The Old God and the New

Have you ever found yourself obsessed with something? So consumed with something that you can hardly even think of anything else? A relationship, a new phone, a perfect body, your reputation, good grades, a magnificent cologne, a unique style—anything can leave you obsessed.

Obsession is a vintage CK male cologne that belongs to the past century and it was my first oriental fragrance, which I wore in the late Eighty when I was twenty-something and I went through two bottles of this after high school graduation, and I am still burnt out on it. I've recently found a bargain and bought another bottle of it and now it is part of my winter rotation. Just to give it a try I sprayed a couple of sprits on my skin and immediately I went back in time to that marvelous period of my life... George Michael "A Different Corner" is the song that came to my mind, although Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran were likewise hitting the top. A great scent then, and still smells just as I recall. 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. 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 it hangs beautifully in the crisp and cold air. 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.

In blending Obsession for men, I think that Calvin Klein's perfumers went to the extreme of blending an explosive combination of fresh citruses like bergamot, grapefruit, lime, and tangerine while harmonizing the flowery whiff of relaxing lavender, fruity nut, spicy aroma of coriander and warmth of cinnamon.
The heart is rich in colorful carnation with yellow jasmine, multi-way rose tree, and green pine, whereas the dry-down is muted by a warm aura of amber, benzoin, patchouli, and undertones of musk, sandalwood, vetiver, and vanilla.

Overall, I still think that this is one of the top fragrances by Calvin Klein and is simply a classic. There does seem to be a different formulation though with newer bottles versus the older version like it has become a bit weaker. I don’t know what the deal with that is but this can still be a good pick up for the right guy. Recently, we all noticed that our beloved vintage jewels have gone under some reformulation that makes them lighter and weaker than the original ones.
It is a mature fragrance for everyday wear and is also inexpensive, so those are some definite pluses that Obsession has going for it. This scent is so appealing and perfect choice for events in the daytime as well as in nighttime. On the other hand, some will feel that this cologne is strictly for the older set or has a dated vibe to it. You know what? I don't care. Is it awesome? Absolutely.

Calvin Klein Obsession for Men was what I considered to be my first “grown-up” perfume. I’ve always felt it was a generational fragrance for the men of a specific time. It was why I was very interested in the new releases from Calvin Klein: Obsessed for Men. I was wondering if this might become the same kind of defining fragrance for this generation. Is the new Obsessed perfume simply a remake of Obsession? Well, I don't deem so.

CK 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 sweetie, or oro blanco grapefruit, pepper, and cardamom stepping out in front. The bitterness of black cardamom note compensate the sweetness of the oroblanco, the resulting blend is impressive. I do get a powdery note similar to orris, yet there is neither orris nor iris listed among the notes. However, this is the opening aspect I love most.

The heart of this crystalline juice is mainly leathery with cedar leaves and sensual labdanum, which stands up, a bit dirty, animalic, and almost reminiscent of sex at times, and reinforces the leather-like smell. A modern smooth leather, ain't no rude cowhide as in many vintage scents.

The dry down is ambery, a contemporary sweet amber that gets its aroma from the synthetic ambroxan. Again, that sweetness is mixed with the creaminess of the black vanilla, and the earthiness of the patchouli. On my skin and on a paper strip, the scent develops differently, more ambery on the former and more vanillic on the latter. Though, the vanilla note is always present and really ties the whole stuff together. Not gourmand, it is sweet, fairly warm, and darkened by the other base notes. It’s quite intriguing.

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. As it wears on, it becomes more powdery and ambery than it’s initial citrusy and spicy accord. Still quite fresh and clean and upbeat.

Projection wise, Obsessed is moderate. The longevity of 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. Right off the bat, I would recommend it for the coldest days, there is that warm sweetness in all the stages that might not work with warm and hot seasons. A day fragrance, perfect for weekdays as well as the weekend.

-Elysium