Escape for Men

Very very underrated fragrance very fresh smelling

CK Escape for men is one of my ultimate top ten fragrances. It's one that got me into fragrances back in 1995. My review is of the original formula, which was strong and long-lasting. It projected fantastically and always garnered compliments. It was a casual but uplifting scent that would definitely carry you throughout the day. Today's formula is simply tragic. For the life of me, why do fragrance manufacturers do this to legendary fragrances? If it wasn't for Dior Fahrenheit, Chanel Platinum Egoiste, CK Eternity, Aqua Di Gio, CK One, and CK Escape, I wouldn't have such an affinity with fragrance. All of the above fragrances pale in comparison to what they once were, and it is a shame.

I discovered this recently. For some reason, the original went unnoticed when it came out 30 years ago—or maybe it just never got popular around me. I find it quite within my vibe nowadays, not because of nostalgia, but for the discreet, pleasant whiffs of mango peel, amber, and rosemary it emanates. The late vestige is reminiscent of a faint, oxidized iris that becomes unpalatable on wool clothes. I know my comment might lower its "classic" status; alas, I will still give it daily use with five sprays, max.

I like the opening of this fragrance as the melon, mango, and citrus notes are complementary. It's an EDT and requires a high spray count for improved performance. The opening notes did not last very long for me, probably less than 2 hours. On my skin, the primary note that emerged in the drydown was oakmoss. This is the only reason I didn't keep it in my collection. Mossy dry-downs tend to come off as moldy to my nose. I can see why this is somewhat considered a classic.

First ever fragrance as a gift Clean and inoffensive but nothing extraordinary

Mangoes, melons, and woods. Relaxingly simplistic. A refreshing dumb reach for spring and summer. This is my favorite bench warmer fragrance in my collection for those days I can't make up my mind or get tired of the usual.

I'm new to the fragrance world, and finding out that this was apparently a popular scent was a little shocking. This is my favorite scent, I have been using it since I was 13 years old almost exclusively. It is everything you would want in an extroverted, adventurous scent. It is charming, understating, long-lasting, inspiring, outdoorsy yet classy; it's perfect. Layers well due to it's subtlety and doesn't stack hard, so you can be a little liberal without committing a war crime on your passengers or elevator mates. Do not try this scent if you want to be a better person or attract your soul mate. You may not be able to handle this scent rizz, scizz if you will.

That was my scent, and i was rationing my last bootle. I was delighted to finally find some for sale. Unfortunately, the new formula (clear glass) has nothing to do with the old one (frosted glass). The fruitiness has been replaced by flowers, the result is less fresh. I am now scentless.

Fresh, aquatic, melon nostalgia. Takes me way back.

My mom used to wear the hell out of this back in the 90's. I think she smelled in a magazine and bought it right after. It's a clean woody citrus and aquatic moss. I like frosted glass bottles. Why are they so rare nowadays?

Fantastic smell but weak longevity and projection !! But a lot of the present day expensive big brand fragrances also have weak projection and longevity.. So, can't really blame a fragrance that came out in the 90s.. I absolutely envy the people who used this fragrance in the 90s !! This has such an amazing scent profile !! It's really unfortunate that none of the present day perfumers or designer houses are trying to recreate anything even remotely close to the CK Escape scent DNA.. My CK Escape bottle from 2022 smells very "minty-fruity", fresh, slightly sweet and very green.. Think of a basket full of sweet, juicy summer fruits surrounded by lots of fragrant fresh, green leaves on a bright summer day.. I would associate the CK Escape smell with such an imagery.. Projects at about a 3 or 4 inch radius for the first 2 hours or so.. On skin the longevity is around 3 hours.. On clothes the scent lasts for days.. If that qualifies as "longevity" then yes, CK Escape has an eternal longevity !! My summers would be incomplete without this fragrance.. Calvin Klein should bring this masterpiece back !!

I used to wear this during my school days, it’s an amazing amazing scent that’s lasts all day. I bought a new bottle recently out of nostalgia and shock horror (not)surprised, the current formulation is one big joke. It’s so weak and diluted now and the drydown is just a generic alcoholic mess. It’s a -1/10’for me. Please do yourself a favour and seek out the vintage bottles, you will be shocked by its true majestic power.

It has nothing to do with Aramis New West . This fragrance has a distinct watermelon note which is of course very pleasant , mixed together with floral notes. It’s a nice freshly fragrance, but unfortunately doesn’t perform well.

i wasn't alive in the 90s but this smells like it

Smells like a coolant, horrible smell.

Escape was the very first perfume I ever wore. A gateway scent, it led me down the long and winding road that is my perfume obsession. When I smell this very specific scent profile, I am 13 again; Teddy Sheringham is still playing football, Spice Girls are topping the charts, and I will only wear Adidas tracksuits. It performs much like you would expect A CK scent to behave; poorly. It is a perfume to wear whilst at home on your own, to bring a little bit of joy to doing your tax returns. If it's pissing down outside, spraying Escape onto your skin will make it seem just a little bit sunnier. It always reminds me of melon for some reason. There is a very specific, but also very unusual fruity top, which has an aldehyde middle, with a basic sandalwood base. It is not complicated and very straight-forward, like a 39 year old self-employed plasterer, who is at the very peak of his humdrum career. If you like to travel back in time, to a place where men wearing perfume was waving goodbye to the "only gay men wear perfume" years, you can't go wrong with this respectable, foolhardy OAP of a perfume. I always have a bottle of Escape that is active in my collection at all times. As soon as I use the last spray, I order another one. It all began with Escape for me; a free sample I got from a make-up flogging woman in Woolworths, whilst I was buying a Janet Jackson CD. That free sample changed everything for me. 5/10. Sorry Escape, but I just can't go any higher.

perfect work fragrance for me, fresh minty-melon scent lasts all day !

Half-full frosted bottle, label says it's by Calvin Klein Cosmetics so it's true vintage. No idea how it was cared for before I found it, but I suspect not too well. Opening is a sharp, bitter, dry, almost pugnacious and medicinal green (definitely smelling the eucalyptus) and nowhere close to sweet or particularly fruity...yet it's also fizzy, sparkling, kicky, sunny, and suggestive of lively energy. However, because my bottle has no detectable melon or mango left to sweeten and smooth things out, it will sharply demand the attention of anyone who notices me wearing it, perhaps leading them to think I've used some kind of muscle rub. But I'll wear it anyway.

One of the best openings - very 90s in all the best ways - it is fresh, fruity, green and just heavenly. The dry down is less spectacular but does the job.

The top and the middle notes seem jumbled here. For me, the opening is a blast of sharp-toned conifers (fir, etc.), wonderfully bold. Sage and rosemary too, and I suppose the citrus notes, though here they play a background role. I can also imagine frankincense in this (as oil, not incense), but it is not listed. What I don't smell here is eucalyptus (thank god). Of course, there are many possible eucalyptus oils, but usually cineole-rich Eucalytpus globulus (or similar) is what is intended. Only later, does it get sweeter. Maybe now the melon and resinous mango appear. The typical basenotes are there doing their job in an anodyne way. Overall, a relatively extreme take on the fresh-aromatic genre. I like this for days when an invigorating shout-out is called for, ...out-sauvaging Sauvage. Of course, context is everything. If one sprayed this around their living room in December, it could well pass as a 'Christmas tree' scent.

1998 Calvin Klein Cosmetics batch. STUNNING. I like this way better than Eternity (overhyped green mossy scent imo). Way better than CK One (Too funky to my nose). Why was this one of my last CK's to track down? Cause this one is perfect. No funky nuances like the other CK fougeres. Escape for men is literally like a tropical green rainforest. Its incredibly green. Not an 80's green, a 90s green! Like a sweet wet humid green. Hawaii perhaps or somewhere more Asian island related. I just smell a humid warm lit island far far away. Not North America like the Bahamas, far more eastern in nature. Hawaii, Thailand. CK Eternity is a combo of seawater, humidity, melons and mangos hanging from trees, and those giant crisp green palm like leaves soaked in condensation. This is VERY green. I almost smell a bamboo note- going along with its theme, no masculine scratchy woods or oakmoss. This is modestly fruity and tropical - but stays within that hazy woody green nature like most summer CK scents. It's not *that* tropical. Paris Hilton for men punches a bigger melon/mango note in my opinion - but that one is more a mango mountain air scent vs a wet mango island forest like this one. NOW- with all that said. I'm pissed from listening to you all first. What this is NOT is *anything* resembling the likeness of a banana 🙄. Periodt. Unless the banana came in with reformulations? Cause vintage Escape - un uh. No way. Banana is one of my favorite fruity smells - so I should know. Banana is heavy in potassium, sugar, overly tropical, and just has an undeniable nuance. Amateurs lol. Would have loved to smell some banana in this - I own hundreds of fragrances and everyone seems terrified to use this note for some reason. Which is a shame because its sorely neglected in mens perfumery. I feel a master perfumer is able to craft a banana men's scent without it smelling like laffy taffy - yet I have yet to find someone crafty and brave. It would be cool if MFK got ahold of this DNA and made a JPG 'Ultra Male' Eau Fraiche EDT Intense with instead of the playful pear in Ultra Male X batch you get a playful infectious candy banana liqueur smell with the Escape DNA fizzing behind it. That would be INCREDIBLE. Anyways - yeah this is nice. Very summery and tropical - but maybe redundant if you already own some fresh summery mango colognes - I love it but still like Paris Hilton for men More if I want mango. The banana lacking in this makes it a redundant grab for me.

Los años 90 en una botella. Que belleza de perfume. Frutal, algo marino, herbal, amaderado, terroso. Funciona perfectamente para el día a día en verano y primavera. Informal si, jovial si. Talvez para chicos de 18-25 les parezca anticuado porque aunque se siente un poco dulce no tiene esa vibra de perfume actual que muchos prefieren. Creo que para los que lo conocimos y disfrutamos en los 90 tener una botella de esto en colección será nostálgico y una vuelta a muchos recuerdos de infancia o juventud. Muy recomendado. Buen precio. Las reformulaciones no lo afectaron prácticamente en nada y sigue como lo recuerdo. Duración aceptable, buena estela.

The frosted bottle is better in smell and performance.

This, to me, is mediocre. It opens similarly to Aramis New West but lacks that piney-green punch that makes that one unique, as well as the longevity. I wouldn't call it tropical, I wouldn't call it aquatic, and I wouldn't call it fresh. It just smells fuzzy and jumbled together, almost like smelling a hairspray. Not quite repulsive, but definitely not something I'd wear. Unfortunately New West has been discontinued and Ajmal Utopia II, which has an updated version of this note pyramid that is much easier to wear, is very, very hard to find. I highly recommend getting your hands on that one if you can. Disclaimer: The bottle of Escape I got was a newer one, so if my opinions are based on a reformulated version (to be expected from a fragrance that's over 30 years old), so be it.

Another fail in my search for a signature scent. Too bright and sweet on opening and doesnt dry down on my skin well. I dont get any of the eucalyptus or green notes...just melon flavored candies. Smells almost chemically, and I get people's comments on it reflecting the era, but not in a good way...totally agree. Dated without a sense of timelessness. I have two, just purchased vintage bottles, one unopened. One opened only to apply two sprays. Two days ago. COTY bottle with made in USA stamped on cellophane wrap. DM. if anyone is interested in taking them off my hands, or a swap for something vintage and not sweet. Eau Sauvage, aramis tuscany, Dunhill edition, hermes vert d'orange, as examples

Opens fresh like a mango tree by the sea, as it dries down I get more of the woods, like a rainforest. It smells mature and would suit an older man. It smells a tiny bit dated, like something a womanizer uncle would wear in his early 30s but it holds up.

This is really nice for summer and dirt cheap. I wore Escape in the early 90’s and the current bottling is pretty damned close in scent and quality from what I remember. It isn’t super long lasting and projecting, but it is more than acceptable for a warm weather scent. I love the big blast of Melon and Eucalyptus and then the aquatic notes along with Juniper, Bergamot, Vetiver, and Sandalwood. If you loved it in the 90’s, you will love the current version. Perfect for the office, tropical vacations and just about any event in the spring/summer. Hard to beat for under $20/100ml.

Boring and generic I'm afraid. Not sure what the old version was like but this smells fresh with a hint of melon and eucalyptus. Not dislikable just meh, will wear for gym in the summer months.

This is a beautiful day at the beach in a bottle. From the bright and juicy tropical opening to the dry herbaceous woody finish. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the water is clear. You’ve enjoyed a nice drink, a nice swim and sun bathed the day away. The sun sets and you’re snuggling with your sweetheart in front of a roaring bonfire. The melange of sunscreen, sea salt and smoke linger in the air as you realize what a wonderful day it’s been.

Missed this one in the 90s. Only got this a few years back. I got the clear glass, not the frosted one, which some say is the original formulation. I have to agree with some reviewers here with the banana note. It's very fruity and tropical. With a relatively decent staying power. Just don't buy this at retail price. Very unique in today's fragrance landscape where everything's either an ambroxan-bomb, blue, boozy or tobacco-ish. Timeless.