Calvin Klein continues to be one of the leading manufacturers of designer colognes for men. With over 140 fragrances to choose from, we’ve come up with the ultimate guide to help you pick the best Calvin Klein cologne for men, including tips on what to look for in the right fragrance.
Calvin Klein fragrances combine several factors to produce a long-lasting effect. Whether you want something sophisticated or a minimalist cologne, the best Calvin Klein cologne will become a valuable part of your style.
The Best Calvin Klein Cologne for Men Reviews
Best Calvin Klein Cologne for Men Overall: Calvin Klein Deep Euphoria
- Feel provocative and sensuous with the new fragrance from Calvin Klein
- a vibrant, floral, chypre, that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality
- , the new provocative and intoxicating fragrance from Calvin Klein
- English (Publication Language)
For men who would like to experience a soothing yet provocative scent, the Calvin Klein Deep Euphoria will give you a sense of confidence and happiness. It creatively turns floral notes into a dark, sensual scent that would match your passionate and energetic lifestyle.
Much like its name, Deep Euphoria blasts an exhilarating opening using white pepper and mandarin for a spicy start. Being the only fragrance from this list that contains cascalone, the initial spray also has hints of aquatic notes for freshness.
This follows with floral notes consisting of jasmine sambac, geranium, peony, and black rose to give the cologne its sensuous effect. It then shifts to the base notes of musk, patchouli, and wood to add more strength to the smell.
Furthermore, the musky dry down results in a smooth, sensual texture. This kind of sillage is also perfect if you want to leave your scent at home or radiate masculinity wherever you are.
However, this warm sensation may feel a bit sticky on the skin during the spring and summer months. So, spray it cautiously if you want to continue wearing the Calvin Klein Deep Euphoria during such seasons.
What We Like
- Clean, musky fragrance with hints of spiciness
- Clever use of floral notes
- Sweet yet dark and mysterious
What We Don’t Like
- Musk notes are not ideal for warm weather days
- Velvety dry down
Best Men’s Calvin Klein Cologne for the Money: CK One
- The iconic citrus scent
- For him and her
- English (Publication Language)
A classic scent from 1994, the CK One Eau de Toilette emits pure and fresh notes for men who prefer something more contemporary and clean. Its notes balance sensuality and lightness to suit a youthful personality.
Unlike Deep Euphoria’s spicy opening, this cologne starts with a citrus blend of papaya, pineapple, mandarin orange, lemon, cardamom, and bergamot. While this mixture gives a refreshing feel, it also makes the initial sprays smell a bit feminine.
As the middle notes emerge, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, rose, and violet bring some zesty scents. A hint of spiciness comes out due to the addition of orris root and nutmeg.
Moreover, this cologne only reveals the deeper, more masculine aroma once the base notes of musk, cedar, oakmoss, amber, and sandalwood touch your skin. At this point, the clean, grassy scent evaporates to let the sweet dry down linger.
Being a fragrance from the nineties’ unisex revolution, this cologne produces a moderate projection to make it suitable for most age groups. You can even wear the CK One Eau de Toilette whether it’s night or day.
What We Like
- Ideal for everyday use
- Clean, fresh, and unisex fragrance
- Best for people who want a toned-down scent
What We Don’t Like
- May smell a bit synthetic
- Weaker scent trail than Deep Euphoria
Best Cheap Calvin Klein Cologne for Men: Calvin Klein Obsession for Men
- Fiery. Intense. Provocative.
- The pure essence of masculinity
- Between love and madness lies obsession
- Eau De Toilette Spray
Another simple fragrance with a warm yet gentle aroma, the Calvin Klein Obsession for Men will turn your scent into an unforgettable smell. This is also a great choice for men who prefer a nostalgic scent from the eighties.
The idea of this cologne revolves around a man’s obsession for his passions, may it be in romance or work. It starts with citrus and zesty notes of tangerine, grapefruit, coriander, and lavender.
While the first two colognes have floral-spicy middle notes, this fragrance makes use of oriental notes with hints of florals by combining jasmine, carnation, Dalbergia, pine needles, sandalwood, and patchouli.
The base notes of scented golden ash, musk, ambergris, and sandalwood drive the provocative part of the cologne. While the musky-spicy sillage may not be ideal for high-temperature days, the aroma smells rather splendid in colder weather.
Another downside is that it takes longer than CK One to develop the scent fully. The notes in the dry down also evaporate faster than Deep Euphoria.
What We Like
- Heavy notes produce a long-lasting aroma
- Suitable for evenings and cold days
- Warmer than CK One
What We Don’t Like
- Strong notes may not work well with younger men
- May smell a bit like old alcohol
Features to Consider in a Calvin Klein Cologne
After seeing the top colognes from Calvin Klein, we’re now going to break down the different factors to consider when selecting a fragrance. Understanding these features can help you make the best decision.
Concentration Type
Cologne is a collective term for fragrances for men. So, even if a fragrance name doesn’t explicitly include the term ‘cologne’, what’s important is that we understand the different concentration levels of men’s cologne.
In this way, you can determine how long the scent would remain on your skin, as well as if the cologne leaves a trail as you move.
- Eau de Parfum: Consists of up to 25% aromatic oils, resulting in a more potent mixture that’s suitable for cold days. This has one of the most long-lasting concentration levels, which is why our top pick is Calvin Klein Deep Euphoria Eau de Parfum.
- Eau de Toilette: While an Eau de toilette contains fewer fragrance oils, its projection can be on par with Eau de parfum. However, the scent tends to fade rather quickly.
- Eau de Cologne: Contains more alcohol content than perfume oils, so the scent has a much shorter time frame. Because of this, we opted not to include an eau de cologne fragrance.
Scent Evolution
The scent evolution works together with the concentration type to ensure the notes develop gradually throughout the day. Likewise, it helps you check which scent families would disappear easily or stay the longest.
- Head notes: The lightest notes consist of oil molecules that fade easily. In effect, this is the first scent that you will smell after spraying the CK cologne.
- Middle notes: Forming the main body of the fragrance, the middle notes may either mix with or take over the headnotes. Regardless, the goal is to bring more depth to the light molecules.
- Base notes: These notes work with the middle notes to solidify the cologne. It also produces the scent that stays on the skin the longest.
Scent Components
Another vital part of a fragrance is the scent family, which shows the relationship between different scent types. With this, you can determine which notes complement each other and if these suit your scent preference.
- Fruity: Comes from citruses that result in a more toned-down version of masculine fragrances, like in the case of CK One and Obsession for Men.
- Floral: Balances the sweet and bitter accords, as well as the heavy and light notes. All of the fragrances from the list contain floral notes.
- Zesty: Gives a herbal yet fresh twist to fragrances. The three colognes use some zesty notes to complement the darker accords.
- Musky: While all of the colognes contain musky notes, only Deep Euphoria uses a solid musky base, giving it the ability to project longer.
- Spicy: Makes colognes radiate a flavored-like scent to attract attention. CK One and Obsession use spicy ingredients for the middle notes, whereas Deep Euphoria adds spiciness to the base notes to further strengthen the dry down.
Functionality
While you may not notice it at first, the weather and situation also influence the effectiveness of the cologne. Hotter days mean your body would produce heat faster which will only make the cologne’s molecules dissipate much faster in turn. In this case, you would need to reapply cologne frequently.
For instance, Deep Euphoria is perfect for men who want a smooth yet provocative scent to draw attention from people inside a room. Meanwhile, CK One is for summer days, while Obsession is suitable for nighttime and cooler weather.
Bottle Size
Cologne bottles come in various sizes and shapes. The Calvin Klein colognes from this list range from 2.5 to 7.64 ounces, with Deep Euphoria having the largest quantity. The good thing is that even the biggest bottle between these is travel-sized.
Shelf Life
Most perfumes don’t have a hard-and-fast expiration rate, although the usual time frame is 3 to 5 years. The aromatic molecules would break down faster once you open the cologne bottle. Heat fluctuations and exposure to light can also cause colognes to lose potency quickly.
Since all of the colognes from the list also have boxes, you can store the bottle in a cool, dry place, and consequently, prolong the life of the fragrance.
Conclusion
Calvin Klein colognes have a classy signature style, yet the perfume house offers a wide variety of fragrances. Whether you choose one or all of the fragrances from the list, the best Calvin Klein cologne for men will become your staple scent.