If you’re old enough to remember the days when Calvin Klein was truly shocking (think Brooke Shields! think Obsession!), you’re probably older than the target audience for the new CK One Shock for her. CK One Shock for her (along with its male counterpart, CK One Shock for him) is a flanker to the unisex CK One, which was innovative, if not exactly shocking, when it was launched in grunge-era 1994.

The Calvin Klein website describes CK One Shock for her’s composition as having top notes of passionflower, pink peony, and poppy flower; mid notes of liquid chocolate accord, blackberry, narcisse, and jasmine; and base notes of vanillin, patchouli, ambers, and skin musk. It’s billed as a “juicy floriental,” but it’s really more of a fruity gourmand. As you can tell from the list of notes, it does not have anything in common with the original CK One’s green-citrus freshness. On the other hand, you won’t confuse it with Schiaparelli Shocking, either. CK One Shock for her opens with a tart, synthetic blackberry note and possibly just a hint of lemon. The heart of the fragrance is more fruit, of the pink-and-purple variety, if you know what I mean: sort of plummy, sort of currant-like. The base of the fragrance emerges after a half-hour or so and blends with the purple fruits. It’s the kind of dry, powdery cocoa accord that, as Kevin recently noted, seems to be appearing everywhere these days. The “skin musk” of the dry down is very light and clean…

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