Obsession for Men OG, new, Clone, vs Alternatives.

Obsession OG: The original is quite a masterpiece, and comes from an era where the note structures of fragrances were very, very complicated. If you look up the makeup of 1990’s fragrances in general, they are a conglomeration of dozens of notes. Perfumers crafted and blended to create unique smells that did not replicate experiences you found in the real world. So, for Obsession, this is no different. Detailing notes that dominate is all one can really do, because trying to tease out every note detail is impossible. Having said that, the dominant notes to my nose are the spicy, vanilla, woody, and amber notes. I’m talking cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, cedar, sandalwood, amber, and a hint of musk to make it masculine. At first spray, it is strong, and I think the top notes have degraded over time. What I mean is though this is a deeper gourmand fragrance, and I suspect when it was “younger” the citrus notes would have been more prominent. Why I believe that: for the initial twenty minutes, there is an almost unpleasant top note. I think of it like citrus that has dried out and become musty. It’s kind of like potpourri citrus, and kind of like old books. My guess, therefore is that over time the top notes have aged/decayed, leaving the fragrance deeper, richer, and a bit musty. Other than that, this fragrance seems mostly linear, except it ends a little more vanilla with creamy sandalwood at the end. As for projection and longevity. It’s not bad. I’d say 5-8 sprays will project nicely for a work setting, perhaps a few more if you plan to be outside or in a large space. This is definitely a cooler weather fragrance (winter/fall), and even now, it's a bit too much as I try it on an 85-degree day. I get 6 hours easy out of it before it is a skin scent. The more I spray, and on a cooler day, I could stretch it to 8 hours. Bottom line, I love this fragrance. It was what got me into the fragrance journey, and though others can lean in more on isolated notes and projection, this one is a very suitable jack-of-all-trades, being easy to manage for intimate, outdoor, and evening use as you modify the number and placement of sprays. Super versatile and divinely elegant.

Obsession New formulation: I expected this to be a dud, and I will say I was so wrong. This is very close to the original. I can’t believe it. Now it does not have that musty “aged” note the OG has acquired over time, and I can definitely detect the citrus notes more in the first twenty minutes, but after that, it is almost identical in its smell and development. Where it differs is longevity. It does absolutely feel thinner. At least two sprays to perform similarly with one spray of the OG. And as for longevity, it seems 4 hours, and it’s gone. So on that side, no surprise here. We’ve all heard or experienced “thinning” of modern formulas. It’s real with this one. But for $20-30, you can definitely spray heavier to adjust without feeling it in your wallet. Dang, this one is good. So if you are wishing you could have the OG again, this will do it, just spray heavier.

The clone:

Dua His Obsession. This house claims the clone is representative of the original formulation. Alas, I want to love this one, but with all the other fragrances in this review, I just can’t like it as much as I want to. Sorry, Dua lovers. Yes, the notes are close. But the opening is screechy and synthetic. I’ve heard that over time the screechy top will smooth out, and maybe so… but if I’m going to spend $33 on a clone, or $30, maybe $20 on the real thing… that’s a no-brainer. And to be fair, after the first hour, the screechy notes subside, and the profile is close to the CK versions. Yes, it is spicy, woody, vanillic, and ambery. But I do believe the myrrh comes forward a little more than the OG and modern variants. There is a slight smoky, almost peppery note on top of the observed Obsession notes. And yes, the CK versions have myrrh listed, but it’s a subtle player. Where Dua wins out is longevity and projection. This is a beast, like many clone fragrances. It projects more and lasts an eternity. Seriously, I took a shower and went to bed, and still smelled it on my arm the next morning. For that reason, it has a place. If you are leaving the house in the morning and need a fragrance that lasts well into the evening, this will do that, but at the same time, it will dominate your environment for the first 4 hours until it settles a little bit. One to two sprays were plenty for me.

The Alternatives:

Paul Sebastien Cologne. At $20 a bottle, this is the cheapest of the bunch and well worth the money if you enjoy classic fragrances. This one is definitely in the same ballpark as Obsession. Many of the fragrance notes are the same, yet here the floral notes are more dominant. Rose, lavender, and in the drydown, patchouli comes through. This is a refined old-money style fragrance and absolutely beautiful. The spices are present as an undercurrent. It gets a bit powdery as time goes on, which also separates it from Obsession. And as for performance, this one is more like the modern Obsession. It lasts 4 hours and projects decently for a work environment. You will have to spray more heavily for outdoor or large spaces. Bottom line, this relates really well to the modern Obsession in performance, but if you want a more floral, forward version of Obsession, this one fills that spot.

Frederick Malle Musc Ravageur. Another amazing fragrance. Also in the same ballpark for sure. However, this one raises the musk note to the forefront. The musk is not loud like Kouros or Givenchy Gentlemen 1974, but it is noticeable. And for that reason, it feels more “gentlemanly” and sophisticated. Performance is a little better in projection and longevity than Paul Sebastein, and it behaves more like the original Obsession than the new. It is another absolutely lovely scent, spicy, ambery, floral, but yes, the musk is the centerpiece.

The Flanker Alternative: Tobacco.

Parfums De Marly Herod. Think Obsession plus Tobacco. The resemblance is uncanny. This one is smooth, smooth, smooth. From the very beginning, this one has always made me close my eyes and smile. Cinnamon, Tobacco leaf, Vanilla, a little musk, and cedar. These are the notes that I can smell. Pepperwood is listed, and I think I can detect it, but the others are more front and center for me. Early, you get cinnamon and tobacco, then a woody vanilla comes in. As far as longevity, like I said I had compliments 8 hours after applying it, so it projects at least 8 hours. I’d imagine it was a skin scent at 10 hours, but I become nose blind after 4ish hours every time. Others smell it on me. I don't. If ever I thought “nose blind” wasn’t a real thing… This fragrance made me a believer.

So to sum up, the modern formula is a satisfactory equivalent to the original but thinner. The Dua clone is a little more myrrh forward and screech synthetic at first, but after settling down, it will perform for an eternity. Paul Sébastien is a more rose-forward variant. Musc Ravegeur is more musc forward. And Herod adds a nice touch of tobacco to the mix.

For my money, when I finally run out of my OG, I really liked the modern version, Paul Sébastien, and Herod as alternatives. Musc Ravegeur is nice, but if I'm going musk, I'm going with a different fragrance profile like Givenchy Gentleman 1974. And as for the clone, the modern is smoother and seems better quality and cheaper, the alternative PS is great quality and cheaper too, so it is hard for me to justify the purchase of a clone, even for the performance.

Next week, I'm going to do the same treatment with Liz Claiborne's Curve. Some surprises are in store for sure.

What do you think? Which one would you gravitate toward?

Obsession 2000

Obsession 2026

Dua His Obsession

Fredric Malle Musc Ravageur

Paul Sebastien Fine Cologne

Parfums De Marly Herod

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