance. The opening bursts with tart blackberry, zesty bergamot, and crushed grapefruit. It feels crisp. Soon after the initial mist settles, spicy ginger and nutmeg cut through the sweet cassis and melon notes, steering the profile away from simp…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Do Contemporary and Downtown smell similar?

Clearly different: a 12% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share violet accords. Common notes include Geranium, Blackberry, Cedar and Nutmeg.

Is Contemporary or Downtown better for summer or winter?

Contemporary suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Contemporary and Downtown?

Contemporary has top notes of Geranium, Blackberry, Violet and Black Pepper, heart notes of Cedar and Nutmeg, a base of Moss and Malt. Downtown has top notes of Blackberry, Cardamom, Grapefruit and Bergamot, heart notes of Guaiac Wood, Gardenia, Sandalwood and Geranium, a base of Incense, Olibanum, Musk and Moss.