Dark Obsession
Calvin Klein (2013)

All sorts of different notes listed than the original 'Obsession' yet it smells almost identical.

That means 80's, churchy, kitchen spices, amber and a losing cinnamon as it's dominated by the spices and the prominent incense.

Only difference in Dark Obsession: a very minimal sweet-sour fruitiness in the opening, almost non-present anymore thereafter. And that's gaurana. But it you have ever smelled the original Obsession than you know nothing's gonna throw it of its course.

If you're interested because you think this one is totally different, which is understandable given the claimed notes, take it from me that it's not. Even the colour of the EdT is the exact same bronze and rosé.

No fir, vanilla or chocolate here guys. They should name this Deception by Calvin Klein. Negative!

Calvin Klein gave men their first proper Obsession for Men (1986) flanker way late in the scent's life with Obsession Night for Men (2005), a fragrance that had very little DNA in common with the original outside the bottle graphics, and sometimes gets compared to the later Tom Ford Black Orchid (2006). That flanker didn't float over as well with guys, but it took a while before another non-seasonal flanker variety appeared, and Dark Obsession (2012) was it. There is no women's counterpart to this scent, unlike Obsession Night for Men, and the DNA of the original Obsession for Men base is strongly present here, but I still don't know if it's enough to make Dark Obsession a necessary purchase for anyone who is or was a fan of the venerable original. Calvin Klein seems to have tried marrying gourmand tones to the Obsession formula with Dark Obsession, and with this released so quickly on the heels of the bizarre but lovable cK One Shock for Him (2011), I am left to wonder if both formulas were experiments held over from the heyday of gourmand popularity (late 90's/early 2000's) allowed to see the light of day in order to justify a new release in a vain attempt at staying relevant. Staying relevant with perfume buyers is something Calvin Klein struggled to do overall after the 20th century came to an end, but riding on past successes and seasonal "gotcha" releases alone, they've managed to coast through most of the early 21st century.

Dark Obsession opens up innocently enough with a bunch of nondescript fruity notes, with orange and pineapple being standouts. Typical "Kleinisms" fantasy notes like "absinthe" and "Brazilian green mandarin" try the "ooh and ahh" approach, but the reality is we're just dealing with a ton of fruity synthetics on top of some anise. Guarana is also claimed to be here, but I haven't had a Josta cola since the last time those were made nor have I smelled guarana in the raw so who knows? What I do know is that after this fruit cocktail settles down, more of the original Obsession for Men takes shape with nutmeg, clove, lavender, and sage joining with subtle notes of cacao to give that gourmand twist on the Obsession vibe. The gourmand craze was already a decade behind us when both this and ck One Shock for Him released, making me wonder just how far out-of-touch Calvin Klein was with the trend-conscious buyers they courted, but better late than never I guess. The base has balsam fir and vanilla alongside the labdabum, vetiver, amber and musk making a return from the original Obsession for Men, but the amber seems cranked up a bit with some kind of scratchy wood component that I would suspect is the same thing they used for the oud note in Calvin Klein Encounter (2012) of the same year. Wear time is far under the original Obsession for Men, as is sillage, so this is definitely not a powerhouse, but it is as appropriately sensual if nothing else. I'd keep Dark Obsession to cold weather use, and unlike its grandpappy, can't double-dip as an office scent because there isn't enough of the formal structure in this new spin, thanks to the "Froot Loops" opening and chocolate-infused middle.

The scratchiness of the wood note in the base is more tolerable in Encounter, but here it rubs raw against the oriental foundations carrying over from Obsession for Men into Dark Obsession, making it grate a bit on my nerves when contrasted with the otherwise-smooth execution of the final phases. Overall, I think this just spreads across too much of the early 2010's male catalog of Calvin Klein's perfume efforts to really be a valid purchase to fans of the house, who are better off sticking to the main non-flanker entries. However, for people with much smaller wardrobes focused on purpose-specific items, this might be a winner. I think the seams show a little too much for my liking, so I'm giving Dark Obsession a neutral rating, but I do so with appreciation for what Calvin Klein's unknown perfumer was trying to pull off here. The early 2010's was a time of experimentation for Calvin Klein, who were trying to get out of the "freshie" rut they created not just for themselves, but helped create for the entire industry thanks to the unparalleled success of their late 80's and early 90's masculine output, but this is one experiment I think was better off left in the vault instead of thrust into production. Still, this is easily testable at Ulta or Macy's (in the US) for the curious. I wouldn't pay to try this if that's your only way to sample. Middling but pleasant at best, and mildly irritating at worst, Dark Obsession is proof that some classics just don't need flankers to remain relevant.

A dark chocolate wonderland. Get a lot of compliments and inquiries on this one.

Having owned original Obsession, i feel this one truly refines a classic.

Another 'good on paper' misstep from Klein, Dark Obsession tries to stack the top half of CK Free onto the base of Obsession, and what ensues is a thick cake batter of sweetness and misplaced herbs. While the classic sage note in the original Obsession made a canny counter to the rich incense resins, in this case the greenery is utterly bogged down and seems to share more in common with scents like Bijan Black and Penguin. There just isn't enough room for the notes in this to breathe.

Reminds me of a wearable Coca Cola scent! It is less cloying than the original (which I don't dislike by any means, just outgrew). Nicely toned down, a fizzy fruity soda vibe that's suited for any occasion (esp. cooler weather).

Opens with a medley of anonymous tropical fruits - listed as Brazilian green mandarin and guarana, but could just as easily be kiwi and papaya. Those fruits are on the wrong side of overripe, then the slight alcoholic absinthe note conjures a cocktail experiment gone wrong.

The clary sage middle is dry and herbal and saps the scent of any spark or optimism. Anyone looking for the vetiver should move along as there is nothing to be detected here. A slight chocolatey note emerges -like a grated milk-chocolate. There is a strange fruity / milky curdled feel that doesn't exactly sit right.

Performance is poor and all that remains after 1.5 hrs is a soft suede - like a modern, mass-produced grey suede sofa. Overall a muddled smell, which, like a cheap beverage becomes more passable at colder temperatures.

As the matt black bottle suggests, this would be a more apt flanker for the soft dull fuzz of CKbe. Those reading this review have probably spotted a decent deal. My advice would be threefold
1) Spend a bit more and get a better frag
2) Spend a bit less and get a beter frag
3) Spend about the same and seek out CK1 Shock.
Poor fragrance IMO