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Calvin Klein Obsession
Calvin Klein

Obsession

Citrus
Fresh
Floral
Rose
Jasmine
White Floral
Green
EDP · 1985 · womens

Calvin Klein's Obsession launched in 1985 as a bold statement in the designer fragrance market, establishing itself as a signature scent that would define a generation. The fragrance remains one of the house's most iconic creations and a cornerstone of 80s fragrance culture.

Obsession opens with a bright citrus burst of bergamot, lemon, and mandarin orange, softened by peach and vanilla, along with herbal basil and green notes. The heart deepens considerably, bringing in a floral core of jasmine, rose, and orange blossom, anchored by woody cedar and sandalwood, with oakmoss adding earthiness and coriander bringing subtle spice. The base settles into a warm, sensual blend of amber, musk, and vanilla, with incense and vetiver adding complexity and staying power. The overall composition leans Oriental with prominent woody and amber accords that give the fragrance its distinctive character.

This is a fragrance for someone seeking a classic, unapologetically warm scent with real depth and longevity. It works year-round but feels particularly suited to cooler months and evening wear. Obsession rewards those who appreciate layered florals with woody-amber foundations rather than light, airy fragrances. It shares DNA with The Mystic, The Homesteader, and The Reverie.

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$20Best · 100ml
$2730d Avg
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Price Comparison6 retailers · updated daily
Size
Updated 1208m ago
$19.73Save $60 (75% off retail)
at The Perfume Spot
🔥 Lowest price in 18 days of tracking
$20 low$80 retail
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RetailerStockPrice
The Perfume SpotBestIn Stock$19.73−$60Buy
FragranceShop✓ PartnerTesterIn Stock$20.95−$59Buy
FragranceShop✓ PartnerIn Stock$23.95−$56Buy
Jomashop✓ PartnerTesterIn Stock$24.99−$55Buy
FragFlexIn Stock$25.34−$55Buy
Perfumania✓ PartnerIn Stock$79.95Buy

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Price History · 100ml
Low
$20
Avg
$27
Now
$19.73
18 days tracked · 2026-04-23 – 2026-05-28
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Main Accordsreported by community
Citrus
63%
Fresh
42%
Floral
100%
Rose
20%
Jasmine
20%
White Floral
41%
Green
35%
Aromatic
35%
Woody
100%
Vetiver
38%
Earthy
97%
Musky
77%
Amber
90%
Warm Spicy
60%
Balsamic
38%
Vanilla
80%
Sweet
81%
Gourmand
52%
Smoky
38%
Animalic
70%
Creamy
20%
Fragrance Notesbrand verified
Top · 0–30 min
Basil
Basil
Sweet, spicy, and vividly herbal, basil has a green freshness with slightly anise-like and peppery facets that make it more complex than most culinary herbs. In perfumery it adds a lively, Mediterranean quality and pairs beautifully with citrus and woody notes. An underused note that rewards those who seek it out.
Bergamot
Bergamot
A sun-ripened Italian citrus with a brightness that goes beyond lemon, simultaneously tart, floral, and slightly spicy. It's the defining note of Earl Grey tea and the backbone of countless fresh colognes. Perfumers love it as an opener because it lifts the entire composition without overpowering what follows.
Green Notes
Green Notes
Lemon
Lemon
Sharp, clean, and instantly familiar, the pure zest of fresh-cut lemon peel, not the sugary juice. In perfumery it reads as crisp and energising rather than sweet, and is often used to amplify other light notes. It fades quickly, so it's almost always a top note that makes a striking first impression.
Mandarin Orange
Mandarin Orange
Peach
Peach
Ripe, juicy, and velvety, peach has a warm, slightly creamy sweetness that feels lush rather than childish in the right context. It adds a fruity sensuality to floral and oriental fragrances, and its slightly fuzzy quality can even play into tactile, skin-like accords. A note that feels like high summer.
Vanilla
Vanilla
Warm, sweet, and universally appealing, vanilla is to fragrance what salt is to cooking. Real vanilla is complex and slightly smoky, though most perfumery vanilla is synthetic and reads as clean, sweet, and creamy. It slows the evaporation of other notes and is the reason certain fragrances feel like a second skin.
Heart · 30 min – 3 hrs
Cedar
Cedar
Coriander
Coriander
Warm, spicy, and faintly citrusy, coriander seed smells quite different from the green herb, with a dry, woody warmth and a slight floral quality. It adds a spiced, slightly exotic character to masculine fragrances without the sharpness of pepper or the sweetness of vanilla. A supporting spice note that adds complexity.
Jasmine
Jasmine
Intoxicating, heady, and slightly animalic, jasmine is one of the few flowers that smells as rich in a bottle as it does climbing a garden wall at dusk. It has an almost fleshy, indolic quality that stops it reading as purely 'clean.' Jasmine is a workhorse in both feminine and masculine perfumery, adding depth and soul.
Oakmoss
Oakmoss
The defining ingredient of classic chypre perfumery, damp, forest-floor earthy with a faint bitterness and incredible complexity. Real oakmoss is now heavily restricted by IFRA regulations, which is why vintage chypres smell so different from modern ones. When present, it creates a raw, outdoorsy anchor that no synthetic fully replicates.
Orange Blossom
Orange Blossom
Sweeter and more honeyed than neroli (both come from the same tree), orange blossom is a floral note with a warm, almost edible quality. It floats between citrus and floral families, adding richness without weight. A signature note of classic Mediterranean and Middle Eastern perfumery.
Rose
Rose
The queen of floral notes and the most-used ingredient in fine perfumery. Real rose is simultaneously velvety, honeyed, and slightly spicy, nothing like the synthetic candy version. Depending on the variety used, it can anchor a composition or drift through it like a ghost, adding warmth without dominating.
Sandalwood
Sandalwood
Creamy, smooth, and milky with a soft, skin-like warmth that clings beautifully. True Mysore sandalwood is one of perfumery's most precious ingredients, simultaneously wood and skin, never cold or sharp. It rounds off sharp edges in any composition and makes the wearer smell subtly, irresistibly warmer.
Spices
Spices
Base · 3–12 hrs
Amber
Amber
A warm, resinous accord rather than a single ingredient, amber is typically built from labdanum, benzoin, and vanilla to create a rich, honeyed, almost solar warmth. It's the quintessential base-note family, adding a comforting richness that makes fragrances feel complete. The difference between a fragrance feeling cold and feeling alive.
Civet
Civet
An animalic note with a raw, musky, slightly fecal quality that might sound unappealing but adds extraordinary depth and sensuality in small amounts. Natural civet is no longer used (it was obtained unethically); modern substitutes are kinder but similarly provocative. A hallmark of classic Chanel and Guerlain fragrances.
Incense
Incense
The dry, smoky, slightly woody scent of burning resin, incense in perfumery usually means frankincense or similar resins, adding a contemplative, almost spiritual quality. It creates distance and mystery, making fragrances feel larger than they are. A hallmark of niche, serious perfumery.
Musk
Musk
The base layer of almost every modern fragrance, a soft, warm, skin-like scent that extends longevity and bridges other notes together. Natural musk was once derived from deer (now banned); today's musks are synthetic and range from clean and soapy to dark and animalic. The right musk makes a fragrance smell like 'you.'
Vanilla
Vanilla
Warm, sweet, and universally appealing, vanilla is to fragrance what salt is to cooking. Real vanilla is complex and slightly smoky, though most perfumery vanilla is synthetic and reads as clean, sweet, and creamy. It slows the evaporation of other notes and is the reason certain fragrances feel like a second skin.
Vetiver
Vetiver
Earthy, smoky, and complex, vetiver root is extracted from a grass native to India and has a scent that is simultaneously rooty, woody, and slightly lemony. It's one of perfumery's great base notes: tenacious, unisex, and endlessly adaptable. A fragrance built around vetiver feels grounded and deeply confident.
Who Wears ThisScent DNA matches
🌙
The MysticBest match86% match
You wear what others can't place — and that's exactly the point.

Warm incense, dry resins, airy woods, smoke with softness. Never obvious.

🏡
The Homesteader84% match
Rooted, warm, and entirely self-sufficient.

Warm skin musks, sandalwood, soft cedar, clean vetiver. Grounding, intimate, unhurried.

✨
The Reverie84% match
You live slightly outside the present — and your scent proves it.

Warm, experimental sweetness. Caramelized woods, unusual ambers, avant-garde gourmand.

Based on this fragrance's accord profile · Find your Scent DNA →
Community
Rate this fragrance
Rate this fragrance
0255075100
—/100
Most Popular with this Scent DNA Type?
🌙
The Mystic
You wear what others can't place — and that's exactly the point.
Warm incense, dry resins, airy woods, smoke with softness. Never obvious.
Discover your type →
Scent Profile
Citrus63%Fresh42%Floral100%Rose20%Jasmine20%
Fragrance Family
Oriental
EDP
Decants Available
1
listings in stock
15ml$0.76/ml

Calvin Klein Obsession— Prices, Coupons & Buying Guide

Best price today: Obsession is $19.73. Without a coupon the lowest price is $19.73. Gush tracks 47+ retailers updated every 2 hours.

Are grey market retailers authentic?

Yes. Jomashop, FragranceNet, and MaxAroma sell 100% authentic Calvin Klein fragrances through unofficial distribution channels. The fragrance is identical to department store stock. Grey market refers to the supply chain, not product quality. The price difference comes entirely from the distribution channel.

Frequently asked questions

Cheapest price for Calvin Klein Obsession? +
$19.73 at The Perfume Spot. Gush compares 47+ retailers updated every 2 hours.
Is $19.73 a good price for Obsession? +
Yes. The current best price is $19.73 and MSRP is $79.95. At $19.73 you save 75% vs retail.
What does Calvin Klein Obsession smell like? +
Calvin Klein's Obsession launched in 1985 as a bold statement in the designer fragrance market, establishing itself as a signature scent that would define a generation. The fragrance remains one of the house's most iconic creations and a cornerstone of 80s fragrance culture. Obsession opens with a bright citrus burst of bergamot, lemon, and mandarin orange, softened by peach and vanilla, along with herbal basil and green notes. The heart deepens considerably, bringing in a floral core of jasmine, rose, and orange blossom, anchored by woody cedar and sandalwood, with oakmoss adding earthiness and coriander bringing subtle spice. The base settles into a warm, sensual blend of amber, musk, and vanilla, with incense and vetiver adding complexity and staying power. The overall composition leans Oriental with prominent woody and amber accords that give the fragrance its distinctive character. This is a fragrance for someone seeking a classic, unapologetically warm scent with real depth and longevity. It works year-round but feels particularly suited to cooler months and evening wear. Obsession rewards those who appreciate layered florals with woody-amber foundations rather than light, airy fragrances. It shares DNA with The Mystic, The Homesteader, and The Reverie.
What are the notes in Calvin Klein Obsession? +
Top: Basil, Bergamot, Green Notes, Lemon, Mandarin Orange, Peach, Vanilla. Heart: Cedar, Coriander, Jasmine, Oakmoss, Orange Blossom, Rose, Sandalwood, Spices. Base: Amber, Civet, Incense, Musk, Vanilla, Vetiver.
What fragrance family is Obsession? +
Calvin Klein Obsession belongs to the Oriental fragrance family. It is an EDP.
What other fragrances smell like Calvin Klein Obsession? +
Based on shared notes, Givenchy Gentleman 1974 for men (Amber, Civet, Cedar, Jasmine), Versace L'Homme (Amber, Musk, Cedar, Jasmine), Chanel N5 Vintage for women (Amber, Civet, Jasmine, Rose), Chanel No 5 Parfum Baccarat Grand Extrait for women (Amber, Civet, Jasmine, Rose), Chanel No 5 Parfum for women (Amber, Civet, Jasmine, Rose) may smell similar to Obsession.
What is a grey market fragrance retailer? +
Grey market retailers sell authentic fragrances sourced through unofficial distribution -- typically excess inventory from authorized distributors. The product is real and identical to retail. FragranceNet (est. 1997), Jomashop, and MaxAroma are well-established with millions of verified reviews.

Gush earns a commission on purchases at no cost to you · Prices update every 2 hours · Coupon success rates based on affiliate feed data · Grey market = authentic, unofficial supply chain