Sheer Obsession
Calvin Klein (2002)

As a lover of Obsession who often finds it too strong for particular situations I was intrigued to try Sheer Obsession. Its Obsession for daytime use. Anyone familiar with Obsession would definitely recognise Sheer as part of that family, but its quiter, softer, sweeter, even suitable for office wear. The sillage is very good and the lasting power is incredible, 11 hours so far!!!! Such a shame its no longer available. Hey CK, re-release this one, please?

Yes, this truly is a sheer version of the original; the same notes but without the deafening volume. lf anything, the notes are more defined in this version. l get the bergamot & surely some opoponax, as well as the spices, & the amber becomes apparent much earlier on than in the original. l wore it often during the cold, snowy weather we had this winter, & it warmed me up beautifully.
This has sadly been discontinued, but l managed to get a good deal on a bottle from ebay. lt is becoming very rare though, so if you want a less in-your-face version of Obsession, snap it up before it disappears forever!

I didn't believe it when I first sniffed this… it actually is a genuinely sheer version of the great original. And it is very well done. It lacks the drama, the passion, the depth, the heaviness of the original, but it can stand on its own as a legitimate and competent variation. It delivers modern sweetness with a firm dose of musk, vanilla, and amber. It tends to get a bit powdery, but it always seems to be speaking in the voice of Obsession originale, even if it is a whisper or an echo. There is also a firm streak of incense in it which is a departure from the original, but suitable for this fragrance. But Sheer Obsession remains reminiscent of the original, and is an excellent scent in itself. As in most sheer scents, it would be nice if it had better longevity.

Lighter than the original but just as wonderful to smell - I always think of the cartoons where the dog catches a whiff of something wonderful and floats through the air after it. This is just that beautiful (IMO of course).

HMMMM! Total winner. Obsession without the yikes-factor. I can't imagine actually wearing Obsession itself, much as I love the smell, as this is already so strong on me that I must be cautious. But I suppose I could grow into Obsession... I hope so, as this version is no more, sadly. I also much prefer this one's bottle. If you can still find it, snap it up!

I'll jump on the minority couch with ubuandibeme - I love both the original and Sheer Obsession. The sheer version has the advantage of being more versatile as it's not nearly as assertive as the original. I wear Sheer when I want to whisper sexy, and the original when I want to shout sexy...n'est pas? ;-)