Euphoria (2005)
by Calvin Klein

I smelled this on one of my female friends and couldn't stop telling her how much I enjoyed it. She even handed me her scarf so I could bury my nose in it. She's a dark-haired Latina in her early 20s who dresses classy and seems exotic and mysterious to me. That may be why I associate this fragrance with someone who is elegant, mature, classy, dark and mysterious, exotic. I'm not sure how I would feel if I smelled it on a teenager or even a girl on her 20s who hasn't really grown out of the girly phase. It's not suitable for a rambunctious bleached blonde party girl, instead for a more serene woman (or young woman).

I tried this at the behest of the shop girl at my local Sephora. "Oh, you like woody Orientals? This is my favorite, and it's listed as one! Everyone says I smell so good when I wear it!"

OK, I don't know HOW Sephora decided to classify this swill as Woody or Oriental! It smells like sugar and bug spray! It's like they bottled sweat from the Welcome Run at fat camp.

NOT. A. FAN. I suppose it would appeal to many, it definitely has a similarity to Angel...and it does last.....and last....and last.... If only it weren't such a scrubber for me!

I don't get caramel. I despise most foodie fragrances. I do get the creaminess (whipped cream accord) and the darkness of mahogany. I also get some clear fruit, a mix of gorgeous and unusual mix of flowers, some dark sexiness, and a strange ethereal feminine form.
Everyone wants to know what I'm wearing and they mean it complementary. It smells like nothing else. It is surprising and unconventional.
I think the bottle fits it. Sleek and soft, sexy curves with shiny metal instead of glass to emphasize it's weird, otherworldly wonderfulness.

Toffee. Then more toffee. More toffee. Then - nothing

For some reason, this is mostly wood , vetiver, and amber on me plus the orchid and something 'powdery,' which I find cloying (the violet?). Can't smell the fruit at all. This has elements of Youth Dew and Angel, both of which I like. However, this gives me a headache, even in small doses.

This perfume seems to have 2 opposing elements to it. The first is lovely - I don't know how to describe it and I'm not going to bother trying to put a name to the various elements, sugar, caramel etc - but can be smelled throughout wearing it. The second is a very cheapy, perhaps '80s' element and I think it's a shame that it's there - it's strongest in the first, topnotes stage - the rather acrid fruity one. Just had a look at what else the perfumer has done and I see that Secret Obsession and lots of Lynx fragrances are there - hmmm.. I've just bought it and after a while of sniffing and resniffing to analyse it and see what I think (yes, I know, I am rather reckless when it comes to buying perfumes and sometimes buy them after the merest aquaintance!) I have discovered that it has actually created a 'burnt' sensation inside my nose. This burning effect has never happened with any other perfume and as a smell obsessive I've sniffed a lot throughout my life! I wonder what it is that is doing that?
Anyway I find I CAN wear it, don't find it sickening as I do with a lot of perfumes especially modern ones - the Cacharels, J'adore etc - and that is at least a mark in its favour. It also smells lovely when I smell it on other people. I would give this somewhere between neutral and thumbs up (for the mystery 'lovely' element). Can't have both so it's a neutral from me!