I think my dad must be keen on Calvin Klein, as he bought me one of their perfumes for one of my birthdays, and a couple of Christmases ago, he bought me a gift set containing tihs perfume. I have only tried the perfume so will just be reviewing the 50ml bottle on its own.

Normally at Christmas we don't buy each other presents, not because it's not really our religion, as we'll take any opportunity to celebrate, but because we'd just be spending on each other and buying things that the other person probably has no strong desire or need for, rather than just buying ourselves what we want when we want it. It was therefore a nice surprise when dad decided to treat us all to perfumes. I have to admit the others looked more appealing and especially my sister's, which came with a mini perfume bottle for when you're out and about. But then I have plenty of small perfumes, and I'm always willing to try something new.

Packaging

The box this would have come in is not quite as jazzy as the gift box I received, consisting of a deep purple standard shaped box with the name 'Euphoria' printed in simple lettering, in the top right corner and other details, i.e. 'Calvin Klein', 50ml etc, in the bottom left corner. The shape is a low height rectangle, so it would take up more space on my dresser than some of the others, but not topple over so easily.

The bottle is a little disappointing in appearance. I guess that Klein prefers simple designs, but this bottle just doesn't grab me at all. It sort of looks like a semi-sphere that has been squashed in someone's hand. The exterior is mostly metallic, with a clear glass surface on top so that you can see the liquid, which seems to have a slight purple tinge. On top of this is the cap, a tall, rectangular shaped metallic lid. The metal is very shiny and bright, but the glass bit looks duller than in the pictures I have seen online. I'm not really sure what this bottle is meant to represent, but it does seem like there must be more to the story. It would be nice if designers shared their thoughts behind designs as I'd like to understand this one.

Spray

It was possible to spray a very tiny about with just a gentle application of pressure on the spray, but to be honest that was not enough to get the scent and so when I pressed the spray normally, far more came out than I could have wanted. This didn't surprise me too much, as I suspect the quicker we use up our perfumes the sooner we'll want more so that keeps these things selling.

Scent

This is a very powerful fragrance and it hits you immediately after spraying. What I find strange is that considering how plain and simple the packaging it, the perfume certainly is not. So really I was a bit surprised. It is very flowery and there is something rather exotic and fruity about it too. I had a look at the descriptions (since I'd be hopeless at guessing exact scents in the perfume but once told I can probably agree or disagree) and I found that I could recognise what I'm guessing is the lotus and orchid aspect of the scent. I'm not so sure about the exact fruits that I smell but it does remind me a little of fruit salad, so this is probably the apple in it! The fragrance is very rich and clearly designed to draw attention. I haven't really worn it on many occasions and having decided to do a reminder tester before this review, I realised it was probably too strong to wear on an ordinary day! That said, I think this is the sort of fragrance that could inspire and liven you up a little. In fact the uplifting nature of this perfume must have earned it its name. The scent also has a lasting sweetness to it that becomes more noticeable as the initial burst of fragrance starts to wear off.

Endurance

Even after a few hours, the fragrance was as strong and sweet as ever. I got the impression that it could be detected by anyone sitting close to me and in fact for me myself it was getting a bit much. The strength coupled with the richness of the fragrance made it a little sickly and to be honest it gave me quite a headache. I honestly think that if I did not shower for the day it would still be noticeable the next day. It didn't help that I spent the afternoon in a closed room, however, so perhaps this fragrance would be diluted in the fresh air, but certainly it would still last for quite some time.

Recommendations

Well this perfume probably is better for special occasions and is certainly not an everyday fragrance. However I don't think I would recommend it to people that are a little more sensitive to strong smells as it is just too overpowering. I'd also think it is better when you are likely to be moving about a lot and spending time with lots of different people, not staying in one place. It's also good if you are getting a bit of ventilation to keep it balanced. So really outdoor events, and big occasions like parties set in larger buildings might be ideal. This fragrance would not need to be reapplied, so I guess I can see why it's not one that would come with a mini bottle! This also means that if you need a perfume that will last for an all day event this is a good one.

Conclusion

I do actually quite like the fragrance initially, but it is just a bit too strong and enduring for me, sorry dad! However I will keep it for those days when I do want to make some kind of statement, whenever that might happen as it is quite an attractive perfume. I wouldn't buy this one again and I think it will take me a long time to use up anyway, so probably a bottle smaller than my 50ml would have been better for me. If you do like to get noticed and you can handle strong, powerful scents though, this one might be just what you're looking for.