CH Men Prive by Carolina Herrera Cologne Review

Carolina Herrera is low key one of the best fragrance design houses out there, in my opinion. The 212 scents, such as 212 VIP and 212, are fantastic and distinct in their own ways. With so many positive experiences I’ve had trying out this designer’s line of fragrances, I always look forward to picking a new scent and giving it a wear. This time around it’s, CH Men Prive, which I gave a one time wear while at yet another duty free shop over in Europe.  I want to use this post to give my impressions of Prive and explore exactly what kind of fragrance it is.

 

Notes include: lavender, cardamom, sage, leather, whiskey, grapefruit, tonka bean, benzoin

Click here to try: Carolina Herrera Prive Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Fl Oz

 

Immediately, CH Men Prive, has me hooked by its scent. Leathery, boozy, tonka bean laden scents are among my favorite and Prive is right in that lane. 212 VIP also by Carolina Herrera, uses vodka as its alcohol of choice for an upbeat/club type of vibe, while Prive chooses whiskey with leather to create something darker and more mature. Prive is sort of like a cousin of Bvlgari’s Man in Black (which I wore heavily this past winter and even last Saturday night), as they share the leather, tonka, and benzoin notes but Man in Black uses rum as its booze note. I’d say that Man in Black is the spicier of the two, while Prive has that smooth/neat feel to it.

The leather is rich and warm and is paired very well with the whiskey note. However, it doesn’t seem to stray too far into the hyper-masculine arena, as Prive has a nice touch of sweetness to it. It’s not really a fruity sweetness or candy-like, more like a refined sugar. To me the benzoin note brings to mind, Kouros Body by YSL. The whiskey note isn’t overpowering and in fact starts to take a backseat after the initial opening. The vodka in 212 VIP and the rum in Man in Black are both much more prevalent than this whiskey of Prive.

I don’t know what the ‘wood’ note is in this cologne but I do detect one in the scent. I’d have to spend more time with it but it was a pleasant surprise.

Projection wise, it starts off pretty big but then ends up being fairly moderate. It’s not huge and overwhelming but you’ll know it’s there. The longevity is also pretty good, I got maybe 6-7 hours, when I wore it. Maybe it was the conditions, but it didn’t strike me as a powerhouse scent.

I could definitely wear this casually but like Man in Black, I would use it more for nightlife or for going out on dates. It’s a fall/winter scent but as long as it’s not too hot at night, it should hold up well in the evenings. CH Men Prive is dark and sensual and should attract plenty of female attention.

Overall, is CH Men Prive worth a buy? To me, yes. I hardly need another cold weather favorite, as I have so many options but Prive is really damn good. I don’t know if there’s a Carolina Herrera cologne that I hate and if there is it sure isn’t Prive. If you like well balanced, masculine scents, full of leathery goodness, then you’d do well to check this one out.