Hard to believe, I was 10 when this first hit the shelves. Launched back in 1986, from the nose of Robert Slattery. This was an 80's powerhouse, a classic that brings back so manyemories. It was the first fragrance that I ever bought. The fact that it's still available today speaks volumes and I would be of the opinion, that this was Calvin Klein's best ever release.Its a warm, spicy & amber-laden fragrance. Bursting with that old school masculinity thats seems to have disappeared lately? Ok so im sure its gone through a number of reformulations & owners over the years. .A dose of the 80's in a bottle with this Oriental/Woody fragrance. It’s known for being dense, resinous, and thick. The opening hits you with a sharp, herbal citrus burst of Bergamot, Lime, and Mandarin, immediately followed by a heavy dose of Cinnamon. It feels warm and slightly fizzy. As the citrus fades, the heart becomes more aromatic. You’ll detect Sage, Lavender, and Myrrh. Then there is that distinctive barbershop soap quality, but it comes across as darker and more exotic due to the addition of nutmeg and pine. A common theme with fragrances that appeal to me is the dry down. This is where Obsession resides. It settles into a creamy, smoky blend of Amber, Vanilla, Sandalwood, and Musk. There is also a slight animalic civetone that gives it a manly edge. Despite the numerous reformulations over the years, This edt still packs a mighty punch, last time I broke this out I got a good 7hrs wear from my usual spray routine. Bear in mind though, this is strong stuff you get extremely good projection for the first 2hrs and can easily go lood a room if over applied. No one wants that scent bubble that wipes out everything in its path right. Again, this is perfect for the cold weather and night time wear. Despite the release of a night version. Best suited for date nights, evening events, or cold outdoor days. Whilst it may not make my top shelf these days, it still has a special place for me and the score reflects its position in my collection.

Sorry i haven’t been as active. Busy with working two jobs, saving up, trynna make my life better. But hey, decided to up things up a bit and get a sample set from Xerjoff. Anyways big shoutout to my bruddah @Paul Bartnicki for recommending them in the first place, and helping me to pick great samples! Before we get into it, wanna give yall a little life update. Things are going well, i’m recovering, my friend is healing nicely, and im working two steady jobs. I showed my friends seasons 1 and 2 of one of my favorite shows of all time, Smiling Friends. I think they thought i was a weirdo lol, but i consistently quote it, and now they’ll finally get my references! If you’re into weird, surreal, dark humor slightly existential edge but also really really funny and over the top, i recommend it. It’s basically Family Guy and The Simpsons with Gen Z humor. But it’s INSANE. Very creative but insane lol. Anyways with that being said, let’s get into the two samples i tried these last few days. First one from Xerjoff was 40 Knots. And holy shit dude, i love it. It’s a great scent, fresh, green, aquatic, slightly salty and woody. It’s like the ocean if it decided to put on a suit that day. I ended up wearing it to my work as a server and one of the customers asked me what it was. Even better, my coworker friend (who’s brutally honest, and will ALWAYS let me know if she doesn’t like my fragrance) said it smells really good. It opens with salty marine notes, and with a pretty, green bridge, transitions nicely into an ambery, slightly sweet musk. Performance on it is pretty solid. Projects moderately and consistently. A perfect scent for a Mediterranean, sailing vibe, and a new vacation favorite for me! The next one i tried was Defied from Tony Iommi. I was a bit skeptical of this one because i had smelled Monkey Special a while back, and wasn’t the biggest fan of it, a bit too fruity for me, but this one blew me away. Nice smooth leather, rose, and spices. I’m a SUCKER for apple, rose and spice blends, like in PDM Carlisle, and this one was no different for me.