Calvin Klein
Defy
EDT · 2021 · medium weight
The note pyramid.
Notes as the brand lists them ↗ · checked 2026-10-18. Note families with five or more bottles have a page.
The accord balance.
Our weights, from 0 to 1. A guide to character.
- citrus0.60
- aromatic0.70
- aquatic0.00
- green0.30
- floral0.00
- spicy0.00
- woody0.60
- amber0.40
- sweet0.00
- leather0.00
- smoky0.00
- musky0.40
Where it fits.
Casual weekend
Defy is easygoing, aromatic and citrus, and works most of the year.
All-rounder
Defy works in all four seasons and many places, the one to grab when unsure.
Signature
Defy is aromatic and citrus with a clear character, good on most days.
Office safe
Defy is calm, aromatic and citrus, so it stays polite in a meeting room.
Try them together
Three pairings
The three highest pair scores among our checked bottles. Each score has a reason. Smell is personal; these rules are a starting point.
Mykonos
Inferno
86/100Inferno's tonka turns Defy's lavender warm and soft, and both carry amber.
Spray Inferno first (1 spray, chest, under your shirt), let it settle a minute, then Defy on top (2 sprays, neck and wrists).
Dior
Eau Sauvage
85/100Eau Sauvage puts bright bergamot over the vetiver in Defy, with lavender in both.
Spray Defy first (2 sprays, chest and neck), let it settle a minute, then Eau Sauvage on top (3 sprays, neck, wrists and a mist on your shirt).
Jean Paul Gaultier
Scandal Pour Homme
85/100Scandal Pour Homme's tonka bean turns Defy's lavender warm and soft, with clary sage in both.
Spray Scandal Pour Homme first (1 spray, chest, under your shirt), let it settle a minute, then Defy on top (2 sprays, neck and wrists).