When it comes to the first unisex perfume, many people can name CK One right away. That’s right. While other brands were still focusing on fresh and elegant women’s fragrances or refreshing and steady men’s perfumes, Calvin Klein, in line with its unisex style, created CK One. It once sold 20 bottles per minute and has been popular ever since. The other brands have launched many unisex perfumes as well, but CK is still the top choice for many people when it comes to unisex perfumes. What’s more, the CK OBSESSION series has won the FiFi Award. It has been a classic choice in many men’s fragrances. Want to choose a unisex fragrance? You may start with CK. But how to choose the best one for yourself from so many CK series? Well, let’s say, read this CK perfume guide.
Calvin Klein was born in New York in 1942. In 1962, He graduated from the famous Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York. He then served as a design assistant and freelance designer before founding Calvin Klein in 1968. The brand image of Calvin Klein is classic minimalism. Its clothing is mostly made of natural materials, with neat cuts and simple lines, featuring neutral colors and a simple spirit. The first perfume from CK was the Calvin Klein namesake in 1978. But it was the revolutionary concept in the 1990s, “unisex perfume“, that made CK perfume famous. CK emphasizes that both genders can wear denim. Following the clothing design concept, CK started the trend of unisex perfumes by launching CK One in 1994. Afterward, it launched three perfumes. The “trilogy of perfumes”. They are OBSESSION in 1986, ETERNITY in 1989, and ESCAPE in 1993. Among them, OBSESSION is the most well-known one. Back then, the social atmosphere in the U.S. was people indulging in pleasure. CK took this opportunity to launch OBSESSION, with an irresistible charm of seduction and temptation, coupled with the sexy commercial filmed by supermodel Kate Moss. It was very topical and a trend at that time.
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How did the experts test the (Brand name) perfumes? We used an extensive 5-point system. Expand (click) each point box to learn more about how our experts use each point in their rating process.
Based on notes, what it smells like, and its performance, our experts also listed the Pros and Cons of each perfume. Depending on what is important to you, these two views may help you choose your favorite (Brand name) scent.
Top: 6 Middle: 6 Base: 6
Pros: The scent is highly accepted and suitable for various occasions. Cons: The scent is too common and the expression of notes is very linear. CK One is a classic and refreshing scent. Most people like it, so we need not to worry about taking risks. The scent from top to base notes does not change much, so it is suitable for those who want stability and do not want to take risks. Besides, I tested this perfume twice and found that the projection and longevity varied. Probably it is because of the weather or other factors. When it’s cold, the projection and longevity are stronger.
Eternity is one of the CK trilogy perfumes. The naming of it was inspired by the Duke of Windsor’s love oath to his beloved wife. So, CK launched the coupled fragrances to interpret the longing to pursue eternal love, just like the Duke’s love for his wife. The Eternity EDT for men is with top notes of citrus and lavender. Its heart notes are a floral scent of jasmine, geranium, and sage. The base note is a woody scent of sandalwood, vetiver, rosewood, and amber. It gives off a unique scent that conveys men’s eternal gentleness and steadiness. I think the scent chart is inaccurate because the first scent I smelled was the latter notes listed. In the beginning, the flavor was a floral, warm woody note combined with rosewood and vetiver. About 15 to 20 minutes later, the scent began to change into a woody note dominated by sandalwood and amber. After about an hour, the scent became very woody. The smell of sandalwood became heavier. It got less varied than the previous notes. About 2.5 hours later, the smell of sandalwood faded briefly, and amber appeared. Then a steady sandalwood note followed.
Top: 8 Middle: 7 Base: 6
Pros: Steady aroma. Cons: The latter half of scent variation is relatively little. The projection and longevity are low. The initial aroma is steady and cool, with a slight sweetness but not cloying. The floral scent complements the woody notes, making the general scent more varied. Although the latter scent is plain, the perfume is steady and stable. It’s suitable for those who don’t like too much variation or too high profile. I especially recommend it to those who like woody notes. It has a comfortable woody feel overall.
CK One Shock is another breakthrough from CK One. Different from CK One’s sharing concept, CK emphasizes personal sexy charm in CK One Shock. But like CK One, CK hopes that gender is not the only criterion for people to choose men’s or women’s perfumes. Rather, choose according to the unique charm they want to express. Sometimes women want to have a woody and stable temperament. Sometimes men hope to have a gentle charm with a floral scent. With CK One Shock, CK hopes everyone can be true to themselves. Break through the barriers of genders. Express their personality and charm with the perfume. CK One Shock has a sweet and spicy oriental note, giving a warm and sexy feeling. It is very suitable for meetups and parties. Its perfume bottle is painted with bright and eye-catching colors. The women’s perfume is a white bottle with fluorescent pink words. The men’s is a black one with fluorescent green words. It expresses a bold, sexy, and charming personality.
Deep Euphoria EdP, a brand-new creation in the Euphoria series by CK, was launched in 2016. It was created by two master perfumers, Honorine Blanc, and Ann Gottlieb. The top notes are white pepper, Cascalone ocean accord, and mandarin leaf. The heart notes are black rose, peony, geranium, and jasmine sambac. The base notes are patchouli, woody accord, and musk. If Euphoria symbolizes a woman’s confidence and charm, then Deep Euphoria EdP adds a free and adventurous personality.
CK All is the new classic after CK One and Be. The spirit of this fragrance is “Be One, Be All, Just Be.” It interprets the individualism of youngsters nowadays. They are not bound by rules and are unique in their way. It echos that everyone is an independent individual and that the public should embrace multiculturalism and ethnicity. This is CK All. CK All is the masterpiece of master perfumers Alberto Morillas and Harry Fremont. They worked together again after CK One. They keep the classic citrus scent of CK One and enhance the woody scent. The aroma is fresher and warm. The scent of CK All is not as cold as it looks on the fragrance chart. The top scent is a chypre version of CK One with a floral scent in the citrus scent. About 20 minutes later, the notes start to get warm, becoming a fresh woody note with a slightly musky scent. An hour later, the floral scent becomes more obvious, mainly light lily. Then about 2 hours later, the scent begins to tend to the woody note.
Top: 7 Middle: 7 Base: 6
Pros: The scent is stable. It is a fragrance that most people would like. Cons: The scent is not long-lasting, and the projection is not high. Compared with CK One, which is too classic and more common, CK All is less common, and the scent is not as linear as CK One. Although the style of CK All does not change much, the top, middle, and base notes have a sense of layers. So I recommend it to those who seek changes in stability.
CK Be embodies the spirit of “be yourself”. It interprets the freedom and openness sought by today’s youngsters. CK hopes everyone has the right to express their unique personality and style. Everyone has the right to be themself. So CK emphasizes CK Be as a unisex, age-neutral, and race-neutral fragrance. CK Be EDT uses a unique musk scent to make the scent fresher and more comfortable. The perfume bottle is in a rare black tone to symbolize the pursuit of a unique self-style. The overall scent of CK Be is not as complex as the scent chart. It contains two aromas: citrus and musk. To describe it, it is comfortable, natural, and homey. The floral scent of magnolia and lavender is a little and not very obvious, so it does not seem too fancy.
Top: 7 Middle: 6 Base: 7
Pros: The scent is mild and comfortable and highly acceptable. Cons: The smell sprayed on the body will be too light. Compared to spraying on the body, the effect of spraying on clothes is much better. If sprayed on the body, the projection and longevity will be low, and the smell will be very light even when close to it. When sprayed on clothes, it is persistent, and there is still a smell on the sleeve after 2 days. It smells very comfortable. After I tried it, I went to a hospital with sleeves sprayed with CK Be. I could smell the scent on my sleeves in the hospital and felt calm.
As part of the CK Eternity series, CK Eternity Cologne is different from the Eternity men’s EDT above. The uncommon ginger essential oil in this cologne brings some spicy feeling. The middle note is the natural aroma of the unique mastic, blended with bergamot and nutmeg. The base note is the moss and warm woody note. It gives a refreshing, natural, and masculine feeling. It’s very suitable for fresh and sunny men. Although it is part of Eternity, I feel this new version is so different from the old one. The old version is more floral and has a suppressed and heavy woody note, and the projection is not strong. The new version, however, has a very refreshing and green aroma. Even a bit fruity. The expression of fragrance is more linear. Almost no difference between the top, middle, and base notes.
Top: 7 Middle: 6 Base: 8
Pros: Very refreshing, clean taste. Cons: The fragrance is too linear, and there is almost no change. The projection is strong, so it may be tiring when smelled for a long time. Although it is cologne, the fragrance is rather lasting. The projection is always strong. What a refreshing and energetic smell! Besides, I feel the scent of modern aldehyde, juniper, and moss is more obvious. And a little smell of bergamot.
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