Contradiction For Men by Calvin Klein, 1999

Like many of the CK products for men Contradiction is certainly packaged well and insinuates a certain faux sophistication on the dresser drawer when on display. The problem is in the pretentiousness of the fragrance itself. The opening salvo is heavy on the alcohol and a fruit bomb gone awry. It quickly turns into a mix of fruit set against common pepper and spice to gel with the marketing pitch and name. Wears very close to the skin after about a quarter of an hour and does not relent in the struggle that seems to be at play between the fruit and spice notes. Finally flickers out after a handful of hours, generally around the 4 to 5 hour mark, but similar to later creations Euphoria and Man in their low projection and subtle, close to the skin fruity vibe. Very commercial creation that seems to have been designed purely to fit a marketing strategy rather than allowing the creators to find artistic freedom and conceptualize their own product and marketing to react to that. Almost too heavy handed, calling something Contradiction and then putting two seemingly opposing opposites, fruit and spice, against each other in a contrived attempt to assert something altogether new and revolutionary. Very synthetic and though not all together vile, certainly not up to the standards set by the original MSRP. Has become a steady member of the clearance club recently and most likely will be discontinued as CK continues to over-expand its empire with bland and uninspiring fragrances that bring in solid money behind the CK name. What can be said that Foetidus has not already said? Like usual, not much. Suffice to say this is nothing dreadful, but less than average. If spice is what you crave, look no further than Burberry The Beat. If it´s fruit? Ck Euphoria Intense is a better bet under the CK name. Escape another one.

Contradiction for men is one of the first fragrances I bought when I rediscovered my love for all things smell-related, and was also on the receiving end of one of my harshest reviews. Upon revisiting this woody-oriental I was surprised to find it not all-that-bad...it could be that since early 2006 I have encountered some truly hideous scents that make Contradiction smell respectable, or that Contradiction is actually decent stuff. I am leaning towards the latter..

Contradiction opens with a lime-dominated citrus blast with a barely there lavender note. The lime isn't the most realistic-smelling, but neither is it the fakest rendition on the market. It does its job given the mainstream budget and then its onto the warmth of the middle notes...lots of well melded spicy-warm notes, nutmeg, coriander, cardamom, with the coriander standing out the most while the sweet facets of cardamom keep things smooth before finishing on a standard issue woods base. I admit that there's a hint of synthetic feel to the fragrance and there is a discordant lime-spiced woods feel which doesn't feel right no matter how many times I spray but maybe thats the intent. A bigger budget can make this formula fly...infact, take a gander at Creed's Original Santal for a good spicy-woods fragrance which opens with citrus/orange blossom, and then co-joins coriander-smoky cedar/sandalwood notes to give a similar type of spicy oriental/woods feel.

Rating: 5.75/10.00