Defy

Not sure why this one gets so much hate online from reviewers for being “generic”. Generic isn't the word I would use to describe this. I would describe it as familiar. Has a lot of popular notes that stand out that are very appealing. This may come off as “generic” to some but to me it’s far from it. It’s not complex by any means but this is 100% a good no-think-and-grab pick when you just want to spray something good that smells great. Compliment-wise, I don't know because I've never received complaints on anything I wear. Where I live, everyone is self-centered and self-absorbed; no one is going out of their way to compliment you here, but I digress. Honestly, if you're looking for an easy-to-wear blue fragrance, grab this. It’s a safe blind buy as well, and I’ve smelled a lot of frags; this one stands out. It’s just very familiar.

I bought a 200ml bottle for £26 on ebay uk and here are my thoughts. Obviously Eau de Parfum is a level higher and is actually a fantastic blue/leather scent. My hopes were quite low about EDT but it turned out to be a great dumb reach blue spicy generic designer scent. Staying power is quite low but it projects nicely. I always use 10-ish sprays when I'm out to grocery shop etc. It gives me a nice masculine scent bubble. Presentation is very sleek and clean, atomiser is good so If you need an easy cheap designer scent for every season you may consider Defy edt. I'll say again Edp is fantastic this one is decent

While this is definitely a simple fragrance, I personally enjoy it a lot. I wear this at my job and it lasts well into my 10 hour kitchen shifts. The lavender scent is very nice without necessarily being overpowering. Definitely a great pick for a cologne you can use in everyday life (work, hanging with friends, etc)

A synthetically fresh opening leads into a soft, slightly rubbery fougere that could have been inspired by inspired by Masculin Pluriel. Synthetic briney marine freshness lends it lift through its development. Quite a good outing for Calvin Klein, far better than the subsequent flankers

I love this fragrance. Has good performance, smells very modern with a blueish touch. Some people hate on it and have their reasons and I respect that but for me the house scored with this and I’m happy to have it and wouldn’t mind backing up a bottle because it’s that good to me

It reminds me YSL Y and Bad Boy cobalt. If you find this under 50 bucks go get it. Over 70 bucks is overprice for this fragrance. Sillage and longevity is moderate. Great for summer and spring. Also you can use this in fall. Great for high school. 8.5/10

Nice summer scent. Will definitely buy again and it's blind buy worthy just try to get it at a cheap price cause it's overpriced as hell. I have nothing in my collection that smells like this so it's pretty good to me and I'm gonna rock it this summer.

This is going to be your run of the mill blue scent. To my nose, it had something pleasant in common with sauvage. The performance is just okay but the scent is very, very nice.

Una frescura muy rica, un poco frutal, un toque floral por la lavanda y bastante terrosa en la base, me encanta el olor, dura bastante pero no proyecta mucho.

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It's a modern blue fragrance. Nothing to dislike. Smells classy and mature. Scent 10/10 Longevity 6/10 Sillage 5/10

What an great scent that gets no love for questionable reasons I'll never understand. What a great fragrance

Pretty basic blue fragrance. I like it and it lasts about 6-7 hours on my skin.

Somehow addicting. Very good fresh and vetiver like

Ah-hem... There is nothing wrong with this fragrance. It is a pleasant blue fragrance that is light on the citrus, heavier on the lavender/woody notes, and finishes with a nice amber sweetness. Aside from the fact that it starts off with a bit of an alcohol blast at the very start (like a lot of fragrances do), there is nothing objectionable about this fragrance other than the fact that it smells like a lot of other fragrances. This is a testament more to its being likeable than anything else. People enjoy these kinds of fragrances. Every fragrance producer makes them. CK has made this one. It's not a crime for CK to make a likeable blue fragrance, is it? Now, should you buy it? Well, do you own a blue fragrance right now? If so, you probably don't need to bother. If not, sure. Buy it. It's just fine. It smells a bit like if Eternity for men had a baby with one of the YSL Y fragrances. NOTE: One interesting thing about Defy is that it could be a great find for the budget shopper who does not already own a blue fragrance. You can sometimes find it at rack stores at a good price. Right now my local Burlington has a 100 ml bottle on the shelf-- marked down to less than $18. If you find it at that price and don't already own a blue fragrance, just buy it!

Purchased this for hubby for Father's Day. Normally it takes me hours and several trips back to the store to purchase a new fragrance. But this day, I was in a rush with elderly relative waiting in the car, and my search took me to two stores. After sniffing maybe 7 or 8 at the first department store, I wasn't too confident of my olfactory senses when I pulled into Ulta. After sampling several scents, a sales lady approached to assist. I told her my husband is the masculine, outdoorsy type who is usually out working on our farm. He will only wear masculine scents, but he wants it to be light and fresh. I was dubious when she lead me to the CK section of the display. I was familiar with Obsession, and it's not one I'd purchase. She encouraged me to try Defy, and it smelled great. It was masculine and fresh, so I purchased Defy. All the way home I kept sniffing my little card for fear my olfactory sense would clear up, and I'd be horrified by my new purchase. Imagine my intense relief when hubby loved the scent and so did all our kids! Defy doesn't "announce" itself, I just catch a subtle hint as hubby walks past me. Love this fragrance!

I'm here to defend this fragrance lol. I just purchased it after I smelled everything else simply because.... You know what? They should have named this fragrance "Simply Because" Is this unique? No Is it a well made fragrance that smells really good? YES! It's not expensive, I got mine for about $60. It's not a "niche" fragrance. It's not trying to do anything but it's job Fresh, clean, kinda smells like freedom honestly. Not everybody is in the fragrance world for compliments. Even though this does get the "You smell good". It's what it's supposed to do lol. I think everybody needs to keep in mind, there are different lanes in fragrance, like there is in art, fashion, music, food etc. Sometimes you just want to wear a white t shirt and jeans. This is the white t and jeans vibe. On a nice spring evening like this one with the wind blowing, and the sun is setting, you're outside with a girl smoking, it is quite enchanting. This is a win. And when it comes to people complaining about sillage, for God's Sake.... Just spray more after 4 hours lol.. it's not hard at all. I keep my cologne with me regardless

Low scores don't always mean a bad fragrance, this is a great and nice enjoyable fragrance. This smells aquatic, with some citrus but leaning more aquatic which I prefer. It's really fresh, it's pleasant, it's not unique but that doesn't matter because it's nice and people don't always want something unique to wear they just want something safe, fresh and clean that's going to make them smell great for a cheap price. And this is cheap so I mean I don't see the hate for this fragrance apart from it being unoriginal and what some may call "boring" Boring doesn't equal bad though, it's nice just trust me on this girls will like it and it's a safe blind buy and extremely versatile can wear it any time. The dry down I get get a little vetiver, even though I have no idea what vetiver actually smells like i'm assuming that's what it is just slightly woody. If I had to compare it to other fragrances i'd say nautica voyage + ralph lauren deep blue or versace pour homme.

So I finally got a chance to actually experience Defy! Despite the many comments about the shape of the bottle from people who have never actually seen the bottle up close, the heavy glass bottle looks and feels very modern. It follows the curvature of one’s grip and fits perfectly in the hand! This is a tall order for this brand with its recent spotty past that is laced with misfires! Having said that, the outer packaging could have used more love as it comes across a bit too ordinary! As for the scent, it is a very commercial “Calvin Klein” scent that is aimed right at its Millennial target audience. Will it set the world on fire? No! Will it sell? Absolutely Yes! Is it groundbreaking? No! Will it establish a pillar? Yes! Does it have a cool Calvin Klein advertising campaign to support it? Definitely yes! It looks as if the time has finally come to Defy the odds and have a success story for this house!

I wasn’t impressed the first time I smelled Defy. I thought it was very boring and not worth purchasing but after receiving a sample and wearing it my opinion of it totally changed. Don’t get me wrong it’s not going to pull in compliments and it certainly won’t make you smell unique but it’s a fantastic everyday fragrance. It’s citrusy but not so much that it can only be used in warmer months so you could definitely get away with it at any time of year. I managed to get a 50ml bottle for £36 which is a more than reasonable price for a scent that can be worn all year and lasts approx 5-6 hours with a good enough projection considering it’s not going to be worn to impress. I’d recommend it for someone who can’t decide which fragrance to put on in the morning, it’s a fantastic safe option. Scent: 8/10 Versatility: 7.5/10 Longevity: 6.5/10 Projection: 7/10 Price: 8.5/10 Overall: 7.5/10

This immediately reminded me of Bleu de Chanel, even though nobody has voted it as a similarity. I also agree with all the other highly voted similarities. Goes to show that this "defiant" fragrance is actually the concept of stereotypical 2010's blue cologne in a bottle. A more fitting name would be "Comply". But dang, a 3.0 rating for a scent that tries so hard to be agreeable and nice?? Even though this for sure is unoriginal, I do like the smell! I bet this would do great in blind sniff tests next to almost any other fragrance. After all, that's how the fragrance business runs. Non-enthusiasts buy what they like on first instinct. So it shouldn't be surprising that artistry is sometimes thrown by the wayside. And I guess there's always a place in the world for things that people enjoy.

It starts with a bergamot aroma and settles into a vetiver scent. The opening is a little annoying for the first 30 minutes, but after the bergamot settles down a bit. The balance between the vetiver and amber is achieved, and it can create a "not too light and young" feeling in a good way. When I first wore this, I felt it was somewhat unbalanced, but after about 6 months of wearing it, my opinion has changed. In my personal opinion, it becomes the most pleasant scent after about three hours, and it has a good low center of gravity with a soft base note and a shadow of bergamot. Not all perfumes aim for a niche." If you understand that, this is one of the very safe choices for the masses. Performance and sillage are also average. The price is also average. The bottle is nice and heavy.

Defy by Calvin Klein is a fruity, aromatic and floral fragrance. Its opening is fruity with an aromatic apple, a floral accord of lavender and a base of amber and musk. Its aroma is pleasant and clean, quite inoffensive, very Calvin Klein, it could be used in casual outings, office work and couple outings, because it is a very empathetic and correct aroma, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage time, because on the negative side that harmless characteristic can make it somewhat boring, and on the positive side it is difficult for those around you to dislike. Its duration with me was approximately 6 hours and a discreet sillage. It is not a bad fragrance, in fact its aroma is pleasant, although it is also common. Its scent reminded me a bit of F for Ferragamo and Legend Montblanc.

This is nothing like your basic Blue fragrance! There's maybe a similarity to the YSL Y line but not really and it's not like Mont Blanc Legend. This has a fresh side but with a boat load of lavender! This is more like a fresh masculine floral scent that is blended nicely. It's not quite as commercial as many people would think. This has a uniqueness and isn't redundant smelling or something you've smelled before. This is maybe a Blue fragrance with some depth but not a musky ambroxen depth, more just a smooth lavender floral touch with some amber. I bought a 6.7 ounce bottle of this and I'm glad I did because this is nice in my opinion! This is a fragrance that is good for any time and any place!

Funny how this gets so much hate, yet it smells identical to Creed Green Irish Tweed and Creed Himalaya....which are probably some of the best regarded fragrances of all time. If you consider green irish tweed to be a masterpiece then you have to put this in the same category because it smells the same. People wanna hate because this is calvin klein...well actually this is green irish tweed rebranded as CK. Quit with the hate, it's the same smell that's been watered down a bit to make it cheaper and more affordable Like a person below me commented, it does have a dry leather and dry vetiver smell to it. No it's not a boring fragrance at all, it has that very very dry leather and vetiver.

#1639 in my “Tour de Fragrance” I got a sprayette of this from scentswithsense.com instead of blind buying a bottle, even though it’s not pricey, because I think we’ve ll come to expect anything Klein produces at this point will be an unoriginal mass market product. And this is unoriginal and mass market. The handful of notes here are literally in a thousand far more complex fragrances, so if anything you’ve smelled this a thousand times, but not in a simple, very likable, very wearable, very versatile and inoffensive, but nothing special, four note formula. Moderate performance in longevity and silage. Safe for business or casual wear. Very generic. Good Luck and Good Hunting!

Good test of a fragrance is when you smell it on others. I gifted my bottle on after smelling it while on a train journey. Classy composition as you would expect but the notes fail to merge as a distinct scent, just a real familiar memory of countless others. That's a shame. The design of the 30ml bottle is FANTASTIC! It has a spray nozzle/cap with a wide diameter (1/3 the entire surface) which is bold and adds to ease of functionality. The curveture at the side of the bottle enables it to rest perfectly in the palm of the hand. A simple design but executed so well in the 30ml size. If you ever get the chance, give it a squirt. It's the one thing I will truly miss about defy.

Summer skin test. This feels fresh, aromatic, herbal without being super green, I love the lavender woody earthy floral aspects, but i wouldn't have been able to pick those notes exactly. This scent sits ontop of the skin, good sillage, the edp has a dry woody tobacco feel with the aromatics in the opening, smokey almost, but clean, this edt version also has this feel though much lighter. The middle range of this scent was similar to other out there, nice though. Lasted well on me, I liked it a little better than the edp just because I can spray this one all over and I'd feel ok, not so with the edp due to tobacco/smoke/dry feel. Yep good

I remember my first impression of Defy, “this smells like Invictus,” which is probably cause of the amber note that shares similarities with ambergris/ambroxan note in Invictus. I felt it was generic on card and not worth my time, money and attention. Now that I work for Coty, I’ve revisited this one on my jumper and it smells nice and pleasant. After the initial freshness of bergamot, the lavender and vetiver notes that weren’t present in my first smell springs forth to my nose, which is uplifting and delightful. I’m certain it doesn’t warrant a purchase from me but at least I can sell it to customers with a new positive experience.

Pleasant and fresh, smells good but very, very, very, very familiar. A bit aquatic, a bit spicy, definitely has a fizzy, fresh, blue vibe. DG K, Dylan Blue, all in the same wheelhouse. I like it, if you want to smell good, this will get the job done! It’s actually a bit better than I expected, some of these trendy sweet/fizzy blue freshies can be so incredibly synthetic and cloying with their ambroxan and amber wood bases, but this one is much more palatable. More pleasing than Invictus and K to my nose. It’s from Calvin Klein so that means fragrance snobs on Fragrantica will shit on it regardless, but it’s definitely not that bad.

Good summer fragrance. For me, this kind of screams "safe, possible blind buy". It really doesn't stand out much as a blue summer scent, but it really doesn't need to. I agree that this fragrance is a bit overhated, though I can kind of grasp the "generic department store fragrance" description that some give to it. If you understand that this scent isn't trying to reinvent the wheel as far as fragrances go, you can begin to appreciate it a bit. Probably a good scent for the office, as well as a good casual pick on the average day-to-day basis.

I lucked out with this one on the bargain rack at TJ Maxx ($48 for 200ml). CK Defy is a perfect gym scent or casual daytime. Definitely reminds me of a thinner and less incensy version of Bleu de Chanel. It projects really well for me for the first 1-2 hours, so easy on the trigger. The citrus top is a bit sour, but it gives it a nice fresh zingy feeling. The dry-down has vetiver and tonka bean, even if that isn't listed in the notes. Fresh, zingy, and sweet. This is a great buy if you can find it cheap at the rack stores. Happy hunting.

It's a pleasant fragrance. I bought a 30ml bottle after liking the smell at a perfume store. I have two problems with it. 1. It disappears way too quickly 2. It is a budget fragrance with a premium price. I have CK Obsessed and CK Man in my daily rotation as they are pleasant and inexpensive to the point that respraying regularly is no big deal. , Defy is of similar quality so I would buy again but only if the price came down to a similar level. I could not recommend a purchase at the current pricing, it simply does not stand out enough.

I've got it hopping it would be very similar to Private affairs but with better performance. At the opening they are almost identical but on the dry down they smell very different. Defy is spicier and greener. I still like it tho, it's a great fragrance and it stands by itself I can understand the comparison with YSL or Invictus but since men perfumery is very limited on using some specific notes and not taking big risks in order not to smell feminine, this is no surprise for me.

It's definitely not something for the fragrance connosieur, but its practical and serves its purpose. Its for the guy who isn't necessarily into fragrance or trying to make a statement, but just wants to smell clean and fresh while going about his daily errands. It works well as an office fragrance or something you'd wear if meeting clients or attending a job interview. Simple, practical, even if it is a little boring. I do feel that it is quite overpriced for what it is though.

This is nice, safe, easy to wear (aquatic/blue/fresh) I was definitely reminded of Dylan Blue with this when I first sprayed it...but... only for a moment. It's CK, and like any CK fragrance, you can't go wrong with them usually, and you usually shouldn't expect anything explosive from them either. Season: Spring/Summer easily. For me, it gets boring overtime. * update * kind of reminds me of chamomile tea as it dries down after a few hours...

I tried it on a strip at an Ulta quickly, it's obvious it's a blue frag, but it smells like a CK still. No matter what, a CK is gonna smell like a CK in some way, shape, or form. So, if you have experience with the house, you know what I mean. It isn't awful, it's better than the others because it isn't loud and brash. I didn't wear it on skin. Would I buy it? I dunno, I'll try it again or maybe grab a sample. I wouldn't buy this retail

I like Defy. Fresh, citrusy and the lavender and vetiver balance it out to a fresh, clean and almost soapy, masculine woody scent. It does have a touch of sweetness as well. Projection is subtle, though cold weather seems to bring it out more. For what it is, I would wait until it comes down in price. Looking at the current rating, it's certainly better than that rating implies. It may not be ground breaking, but it's quite attractive.

Yes, CK Defy is definitely very safe, generic and mass appealing, but it doesn’t deserve the 3.36 rating in my opinion. This smells very fresh and clean. I think this is a versatile spring/summer fragrance for work, school or the gym. The best part is you can pick this up for under $30 on discounters for the 100mL bottle. I would give this a solid 4/5 stars at least.

it's a calvin klein blue fragrance, so it leans a lil feminine ... it's a really nice, generic blue fragrance which will remind you of versace pour homme, dylan blue, ysl y ... however, i will say it's probably the closest to ysl y ... you're gonna smell nice and clean like flowers ... if you like ysl y or similar smelling colognes, you're gonna like this

No idea why people hate this because it's a clone of Creed Himalaya for like under $50-$100 that's a bargain!! Even smells like green irish tweed but without the violet in it In the same family as roja vetiver, guerlain vetiver & tom ford grey vetiver as well This deserves way more love it's a great fragrance!!

This is a leather fragrance. I don't care what the note breakdown says. This is a leather scent. Similarities to Fahrenheit, but without the motor oil and sweetness. A dry leather scent. Very nice. Don't know why it gets so much hate. Performance is very good for the price. Love it. 👍

Nice EDT, not too risky but interesting enough for an everyday use. It won't change much with time, it just gets bitter and kinda woodier (vetiver?). What @twojtrener said is true, but I guess it's because it needs to get warm enough in your skin to really start to project.

Defy by Calvin Klein is an amber-dominant fragrance to my nose. It doesn’t smell bad, and I don’t hate it. But I could not remember its identity either. I feel that it was created by following the same idea as many other popular fragrances already on the market.

People have there reasons for hating on this and that's fine. However I feel as others have pointed out that this would do really well next to some of the big names in a blind smell test. It's clean, fresh, and to me the vetiver/amber dry down is amazing. 7/10

Freshness on the opening, but it quicky drives to a woody amber fragrance. Don't feel like wearing it on hot weather as I feel the woody amber phase is a bit heavy. Medium to low performance, but it is expected due its price tag and being an EDT.

yes, defy starts boring as hell (or as ysl y to be precise) but it turns quickly into something pleasant with almost 90's vibe. and while chamomile is not mentioned within the notes, the drydown gives a similar vibe. 6/10

contrary to most people, i like this one. i just don't get the hate on this. it's a nice everyday perfume for every age of men. it's like a aftershave, so it is not a night scent. i get the bergamot a lot.

Purchased a bottle of this for my man as it seemed to suit his personality. Fresh, fun and lively, but with a mature center. A man of any age could wear this.

Safe, entry level fragrance. Bought this for my son for his first fragrance. Fresh, inoffensive, a bit generic, but good generic