Obsession Calvin Klein for women

no no NO absolutely not
there was too much going on every time i sprayed it (i sold it recently) and i wanted to scrub my skin to the bone bc it was so irritating smelling for me just overwhelming if you can pull this off i am in awe of you

I've come back to this one. I have had it for some time and I love it. I also have the men's version, which is quite heavy on the cinnamon, I also love this. I really get the bergamot/green top note and don't mind it but I crave the sweet combo of vanilla and amber, which smells like a gorgeous caramel to me. Just love this type of thing. It lasts on clothes, even on skin but much better on clothes. Give it a try, its lovely.

A classic, packs a punch and long lasting but definitely not a blind buy. Its a deep, rich, amber and spices scent so personally only wear this in autumn and winter

My first reaction was hatred at first smell. I didn't even dare to try it on my skin.
I kept it in the closet for days while I thought about how I could get rid of it, selling it. Something in it made me feel ashamed, but what? To whom would I sell it? Who would dare to use it!?

One day, alone at home, I opened it again. I smelled it for a while from the bottle...my reaction was the same. But this time I dared to spray it on my wrist, not without fear of regretting it.

How different it smells on my skin! It is a beauty, a narcotic work of art... the first thing I feel is a mix of green notes and vanilla. What an unexpected combination! (Yes, still reading the notes on the pyramid) I couldn't lift my nose from the skin.

Within a few minutes all this transformed into an intense rose mixed with orange peel, giving rise to strong and hot spices that join a fresh jasmine. Indescribable... it has left me speechless!

I felt that without a determined and defiant attitude this perfume was wearing me. As soon as I sobered up a little and felt more confident, I was wearing it. It has something animal, instinctive. Like when we try to approach a wild and free animal, with care and caution.

I had never felt that a perfume was just another piece of clothing, until now. But it is a garment that leaves you naked, a thin layer on the skin, delicate and sensual, and sexual too. No wonder it's called Obsession.

My cat, by nature quite unfriendly and indifferent, has transformed into a sweet and affectionate being. Suddenly she has climbed on top of me and even she passes his tongue to me, closes her eyes and "talks" to me. Very cuddly. I am very surprised! I think it can hypnotize wild and reluctant animals like my cat.

The vanilla maintains the sweetness for a long time, it is sustained throughout this entire experience.

Something about this perfume reminds me of a fragrance used by an uncle I saw very little, whose presence, when I was little, intimidated me quite a bit. This perfume made him more intriguing and "unattainable", I didn't even dare to talk to him. It was so neat and enigmatic. Of course I do not know if he actually used Obsession. This makes me think that it is a perfume that goes very well on both women and men, but I think that on women it becomes more mysterious and sensual. Whoever wears it has to know himself well.

It is impossible to go unnoticed wearing this jewel. It's not something I would dare to wear on any occasion, I really feel naked wearing it... it brings out all my shadows! I feel exposed. But that is also very liberating, and at the same time, engaging.

I have to observe the duration and the effect it may have on other people.

It makes me think of the aroma that a wild woman in a prehistoric cave could wear, or an elegant and mysterious woman wearing a mask at a Venice carnival, or even a caretaker of a wild animal shelter in some inhospitable corner, or a successful businessman in some building that touches the clouds. That's how versatile it is to me.

I have the feeling that with this perfume you don't need any other. Everything is left behind.
I let myself fall into the scent, I let myself being "caught" and I do it voluntarily... I feel like a warm silk sheet wraps around me and shows me my own wild sensuality.

I just got this and it's not just an 'intense' version of the men's edt. There are similarities but I (now) have both and can quite easily tell them apart. I'm a 55yr old straight man and the u2b reviewers, etc... are right, this can easily be worn by men. Opens green, citrusy, spicy, and a touch floral and no sharp bitterness. I don't get much woodiness but then I wear Encre Noir, Bentley for men intense & absolute so compared to those I guess no perfume marketed to women will seem noticeably woody. When the top fades a bit the amber, musk come out, still retaining the spicy and the floral. For under $30 this is a great value and easy to see why it's a legendary fragrance.

Follow up: the drydown of this is imperious, bosh, really nice. Performance is good as well.

Obsession is like a white button down shirt. It has no age and no gender. It just is. And what it is, is spicy, deep, musky and warm.
smelling.sniffing.swan described it perfectly-it's a big fur coat. Ageless.
I will collect a drawer full before they discontinue it. I can't believe that it's still around after all these years. That must mean that a lot of people are wrapping themselves in fur.

Quite likely the fragrance that got me into fragrance.

Warm and enveloping amber, musk, spice and incense.
A touch of vanilla, rose, citrus and some beautiful greenery above it keep it from being too dusty. The greenery feels 'rained on' which I adore.
The light animalics in there work perfectly.

Captures such a gorgeous vintage feel.
Makes me want to smoke in a fancy old casino.
Feels like a big fur coat.

VERDICT: A classic, a must-have.

My dad had two of these, it seems that it’s his signature fragrance, it smells clean, it smells classy, it smells vintage, and it reminds me of old people for some reason, i don’t think it fits for someone whos under 30 yrs old, it smells very unisex to me

I really wanted to like this. A green and spicy opening with a sweet and soft ambery drydown. But it just gives me a headache each and every time i have tried this on.
And that is the first time that ever happened between a perfume and me.

A sweet and spicy classic from the 80s!!!

I remember my mom wearing this back then when it came out and I got a mini bottle of this at Christmas back in 1986 when I was in 6th grade and loved it! This was a powerhouse fragrance where a little went a long way. I wore this in the 90s too then just kinda stopped late 90s. Got it again mid 2000s and I recently bought a bottle again a few months ago.
This perfume just honestly is a classic and in my opinion still wearable in 2024 (and beyond) and anyone can wear it…..Anytime I wear this out I get compliments from people of all ages!

Anyone saying this gives off old lady vibes is delusional AF lol

Longevity and sillage are a moderate powerhouse level all these years later🙌🏽

Wearable year round just go light in the warmer months.

I cannot wait for Miss 'Stargazer' below to hit her mid-century year. We're not all fossils, for sh1ts sake...

I bought this because it was my moms signature scent. Shes been gone 15 years. And smelling this brings me back! It gives me the 50 yr old lady vibe but i have an attachment to it.

By itself I cannot wear it. I enjoy it until the skanky civet comes out. I have found that it's a great layering fragrance. It adds a creamy vanilla spicy depth to everything I pair it with. Side note, I don't understand the comparison with Moschino. They are both thick heavy perfume, but a totally different scent profile to me.

Calvin Klein Obsession is an enigmatic elixir that captivates the senses with its alluring blend of spices, florals, and musk. Opening with a burst of spices, it dries on the skin as a sweet vanilla scent. As the fragrance settles, it leaves a lingering trail of warm amber, sandalwood, and musk. Makes me feel like a girlboss lawyer in manhattan

I graduated from HS in the late 80s so I am familiar with this scent. it's been a lonnnnnnng time since I've smelled it. I was very curious to smell it again and ordered a 100ML tester for under $20. Mainly what I remember is it smelling quite powdery and was a bit surprised that it had all those notes in it when I looked it up here.

Ok first off I LOVE the opening. Wow! I have no memory of the bergamot or the green notes. I love the way it opens. And I thought the reviews were exaggerated when people says it does project. I really like the opening and the vetiver and the spices and the vanilla but it does on the dry down smell a bit like a warm baby powder to my nose. That is the smell that I remember.

It think the price is great, it's a nice very nice amber that dries down to a powdery vanilla. I personally wish it had more spice. But this is how I remember it. It's still a great perfume just a little too 'soft' powdery dry down. I still think it's under rated. I also think if you threw this into a differently branded bottle and made it look modern, it could be a niche amber. I don't know that it smells vintage but it is strong. 8/10

Sweet, spicy, amber-y but boy is that vetiver front and center. I can see how this has stood the test of time. There's a duality to this where it's equal parts feminine and masculine. The spices and vetiver keeps this rooted in the masculine, while the sweetness and florals roots this in the feminine. I'm not sure which version I have since I purchased a mini spray atomizer from a bundle. I can see why this has stood the test of time, but I can't get past the potent spicy-vetiver punchiness from the onset.

Oh my god, how is Obsession still THIS good?!? It was released the year I was born. I grew up during peak Calvin Klein fashion and fragrance domination era. Samples of every CK scent were in every magazine. I could identify each CK by the age of 12. Around that time, CK One was what every cool 8th grade girl wore. I remembered smelling a sample once that really surprised me. It started out kind of awful sharp and strong, as the majority of fragrances did back then. But then it dried down to the sexiest warm spicy sweet scent. I fell in love, declared that was my favorite CK, and figured it would be my perfume when I grew up. I never found samples of that one and thought it was surprising as it turned out to be the best. I then forgot about it for 20 years. I don’t exactly know what prompted me to blind buy a mini of Obsession. I instantly regretted wasting my money on what I was sure would never hold my interest like some other CKs I’ve re-visited over the past few years, that either lost their magic through reformation or I outgrew my taste for. I figured I wouldn’t bother sampling it for weeks. But then I sampled a scrubber and needed to urgently stain my skin with something strong enough to dissolve what remained after the wash, and the first one I grabbed was Obsession.

Of course, it opens with a monsterous bitter spice bomb, like a million other vintage scents. I began smelling everything in the kitchen sink. I almost thought I smelled Youth Dew. I wasn’t thrilled. About 30min - 1 hour later, I suddenly began catching whiffs of the most heavenly divine addictive scent. Obsession. On my skin it had transformed into something between a warm gingerbread cookie, a toasted marshmallow with actual campfire char on he edges, cinnamon incense, and an extra spicy chai latte. It smells so sweet and vanilla like, I can almost actually taste it. I own so many gourmands, many vanilla dominant scents. Obsession is the only scent that actually smells on my skin like something I want to lick, I want to drink and eat it. It’s sweet and gourmand and intoxicating. It smells like spicy vanilla powder sugar is going up your nose and sticking to the back of your mouth. Obsession was my favorite CK scent when I was a tween, and now in my 30s it’s finally mine. When I had to wash the scent off, I was actually sad and kept trying to smell the spot on my wrist I kept sniffing before. I kept spraying and wearing this every day afterwards. Addicted.

I can’t believe how good this is. I can’t believe it’s not more popular now. I feel like CK could redesign/upgrade the bottle a bit, but this scent is definitely my newest obsession.

Everyone complaining about how bitter this is didn’t wait an hour for the drydown. This scent completely transforms and loses all the harsh bitter notes as it dries down. After a few days of wearing, I noticed when freshly sprayed, this started smelling like a cinnamon vanilla spice version of Gaultiers Classique. There’s an incense-like note that kind of smells like anise? It vanishes after an hour or two, but whatever that “vintage” note is, I am finding it to be one I absolutely love as an older millennial in 2024. It’s fresh somehow and different.

Unfortunately I do find the performance of the newer formulation to be more on par with an EDT. I need to spray heavily and reapply every 4-6 hours. It lasts up to 8-10 on natural fiber type clothing (tshirts, cotton sweaters, anything besides polyester, acrylic or nylon). I ordered an older vintage and hopefully that will give me the eternal performance this scent was known for. Luckily Obsession is extremely cheap nowadays. CK scents used to be a bit pricey. At the current prices, I can spray heavily and not worry. I’d be thrilled however to spend a bit more for longer and stronger performance.

Nothing in this scent is even slightly masculine on my skin. I’ve been wearing this for days. My husband smelled me after applying the other day and said I smell good, like vanilla. I remarked that it sort of gives me a cinnamon incense vibe too and he agreed. Maybe the new formulation is chemistry dependent, but on me it’s delicious sweet sexy femme vanilla cinnamon gourmand.

I’ve worn Obsession off and on since its debut, when I was a teen. At first I wore a designer imposter of it, while I saved up for the real juice! Perennial fragrance love of mine. Just delicious.

Not a subtle oriental by any means… Obsession is a velvety vanilla/amber spice-bomb with contrasting green/herbal top notes. This makes it a departure from the typical oriental opening of citruses or fruits.

I find Obsession to be unmistakable at first sniff, and I love that about it! I think it’s more wearable than other ‘80s orientals like Opium or Cinnabar… it’s less spicy and animalic than either of those.

Obsession’s animal side isn’t (thankfully) about literal pee or poop, nor genital secretions. It’s more a suggestion of “warm skin and hair that were both washed 12 hours ago and are beginning to give off pheromones.”

One must be in the mood for Obsession, as it overtakes the senses in a luxuriant way. It’s like a rich curry or an indulgent pastry: not for every day but gorgeous on occasion!

I have tried just about every “era” of Obsession EDP and while the current version gives the skeletal outline of the scent, vintage is where it’s at.

extremely green, very incensey, balsamic to the point of oily. bitter ivy, lavender stems, lemon pith and frankincense.
only the smallest whisper of softness in the form of musk, sandalwood, and vanilla but i don’t get much at all. overall a very bitter fragrance to me. thickly aldehydic and balsamic. reminds me of what i imagine fragrance oils in biblical times would be like. also reminds me a lot of africa’s best herbal oil, i suspect cinnamal is the reason.
i envision this as a thick absinthe-colored liquid the same consistency of castor oil or molasses.

The first time I smelled and wore this was on my wedding day in 1990. I was immediately in love-with Obsession.
I wore it A LOT over the years and just repurchased a new bottle.
What a disappointment at first spray. It didn't remind me of that day at all. Before that bottle arrived I also ordered a backup bottle that is a tester with no top.
I was noticing how inexpensive Obsession has become and I started panicking that they would discontinue it.
Interestingly enough, the tester bottle smells different than the non-tester. Both came from different reputable online merchants.
The tester bottle smells exactly like I remember it though it doesn't have the longevity that it did in the 90s where I could wear 3 sprays all day and all night.

I guess at the price I'm happy to re-apply during the day, but I'm perplexed at why the bottles smell different.
The scent is slightly masculine to me, spicy but also powdery with that 80s thing going on.

It kind of weirds me out that I'm attracted to scents that have Civet in the base having explored what that is, even though it's synthetically produced now. I'll never be that flower girl-at least not without a generous helping of spice and wood thrown in and apparently some little animal excretions as well. :) I'd love to know who came up with the idea to add that to perfume.

I was excited to try this old gem and a bit scared of reviews that said it’s so old school, heavy and overbearing. At first I found it to be a little more masculine-leaning but the dry down is gorgeous, spices and vanilla, sweet but it works in this cold weather. It’s quite potent so be careful to not overspray. I got a compliment that said I smelled like fireball haha. I really like it, warm and comforting.

After wanting this for many years, I finally bought a bottle tonight and its on its way!!

I went to Macy's today bc where I live, they told me they sell the men's version year round but only sell the womens version during the winter. All they had was a tester bottle for me to spray.

Since I was already wearing Tom Ford Lost Cherry, I decided to open my jean jacket and did one spray onto the interior of the pocket. It smelled great and I decided to buy it!

I went on about my day, and 5 hours later, I hit up my favorite sandwich shop to pick up dinner. While I was standing there, the clerk said "I just wanna tell you, your perfume smells SOOO GOOD!!"

I said thank you, and then said "I am not sure which one youre smelling bc I have more than one on. If you smell cherry, its a Tom Ford fragrance. What are you smelling?" She said, "It almost smells... chocolatey. Its just sooo GOOD!"

I opened up my jean jacket and handed her the pocket area to sniff. "Is it this?"

She sniffed and got this happy, dreamy look on her face and said, "Yeaaaaah! What IS that?"

I told her that it was one single spray of a Calvin Klein Obsession EDP for women, which Id applied many hours earlier and we were BOTH impressed at the sillage and longevity.

If youre on the fence, dont hesitate. This stuff is STILL beautiful, amazing, warm, cozy and everything I hoped it would be. I know its been reformulated, but they did a really good job with it in my opinion, as proven by my single squirt today.

Its been 10.5 hours and my jacket STILL smells like it. From ONE spray.

I cant wait til my bottle arrives 😁🎉

One of the most masculine scents in my collection. It's dark and ambery, with the green notes peaking through. I love this in the winter months for a day with the girls. And it's BEAST MODE, at least for me. Needs no more than two sprays otherwise you might suffocate yourself and others around you. My 100ml bottle has lasted me four years and I'm only half way through, although to be fair this isn't a daily reach for me.

Animalistic, sexy AF, will forever remind me of Kate Moss and prohibited campaign with her. Smells luxurious on me and I always get many compliments. In my opinion it's a unisex fragrance, a legendary fragrance that's formula is still amazing.

Ok, this may sound odd, but to me, the current formulation of this smells similar to the current formulation of Shalimar. I think the smells is similar enough that if you don't like one, then you won't like the other.

I have never smelled the original from the 80's, but I do like the scent of it now even if it is a bit "heavy". This is definitely not something I would want to overspray. Less is more with this one.

I like this because it feels nostalgic every time I smell this it just reminds me of a certain era from the past. Also smells abit male ish to me which I like.

This is the most beautiful citrus themed fragrance of my life. I first smelled it at a Kohl's department store. The perfume was exactly like the bottle in this page on Fragrantica but cheaply priced and a smaller bottle size. It was a good blind buy. The first spray: I am smelling citrus citrus citrus but already with a vanilla under taste or vanilla aroma way in the base somehow making it's way up into the top. But the initial notes to caress your nose are fresh and juicy bergamot oranges. I am not picking up on the peach note. If it's there, it's definitely overcome by the orange notes. The deep blood oranges are juicy and gourmand, again with that vanilla in the background. Wait a few minutes and you are in the floral heart of the fragrance. Smells of orange blossom mostly. The other floral scents are mixed together and a bit vague. I don't smell a note of rose but I do pick up on a shy jasmine. It's a small jasmine in the background and smells very sweet when that lingering vanilla embraces it. To me the two big florals are the orange blossom and the jasmine. I happen to enjoy those two floral scents very much so it was a treat. The perfume has long lasting power and for over 5 or 6 or more hours this is a delicious citrus white floral. Fresh and sweet and floral. But as the drying period begins the scent is warmer, much warmer. Now I can smell nondescript spices and amber plus notes of various woods. Definitely cedar wood. There is also plenty of green notes via the vetiver and oak moss. As such some might call this perfume a chypre or floral chypre. I don't find it too mossy or too green to be a full bodied chypre. The orange blossom and citrus plus the green and woodsy notes evoke the image of a great tree. At the top of the tree are orange fruit and white flowers. You sense the wood of the tree and the green leaves and foliage. It is like a beautiful orange tree. The driest part is just wood to me. But there is also a soft and slow burning incense. The first half is fruity and floral with a sweet and refreshing vibe but the end is smokier and more Oriental with nuances of amber and woods. The scent is so amazing. It can be smelled by others for a mile around if you overspray. The scent is meant to be sprayed lightly and on your skin after a shower. The day time and the fall and winter seem to be appropriate for this fragrance. It is casual but classy. I think it's good for women to wear it when being around other women. Like a lunch or girl friend social time. It is a vintage so it will smell very different from today's perfumes which go away from lots of fruit or just a lot of citrus to such 'gourmand' centered notes of vanilla praline and other edible or drinkable stuff i.e. coffee, and or bakery sweets. But I like this fragrance just as it is. A masterpiece.

I purchased this to try to find a more long-lasting version of Obsession for Men EDT, and this is obviously very similar - has similar sandalwood, cinnamon, amber notes, etc. It is sweeter and more heavy on the amber notes than the spiciness of Obsession EDT. Certainly one to try! This is my daily fragrance as of now. Probably 7/10 longevity, 6/10 silliage, and 8.5/10 smell for me!

Just a classic women's fragrance that has stood the test of time. My wife still wears this fragrance and l can easily tell that she is due to the wonderful notes of this fragrance. I don't usually wear amber vanilla fragrances myself but l do own the men's version and when l do wear it,l layer it with the women's version and it's a completely different experience.

A nostalgia trip for me, this was my signature scent for a time in the 90s, and as I am still very much a lover of the rounded cold weather hug of spice I thought I'd revisit.

First point to note, the advice lower down to spray 10 times (5 was enough for me) before use is absolutely solid! The initial blast was NOTHING like I remembered, but after that the old familiarity was back.

Yes it is a new formulation, and it is WAY softer than the OG 90s powerhouse, but actually, in this day and age I see that as a plus.. nobody ever really needed to announce their presence via a perfume trail from the other end of the house, but we definitely did it back in the day!!! (Looking at YOU Poison! 🤢)

This is not the most complicated fragrance in the world, but it does give a simple, superbly blended sweet spice hug that is just gorgeous!

I think I payed a whole £16 for a 30ml bottle from Notino - Honestly, what is not to love here?!?

A beautiful mixture of mandarine orange, vanilla, and spices. Sweet, but in a balanced way. The mandarine orange is supposed to be a top note, but it stays almost the whole time. There is also a herbal/floral note, which I cannot distinguish. The perfomance and the sillage are impressive. One downside is the overbearing intensity at the start, but when it calms down it's comforting and delicious, yet with a character. Overall - pleased with my blind buy, though I expected something more woody.

I’m a guy and this smells so good. I’m surprised from the reviews tbh

Was told that I smelled like a cabbage patch doll while wearing this.

This is nothing like the vintage Obsession. No resemblance at all!
I can't expect my Mom to wear this.

I want to migrate to Siberia and wear this fragrance 24/7
It only works in super low temperatures,otherwise its suffocating "old lady" scent at least for me.
I'm addicted to this.Unfortunately in Greek climate is risky to wear this.For me its a gourmand but it takes a while to get there when on the skin.
Right from the bottle and in the air it smells like ryzogalo.
Creamy cinammon vanilla.Wow.

Spicy, smoky, incense-y amber. Definitely packs a punch. Very strong and opinionated. I like layering it with a crisp floral to balance it out. Great for winter.

[ETA] I was intrigued at first spray but it wasn't love. It's a strong amber, bossy with a power dressing edge. Then I wore it outside in winter, and WOW. The strong amber incense blast turns into STRONG intoxicating powder (powdery can be intense, who knew) enveloping you in its golden halo, and it's mesmerizing.

reviewing the most recent formulation, which i bought for myself as a cheapie holiday gift. i like it! to me, it's a savory, spicy amber layered over a powdery, dry wood note and smoky incense. i can't identify any individual spice notes, but they form a nice cloudy layer over the scent that keeps it leaning sexy instead of churchy. this is rather sharp when you initially spray it, so i always give it half an hour or so before i go out for it to mellow out. doesn't really change over time in terms of the notes, but it gets more powdery and less spicy over time on my skin. best as a nighttime perfume imo, but a spray or 2 during the day won't bother anyone!

Oh I do love a incensey, warm scent that lasts and lasts and lasts...

I had this one years ago, decluttered it because I thought it smelled like chemical herbs or something. I've been craving spices with my vanillas lately so I decided to give this one another chance. I took the advice of @Suze58 below (around September 2023 for reference). I went outside and sprayed this one 10 times in the fresh air as she suggested. I came back in and tried it on myself. It turned into a completely different magical and yummy perfume! It's warm spices and powdery gorgeous vanilla on the drydown. It's so comforting. I'm happy to say Obsession is going to be an obsession for me. Thank you Suze58 for the advice and also whomever suggested to her😊

The OG Parfum is where is at, creamy smooth smokey spicy incense Amber and vanilla, simply delicious
the Coty reformulation has a greenish/chemical top note that bites right from the get go (if spray from the distance that note that emulate spices is not as strong) however the dry down is not bad.
Unilever on the other hand did not do a very good job with their reformulation but they created the first flanker Sheer Obsession (a lighter version of the original).

Can’t remember if I reviewed this one so I’m doing it again! I bought this a year ago during my search for a good vintage fragrance and fell in love. I usually like scents that are a little more floral and soapy than this, but it’s just so beautiful (especially in the cold weather, but I was wearing it on nights out in the summer too). The staying power is incredible and I got a huge 2oz bottle on eBay for something like $25. It’s spicy and warm and doesn’t feel too “old lady”, me feel like a cool girl from the 80s, which is usually my goal. 10/10

Punches you with spice and then kindly, gently, it wraps you in a soft blanket and slowly nurses you back to health. Provides enrichment for your convalescence in the form of trying to isolate and identify any of the 600 listed notes. Very generous and engaging fragrance. Love it, have relegated it to an at-home scent because I think I go anosmic to it quite soon after spraying and so end up dousing myself in it, which feels antisocial. And I keep pressing my nose to my pulse points and taking a massive huff, which feels antisocial.

This was the blueprint for Musc Ravaguer. Still smells amazing after all these years.

I don't want to be disrespectful to anyone else's nose, which might have a more subtle sensitivity than mine ... but I bought my first bottle of Obsession in 1993-ish. I rocked this scent in 2005-2008, probably wearing too much of it. I have a new-ish bottle, circa 2016, that is the same smooth, cozy powerhouse it's always been. I have about 100 bottles but this is my signature scent. Obsession, yesterday, today ...

Could have written Chaselarks review myself...just bought this as a guy in my 50s, having owned a couple bottles of the men's version. At $25 for a full size new bottle, this is great, long lasting, smoother and more juicy than the men's. I immediately notice the peach note, not because it's dominant but because it's absent from the men's. The incense in the opening is a little aggressive, but it recedes after a half hour...still there, but better balanced. To me, this is unisex leaning fem, and a nice addition to my fall and winter rotation of orientals.

As a 50+ male I've had 2 previous bottles of Obsession for Men. Just got my first bottle of Obsession for Women and it's significantly smoother and more inviting than the Male version. It seems to not feel the need to assert itself with a sharp note and I'm guessing most men would choose Obsession for women if they new how similar it is but smoother. I actually layer it with a vanilla bomb cheapie, Reyane Tradition Insurrection to achieve a Amber/Spicey vibe on top of Vanilla. The result is something along the lines of Oud Vanille Franck Olivier for women and men.

I found a 30ml at Marshall’s for $12 and tested it and it reminded me why I loved it so much in the 80’s. I picked up the vintage version recently and the openings are a bit different, the newer one has almost a metallic note while the vintage is softer, but on the extreme dry down, they’re close to the same. My skin LOVES this! It gets a touch of powder dry down on me that’s amazing. Not a cosmetic or baby powder note, it’s more like a powdered sugar note, without being too sweet, with some warm but not overwhelming cinnamon/spice. It lasts a good 8-10 hrs. I had a guy ask me what smelled like peaches about 6hrs into wear time ? I don’t pick up peaches but it’s in the listed notes. It would be more of a warm spiced peaches than fresh. He said it smelled like a wealthy persons expensive perfume, he was absolutely captivated by it. I am, too.

Food: Christmas cookies, apple pie, cinnamon rolls. Nature: autumn colours, falling leaves, bark of tree, soil . Unique combination of spices, warmth, earth, sweetness. Ideal for the cold seasons, incredible longevity and projection. Kind of mysterious, erotic, at the same time warm and smooth. Just a masterpiece.

Beautiful, warm, nostalgic fragrance. Quite balsamic but softens up as it dries down with lots of cinnamon/nutmeg. Reminds me of bread pudding with rum sauce. What a sweetie! Dry down is a slightly old-fashioned sweet and spicy musk. I’ve decided I’m still a tad young for this one at 30. Reminds me of my mum, but she rocked the OG powerhouse version 🤍 Glad to see it's getting some love again in this time (was able to test it at a Sephora!)

Let me just say, if you owned this in the 80s and 90s it used to blow your SOCKS OFF! One spray, absolute max and you'd still choke out a whole room. (In a fabulous way, of course).
Yet another magical masterpiece (along with Lou Lou. Don't get me started) killed by reformulation. However...I still own this, I adore it, I regularly wear it and I (hope) I will always own a bottle. The newer reformulation is probably much better for the initiation of you young ones, to a spice bomb. Holds a massive sentimental place in my heart, in my opinion, one of the best perfumes ever made. Creamy, spicy, deep, rich, cozy vanilla and sandalwood.
Only for cooler weather.

Obsession is the epitome of class, opulence, lust, and allure in a bottle. It's fruitier than the OG Opium from YSL, but still shares the same DNA. It's a beautiful spicy, smokey, balsamic amber bomb. The name is fitting - I (28/M) became obsessed with this frag the minute I smelled it for the first time. Even though it's marketed for women, men can also pull it off without feeling self-conscious.

Witchcraft in a bottle embraced by a crazy load of incense - cornerstone of its time among western orientals like Coco, Poison, Opium and Shalimar.

I love this deep and lightly sweet scent. Amber with the spices makes it unique for a good price.

Calvin Klein Obsession, originally marketed for women but now embraced as a unisex scent in today's fragrance landscape, still shines as an oriental masterpiece. Remarkably, its enduring charm is matched by its affordable price tag. Despite likely reformulations over time, Obsession's intricate blend of notes continues to tell a captivating tale of allure and passion. Its impressive longevity and sillage are surprising for a fragrance in its price range. In a world of evolving gender norms, Obsession transcends boundaries and offers exceptional value for those seeking an affordable yet timeless scent that exudes desire and mystery.

*** Update on yesterday’s review….


Took some advice and sprayed about ten strong presses of my new bottle outside in the fresh air. … Came in and sprayed on myself. Petrol/chemical note gone! (Must’ve been something built up in the cap?) Just warm and spicy with delicious vanilla dry down.
Sorry, Coty. You did a good job!

___________


Naively bought the Coty reformulation, having had this in the past, thinking it couldn’t be that different to the original.
How wrong was I?
I couldn’t get past the ‘petrol’ opening and detected none of the sweet, ambery warmth of old.
Had to dispose of it, sadly.

A classic amber scent - it smells very luxurious, deep, spicy but also not-overwhelming. There is slight sweetness that is almost balsamic but a bit airy as well due to the smokiness. It is hard to describe but it is stunning! Very modern-smelling as well. Layered with a new perfume it could take it to the next level.

To me this smells like a greek dessert called rizogalo (ρυζόγαλο)
Or a cinammon stick yankee candle.
A gourmand-ish in my opinion.
This is becoming difficult to find so since I did,Im getting a few 100ml bottles because its cheap.

I never thought I would be interested in trying obsession but I got a sealed vintage eau de parfum splash and it is definitely a wonderful discovery. I would prefer this to Coco by chanel from 1984. I also tried the eau de cologne vintage version of obsession for women but it was not as smooth as the splash eau de parfum. I believe this perfume is more appreciated as a skin scent not as a sprayer. I have this bottle the vintage eau de parfum made in France available to a collector who loves it. You could send me a message to my inbox here.

The perfume is balsamic and evokes a nostalgic Christmas atmosphere in its composition. It conveys feelings of coziness and warmth, and even security and assertion... I prefer it to Shalimar by guerlain. Obsession is a balsamic homage to Shalimar, a deep oriental Shalimar with candied oranges and wonderful spices instead of leather and lemon custard nuances.

The vintage eau de parfum is the way to go if you would like to explore its composition.

In the opening, I can tell it’s been formulated, but overall the iconic scent is still very much there. I miss the opaque cap with the gold rim, and the civet note is recognizably gone making this a more modern take on the classic gem. Still, I have strong and very happy scent memories tied to Obsession, the first scent I ever fell in love with, and the only reformulation I care to keep in my collection regardless. I will still wear this in fall and winter as a happy holiday season backdrop.

Shop around for this.
This CHEAP in some shops, but expensive in others. So shop around.

This fragrance IS a sleeper HIT!!
I bought this as well as 14 other top-tier fragrances for my lady - a woman who had been so busy serving others that she neglected herself.
This is in her top-5, she LOVES it! As do I.
It's almost the same as CK Euphoria Amber Gold aftershave - a fragrance that women LOVE on me, complimenting me profusely any time I wear it.

I'd definitely wear this, just can't do the act of putting on perfume, especially today, while "the agenda" is in FULL-SWING💅🏾🤣
CAN'T DO IT!🤣🤣🤣

If you ever want a truly gorgeous version of this scent, get the vintage Cologne spray. It smells exactly like an Eau de Parfum. The amber is almost gourmand-like. Beautiful beautiful beautiful!

Don't know if i'm the only dude that wears this, but as an 20 year old male, this is a hidden gem for us guys even though it's advertised for women. Smells amazing and unique.

Oh wow, this is the first time that I really understand how reformulation can ruin perfumes. The current one is a solid like, compared to the vintage, which is an intense love. How they managed to take a scent from 3D to 2D I don't know. The vintage is warm like an inferno and wild like a beast. It's balmy and creamy, really assertive but also friendly. It's completely intoxicating. The modern one is fine but smells so much more soulless and manufactured. What a shame.

I absolutely love this perfume. To me, it's definitely a perfect fall scent with its spiciness. It's not super over bearing in my opinion and it definitely has that vintage type smell. If that's not your thing, it's not for you. I find it hard to explain as far as scent goes, but I recommend giving it a shot.

SPICE BAZAAR - Classic Spicy Amber & Sandalwood. Imagine visiting a spice bar at a souk. Open to the air are freshly ground spices in abundant varieties, and lining the canvas walls of the kiosk are glass bottles of argan and olive oil. Many species of dates are on display from pale gold to deep coffee coloured. Steaming tea is served and the bartering begins.

There's a lot going on here, but I'll do my best to describe how I experience the notes. Opens with a short trio of citruses (bergamot, mandarin & lemon) elaborated with peach, vanilla & green-notes. Already in the opening you can feel the spicy amber notes swelling and it isn't long before they overtake the opening. In the heart there is a collage of sweet, warm spices including cinnamon, coriander & pumpkin-pie-spice, near-cardamom & near-pepper, all lifted by dusty oakmoss & velvety powdery rose, and supported by sandalwood. In the base you get a traditional amber that, along with incense & vanilla continues to support the swirl of warm spices. Civet here is less prominent than the notes would suggest, but brings a vintage twist. The sandalwood here is more forward than the notes would suggest and as it's drying down I get reminders of sandalwood spa oils. The longer it's on the skin, the more I get a sweet blend of cinnamon, amber & sandalwood - reviewers have got it right with the top five rated notes imho (spices, amber, incense, vanilla, sandalwood).

This only gets better with time - both in the bottle and on the skin. As the vanilla ages in the bottle, the spice merchant whispers that there are sweets for sale in the back - baklava and kunafa. Has excellent projection & longevity and although it's non-cloying and could be worn year-round, most will find it best suited to fall & winter. I wore this back in high-school, but it's just as good today. This is a longtime love for me. Enjoy!

Batch Code: 1111 (2021-04-21)

2022 bottle:

For me this registers as Axis Musk body spray from 1992.
It took about 10 mins to recall the exact profile from that time. Recalled easily because I was crazy about how good a 'premium' deodorant for $5 was at the time, and anyone within an atmosphere of me knew about it.

Once I placed it I can't un-smell that, making this underwhelming for me. Cool memory, but I'm not 17 anymore, which in itself isn't something I need to be reminded of either.

Sharp citrus that's jarred by a metallic, linear musk. There's a wisp, just a hint of something more in there, but it loses ground fast instead of unfolding itself.

Around an hour later:

Okay, so it's probably a step up from Axis (esp. the contemporary stuff that's still less than $5 after 35 years...), but I can't smell this and call it an 'Oriental' leaning Amber perfume right now, which is how it looks to me from the notes. The EDP concentration is only low EDT also, but no big surprises there..

Mostly skin scent to me now, this doesn't radiate or fill a room (which, even if it did would be something it could do).
It's developed somewhat but not enough to keep me interested, which again is (for my mind) just weird for a fragrance of this pedigree.

Like aging or drug-addled celebrities, Obsession is still standing (in a discount pharmacy near you), but it's a little embarrassing to watch. I don't have high hopes for a revolution in modern fragrance if the re-hashed versions of what did work so well in the past don't even have a pulse anymore.

Because there was a time, and there may well be again, when Axis Musk for $5 was all a guy needed.
That and the endocrine system of a seventeen year old male.

For $40 I'm not going to open my wrists over it but I'm not rushing to buy more, nor does it pique me to spend ten times that to get a 'vintage' bottle. I can see how true lovers of the original of anything like this can be so jaded.

Not disliking it at all, just a little bit shruggy over this one.

(EDIT): THE NEXT MORNING...

Odd, but even with 'morning nose', this is deeper and richer as a skin scent 12 hours+ later.
Nice, and definitely reminiscent of something that was ubiquitous in the social landscape in years past. It's a very nice smell to wake up to, so this is a great 'sleepover' scent.

I do like it, a strong like even. But for me, this kind of scent profile needs much more presence that the current iteration just doesn't deliver, IMO.

The more I wear this perfume the more I love it. Great for winter weather. It's cosy,spicy and aromatic. It's not screechy or headache causing.
It's grown up and sophisticated but also comforting.

This is a spice bomb! And my husband agrees! He took one whiff and all he said was "spicy!" lol.
This was my first perfume ever, when I was in high school, and I recently acquired a bottle in a trade. It is almost exactly as I remember it, although in my youth I think I focused more on the peach and lemon notes. I remember the first time I smelled it, and thinking it smelled like candy, which I can't even fathom now (well, maybe a little wee bit). I have to agree with other reviewers who say it smells a lot like men's cologne from the 80s.
For me, it's on the same "spice" level as Prada for women, but without the depth and complexity.
It's definitely a scent that lasts, although I don't think I will wear it much, I am so happy to have a bottle to take a sniff or a spritz once in a while, for the sake of nostalgia.

Launched in 1985 with an amber-colored liquid... it smells like how it looks. From the perspective of someone in their late 20s, it's heavy relative to any contemporary perfume and intensely spicy. Bear in mind, my introduction to fragrance and frame of reference is during the Bath & Body Works sugarbomb / Glossier You era.

However, it's grown on me. I like to layer it over Aesop's Rind Concentrate Body Balm (all zesty, citrus notes). The orange + spice makes me feel like a holiday pomander ball lol. Perhaps most appropriate for bedtime or autumn/winter.

Iconic, to me this is the smell of Britney Spears’ IMAS4U video, for some reason.

In short, Obsession EDP for me is cream, honey and warmth.
As with many, if not all of the CK perfumes I have tried/owned, this fragrance is so beautifully blended that rather than with some other perfumes, smelling it and thinking "Oh, I'm detecting notes of X, Y and Z..." this is just Obsession. It's so uniquely itself. It's creamy and ambery, spicy and warm. Truly the perfect autumn/winter fragrance, I find it is suitable for both day and night wearing. I do feel however that the burst of green and citrus in the opening is absolutely suitable for a sweaty summer's day, as it is just soft enough not to be headache-inducing, but still has that yummy orange peel floating through it.
It is an intoxicating smell, slightly boozy but in no way alcoholic. The opening is surprisingly fresh and green, with the dusty purples of a sun-baked lavender field coming to mind. I also think of the smell of smoke which has just wafted from the fire, and then as the fragrance dries and evolves, the smokiness becomes more reminiscent of the woody smell when smoke sticks to your clothes. In the middle of the fragrance are the most detectable notes for me; cream, honey, vanilla, edible spice etc.

I actually love this perfume. It’s got an 80’s feel to it but the powder note isn’t too strong, and it’s still pretty raunchy. Definitely a date night perfume for me, but I’m married and my husband likes spicy scents.
The cinnamon incense is delicious. The civet note is notable but not too powerful, and eventually fades on the dry down. The projection is pretty good, not sure about the sillage since I only used a small amount of a dabber but I could smell it on my wrist when I hand my arm down. At the price point, it’s absolutely full bottle worthy of you like spicy animalic scents.

Just bought my first bottle of Obsession. I did one light spray and she's lovely. Definitely a little bit goes a long way. This will definitely be a night time perfume for sure. I live in Queensland Australia and I think it'll be great for night time all year round.

Obsession has become my signature for fall/winter. No lies, partly because of reasonable price and, of course, because of amazing quality. You can go niche, if you can to or if you care of social image very much. But too many times I am convinced - vintage compositons have more soul than any luxury offering. Only one spray on my skin and the fragrance radiates. At first it's spicy black tea, then the biker goes riding, the cinnamon incense starts burning and as a final reward comes the sensual vanilla extract on a sandalwood pillow. A little grunge outside but so softhearted inside. Obsession was so much loved by Hollywood famous in 80's and now I know the reason why.

I adore this fragrance- I love the iris powderiness, the spicy notes, the incense, the cedar, the oakmoss- this is a fragrance with depth and character. I would not buy a full bottle, but I do admire it greatly. It smells akin to Anne Klein II lacking a clove-like carnation and weirdly interesting benzoin note.
Lovely, but too potent for my daily wear.

This is just much, much too strong for me. It's so strong, in fact, that I can't differentiate between any single note. All I get is a blast of spices and alcohol, almost like a car air freshener. I don't know if I got a bad batch or what, but this didn't smell at all like I expected it to based on the notes. Very disappointed.

A warm and spicy start with a sweet touch of smoky vanilla is far more interesting than the body. The body reminds oldschool fragrances, something like "Aromatics Elixir" - a bitter spirit, almost medical, based on moss and bitter dried herbs. Overall it is pleasant and round, but i prefer the start.

Girls if you’re curious? Buy the one for men! There is something in the one for women that is so strong and bitter and off putting headache inducing
While the man’s? Smells spicy and musky in a sweet sexy way and this is just strong but in a bad way!

A soft warm, ambery wood incense fragrance. Doesn't smell as dated as I thought it would, maybe because I expected it to knock me back to the 80s and I don't get that. Goes a bit sour on me as some ambers do, turning towards unwashed, but otherwise not bad at all.

My bottle of Obsession is strong on the vanilla, which I like. It's a deep, aromatic note, probably enhanced by the amber. Not that the other notes are weak or anything - the general impression, though, is that the vanilla sits in the heart of the scent and unfolds drifting on top of the many other notes. Incense, citrus notes, jasmine and spices are the strongest or easiest to identify of its pillars. I courageously used it before going to bed last night, but did it so I could hide it under the sheets, since it's such a strong fragrance. Loved the little clouds of scent I got from time to time while falling asleep, but will probably not do that again, because I woke up in the early morning hours, dreaming I was caught in a huge field of gorse. Coming to myself more I realized it's probably the orange flower. Beautiful, but not for me when I'm sleeping. ; )

Longevity is very strong, sillage as well. Just one spritz will last many hours as I just experienced. Will probably rather wear this in fall and winter. I paid around 20 EUR for 100ml - so it's a steal for me.

I really wanted to like this fragrance as generally I love Calvin Klein scents, and I used to love Opium which I consider to be similar. Unfortunately on my skin it smells like a cross between Opium and cow manure, yet on my daughter it smells lovely! She even spays it around her room and the smell is lovely - the floral notes really stand out. On my skin there is a distinctly animalic scent, but not a nice one. Sadly a no from me.

to me, there is a strong leather undercurrent in this scent that i can't un-smell. it's got a good price point so if you like the notes go for it, but know that it is not a gentle scent and can easily be overpowering.

Don't bother with this one anymore unless you enjoy the smell of a man's cologne from the 80's. This was not what it used to smell like. Yes there was that man's cologne like smell but only for the first 15 minutes before it turns into a warm sensual beautiful scent. My mum used to wear to so i bought a bottle for myself. By reformulating they took all those good notes out that made it smell so good. What they sell now is no longer obsession. Don't waste your money.

The original fragrance from 1985 was amazingly good. It was my signature perfume 1991-93.
Todays bottle smells NOTHING like the original.
It makes me so sad.

Well, you either hate Obsession, or you love it. I think it's alright! Its initial spray hits you with spicy florals and sharp notes of sandalwood and civet, and it dries a smidge soapier and quieter. Its got that vintage, antique scent-- reminiscent of walking through an old photographer's darkroom where the smell of film and musk hang heavily in the dim air. Surprisingly, Obsession does not last long on my skin and fades away after four or so hours, but its projection is relatively strong. My friends who recognize when I wear this fragrance often joke that it smells wonderful on me, but "old and retired" on anyone else, and I definitely agree: Obsession is a very mature smell and does not widely appeal to many.

I recommend this scent to those who enjoy sipping tea in dainty porcelain cups in libraries reading books and wearing woolen, brown, coats. I do not recommend this scent to younger folks who wish not to be old-smelling or are trying to impress a young lover on a first date.

This is a cozy classy scent. I have a recent bottle and I love it so much. It's elegant and smells better and not as "outdated" as the men's version. Performs well too. This one is 100% unisex, in fact, some may even consider it a little on the masculine side. The drydown is similar to Lagerfeld Classic's drydown, which I also love. Worth a try, imo.

you know I'm broke if you smell this sh*t on me

Smells like my dog’s corn chip paws

A comment regarding the Obsession I remember from 1985... Someone on this site (thank you whoever you are!) mentioned that the presence of the gold ring around the edge of the cap (as shown in the photo above) indicates an older version. I just purchased a small lot of vintage minis at an auction, specifically for the mini Obsession with the gold ring. I don't think this is 80s-original, as it has an atomizer and doesn't look super old, (the batch code is so far turning up no information) but it is DEFINITELY closer to what I remember. I've only tested it on paper so far. After sitting overnight on the paper, it's still there... it is both slightly repulsive (what am I smelling?) and super addicting.

Months ago I bought the current version, but it didn't take me back to that time and place. I won't belabor the point about reformulations, etc., because it all goes without saying, and the newer version may be a lovely perfume in its own right. But I'm looking for time travel. I haven't splurged on one of the vintage short, squat bottles yet - that is the same one I owned at 15 years old; it had been an extravagant gift. It was the hottest thing on the market but I was so young, I rarely wore it except on special occasions - I treasured the gift but knew I wasn't woman enough yet to really wear Obsession... a mysterious bottle of forbidden potion, it seemed to be full of answers about adulthood that I didn't know the questions for yet.

Back to this cute little mini that I have next to me. It has the gold ring, and is the same ... "oblong".... shape as the current formulation, but another difference is that the cap itself is opaque plastic, and the color of MILK chocolate. The current version, which I also have right here (batch code Jan 2022), has a cap without the gold ring, is slightly translucent when you hold it up to the light, and is the color of DARK chocolate. At close inspection, the caps are distinctly different.

The current version smells warm, cinnamon-y. The gold-ring version though.... I'm back in my friend's VW beetle, we have skipped school, for the first and only time, on a warm spring day and are leaving the mall after seeing a daytime showing of The Breakfast Club on the big screen, singing "Don't You Forget About Me" at the top of our lungs. Laaa... la la la laa, la la la laa....

Younger people who might be reading this... I wonder what your most potent scent memories will be? What will be the scents that define your generation?... it's fun to imagine!

When you first spray it, it’s screechy with basil and what I think smells like rose but it dries down to vanilla, amber, cinnamon and incense. I wore it around some friends and one of them said it “Smells like an older man’s cologne but in a good way. It smells like cinnamon!” My other friend smelled it straight from the bottle and said it reminded them of church and they smelled mostly basil and incense. There’s sometimes a bit of a baby powder smell in the dry down but it only lasts around 10 minutes. Basil lasts for maybe 2 hours. It comes off as more male or unisex. It stays on clothes for a few days with only 2-3 sprays. You can easily get it for around $40. The other Obsession marketed for men smells similar but less sweet and with patchouli and pepper.

An Update-
I went through a 1.7 oz bottle within just a few months and recently got a 3.4 oz bottle because I liked it so much. After some time, I think that it smells like there is a bit of patchouli even if it’s not listed in the notes and the cinnamon seems stronger. It could be because it’s a different bottle but it’s still great. I find that it pairs well with either very light or very deep florals when you layer.

this perfume literally gave me an allergic reaction, lol.. i regret getting it, to be honest. i love perfumes that are consider 'warm and spicy' but this one overdoes it, a lot. too many notes for my liking, and honestly gives me a headache, even if i don't spray a lot on..

OK, I *really* need to get my hands on a vintage sample of this, because I suspect that the vintage differs substantially from the current version (which I recently doused myself with whilst breezing past a Sephora perfume counter).

As for the current iteration... it felt like something that was trying to be citric and rich and spicy, yet "light" and universally appealing at the same time. I was expecting something with a lot more power and projection, given the reputation of the perfume. It felt like a faint whisper of everything I have heard Obsession described as: Warm, spicy, opulent, heady, dry... in general, a powerhouse representative of its moment in time... I felt as though I were sensing the presence of that powerhouse from a great distance, catching glimpses of it on the horizon, but... never truly experiencing its full glory. (Which is unfortunate, really... I *wanted* this to be a full-force, 80s sillage bomb. That was the reason I chose to spray it in the first place.)

I didn't *dislike* the modern offering, but I did feel that it bore quite a bit of similarity to... well, to the modern version of Jean Nate body splash, believe it or not (I immediately grabbed a sample of that upon realizing the connection, and yes, they do smell quite similar to me), which is much more affordable and offers similar (minimal) projection. Maybe the citrus and spice notes are what prompted my mind to make that connection.

Is it a scent I might associate with the 80s? Yes, but that's probably because a *lot* of things smelled like this in the 80s.

In any case, I'm keeping an open mind regarding Obsession... I am not likely to purchase the current (apparently weakened?) version, but I have my heart set on obtaining a vintage sample at some point, because I want to understand what this perfume *used* to be! I feel like I need to investigate this one further...

I hear you Annali49, I wish we could bring it back- the original was so wonderful. There are hints of the real Obsession in current (poor copy) Obsession, but only enough to make you miss the real one so bad. Crying face!

I bought my first bottle in 1992, and it was my favourite parfum for many years. I miss it so much!! Today it's just a bleak copy.. very sad..

The most disappointing fragrance ever. The notes that are listed are kinda there, but the scent is overpowered with soapiness.

The original Obsession was beautiful. I wish I'd kept a bottle in the fridge from the 90's and could smell it again today. The new version is nothing like the original beautiful beast of gorgeousness that real Obsession was.

I have several bottles stashed away of the vintage with the built in sprayer cap. This was the very first bottle design. The Obsession today is a thin shell of what it was. If all you've ever smelled was what is selling today, you haven't really smelled this scent and how gorgeous it used to be. There is no substitute for real civet, real oakmoss, and incense that I do not smell in today's formulation. They've been replaced with green notes, wood notes, and an overdose of coriander. The modern formulation smells very sharp and masculine to me, like a men's cologne. Before, it was what I would think of as a true unisex fragrance. It had enough elements of feminine and masculine to make both sexes happy. Now, it is overly masculine, and I just don't like the new formulation. Thankfully, I have my spares, so they should last some time before I have to go seeking out an original formulation. If you've never smelled the original, you have no idea what you are missing. If you spot the original bottle design, snatch it up. I know it will be pricey, but it will be worth every penny. It truly is a beautiful perfume.

When I first spray this it is bracing. Couldn't tell you exact notes because it assaults my nose. Must be the green notes. But it dries to this cozy warm amber spice musk. I feel like an amber jewel in a beloved library on a cold winter day. Like the feeling of holding a warm mug. Mmm. The drydown scent makes me feel so secure.

It can smell powdery to some (an officemate said I smell like baby powder) and I find I become noseblind to it after a few hours. It sticks to clothes well but your closet won't become this perfume. If the powderiness is too much, grab a wipe and swab yourself off. This will just leave the amber skin scent.
Only needs 2 sprays, and don't put them both near your head. Back of the neck and wrists works well.

A strong heavy warm spicy balsamic fragrance, Calvin Klein's interpretation of the famous Opium scent profile from 1977. It has beast mode performance and it's not for the faint of heart. Both the wearer and the people around must appreciate such fragrances to be comfortable with for many hours.

When this scent first released, I was very young and did not understand or appreciate this gem. I was lucky enough to find an almost full bottle of “Obsession” EDP, spray. However, this bottle is of frosted glass, gold fonts, along with tagline “between love and madness lies obsession” in back of bottle. The top/cap is all gold color (satin gold top with shiny gold ring) at its bottom. I am wondering if the bottle I received is genuine because the fragrance is absolutely gorgeous! I cannot find anything about this bottle design in my searches. I am reaching out to my Fragrantica community to ask if anyone is knowledgeable of such a bottle design. Any information you can share would be appreciated. Thank you in advance. 🥰🤗🤗

With all CK classics, you must go vintage. The reformulations over the decades are only a fraction of the real experience. Woody. Sweet. Spicy. Dry. Herbal. Warm. This is Obsession.

[650] Calvin Klein has a good few time capsules among their perfumes; cheap and cheerful gems that define an era. If CK One is the obvious signifier of nineties minimalism, and Euphoria a harbinger of the sweet florals that punctuated the noughties and beyond, Obsession is the 1980s in a bottle. A huge, kitchen-sink-y oriental that is surprisingly well-composed, there is a lot going on, but it is somehow light-hearted. Brighter than Coco and fresher than Shalimar, it has a more youthful feel than either (but that is not to say that Obsession is a superior scent).

A resinous amber accord with a sweet vanilla undertone forms the backbone of this scent from initial spray. The opening is surprisingly fresh and green, with citric freshness and damp herbal notes giving a nice lift to the amber accord. It becomes peppery as it develops, becoming increasingly warm as the spicy notes emerge. I get clove and nutmeg here. Powdery florals, led by rose, form the heart, punctuated beautifully by the spices. I get orange blossom and sweet jasmine in there too.

It becomes increasingly animalic as it dries down, musky and mossy, with a little smoky incense that enhances the amber to perfection. There is a saltiness to the amber here. I get tonka bean at the tail end, adding a hazy soft spiciness as it fades. It becomes a musky amber-vanilla skin scent, animalic rather than sweet. It wears a bit thin during its late stages, but it doesn't take too much from its overall excellence. Sillage is strong and longevity is long-lasting.

A likeable bombastic oriental that is surprisingly wearable, Obsession manages to be relevant to a modern audience as well as a nostalgic time capsule. A feminine-leaning cold weather scent, pleasant and versatile, Obsession is better than I imagined. Really quite clever. 4.5/5.

I have loved this fragrance for decades. I wish they'd keep a sheer version or edt because this is a perfume bomb. Smells amazing but so strong.

Comparison vintage brown cap and recent 2020 batch.

Vintage starts off rich, warm, ambery, incensy and spicy. Has almost chocolaty seductive quality to it. Thick, intense. Main notes are amber incense peach sandalwood spices.

2020 batch is still recognisably Obsession. If I didn't have a vintage to compare side by side I would be totally happy with Obsession. However side by side there are some differences. New version is more leaning on coriander basil green notes. It is significantly missing the incense. However its profile is still the rich warm oriental.

In sum either Obsession is this magical strong potion (both are equally strong current one is not watered down) of witch's spices, nocturnal vanilla, gentle amber, glowing peaches and aromatic sandalwood. It is a signature worthy material and an absolute stunner.

This is a scent that takes me back to 1993. My first husband wore this...we were in love, lived carefree, had great friends, no social media, no cell phones, unforgettable weekend parties, ska concerts in the city, staying up all night. The world was in the palm of my hands.

This is a “hated it” that becomes a “love it” review that is based on the vintage formula that I have just scored a huge bottle of. I’ll begin by saying that my mom wore Obsession in the early 90’s and she was, well she was obsessed. She oversprayed it, even going as far as spraying the a/c vents in our car. Obsession is a potent 80’s powerhouse fragrance, imagine smelling it all day every day in spades. She bludgeoned me with Obsession, and because of this I thought I would forever abhor it. Fast forward to today, I’m several years into my fragrance journey and I’m finally getting over my Obsession aversion. Each time I tried a fragrance that shared some similar notes (spicy, musky, or animalic as examples) I’d be reminded of Obsession. Wearing Obsession is like wearing so many perfumes I’ve tried together and it creates a beautiful and inimitable fragrance.

What a beauty it is. Because of the oakmoss, I can tell it’s a vintage as apply it but as soon as it begins to develop the timestamp disappears. Smelling it now, I’m surprised by how much head shop amber and incense I get. I can see why my mom related to it, having come of age in the 70’s and being raised Catholic. The top notes voted here at Fragrantica don’t lie: it’s ambery incense, then spicy musk. The lemon/neroli combined with vanilla in this creates an accord that reads as clean sweat, a lived in smell. I’ve smelled a similar accord (although much brighter in tonality due to the composition) in Annick Goutal’s Ninfeo Mio and also in Creed’s Sublime Vanille.

Obsession is nearly gourmand. It reminds me of Coca Cola, not the smell of Coke but the taste. In wikipedia’s page for Coca Cola, I found that it shares a similar ingredient profile. I’m awestruck by it’s timelessness in that while it no longer fits what is being marketed in the mainstream right now, this could be a niche perfume worth $200. It easily falls right into place with the current trends toward more unisex perfumes. Reading some of the reviews here, it’s funny to see some people afraid to wear this powerful fragrance that is intended to assist you in seducing your lovers and smiting your enemies. Obsession a smooth olfactive spell in a bottle. I can now see myself falling into the same addiction my mother was consumed by 30 some years ago. I won’t be spraying it in the car vents, though! Gotta draw the line somewhere.

Being in my 40s I'm an "older lady" and I just LOVE this. It's actually somewhat soft imo and so very sexy. There's this floral animalic spicy warm combo. It's so playful yet powerful and delicious. Superb cheapie.

It's a dirty/animalic spice amber fragrance that gives the impression of leaning slightly gourmand(hints toward almond spice cookie) but not quite there. It could definitely be unisex imo...even leaning a tiny bit masculine. It's strong and long lasting on me(6-8 hrs at least). Best for cold weather. I personally love it for the holidays. Inexpensive but still made well. This is a gorgeous oldie but goodie and well worthy having. :)

Such a great vintage fragrance. It was the most popular fragrance back in the day and worn by everyone including celebrities who raved about it. I think it's very unique in its blending and still has appeal. It can be addictive if you like the amber and spices tossed with some florals and green notes. It's a powerhouse fragrance and well loved.

Bergamot, musk, and most of all SPICES. But it's sweeter than the men's version. I like it!

This is such an 80s/90s vibe. Very bold and to me this actually leans more masculine. I smell amber, orange, and vanilla the strongest. I do think the color of the liquid and the design of the bottle is a perfect match for the experience of this perfume.

I want to be able to wear this, even if only occasionally worn as a statement when I'm wearing more 80s-90s inspired outfits... but I don't think this will work with even my boldest personality or look. I'm just too refined.

Maybe I'll give to a friend. It's not bad. I would appreciate smelling this on someone else because of its vintage nature, but c'est pas pour moi.

Edit: Weirdly, my cat really liked this one! She never really seems to care much about my perfume samples, but she kept rubbing her face against this Obsession bottle! It turns out it seems like cats really like civet? My husband just told me this was a thing, so maybe I'll keep it just for her, lol.

Obsession, “Ahhhh, the smell of it” 😀 I remember that commercial so vividly! I wore it proudly after buying my first bottle when I was about 18 years old. Like Opium, I chose to wear Obsession because I was a young woman who was learning to embrace her sensual side & what better way then through strong scent! I actually have the splash bottle with the vintage juice! I bought it last year for an amazing price, because I needed to smell the OG again. I also have a current version. The vintage is a spicy, seductive, powdery, intoxicating, woody, & smoky oriental masterpiece which brings me right back to my youth every time I smell it. The current version is produced by Coty which bought out Calvin Klein fragrances back in 2005. For a reformulation Obsession isn’t horrible, but for those of us who are used to the OG we can immediately smell the difference. The opening notes are synthetic. Once they wear off what’s left is somewhat reminiscent just nowhere near the potency of the OG! I wore the current one recently. My husband had no idea what perfume I was wearing which is telling because I was wearing Obsession exclusively in the early days of our relationship & he knew it very well. He never enjoyed when I wore it. He’s not a lover of orientals, so he felt it was too heavy & strong, but he accepted it because I loved it. Now, he says the reformulation is tolerable. Not something he’d want me to wear but not so overwhelming that he begs me to wash it off. I admit I don’t reach for either version much, but I just have this need to keep them in my collection. I guess it’s a way of holding onto the memories of my youth!

Amber and spice in the opening, settling down into a warm powdery veil of sandalwood, incense and vanilla.
I find it's still quite a contemporary fragrance that grabs compliments. Men seem to love it.
It is a statement perfume, the type of fragrance that will wear you unless you have a strong personality.
The lady who wears this as her signature knows exactly what she wants and is not afraid to get it.
Pretty sexy stuff and it suits its title. I think whoever wears this femme fatale on a regular basis would become an obsession for anyone.
Longevity and silage are both strong, even in new bottles. I can't believe it's nearly 40 years old already. What a beauty.

Obsession opens balsamic and boozy, heavy on its spicy woods, drying down to a heady base of sweet vanilla, smoky incense, and plenty of spice reminiscent of Shalimar’s eau de parfum – not at all surprising given the similarities in its profile, though I hadn’t been expecting it. Side by side, Shalimar appears the younger and more playful sibling of the two, feeling much lighter and sweeter by comparison. She just wants to flirt, while Obsession plays for keeps.

You can tell this is a vintage scent, but the balance of sweet and spicy give this fragrance a timeless feel, rather than aging it unfavourably, and the inclusion of cedar and incense bring to mind a sacred space.

Unlike Shalimar, Obsession’s animalic note is slightly less pungent, and thus I find it more agreeable. Obsession is also far more spice-heavy than powdery, with that vanilla taking a back seat behind the cedar and incense.

Overall, this is a bold and fairly mature scent sure to turn heads!

Note: this is a review of the vintage fragrance. A few key differences I noticed are that the vanilla takes much longer to kick in with the reformulated. It's also more peppery as opposed to resinous, and less rich overall, while the original opens more balsamic and heavy, very woodsy, and slightly heavier on the musky undertones, and also dries down smokier. So, between them both, the original is the clear winner . . . but is it worth forking out for this hard-to-come-by relic? Not unless you're super picky, willing to invest the money, or simply looking for a trip down memory lane. The reformulated version definitely isn't a bad replica.

This smells delicious, very similar to Shalimar eau de cologne. They share similar notes too! I love them both

Probably my signature scent. I've owned many many bottles of this since the 90's. It was love at first sniff. Always a compliment getter. Strong, spicy, amber, vanilla...what's not to love?! I do think the current formulation is slightly weaker than the original, but still...its a wonderful fragrance and definitely in my top 10.

Obsession is a masterpiece. Pure sex in a bottle. The first fragrance from Calvin Klein and I adored it from the first launch in 1985 when I turned 18. The fragrance is an Oriental, vanilla, amber, musky fragrance with a powdery and comforting drydown and perfect for Christmas time and winter evenings. Very similar to Must de Cartier at a fraction of the cost, also lovers of Guerlain Shalimar, YSL Opium & Chanel Coco Original black box will enjoy this fragrance. It is the first and original Gourmand fragrance and was Groundbreaking at the time 38 years ago.

However a word of warnings, Obsession is not for the faint hearted so NO spritzing otherwise it can become overpowering and sickly.

The best way to test the fragrance is to spray a little of the eau de parfum on to the inside of your wrist not on a piece of card as everyones body chemistry is so very different and it will be the 'Marmite' effect, you will either love it or hate it.

I love it, it reminds me of happy memories from my youth and my husband of 31 years. Don't just try it buy it you will love it. Highly recommended. 🙏

Gosh, obsession is everything I hoped for and more when I asked the forum for a sort of "old catholic church" smell. And Obsession feels like if you liquefied stained glass and the incense smoked woods into an ambery liquid.
It's so gorgeously heady and rich within it's spices and spritzes of sweet peach and citrus to level out the smoke and pure civet.
I just want to put on a dark lipstick and listen to type O negative on a foggy day. This is something I could see myself wearing all year and layering with oils. I just want to do anything and everything in this.

I'm definitely biased in writing this as it was a common smell growing up. Yes its a little dated, but it will always have a place in my heart. Its all about spice and amber here with wafts of peppery herbs all solidly layered on top of a musky base.

Like someone else said below - this is like a weighted blanket of comfort for me. This was my moms signature scent in the 90’s-00’s. So to me, it’s like a nostalgic maternal hug.
Smelling it again for the first time in many many years recently I felt it wasn’t the same and actually was quite turned off by it.. but after letting the bottle sit a little while and then spraying it on myself I got that same blast of sweet, ambery comfort I was hoping for!
To me, this scent is timeless and will always be a staple in my collection.

Some people have weighted blankets, I have Obsession. Is it strange to wear a perfume to bed like a favorite nightgown? Probably, but oh my god this feels like the slide into blissful sleep. I had the smallest bottle in the 80s in high school and it was like owning gold. I still wear it out sometimes and most older people recognize the scent and younger people always want to know what I'm wearing.

The open is strong. Lots of citrus and herbs. But it settles down into spicy amber vanilla. Drowsy florals and wood notes waft through the honey-like warmth. It's not a gourmand but it's deeply satiating. This fragrance has stood the test of time for nearly 40 years for good reason. It's heaven.

Amber/Vanilla/Spice vintage classic!
If you can find this bottle with the "golden rim", as pictured above, then go for it! The golden rim is your proof of a vintage bottle.
And you want the vintage, not the new stuff, trust me.

This is great. Unisex. Up there with YSL Opium (EdT, vintage).

Stays on skin 10 hours. LOVE.

Was a blind buy as it was on sale, it's okay but definitely suited more towards an older person, girlfriend doesn't like it.

Both for men and women are so good that i purchased them together. One of the best ambery experience with them. I never feel outdated wearing them instead i feel unique, far away from the hype of aventus, sauvage and baccarat which can be found everywhere on the street. Surprisingly they performed well too. Strictly, must have becoz they are too good! The best from CK.

Did u know that big cats are attracted to obsession thinking it is another big cat because of the civet in it? They try to cover the scent with their own scent. Photographers and wild life explorers use it to lure big cats☺️

This was a signature for me back in the late 80s into the mid 90s. The current formulation smells like I remember with more clarity in the spicy citrus tea top. Otherwise, it dries down and wears the way I remember. The spicy, slightly powdery, amber base smells intact. If anything, I've changed, and I now find this scent headache inducing. I'm grateful for our time together, but I need to leave this ex-flame in the past.

Bonjour..
C est du Calvin Klein...
Beau parfum pour la masse.
Non offensant... Beau...chaud .. linéaire... vanille...
Et dure toute une vie.
Au bout de 2 jours sur du tissu, je le sens encore et il vire au masculin.
Il paraît que obsession pour homme est meilleur..
J irai voir.

I discovered this perfume when I was a 14! A lady walked past me and I had to turn and ask her what she was wearing! I went into town .. found a perfume shop and covered myself, I was to poor at 14 to buy a bottle for myself, so I made do with walking past the shop and spraying myself! Fast forward to my first job, the first thing I bought myself was a bottle of Obsession! As I grew up, I tried out different perfumes, but I always had a bottle of this, sitting proudly on my dressing table, other perfumes have come and gone, I may even buy a second bottle of a.n.other, but Obsession is my Obsession, and I am never without a bottle. Now I've turned 50, I'm ancient .. but this .. this makes me feel young, remember my dreams, its my comfort through life's ups and downs, good and bad, rich and poor times. For me, it's perfect.

This is a strong baby. I used to wear it in the 80's. Tried it again some 5 years ago. And I had to give it away. It was nothing like I remembered. I guess it was due to my hormonal cycle (pre-menopause). I bought it again this week. And the smell is the same as I remembered it from the 80's. A bit strong, so just a small spray and I go to bed. It is a very comfy smell for me. I have to add that I am a total addict to spicy and woody scents.

a sexy, warm, and comforting bedtime scent for me. a bit mature.

This perfume has f**n character! And when I say that I mean that it's like no other perfume I've ever tried. On first sniff I hated it and was like "eww this is such an unpleasant smell, plus it's a punch-you-in-the-face type, how can anyone like this and why do so many people glorify it?" And then...something made me wanna sniff it again couple of days later and I was IN LOVE! Bought it, and bought 2 more bottles a week later in case it gets discontinued (wouldn't want to be without this ever again!). So I guess it's TRUE LOVE that I'm talking about, not that "love at first sight" teenage type of sh*t that fades after a while. This is the love that develops once you really get to know someone and that type of love lasts, my friends, because there's more to it than just plain attraction, you love them for their wonderful and strong personality, but it's also warm and soft, you feel cozy and at home! You never get bored of them, no matter how much time you spend together, you still want more each and every day. It's awesomeness lasts, it's pleasant at any stage, not once does it get nauseating or too sharp or too sweet...can wear it at any time of day or night, both summer and winter and in between. It's just PERFECT! Real perfume.
This is my experience with Obsession, it's not like any other. I love lots of them, but there's something really special about this one. It's almost like magic. First you meet it and feel like it's definitely not it, but what you don't know is that it has cast its magic spell, so next time you meet you fall utterly in love and can't believe that you hated it so badly the first time. But that doesn't matter now, forget about that, and you go and live happily ever after. Just like it's name, once you get to love it, you get obsessed, it won't let you go! Did I really write all this?! I wouldn't have stopped here, but this is not a blog post, it's just a review.

This fragrance screams vintage vibes ! I picture a woman like Polly Gray wearing this ! She might wear classy fur coats and all the nicest jewelry, but little that we know, that woman is ruthless, unapologetically herself, she’s strong, independent & carefree! THIS is Obsession !

It’s loud & heavy ! Somehow, i’m into this era so much, that I almost romanticize this perfume, like there’s a whole vibe to it. This fragrance is very strong, warm, spicy, but still a bit sweet (like Polly).

Although I like to wear it sometime, I’ll wear it if I’m home or alone, but I avoid being with a lot of people since it’s not a crowd pleaser. I think I might prefer Euphoria from CK.

R.i.p Polly/Helen 🖤

It's funny how I romanticize and seek out fragrances from the 80's and 90's, when at the time I thought they were too pedestrian and underwhelming. Back in those days, CK fragrances were too light and boring, usually favoured by high school kids because they could afford it and they fell for the marketing hype.

I now own more CK fragrances than I did then! After testing this out a few times, I find even this new re-formulation to be heavy and loud for current tastes, a little will do ya.

It's musky, spicy (cinnamon-y), woody, and has a touch of citrus. It is much sweeter with a pronounced vanilla base than I remember. Sits firmly on the unisex fence, and doesn't change much from first spray throughout dry down and for several hours afterwards, but 8+hrs later masculine notes are the only ones to stick around along with the vanilla.

It was fun to re-visit this, but I'm not sure how much rotation it's going to get. May be a fun thing to pull out at a party with my old friends.

Oh boy, this fragrance sure brings back memories! I used to wear it sometimes as a teenager, it's very headache-inducing, mature amber scent. I remember thinking it smelled like how a 70s retro house would smell like.

Definitely not fit for a teen but I found it weirdly comforting back then.

I find Obsession to be too 80s for my taste. It's a bit loud, over-the-top and dated. It sort of bludgeons you over the head. The heaviness is just too much for me.

Loving this! As a man this is very wearable and no where near as loud as I expected, although this is the latest version, so may not have the power of the vintage. Lovely warm amber scent it is stunning and very affordable at the moment, a great blind buy!

Delicious, softly-sensual, warm potion conveys heated lovemaking. This is a unisex, seductive perfume. Balsamic, smoky, powdery, orange peel, vanilla.

I think Coty did tinker with the previous formula to some degree. The essence is still there, but it feels a bit thinner. I especially hate the newer cap. The lighter brown cap with gold ring comes on and off so smoothly and has a quality feel to it. Coty's dark cap does not have that quality feel. They undoubtedly wanted to save money in production costs.

Sweet, warm and ambery cinnamon baby-powder scent. Not gourmand sweet ofcourse, but retro powdery sweet. It’s very calming and cozy. I’ve been wearing it to bed mostly. You might think I’m crazy for saying this, but Obsession is very much an easy comfort scent for me, especially on days when I’m feeling down or burned out. On those days, I take a long hot shower, spray on some Obsession, and get comfy under my blanket. Feels like a cuddle in a bottle. Mine is the newest formulation, so I don’t know what the original formulation smells like (and don’t care to know, this one is great). Can be gotten for dirt cheap online. Much too heavy and sickly for warm weather, so only for cold weather or bedtime because I sleep with the AC cranked all the way down. I’ve never had the guts to wear it outside my home though, it does smell very outdated (imho), and might get odd reactions out of people…maybe one gloomy winter day I might, who knows.

Blind bought this as I grew up with Eternity and Escape, own and love Euphoria, and my boyfriend occasionally wears One... but I had never ever smelled Obsession (to my knowledge) and because it's relatively easy to find and seemed to be a good cheapie, I thought I'd give it a go. I knew from reviews that it was amber and spice heavy, but I was hoping the citrus and vanilla would balance it out. I've never been a huge amber fan, as it often just smells like urine to me unless it's blended nicely and stays in the background. Yeah... Obsession is just straight up amber in the opening, with some spices, skanky incense and civet, and a hint of vanilla to round it out. I'm not crazy about the beginning of this, just way too much amber and it smells like something a 70s male porn star would wear. But every time I tell myself to give it a chance. Once it's calmed itself down 2 hrs later, it's a decent soft ambery-vanilla. The pee smell is still there but not as prominent. If I could get past that urine then I would like it a lot more. Maybe it'll grow on me with time, but I've tried it 3 times now and I just can't get with it. Longevity is great though, lasts at least 12 hrs. I smell it on my clothes the next day. Obsession Night is COMPLETELY different and a lot more up alley, can't wait to try Secret Obsession as well despite not liking the regular Obsession.

I bought it yesterday. I kind of liked it in store actually but not on my skin or how it wears. Firstly, it starts off as nice amber and spices which is what got me interested. But quickly turns into an old dusty baby powder smell and soap and stays like this. Returning this.

An amber-y, floral, and powder fragrance that smells like it has been peed on. It has its place in the fragrance world, not bad

I am besotted with this perfume.
Wow.
The first time I sprayed it there was an insane spicy buzzing top note that seemed to overshadow everything in the initial stages. I waited for it to dry down and then the magic happened.
Strangely enough on my second and third test of this scent the strong spicy note was no longer so intense. Now I smell it only close to my skin and I love its intense zing. Its the part of the perfume that makes me feel like this is my secret cheeky space and its almost like the note behind which the warmth and honeyed joy sits, I sit and enjoy the other softer layers of scent wafting around me and smell my wrist for that zing! I'm so glad I bought it. Totally different to Obessession for men, it's a stronger scent surprisingly less soft than the mens one.
I am besotted with this scent. Wonderful at night even for sleep and just gorgeous in the day. Winter or Summer, this one has got me.

CATNIP.

There is Catnip in this. 100%. I just realised this yesterday.
Go smell a fresh catnip plant. Really examine its scent. The spicy green, slightly floral aspect to it when you squeeze a leaf.

Then smell this.

Incredible.

This must be the "green notes" listed above.

Also, it possibly explains why lions at any Zoo are calmed and comforted by this scent, and why many zoo managements have begun to accept and ask for donations of CK Obsession from folks who have any to spare. I have seen it on several of their websites.

Before I go on with my review, I’d like to preface that this is my grandma’s signature scent, which is why it will always have a special place in my heart. I don’t feel the need to describe what this smells like because it’s been articulated by others. And in a way, that embodies the essence of this fragrance — it needs no introduction, you already know. It’s been around for a long time for a reason.

This is for individuals who like to command the room that they walk into. For individuals who prefer to stand out and leave an impression. This is the scent fitting of a matriarch or any authoritative figure. The longevity is unmatched. I can spray this at 12pm on Sunday and wake up Monday morning with the scent enveloped in the blankets. The initial spray and the dry down are so different from each other and I appreciate the transformative feature that is rare in perfumes. It embodies the duality of woman that carries intensity and gentleness so well.

Having said all this, I will not personally wear this perfume as it is too bold for my taste. I don’t necessarily feel comfortable standing out. I have this in my collection to admire and to commemorate my beloved grandma. Even though I will never wear it, I will give credit where it’s due. Whether you love it or you hate it, you cannot say that it’s boring or forgettable. Such an iconic fragrance.

I hesitate in trying to review Obsession and put in words my utter love and obsession---no pun intended--with this perfume. My older siblings and cousins wore it in their heyday in the 80s, and perhaps i love it so much because it reminds me of a time when I was too young to participate in their teen and young adult matters, and now I feel like I'm in. I've worn it for about 2-3 years now in my early 40s and I'm not going to pretend it was an instant love. At first I couldn't wrap my head around it, smelling it after all these years. My husband randomly bought it for me from TJ Max because he also remembered smelling it in his youth, and it was cheap. The whiff I got right out of the box seemed familiar, but so discordant with my tastes and collection at the time, that I didn't want to spray it. And then on paper it seemed harsh, too resinous, too much of everything at one time and I didn't want to put it on. I don't remember what made me spray it on finally, but I'm so glad I did.

It's a mood and an experience. It smells like the 80's, fun, parties, bulky black cable knit turtlenecks, a little salty, sweet, bitter, and sour, topped with some melted chocolate, sprinkled with cinnamon, and embraced by incense. It's not as heavy and serious as Opium, but it's not cute or cozy either. It is not a gourmand vanilla coffee concoction by any stretch of the imagination, although I do understand why some people find it comforting. There are spices. Many of them. Ok, I will admit. Old Spice does come to mind, briefly. And it's not youthful by today's standards although it was worn by many youth in the past. Although released as a feminine scent it's androgynous, leaning more masculine to most, which is consistent with much of what is currently released as unisex. It may have smelled dated 20 years ago, but in 2022 it more or less mirrors the decade's darker, heavier and spicier trends. There are certainly more modern-smelling concoctions with similar notes out there, but the overall Obsession vibe is not so vintage anymore.

I wear CK obsession when I can pay attention to its layers as they unfold and stay with me for about 4-5 hours. This current version is definitely not a room filler, and doesn't stick around forever, but it's something I wear for myself anyway, at home. I haven't picked it up in months but as the weather turns I am find myself dousing again in this scent! One of the most used and inexpensive in my collection by far. An enigma that isn't for everyone, but that everyone should experience at least once.

Very spicy, loud and complicated scent imo but my husband loves it... he likes perfumes that are very different to common scents.

I loved it when it came out, in the 80's, to the point of obsession, but couldn't afford. Now I have a good size bottle that will probably end up in an estate sale after I'm gone. Life is ironic like that. It is sexy in a way over the top way, and the occasion to wear never seems to present itself. Maybe a Saturday in the winter when I am not going anywhere. I'll dig out one of those loud sweaters popular in the day and a pair of leggings. Maybe I'll even watch that movie where the crazy girlfriend cooks the family rabbit.

I used to like this but i dont at all now. It is just too much for me.

Wonderful fragrance, so glad I bought it again after a long time, cosy, balsamy, lightly smokey boozy, a bit powdery., vanillic...Soft and present at the same time. I love it in autumn. It might be a tiny bit weaker than before but the smell hasn't changed from a possible reformulation...As the 'reminds me of' section suggests, it shares an obvious similarity with Venice, especially at the beginning but this one is much prettier.

Oof, nuclear spice bomb! My grandmother wore this and I think of her and Christmas in the 90s every time I smell it anywhere. I feel like Kevin’s mom in Home Alone probably wore this. If anything, this is a nostalgic perfume although I don’t personally like it. It’s way too strong, dated, and cloying for my taste and you literally can’t smell anything else when someone is wearing this around you. I was gifted this for a birthday and I tried so hard with it, wearing it at night, but ultimately I did get rid of it. Again I don’t hate this perfume as it’s attached to so many memories, but I just cannot imagine any circumstance where I would wear this.

On myself, I gravitated toward Shalimar as it is more powdery and gives me the same sentimental feelings but in a much more wearable way. It’s just a little more delicate and less aggressive to me.

I love wearing Obsession in the colder months. It’s a cosy, boozy fragrance.

Opens warm and spicy with a lot of vanilla. I can smell the civet from time to time, which is nice, and also Sandalwood. It's not too loud and not sharp or screechy at all. Very smooth and calming to me.

Obsession is a classic, 70's inspired spicy-amber that emulates many of the other spicy ambers popular at the time. It is less heady and opulent than Cinnabar, and less resinous than Opium. This is an amber-spicy with a more clean, restrained, WASPy vibe. The issue I have with this fragrance is that it can't seem to decide what it wants to be on me. The herbs and oakmoss make it wear more like a chypre, but the lack of sweet cinnamon seems to cause it to fall a bit flat and turn inwards on itself after a few hours of wear. I am surprised that orris isn't listed as a note, because this scent goes quite powdery on me after hour number two. The lack of sweetness sort of makes the cinnamon notes seem like an odd choice here.

I know this is a classic, but it just seems like a mishmosh of ideas on my skin. It doesn't clearly state one scent profile or another. I don't understand what this fragrance is trying to BE. Is is a heady, opulent bouquet of olfactory richness, or is it an austere, preppy, east coast chypre ? I think this fragrance is definitely unisex, and honestly reads more masculine to me. There must have been adults around me when I was in elementary school that wore this, because I find the scent familiar (if not terribly inviting).

used to be my favorite until it began smelling like dead animals when i started to finish the bottle after over a year

I adore this perfume. I spray it on my pillow before I go to sleep. It’s so warm and comforting and complex. It’s powdery sweet and deep and androgynous. It smells like the end of fall, when the leaves are rotting and all you want to do is sip whiskey and eat spiced sweets. It smells like an 80’s ski resort villain and a noir femme fatale. I can understand how it’s not for everyone(I only wear it because my mom regifted it to me complaining that it was too cologne-y), but I can’t stop trying to pick it apart and categorize it every time I wear it.

I slept on this for way too long omg, its so nice. Very spicy, sweet, warm, a lil powdery and dry. Great for the colder months, smells even better layered with other vanilla or amber scents. Marketed towards women but I think its pretty unisex. Something you'd wear with corduroy pants and a faux fur coat

Edit: God I hate when my skin ruins fragrances for me. It always brings out too much smokiness to the point where stuff smells musty on me and I hate it. This fragrance was a victim of such and the dry down smells awful, like burnt rubber and mothballs, but it is definitely just my skin. Bummer, the opening is so beautiful. Maybe I'll stick to wearing it on clothes and see if that helps.

I wear this a lot, it's spicy and dry. It's not sweet and on me it lacks the sensuality of other spice bombs like Youth Dew. It will always remind me of the smell of going on vacation in Mexico in the early 90's, when my sister wore it. It reminds me of tile floors, ashtrays, sunscreen and pool chlorine. I find it very wearable and not challenging.

This is what I imagine Marlene Dietrich to have smelled like ;)

Great for date night, while your husband is wearing Obsession for Men…Spicy!

Warm spicy fruity boozy reminds me of mulled wine, Christmas pudding you have at Christmas...

Definitely unisex

Pleasant smell a little dated but still a great cheap fragrance for the winter months

Excellent longevity and sillage

The initial opening was off-putting for me initially, had a harsh smell to it, but after a couple of seconds it settled down into a beautiful powdery fragrance, in the same vein as Shalimar by Guerlain and Armani Code. It's not as sugary as Armani Code, but not as spicey and incense like as Shalimar. This one is a keeper, it will be perfect for fall and winter.

A 2 year old bottle improved quite a bit, sitting on a shady shelf out of sunlight, but in sunny room. I get all three "layers" pretty much from application on, and the various notes flit in and out of notice. Occasionally it gives me a headache and always it smells good but with a petroleum shade to the molecules, which is common with this style of fragrance, to my nose.

I scored two 7.5 pure parfum extraits, with all packaging and retail inserts fully intact, from 1985. They were not cheap, but so worth it! The pure parfum was only manufactured for a couple years before being discontinued. I haven't tried them yet (I Parafilmed the lids and put them away.) But I am very familiar with Obsession, so I know these little treasures are going to be stunning! Thank you perfume gods for landing these in my life!

Let me first say that I love this perfume it’s warm and Cousy like I remembered it back in the 90’s but this masterpiece is no longer a beast. It’s great longevity but before it was more stronger but either way I love it!! ;)

Smells cozy classy and rich and comforting like a big warm hug from all the super important special women in my like like my mum/nan/aunties I love it makes me feel safe and that everything going to be ok always wear it when I need a pick me up

If you like the Calvin Klein perfume, Obsession -- you may really like Sheer Beauty by CK. Sheer Beauty by Calvin Klein has some mid notes that smell very spicy - you can smell the Obsession DNA in the middle of that Sheer Beauty's wear.

Sheer Beauty is more of a spring/summer perfume in the range of Estee Lauder's Pleasures, it has a lighter dose of peony, but similar to Pleasures.

Midway through the wear, there is a distinct smell of CK's Obsession.

I know people trying this in recent times will find it powdery and old fashioned.

I, myself, don’t have too many old fashioned fragrances in my collection, because I also find them to be not “current” and feels dated. But there is something about Obsession that I just cannot ignore.

The scent is so beautifully created and it’s prob the unapologetic powdery note that I love.
Since it is a very popular fragrance and is worn by so many people of the older generation (I can totally see why, because it was a hit when they were young, I will likelyndo the same with Good girl, Dylan Blue, Armani Si, Gucci guilty etc., in my older years and those frags will prob be called old fashioned then) that I don’t wear it out. I am reaching to the same conclusion with Elizabeth 5th Avenue. Another most fav frag of mine and I don’t wear it out anymore because it is classic and very popular and gets recognised everywhere.

I find Obsession so cozy that I spray on my pjs in the night sometimes, to get a cozy sleep. Takes me back to my childhood, those powdery fragrances around home from mum’s vanity.

Summer, cool bed, CK Obsession, open window, fur babies cuddling husband not snorting for a change. Best night!

Cinnamon, spices, a bit of amber...I'm carried away in a world where everything smells good. A strong smell, and I admit I can't just have one or two sprays:). It lasts quite long on my skin, and every now and then, wafts of cinnamon keep coming out. I wish I smelled the vanilla most distinctively. But I shall layer it with a vanilla scent, as mentioned in the previous comment (thanks, bondno9girl).

If you want to smell niche, expensive, grown and not like everyone else layer this with kayali vanilla 28 and let the compliments flood in. OH and thank me later! All niche creations are unisex now a days ans this is just that. Im 33 and I love it layered with any vanilla. Just try it! For the record I love smokey, little spicy gourmand scents.

On me this smells like old books in a vintage store lol. This doesn’t sit well on my skin and just smells very unpleasant and too woody and extremely overpowering. With one spray of this on my skin, it doesn’t wash off. It takes a good amount of soap for this to get off of me.

However on my mother this really smells great on her like a vanilla spicy chai drink with amber notes. So it just goes to show that a person’s body chemistry combined with personality, interests, and their daily activities can really determine what perfumes smell great on someone.

The impression I get of this perfume is that it’s a very strong, enduring, and commanding scent. You can’t miss a person who walks into the room and they have on the distinctive scent of Obsession. It’s a spicy amber, like a wooden chest full of makeup left and you’re sitting on a vintage lounge armchair. It can smell very pleasant and inviting, but on the wrong body chemistry it can be unpleasant and overbearing.

very stinky and offensive, wouldn't wear this around someone with asthma. it's just really spicy powdery amber. smells worse than it sounds.

Strong..good. not what it once was..

I ONLY wear this scent on Christmas and to holiday themed events. This scent envelops you in that cozy Christmas atmosphere. It is lovely. I would NEVER wear this any other time of the year. It is simply a winter scent.

This had a very harsh opening, and I immediately regretted putting it on. However, after settling, this was a warm, comfy scent. Very powdery and pleasant. I am glad that I didn't wash it off initially.

I have no idea when my bottle is actually from, but I got it at an antique shop. I tried it on and couldn't stop smelling myself (and this was in the Summer, even though I would save this for colder weather). It smells like the inside of my dad's old 1993 Mustang, like, such nostalgia. So cozy and warm. This is one of those that, if you don't have the right vibe, it wears you instead of you wearing it. This isn't for everyone, but definitely for me!

This is definitely a unisex fragrance! Probably more winter appropriate. Reminds me Christmas time . It has a very pretty and recognizable dry down to me with the vanilla and incense. I like to spray this on my blankets and smell it while I cozy up!

I had two close friends who wore Obsession in the 80s and 90s - and it really was more a case of Obsession wearing them. As a result, I'd smelled far too much of it to wear it myself. Interestingly, whenever I got just a tiny bit on me from hugging my friends I realized it was absolutely lovely when one wasn't drowning in it. Fast forward to 2022. I tried a small amount on and flew back to that era - in a very good way. The spice, warmth, and smoothness are still gorgeous. Here's the surprise though: I think the current Men's EDT smells more like what I remember the women's version smelling like. I could be wrong; some of you will be more qualified aficionados. Let me know what you think.

Too sweet and spicy for me when it goes on. Takes a long time to mellow. For a woodsy scent, I like Ralph Lauren Safari better.

Ah, when I was a little girl, this was gorgeous. You could only use a little, (my aunt sprayed this v lightly, twice, no more) - & it was amazing - a perfect, spicy, but creamy, deep, wonderful, perfect in winter, perfume (she packed it away, once it got to mid April/May - until mid October, again. When you smell it now - you recognise it - but like C Dior's Dune, (although that's even "thinner" now) this is missing at least half of it's creamy & spicy mid notes - & ninety percent if not ALL, of it's base - you cannot imagine now, I think - but before, it was so perfect, so deep & complex, to be honest, I cannot stand YSL Opium - though I love (& respect) the concept (I think it's the Myrhh in it that puts me off, there's one note in Opium I just cannot bear) but to me, as a child, this was literally what I thought YSL Opium, should have been. (I suspect, like C Dior Dune, there was a significant amount of tonka, involved - & back then there was such a complex spice profile, in the base & some too, in the mids, it was intoxicating, so rich & warming - something that begged to be worn, in the deep of winter, in the UK, or at Christmas, for sure - when you spray it now, (like CD Dune!) you think "Oh, there it is, oh good it's still there then" - & then a few seconds later you think - "but - that's just the top notes - where's the rest of it?!" - bc almost two thirds of it - is just missing - the new CK Obsession is just lesser & lacking, though I keep a bottle for nostalgic purposes) I haven't worn it outside of home, yet - what I try to do, is get one bottle after another of the (superb) body lotion - which I love, because it's gorgeous - but they're becoming v hard to find (my previous few were travel sized) but with that, or espc the body cream, you don't particularly need the perfume, sometimes I wear the edp, at home - but the body lotion which I prefer the texture of - or the body cream which smells even better, is more a reflection of the vibe of the original - wearing both together gives you a hint of what it was ,z because the lotion gives you the creamy element (it wasn't vanilla before, not noticeably, maybe there was a little in the base, but..) - but even with the body cream/lotion - yes, it is "spicy" - still, but - that complexity is gone - the spice in it was varied & many layered, & the first bottle I bought in the mid 2000's (having only experimented with my aunt's bottles, during the 90s,) was a 30ml - that lasted & lasted, bc you sprayed it (v lightly) twice - & it was like a magic potion, the complexity was incredible, (& sadly not there in the reform) - you sprayed on your skin, bc directly on clothes it could turn a little harsh, it needed your skin chemistry (& snelled the same on evbdy, this was U.S not French perfume, & was definite, but not like the bombastic, 80s Giorgio, which I hated with a passion - in the mid 90s) - but your shirt/blouse, & anything you wore, would be touched by it - & would carry a lingering, soft, impression of this beautiful, compelling perfume - it was like a veil surrounding you - tbh, I understand why some ppl decry the new version, because it IS a virtual shadow, of what it was, but, I still love the original (I hv a few tiny travel sizes, dwindling) I like that creamy but not really vanillic, more tonka + ambre impression, that the rest of the perfume used to give, in winter - recently I bought 2 x 50ml (I had to get a 2nd!) of Miller Harris, Violet Ida - because on the first (TK Maxx!) online blind buy - spraying that, I was looking for the heliotrope/violet & vanilla, I'd read about - yet after less than half an hour, to me, it was like the old Obsession mid notes, with some of the base, sans spices -& it appealed to me as a winter perfume, love that style of fragrance - so I hoovered up a 2nd bottle online, before they sold out (£21.99 for 50 ml - this broke again, my no perfume buying, though I tell myself it was a temporary thing, I must not buy more perfume - but the Miller Harris Violet Ida is gorgeous. Layered with the new version, or the perfume below, it's lvely.
So - if you want something approaching the original CK Obsession, in edp form - then buy Laura Mercier Ambre Passion (which is the closest I can find, I paid for quite an expensive bottle of that, expensive comparably, but still cheaper than the 2000's original - & it was the only (50ml) bottle I could find - & have barely worn it, bc outside of my home - would it be "too old fashioned?!" - would it "remind" the males (& females) in our Paris office of "Maman" - or worse grand-mere (as YSL Paris edt, does(!) & those French chaps aren'tbackwards about telling you so, I warn you) - & that's never good for your self esteem, mid 30s or whatever - & ofc, if I wore CK Obsession + body lotion or better still CK Obsession layered with Ambre Passion, or, my new thing - LM Ambre Passion layered with MH Violet Ida - in Korea, then it would send everybody running for the mountains - in East Asia (mostly) it isn't cool to wear anything "that strong"(although v young types in Japan are rocking such as Chanel Coco Mad'mslle & other (modern) 'powerhouse' types - to be subversive & uber cool) - but even with them, this would probably still be too much - so I will keep this for winter, in the UK, & maybe this year, if I'm home for Christmas, I will wear MH Violet Ada, with just a smidgen of Ambre Passion & float in a layer of gorgeous spices & creamy, wonderful everything - but more tonka that vanilla, as I usually prefer, (I suppose the body lotion has a suggestion of vanille but it's not cake shop style, at all.)

For me though - if you're looking for this, buy Laura Mercier Ambre Passion - it's the closest to the original CK Obsession you can find anywhere; & believe me I have searched & searched for a substitute - because I always was fond of this, even if it was just for myself (& my partner) at home - he loves that Obsession body cream/lotion, & doesn't mind when I spray Ambre Passion v sparingly - but then his mother/aunties never wore it, & he senses no associations, thank goodness, (yes, it matters to me, & besides, he has excellenttaste & would not appreciate any thing dodgy; I gave in & bought Viva la Juicy Gold Couture, bc of the hype, & bc it was pandemic lockdown; I could tell you what he said, but I won't bc some would no doubt be offended.. (he was, almost joking - at least I believe so)

(Note Laura Mercier Lumiere D'Ambre is similar, I suppose, but not as good an homage as Ambre Passion - & there's a but, no(!) - with that one - bc unfortunately it has a very noticeable black pepper note which I find discordant, don't make my mistake with that one - although otherwise it is quite similar - whereas the Laura Mercier Ambre Passion is just SO similar to the original CK Obsession; not a perfect copy - but it does have a more complex spice profile & base, than the new style CK Obsession, & in the sillage (& breathed in close from your wrist) it is - the - closest, not too ridiculously expensive dupe, that I can find to what we used to be able to buy in (rather expensive, before the manufacturer was changed) 30ml bottles, it isn't cheap though - but if you are craving this, then that's your best bet, (I got 50ml for about £56 - & it's quite a concentrated perfume, well, edp, but it really IS more like edp lasting power used to be, when I was a child or at least like the concentration you got from this one, in the mid 2000's when I wasn't.)

(Athough I got it from the now defunct "Cosmopolitan" (beauty/perfume website) bc I couldn't find it anywhere else🙄🤭 I hear J Lewis stocks Laura Mercier perfumes, so maybe they have it or could get it) - but I think it's worth it, the only analogyI could make is - they say diet soft drinks are bad for you (& they are anyway) - but, in the way that - your body protests - because you think you're getting sugary carbonated everything, but then you get nothing but empty synthetic sweeteners - so your body makes you crave sugar like no tomorrow, bc it was an illusion - it wants to get the calories it thought it was getting - & likewise with this - you spray it, smell the top notes & think, "Oh, that's good" - & then within less than a minute your nose informs you that, that - is not it - your nose (& all your senses) cry out for what it used to be, (if you hv experienced the real thing, not to be too dramatic.) It's all, diminished returns, this new version - & no wonder they sell it so cheap now - bc it did used to be quite expensive..when it was, what it (gloriously, unapologetically) as iylt was - but ofc, sprayed v lightly, & with style, it didn't bother anybody, & it wasn't "too" much or too, "in your face" (not in the western world, anyway) - most ppl loved it & it engendered a lot of compliments - it was probably the ppl who wore it year in year out - & became so anosmic, that they would spray it with abandon & choke out everybody in a 10 metre radius - they apparently put off 2 generations of children, & teens & a lot of adults, re this.

Loved it myself though, my aunt wore this with grace & panache - & was all the more of a (true) lady for it - miss her much. (Whenever I miss her a lot, I watch travel programs, with Joanna Lumley (!) - whose personality, style, voice, & looks, remind me of my aunt a lot, a lot - they could hv been twins) - & for me, my then, 36 or forty year old aunt - & JL,epitomise the kind of woman, the kind of (stylish, v together) lady, young or otherwise, who would wear this, now, I think, far more than a naked Kate Moss, who was on all the advertisements when I was v young. I don't agree that this was "80s" - though it may hv been huge in the U.S then - it took the UK a while to get on board, ppl say - but to me, born in 1989, - when my aunt began wearing it (in the winter) that year, & I remember she smelled this way as early as when I was 3- this is pure mid nineties & epitomises a certain style of those times - the glitz & over stated glamour, the over done everything, even, of that 80s era was so finished - although even when I was 5, some still clung to that style, like limpets - but all of that style, was too much for ppl of the 90s - everything became far more pared back (my aunt had bound copies of Vogue et al, of the 80s, 90s & 2000's, which she left to me, & I was & am fascinated by them) & remember a lot from my childhood too - but the 90s girls dressed v casually, no flashy labels & wore much less mkup than their 80s counterparts, & v unstyled long almost straight hair - they didn't like to look to try hard - anybody who looked like they'd tried to look glam & not casually amama,ing, had got it v wrong - but many ppl would still wear this, even at eighteen or twenty something, they loved it, because it "wasn't girly" & had a mysterious quality - ie, not noticeably floral, & like nothing else (the fakes were atrocious though, yuk) - but they wore it gently, sparingly, always (looking on here, I hv no idea why anybody would find this "floral", myself, although a tiny few under 25s seem to think it's a "spicy floral" - myself I don't agree, it doesn't fit in that box - maybe Fendi Furiousa would, althougheven there the spice isn't all that..)

For me, wear what you like (sparingly for this) & bonus points too with this- bc this (& more importantly, the Ambre Passion I've replaced the new version with, is hardly worn by anybody, & exclusivity re perfume wearing is always good. Nobody in the Paris office will "tell you what fragrance/products theyre wearing, ofc not - they don't want their co worker wearing the same, but this shoupd gather you some exclusivity; I hardly ever smell this anywhere, now - it's due a return, as CD Dune is experiencing.. (Anybody finding a dupe for that will be going some, so let me know if you do - but I rlly do live in hope of a return to it's original perfection, in niche form - loved that one, even more than this - the first, oceanic in "niche" style long before niche was even a thing, but funnily, most other 90s fumes am not a fan of, myself.

To be honest, though - if LM Ambre Passion, or the original of this (not the new version, or maybe, if it was TF) - was put in (v expensive) new niche bottles, most likely many (who had never experienced it in any form, new or old) would go mad for it. The original was a classic, & just so good - the Laura Mercier homage to it, has a worthy place in my collection, & I don't care if it's only for nostalgic purposes, but it's a shame the reform of this is missing so much of what made it so intoxicating & such a perfect example of a Silk Road, Spice Route, oriental perfurme, one that seemed to take on, the YSL Opium aesthetic, & go one better, & with a 90s twist, that makes it something that can still make it wearable by anybody over 25, today. (Am I biased bc of the affiliations & memories of what it was when I was little?! Maybe - but it was such a brilliant concept, & the perfume never disappointed, in it's original form - it was truly amazing, & a true succesor, to the more intrusive YSL Opium - new & old version of that included.) Love, love, love, the original edp

I just did one spritz on the arm and oh, this scent puts me in a state of hypnosis, close your eyes, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, let it overwhelm all my senses and let me rest on this cushion that soothes and arouses me at the same time. I love that the components are blended into one perfect dark and dirty aroma , no dissonance of sharpness neither sweet gourmands or vanilla overdose. Actually I can't detect the different notes, perhaps smokey incense, some woodsy some citrus, I don't know, if I try to analyse my senses just imagine the inviting heat of a woodfire. Obsessions makes me feel very comfortable but I would not describe this as lucious as I do not think it's tempting others.

This was my go to perfume some 15 years ago. I remember that it lingered in textile and people always always complemented when I took my scarf of or when they put my jacket on a coat hanger in the closet. I think I used 2 bottles previously and a third one (almost full) is still in my closet and that is the one that I tested today. I will certainly pick up this scent more often so I guess I need to get me a backup. let's hope that todays formulation has not changed.

This is a fragrance everyone should experience. It is unique and challenging, but so good. Probably not a blind buy, as most would not wear this. However, the scent is amazing and worth it just to spritz around occasionally.

I decided To give this iconic fragrance from the 80’s a spin. It’s very sharp and strong, so be conservative.
It has really good staying power too.
I didnt Think I would Like this, but given my dislike of florals, this was a pleasant surprise.
Sure, it’s a bit dated but I actually Like the spice. It’s a bit sweet & warm but also a bit masculine.
Obsession is like shalimar’s nicer cousin, minus the smoke & leather.

Powdery, rich, floral with a spicy amber base.
It’s actually really nice, but it is a little bit dated now. Not sure I want to smell like this, I’m decidedly middle aged and it just seems old fashioned.

Edit: the dry down of this smells exactly like the drydown of Byzantium by that french drugstore brand Tessori.

the opening is a bit sharp but super woodsy and what you could describe as typically masculine. that hangs around for a while and then it turns into such a gorgeous creamy ambery vanilla I love it so much does anyone know any perfumes that smell like the drydown for this because its just heavenly

It's a strong warm spicy scent, but I like it. A little goes a long way.

Ended up purchasing this by mistake in an airport duty-free. Mistook it for the mens version, which says a lot about the unisex nature of this perfume! The initial blast is difficult to get through but it soon mellows into a soft-spicy, green vanilla with a touch of powerhouse animalics underneath. It is a little dated but certainly don't be put off by it as it's certainly more appealing than the 'grandma-scent' reputation had me believe (24M).

This is an unusual and strong scent that might put off a lot of people in the way that animalic scents do. I really like it, but I think I'm biased because for me it brings back fond memories of my childhood when my mum and her friends used to wear it.
It is very strong in the beginning with spices and sandalwood that slowly evolves into a warm amber. The dry down for me is powdery talcum powder, very foreign from the top notes. It is definitely a perfume that evolves on the skin.
People talk about the formulation change here, and that could be the case, but as soon as I smelled it I was brought back to the 90s so it can't be too far off.
I would say its definitely a winter scent because of its warmth and spiciness. It could be a bit overwhelming in heat.
Also agree with other comments that one spray is more than enough and that it should be avoided in the office.

What have they done to this?? It smells nothing like the OG. This was a beautiful beast back in the day. It created and absolutely gorgeous trail. In fact the trail on other people was better than smelling it on yourself. So stunning. Now? Well, If you've never smelt it, don't bother, its pathetic and smells nothing at all like the original. An absolute classic, that has been butchered by reformulation! How they can continue to call it Obsession is an insult to the original!

I already wrote a positive review for this perfume so I won't repeat myself, but this scent (while already being quite intense when I first bought it) goes only stronger after a while of being opened. I have a 15 ml bottle (I bought it a year ago or so), I sprayed a bit on my arm today at 8 am, now it is almost 6 pm and I still smell like a cinnamon cake even after all those hours. Very nice, sweet and spicy, delicious, strong. To me it is also very gourmand.

Absolutely ruined! Back in the 90’s, early 2000’s this perfume was beautiful. It wasn’t for everyone and not for me even (I used to promote Calvin Klein perfumes) however i was able to appreciate it for what it was. It was a well rounded delicious cinnamon, creamy, comforting winter scent that was reminiscent of Christmas. The re-formulation is a disaster!! It’s screechy, loud horrible, nose stinging!! It’s all wood, stinky incense sticks, no orange blossom, no cinnamon, no creamy vanilla. It’s not warm anymore. It’s cold, bitter and makes the nose sting. Horrible. Such a shame to ruin such perfumes.

Absolutely beautiful. Gives me a bit of nostalgia since my mother wore it when I was a child. It’s warm, spicy, and sweet. It’s so cozy! Good pick, ma…

i smell the spices and it's warm, but this perfume is bitter to me! probably a 3/10

I do love my ambers, but this one, it's just eh. Been trying it for a while but might sell it or something.
The initial spritz is entirely citrus to me, but dries oriental, amber-y, and tad powdery, and a good bit of incense. Maybe the chemistry is just bad with me and this one.
It is certainly headache-y, and I'm thinking there's woody x spicy notes in it I probably dislike? I don't know, not for me.

UPDATE I have not used this for a good year or so and I gotta say, everytime I get a whiff of this I gag reflexively. It's quite strong, too, good silage. Smells like amber, spices, musks, mixed with creamy florals and when they all die down after a wee while it gets more tolerable, but please don't spritz the house down with this one. Dries down to a good spiced amber tho.

There was a woman where I worked in the late 90’s who inflicted Obsession on everyone in the building. It was breathtaking, and not in a good way! She was a heavy smoker as well, amping up the olfactory onslaught. I don’t doubt that dress codes were rewritten to include something like “moderate, considerate use of personal scents” as a result of her. Even though many of the notes in Obsession are among my very favorites, due to that experience, I avoided it like the plague until recently in my determined search for perfumes with great longevity and sillage on me. I wondered what reviews here had to say about Obsession - what I read made me want to try it. And now I’m smitten! The current formulation is just gorgeous with my chemistry. I get 12+ hours of warm, ambery, woodsy, spiciness and a sweet vanilla amber powder dry down. It smells softer and sweeter than it did 25 years ago, but the performance is still the stuff of legends. For the bargain price of this gem, I’m buying a backup. The way the iconic bottle fits my hand makes it one of the nicest of my perfumes to hold. This makes me very happy and comfortable when I wear it.

Update - I’ve been wearing Obsession for a week and I’m beyond impressed. The more I wear it, the more I just LOVE it! The longevity is unreal, certainly on skin, but especially on fabric. I can still smell it on a jacket I wore a week ago. It’s absolutely beautiful - my backup bottle has been received. I may need to backup my backup!

Obsession is so much more than a spice bomb: she’s an oriental powder puff, a small bouquet of white flowers, an unexpected trace of antiques and skin — and, yes, a wooden box full of warm spices. i miss my Mema. i wear this in her honor. but i would love it in any case.

/current edp

I prefer and look for strong fragrances, the ones able to leave a trail.I read all the reviews, mostly about how strong and a bomb "Obsession" is. When i sprayed it, i thought to myself: don't complain now. Isn't this what you want, a strong frag?? Because, yes, Obsession is strong; if i smell my wrists too much i'm gonna get a headache, for how heady it can be. Just 1/2 careful spritz. it's very heavy! And it's also very strong in character.
This scent is definitely not a modern sweet floral, it is kind of dirty, masculin (the civet touch?) , vintage, one of a kind. I got the current formula, it smells bomb, i can imagine the OG (?)... Skin chemistry for sure affects how it behaves on your skin. On me, the first punch (cause it's really a surprising punch of a scent) it's made of the green notes, the bergamot, the mandarin orange, bit of lemon all wraped up in spices/ coriander, very strong here, because it tickles my neck, then i get the woods, a bit of a incense. Feels like i'm walking on a forest and i smell the cedar (on my wrist) . Dry down is made of vetiver, spice, the musk and civet too...It's funny, i don't get much flowers nor vanilla...
It is kind of a baffling, unsettling frag, for someone bold, a fighter, to wear this. If the main reason of the creation of this frag was to hold the idea of a memory or obsession for someone, i get that. I feel that unsettledness. Because a fragrance speaks with your mind....IMO, it's a sharp, ugly fragrance (the civet/musk blink blink), i don't like it, i was expecting something else, not so beast mode, but i'm gonna give it a try, since i spend the $$. Hey Obsession, i'm not afraid of you! ehehe

like being hugged by a sentient cinnamon stick
like a bonfire in a pumpkin patch
something you'd smell while bundled up in your great grandma's fur coat on a winter night
beautiful, absolutely fabulous. I understand why this is such a classic.
it's not a shriek, its a low hum that rattles ur bones.

mom hates it, she says it reminds her of bitchy people she may have known in the '80s, she never cared for "musky" scents, with her signatures being the politely clean Chloe and Anais Anais.

Dusty, vanilla overdose (to be fair, vanilla loves.mt skin-too bad the feeling is not mutual!). Opens like a very old, dusty, wooden box, made from precious wood that would have smelled lovely on its own before time stole its fragrance, which must have been used in the past to store cinnamon sticks. A faint whiff of the wood creeps underneath the dust, with the ghost of cinnamon lingering on. As time passes, the vanilla creeps in, until it displaces all the rest and becomes almost sickeningly sweet, too sweet to make out if it's artificial or not. To me, it smells like i was buried alive inside vanilla pudding powder. The final nail in my pastry coffin is its insanely strong projection and longevity. I am not getting out of here alive! 😂

Skin chemistry must affect this one a lot. One day my roommate came downstairs smelling amazing- a deep but floating sweet cinnamon, vanilla, intense type scent. I asked what it was and she said Obsession. I found a mini for cheap and blind bought which I am now regretting a little. The opening sucks, then it becomes waxy, semi dried yellow flowers like marigolds and carnations (maybe the coriander, jasmine and civet together?) tossed in a spice drawer with some old candles. No outright vanilla but some amber sweetness to keep the spices in line. It's not bad but it's definitely not something I would voluntarily pick.

The original version is amazing 10/10. The current version is not that good 3/10.