Reviews – Calvin Klein Eternity & Eternity for Men – American Classics – 9/10.
I reviewed Youth Dew, one of my mum’s signature scents, earlier in the year. It’s a perfume that can be best described as warm and spicy. Calvin Klein’s Eternity was another scent my mum wore, chiefly in the warmer months. It’s also a spicy scent but has a more cold feel. Not cold as in aloof, but cold as in crisp and fresh.
The spicy aspect of Eternity stems from the carnation note. Sometimes carnation can lend perfume a medicinal clove-like tinge. However, in Eternity it smells a little more peppery and subdued. The other floral aspects are white, gleaming, cool, and bright. The sprightly medley of lily of the valley, freesia, and lilies make the perfume a tailor-made fragrance for the warmer months.
Eternity doesn’t smell like an archetypal women’s perfume from the 80s. The rose is fresher and soapier, and the spicy aspects are more subtle. Not that it lacks presence, just don’t expect anything grandiose or excessive with this particular Calvin Klein. For anyone looking for the exotic amber bluster of Obssesion, look elsewhere. Instead, Eternity smells fresher and juicier with its fabulous green elements, the perfume equivalent of a healthy green juice, and a luxury spa—classic stuff by Sophia Grojsman.
I bought the men’s version of Eternity a couple of decades ago and have been through several bottles. Interestingly, I still smell this fragrance around quite a lot nowadays. It’s an unmistakable blend of dry herbal sage, lavender, synth woods, and almost metallic citruses.
Another integral aspect of Eternity for Men is the floral component. Orange Blossom adds a kick of freshness. Indeed, there’s some overlap in the floral notes between the men’s and women’s scents. Both share Lily, lily of the valley, and orange blossom notes. Though, they’re more apparent in the more overtly floral Eternity. In Eternity for Men, they act as somewhat of a softening agent, smoothing out the rougher edges of this fougere.
In the dry down of Eternity for Men, the woods and musk take hold, and it’s almost as if all the notes are being filtered through a hazy, dusty glassy window. There are some similarities to Chanel’s Platinum Egoiste, Polo Sport, and Wings for Men. Carlos Benaim composed this 1990 release for the American fashion house.
Both Eternity scents provoke comparisons to the aquatic genre. I can see that. However, I don’t pick up any Calone or prominent marine qualities with either. Somebody (I do) might consider Eternity’s floral details watery, but they’re never screechy like one might expect with an aquatic scent. And Eternity for Men has a sandy coarse feature, likely due to the woods. But again, I don’t consider it a beach scent. Perhaps the power of suggestion and the influence of the beachy ad campaigns elicit the marine analogies.
Both Eternity and Eternity for Men still sell well today. Neither perfume smells dated or unfashionable in any way. That’s no mean feat and a testament to their enduring blends. It’s hard to see that changing anytime soon. Numerous flankers have come and gone, and all fail to capture the magic. But we’ll always have these two original American classics, seemingly for all eternity.
All images are my own. I’m sure we all wore something from Calvin Klein at some time or another. What was your CK of choice? I loved both Obsession for Men and Women and CK One.
