Secret Obsession

I recently sampled Portrait of a Lady / POAL and I’ve been pretty ecstatic abt it bc I found some fragrances in my collection that overlap with some of POAL’s facets—this is one of them. Before everything tho, NO, not in any way is it a dupe but they do share the same vein especially on the initial spray. I found that the fruity boozy wine in this was reminiscent of how the juicy raspberries in POAL smelled like both of which gave the impression of rose. They both go dusty on the dry down but POAL’s patchouli was a missing “tying” factor in SO. The dustiness of POAL is far more superior because it’s grounded with the tartness of raspberries which makes it less of a haunted house compared to SO that just goes vintage spook boo!👻 couture. They’re not twins at all !! Nor even a dupe but ofc totally in the same vein and vibes. Secret Obsession goes soapy-ish and musky while retaining some fruit wine booziness in the dry down while Portrait of a Lady goes a bit earthy from an oregano-y patchouli. POAL also leans dustier with its vintage makeup powder dry down but retains a percentage of its freshness from persistent sweet and tart fruitiness from the raspberry. I found Secret Obsession more incense-y than POAL that had an actual incense note. Even the rose in Secret Obsession was darker and more mature “grandma” than what most POAL reviews claimed. (But POAL got botched with so many reformulations, so they’re valid). Secret Obsession has more of a rose-forward scent with the help of heady florals while POAL is like a berry rose. Quality-wise tho u can smell that POAL is obviously way more high quality because it retains a picture perfect berry all throughout its wear time (also goes sweeter as it develops) while SO goes waxy and static after a while

I’ve already left a review of this thing not quite long ago but I’m revisiting it bc I gave it a redeeming moment. Tl;dr I wasn’t sure about it but now I decided to keep it. Now if u have enough time to read my review, here you go !! Calvin Klein’s Obsession for Women and Men were indeed true to their brand because I found myself reaching for them most of the time despite owning quality heavy-hitters but this one is the Obsession that I had a weird relationship with. Hmmm. That could be because it has an extra word (secret) which is a word others can keep while others can’t hahaha! well pun intended I wasn’t sure if I could keep this in my shelf or not 🤭 I love blind buying interesting fragrances regardless of how cheap or expensive they are as long as the note breakdown piques my interest. I. JUST. HAVE. TO. GET. IT. ofc! this had all the boxes checked. / affordable / interesting notes / cute bottle / discontinued (HELL YEAH) Part of blind buying is instilling that disappointment will always be inevitable and sadly this didn’t really meet my expectations. I was expecting a sillage beast bc of the intense looking scent profile but this one was surprisingly a gentle whisper despite having notes that would make an absurdly strong fragrance. Now idgaf about grandma-centric fragrances bc i heavily fw mature scents. why? Bc i wanna be edgy like that (LMAO) and also i love being an attention-seeker with my fragrances and that could be the reason why i wanted to get rid of this (IT WAS QUIETTTTT) Haha yeah u guessed it right i made a listing Nowwwww, this is the time I get to thank my never ending “perfume-craving-blind-buying-itch-uncontrollable-impulse-buying” disorder. I wanted to buy a mature rosy dark floral fragrance but to cut the story short, I remembered this one reminded me of a toned-down Paloma Picasso EDP but the only thing holding me back from wearing Secret Obsession was its tart boozy-fruity and quite jammy opening that was sweet and sour (which isn’t FEOORR me) but i said f* that, i’ll wear test you and give my final verdict. yeah whatever I was a clown bc I ended up loving it and I remembered the reason why I bought it. it’s similar to a lot niche scents. While wear testing it, I discovered how weird the performance is. THE LONGEVITY IN THIS ONE? HOLY SH8. It was still lingering in the heat despite sweating my ass out in the sun. It was still on my skin as a skin scent after 12 hours of wear without any reapplications. Makes me think of the reason why they made every campaign extra raunchy. This was made to last and I mean like LASTTTT for sweaty “sessions” As for the sillage, it’s confusing but maybe it is strong enough without being annoying. It’s meant to be discovered with your trail (or discovered during “SESSIONS”) and not with extreme projection. Again idk how strong this thing really is but I’m guessing it’s stronger than it seems bc I layered this with Kenzo Jungle L’elephant and I kept getting whiffs of Secret Obsession more than L’elephant (which is a well-known beast performer) To sum it all up, it redeemed its spot in my collection and hell no i’m no longer decluttering this sensual masterpiece 😭 i just overlooked its beauty and I’m a fool for that. It’s a beautiful sultry floral bouquet, all i really smell is carnal floral petals that smell super realistic to my nose. I mostly get rose, ylang, and jasmine that reminds me of elegant, classic, old-fashion style florals from Chanel and Estee Lauder. Maybe I am smelling tuberose but can’t seem to pinpoint it bc I’m used to bubble gum tuberose (thanks L’interdit) or maybe the florals are just soooooo well-blended in the juice. I just wish this thing had an earthy and bitter patchouli that made me feel like cruella de vil but no worries !! I’ll just layer patchouli-heavy scents to give this its needed extra depth. Just a quick realization before ending this review, from now on, i’d rather just buy 10ml bottles or smaller sizes of any perfume that i wanna blind buy in the future. I find myself getting tired of a scent after weeks of wearing. Most of my full bottles have a minimum dent of 5ml. And yes I find myself having a hard time finishing the leftover 5ml from my 10ml bottles because I always wanna sniff something different 💀

I so wanted to like this! Even at the cheap price I couldn't make it work. Too much tuberose; the indole killed it for me. Tom Ford made Plum Japonais what this should have been, albeit at a huge price disparity. Beautiful bottle.

i love this !! i found it at a thrift store and fell inlove with the bottle. very spicy and woody, incensey and i also get a little bit of whiskey at first. i love layering this with dark kiss, it gives it a little bit of blackberry and even more incense. i can smell it on my hair when i shower and on my clothes days after.

I got this because I'm totally in love with the Obsession line by CK due to the fact that I love smelling like an old wooden church, incense sticks, and resins but idk maybe I just like fragrances that either intrigues or disturbs people because it's a liberating feeling. I've had high high hopes for this one because I expected actual smoke and woods but I got less of it, however, it doesn't mean I dislike it, I would still totally wear it but it's just not the scent profile I expected. I wanted to smell like a gothic church but I got winery and pub realness, regardless, it doesn't matter because boozy fragrances are also up my alley. I'd say the incense is quite there but it's unlit and ur just smelling the sticks. This fragrance starts off super nail polish remover-y. Initial spray is super sharp, alcohol blast, and ammonia-like but who the hell even cares for that because perfumes are about THEEEE dry down. As it dries down, the scent of cola fizz with hints of freshly crushed pepper starts to tickle ur nose which later on develops into this lovely aroma of mead and plum wine that lingers from a tipsy barmaid's booze-stained and slightly sweaty clothing but not at all nasty, lustful, and hardcore skank. It's a lot more subdued, it's just a slight kick of carnal-floral raunchiness--think of someone's perfumed skin that has recently perspired but is now starting to cooldown which leaves a warm and salty skin-scented aroma that helps their perfume bloom and smell differently on their body chem. I'm getting mostly fresh wood chips, plum jam, and fruity white florals, in which thankfully no indole in this one (at least to my nose) because the classic obsession definitely has that indolic stench that makes it more bitchy and outright slutty compared to this more secretive and elegant cougar, hence the name "secret" lol. Surprisingly, idk if others can also pick it up but there's a note combination in here that smells like a lipsticky iris. Maybe it's a hidden note? But I totally smell a hidden iris in here and I LOVE THAT. I love the mid dry-down experience but it kinda falls flat as it ends pretty watery... like how the hell does this sultry fragrance end up smelling more aquatic floral towards the late dry down? :( it's exactly the same experience I had with CK Reveal for Women which starts super complex but ends super meh and ordinary which is my only problem. I'd still wear it tho but I can't help but reach for her bitchier sister most times. Classic Obsession is just hella goated and timeless + it dries down on my skin differently each time compared to this one which is more linear on me. I guesss if I wanna be niche-y scent profile smelling at times but want to less likely offend people, then I should go for this. edit: I kept thinking of a dessert i could compare this with and I think it's raspberry dark chocolate !!

This paired with an Egyptian oil 👌

Sin dudarlo este fue unos de los mejores perfumes de Calvin K. Cuando las fragancias nicho la usábamos en pocos , llegaba este con toda su soberbia a darnos una cachetada . Recuerdo el día exacto en que lo compré estaba de vacaciones en EEUU y habían mega pancartas por todo lados de esta publicidad , entre a Macy’s y lo compré . Wow fue amor olor a primera vista , lo usé por muchos y digo muchos años , y ya en ese momento yo daba mis primeros pasos en la perfumería de nicho , cuantas infinitas veces la increíbles vendedoras de fragancias exclusivas me preguntaban qué perfume llevaba puesto , les prometo en ese momento y hoy nada que envidiar a muchas fragancias nichos de muchos € y $ . Yo este perfume lo comparo solo con 1 Kenzo Jungle elephant, son increíblemente increíbles , especiados , misteriosos y super femeninos , no podría decir que son unisex porque tienen una carga muy pero muy de femme fatal . Hoy que han pasados unos ( muchos años ) sigo teneiendo en mi colección. Estos dos animales de la perfumería y hoy todavía me paran para preguntarme qué perfume llevo puesto . Ojo estos perfumes se adaptan mucho a la química de nuestra piel van mucho con el PH , y no le quedará bien a todos OJITO con eso . Una sola cosa debo decir a duras penas consigo el de Calvin Klein y no huele como los primeros , sigue teniendo ese ADN pero creo que es un poco menos fuerte . No se quizás es una impresión mía . Pero para mí repito estos dos son una joya . Los amo y los usaré mientras los consiga , porque es un dilema conseguirlos y conseguir los originales . Atte Patricia C🐞

I’m recently collecting Calvin Klein perfumes and just had to add this one. The bottle is so gorgeous in its smoky topaz color. At first spray, I didn’t know what to think. It’s a very interesting blend of scents that dance with each other. One moment I get warm florals, the next I get sandalwood, and then a subtle wisp of ash. After the dry down, it does seem quite niche. I picture this in a cozy ski lodge with a fire crackling in the fireplace or a cigar lounge on a cognac leather chesterfield sofa. I think it could be quite unisex. It has strong notes but in my opinion, they are quite subtle and blended well. Not one seems more prominent than the others. I would stick to fall and winter, but I think you could get away with it for an evening event. It’s not a love for me, but I do like it.

cashmere, plum, and ylang-ylang come through most strongly for me, which I like. It gives me a more refreshing impression than I expected while still feeling like a sultry night scent. it feels a bit too mature to wear regularly, though. I agree with others' opinion that it's a vintage-leaning scent.

All I get is plum and sandalwood. Spice where? The scent also smells a little boozy and I get the faint impression of a fancy ice wine. I enjoy the combination of the plum and sandalwood. This is a more wet-smelling sandalwood, which has always smelled wonderfully like warm, clean skin, and a bit like soap. Even without the spices, this is a great fragrance for the fall and winter season. It would be lovely during the holidays. I've worn this several times, all to the same effect. It's no Plum Japonais or Feminite du Bois, but Secret Obsession smells great in its own right. An easy to wear, classy and seductive vintage.

Calvin Klein doesn't always get it right but it certainly did with Secret Obsession. The sandalwood is nuanced and sensual. The spices are prominent but not piercing. The plum note brings playfulness. The White florals add another layer of daintiness. Secret Obsession isn't a powerhouse as Calvin Klein's perfumes rarely are. It has this restrained aspect to it, which I find incredibly classy and intriguing. Some folks mentioned here already, and I wholeheartedly agree, put this juice in a different bottle and you can fool someone by saying this is niche.

Don't judge by the opening, let it settle. A vintage-leaning floral and soapy fragrance, somewhat woody. Sometimes I can smell incense, but that seems to depend on my cycle. Definitely not your modern type fragrance, but if you can appreciate vintage-indian-shop kinda vibe, you should definitely try this, and I say try it out, because this is definitely not a safe blind buy.

I found a full 50 ml bottle in a flea market the other day for 4 euro. A blind buy obviously but I was intrigued by the bottle and as I am very familiar with the classic Obsession by Calvin Klein I had to get it. It's a boozy scent which opens strongly on the alcoholic side, but as it dries down it turns very seductive and warm. The plum, the amber and vanilla gives this a liquory vibe and I don't know if I can pull it off :-) Just smelling it makes me feel a bit tipsy. The more it dries down the more I pick up the woodsy tones and I guess it would be right up my alley if it wasn't boozy to the point where It feels like I spilled a bottle of Rum on my hand. But still I am curious and a bit under it's spell, I am intrigued. It has something luring underneath that I can't seem to get enough of. The more it dries down the more I get hooked. It barely has any resemblance to the original Obsession other than that warmness that seems to envelop you completely. I really like it and I'm glad to have found it.

Calvin Klein Secret Obsession At first spray, I thought it was a sharp green tuberose like Bulgari Tubereuse Mystique. However, now I feel, even though there is a fresh element, it is a warm, spicy, and very cozy scent. It is rather strong in the opening, but it dries down very quickly, and after 4 hours it is very subtle. This perfume has a very interesting combination of notes that I like... especially nutmeg....wonderful for winter wear. I believe if this was in a nicer bottle, people would say it is a very artistic find. I think this is a good economical scent....and I rarely find quality in economical scents, but this one is good.

Wood? What wood??? This is a fresh-spicy floral, slightly aquatic. I blind bought this online for $20. I immediately regretted it and thought I’d hate it. Especially after reading reviews here, one that said it smelled like beer 🤢. When it arrived, I’d forgotten everything I read besides the beer comparison. I cringed as I sprayed it. I prepared to run and scrub. I waited a minute for it to dry, and I smelled… Flowers. Many beautiful flowers. Something spicy and a bit sweet. And some fragrance I used to smell in the 90s that I really liked but never figured out what it was—sort of a creamy cold wet lily note. I assumed it was lily, only to come here and see it’s my favorite tuberose! Done here in a way that’s different from all my other tuberose scents. Cooler, more aquatic, fresh and wet, but so spicy! Not the warm spice of the original Obsession, something more green. I really like it, it smells so much better than other aquatic tuberose scents from the 90s that end up having cologne vibes. I think BBW made a lily lotion in ‘96 or earlier that smelled like this. I got a bottle of it once and saved it for years because I could never find it again. I still remember it and longed for it. Well, here it is, in a flanker of my favorite CK scent! I guess the woods are subtle in the background but I don’t notice them at all. This is a pure spicy aquatic floral on me. The bottle is pretty ugly, the browns in all the Obsession bottles make them look so unappealing. What’s inside though is awesome. I’ll definitely be getting a backup of this. I’d recommend this for tuberose lovers who want a 90s style aquatic in their collection. I’ve decluttered a handful of more modern aquatic tuberose scents that were too sharp. Even though Secret Obsession is spicy, it’s also smooth! It also isn’t as cheap feeling and watered down as newer CK formulations. Would recommend 100%

I was never a fan of the original Obsession. I was a preteen/teen when it was at the peak of it's populaity. I associated it with older women and found it too mature. Secret Obsession has enough of the original's DNA that I get a little bit of that feel with it as well. It's not as dated and mature as the original, but it isn't youthful and modern either. The opening is spiced plum. As it settles on the skin the tuberose and ylang ylang stand out from the other florals, the dry down is alot of ambery sandalwood. I don't always get along with sandalwood. I often find it unpleasant and overwhelming. I don't find that here. The sandalwood is dominant but not overwhelming, it leaves enough room for the other notes to be enjoyed as well. The spiced plum gives Secret Obsession a sexy night-time vibe for a grown woman. I find it too heavy for warmer weather. The spiciness along with the dark fruits and heavy florals are much more suited to cooler weather. Secret Obsession has amazing performance. It lasts at least 12 hours on skin and on clothes and hair until washed. The projection is pretty strong for the first few hours of wear, reaching well beyond arms reach. The projection only settles a bit after those first few hours. Though it's not really my taste, Secret Obsession is a beautiful fragrance. It has a mature sexiness that is bold and mysterious. The bottle really suits the fragrance inside. The shape of the bottle reflects the mysterious nature of the fragrance while the colour of the glass hints at the warm, spicy woodiness of the scent.

I blind bought this at TJ Maxx in Park City Utah on vacation 15 years ago. It was the height of summer and I immediately loved it. Because I first experienced it in summer I don't reserve this for colder months-I think it works well in heat, but it is amplified on me. I really get the grapey plum right out of the bottle, but it simmers down to the woody, aromatics that I adore. My husband sometimes asks me if I'm wearing beer when I have this on-but his sense of smell is very off, so I don't listen to that. I get numerous compliments on this when I'm up close to others. I found this on Fragrancenet.com for a great price so I'm going to order more asap since it's discontinued. I don't detect any difference in my newest bottle than from my original years ago.

Immediate bubbly grape soda on first spray that scared me a little bit, but within a minute it transformers to a beautiful blooming tuberose and juicy plum bomb. After maybe an hour it dries down to a warm, slightly spicy plum amber and some crushed white floral petals - I cannot stress enough how strong (but beautiful) the tuberose note is on me and how surprising it is. I was expecting more spice, honestly, but it’s possible I go a little noseblind to it the way every amber heavy frag is hard to identify once you’ve been wearing it for a bit. I just get the smallest hint of spice, understated and more cozy than anything. Where's my nutmeg?! I was promised nutmeg! Contains just a bit of recognizable Obsession DNA - every so often a whiff will bring me right back to those perfume samples wedged into glassy magazine pages (maybe I’m aging myself with that), but Secret Obsession is still its own unique and lovely relative. It all makes for a beautiful perfume all around, an easy cooler weather grab with lovely people-pleasing and non-headachey florals, a rich plummy heart, and a spicy amber drydown.

I love the ingredients for Secret Obsession but unfortunately I smelled like green olives. For some reason my body chemistry doesn't mix well with this perfume and I felt like a Greek salad wandering around town. I gave it to my friend and wow! It smelled completely different on her! It smelled like cinnamon and plum to me! So delicious!

from a young mans perspective,it really does smell like the sexy aunt at gatherings. seductive, mysterious and dark. Only a true animal can wear this. one and only.

My favorite for the last two years! So sad that it’s discontinued 😔 Plummy, spicy, woody and almost a hint of incense or smoke. The plum isn’t so much fruity as it is boozy, bordering on a plum liqueur. To me this is the sexiest perfume I’ve smelled. Mature, not fresh necessarily but not too heavy either as it feels balanced from the florals. Perfect in the evening/night or for winter and fall.

I sampled this back in the day when it was out and revisited it now - discontinued. The bottle is lovely and goes well with the actual scent. The instant lowdown is my skin chemistry, my skin wouldn't hold this scent at all.. It's lovely, woodsy-plum with hues of amber and orchid on my sweater. A great autumn scent, should I say? Such a pity that it doesn't develop the same way on me..I'd still have it in my collection though.

I loved this scent so much, its so warm and sophisticated. I prefer it to ck Obsession, definitely but only due to personal preference. It reminds me of 'your rich auntie' living somewhere near mountains kind a vibe.

I recently got this and Belle D'Opium, and they filled a space in my collection I didn't know was there. Fruity spiced woodsmoke. They both start off with this blast of a citrus/red berry blend, that blooms into a gentle spice, and finishes floral and musky. It's a beautiful composition, and truly deceptive. The opening is youthful and fruity. Then, the middle is a spice melange that changes with your chemistry. More heady in warmer weather, cozy in cooler. This is where overspraying can come back to bite you in the butt. Finally, it settles into the instantly recognizable iconic woodsy base from the original *whispers* Obsession. So if you like the idea of these scents, but feel awkward in spice, try a fruity smokebomb instead! They sweeten up the spice enough to soften the bitter edges while still maintaining that calming creamy vibe. For longevity, use an unscented body cream or butter on your pulse points mixing it in. It really intensified my weaker scents.

Secret Obsession was definitely a welcome surprise, what an underrated gem! At least I don't really hear about it in my circles. I know the OG Obsession quite well and I do like it very much, but Secret Obsession smells nothing like that. I don't get the grapey, juicy plum note found in the likes of Poison here, it's more like plum liqueur. Then that liqueur is mixed with spices and tuberose, bolstered by sandalwood and ambery touches in the drydown. Very feminine and beautiful woody floriental, I think this would be a great budget-friendly option for people looking for something unique within the designer world. The sillage and longevity both could be better, but at this price point I'm not really complaining. It smells more expensive than it is, that's for sure.

CATNIP for OBSESSIVES. Spiced rum & raisin cream! Opens with a burst of spiced & boozy plum that continues and deepens into a creamy white & yellow floral blend, resting on a vanilla-sandalwood-cashmere wood base with touches of cedar, rooty iris and wormwood. The mace note has reminders of Organza Givenchy which also features mace. Contrast to Samsara EDT Guerlain: There is a similar oriental woody vibe, but ylang and sandalwood are more forward in Samsara which doesn't have the spiced-plum present in Secret Obsession. Contrast to Poison Dior: There is a similar vibe with the plum and white floral, but cedar is more forward in Poison and the florals are slightly more bitter than Secret Obsession to my nose. Contrast to Venezia 2011 Laura Biagiotti: There is a similar oriental woody vibe with ylang, sandalwood and plum, but spices and white florals are more forward in Secret Obsession. Contrast to Mania Armani 1999: Similar oriental woody vibe, but clove is more forward in Mania. Contrast to Adam Levine for Women: Similar oriental woody vibe with spicy sandalwood, but white florals and plum feature in Secret Obsession, and the sandalwood is touchier in Adam Levine for Women where sometimes it will pull slightly dill. Overall: a hidden gem of a scent, affordable and above average performance, this is the perfect scent to wear while practicing self-hypnosis. It's a love for me. Enjoy!

New layering combo ❤️❤️❤️ For cold weather Velvet Vanilla or Vanille Exclusive by Mancera For spring Eros Pour Femme EDT

Not even my cat stands this perfume. He ran under the bed when I tested it. Smells of cheap whisky and straight alcohol. Hard pass. I sold it after one spray 🤢

Clean, warm, floral, spicy... Only works in cold winter snowy weather and you really do need to be in a mood for this, especially if you're typically a sweet gourmand lover. But I layered this with casmir and it's really nice 🙂 It does dry down to a soapy floral and personally, that is what has drawn me to this! I love that smell! Love the dry down! Just have to get through the whiskey bourbon alcoholic beginning then the true beauty shines through and it's a soap lovers spicy dream! I think if you love Spellbound, Jessica McClintock, j.lo Glow and Samsara... You would enjoy this. It's soap and spices in the dry down. A hidden gem for sure! It's turned into a love for me now!

I’m revisiting this report is years ago when I first started collecting perfumes properly. I was not keen on it then and I absolutely hate it now. This really does remind me of a crazy old lady sipping on some nasty cuppa soup. Honestly think it’s dreadful I don’t like the Calvin Klein brand for any of their perfumes, I think they should just stick to their clothing line rather than the perfume personally