Euphoria Men Intense Calvin Klein cologne – a fragrance for men 2008

Euphoria Intense is an interesting scent that I’m glad I added to my collection. There was a bit of back and forth between whether or not I wanted this fragrance. I told myself if I found it cheap enough, I would get it. I found it at TJMaxx for $29 for a 3.7oz bottle.

First Impressions: My first impression is that it was overwhelmingly spicy. When I first sprayed this from a tester onto a paper strip I literally said “yuck” aloud. As I continued sampling other scents, I went back to the paper strip and actually liked what I smelled. Before I left, I sprayed a shot on each wrist.

I was immediately met with that overwhelming spicy scent. Once again, I was back to “yuck.” After about 30 minutes is when the true beauty of Euphoria Intense begins to shine.

Mid/late notes: After the extreme spicy smell dissipates, I am left with a great smell on my skin. Rather than trying to dissect the pyramid of notes, I can best describe it as a dark chocolate cherry smell with a peppery kick. After an hour or two I start to get a bit of an unexpected clean/fresh scent that really evens things out.

Spray Count: Before I jump into my projection/longevity ratings, I think it is only fair to mention the spray count. I go pretty heavy with this one. I usually to 6-8 body sprays and possibly a few on my clothes depending on what I’m wearing and how long I will be out and about.

Projection: I feel like Euphoria Intense projects fairly well. There are times when I feel like the smell has dissipated, only to be smacked in the nose with a reminder that it is still very much alive. I do feel that the projection goes down quite a bit after a while. After about 5 hours, it becomes a skin scent that can only be detected within my personal/intimate space. However, it is very much still there! Also keep in mind that my olfactory sensory neurons seem to adapt faster than the average nose. I would give the projection a well above average rating of 8/10.

Longevity: Euphoria Intense seems to last a long time on my skin. I can come home from a 12 hour day and still faintly detect it on my wrist and forearm. It’s one of the few fragrances that I can detect making transitions throughout the day. I am actually wearing it right now and I can smell a difference on me from just a couple hours ago when I arrived in the office. Overall, I give longevity an 8/10.

Compliments: Unfortunately, this is where this cologne sort of falters. I haven’t really gotten a ton of compliments with Euphoria Intense. As a matter of fact, my wife hates it. She always makes a face when I wear it. To be fair, she only smells it when I first spray it and I’m already on the road when it start transitioning to my favorite notes. I shall also note that my wife is a big fan of the fresh/clean/aquatic scents, so there is some bias. I do get compliments from time-to-time, but not as much as other, and not as much as I expect.

I will mention that I let a friend borrow this for a date. He said that his date loved it and he also got a couple compliments from strangers. I know he is a heavy sprayer (this is coming from someone that sprays this scent about 8 times) so that may have something to do with it.

On the compliment factor I give Euphoria Intense a 6/10

Usage: This immediately jumps out as a perfect fall and winter fragrance. I would also use this on a dinner date (if only my wife liked it as much as I do). Since my wife isn’t a huge fan, I usually stick to wearing this around the office. It seems to be a perfect fit.

Overall: I think Euphoria Intense is a great surprise from Calvin Klein. It is definitely one of my favorites from them. Just remember to try and get passed the initial aggressiveness of this fragrance if it comes across as a “spicy mess.” I am glad that I gave it a second chance. I’m even happier that I found it at a discount. I’m not sure if I would pay full retail price for this at a department store. However, I am proud to have this as part of my collection. My overall score is a 7.5/10