Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
109 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Neroli arrives with aggressive citrus brightness, squeaky and almost lemony-soapy, immediately tempered by elemi resin's woody-green bitterness that refuses to let the top notes become cheerful. The effect is bracing, almost clinical—like walking into a high-end beauty counter where everything smells aggressively "correct" rather than inviting.
White lavender settles into violet leaf's sharp, almost green-peppery character, creating an unexpectedly angular floral heart that feels more austere botanical than traditionally pretty. The synthetic materials become increasingly apparent here, lending a glassy, slightly plasticky quality that undermines any warmth the florals might have developed.
Ambrette, helvetolide, and muscenone theoretically suggest a warm, creamy base, but they're overwhelmed by the synthetic materials' stubborn persistence, leaving merely a faint, soapy-clean whisper that clings weakly to skin. By the fourth hour, you're largely relying on memory to know this fragrance is still there.
Obsessed for Women announces itself as a squeaky-clean proposition, all citrus brightness and herbal restraint—a fragrance that seems perpetually terrified of committing to anything remotely sensual. The neroli opens with that characteristically soapy, almost medicinal character, bolstered by elemi resin's slightly bitter, woody-green undertone that keeps the top notes from ever achieving genuine sweetness. What follows is the fragrance's most interesting moment: white lavender enters not as a comforting classical accord, but rendered austere and slightly peppery through the violet leaf absolute, which brings a sharp, almost metallic greenness that strips away any floral softness. This is where Honorine Blanc's composition reveals its conflict—between wanting to feel approachable and fresh, yet unable to resist a slightly angular, somewhat off-putting character.
The synthetic accords (76% of the composition) are unmissable, creating that unmistakably modern, almost plastic-tinged quality that distances this from traditional florals. Helvetolide and muscenone in the base promise warmth and animalic roundness, yet they remain largely theoretical—barely perceptible whispers against the dominance of the aldehydic synthetic materials above. This is a fragrance for someone who aspires to sophistication but is fundamentally uncomfortable with sensuality; who wants to smell "fresh" and "clean" above all else, even if those qualities ultimately feel hollow. Wear this if you're drawn to minimalism, if you distrust conventional femininity, if you need your fragrances to feel intellectual rather than indulgent.
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3.6/5 (121)