Skip to main content

Calvin Klein's Contradiction for Men

I cannot say I'm a fan of CK scents, although I admit that I haven't tried a large number of them. I don't dislike them as much as I find them truly unremarkable as a whole. I have liked a few, but so far, only a few.

CK released Contradiction for Men in 1998. This spicy oriental gets mixed reviews....however....I can add this to my "like" list of CK frags. It's the dominant coriander in this that convinced me. It's reminiscent of the opening accord in Chanel PM Concentree....and.....I like PMC.

Contradiction opens with a spicy citrus and within seconds, the coriander teams up with a hint of gingery green. It's borderline gritty, but well done. This accord has some hang time as well and only gives way to the heart after some time has lapsed.

Geranium in the mid accord seems to lend longevity to the opening and adds a very subtle wood to the mix by way of listed rosewood. Normally, I can detect rosewood very clearly, but in Contradiction, I can only admit to a woody note augmenting the floral heart. The jasmin and carnation are very passive and not the easiest to discover in this accord.

The drydown is a noticeable transition, albeit on a lower volume than the initial 2 phases. It's a van-amber with subtle earthy-leathery tones mixed in. It's a soft, even-keeled accord, yet it may be Contradiction's finest moments. It is a pleasant, overall masculine that breaks no new ground or shocks the senses with innovative boldness. It's just a decent scent for a good price that will work in all seasons.

Sometimes ordinary and pleasant equate worthiness. I guess that's why there's a bottle of Contradiction in my rotation.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

DK Men by Donna Karan

Citrus, Juniper, Pineapple. Ambergris, Almond. Sandalwood, Lavender, Musk. I felt compelled to revisit DK Men ( Fuel for Men ) after perusing through some older samples and then reading my previous review from 2009. Wearing DK Men again has caused me to revise my original post. I liked it three years ago and have a new found appreciation for this extremely smooth fragrance. My perception of it has changed slightly, but my opinion is still extremely favorable. This time around, I get less of a petrol vibe and much more of a fruit and suede theme. The pineapple note is integrated so well that I am surprised I couldn't previously esteem its deft implementation like I can now. The magic of DK Men is in the blending of chosen notes. The citric opening is very good indeed in spite of its quick dissipation. The pineapple and amber quickly pick up the slack. They are rich, full bodied and manage to keep a respectable presence while offending no one. The volume is intelligent. ...

Newport by Caswell Massey

Bergamot, Mandarin, Lemon, Lavender, Geranium, Muguet, Rose, Ambergris, Cedar, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Musk. After wearing Newport by Caswell Massey a few times and then reading what others had to say about this recent formulation, I found some of the opinions harsh. I have no way to compare it to the heralded vintage formula, nor can I use memory as I've never tried the original. Enter the current version. I do agree with some reviews that this rendition does not bring about the sense of beach and salt, but there's a long line of fragrances that fail to represent their depictions. However, Newport isn't so far off the mark that it's a complete misrepresentation. I can imagine wearing Newport ( or something similar ) in a beach setting. It smells classic due to the way Citrus, Lavender and Geranium are implemented. It's assuredly retro, but it seems to have that intangible I like that keeps me sniffing. Newport, at least on my skin, is top heavy in the sens...

Black Suede by Avon

Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...