Chaos 1996

Chaos (1996) by Donna Karan is one of the biggest unicorns in perfumery, I would even say that it is the "shooting star" of perfumery. You rarely see it, and if you ever do, you can consider yourself lucky. Its scent is not only original, but precursor. Saffron, incense and sandalwood are the soul, spirit and body of this perfume, playing the main roles throughout its development. Its opening is essentially spicy. A profusion of spices, flowers and herbs, whose aspect is not fresh or bright, but voluptuous. The saffron and coriander rise, to maintain their spicy path, almost fresh, if it were not for the cinnamon, which gives its heat to the composition. As the fragrance develops, the labdanum joins the spices - further enriching the incense/balsamic/resinous aspect of the perfume. This moment is simply a delight. In the drydown, the coriander and saffron slowly disappear, while the cinnamon remains, very soft, joining the base of sandalwood, incense and musk - maintaining all the incense, woody, and now musky aura of the perfume. Chaos is an intriguing incense. It is not smoky and dry, but moist, like a vapor of spices and woods... it envelops you in a resinous but soft mist... spicy but cozy. The result is a beautifully balanced, elegant and mature oriental. A fragrance that evokes the ancient world. I remember when I used it for the first time, and when my mother felt it she said:: "It feels like I'm on top of a pyramid". Labdanum is a very interesting note; in Ancient Egypt this aromatic resin was widely used and associated with the strength, power and spirituality of the pharaohs. Created by perfumer Jean-Claude Delville, this perfume was a gift, a declaration of love, from artist Stephan Weiss to his then wife Donna Karan. Just like the brand's first perfume, Stephan Weiss was also responsible for the design of the bottle: an exquisite postmodernist work, where he rejects symmetry to create a kind of pointed crystal. Different, daring, and beautiful. Black Cashmere (2002), also by Donna Karan, is undoubtedly inspired by Chaos, with some different accords, but essentially the same. I believe that Donna Karan paid tribute to her husband, as it was released the year after his death, right after Chaos was discontinued. To keep the essence of this love alive, and to overcome her loss, she sealed it in a black oval bottle, inspired by the onyx stone - powerful and full of meaning. The complexity and originality of Chaos in its year of launch, 1996, only reinforces how its creation was a milestone in perfumery, even if little recognized. There was nothing like it before its creation, and being marketed as a designer, its essence is predominantly niche. Although it is not exactly a challenging perfume, it requires a certain maturity to appreciate and wear it. They say that stars are born from chaos, but also the best ideas, change, and innovation. Chaos reflects all of this, from the bottle to the fragrance in yet another liquid work of art that I am passionate about.

I won’t get this beautiful scent if I didn’t see other member’s wardrobe who luckily enough for me... lives in the same country as me. She has Donna Karan Chaos on her wardrobe, so I called her to ask where she bought the original version and hope that she would help me find one. There’s a time when she thought that I’m not too serious to buy the scent, but one day she really called me & said that the store still have 2 bottles of Chaos. So I asked her to buy one for me . The Internet has done a wonderful job for some people to search & buy “hard to find” perfume but sometimes I see a lot of ridiculous price for Donna Karan vintage on evilbay. So why did Donna Karan gave Chaos‘ label for her fourth perfume? It’s not the scent but the original flacon that represent the CHAOS’ label. Stephan Weiss (her husband) has done a wonderful job to make this Post Modernism flacon. He refused the symmetry design & choose the disharmonious concept to create a shaped like a tall stalactite’s crystal. I know that the reissued chaos which was released in 2008 has the same smell as the 1996 edition, but the 2008’s flacon that use the same chaos’ label is meaningless now. A “niche wannabe” flacon that is sold only in selected store & labeled it as exclusive essences. Well, let’s stop about this architectural design non sense & talks about the scent... Chaos’ notes are all about spice, spice & spices. Coriander has the main role for the opening blast of the scent and its smell just like Comme Des Garcons with a half power of projection. While CDG is a linier scent with overdose coriander mixed with other spices on my skin, on the other hand chaos still used the classical three-phase perfume structures. I can smell the smooth transition from the top notes to the heart notes, the coriander enter the heart note accompanied by the main note saffron. Both of them play a good role for the scent development, when the coriander fade away slowly, then comes cinnamon to give extra vibe to the saffron note. After half an hour finally I could not detect anymore the coriander note on my skin. The heart note is the best part of Chaos. The king of all spices: Saffron , this one put a smile on my face. You may call me freak... but my nose is 0,3mm from my arm, I take a deep breath to feel this smoothness’ note and breath it out slowly . More than 10 times I did this “abnormal” activity :). And again, the warmth of musk covered the saffron (which become so light) on the transition from the heart to the base. For about 5 hours, the saffron & a hint of musk still lingering on my skin. The Longevity & sillage of this scent are moderate but the scent development is marvellous & the original flacon is masterpiece.

I may finally have found the ultimate saffron perfume! This vintage sample of Donna Karan CHAOS offers a hefty core of saffron which is buttressed by a variety of dark oriental elements to produce a gorgeous tapestry of scents. The saffron dominates from start to finish on my skin, but there is so much more going on than just that note, which swirls together with wood, incense, and herbs in an enticing and magical way. I have been dissatisfied with some other saffron perfumes, including AP SAFRAN TROUBLANT, which strikes me as a Demeter-like culinary facsimile of saffron rice. I really do love the inviting aroma of saffron rice—but in the kitchen, not on my skin! Other compositions I've tried have been more complex but unbalanced or incoherent. Still others boast saffron as a note though it remains hidden from my nose. CHAOS manages to avoid all of these mistakes. The only real complaint I could even begin to make would be that the perfume seems to me to be misnamed, as this composition is not at all chaotic. That's no criticism of this beautiful perfume, though, which has fairly big sillage and excellent longevity on top of everything else. If it is true, as some have suggested, that the recent re-launch is of the original CHAOS formula, I'll definitely be adding this splendid creation to my collection!

With the complexity of woods and spices what would to be described as? what comes to your mind? for me it makes me think of a warm cup of chamomile and cinnamon tea that's what would i describe it. Cinnamon is the base of the perfume for top middle and base notes which it's dominates also dries a bit to allow saffron with it's velvet and spice and woods scent to drift though don't underestimate the delicate chamomile flower it may be withe but stands on it's own with it's strong herbal note. Carnation with powdery nuances starts the middle heart of the fragrance dries to the bottom of the notes with dry unsweetened sandalwood powdery vanilla and musk. i would compare chaos and issey's Le feu d,issey the dry bread scents because they lack the oily texture that is used in most perfumes and give it a more natural aroma healthier a bit more outdoorsy feel then most designer perfumes one of the unique pieces in my collection.

As I mentioned before, saffron is traditionally a Christams spice in Sweden. The saffron note in Chaos dosn ́t really remind so much of Christmas tough. I think the name is really suitable for this fragrance because it is rather much going on in it. I got a very clean soapy smell from it, but on the other hand it is warm and spicy and just a little dirty. It changes a lot and I get very excited waiting on what to come next. I have a small sample of the new formulation, so I have no idea how the original smells, but I guess it isn ́t that big different? It is intriguing, original and pleasant. Another of them kind of glowing fragrances that I like so much. The basenotes are smoky, kind of rich smelling incense, woods and musk. I would very much like to get my hands on a big bottle of it. I do recommend it and it is a must try, lovely, fresh and very exciting.

The first perfume I truly loved, the first that felt like me. Of course it was almost immediately discontinued. What had been my signature became a special occasion fragrance & then, as it got more rare, became very special occasion indeed. Still have a precious inch. It did seem at the time that everyone else loathed it. That my love is now validated is small comfort next to not having loads it. Sparked a thirst for what were then odd woods. For a while could only be sated (somewhat) by Bvlgari Black. Now the options are legion. But you never forget your first. Olivia Giacobetti’s Idole for Lubin is not a dupe but there is a stage early on that’s reminiscent enough of a later stage of Chaos that I seize with nostalgia every time I get there. Idole is more piratical, less meditative. But the saffron & spices still weave Chaos magic.

Sandalwood is the genie that first pops out of the Chaos vial when it's opened. Big, bold, warm sandalwood that flies around the room and announces its presence in no uncertain terms. After 10 minutes or so it calms down and lets the other, lesser genies take over. The coriander is very much in evidence, eventually combining with the sandalwood to give that slightly sweaty aroma that evokes a hot summer night - in the best of all possible ways. It was this note that first turned me onto Samsara. This is one of those perfumes that seems to be coming from somewhere across the room until you realize that you're really smelling your own sillage. The drydown eventually ends in a beautiful white musk. Chaos was love at first sniff, and I'm a little dismayed to think that I may have to get more than just my tiny sample.

When I purchased Black Cashmere The Sales rep gave me 2 mini samples and a 5ml spray. This to my nose is somewhat of a fusion of DK Gold and a little Black Cashmere. It is warm, a little sweet, heady and oppulent. I wore this on a cold night on friday and was told by a delightful young woman that she could find me anywhere by my scent and that she just LOVED IT, a couple of my manly friends mentioned I smelled nice too. I found the longevity of this very good and the scent journey beautiful. I dont feel that the ingedients list is complete. this frag is a bit richer than these ingredients seem able to muster. The base notes have more oomph than musk and sandalwood. I would have anticipated amber or tonka bean and a middle note of Labdanum.

I am such a novice and not nearly as eloquent in reviewing as some of you on here. This is my first review. Chaos is my favorite fragrance. I got it as a a gift about 17 years ago. I got compliments on it every single time I wore it, men and women both would stop me and ask me what I was wearing. When they discontinued it I was sick about it. Chaos has a cult like following and bottles of the original sell for upwards of $200 on auction sites. A few yrs ago, Donna Karan came out with it again. People say it isn't the same, but I bought some from the Donna Karan website (the only place I believe you can get it). It was pricey, but oh so worth it. It smelled the same to me. I love it, just a beautiful scent.

I came here to say I read that SJP Stash had some DK Chaos elements to it and it definitely does!! I bought Stash just for that reason. It is not exact but the vibes are there. This is coming from someone who wore this fragrance almost daily up until and a little after discontinuation. I used to be so jealous of my friend’s mom who had grown up money to buy those rare pricey bottles. One of my all time loves and would almost pay the prices they ask today...almost. This was so innovative for ‘96. Definitely agree with the fizzy spicy incense comments below. It also had a coldness about it. I think that is where Stash differs, it feels warm to me.

The first time I smelled this, Janes Addiction, "The Mountain Song," came crashing into my head. No other fragrance has ever given me such a powerful reaction, but I was poor and struggling. Every time I needed to be somewhere important, I would stop by the mall to raid the tester at the fragrance counter This is the most empowering fragrance I have ever worn. When I need to remember that there's nobody bad like me, this is what reminds me. It was discontinued before I was able to snag a bottle, and the reformulation just didn't completely do it for me. Still a goal to own this. Nothing else compares....

This has driven me nuts all day !! I hadn't used it in a while - it still is such a warm spicy-woody-ambery-cinnamon smell! And by warm i mean it literally gives the impression of warmth! However, we've been having 35 degrees Celcius in Athens today, and i just realized that such picant smells blossom in the heat!! They usually smell better now, than on cold winter days.. Plus, they suit our mood better: In winter i prefer grapefruit to cheer me up, for example! Summing up: Splendid coriander-sandalwood-amber-cinnamon scent! Plus, we don't know many perfumes that last a good 16 hours, do we..???

I just aquired a huge bottle of Chaos by Donna Karan, the re-edition in the tall black bottle and is a part of the 'Essence' range, thinking it's the original Chaos fragrance which I never smelled. Oddly, I actually think the new Chaos is the mixture of 80% dark, woodsy-nutmeg-clove heaven Black Cashmere + 20% sweet and creamy spice and benzoin Theorema. So if you're trying to hunt down the original Chaos, I recommend you go for the re-issued one that can be purchased in UK department stores for £55 / 100ml Eau de Parfum. I actually got mine on ebay for half as much.

Agree with Vegas Pauli, when I worked in Fragrance way back WHEN, NOBODY liked this. I think it was ahead of it's time. I loved it and still have a bottle now. It is still great. You DO have to be in the mood for this. It's not just an 'easy breezy' wear. I did recently smell SJP's Stash, and am happy to find that the incense, and smoke category is baaaaccck. Well, I don't know who will like it this time around, ( I think there are more of us..eh?). For all the Chaos lovers out there, happy sniffing.

😨I bought my mother Chaos by Donna Karen with my employee discount when I worked at Saks Fifth Ave. department store in Dallas, Tx. I only paid around $50 dollars for a 100 ml bottle and I wished I bought her two bottles. My mom loved, loved this fragrance she loved the woody notes to it. My mother used up the bottle up within two years. I now live in Los Angeles, CA if and when I ever do meet fashion designer DONNA KAREN herself I'm going to ask her to bring this iconic fragrance back dammit!

An update: I bought this Chaos edp 50ml back in 1997, I got pregnant and suddenly didn't like it anymore, so I gave it to my mum. But, today she gave it back to me :D There is about 10ml left, and it still smells great after 21 years in my mums (86y) cold bedroom :)) The sharp coriander is dominating, and yes, it's defently an incense note there, and then there is the cinnamon, and I can smell the amber and musk. And, it beholds a lot of good memories!

Chaos. Oh, why did I sell you? When Chaos was discontinued, I sold two bottles for a pretty penny on Ebay. Now I wish I hadn't because the original Chaos was so good. And, why isn't incense listed as a note? This is an incense frag, make no mistake. If you are looking for a dupe, I'd say Solstice Scents Scrying Smoke comes pretty darn close. It has that same "just opened a can of cola" accord. You'll know what I mean if you remember the original.

I received this fragrance NIB from a collector who no longer wanted it and didn't have the energy to sell it. I was *this* close to opening it myself when I decided to look it up... And I'm glad I did! I had no idea I was holding a long-discontinued, coveted treasure. I know this scent profile isn't my personal cup of tea, so I listed it on eBay so someone who truly wants it can enjoy (/luxuriate in) it. It's 30ml, NIB, under my same username!

Is the one that Neiman's offers the same as the 1996 original??? This is unforgettable. It is def unisex! Edit: 7/30/17 I have been sampling Idole by Lubin, and it is very very close to my beloved long-lost CHAOS! Similar enough to buy a bottle. I do love the re-launch in the black cylindrical bottle, but I agree with other reviewers that is isn't quite as strong. But Idole is worth a sniff if you love the original CHAOS!

I used to wear this in my thirties, together with Donna Karan and Black Cashmere. Then they all disappeared. Unparalleled dark, mysterious, spicy woods and resins. My all-time favourites.

This has been re-released via Bergdorf Goodman. I ordered it and it is ALMOST identical to the original which was kept secret when Donna sold out to Lauder. One size only and $85.

I got my Gap OM today. Upon sprayed on my wrist, it immediately remind me of Chaos. Just softer and creamier. Love both. I think there's plum in it but couldn't find in the list.

I bought it than many years ago, because I liked it. Than suddenly I didn't and gave it away to my mother. Agree with you, I shouldn't, cause today I would have loved to have it

I simply LOVE this perfume! I have a bottle I've had for years and am down to my very last few sprays of it and will be scouring the net for a replacement bottle!

I don't understand why it's discontinued. It was my signature frag. Smells a bit like cola. Fresh, crisp. We want it back!

This is a review of the 2011 re-issue: A warm spice blend, redolent of cinammon and what reminds me of clove, stays close to the skin and remains pure throughout. As the fragrance develops, a warm, almost honey-like note joins the spices - not enough to make this truly sweet, nor a gourmand, but just enough to warm the scent and keep it from being to dry. The sandalwood and musk lend the same warmth, with added depth. All in all an interesting spicy scent, that somehow remains close to the skin, and has quite good longevity as well. Based on this trial, I will be purchasing the Long Lost Perfume version of Chaos, which I understand is an excellent version and very much like the original. (The prices of the vintage version, and of the re-issue, are too much for my pocket-book).

Gorgeous. An extraordinarily beautiful creation. I still have a little bit of this precious potion left in the original crystal bottle. I bought it for someone else who (unbelievably) couldn't get on with it - she very kindly gave it back and I started wearing it. Others have described it well in the reviews; intensley fruitcakey, slightly oily, sweet n' sour, musky unisex aroma that lasts days. 'Masterpiece' is a bit of an overused word...but this surely deserves that title. Amazing stuff.

New Chaos has just arrived today! I was so excited to find the new limitted collection of Chaos at www.johnlewis.com and www.harveynichols.com. Chaos is VERY DIFFERENT from any other perfumes, but a bit similar to Donna Karan Black Cashmere... When I sniff Chaos it reminds me of Black Cashmere, but without the special wood notes. I love both!

It's a very strange smell,certainly not for all tastes.In my country it's been discontinued for a decade,but I know many momen insist on wearing it.

Not for me. I'm not a fan of spicy orientals generally however one of my all time favourites is classed as an oriental (Chanel Allure) so I never rule them out if they receive great reviews. I have a sample, it's certainly not as overpowering as some orientals can be, but I'm not enjoying it.

After all the good reviews I was curious about this and thought this could be of my likes, but what I found was a rather uninteresting perfume.

While I do not have enough money to buy a full bottle of this one (even if I could find one), I can't help but say that this perfume just may be worth the money. Oh, to have all the money I wanted to spend on perfume! Oh well..Chaos is beautiful. I agree that there is a hint of Black Cashmere in this one. But it has a personality of its own as well. The top notes come in with a lovely tea scent, probably courtesy of the chamomile. In fact, the opening of this one is quite similar to Fendi's Theorama. As it is on the skin, it changes into an unusual spicy scent with a touch of saffron which adds an unusual twist. Once it dries down, it is a great clean (but in no way powdery), spicy, and slightly floral mix. It lasts and lasts on the skin but is never overpowering. Nor is it too sweet and is in no way a 'foody' scent. It is sexy, spicy and unusual. I suppose the high cost of this one is probably partially due to the allure of a discontinued scent. But the other part of its attraction is the fact that it makes you feel great when you wear it. Have you ever caught a beautiful note of perfume in the air and then figured out it was you? This is my experience each time I wear Chaos.

You know the old saying, "Don't know what you got till it's gone"? That about sums up my experience with Chaos. In 1998 I snagged a 100ml bottle at an outlet mall for...$25!!!!!!! I fell in love with its subtle warmth and spiciness. It was a great fall/winter scent that enveloped me in sensuality. That season I wore it every day to the point I was almost nauseated by that same subtle warmth and spiciness that endeared me to it. So I gave it to my mother who wore it a few weeks then she gave it to a patient at the nursing home she worked. Years later I felt a certain nostalgia for Chaos and when I looked for it on Ebay, I was appalled by the prices!! I wish I kept that bottle! I scored a sample vial from a swap and although it is the newer version it still gives me that same sultry feeling. Chaos reminds me in some ways of EL Sensuous. Not that they smell the same but they both exude understated sexiness.

Chaos Is not trutty fruity like many women's fragrances in today's market. It could have been worn by men. It's full with spices like saffron and cinnamon on my skin. It's very incensey and somewhat spicy with a little hint of oriental sweetness. There is nice sandalwood at the end but just a little musk, and the cinnamon loves to hang on. The closest thing that I can think of, as far as men's fragrances, is Kenzo Power. In fact, Kenzo Power is more feminine than this Donna Chaos. Believe it or not. Again, it is just my opinion. I found on today for $75 and I think it's still very pricey. I'll keep my eyes on it. Hopefully the prices will go down somehow.

Thanks to generosity of my friend, I tried a sample of Chaos a while ago.It evoked so many memories, because I knew this fragrance once, it was worn by a person I admired a lot and loved much.Thinking of that - it could not be Chaos, because I knew this person some years before Chaos was made.It was immediately one of the favorites. Chaos is rich, agressive,earthy, a statement of a scent. Here I am! - take it or leave it...I don`t know, which note makes it sound bitter - almost like it has artemisia in it, but it is genius.Feels like you are smelling the hot earth, dried out under the sun so much that only bitter herbs can grow on it.

Funny how when a fragrance gets discontinued, everyone raves about how great it is and what a shame it's gone. I worked retail when Chaos came out. Everyone, sales associates and customers, thought it smelled awful and we never sold a bottle. I remember it having a heavy plastic type smell mixed with smoky cloves. Different, but I clearly remember being confused as to what Donna Karan was thinking when she came out with it. It was gone a very short time later. Now its a cult classic with a rabid following? Absence makes the heart grow fonder I guess.

Sandalwood, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Padukwood, Agarwood, Saffron, Clove, Amber, Musk, Sage, Lavender, Camomile, Coriander. You must have the right attitude to wear this fragrance. It is bold, a bit loud and very very different from most fragrances. There is nothing feminine or soft about it, but it's still warm and layered. It is spices and wood and sharp herbs. Very intriguing, but also can be very hard to wear. Still, it's really a must-try for anyone considering them self a perfumista.

about 15 years ago i was given this faboulous scent but i am too shy to wear outdoor ,so i have made a mistake: throwing in a litter. it wasw love at first sight when it came to the bottle design. later -much much later -discovered the juice itself is peerless thing ! i am so desperate from now on but nothing is to blame but ME. if i had a money will buy the new series fro DK line ...but i know never give back this flacon again...this ship has failed... FOLKS : dont try this at home

In 1998 I was working in a hairdressing salon as an apprentice and this was the fragrance all the senior hairdressers wore . As an 18 year old it smelt so intoxicating and interesting. From memory it smelt a bit fizzy , cola like and spicy . It was yummy and just nice to be around the person wearing it . It’s a shame it’s long gone as I think it would definitely work in this current time and place ! Viva Chaos

Chaos is all about Spices. This one starts with a blast of coriander mixed with saffron, (but it isn't strong, on the contrary, it is a light spicy smell). and this combination goes on and on. At the end, we then have something resembling a leather note mixed with a hint of musk.

I happened to put the whole sample on me, just to figure what it is smell like. What I can say- Nothing special, not a perfume masterpiece. It doesn't have a staying power. peppery, powdery,not memorable. On a drydown is a bit bitter, but thanks in a good way.That's all.

I remember this! I remember the launch. Dr. Strangelove this one...such a quirky little thing, it was like a rubik's cube or a pandora's box or I dunno really how to describe it. I heard it was discontinued. Is that so? The Gods. Chaos. or something like that.....

I just bought this and . . . Yum. It's so unusual, and talk about lasting power! I had to buy the Chaos (type) oil on worldwideoils. I'm so happy they sell a lot of discontinued, otherwise I wouldn't have a chance to try them!

Wow! $1,000 on eBay! That’s outrageous and absolutely extortiate! Just because something is discontinued doesn’t mean it’s actually worth hundreds or $1,000. I hope no one actually spends that much to get this fragrance

I was given a sample of this back in the 90's along with Bal A Versailles; both I loved but unfortunately have not been able to get this one since....not wonderful enough to pay lots of money for though!

This is my all time favorite. Spicy is what I feel when I put it on. Everyone compliments me when I wear it. Truly a masterpiece and one of a kind scent. I cannot wait to find another huge bottle!

I had a sample of it, and frankly don't understand what is this all excitement about. I only smell just pepper and something dusty, may be a book-shelf. I wouldn't spend on that my money.

It is so expensive because it is discontinued. It has myth and legend behind it. Chaos is a fabulous zingy incense. Infact if you sniff Black Cashmere you get Chaos in the middle notes.

Favorite of all time. Lasts forever on skin. Its simply the best ever. 3 3.4 oz bottles is no lie. Signature is good too, but chaos, yaaas

What a unique qem this was. Way ahead of it’s time! I really would love to have this today in april 2020.