Obsession

Mature, classy, iconic. Definitely unisex and definitely for cold weather.

this scent may feel westerns "vintage" but as a middle eastern,this scent smells like "essential oils from macca" not a big fan those oils since childhood, so when you spray it your grandparents will think you are blessed.

I was in my first year of college studying fine art when Calvin Klein Obsession debuted in 1985, and I fell hard for the avant-garde Richard Avedon and then the David Lynch ad campaigns. I wanted to graduate from my signature fragrance, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, to whatever artsy sexiness this represented, but Obsession was beyond my budget at the time. I believe I wore the clean, unsexy, cost-conscious White Musk Oil from The Body Shop through college. Fast forward to a couple of years ago, I watched a review of Obsession by the sweet and knowledgeable Dacob on YouTube, and was inspired to finally seek out a bottle of vintage Obsession EDP to add to my collection along with the cologne in the iconic palm-shaped bottle. Obsession is a warm, glowing amber perfume, with incense, vanilla of the less candy-sweet variety, spices, and a somewhat powdery dry down. The opening is a bit dry and herbal, but it quickly turns warm and softly spicy. There is an animalic note, which is not objectionable to my nose, as this is a grown-up perfume after all! It is sultry, yet cozy enough to be a bedtime perfume, and wearable for all genders (as with every fragrance ever made). Are you a young person obsessed with vintage 80s style? This is a must-have, and I honor and take delight in your individuality. If you are ageist and conventional with a nose trained on sweet candy mall perfumes, this is not for you, so don't bother. This is for the collector who wants to explore perfume history, who appreciates iconic heritage perfumes like Shalimar, Chanel Coco, or the powerhouse Tabu. Look for the vintage versions of Obsession with the gold edge on the cap, but avoid the version made by Unilever. The current Coty formulation can be had for under $25.

I keep always coming back to test this in store, but today it finally clicked in the cold weather. The first spray is intense strong spice and herbal hit but the mids and dry down are so addictive. It's orange peel citrus, coriander, cinnamon and cloves that turn into an animalistic musky warm vanilla on the skin. This fragrance truly shines after about an hour, the deep dry down is slightly reminiscent of Shalimar and Emeraude which was surprising as I was more looking for Opium or Youth Dew (the men's is closer) but Obsession has those spices turned right up to the max. It's a true unisex in every sense of the word. I keep coming back to smell my arm, I've made up my mind and grabbing a bottle next chance I get.

Obsession is really a great fragrance,one of the best classic perfumes. I currently have both male and female versions and this is basically the same fragrance. The difference is as you can tell by the juice color,the female EDP is stronger and lasts longer than the male EDT version. Very beautiful smell of incense,vanilla and spices. I don't think there is civet,this is a very strong animalic note and here i don't get it. If you like sweet and spicy fragrances definately try Obsession,better go with the female version because it's stronger. Great price also.

the drydown is lovely but for the most part it smells grandmaish which is not my goal ..

Smelt a small sample of this and immediately recoiled. Very vinegary and unpleasant, lingered in my nostrils for a good minute until i smelt something else.

Gorgeous. I was worried it would smell harsh and old but not at all! It is warm, sexy, seductive but in a fucking on leopard fur next to the fireplace kind of way.

Not gonna lie, I ordered this out of curiosity because I read that Michael Jackson used to wear this apparently in the late 80s and early 90s. It smells unisex and sexy.

With the tragedy that the men’s version has become, I thought I’d familiarise myself with this and I have to say I’m stoked with it. This is not the dated, matronly thing I was expecting it to be. This is a beautiful vanilla tinged amber that smells surprisingly modern. I was born at the end of the 80s and never really smelled anything quite like this growing up, so it doesn’t have any nostalgic associations for me. In this day and age, this is unisex in the way that most Parfums de Marley scents are. PdM could bottle this for $300 a piece and no one would bat an eye.

I am very into 1980s fashion, so naturally I also like to pair my looks with perfumes of the same era. This is my all time favorite, it makes me feel sophisticated and elegant, but still rebellious. It has a very vintage smell to it. It’s very warm, spicy, mature, and overall just very beautiful to me.

Stole this fragrance from my mom... Very vintage smell, could imagine a rich old lady that owns a big law firm wearing this on her nightly walk with her two Dalmatians. I do not smell vanilla at all, strictly amber & spicy scents. Extremely long lasting and hard to get rid of, easy to overspray. Personally, I like it as it smells unique, but I do not reach for it often. Would not want to own more than two perfumes that smell similar to this.

Even the lady at the til said this was an old secnt. The only reason I decided to try it was because I saw it being referenced in an episode of the simpsons. To me smells like gingerbread and slightly animalistic, its what I imagine people who wear real fur and insist on wearing real fur. The wife of a poacher vibes

This definitely has a bit of an old lady smell. Extremely strong and hard to get rid of. I put one small spritz on my wrist and I had to scrub it off with dish soap after 30 minutes. It's not the worst perfume I've smelled, but I really didn't want to be smelling it for the rest of the night. Even after washing it twice with dawn dish soap, I can still smell it quite a bit. It has powdery notes and is musky, but beyond that it's quite hard to identify what your smelling. It's very busy and overpowering. I think my grandma might have worn this or something similar, so it makes me think of a mean old lady. I don't personally like it, but I will say it has great staying power. A single spritz will smell like 5-10 sprays of a less intense perfume.

It’s 30 degrees Celsius today and I was craving this beauty, which I normally only wear in colder weather. And oh my… I wish I had done this sooner! I don’t know if its the warm weather or because of my expectations (I thought it was going to be horrible in such temperatures), but she smells AMAZING! People who know this fragrance know it’s all about the dry down, and I often find the opening a little bit too green, too sharp for my taste, but I love her dearly because of how she evolves: smooth, soft, creamy and powdery. And today we just skipped the whole opening scene and went straight into the best part, this dreamy, comfy, nostalgic powdery hug and I can’t stop sniffing myself. It brings back memories of my early childhood in the late eighties, when my mom used to ware this when she and dad would go out. Safe, comfortable, cozy. This will forever be in my collection, I absolutely love her!

This one is a classic I will always own. It's a beautiful spicy dream that feels cozy and familiar. It performs best when worn in cooler months. It's mature and sexy. Not for everyone, but definitely for me.

New to fragrance, I was influenced by rave reviews to buy a sample size. But after seeing a lot of disappointment over reformulation, I was bracing myself for a letdown. I've never knowingly smelled the original, but straight from the bottle, it feels familiar, albeit nothing like the listed notes. It smells like having to tag along while your mother shops in blinding white department stores. It smells like what I thought all perfume smelled like as a kid. My initial experience was: I spent the first half hour smelling like a freshly zested lime, had a short while to play with some spices, and then it faded down into a vanilla. Nice to be sure, but not nearly as bombastic as it sounds like it used to be. Not a powerful woman, but a popular girl. I supposed this was what everyone was so sad about. HOWEVER, I'm learning that fragrance really does need some time to develop. After a couple weeks untouched, my sample gained tons of projection, and the entire middle phase has changed. Instead of a short period of one-note spice, it's now rich, musky, stank in a good way. Definitely a more vintage vibe, so I get the old lady comparisons, but not so much that I feel like I can't pull it off as a young woman. Smells like fantasy sex, not realistically sweaty but instead like slow music and a fade to black. Won't be wearing this to the office anymore, it feels kind of inappropriate and she is strong, even with a light touch. Obsession I'm sorry for doubting you. If this is what we're calling weak sauce, I'm not afraid to admit I would be bowled over by the OG. If you're also new to fragrance, don't be warded off by all those upset by the reformulation. I'm still quite satisfied with its strength and warmth. it triggers my allergies sometimes; I use with plenty of caution. p.s. if it feels too mature for you, layer with something that's sweet in a bright way.

Took a risk on this one given that in my experience the old classics have been diluted to death but not in this case, it's a beauty for performance. The dry down is gorgeous like a vanilla spice pudding but masculine enough for me.

Oh my god this is wonderful??? To me it smells like your rich aunt, that wears chunky gold jewellery and the only makeup she does is a smokey eye with a brown lip liner. Such a beautiful warm scent that projects like crazy and lasts a pretty long time.

but the True Face of Obsession (1985) is not the girl Kate Moss in the 1990s. it is Josie Borain in the 1980s in really sexual advertisements. she presented the perfume being in bed with Two men, in a beautiful sepia coloured Advertisement. it was as beautiful as shocking and as provocative as fitting. she advertised the Parfum, that iconic Pebble-like 0.25oz7.5mL or 0.5oz15mL perfume bottle. pebbles that Calvin Klein had in his house. and yes the Edp was also an intoxicating perfume. I really shall have been one of the first ones in the Netherlands who had smelled it from the scentstrips in the Fashion magazines (Vogue Paris [as it then was still called], Vogue US and 'W' and Harpers Bazaar US). this was ca 15 years before Kate Moss posed naked for Obsession whereas she also Modeled for CK-one in 1994 in the infamous Heroin-Chic advertisements of emaciated models in serials of Black & White (and also luckily, the models diversified). (advertisements which I all found striking and arresting, shot by Steven Meisel). Josie Borain looked modern and very 1980s and again, also not so. she was a woman from the future. the perfume was one of the "Satanic Three" of the 1980s: Poison, Giorgio, Obsession. I have used them in copious amounts since I was 23 when the decade begun. of course Obsession is very affiliative with Cartier Le Must (1981) and Estée Lauders Youth Dew (from the 1950s), further KL Karl Lagerfeld, Poison (if they also walk different paths), indeed Moschino but then you had the Parfum de Toilette. and also not to forget Chanels Coco (1985). further did Obsession had 'similarities', reminiscences with YSL Opium (1977). but the most striking experience I had with Obsession (which I always had in my house, also had several of the pebbles of perfume) was in the c2010. I stood in a perfumery and suddenly smelled a perfume and I thought 'Yes that is a Perfume for Me !' when I looked back it was to my amusement Obsession smelling it all over again while I also wore (whore) it to smithereens. it was the full, opulent, amber and civet experience. yet it nevertheless also imposed as new and desirable. then in these days of course I bought new flacons (and was glad to see the brown cap being swished for a darker one) but especially Obsession I found to stay fairly close to the Original. perhaps this is a question of how good someones' nose is. paradoxically my nose isn't thát good. I had a father with a wolves' nose. he smelled everything, as did my mother. (well he did suffer in the 1980s bc my mother loved the same perfumes as I did. Coco, Poison, Giorgio and Obsession were her favorites. hahahaha my dad couldn't shelter nowhere...) I particularly do not have such good nose bc a sinusitis begun in 1985 (how ironic) and since, had never stopped where I am also 4 times operated 'upon it' and also in 1985 with my straight twinbrother (he loved Giorgio for men but also 'Peau D'Espagne Santa Maria Novella' etc., also all, extemely heavy and present masculine fragrances) I started sniffing whole other substances as perfume.... but I often think that it was my damaged nose that made me so attracted to the very Presentist 1980s perfumes. but even before 1985 I reached for Giorgio, Youth Dew, No5, Opium et cetera. I think you, Miguel, have a far better nose than I have. I suspect you have a 'Nez', a perfumers nose. so in a way, of course you are right. you really can smell the differences. and while I really have lived the 1980s I smelled these notorious perfumes in all their opulence, toxicity and hysteria. yes Poison was far more opulent and Giorgio was more present than in the contemporary iteration. yet with Obsession I was always struck at how tight it still was connected with the original. well these notes from me may help to sketch the perfume history and landscape of the close-by past. I love your review and the extra aromachemical information you wrote about one of the best perfumes ever made.

Genuinely such a polarizing scent for me. I got this as a gift from my dad, who usually fuels my fragrance addiction, because it was one of his favorite scent in the 90s. But Goodness. It is so so strong, i remember when i first smelled it and was utterly blown away by how many different notes i was getting. It gives me a vague remembrance of my childhood homes basement bathroom and the smells of the body wash that was used by my sister and or my parents. It’s definitely nostalgic and gives off maturity and warmth, like I would smell this walking downtown somewhere during Christmas and then continue to wonder all day what it was. But for me personally it’s to strong and musky, it’s a good layering piece but I couldn’t wear it on my own.

In a nutshell: Obsession is hardcore "I dare you to sit at my table" energy in a bottle. I'm in love. If you look at the note breakdown, it's a terrifying pile: bergamot, orange blossom, jasmine, basil, citrus, coriander, sandalwood, incense, oakmoss, civet, and amber. All of THAT in one bottle. It looks like it'd be an absolute train wreck. But instead all these notes collide, do backflips over each other, and magically fuse into a beautiful, albeit unholy, masterpiece. An hour after the first spray, it knocks my socks off and somehow it just keeps getting better. With all those notes?? Like, how?? There's an incredible warmth to it, but it’s anchored by a distinct "back off" attitude. Obsession doesn't ask for permission to occupy a room. It just walks in and takes the best chair, possibly shoving the current occupant onto the floor and using them as a footstool. She is STRONG, so don't overdo it or you could irreparably alter the jet stream. The longevity of this stuff is phenomenal, easily lasting all day. The sillage leaves a trail that's noticeable but not overbearing. Somehow. I don't know how, but it all just works. If you're intimidated by REAL old-school powerhouses, this stuff will likely make you weep and forget your PIN number for a week. But if you have the moxie it takes to pull this stuff off, Obsession is a timeless QUEEN. I might be three decades late to the party but they'll have to pry this bottle out of my cold, dead hands.

Oh, God, this was love at first spray for me... The basil, warm spices, and incense are the most prominent notes to me. Okay, it's definitely not for everyone. If you're into vintage aesthetics as a whole I think this could potentially be for you but what they say about it having 80s DNA is completely true, and it is a mature scent, I'm 22 but I really love it. This is what 80s Hunter Green would smell like if it were a perfume...Comfort all over. I sprayed only 3 and it is absolutely magical. This is so sexy, probably going to be one of my new signature scents. I personally can't recommend it enough. If you smoke cigarettes, this would blend wonderfully with it. Too bad, I quit. Edit: I do believe this could be worn through all seasons although everyone says strictly fall/winter you can get away with wearing this at NIGHTTIME in the spring/summer 100%. Anyway, I am going to macerate this sexy beast until the fall so it becomes even more potent...

Smells like zoologist tiger but without the piercing green notes that trigger my migraines! Yay!!

The macerated old bottle I have unearthed recently is positively nuclear. Old cotton stuffed quilts. A Mughal Fort made of red sandstone in the midst of a relentless sweltering summer afternoon. Heady and potent, I only dare to wear it on my skin, where it develops a salty, gustatory character. A classic for a reason, but can be overwhelming worn anytime that’s not winter, even for an amber lover like me

One of Michael Jackson’s favorites. A rich dark floral. Sexy and Iconic. Thankfully they have not reformulated this.

90s old money. Black smokey eyes and brown lip liner. A tattooed Monroe beauty mark. Dirty Martinis with three olives. Caffettiera espresso. Vintage brown mink fur coats. Black lace lingerie with the suspender stockings to match. Versace stiletto heels. Chanel Jumbo purses. Oversized sunglasses. Silk head scarves. Long square french nails. Cigarettes after sex (you only smoke Marlboro Golds). A New Yawk accent. Your favourite colour is leopard print.

What a beautiful classic following the footsteps of Must de Cartier, herbs, citruses and galbanum galore fading to woods, spices, oakmoss and a slight bit of vanilla and musks. I like this much more than the "for men" counterpart, which is still an amazing fragrance too and shares quite a bit with this original. As a green vintage men's fragrance this would be my clear preference vs the actual Obsession for men. There's the perfect balance of florals and herbs, woods and spices - the wearer defines its impression. Towards the drydown you get the Obsession for men similarities much more, but with the added magic of greenery and florals at the top/mid. It is also somewhat similar to Aramis Devin especially towards the drydown. This is everything I hoped Aramis Devin worn like. Obsession feels much better without the clash of galbanum with aldehydes and leather found in Devin. Here galbanum is presented with the usual suspects of other green notes and has perfect transition to white floralcy and then to oriental spices and oriental chypre mossy profile, not without a bit of ambery vanilla and leather. It's perfect especially if you add the price point in grey market e-tailers.

just tooo sharp, and the spices could be blended more smoothly together. The basil and coriander were too overpowering for me. Much prefer Estee Lauder’s beautiful perfume which is in the same scent profile.

I remember I wore this for ONE DAY in middle school. And immediately on the bus, someone screamed out, "WHO SMELLS LIKE CHEAP PERFUME?" And everyone laughed and wrinkled their noses. Terrible and embarrassed me to wear. T-T