Liquid Gold Euphoria Men
Calvin Klein (2014)

From October, 2016:

This is a "dark" fragrance in the sense that its smell can be related to other fragrances that incorporate the words, "Black" "Noire" and "Night" in their titles. In other words, it has that particular sweetness that is related to men's fragrances often intended for date nights and night clubs. Liquid Gold is a sweet woody-spicy fragrance, a touch powdery--a combination of a robust, bold sandalwood accord paired with saffron. The black pepper in this doesn't smell like pepper but rather it gives the fragrance a fresh-spicy edge. And that's something that I think is important to clarify with Liquid Gold if you're to understand anything about it by reading a review; although this is a very powerful fragrance with intense projection and a far-reaching sillage, it doesn't feel particularly thick or heavy. It maintains a sort of powdery freshness that makes it comfortable to wear. So it's indeed strong, but it's not the kind of scent that will weigh you down and make you feel like you're dragging around a heavy cloud of scent as long as you keep the sprays to a reasonable amount. This is a quality scent; the sandalwood is solid--it actually smells like sandalwood, as opposed to many fragrances which claim to use it-- and its sweet saffron is aromatic and pleasant, with a smooth, polished feel. I could imagine if this were sold in Sephora possibly under a different brand and name it would do very well. Call it "Tom Ford Midnight Noir" and people would love it. Unfortunately, Calvin Klein has developed something of a bad reputation among fragrance enthusiasts, so I think a lot of people have overlooked this one. But I think CK's been on the rise. Many of their recent releases--Reveal Men, Euphoria Gold, CK2, and CK Shock--are actually pretty good, and show signs of improvement in their department. You can add Liquid Gold Euphoria to this list as well. Considering it's now available in the US for under $60 it's definitely worth sampling and I'd even recommend it as a blind buy with some words of caution: Liquid Gold is INTENSE, and it has a sweetness that some find a bit feminine. Personally, I don't think it smells too feminine--at least not in the sense of florals and white musk--which are usually the notes that do it for me. Liquid Gold doesn't have those. Also, you probably won't be using this as a daily-wear style of fragrance. Due to its projection and sweet, woody-spicy character it feels best suited for nights out and colder ones at that. Overall, Liquid Gold Euphoria has excellent performance--big projection and 12+ hours of longevity--and avoids any harsh, synthetically chemical accords or the flat and sort of feeble structure some CK compositions of the past have exhibited. It will project an alluring sillage that seems designed to appeal to a mainstream audience as it's pleasant and devoid of any "weird" or awkward notes. Thumbs up.

To help figure out if you'd like it, think Dior Homme Parfum, Tom Ford Noir Extreme, La Nuit De L'Homme, Bulgari Man Black, Valentino Uomo and CH Men. While Liquid Gold smells different than these, it fits within this genre of dark, woody-sweet men's date fragrances.

Calvin Klein Liquid Gold Euphoria was allegedly released only outside the US in 2014 when it came out but luckily it has become available on BeautySpin recently ($72 for 100ml) so I was fortunate enough to grab a bottle. Its mainstay notes are vanilla, pepper, and balsam fir, but I get an element of sandalwood as well. The result is a very nice cold-weather-friendly composition that stands out from the rest of the Euphoria line.

To that point, Liquid Gold is the best expression of Euphoria I've tried--the sweetness of the line, with the spiciness of Gold, peppiness of Intense, yielding a truly interesting gourmand creation. Warm, spicy, sweet, smooth--this could be a cold weather mainstay for many.

Liquid Gold Euphoria also has the distinction (for me) of being the only EDP concentration Calvin Klein's men fragrance on the market that I'm aware of, though I could be neglectful here.

Accordingly, performance is very strong in terms of both projection and especially longevity. And although I'm testing it in the day, this is definitely preferable for nighttime usage, and can dress up well for formal occasions. I almost find this worthy of being kept in the cooler, though it's not terribly expensive.

Certainly a compelling blind buy and something you ought to check out if you like the sound of it---the consensus seems to be strongly in its favor.

8 out of 10

Calvin Klein is probably the last house I would guess if asked who made Liquid Gold Euphoria Men after blind sniffing. It's very rich, smooth and buttery.

Reminds me of 24 Gold with it's sweet and spicy combo of notes that are perfect for colder weather, but I find Liquid Gold to be less cloying/loud and more refined. Don't get me wrong, it lives up to its parfum strength, so only a few sprays are needed to project and last all day.