calvin klein

Eternity Now for Men by Calvin Klein

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This is the last of my current batch of Calvin Klein fragrance reviews. This is another from the long line of Eternity for Men flanker colognes, this one is entitled, Eternity Now. Released in 2015, I think this one has pretty much flown under the radar, for the most part.

The brand released some scents that a lot of people don’t seem to know about during this time period. How does it smell? What are the notes? Is the performance any good? Is it worth a try?

What does Eternity Now Smell Like?

Notes include: coconut, star fruit, vanilla, tonka bean, ginger, anise, cedar, and patchouli

Click here to try: CK Eternity Now MEN Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 OZ. 

My Full Wear Review

Eternity Now has a brilliant tropical opening act. I’ve seriously been loving putting this on, during my testing of this fragrance. A bright and delicious star fruit is the main attraction and is paired with coconut.

Underneath that is some light spiciness, from two of my favorite ingredients, for this style: ginger and anise. The anise is the stronger of the two, but neither ever gets too in your face with their presence.

I do like the subtlety of those notes, when playing off of the tropical ingredients

The star fruit is a note that doesn’t get used all that often, as a main ingredient, in men’s fragrances. Versace Eau Fraiche is one example, but I think that this CK cologne uses it better, in that first 30-60 minutes.

The pairing with the coconut is fantastic, juicy, and fresh. I really like the summertime energy that this one gives off. Casual and upbeat, something that begs to be worn in the sunshine.

Eternity Now, obviously gets creamier as it dries down. It’s really inevitable with coconut and a strengthening of both vanilla and tonka bean. What I appreciate though, is that is doesn’t go full sun tan lotion, on my skin. It’s more sweetly fresh than creamy, even at its height.

As it moves along, the star fruit fades from the spotlight. It’s a shame, as the opening is the best part of this scent. The rest of it is still good, but I wanted this fragrance to be completely linear, just because I don’t think it could’ve gotten any better.

For the rest of the way, this is pretty much a vanilla and coconut blend, with cedar at the base. You do still get some wafts of the spice, tonka, and star fruit but they are relegated to the background.

The vanilla takes the lead and the coconut mostly shares duties with tonka bean. Still, that woody freshness keeps it fairly interesting.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

For the first few hours on my skin, the sillage is quite good. It will project to about 6-7 feet, at its absolute zenith, and then move towards the skin. For part of the wear, it will be really close. Then, it’s a skin scent entirely.

The total longevity is in the 6-7 hour range. 2-3 with moderate to good projection. Then, the rest of it, with pretty poor sillage. For me, it isn’t a terrible performer, but it could be better.

Is this a versatile fragrance? I’d say, yes. Seasonally, I’d wear it mostly in the spring or summertime, as that’s when it feels most at home.

I could wear this casually, as a nightlife fragrance, or even out on a date. It does have a very attractive and appealing aroma, especially in that first hour.

This isn’t something you’re going to want to reach for for more formal situations or probably in a professional setting. But, you can get plenty of use out of it depending on your lifestyle.

Update: Casually and especially on summer nights, is when I have been wearing this one. Very bright and upbeat, clean scent.

Overall Impression of Eternity Now

Do I like this cologne? Yes, I like wearing it a lot. The star fruit, coconut, and spice opening is utterly amazing. If this whole scent was like this, it would be one of my favorite fragrances. Ginger and anise, with tropical fruitiness? Awesome.

Update: After having a year or so with this bottle, Eternity Now has become one of my go to cheapie fragrances. I wouldn’t pay full retail for it, but it is a great pickup at a discount.

Update 2: This one is discontinued it seems. However, it is (as of now) still in stock at Fragrancenet. Otherwise, you’re not too likely to stumble upon a bottle out in the wild.

Despite the change and only decent level of performance, I do still think that this is a worthwhile purchase. As a spring/summer wear, it fits in perfectly to that environment. The price is currently super cheap, compared to what you get from the scent.

I may end up personally buying a full bottle, once I’ve gone through using this mini. This is one of the best Calvin Klein releases, in the past decade. It’s the best of the three recent tests of CK fragrances, that I’ve done.

Better than Reveal Men and Eternity Flame, without a doubt (both of which, I enjoyed).

I’d say grab a bottle, if you’re in the market for something tropical or with a dose of vanilla. Eternity Now for Men falls short of being a complete classic, but it definitely tried to hit that mark.

eternity

Obsessed for Women by Calvin Klein

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I’ve already reviewed Obsessed for Men, on this site, which was a pretty good fragrance. So, when I got a sample of Obsessed for Women, I was intrigued to see what direction Calvin Klein was going to take this in.

This is actually a new release for 2017 and shares a similar name with the classic Obsession, though, their doesn’t appear to be any actual similarities between them.

In this post, I’m going to go over how it smells, performs, what the notes are, and whether or not it is worth a further look.

What does Obsessed for Women Smell Like?

Notes include: musk, sage, lavender, citrus, neroli, violet leaf

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

My Full Review

The packaging that the sample vial of Obsessed for Women came in, says that it is ‘a female interpretation of an oriental fougere’.  With that, I wasn’t expecting something that was hyper feminine or sweet, and after use this does feel more like an unisex perfume.

The opening is floral, herbal, and musky. The lavender has that familiar scent and reminds me of the lavender Epsom bath salt that I use for sore muscles.

The citrus notes are noticeable at the start, as well, and give it kind of an aquatic aroma. It really does bring back memories of two of Calvin Klein’s 90s unisex fragrances, CK One and CK Be, but retains something different from each of those scents.

I think the warm musky spice and the sage, set it apart, and there is this underlying body wash/soapy quality to Obsessed.

Obsessed is fresh throughout its lifespan and the floral notes provided by the neroli and violet leaf begin to come into play about 20-30 minutes after application. That is when it begins to shift more towards the feminine side of the spectrum, after the quite ambiguous start.

However, it stays mostly in that floral/soft/spice/fresh water aquatic, mode throughout.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s a lighter scent, and definitely didn’t seem overpowering to me. I also sprayed it three times on a shirt and parked it about 4 feet away and didn’t really detect it.

So, it’s not going to be a massive radius and no long scent trail in your wake, unless you really spray the heck out of it.

Obsessed is a perfume that performs somewhat well, but you have to get closer. Longevity, again, was decent. Maybe 6+ hours, depending on the environment.

It feels more appropriate as a spring/summer scent but I think that it could perform well in any season really. While it does enjoy seasonal versatility, I’d classify it as casual.

It’s a pleasant perfume, but I don’t find it sexy or anything of that nature. A good low-key scent for work or school or some other casual function.

Overall Impressions of Obsessed for Women

Overall, is Obsessed worth a purchase? I don’t have anything bad to say about it. It serves its purpose as a fresh scent that is a nice change from the usual fruity or hyper-sweet perfumes.

So, if you’re in the market for that thing and are a fan of lavender, musk, and sage; then this one might be a good fit as a daily wear.

It’s very much a Calvin Klein fragrance, without even looking at the bottle, you can sort of just tell. Better than average, the usual notes, and not a big performer.

I don’t find it to be some incredible scent that is a must have, but it is nice, low key, and veers more to the unisex than girly.

CK Be by Calvin Klein

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Calvin Klein was a major force in the fragrance world during the 1980s and 90s. From Obsession to Eternity to CK One and everything in between, this line of scents were constant best sellers, and still are in many ways.

In this post, I want to take a closer look at another unisex fragrance by Calvin Klein, CK Be. Is this fragrance still one to wear? What are its pros and cons? Is it worth a purchase?  Also see: CK One vs CK Be

What does CK Be Smell Like?

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Notes include: magnolia, peach, lavender, musk, sandalwood, bergamot, mint, vanilla

Click here to try: CK BE by CK Unisex Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 oz.

My Full Review

The opening of CK Be is quite pleasant and doesn’t overpower you like some fragrances. It is a subtle blend of musk, lavender, peach, and citrus provided by the bergamot.

Again, this is a unisex scent, so don’t expect anything that screams masculine but it isn’t some ‘girly’ perfume either.

Be starts off with a fresh mix of notes like mint, lavender, and juniper. These are paired alongside the lighter fruit notes. Lavender strikes me as being stronger, up top, but there is a nice cleanliness to the supporting ingredients.

At this stage, it does have its soapy-like aroma, but it feels ‘greener’ than it will later on. Bergamot, peach, mint, and juniper bring it about during this time.

CK Be is warm and somewhat spicy and highlighted by that citrus vibe. It’s got a youthful energy that really reminds me of late spring and the early summer months.

It’s got such a clean and almost soapy quality when it settles on the skin and really starts to bring out the floral/woodsy notes that are blended in it. Lavender, musk, magnolia, and sandalwood with a fruity soap finish. It is sweeter and less ‘green fresh’, in the latter part of the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it isn’t a big bold scent but it isn’t completely weak either, at least at first. The longevity isn’t anything to write home about and that’s what sort of ruins this as a scent to me.

In totality, I’d call it a light to moderate projecting fragrance. It was never completely weak, on my skin, but never had that huge sillage.

About 4-5 hours of good use before you should probably reapply. CK Be is usually really inexpensive, so it really isn’t too much of a problem for the price, but it is pretty annoying to not have it be an all day performer.

Seasonally, CK Be is a warm weather fragrance for the spring/summertime. It’s probably best for those in their teens or twenties. Something that anyone could wear to class, a job, or just casually during the daytime.

This isn’t an extremely attractive or sexy scent. Though, it’s a smell that is quite popular, with its delightful aroma. CK Be can be sprayed on by men or women, who want to wear a non-intrusive and clean kind of perfume.

Overall Impression of CK Be

Overall, is this scent worth it? It is if you want something light and fresh at this price point. It is a really good option for either men or women that need something versatile and safe to wear on a day to day basis.

However, the longevity issue can be a problem, and if you aren’t in love with the smell one might as well get CK One instead. I’m not sure if this fragrance has been reformulated or discontinued, because I haven’t really seen it around recently.

CK be is a worthwhile purchase, at the right price, and I’d place that at under $30 or so. It’s going to give you a clean and versatile wear, that won’t offend, and is a pleasant experience all around. Is it amazing? To me, no. I like it, but it’s not something I’m particularly crazy about.

Eternity for Men EDP by Calvin Klein

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In the midst of all of these new reviews, I’ve been writing up, I had the chance to try out the new release from Calvin Klein: Eternity for Men EDP. Yes, they are putting out an eau de parfum flanker under the Eternity name, some 30 years after its been out. Fine. But how does this 2019 edition smell? What’s its performance like? Is it even worth a try?

What Does Eternity EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: cypress, suede, sage, geranium, vetiver, apple, and more

Click here to try: Calvin Klein Eternity for Men Eau de Parfum, 3.4 Fl Oz

My Full Wear Review

The immediate opening of Eternity has some pretty obvious similarities with the original. However, the most noticeable difference is the absence of a strong sandalwood note.

It doesn’t have that same soapy quality, which may either be a good or bad thing, depending on your tastes.

Eternity EDP starts off with a nice crisp apple note, perhaps some light citrus (if so, it’s not listed), and a good amount of sage. It’s fresh and herbal, with a solidly powerful sillage, at the top. This initial smell, lasts for a little while longer, before the cypress fully takes control.

The cypress is an interesting note, within this composition. I like it, giving Eternity EDP that woodsy clean aroma, without being overbearing about it. I feel like the suede helps to keep things balanced and smooths out the overall cologne.

This CK scent has a similar style (not exactly similar smell) to something along the lines of Chanel Egoiste Platinum. It’s funny, because I put on Platinum the day after I first wore this, and the idea immediately struck me.

During the dry down, the sage, begins to fade. The whole scent is much less herbal, but the woodsy smell amps up, on my skin. Again, it’s mostly the cypress with suede, but I do get a good deal of geranium and a slight musky air.

Sillage and How Long Does it Last?

Eternity EDP starts off projecting itself, pretty strong. Not an absolute monster, but definitely brings the power, for about an hour or so. Then, it settles into a much more moderate fragrance. Noticeable but not one to take over a room, with normal sprays.

For me, the longevity was decent. Somewhere in the 5-7 hour range, is about what this one seems to do. Not ideal, but not a complete waste, either.

Mostly in line with what other releases from this house have been over the past 15 years or so. They almost all seem to fall into that range of wear.

Versatility

I like this scent for guys in their late 20s and up. It just fits more with an older man’s, sort of style. It’s not an ‘old man’ cologne, let’s just call it, more mature.

Nonetheless, it does have a nice style to it, and an attractive/sexy quality. Eternity EDP can go from the office to a night on the town or be worn casually.

Seasonally, I’d put it in the autumn to springtime range. It wasn’t too great in the summer heat, but inside with the AC on, the fragrance sat beautifully.

Overall Scent

Do I like Eternity eau de parfum? I do. It’s a nice mainstream woodsy cologne, which still gives a nod, to the original release from Calvin Klein. It doesn’t stray into too niche of  an aroma, with the cypress note, but finds a good balance with the suede.

Is it amazing? No, but it’s a very wearable and enjoyable cologne. The longevity could be a bit better, but this one, does everything at least somewhat well. I probably wouldn’t pay full retail price for it, but would consider it when it gets discounted.

I took the same tact, with Eternity Aqua, which is great at $20 but not so much at full price. This strikes me as being in that camp. Not worthwhile at retail, but with that heavy discount a lot of CK colognes inevitably reach, Eternity EDP could be a decent pickup.