Calvin Klein Women Perfume

Calvin Klein Women is the newest CK pillar fragrance in awhile and the  first under their new designer Raf Simons. 

It's a woodsy floral with main notes of  eucalyptus, black pepper, cedarwood , magnolia, jasmine and ambroxan. It's herbal and soapy clean to my nose with  the eucalyptus and ambroxan coming on strong with only a light hint of the florals  and a burst of black pepper spice. It's a fairly quiet , easy to wear scent but you must like ambroxan or it won't be your cup of tea. 

Despite the name Women this is a very unisex fragrance . It's got medium sillage and lasting power.  

The bottle cap here is very unique . It's plexiglass like  and not super sturdy  but has a sense of whimsy and I do really  like the eye illusration. 

Calvin Klein Women is  $65 (30ml), $84 (50ml) and $106 (100ml) at Macy’s 

CK One Summer 2018

CK ONE Summer is back with the 2018 edition.

This year it's a fab blod  blue bottle.  While I've always been  so - so with the fragrances, I love the bottles and this year's is the best yet.

CK ONE Summer is  a new version  although one that stays close to previous versions.  Scent wise I've often been so- so with this but it's very much a refreshing , cool fragrance that works well in the heat.  

The EDT begins with citrus ( lime mojito acc. to the brand) and cedarwood notes.  Pineapple and guava are also listed but on me they really didn't register much. And I would love to clock that pineapple note. As it dries down it gets lighter and less masculine with some barely there dewy florals and coconut milk.  That last note starts to bring the mojito reference  and that makes this a great, easy to wear Summer scent . 

As always,  there is an atomizer packed separately , so you can use as a splash or spray. 

CK One Summer 2018 is  $ 58 at Macys for 3.4 oz

Calvin Klein Eternity Air

The Eternity fragrance family gets a new version for Spring.

Light as a breeze, which you would expect from something named Air, it's perfect for the season and right into warmer temps.

Eternity Air is light, fresh and  floral. The scent uses what the perfumers call Sky of the sky accord , which they say is "airy, yet dense".

The fragrance start off with a burst of  grapefruit soon followed by black currant and the airy note. It's a soft citrus and  the fruits are not too sweet.  Dewy florals come along with the peony and muguet notes while the grapefruit hangs in the background. The drydown brings cedarwood , ambergris and musk, with all these playing pretty lightly, the cedar being most prominent to my nose.  The middle notes remain at the front of this scent long into the drydown .

This wears easily, with medium sillage and lasts long .  The bottle is the traditional Eternity shape and style but done in a wispy pale blue.

Calvin Klein Eternity Air is $50 (1.0oz), $71 (1.7oz) and $88 (3.4oz)  at Macy’s . 

Calvin Klein Eternity Summer 2016

Eternity Summer returns for another season. I have a couple versions of this from  years past and while they aren't groundbreaking fragrances I like them  and always return to wearing them. Years 2011 and 2014 especially.

This year 's fragrance is very tropical and flower loaded, with fruits but not ones that are overly sweet.  There are lush white florals throughout along with a dewy green feel at times . It never goes too musky or too sweet which in my book is a good thing. I can detect a little of the tuberose and frangipani, two notes I love . Even by the drydown it's still quite floral .

Eternity Summer 2016 is a breezy, light floral that should work well in the heat. It's casual but not too , wearable for both day and evening.

Full note list:

Top: Palm Tree Accord, Pear Blossom, Bergamot

Mid: Frangipani, Jasmine, Tuberose Mist

Dry: Musks, Vanilla, Blonde Woods

Calvin Klein Eternity Summer is $ 66 for 3.4 oz and available at Macys.

Obsession Summer Calvin Klein

Each Summer Calvin Klein fragrances bring us special editions of Eternity and CK One. This year for the first time we get a Summer version of Obsession.

This new fragrance is aquatic, breezy and warm, with  light florals , not sweet or overly fruity. There is a nice citrus start with the bergamot and the dewy florals of lotus , honeysuckle and freesia come in. As it dries down it has a feel of warm, sunkissed beachy skin thanks to the (white) patchouli , sandalwood and musks.

I have to say  I didn't know how I'd feel about this and even a sniff of the cap had me wondering. After I sprayed it on I really liked it and in general aquatic musk fragrances aren't my thing. There's something subtly sexy about Obsession Summer and it's going right into the rotation.

Full note list:

Top: sparkling bergamot, peach flesh, water lotus

Mid: honeysuckle, gardenia, blue freesia

Dry: white patchouli, sandalwood, musk

Obsession Summer EDP is $ 70 for 3.4 oz  and is available at Macy's this month through Summer. It is a limited edition.

ck2 EDT

CK fragrances goes unisex again hitting the well that gave us CK One.

This new fragrance is described as being gender free  and the two pieces of the bottle and cap are meant to be two different pieces in sync  and connected to each other. It also, unconnected, kind of looks like a light bulb, right ? I think it's a neat bottle and presentation.

ck2 starts off with a citrus blast. It's fresh and sharp with an aquatic feel then there is a hint of green with the violet leaf  and vetiver notes. It's got a bit of  a cool dryness from the orris (iris) root which goes well with the violet leaf. As it begins to dry down it seems to become more floral and the rose note is prominent. The full drydown , however, is more smoky and woodsy. The incense is there but in a fairly quiet way along with the sandalwood.

It very much morphs from a more feminine scent with the rose  to a more masculine one with the incense, but is not fully in either direction.  By the drydown it is a bit more man than woman, but I know many strong incense fragrance loving ladies, so the unisex label fits. 

This isn't a super strong fragrance. It's relatively light as fits the EDT formulation.

You can find Ck2  EDT exclusively at Macy's .  $ 75 for 3.4 oz .

Full note list:

Top:       Wasabi, Mandarin, Violet Leaf Absolute

Mid:       Wet Cobblestones, Orris Concrete, Rose Absolute

Dry:        Vetiver, Incense, Sandalwood

Calvin Klein Reveal

Calvin Klein Reveal is  a scent that you won't smell everywhere. It's different and not like anything else out there.

The brand says it's a play on both masculine and feminine and I can see where they're going. It's not quite unisex, but it isn't a overly feminine scent either. It's cool and modern  but a little sexy as well.

As Reveal opens it's dry with the bite of pepper then quickly the orris( iris) is there . As it goes along you begin to get the touch of salt accord,  , it's an airy note and fits in with the dry feel but is hard to pout your nose on.

The middle notes are very dominant,  the iris as I mentioned along with the ambergris are at the front.  As it dries down there's a little spice from the sandalwood , and the pepper which comes back and a touch of green  from vetiver  .

I love the bottle here as well. While it looks as though it will only lay flat, it does stand up   for a simple but bold design.

TOP: raw salt signature, pink pepper, black pepper, white pepper

HEART: orris, ambergris, solar accord

DRY: sandalwood, cashmeran, vetiver


EDP  $90 (3.4 oz), $70 (1.7 oz) and $50 (1 oz)
Sensual Body Lotion ($38)
Sensual Shower Gel ($30)
Rollerball ($24) 
Gift Set $ 95

CK One High Shine Gloss Trio Holiday Set

CK One's new lipgloss trio gift set is not only pretty but a deal as well.

The set contains two current glosses, Proper (300) and Tender (810) and one new shade, LE and limited to this set, Faithful ( 910) which is a sparkling translucent gloss for $ 20.

All the colors are very wearable and it's packaged  nicely in a gold mylar box ready for giving.

Of course if you use one of Ulta's $ 3.50 coupons you'll be paying $ 16.50 or 5.50 per gloss. That's hard to top even at the drugstore level .

CK One High Shine Holiday Gloss Trio and all CK One is available at  Ulta. 

CK One All Day Face Perfection Makeup SPF 20

All Day Face Perfection sounds like a good thing, right ? That's the  name of the new foundation from CK One  and it delivers.

Full name  All Day Face Perfection Makeup SPF 20  is a medium-  full  coverage foundation. It is a thick formula out of the bottle but once on feels very light and blends in  easily and seamlessly . It gives a nicely smoothed look to skin and has a semi matte finish. Not dry but not dewy either.

It covers imperfections and spots well and has an advanced polymer in there to help  hold pigments in place  for long wear along with vitamin E for hydration. The SPF is  Titanium Dioxide 4.95%, Octinoxate 3.0% .

This has worked well on my  oilier skin and I gave it to The Mom to try on her more normal skin .  She really likes it and may just keep the bottle.

Ck One  All Day Face Perfection Makeup SPF 20  comes in 8 shades  and is  $ 30 exclusively at  Ulta.

Shade shown is 300 Sand.

Calvin Klein Eternity Night

The Eternity fragrance line gets a Night version this month which is also the 25th anniversary of the original Eternity.

Eternity  Night starts a bit sharp at first but then soon settles into a  peppery and spicy feel.  At first  there is also  a hint of dark fruit , the quetsche or damnson plum note , then the  pretty, light florals of jasmine, wisteria  and frangipani come along.  The florals stay more in the background overall and by the drydown  there is a good deal of musk along with sandalwood and tonka.

Those bottom notes of musk, sandalwood and tonka  very much sum up what Eternity Night is ,  that's almost exactly what you get once it has dried down all the way.   Not overly as  dark as  a "night" fragrance might  be, but slightly more so than a day version.


Full note list:

TOP:       pink pepper, elderberries, quetsche

MID:       frangipani, wisteria, jasmine sambac

DRY:        musks, sandalwood, tonka bean

Calvin Klein Eternity Night is $80 for  3.4 oz  and available at Macy's.

( There is also a new men's version )

Calvin Klein Eternity Summer 2014

Eternity Summer  is back for the season. Each year there is a new release ,  a different version. I tend to really like these Summer scents . Last year's was  not a huge favorite but the mimosa rich version of 2011 is one I still use. I find them to be easily wearable and simply pretty , and the 2014 EDP is just that.

Eternity Summer  starts off with  green shoots (  bamboo), light citrus (  mandarin ) and  juicy hints of the  watermelon and pear notes but  it's not a strong melon . The fragrance  stays light and soft , and I can smell the lovely peony note  along with a little gardenia well into the drydown where the barely there musk and woods come in.

Overall Eternity Summer is a sheer floral scent that floats along on your skin. It feels like a perfume that will work well in the heat , giving you just enough fragrance.

Full note list:

• top:         pear, mandarin, watermelon, bamboo leaves
• mid:        peony, water lily, gardenia, neroli
• dry:         soft musk, white woods

Calvin Klein Eternity Summer is $ 64 for 100ml EDP and is available at Macy's.

Fragrance News- Estee Lauder Modern Muse & Calvin Klein Downtown

Friday was fragrance news day with the announcement of  major releases by two big names.

First up is Downtown by Calvin Klein , and the face of the campaign is actress Rooney Mara. CK says the scent " balances feminine woods with soft floral notes that make it confident and modern with a unique signature and an unexpected edge" . Notes include  Italian cedrat, bergamot, Tunisian neroli, green pear and watery plum at the top,   a heart of pink peppercorn, violet leaf and gardenia petals, with a drydown of Texan cedarwood, incense, vetiver and velvet musks. 

Ann Fremont and Givaudan created the  EDP which is due in July and will be available in several sizes including my favorite- a rollerball.

  In September Estee Lauder brings us  Modern Muse. They call this their " most important fragrance release in a decade" , although I recall Sensuous  certainly being a pretty big launch five years back.

Modern Muse is fronted by the aptly named Arizona Muse and was created by Harry Fremont.  It's based on jasmine and sleek woods with notes of mandarin, tuberose, lily, honeysuckle, dewy petals and 2 jasmines- Sambac and Chinese Sambac Absolute. The woods include patchouli, vanilla , amber wood and musk.

Both of these new fragrances seem to follow the trend of light, dewy semi orientals. It will be interesting to see how the market likes them. Both these names are fragrance powerhouses but  Calvin Klein's last big release Beauty fizzled fast .

Do Downtown and Modern Muse sound like perfumes you'll want to wear ? 

CK One Street Editon Shine Lipstick in Tagged

A lippie that's finding itself in the main rotation lately  and one I am pretty sure will be a summer staple is the  new CK One Shine Lipstick in Tagged from the Street Edition collection.

This is a most unusual pick for me since I rarely go near  pinks. They are just not me. This one however is. It's very watermelon or fruit punch and gives a nice pop of color but isn't  really what I would call bold.  For Summer, it's the perfect swipe and go shade.

The CK One Shine formula is a glossy lipstick , and very creamy with a lot of moisture. Pigment is good,  semi sheer to medium and there is shimmer. It doesn't last super long on lips which is typical of this type, but does leave behind a stain when it wears off.

I also like the fun graphics on the tube  courtesy of NYC  graffiti artist, Miss 163,
and  you can also get those  on your nails with the matching nail polish strips in Graffiti.

CK One cosmetics are available at Ulta and  CK One Shine Lipstick is $ 16 ( Full shade line available in regular packaging).

   

CK One Summer 2013- The Makeup & The Fragrance

CK One not only has the annual version of CK One Summer  out but also a coordinating makeup collection.

The bottle color this year is  a bright azure that just says Ocean and Summer.  That shade along with lime  make up the  color scheme here. I have to say  the packaging color is serious pretty. The fragrance bottle, whether you like the scent or not, would just look good sitting  on a vanity. I am not sure that's something I've ever said about CK One.

There are 3 long wear cream eyeshadows , which I am happy  to report really are long wearing.With my oft documented makeup melt, there's no guarantee  but these lasted over half a day. For me this is great. You most likely will fare  far better.

I love both shades reef and dune as I am a fan of  any lime and brown shades in general.  The third shade is a turquoise , surge. They have shimmer and will light up eyes when used with bronzer  or on tan skin.  The lime packs a punch but is not really neon and the brown has a light bronze look on, a little less deep than the in the tube shade.

A unique nail polish joins them , unique  in that it is supposed to smell like CK One Summer after it dries. I hadn't any experience with scented nails although Revlon did so some last year I believe. It's an odd concept but what the heck.   After fully drying, it does have a whiff of the fragrance. Light but there. Current,   the lime shade , goes on  in one coat and is summer ready.  There is also a turquoise shade- riptide.

All in all it's a pretty little collection including a bronzer not shown.

The new CK One Summer fragrance is as usual unisex but it's not overly masculine . It smells of  warm body musk, and  aquatic, with the dewy  waterlily  and cucumber notes prominent and hints of the watermelon. 

Full note list:

Top: waterfall effect, watermelon, crushed leaves, zesty citrus
Mid: water lily, cucumber, caraway, watermint
Dry: moss, blonde woods, musk

-ck one summer eau de toilette spray 3.4oz/100ml $50

-ck one summer limited edition long wear cream eyeshadow $18
-ck one summer limited edition long wear + shine nail color scented with ck one summer fragrance  $14
-ck one summer limited edition powder bronzer compact $25

Cosmetics exclusive to Ulta.  Fragrance is at the usual outlets including Macys and Sephora 

Calvin Klein Eternity Summer 2013

Summer can't be too far off if the Calvin Klein Summer editions are here.

Eternity Summer  is as always a new scent, and  this year is very different from last year. Eternity Summer 2013 is a light, soft floral that dries down to a scent that stays somewhat close to the skin .  There are no dewy notes here, which to me, is a very good thing. Nor any overdose of musk, which is there but with a light hand.

Instead it's sunny wisteria tinged with a hint of bergamot in the beginning and a little of the osmanthus note . The drydown stays fairly close to the middle  section with a hint of the white amber note to  ground it.

It feels more spring than summer, but nice in   either season  for the  warmer temps when you might want something that won't overpower and feels airy on.

Calvin Klein talks of it having   a "seabreeze freshness" and while I don't smell the sea here I agree with the breezy part.

Full note list:

Top: seabreeze, aquatic accord, sparkling bergamot
Mid: wisteria, living cotton flower, osmanthus
Dry: musk, white amber, sandalwood

Eternity Summer eau de parfum spray  is $ 58 for 3.4 oz/100ml  and is available now at Macys and other department stores.