Bottle Design:
Stephen Weiss

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Chaos DKNY 1996 Eau de Parfum

Version from 1996

8.5 / 10 23 Ratings

A popular perfume by DKNY for women, released in 1996. The scent is spicy-oriental. The longevity is above-average. It was last marketed by Estēe Lauder Companies.
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Main accords

Spicy

Oriental

Smoky

Woody

Resinous

Fragrance Notes

Frankincense Saffron

Saffron

Amber

Cardamom

Cinnamon

Clove

Lavender

Sandalwood

Chamomile

Coriander

Musk

Sage

Perfumers

Jean-Claude Delville, IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances)

Ratings

Scent

8.523 Ratings

Longevity

8.120 Ratings

Sillage

7.720 Ratings

Bottle

7.518 Ratings

Submitted by Sniffer · last update on 08/17/2023.

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Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Chaos (1996) Parfum

Reviews

4 in-depth fragrance descriptions

02/24/2022

10Scent

TURQUOISE
27 Reviews

TURQUOISE

Helpful Review 3

Perfection not Chaos

Very rare creation absolutely unique and beautifully balanced, nothing chaotic about it.
My nose perceives the most harmonious fresh foral spicy blend I've ever came across.
So soft and cozy yet so luscious filled with intoxicating images, making you feel like you have somekind of deja-vu.
Yes.. Chaos is the perfume you always carried inside you, and when your senses inhale it for the first, you recognise it and feel the urge to embrace it, like the long lost child you have in you.

Updated on 02/24/2022

04/12/2021

9Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

Conchi2019
17 Reviews

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Conchi2019

Top Review 9

Ibiza/Chaos 1999

This fragrance was shown to me by a good friend back then. Her words, I still hear them today, "this is something different." I then spent a good two weeks mulling over my purchase decision. In the summer of '99, I also traveled to Ibiza for the first time, and it was with me, but it never became a great love. Thus, I didn't buy it again, and eventually, it was forgotten, until 20 years later when I made my debut on Parfumo and suddenly remembered this little dream and realized that I hadn't understood this fragrance properly back then.
The disappointment was all the greater when I noticed that it is no longer in production.

Chaos is a wonderfully spicy, charismatic fragrance with a whisper of sweetness. Not playful at all and very mature. I simply missed the remake.
In retrospect, a classic for me personally.

Many thanks to two nice Parfumo/as who refreshed my fragrance memory with small samples.

Addendum:
In the meantime, I am allowed to call a bottle my own again.

Updated on 08/17/2023

03/02/2021

8Scent 7Longevity 6Sillage

Vrabec
70 Reviews

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Vrabec

Very helpful Review 6

Strangely Current Cuddle Cats - Animalic

1996 - my birth year. Accordingly, I am a bit too young to know classics like this one, as well as usually too young to appreciate them. Because I grew up during the great aquatic and later tonka wave. Not that I would greatly appreciate these, but most fragrances from before my time simply smell outdated to me. Strangely, not the early Western oriental interpretations, like Chaos by Donna Karan, which I find exceptionally good. Unfortunately, I do not know the 2008 remake. But it is very exciting how current this smells and how many men's perfumes today are surprisingly similar to this one.
The fragrance starts with a very alcoholic whisky note, but the alcohol quickly evaporates while the bourbon bite remains. Frankincense settles on top, cardamom scratches mildly, clove and musk bring a beautifully mild animalic scent that I have rarely smelled so well done. Nothing here irritates the nose, nothing smells like a stable or urinous, much more simply pleasant and wonderfully cuddly. It fits wonderfully with the unsweetened amber accord, which is not groundbreaking but noticeable and should not be neglected in the overall impression. Saffron and chamomile always round off fragrances wonderfully, bringing something warm, steamy, and at the same time soothing, here it seems to beautifully cover the dryness of the cinnamon. In my opinion, this is often overdosed and makes fragrances quickly unbearable as soon as the temperature rises above 15 degrees, but here it is very finely woven. In general, all scent impressions blend wonderfully into one another, are finely tuned, and yet each note is classically recognizable. The result is a mild oriental fragrance by Western standards with gentle radiance. It is less about a smoky candidate and more about a softly spicy one, but without appearing greasy. Because despite all this, it develops something light and elegant. In the drydown, the notes settle and merge into a warm, spicy unity. A mild candle wax note also joins in.
Only here in the drydown do I understand the women's fragrance, why it must be one!
It is a purring Siamese kitten, which despite its cuddliness does not lose a bit of majesty and still carries the risk of a flying claw despite its soft, clean fur.

I thank Mörderbiene for this wonderful travel letter through which I was able to get to know this fragrance.

05/13/2020

8.5Scent 10Longevity 9Sillage

Pollita
386 Reviews

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Pollita

Top Review 27

Not for Little Girls

I can hardly believe I get to experience this. The original Chaos by Donna Karan! I didn't even know there was a remake in 2008, but I still vividly remember the crystal bottle from the nineties. It was often presented alongside Chopard's Wish, which also came in a similar bottle and still does today. I admit, I don't even know if I had tested Chaos back then, but I quickly chose Wish since I already had a hit from Chopard in my collection with Casmir. I have always eyed Chaos with interest, but probably never tried it myself.

Thanks to Mörderbiene, I was able to catch up on this now, and I say thank you, thank you, thank you! Although not so prominently featured here on Parfumo, Chaos was considered a superstar in my former home and forum! And I can fully understand that now. What I don't understand is why it was only on the market for so few years. But let's take it step by step.

Chaos is a spice bomb par excellence. Right from the start, I can detect lavender, cardamom, and clove. The cinnamon remains relatively unsweetened, which I like, as overly sweet cinnamon scents tend to drift into the cloyingly feminine territory for me. Sandalwood and coriander give the fragrance a woody twist. Amber and musk provide a slightly underlying sweetness, which is always kept in check by the incense. The saffron is so well integrated here that it doesn't annoy me at all, and I looked for chamomile but couldn't find it. So we have a true spice powerhouse. The sillage is clearly in the upper range, and I immediately think of Dior's Poison and its ilk. Chaos plays in that league too. I envision it on a woman with plenty of spice in her step, who knows when she enters a room that she is in charge. In principle, I would say it’s never ever office-appropriate, but on a charismatic boss in a reasonable dose, why not!

The fragrance has such a presence that the person and her outfit must absolutely match. Otherwise, it just doesn’t fit. Primarily, I see this scent more for the evening, but here too, the appropriate wardrobe plus ruthless self-confidence is needed. Chaos may be a lot, but it is not for little girls.
Due to the incense, which likes to take the lead in the fragrance and thus provides a nice unsweetened quality, this scent appeals to me much more than comparable heavy hitters from the eighties. There are also relatively few floral notes used here, which I appreciate. This association with a matron, which I often have with overly cloying and opulent floral scents, is absent here. Instead, I see the attractive, self-assured power woman, and I find the scent strong but never unpleasant or overwhelming.

Unfortunately, I can't say anything about the current version, as I am not familiar with it. But the short lifespan of this fragrance on the market is an absolute mystery to me. It plays in the league of Poison, Aromatics Elixir, Must de Cartier, or Obelisk. Fans of these fragrances should all perk up their ears now. And I don't just mean the power women among you. It also suits bold men who have a penchant for this kind of classic. Must try!

A big thank you to Mörderbiene for the opportunity to test this.

Updated on 05/13/2020