5 Fragrances that Smell Similar to CK One

CK One was one of the most dominant, if not the very pinnacle of ubiquity of fragrances during the 1990s. For those of you not old enough to remember, this Calvin Klein perfume was absolutely everywhere, and is basically ingrained in our collective memories.  Surprisingly, it wasn’t completely copied to death, sure alternatives existed but nothing was exactly the same. In this post, I want to present five fragrances that smell comparable to CK One.


What Fragrances Smell Similar to CK One?

Inspired Similarities

#1 by Dua Brand– I hadn’t found a perfume that attempted to recreate the CK One formula, that was a $5-10 and terrible rendition of it. Now, I haven’t tried this one out, but I’ve bought a bunch of perfumes from Dua in the past, that have tried to match designer scents and they were great.

CK One isn’t an overly complicated formula, so, this shouldn’t be an exception to Dua’s great track record.

That opening with the lemon, tea, papaya, and other notes is there. So is everything else that the original 90s formula of CK One had. If they got it even 85% percent correct this should be a good substitute.

Whether or not its worthwhile, may depend on the price of the Calvin Klein fragrance at the time that you want to purchase.


The Best Alternative

Azzaro Chrome Eau de Toilette – Cologne for Men Chrome opens up with lemon, pineapple, and neroli. The citrus and floral blend of Chrome certainly does favor CK One and creates a compelling alternative scent.

This Azzaro does lean much more to the masculine end of things, versus being a pure unisex like the CK perfume. What I love about Azzaro is how bright and upbeat it feels. Similar style, yet completely unique.

The neroli gets paired with jasmine and you start to get more of a soapy quality. However, there is rosemary for the herbal aspect and a metallic smelling finish.

These two definitely have their distinctions but Chrome is going to give you the closest experience and you might even prefer it to One. Chrome Review


Ferrari Floral

Ferrari Scuderia Red Eau De Toilette Spray, 4.2 oz– Scuderia Red has a similar scent profile to that of CK One. However, I prefer the Calvin Klein versus this.

That being said, it can indeed be a cheaper option and is overall a pretty good fragrance. It opens up with clean and juicy citrus notes, mainly orange, with lemon verbena. This Ferrari leans greater to the floral side of things versus our target, as it has a very prominent jasmine note.

The performance is decent, I pulled 6-7 hours from this one during my testing of it a few years back. Closer to the six hour mark, mostly. Again, not an exact comparable of One, but it can provide a nice experience for a low price. Scuderia Red Review


A Bluer Generic 

Cuba Blue by Cuba for Men – 3.4 Ounce EDT Spray So, Cuba Blue has some similarities to CK One (mainly in the base), but I’d say it’s more like a mix of Chrome and Set Sail Martinique. A sort of metallic citrus opening act, with a musky/creamy dry down.

A cheaper freshie. The wood and musk is what rings closest in my mind to One, with the citrus notes favoring the other two aforementioned scents. Cuba Blue isn’t among my favorite of the Cuba line of colognes, more in the middle of the pack.

This one is stupid cheap, but not going to provide you an exact copy of the Calvin Klein. Honestly, it’d be my last pick from the four of these options. Though, it fits the overall target style.


Best Similar and Cheaper Option

Paco by Paco Rabanne for Men – 3.3 oz EDT Spray As of publishing, you can pick up a bottle of this Paco Rabanne cologne for around $30. To me, this is the best value for those looking to replicate CK One. Cheaper than both One and Chrome…and strikes a similar chord.

The citrus is there, though, this isn’t the exact same formula as CK One. Instead, Paco is going to give you a greener and woodier heart, with a more masculine vibe. Though, you still get jasmine and tea, at about the same level.

Fresh, smoother than One, and with a greater use of earthy aromas. The performance is pretty good, but not amazing, and not really a marathon runner. It’s from the same era as our target and that really comes through during the wear.

Defy EDT by Calvin Klein

Defy is a cologne release from Calvin Klein that the brand put out back in 2021. It was good to see them taking a bit of a break from just putting out Eternity flankers all of the time and starting a new line. I got a sample of this recently to finally do a proper review and see if it’s worthwhile to actually purchase.


What does Defy by Calvin Klein Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, amber, vetiver, lavender

Click here to try: Defy EDT by Calvin Klein


My Full Review

Upon first spraying Defy, I’m immediately reminded of Y EDT from YSL. Very similar style with the blue-ish aroma, bergamot, and heavy use of ambroxan. Not one to one exactly the same, but the style is very much related.

The initial citrus here is juicy and has a nice freshness. It kind of fades quickly from prominence in favor of the lavender note.

For a while, there is more of a balance between the bergamot, ambroxan, and lavender. But, the lavender will consolidate more control, as we progress. Funny enough, the ambroxan does back off and there is another round in which the bergamot comes through more on my skin.

Defy doesn’t really develop all that much though. It’s like a generic ‘blue-ish’ cologne smell mixed with that lavender. There is some vetiver in the dry down, but even that isn’t too heavy or involved.


Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is light to moderate. Defy isn’t a fragrance that is going to leave a massive cloud in one’s wake or dare to take over a room. It’s just kind of middle of the road, extending out maybe to 5 feet, at its peak.

The longevity is also meh. I get about 5, maybe 5.5 hours on skin. So, if you do end up going for this one, you’ll probably have to bring the bottle with you for re-application later in the day.

Seasonally, it is good for the spring and summer. I don’t know that I’d wear it on the hottest days, though. It’s seems like a better play on moderate to warm days. I wore it out on a day where it was 65 degrees Fahrenheit and that seemed like a good spot for Defy to work in.

This cologne does lean more towards younger guys. It’s not a formal or refined kind of fragrance. Casual or a daily wear for something like school. It has enough mass appeal to grab some complements, but it’s a very basic and entry level cologne.

Not particularly going to stand out as unique, but younger guys could do a lot worse than this, as far as scent goes.


Overall Impressions of Defy EDT

Overall, do I like Defy? It’s okay. I think that it can be pleasant at times, but isn’t ever something that’s remarkable. Sure, it’s close to the original Y EDT in terms of smell and style, but that’s till better than this CK release. And, I’m not even a big fan of that one.

I don’t hate this either. If you can get it for cheap and are in your teens or twenties, this could be a very serviceable cologne for you. It smells nice enough and doesn’t have any repulsive qualities about it.

The opening is probably the highlight for me. I do like that bergamot note, when it is at its strongest. The dry down is fine, just not dynamic.

The performance isn’t great, which makes it even less appealing, even if you enjoy the smell. Five-ish or so hours, isn’t going to cut it for most guys. Especially, if this is selling a retail. I would only shop at discounters and see if they ever have this one sale. Outside of that, I probably wouldn’t even bother.

Eternity Intense by Calvin Klein

So, I saw that Calvin Klein had released a new fragrance, Eternity Intense, and figured that I might as well give it a try. Now, CK scents are a mixed bag for me, some smell good and perform well, while others simply don’t make the cut. I like the original Eternity, as such I thought that this might be a welcome addition to the lineup. In this post, I want to give my impressions of this cologne, what it smells like, how it performs, and whether I think that it is worth a purchase or not.


What does Eternity Intense for Men Smell Like?

Notes: iris, vanilla, grapefruit, bergamot, orris, cedar, pepper

Click here to try from Amazon: Calvin Klein Eternity Intense Eau De Toilette for Men, 3.4 oz.


My Full Wear Review

So, right off the bat, I want to compare this to the original Eternity for Men. I like the original scent, though, it definitely isn’t my favorite by any stretch. It’s good, decently priced, but does have a bit too much of a soapy aroma to be an everyday wear for me.

But, it is a legit scent. Eternity Intense, on the other hand, I don’t really know what to make of it. It isn’t intense…like at all.

Secondly, it immediately has a heavy reliance on the iris note, whereas the older Eternity was much more lavender based. I think the floral notes are too heavily weighted in the composition.

However, I don’t want to bash the scent or give you the idea that the floral notes make this a ‘girly’ fragrance. It isn’t. The pepper note gives it a spice and a light smokiness is added to it for a masculine air.

There is also some light citrus that is reminiscent of the original but it seems really soft. I do get the black tea, for a short time, and I actually like it with this blend. Wish it stuck around for a longer period.

The bergamot and grapefruit pairing don’t even reach the same level as the old Dior Homme, which the citrus in that is also light. Here, it’s almost miniscule.

It’s somewhat like a poor man’s Dior Homme, which I love, but  this is not nearly to the same level. No real depth and the quality isn’t up to par either.

As it dries down, this gets some woodsy influence from geranium and cedar. Mostly it’s about the iris and some vanilla influence.

I actually think that it smells pretty nice and doesn’t have the same soapy quality as the original Eternity. Though, it isn’t great or all that impressive either.


Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it doesn’t live up to the title. It isn’t intense and is actually a fairly soft cologne. What the hell? This isn’t the first time that I’ve run across an ‘intense’ scent that completely lacks in this department. If it’s not going to be a powerhouse, just name it something else.

Also, the longevity is really weak. You might eek out a few hours with this scent or it will be gone within an hour. The original Eternity was pretty good in this measurement but the Intense version drops the ball.

I don’t know, if I’m the only one who has had issues with Intense, but the performance is really bad.

Eternity Intense would probably fall under the casual cologne family, in my opinion. That is, if it actually lasted and performed well. It feels like a springtime wear with the floral notes.

If you get a better performance than I, this would be a pretty easy on to spray on, in a variety of situations. Not the greatest or highest quality fragrance, but it’d work well enough for most guys.


Overall Impressions of Eternity Intense

Overall, is this a buy? No. I don’t get it. It smells decent but its performance sucks. Like, there are so many other options out there, there is literally no reason for this. It doesn’t do anything well enough for me to justify a purchase.

The dry down is pretty nice and I like the black tea, to the extent I get any of it. But, it just never hits a higher level. Maybe it’d be a fine pick up for really cheap, just to see if you get some performance from it. As is, I’ll pass completely.

If you like the original Eternity, just stick with that, and skip Intense. The other Eternity flankers are at least decent to quite good, this one just completely misses the mark. Not a good entry from Calvin Klein performance wise, which makes the rest of the fragrance pointless.

Obsessed for Men By Calvin Klein

Walking through a department store, I made my usual pass around the fragrance counters, and saw a Calvin Klein display with a men’s fragrance I have yet to try. Apparently, it’s a new release and called Obsessed for Men. There was a tester spray bottle, so, I hit my arms up with three sprays in order to experience it and do a one-time wear review for the site. In this post, I’m going to cover all of the usual aspects of this cologne, and give my take on how it wears and performed during my limited interaction with it.


What does Obsessed by Calvin Klein Smell Like?

Notes include: vanilla, cardamom, pepper, ambroxan, leather, grapefruit, cedar

Click here to try: Calvin Klein Obsessed for Men Eau De Toilette, 1 fl. oz.


My Full Wear Review

Obsessed for Men seems like a very familiar scent even though I cannot pinpoint what specific cologne it reminds me of. I’m leaning towards it being a mix of several fragrances and just triggering my memory all at once.

The opening gives me a really fresh start with the grapefruit, pepper, and cedar stepping out in front. The vanilla note is always present and really ties the whole thing together.

Obsessed is a very clean fragrance, it is on the lighter side, and almost unisex but man, I like the super fresh energy that I get from it.

I think Obsessed is supposed to be a flanker fragrance to the original Obsession or at least a nod to it.  There does seem to be some overlap but since it’s been a few years since last wearing Obsession, I can’t really give a detailed head to head.

However, it does share the grapefruit, vanilla, and amber/ambroxan notes, so there is some similarity…but I don’t really recall the original smelling like this.

As Obsessed wears on, it becomes more vanilla/spicy/ambroxan than it’s initial grapefruit, though it doesn’t ever really become masculine. Still quite fresh and clean and upbeat.


Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Obsessed is okay. It’s not really a powerful scent but it isn’t as bad as some other CK releases. Not a powerhouse, but it can give you a few feet of radius off of your skin.

The longevity for my test run was about 4-5 solid hours and then maybe another hour wear it was still noticeable but weak. Again, not great but not the worst either. Maybe it’d be better in different weather or with more wear from me but that’s what I got with the one time deal.

Even if I had spent more time with this fragrance, I wouldn’t expect more than a few more hours on the high end of things. This, like a lot of other CK scents, isn’t a big time performer.

Seasonally,  you do get a lot of use from a cologne like this. It’s probably not great at the extremes of temperatures, but for spring and early summer it’s fine. Also, in the autumn months, Obsessed would be quite nice.

I’d call this a casual cologne, though, I could see myself wearing this on a date. Again, it’s not the most masculine scent but it does have a certain attractiveness/sexiness to it. The vanilla note is sweet, fairly warm, and darkened by the spice. It’s quite intriguing.


Overall Impressions of Obsessed

Overall, would I say Obsessed for men is a buy? Maybe. I actually do really like the way it smells, but I’d want some more time wearing it before making a call. It’s not a hyper unique scent but it is quite pleasant.

It’s clean, with some spice, and sweetness. The ambroxan isn’t too overpowering in the mix. Yes, it’s a leader in the composition, just nothing crazy. I liked the vanilla note here, along with that cardamom.

I have some concerns about the longevity but maybe it’d be better with more testing. This is a solid offering from Calvin Klein, it could be better, but I like it well enough. Perhaps, it is a buy at the right price.

Full price? Nah. At a discounter? You could do a lot worse than this one.

Eternity Aqua for Men by Calvin Klein

For our next entry in our series of review of Calvin Klein colognes for men, we are going to be taking a closer look at Eternity Aqua which was introduced by the designer in 2010. Yes, it’s a much more recent and up to date version of the highly popular Eternity, though, the two are quite different fragrances even if they share the same name.

How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it even worth a try? Continue below for my full review.


What does Eternity Aqua for Men Smell Like?

eternity aqua

Notes include: green leaves, white cedar, citrus, guaiac wood, water lotus, patchouli, Szechuan pepper, mirabelle, lavender, sandalwood, musk, chilled cucumber

On Amazon: Calvin Klein ETERNITY for Men AQUA Eau de Toilette, 3.4 fl. oz.


My Full Wear Review

For many of the aquatic fragrances, I am of the thought that I will only wear them in certain circumstances, and that none of them have ever become an everyday wear for me. That isn’t to say that I don’t like aquatics, I do, I just find these scents are more of a specialty item for my own personal style than anything else.

That being said, I think Eternity Aqua is a really good, but not great option in this category of scent.

(Update: Here in 2022, I am higher on this cologne than before, as the price has come way down, and it’s entered bargain territory. Now, it’s well worth a shot for the price).

The construction of its notes aren’t really aquatic at all, in the sense of having sea note (like Bvlgari Aqva). It’s almost something else posing as an aquatic fragrance.

Eternity Aqua is really crisp in clean in its presentation and when the cucumber note emerges, I find it to be rather soothing as well. While it does mimic aquatic colognes in some respects, I feel that it is more of a sporty scent full of fresh green aromas than anything marine based.

Coming back to this fragrance, years after this original review, it now smells a whole lot like Polo Blue EDT to my nose. I didn’t make the connection before, but the opening 15-20 minutes, are really close.

The cucumber and marine aspects are what give it that similarity to the Polo cologne, but it is separated by a plum note and citrus ingredients. The plum comes in more later on, but it is there at the top.

After about 30 minutes or so, I get less of the cucumber, and more citrus/plum with a Sichuan pepper kick. At this point, it is much like a lot of other marine based fragrances, with a citrus spiciness leading the way.

Then, it kind moves towards being like the original Eternity. They don’t completely overlap but with the lavender, sandalwood, and soapy quality during the dry down, you can tell that Aqua shares that DNA with a CK classic.

It’s got more citrus than the original and has more of that cool watery vibe. But with musky, sandalwood, and lavender giving it some familiarity.


Sillage, Longevity, and When to Wear

This fragrance is a light option, so unless you drown yourself in it, it shouldn’t offend and have people running away from you. Eternity Aqua isn’t a weak fragrance, just one that is fresh and not overly heavy.

I haven’t found it to be particularly long-lasting, but it isn’t a complete let down either, it’s somewhat moderate in that regard around 5-7 hours. I wish it were more of a beast, but for what I paid, it’s good enough.

Aqua is best left to the summer months, when the warm temperatures, can cause many other scents to wilt in the exposure. It does blend some citrus and floral notes which gives it an interesting opening before it settles down into a light, clean, and almost powdery like aroma.

I wouldn’t mind wearing this at all during the daytime in the summer months, as it presents itself perfectly well, and the scent while it is nothing too unique is attractive and pleasant.

People seem to like the way this smells and it is one that will gather complements. It’s not really sexy but has such a great freshness, that it becomes attractive. It is a casual scent and one that is safe for office or school wear.


Overall Impressions of Eternity Aqua

All in all, if you need an affordable option for the warmer months, Eternity Aqua by Calvin Klein is a solid performer that will get the job done. It smells really good, isn’t overpowering, has decent longevity, and can be had at a good price.

It isn’t unique, but not everything needs to be. This one is a cheaper alternative to Polo Blue and in many ways, is actually a better fragrance. Is it groundbreaking? Nope, but now that you can grab it at $30 or less, it’s a steal.

I like the mix of crisp cucumber, spice, and the plum note in the early stages of the wear. To me, that’s the best part of the wear. After that it’s pretty basic and there isn’t too much development.

The performance is just okay, not going to blow the doors off or anything. I was tending to over-spray Eternity Aqua on me, when I was using it over the summer. That’s the way I could get some level of longevity with it.

I don’t  think that this Calvin Klein cologne will be anybody’s signature. Just something to add to the lineup that won’t break the bank, but has a nice scent.