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?

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.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.