To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
genadii1970 – :
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 😀
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!
colowratslaw – :
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!
ghjklp – :
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
serega-ms – :
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.
armagedon_kr – :
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.
scosmonry – :
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….
mmitrofanov – :
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.
cgu079speagoessenda – :
best incense fragrance ever made.
vahramk – :
i had one. bought it when it was launched. loved it then and miss it today.
Le(3)x – :
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.
Rudokop – :
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.
paveltoff – :
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.
Deroxmcyez – :
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..???
aleks66 – :
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.
pasavlik – :
Aboslutly love this fragrance its warm and spicy with tons of incense( at least on my skin) you have to have be prepared to be noticed it is definetly at attention grabber.Longevity from what I remember was fantastic. This fragrance has a special place in my heart I first found out about this fragrance when I was about 12 or 13 at the department store and fell in love. I saved my money to try and buy a bottle at that age and when I had saved enough it had been discontinued. I was so heart broken. To this day I still love this fragrance and regret never being able to own a full bottle for myself. I am going to look into the ‘new’ reformulated one and pray it’s very close
Lily_fromAD – :
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!
fzs912Bessinepome – :
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
jlt052speagoessenda – :
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.
22rrr22 – :
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!
Slam Dunk – :
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).
zarembaanton – :
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.
Kornographya – :
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!
ruxamensa – :
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.
iliator_5 – :
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.
rik7788 – :
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.
dark32 – :
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.
stimdark – :
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.
Viktoruanec – :
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.
konstantin-boxer – :
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.
nekvit – :
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.
byvalyi – :
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…..
SalmAmaft – :
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.
Korostylev – :
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.
kubik666ru – :
Oh. My. God. If ever I loved a perfume, this one was it. Loved the bottle. Loved the scent. Loved the time in my life I wore it. Loved the young man who bought it for me and loved it, too. So NYC. So down-to-earth, modern, sexy. Whyyyyyyyy the heck did they discontinue this? I have no idea, because I know it had/has many devotees. Anyway, I think I would cry if I smelled it again. So, I just remember…and hope that someday, when I’m feeling strong enough- I’ll find it on the web somewhere. Peace to you, Chaos.
Dima3030 – :
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!
Beifatoexetle – :
irmashorell.net offers a replica of Chaos for a very reasonablble price called Anarchy. It’s not a knock-off, they bought the rights to the formula. They offer a 100% money back guarantee for any reason whatsoever. As the owner of the real Chaos & Anarchy, I can say the Shorell version smells the same, and seems to last longer on my skin !
MJ
TillDeetBuime – :
New Chaos has just arrived today!
I was so excited to find the new limitted collection of Chaos.
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!
caxar – :
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.
Tarvus – :
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.
anton0001 – :
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.
Samuel123 – :
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.
eugeny.rumyantzeff – :
truly decadent
i love it
had it a long time ago and crave to have it again
ivachko2009 – :
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.
slotmf001 – :
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!
bra2xa – :
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.
taxi.1965 – :
I would love to hear a review on this… I’ve never smelled it and it sells for hundreds of dollars online, so it must be special. Is it because it’s discontinued or because it smells so nice?
Cictimins – :
dear catherine, we do not sell perfumes. this is an informative and iteractive site about fragrances. 🙂