Encounter Calvin Klein cologne – a fragrance for men 2012

This has become readily available in discounters across America and can be had for as low as $19.99 (12 Quid) for a 1.7 oz, $29.99 for a 3.4 oz. I got mine for that price last fall and tried it a few times and enjoyed it but thought its performance standards left a bit to be desired. (Light projection and only 4-5 hours longevity in moderate temperatures) I have come back to this in the deep cold of winter and the cold, frigid temperatures have really brought this one to life for me and I have found the palette of boozy sweetness and dark woodsy accords fantastically enjoyable for such a mainstream release.
Sure, this isn’t as original, minimalist or organic as some of the refined nosed oud lovers would like it to be. Still, this one is rather unique for Calvin Klein and worth picking up on the cheap. It brings back the masculinity that had long been chipped away at in CK fragrances until they released CK One Shock. Klein seems to have learned a great deal from the run-away mainstream success of Tim McGraw’s boozy, ambery and spicy releases with a segment of the population not known to have bought fragrances before with such gusto going wild for the original and Southern Blend.
Blanc & Negrin have taken from McGraw’s foundation and then added the popular niche craze of the day, oud, into the mix, hoping to ensnare a wide range of consumers under its all-encompassing catch-all net and garner the success Klein had in the late 1980’s with Obsession and Eternity.
Encounter has that boozy quality from the get-go, with the dark and dank cognac combining with the sweet and sugary rum to give Encounter its essential wine bar personality top. The booziness is embellished with a nice combination of cardamom and pepper; with the mandarin orange coming through and adding a bit more of a high-octave freshness to the mix. The oud comes in later in the wear and in my view is done rather well, though many reviewers have a point, the notes encircling it don’t give it enough room to really breathe and shine. I can only speak for the oud niche scents I have gotten my nose on before and this is certainly serviceable and comparable in quality to those, but could have been a bit more minimalist to bring it out further. The dry-down is basically just some soft woods with musk and it’s not very interesting, but the niceness of the first few hours makes this fragrance for me.
Just be warned that projection is moderate early but it quickly slips to soft after about 30 minutes and stays that way the whole way through. In general conditions longevity was average, but in the cold after about 5-6 wears I’ve consistently gotten about 10-12 hours.
This won’t be liked by some here simply because it’s Calvin Klein (translation: too common and readily available to be caught dead in public wearing). So consider that natural bias of our reviewers when considering buying this product for yourself.
If you like that dark woodsy feel and boozy sweetness that are so much the essence of this one, don’t let the rather soft to moderate projection of this one stand in your way. It’s more subtle than many would like, but it also makes the fragrance more versatile and appropriate for formal, casual or work and a genuinely great entry-point for newbies who haven’t gotten their nose on a lot of high-priced niche ouds.
Sadly this didn’t have the success Calvin Klein had hoped for to revitalize his declining fragrance franchise; and has continued the trend of Klein fragrances making it to the discounters within a year of release. The boozy sweetness and darker wood tones in this are really nice for a mainstream fragrance and for such a low price is worth blind buying as you can easily wear this at work or in an intimate setting and get positive reactions and at the very least a very warming, enjoyable feel from wearing it. Good in cold weather, not that impressive over 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in a warm climate most of the year, probably not worth your time. But Canadians, New Englanders, Russians, Scandinavians and Great Lakes residents, Have at it for winter!