Reveal

This is a real pearl, especially coming from the Calvin Klein repertoire, and for such a low price, I almost can not belive it! Do not get me wrong, l like many of Klein offerings (Eternity, Euphoria, Obsession, Truth, One, Beauty...and many more) but this one is so special and so different from the usual Klein style. I must say though that it fits the heroin chic, early 90's, Klein/Kate Moss aesthetic so very well...in particular the naked dewy shots done in sepia by genius Testino! Or the Obsession Sorrenti's ones. This is a salty peppery iris, cold and detached, perhaps even a bit dreamy...nothing sterile or aseptic however because it indeed reveals itself little by little, showing a peculiar warmness and intimacy that you were just not prepared to deal with. The opening is very peppery, black dusty pepper in particular, and it has a punch of salt. I don't find it fishy or swampy at all, it's more like a dusty saltiness, and it has on it a vapor-like veil of iris. This iris is not too floral, not yet powdery (and surely it has nothing of cosmetics). It is as if something a tad aromatic accompanies it. A very modern and niche like rendition of iris, I find. The ambergris material they used makes this so very special, I can smell warm human skin, a touch of sand and just a tinge of animalic. The smell of something intimate, of two body meeting under the sun in in a salty, sweaty embrace. The cold/warm dichotomy works really well here, very balanced. The dry down never loses the saltness and it is woody. Sandalwood is nothing creamy, more dry I would say, but there is a fuzzy velvety quality...and I would bet on it that it is cashmeran. The amber I don't particularly pick up (at least nothing labdanum/vanillic, but maybe it ads warmness). I think some type of musk is in here too, even if not declared in the notes (could it be something related to ambrettolide?). It is not a overly complex perfume in the execution but it was special in concept, I think. When it came out this must have seemed avant-garde for the designer public because the "your skin but better" genre had not yet been so loved and explored and, to add to it, this was a salty peppery rendition of that. Of course there were already many musky and ambergris fragrances on the designer market but so very little that fitted in the "human skin" genre. I would like to read more about the making of this perfume, I wonder what the intented result was. I am enjoying my bottle immensily, more so because a 100 ml costed me just 22,00 €. I absolutely need a back up. Such a shame this is discontinued. I even love the packaging very much, and the way my hand can grip the bottle. The color of the liquid brings to my mind just the color of wet skin under the sun. Lasting power is good, almost 7 hours on my skin, sillage is ok during first two/three hours but then it is intimate, which is ok for me, and coherent with this type of fragrances style. It is truly unisex, genderless, a perfumes for humans, no sex distinctions needed. This is special also of another reason: it completely changes with the weather. A truly reactive fragrance, wich I find it's not so common as we think it is. During fall, with the high quote cold of a mountain city, this is a peppery bomb! The iris and the ambergris translate as foggy. A salty, stone cold experience. With spring it opens ever so slightly, and the iris becomes more "purplish". During summer magic happens! This perfume is well worth it. I now understand why it is so loved. Get it while you can.

This perfume is indeed unique... up to a point... what do I mean with that?It is as unique as Thierry Mugler's womanity is - and why the reference? because the base notes (which thankfully last the longest at least on my skin) are very very reminiscent of womanity - in fact they smell really alike, and thankfully they smell like the best part of womanity (not like its top notes which on womanity are too much and the sweetness battles the saltiness and all the other interesting notes - Calvin Klein smells like the toned down best and longest part of womanity when its sweetness dissipates and leaves that special mystery womanity is). However Reveal is straight unisex on its very top notes- nothing too strong or masculine-, then it smells a bit weird which I do not care about but thankfully that lasts for a few minutes only, and then the whole womanity vibe enters, but done less sweet but so very interesting, like a perfect mix of Calvin Klein One -perhaps- (you know that Kalvin Klein vibe) and womaity, and then it becomes a very nice version of womanity, subtle, non sweet, but present as it projects as being part of your skin. All in all a very very interesting perfume, which is better worn in rainy weather. As it is a very salty/water based perfume, I don't know how to describe it- it is like it is part of the elements of nature, nothing generic or synthetic about it, it is just so special... <3 This is an airy/watery beautiful perfume, that will be perfect for those who appreciated the womanity vibe, but had a love/hate relationship with it (loving some notes of it, but hated some others). As with womanity, this is a perfume to be experienced gently, let it project and experience as is, let it reach your nose instead of sticking your nose on your skin. It is ethereal and magical and you have to let it work its magic as it knows best. This is not a skin scent, this, to me, is like a sea fairy, a salty feathery beauty <3 edit/ps: this one and agent provocateur blue silk are very similar- both have this pencil shaving woodsy smell which I love, however I adore blue silk more than I do reveal, hence I love layering it with creamy fragrances like azarro twin or pair it with narciso for her edt <3

It's so funny to me how different people interpret this scent completely differently. A little too sweet for my taste. Smells of fermented fizzy Haribo cola candies and cheap men's vetiver cologne, but in a pleasant way. There is definitely vanilla in this scent and lots of it even though it's not listed in the notes. It absolutely does not smell like Olympea, Vanilla Vibes or Womanity, not even close. Olympea and Vanilla Vibes are sickly sweet to my nose and Womanity is leaps and bounds more unusual and well-blended than all three of these. The only thing these four have in common is that they are woody feminine fragrances with a salt note, but that's about as vague as comparing any random four floral fruity or chypre scents. I do like how unusual this fragrance smells and think it's worth the very cheap price you can find it for online (I got a 10mL rollerball for $7 with free shipping) but it definitely feels a little cheap and screechy at least to my nose. I'll stick to Dune and Womanity but I'm glad I got to give it a shot as it is a really unique budget fragrance that is unabashed about just doing its own thing. EDIT: Changed my mind on this. It's definitely pretty cheap and cheerful and inoffensive but it's really growing on me, and as I adjusted my assumptions I realized it's not as screechy as it initially smelled. Whatever was challenging to me in the beginning began to be a lot more agreeable to my nose and I now like it a lot more. Still not sure if it's full bottle worthy but I'll keep the rollerball at least and I definitely think it's worth the low price to try it out!

This starts off super unique and complex but disappointingly dries or may i say dies down to a simpler acceptable scent. I totally get the “hot and fresh french fries” claim on the initial spray but in a good perfume-y way. This starts pleasantly peppery and not spicy which makes it less punchy compared to some peppers in other frags. It’s also really briny (not fishy) and has a balmy, pasty, waxy, and candle-like qualities. After which, it develops to something more feminine and sensual. The iris is super lipstick-y, sweet, creamy, and quite dry bc of the vetiver. Annnddd there goes the usual aquatic-floral dry down that reminds me of BBW Pink Cashmere, Mugler Womanity, and D&G Light Blue... well, I don’t think it’s THAT bad but it’s kind of a bummer that it has to end that way. I wish it stayed complex from start to finish because it’s super anticlimactic. Please, do remember that our noses work differently bc people are gonna assess ur scent differently compared to ur own perception. My friend told me I smelled like a dom top when I was wearing this and my other friend told me I smelled sexy and reminded him of how pheromones work. I was hella confused because this smelled like a light summery fragrance to me ??? 😭 but ok that’s the magic of fragrances 🤷 I love how this fragrance doesn’t smell ultimately basic (well, except for the drydown), performs reallllyyy good, and has a niche-like quality which is impressive for an affordable fragrance; however, it’s sadly discontinued :(

Reveal has been a successful blind buy for me and I'm loving it! I wasn't sure I'd like the peppery top notes, but I really do. On the blotter things were questionable, but on my skin... spicy and bracing, like the first blast of cool, dry, fall air as you step out of the house in the morning. The drydown is a salty, amber, vanilla musk, in a similar vein to Dune and Olympea. Dune was a favorite and Reveal dries down similarly sandy and arid (tho less balsamic), while I think Olympea retains a little more "moisture". Other reviewers have likened aspects of Reveal to Womanity or Angel. I own both, both are favorites (Angel is my signature and I've been wearing it for 25 years), and I can find nothing in Reveal that reminds me of either. The solar notes described in marketing materials are like the heat radiating off the sidewalk as the sun sets on a hot day, rather than recalling the beach or shoreline of any body of water. Because of this, I think Reveal will even do well in cooler weather, as its creamy and woody base notes are wonderfully warm and comforting and possibly reminiscent of dried leaves and fresh firewood. I'm enjoying it here in the hot SoCal August though. Sillage is arm's length and longevity is a good 7 or 8 hours. I got it affordably on the grey market so a total win for me! Edit 8/20/22: Still loving this! The savory opening is so unique and longevity is so good that the warm "cashmere" base provides welcome comfort as I settle into bed at night.

Oh my goodness how beautiful you smell! If you like this scent profile, you should give "Reveal" a try! It is a shame this masterpiece has been discontinued but I can see why. This is a very unusual and unique perfume. Up until yesterday, "Reveal" used to be a peppery, salty fragrance on me, reminiscent of slightly musky male skin several hours after a shower. I oversprayed it once and nearly gave up on it because it turned too dirty. Yesterday, I refreshed it and was met by a richer scent than usual. The perfume finally developed properly which allowed me to discover the iris and sandalwood. These two notes dominate the fragrance now. I changed my vote from "like" to "love". It is so much better than I thought. It is not as salty as "Olympea" or as peppery as "Gucci Rush". It is woody but not in the way "Stash" and "Eilish 2" are. The wood here is soft, fresh and mild. The pepper notes are noticeable but the salt softens them well. All of these qualities make it a wearable and masterfully crafted scent. Its intensity is quite good for the first couple of hours while overall longevity is up to 5 hours which is significant for this kind of fragrance. So far, it has been quite reliable in spite of the unpredictable spring weather. I may try wearing in in warmer weather when summer comes next month. "Reveal" may have been discontinued but it is a fragrance that "Calvin Klein" and its creators should be proud of. I will enjoy my 100 ml bottle for a very long time.

Very unisex. Very neutral. Subtle and absolutely non-offensive. It is not sweet by any definition. Not fresh either. Slightly salty. Definitly peppery. The pepper dominates quite a bit before it turns softer and more comforting in the drydown. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I don't dislike it because there is nothing to dislike. I don't particulary love it either because it is barely there. It is not making any statement or commiting to anything. And that's why I don't understand the references to scents like Womanity, Rem or Olympea; all perfumes that are unique, fun, immediatly recognizable and - like them or not - great at what they are doing. Reveal is great at avoiding all that, which is an art in itself but not one I personally would like to spend much money on. Edit: I recently sprayed it on a sweater and when I opened the closet a few days later I was met by this wunderful woody, cashmeran, musky, slightly beachy scent. The more I use Reveal the more it is actually growing on me. I'm not taking back what I wrote before because it is basically still true. I just found a fondness and appreciation for the quietness and subtleness of this fragrance. Reveal is like a beautiful, comforting, relaxed presence in the background for those days when you don't want to make a statement and there is definitely a place for a fragrance like that in my collection.

Initially, for the first minute after applying this, I don't care for the opening. It's extremely salty, peppery and very sharp. Once, quite literally, only a few mere minutes pass, this scent is absolutely gorgeous. The salt and pepper mixes with my own skin chemistry which normally brings out darker notes, and thus the inevitable wood and musk blooms, creating a seductive, mysterious scent. The iris and cashmere are also very prominent on my skin. I find Reveal very elegant, and almost standoffish, aloof even. It's as though a beautiful woman enters a room. Everyone is enraptured by her presence, desiring to know more about her, and yet no one can read the emotion hidden behind her eyes. Is she self-possessed? Unhappy? She keeps her distance from everyone, despite the apparent interest that seeps the room. She seems to be a puzzle no one can solve, a stranger nobody knows. However, once you get to know her, she's one of the loveliest people you will ever meet. That's Reveal's very essence. It's elegant, enigmatic, intriguing, and despite the mystery and aloofness of its initial notes, you will keep wanting to know more about them and constantly smell yourself, trying to figure out what it is that makes this scent so phenomenal. At first smell (or glance), don't be put off. And yes, it is an absolute loss to the perfumery world that this is discontinued.

I’ve reviewed this before but I love it so much and now that I’m deeper into my fragrance journey I have more to say. I really think Reveal was ahead of its time and if some niche fragrance house started selling it today it would be beloved (and not discontinued). In fact it came out just a few years before another peppery, woody iris fragrance skyrocketed to cult status, Glossier You. Reveal is the OG skin scent for me. But if You is the ultimate Clean Girl- youthful, polished, fresh out of the shower- Reveal is her decidedly pre-shower older sister. Her hair is tousled, her makeup might be smudged, her skin warm and a little salty from a night of dancing or a day at the beach or maybe even a roll in the hay. She’s Holly Golightly, effortlessly beautiful but not too neat. Reveal is a messy French twist and an oversized sweater snagged from an ex-boyfriend, an apartment full of thrifted art, stacks of books, empty coffee cops left around. Reveal is sexy, warm, and I swear there’s some vanilla here, even though it’s not listed. It’s unique but still so easy to wear and super versatile in terms of when and where it can be worn. I’ve stocked up but if Calvin Klein is listening, please start remaking this. I promise this time around we’ll appreciate Reveal the way it should have been all along.

Reveal by Calvin Klein has to be the most underrated salty scent ever created. Smells so unique, expensive, sophisticated, elegant, addictive, elevated, superior to all Olympeas or anything I have encountered so far. The combination of salt, cashmeran, ambergris, sandalwood and iris is creating something magical. I own another scent from Calvin Klein, discounted now. Everything that still sales currently and I have sampled seems very mediocre at best, but Reveal is a masterpiece in my eyes! It’s such a smooth and clean smelling scent, woody, warm, spicy, marine, musky, powdery, very distinct from what you normally get nowadays. I would not believe just by looking at the notes listed that Reveal smells as amazing as it does. I feel like the notes don’t make justice to the juice inside. Also the bulky bottle does not come across like something very feminine or appealing to many women. But the juice is divine!! Reveal is s salty scent that’s not the typical summertime salty perfume. It’s a nostalgic smell... Reveal is an addictive perfume that takes marine, salty scents to another level. Niche or artisanal level but sold for a celebrity perfume price! It’s a standout fragrance in my collection for sure! Beautiful, nonetheless! Criminally underrated. On my second bottle now!

This one needed time. The first time I sprayed it, I didn’t smell a thing. I was so disappointed by after a few weeks it smelled much stronger. Unfortunately it was weird. There was a note that to me smelled like dried saliva on skin, which could potentially be sexy, but it just didn’t really work for me. After a few months of letting it settle the weird saliva note (I’m sure it’s the ambergris) has finally calmed and the scent it very warm and comforting. Now I can finally smell the sea! To me it smells like sea side rocks that have warmed up in the sun and that smell like sea, salt, sun and warmth. It’s very beautiful. It’s quite soft and intimate, and doesn’t develop much on my skin. It’s somewhat of a your skin but better type of scent. It doesn’t particularly long, but I don’t really mind, because it’s the type of scent I’d wear to the sea side during the day, when I don’t want to smell perfumed, but rather like the way I’ll smell anyway on the beach, but a bit enhanced. Anyway if you buy this and it’s not working for you, give it a lot of time to settle before deciding. While this scent is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, it’s very unique and definitely worth waiting for to give it a fair chance.

I bought a one ounce bottle of Reveal to test it. According to reviews here, it doesn't work for everyone. Luckily, Reveal smells wonderful on my skin ! This perfume is soft, wears close to skin, and it does remind me of the beach. Some people describe a "sweaty" note, and yes, it's the ambergris that doesn't work well on everyone. It doesn't smell sweaty on me, thank goodness ! There is an odd synthetic alcohol metallic note at first, but it dissipates as the perfume dries down. On my skin, salt is prominent, as is vetiver, sandalwood and the powdery touch of iris. The white musk, cashmeran and pepper notes are mild, well blended to give a sandy impression. Reveal is the most realistically beachy perfume I have found so far. I tried Bvlgari's Aqua Divina , and Mugler's Womanity, but found them comparatively very sweet, pretty, powdery, very ladylike, with nothing in them that really suggested a beach or ocean. Reveal lasts about 6 hours on my skin and easily 12 hours in my hair and on clothes. Great summer scent, non offensive. Totally unisex since it's not too sweet. It's soft, salty, really beachy, addictive and wonderful. A large bottle is on its way to me now. I LOVE Reveal !

At first this scent was different than how it smells now on day 3. Idk I liked it day 1 but the more masculine attributes were more apparent to me I was really so curious about the aroma that was entering my nose I kept wondering wow how did they make such a weird scent and it kept growing on me. But by day 3 it had settled into my nose extremely feminine. It stopped challenging my nose I guess which I sort of miss but now I purely enjoy it’s gorgeousness. Smells like a rich mauve amber just like the colors in the pic used on this website it’s those colors but as a scent. It captures these colors beautifully. I feel like I’m in a super chic photo shoot with loungey early 2000s downtempo music playing like a Vanessa daou song is on while gold sun rays beam into my purple condo on a sweltering summer evening. Most complimented perfume I own and guys especially are very drawn to smelling it on me. I’m a man and I’m not trying to say they’re attracted to me bc I can tell they’re very embarrassed and don’t want to send the wrong signal but I get a good laugh out of listening to them anxiously explain the reason they were sniffing me up close lol.

This fragrance features a recognisable CK musk base, similar to "Truth" by CK. The composition is well-balanced; it is round and full-bodied yet not heavy, with a hint of a sea breeze. It is not that peppery as it may seem from the notes, it is soft and smooth. The salt is not distinguished, it is an organic part of the composition with very light woody notes. It sits perfectly well on the skin. CK excelled at creating fragrances as a natural, organic extension of the natural fragrance of our skin. That specific cleanliness and a base with a very light spirit note is a reminder of the approach to the fragrances in the early 2000s - which remains actual till now :) Reminds of long walks by the Baltic sea. Minimalistic landscape yet wide horizon. Slightly salty air, windy, and +17+19C water even during hot summer days. The wood note here reminds of warmed forest by the sea side and pieces of wood on the seashore, kissed by sun and polished by sea. I wish this fragrance would be louder and would last longer, as the composition is beautiful.

This is such a peculiar perfume.... the bottle I have is one of the early ones (batch code dates it to November 2014). It was a blind buy for me. When I first smelled it in the winter, it really puzzled me; I thought it was different and a bit weird. I didn't hate it or dislike it, but it also wasn't a love. Maybe a shy like at best? I put it aside and didn't think about it until this week. We're currently in the middle of a heat wave with high humidity (105 F, 41 celsius) so I didn't want anything remotely gourmand or heavy or very spicy. I decided to try it again mainly because of the salt accord. oh. My. Gosh. Reveal actually revealed itself to me at long last! It is a thing of beauty and absolutely shines in the heat and humidity! It's both calming and sexy and I just can't stop sniffing my arm. GORGEOUS!!! So this is a LOVE, but only in high heat and humidity. Oh and it's definitely unisex.

It’s intriguing. Not sure whether to love it or not? On the one hand it feels quite addictive on the other hand the salt and pepper, or is it the marine accord? creates this salty fishy smell. If you smell it bluntly without sniffing out its nuances. But it’s still alluring somehow? I understand its name ‘reveal’. As it tends to reveal itself to you but not at once. I’ve been reaching for this as I’ve been craving something salty. I got this for a bargain price for those in the UK, £25 for 100ml at Savers. I like that I can spray with some abandon. Edit: 12/0/24. Discountinued, online at savers too. My local never had it anyway, I got it in Suffolk, uk locally. May have to back up if they have any left but the 100ml will last sufficiently. It definitely grew on me so would be sad to no longer have this. But don’t want stale perfume either. So may just enjoy the bottle I have whilst it lasts!

I've always seen this scent as a stronger and woodier version of the Shea fragranced range by The Body Shop. It also shares some of its character with Lalique's Living Lalique (seriously, is that stuff called Living or Living Lalique? Really...), so if you like that but are not so keen on lavender (raises hand), maybe give this a go. And in the base of Reveal I find a hint of Mugler's Angel. I don't reach for this very often, I fall in and out of love with it. My main chagrin with this EDP is the simple fact that it doesn't keep too well. When it's fresh, it's marvelous, but once it's turned a little - which seemingly happens with no rhyme nor reason (living in dank, drizzly England, store my fragrance with care) - you get a horrid blast of pungent alcohol upon application, which then must pass in order for you to enjoy and appreciate the scent. But by that point the damage is done.

Wow, Reveal! Where have you been? I’ve been all over the place with beach, salty, vanilla, amber, etc...in the search for this. Yes, it will remind you of a deep almost masculine or vintage type of scent at first, but within 10 seconds it smooths out into heaven. Warm, spicy, but with this liquidy undercurrent of sweet ambery goodness. It morphs over time to develop the salty marine thing but it’s subtle and warm. Great longevity, stays on clothes for days... Derek Lam 2am Kiss shares some features of this but that one is more harsh and not as crowd-friendly IMO... This has character without being a bomb, and everyone I know/care about loves it on me. When I had bad allergies years ago I tried this and couldn’t detect the sweetness, only pepper. It bothered my nose and I didn’t understand the magic. I’m so glad my olfactory sense healed up so I can enjoy this now!

I was very intrigued by the notes and especially by the very opposite opinions on this perfume. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a full bottle but secondhand for only $ 20 CAD, I didn't have much to lose. I am very happy because on me I do not really get the Peppery note and slightly the salty note. It thrives more on the sandalwood side, very creamy as I like my sandalwood. Upon the first spray it smells a little bit strong but dries down very soft and woody. I really like it but I see from reading the comments that it can be very different from a skin to another. It reminds me a little bit of EL Sensuous, which I had in the past and got rid of but after selling it, I had regrets. I think this one gives me the soft creamy sandalwood sent I was missing, a beautiful little gem added to my collection.

Um, yes please! I love this!!! Looking at the notes, it's hard to know what to expect, but I decided to trust all the rave reviews knowing I like cozy, warm, clean skin scents and I really enjoy ambergris. I should say that I'm not sensitive to pepper notes in my fragrance but even I was worried about the triple pepper opening beforehand. I actually don't find it to be too much and it adds some interest and feels well blended. This turns into a creamy, cozy, fuzzy, warm, slightly sweet, your skin but better, delectable scent. It's 30C today with high humidity and this scent is working well for me and I can still smell it at the 5 hour mark. Edit 9/22/2022: This is my #1 perfume of all I have tried to date. I never would have guessed from the notes. It just works for me. Very sad it's discontinued!