212 VIP Black by Carolina Herrera

I am a fan of the original 212 VIP from Carolina Herrera. In fact, I still have a full bottle of the stuff, that I break out on certain evenings when I want to project an air of boldness. It’s certainly not a cologne for everybody, but it is a club star.

So, when I had the chance to try out 212 VIP Black, I was really looking forward to it and wanted to see how they reinterpreted that boozy monster of a fragrance I so enjoy. How does VIP Black perform? What’s in it? What does it smell like? Is it worth a try?

What does 212 VIP Black Smell Like?

Notes include: absinthe, leather, lavender, musk, vanilla, amber, anise

Click here to try: Carolina Herrera 212 VIP Black Men Eau de Parfum 3.4oz / 100ml – Launched in 2017

My Full Wear Review

The opening of 212 VIP Black, like the original VIP, is a boozy sort of scent. Now, the original had some strong vodka, while Black opts for absinthe.

I’ve never actually drank absinthe, so the aroma is pretty new to me, but it still has a familiar alcohol scent to it. The absinthe is joined by a warm amber and a spicy anise, while still being flanked by sweet and smooth notes.

The opening does have a deeper and more intricate sort of aroma than the latter stages, which turns much more into a vanilla dominant mix.

The fresh greenish/herbal type of spice, with the other notes coming in and taking away some of the roughness.

Black is energetic yet smooth with an early emergence of lavender and just a hint of leather. Honestly, the leather really isn’t strong at all, and pretty faint.

Not only that, the vanilla lends a sweet creaminess which contrasts nicely off of the booze and pretty prominent amber. It does have a resemblance to the Pure XS fragrances by Paco Rabanne. Not entirely, but the whole structure is similar.

After the initial boozy wave, turns into a sweet sort of musky scent. Vanilla, amber, musk are the most noticeable to my nose.

It is a pretty soft fragrance with spice and some remnant booze that soaks through. Candy-like in a lot of ways, I guess sugary, and upbeat definitely a party sort of cologne.

I like a good vanilla and amber combination. Not the most exciting blend on the planet, but it’s nice with the musk. The lavender does hang around to give it that extra cleanliness and distinction, but it doesn’t show up as all that powerful for me.

Sillage, Longevity, and When to Wear

Projection wise, I found VIP Black to be light to moderate. The sillage isn’t huge at all and not anything like 212 VIP, in that regard.

This is a toned down kind of cologne versus the original and also doesn’t smell anything like it. A bit odd for a flanker. Anyway, I wouldn’t expect a complete club beast, but I don’t think it’s completely weak or anything.

The longevity was okay, but again, nothing monstrous. Actually, this was my biggest disappointment with this cologne.

Maybe 5-6 hours on my skin, with plenty of that time spent as a skin scent or with the sillage limited to a few feet. It’s crazy how much this doesn’t come close to the same level as its namesake.

Seasonally, I’d put this in the autumn/winter category. It’s probably too sweet and warm for the more humid months of the year, but since it’s a nighttime scent, you might be able to get away with it once the sun goes down.

VIP Black, like the original, is a clubbing type of scent. Again, just not a sillage monster. It is masculine, has some sex appeal, and will catch attention when someone is close to you.

VIP Black leans much more to being worn by a guy in his early to mid 20s. Not one for the office or more formal occasions. Casual, nightlife, and when the temperature drops. These are most of your options.

Overall Impressions 

Overall, do I like 212 VIP Black? It’s okay. I don’t find it to be all that special and I prefer 212 VIP over this Black edition. It’s really not all that intense and the longevity is okay but not beastly. I like the idea of the scent, but the execution wasn’t very inspiring.

Would I wear it? Sure. Would I buy it? Maybe once it hits the discount outlets. It’s a nice mix of spicy and sweet with a boozy top. This one seems to have developed somewhat of a fan base, like the original has done. To me, it’s decent and not much beyond that.

The absinthe is fairly interesting with the anise and other notes. I like the opening act, but it ends pretty boring. I like the scent. VIP Black wouldn’t be a bad buy for most guys at all. It’s solid, but I’m not even sure that I prefer it to the Paco Rabanne fragrances either.

If it sounds interesting to you, if you find it cheap…go for it. Full price? Probably not.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.