Obsession for Men by Calvin Klein

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For this installment of my reviews of Calvin Klein colognes for men, we are going to hit the way back machine and take a look at Obsession, the classic CK scent from the 1980s. This is one of the scents which helped to put the designer’s fragrance line on the map and has been a very good seller ever since its release. Let’s take an opportunity to give this now classic fragrance an overview of what makes it so.

Update: I’ve update and edited this review, to expand upon, and give additional thoughts on this cologne. List of the best Calvin Klein fragrances for men!

What Does CK Obsession for Men Smell Like?

rp_obsession-300x300.jpg

Notes include: mandarin and spice, with low tones of musk, sandalwood and amber

Shop on Amazon: Calvin Klein OBSESSION for Men Eau de Toilette, 4 fl. oz.

My Full Wear Review

One of the first things that I have always noticed, about Obsession, is its warmth and notes of spice. It is a rather complex and rich fragrance and unlike a scent such as Opium Pour Homme, its spice is less Oriental and more of a fragrant cinnamon bouquet.

This scent is really interesting because it also has some fruity top notes like tangerine along with some more subdued floral notes which lend it an earthy or woodsy quality.

However, it opens up with mostly the cinnamon coming through as the main spice, as it will for the rest of the wear. In the beginning stages, it is joined by a variety of citrus notes from lime, mandarin, and the aforementioned tangerine.

To my nose, the citrus really doesn’t come across as juicy, more of an impression of dried fruit with lavender and the spice.

The fruity opening transitions away and a more floral heart begins to peak through. This is when obsession begins to feel warmer. This is when I really start to notice the woody notes, as well. It a blend of spice and sweetness, with a woodsy base.

Rosewood, nutmeg, jasmine, and sandalwood join the cinnamon and lavender (which will weaken, a bit later).

Finally, we get to what I mostly experience for the rest of the wear. It’s a cinnamon amber blend with vanilla highlights. That is the main attraction and it sits on a bed of sandalwood, random flowers, and spices. Very attractive and cozy, while still having a stylish feeling, after these ensuing decades.

Sillage, Longevity, Versatility

The warmth and the blend of herbal spice and florals lend credence to the fact that Obsession is a very nice cologne for the winter months. I think that anyone who says it doesn’t project well, might be wearing it in the wrong climate, as I think that it hangs beautifully in the crisp and cold air.

The sillage itself, probably isn’t going to take over a room, but you do get solid projection within the first few hours. After that, it is definitely respectable, and not weak at all. In my experience, it is much better in this regard, than many of the other CK fragrances.

Its longevity is average in my opinion, though, it can become overpowering when over-sprayed and have a tendency to permeate from clothing or skin. It is a moderate cologne to the extent that it is used in moderation.

It will seem to go on my skin, for anywhere between 5-7 hours, and this is the latest batch that I’ve gotten a hold of.

Most of the CK fragrances will fall into this range. Some less than that, but this is what the majority seem to be capable of nowadays.

Seasonally, save this one for the colder months, as I’ve written. It’s not too joyous of a wear in the heat and humidity. In the crisp air of autumn or winter, Obsession really comes to life between the warm comforting amber and the spiciness of cinnamon.

It actually is a versatile scent, in that, it can still be worn by any age group.

Obsession for Men can fit in a wide variety of situations, during the day, while pull double duty at night. Women like it, men like it…there’s a reason this was a best-seller and still moves units.

If you’re younger, you can wear this. It does have a different style than what you might be used to, but it’s worth a try. If you like Obsession, it’s one that you can get a lot of use out of in high school or college.

Overall Impressions of Obsession

Overall, I still think that this is one of the top fragrances by Calvin Klein and is simply a classic. There have of course been reformulations, over the years, but the newer batches seem to be on the right track.

Is it exactly the same as 1986? I doubt it. I wasn’t around for the original, but the newer editions, certainly hold up well. Plus, you can find bottles of this stuff at discounters for a good amount below retail. It can be a nice value play.

It is a mature fragrance for everyday wear, and is also inexpensive, so those are some definite pluses that Obsession has going for it. The complexity is still there and it has an interesting life cycle.

Yes, it is different from most of the more modern releases, but that doesn’t detract at all for me. In fact, I tend to dig this one, even more. It’s really delicious and a pleasant experience to wear. Pick up a bottle, Obsession is still, a damn good fragrance.

My Fifth Avenue by Elizabeth Arden

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Moving right along with my complete backlog of perfume reviews that I need to post, we have an entry today from Elizabeth Arden. This is a newer addition to the brand’s lineup of fragrances and was released back in 2018, with Reese Witherspoon, as the face of the campaign. My Fifth Avenue takes on the name of the classic Arden scent, but goes in a completely different direction from its predecessor. How does it perform? Is it worth a try?

What does My Fifth Avenue Perfume Smell Like?

arden my fifth avenue

Notes include: lotus, jasmine, pear, musk, cedar, lemon, mandarin, orris root, amber wood, violet leaf

Click here to try: Elizabeth Arden My Fifth Avenue Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3 oz. 

My Full Review

Before we get into my personal review of this scent, let’s see how Elizabeth Arden describes it, “This fragrant celebration of a woman’s rightful ambition and limitless possibilities embodies the energy, culture and sights that are quintessentially Fifth Avenue. An invigorating floral, it blends citrus notes, musks, and wood notes for a fragrant reminder of the sparkling scent of success.”

My Fifth Avenue opens up with an initial blend of bright citrus notes and a floral bouquet. I can pick up lotus, violet, a bit of jasmine, and an array of flowers that I can’t quite grasp.

The citrus notes are clean and don’t come across as sharp, on my skin. I wouldn’t even call those fruit notes ‘juicy’, because they are held in check by the abundance of floral notes. Nonetheless, My Fifth Avenue, doesn’t have a super green or watery vase type of aroma just the petals.

As it develops further, this perfume takes on more of its floral character, think white flowers (overall aroma). The lotus note is the strongest, of the lot, and light muskiness creeps up from the base of the fragrance.

At this point, the citrus has weakened quite significantly. However, there is still the pear note, which I can’t really pick up in the opening.

Yet, it will come to play a fairly major role in the totality of this perfume. It adds a crispness to the composition and a sweetness to play off of the floral ingredients.

Midway through the wear, the pear and lotus notes are fully developed as a tandem, and this is when the scent has an aquatic air about it. It’s not completely watery, but that sensation is there, for at least a portion of its life cycle.

Ultimately, what I end up with from My Fifth Avenue is: a lotus and pear top, with a floral blend and musk underneath that, with a very very light woody base. It’s a pretty simple scent, for the most part. Nice and definitely not a mess of ingredients.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

I don’t find this Arden scent to be incredibly powerful, but it definitely has a solid projecting ability. The sillage won’t clear out a room, but you don’t need to spray the heck out of it, to make this scent work.

The longevity here is good, but not elite. It’ll seem to do about 6-8 hours, for me. Nothing beyond that, but quite acceptable for a daily wear.

Is this a versatile scent? It is to an extent. It’ll work in most any climate, but doesn’t come across as a winter wear. My Fifth Avenue is better suited toward mild to warmer climates.

Still, you could wear it indoors for any seasons. Casually or in an office, since it isn’t a massive or overpowering fragrance.

This is a casual, daily wear, or office sort of scent. It’s attractive and fairly chic, but not what I’d call sexy. Also, isn’t a nightlife or romantic wear. This perfume is an easy to wear and simple fragrance, that will smell nice, and won’t offend those around you.

Overall Impression of My Fifth Avenue by Elizabeth Arden

Do I like this perfume? Yes, I find it to be quite pleasant. It’s nothing that special or mind-blowing, but as a daily wear, it does it’s job perfectly. You get a nice and attractive smell, good performance, and something that is easy to spray on without much thought.

It is a pretty simple perfume, nothing ground breaking, but one which is well blended and has its strengths.

The citrus accord gives this one a nice start, bright, with that sparkling pear aroma. I like the duo of the lotus with the pear, neither gets a big edge over the other, and the notes underneath just work well.

I’m not a particularly big fan of violet, but it isn’t too much of a factor, especially in the latter stages.

My Fifth Avenue is a solid pickup, if you have the right expectations about what it is. It does everything above average, just not much more than that. Never spectacular, so, I might try to get it for a discount if I really wanted a bottle.

9 Fragrances Similar to Versace Bright Crystal

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Bright Crystal by Versace has remained a best selling ladies’ fragrance, since its initial release. People seem to really enjoy this scent, for its clean mix of yuzu and peony, and versatile style. As such, folks want to try to capture a similar experience with other perfumes.

In this post, I aim to give you the options to do so. Now, for this scent in particular, I haven’t found any cheaper exact aromas like that of Bright Crystal.

Update: I have now found and added some to the list. However, I do have fragrances that share a similar aroma, or common sensibility with the Versace scent.

Perfumes that Smell Like Bright Crystal by Versace

Inspired By

Fruity Magnolia by Dossier– So, as far as perfumes go that try to closely replicate the aroma that you get with our Versace target, Fruity Magnolia from Dossier seems to be the best bet.

Others on the list are going to produce a similar style and some overlapping note. This one, is made to try get the Bright Crystal experience beat for beat.

I haven’t tried this one out personally, but I have tried others out from Dossier and they lived up to my expectations. Bright Crystal isn’t a very complicated formula to match and the reviews seem positive.

If you want a cheaper alternative, this is going to be the one, for under $30 currently (as of last update).

Inspired by the Other Bright Crystal

Absolute Crystal Glow by Dua– This one from Dua isn’t inspired by the original Bright Crystal, rather, it tries for a resemblance to Absolu (listed below).

The pomegranate and yuzu opening is going to be there, with what I hope is the same boldness that you get with Absolu.

This is another of these designer inspired options that I haven’t tried out. The Dua Brand is a company that I’ve bought like 10 other fragrances from and they’ve all been of great quality. Plus, close in matching what the original designer fragrance smells like. Affordable and worth a try.

Bright Reflection

Pisa Reflection– Here’s another perfume option that is based on our target’s note structure. This time from Fragrenza, a brand that I’ve purchased from before, and had some really quite good inspirations of other designer wears.

Their BR 540 was good and I think a few of the Kilian inspired scents were very close to the originals and had long-lasting formulas.

I have not tried this one out, as of yet, but I’ll add this to the list for those who want to give it a whirl and don’t want to go with the Dossier

Ice, yuzu, pomegranate, magnolia, and lotus (among others) should make Pisa Reflection one to check out.

 

The Other Bright Crystal

Versace Bright Crystal Absolu Eau de Perfume Spray, 3.0 Ounce– Obviously, the flanker fragrance, is going to have lots of similarities to the original Bright Crystal. However, Absolu, has a stronger presence and the strength of the fruit notes have been enhanced.

It’s sweeter and has somewhat less peony than the original does, but with bolder sillage and has better longevity. This can be a good option for those, who are looking for a greater performing version of Bright Crystal.

Discontinued Dior 

DIOR ADDICT 2 by Christian Dior EDT SPRAY 1.7 OZ for WOMEN– Addict 2 is probably the most similar of any fragrance, outside of Absolu, to our target. Not an exact match, but pretty darn close. The main difference, is the lack of peony.

However, it replaces that with freesia and lotus. You get pomegranate and citrus, just tweaked, from Bright Crystal. For instance, there is a strong pineapple note, in Addict 2.

This one has been discontinued, so, it’s getting tough to find bottles and it can be expensive. Honestly, it’d just be better to stick with the Versace.

Similar Style from Gucci

GUCCI ENVY ME Perfume By GUCCI For WOMEN– Envy Me is an older fragrance, that you can still find bottles of online. This Gucci perfume isn’t a one to one or note for note scent, but it does share some of the same ingredients, and overall structure as Bright Crystal.

In here, you get pineapple, litchi, and mango; instead of the lemon. But, you get a strong peony and some pomegranate, thrown in also. Envy Me is a fun scent, with the fruity/floral composition, just not the same citrus led aroma.

Lighter and Fruitier

Bŭrberry Brit Sheer For Women 1.6 fl. Oz Eau de Toilette– Brit Sheer really does deliver a similar style to Bright Crystal. It’s close to it, but much fruitier at the top, softer, and dries down with the peony being dominant.

Bright Crystal is probably more balanced than this one, while, you get front-loaded with much of the citrus notes here.

Sheer is an easy to wear perfume that is clean, won’t overpower, and gives you a nice floral/musk dry down.

 

More Floral and Woody

Chloe New for Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 2.5-Ounces– This is one has some overlap and brings a similar experience. A nice, moderate scent by Chloe. New is a complex and feminine scent that isn’t too bold but will add a bit of warmth and class to any woman.

Notes include: Magnolia, rose, lily of the valley cedar wood base, amber. The rose is the most prominent of the floral notes, with a somewhat powdery aroma, and the addition of a very solid peony.

Chloe EDP has a nice woodiness in the dry down, that helps to give it a more solid base, and the performance on this one is pretty outstanding. Its sillage can be powerful and will go the full day.

 

Similar Style, Differing Notes

Very Irresistible By Givenchy For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 2.5 Ounces A deliciously seductive fragrance by Givenchy. It blends rose and peony among other notes, to create a long-lasting and beautiful affair, which adds a bit of spice to the floral notes.

It opens with the rose note and anise, which provides the fresh spice complement, to the floral aroma. As it dries down, the peony comes into its own, and takes Very Irresistible away from being more of a pure rose fragrance.

This one will last a full 8 hours, isn’t a sillage beast, and works very well in the spring/summer months. Nice ,can give off a similar vibe, and inhabits the same sort of style.  Full Review

 

 

Polo Blue Eau de Parfum by Ralph Lauren

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I couldn’t remember exactly why I had ordered a sample of Polo Blue. After all, I’d already used it before and reviewed it on this site: here. Eventually, I pulled it back out of the box and it dawned on me that I had done so because this was the Eau de Parfum version of the fragrance and not the original release that I’d already went over.

Cool. I was excited to see if there were many differences between this EDP version and the original Polo Blue by Ralph Lauren.  As usual, I want to cover how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a buy or not.

Update: I’ve come back to add things a few times to my initial review from 2016 for additional thoughts and clarity.

What Does Polo Blue Eau de Parfum Smell Like?

polo blue edp

Notes include: suede, bergamot, cardamom, basil, sea notes, sage, vetiver, woods

Click here to try: R.L. Polo Blue 4.2 oz / 125 ml Eau De Parfum EDP for Men

My Full Wear Review

I haven’t smelled the original Polo Blue in a while and only have a slight memory of how it was, so I also have to rely on my posted review, to make comparisons between the two. However, this EDP, definitely feels different.

Actually, the opening really reminds me of Acqua Di Gio Profumo, because of the citrus aroma provided by the bergamot. I still have a sample of that Armani scent and it does share the bergamot, aquatic notes, sage, and patchouli with Polo Blue EDP.

Update: Having had a full bottle of Profumo and trying EDP multiple times since this review, the sage is much heavier in Profumo. But, this is still like a mix of Polo Blue and AdG Profumo, in the early stages, especially.

As a side note, Polo Blue EDT smells a lot like, Eternity Aqua by Calvin Klein.

It opens up with a sharp bergamot, spices, and its oceanic notes. The spices are sage, cardamom, and basil. Each of those notes, seems to have its turn as the main spice, before falling back into the ranks. Cardamom starts off in the lead.

Very aquatic and citrusy at the top, then, the suede comes in to give it an almost leathery feeling. Coming back to Polo Blue EDP, it noticeably has the same style as, Fan di Fendi Acqua during the middle.

Both aquatic, spicy, with smooth notes (actual leather in the Fendi fragrance). Not the same smell, but that cologne also reminds me of this one with how it comes across.

The final dry down, is much more woody/earthy than it had been up to that point. You do still get some basil/sage, but it isn’t nearly as spicy. Wood and patchouli at the base, with suede, sea notes, and some citrus. Much smoother and not as sharp, I really dig the latter stages.

That’s what this fragrance is to me, a blend of Acqua Di Gio Profumo and the original Polo Blue. You would of course have to minus the melon and cucumber notes from the Polo Blue original but that is essentially what this EDP is.

Honestly, I like it. It’s not super exciting but I do think that it is better than the original, which I thought smelled nice but was just bland as hell. Though, it has a lot of similarities to how this smells during that dry down. Still, this is better.

Polo Blue EDP once it settles down, loses a bit of the similarity it shares with ADG Profumo, and begins to emerge more as the original Blue but with more defined notes.

It’s second half takes on a smoother aquatic/woodsy feel with the sea notes and suede, that is noticeably boosted in this version.

Sillage, Longevity, Versatility

Projection wise, it’s pretty good. Not overly loud but not a skin scent either. On the longevity end, it might be a little bit better than the original but really, not by much. It’s definitely in the realm of average, in that regard.

That initial burst is pretty strong, but it never matched the intensity of the original bottles of AdG Profumo.

I would say that this is a good casual wear for warmer weather and not much of a club or date night scent. Although, I think it’d be okay for the latter. It’s attractive enough, but not necessarily something that will really draw someone in.

Wearing it more often, I’ve been getting in the 5-7 hour range, pretty consistently. Definitely towards the higher end of that range, but sometimes, it doesn’t hold up as well.

In the summertime, this is the type of perfume that I can wear anywhere, and not feel out of place with it on.

Overall Impression of Polo Blue EDP

Overall, is Polo Blue Eau de Parfum a buy? It is better than the original, in my opinion. So, if you liked that, then think of this as an upgrade. It does everything well and as a casual scent, I don’t think you could go wrong owning this one.

It’s pleasant and should garner complements, which is essentially everything most guys want from a fragrance. If you don’t like aquatics or citrus based scents, you should probably look elsewhere.

Polo Blue EDP honestly grew on me, the more that I wore it. It’s still not an absolute love or must buy, but it has such an appeal on certain days, that I want to spray it on.

Update: I’ve also enjoyed Deep Blue from this series. Polo Blue Parfum is also nice. I’d say this one or Deep Blue are my favorites from the line.

Meow by Katy Perry

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Chugging along my sample fragrance reviews, I’m coming back to the celebrity releases, with one from Katy Perry. Meow! is one of her more popular perfumes and I’d say for good reason. I already liked this scent, but wanted to do a deeper dive. Meow was a 2011 release from this line. How does it smell? What’s the performance like? Is it actually worth a buy?

What does Meow Smell Like?

Notes include: tangerine, pear, lily of the valley, honeysuckle, gardenia, jasmine, vanilla, sandalwood, musk, sandalwood

Click here to try: Katy Perry Meow Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

To my nose, Meow opens up with vanilla and a nice juicy/sparkling pear, surrounded by floral notes like jasmine and particularly gardenia. It’s not a gardenia heavy scent, but it sort of gets wrapped in the vanilla and pear sweetness, which creates a beautiful little aroma.

After about 10 minutes, I can detect a citrus aroma, which is the tangerine and orange flower joining forces. It’s very subtle, around only briefly, but it was totally there on my skin.

This is definitely a vanilla dominant fragrance, a very sweet vanilla, that is only bolstered by the fruity ingredients.

As it dries down, it stays fairly close to this formula. A sugary vanilla, with fruit notes, and a light blend of floral notes. One difference, is the emergence of a warm amber note. Not super potent, but it pulls things together.

One thing that I really enjoy about Meow, is that even in its relative simplicity, is how I periodically get to smell individual flowers. Mostly, its the gardenia, but there is also some honeysuckle and jasmine.

Like the other Katy Perry perfumes, Meow isn’t a highly complex scent, but it sticks to its fundamental core quite well.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

In terms of its sillage, Meow isn’t a heavy or extremely well projecting perfume. It’s actually decent at it, for the first couple of hours. I think the sweetness of the scent, gives off the illusion that it is bolder, than it actually is.

Nonetheless, I don’t find it to be weak or a bad performer. It’ll leave a scent trail behind you for a while and holds up well for a time.

It stuck to my skin for right around 6 hours. By no means, is that amazing, but we are dealing with a sub-$20 fragrance. For the price, you do get value. Plus, it doesn’t turn into a weak skin scent within 15 minutes, so, six hours of performance is good enough.

Seasonally, pretty much fits anytime. Maybe, the absolute hottest days of summer, would be a pass but that’s it. I’d say that it’s best in autumn and into early springtime. Just find something else for the heat.

This is a rather girly perfume, but honestly isn’t ‘childish’, just a sugary aroma. It’s  going to skew younger, but I think that this is a better quality scent versus many others of this ilk, and older women could enjoy it also.

Probably don’t want to wear Meow professionally, but as a casual scent, it will work well. It’s something you can throw on during your day and get a delicious boost. It’s fun, fairly linear, but still smells good. Just don’t expect anything hyper unique or sophisticated.

Overall Impression of Meow by Katy Perry

Do I like this perfume? I do. I actually think that I prefer it to Purr by Katy, as well. Yes, this type of fragrance has been done plenty of times before, but this is an attractive example at a cheap price.

There are a ton of perfumes out there for under $25, that are poor quality and basically trash. Meow is not that.  This Katy Perry release overdelivers versus my expectations of it, but doesn’t ever hit an elite level. Sticks to a basic formula and doesn’t try to go too deep.

If you don’t like the sugary sweet kind of aromas, don’t get this. If you’re a fan of vanilla and pear, this will be a super affordable option for you. I really like the vanilla here, simple gourmand. The floral hints that I caught throughout, also made this a nice wear.

Is it the best thing ever? No, but it’s a great little celebrity scent, that actually gives you your money’s worth.