Review: Calvin Klein Secret Obsession

Quick review of CK Secret Obsession, of which I received a bottle to try a while ago. It comes in a large brown box, and the bottle itself feels quite hefty and luxurious.




Its hard to photograph but the bottle is actually a genie shaped bronze tinted bottle:



Notes

Exotic Plum, Mace, Rose de Damas, Egyptian Jasmine, French Orange Flower, Spicy Orchid, Ylang, Tuberose, Moroccan Cedarwood, Wormwood, Cashmere Woods, Burnt Amber, Madagascan Vanilla, Australian Sandalwood, Florentine Orris Root (source)


My impression

The top notes smell quite pleasant when sprayed on a tester stick, however when I actually sprayed it on myself I didn't like it. On me it reminded me of older ladies perfume, a very vanilla-amber-musky type of scent. Once it settled down though the scent was more tolerable. It would make a great exotic perfume for a night out, but the smell was definitely too strong for daytime or office wear. (I only used one spritz too!)

Packaging wise the bottle looks sophisticated and elegant, something that would appeal to all women (except maybe the under 20 category).

A side note

One of the things that came up when I googled Calvin Klein Secret Obsession was a mention of the ad starring Eva Mendes that was banned from TV. If you are curious (and not easily offended you can see it on the Secret Obsession website here, or even Youtube if you prefer). I thought the ad was very well done as it completely embodied what this fragrance stood for - tantalizing, forbidden, and sensual. Just a tad too racy for TV though.

Overall

It makes a great fragrance for a night out (or a hot date :P). Just make sure your friends / date aren't sensitive to perfumes as this was rather strong. This one's more of a special occasion splurge than a wearable everyday perfume.