212 VIP Men by Carolina Herrera

Maybe I just haven’t been paying enough attention but I think that Carolina Herrera fragrances are criminally underrated. I have yet to come across a scent from this house that I didn’t at least like a bit. There aren’t too many designers that I can say that about. Recently, I bought a full bottle of 212 VIP, which seemed right up my alley based on the notes and the description of the cologne.

How does this one rate? What does it smell like? Does it have good longevity? Keep reading below for my full thoughts and reaction on 212 VIP for men.

What does 212 VIP Men Smell Like?

Notes include: caviar, lime, frozen mint, black pepper, vodka, ginger, amber, apple, King wood, tonka bean

Click here to try: 212 Vip by Carolina Herrera Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of 212 VIP for men starts with a smooth yet spicy blast of the vodka, tonka bean, amber, and pepper notes. Supporting roles come into play from the mint and lime which while not prominent, I think gives VIP a little extra something unique. It has a fizziness from gin, that really allows for it to develop that alcoholic drink personality, up top.

Once the initial spray passes, the passionfruit and lime, bring a fruity sharpness to 212 VIP Men. It has a very citrus appeal, with a refreshing spice, and comes together as a crisp/cold beverage.

After the initial stages, the sweetness of the tonka provides the slight vanilla aroma that blends well with the warmth of the amber. It sort of reminds me of The One by D&G in this regard, yet, these are wholly different scents.

Now, with the vodka note this does have that boozy feel to it, which is perfect for the nightlife…and it’s designed to be that way. As it dries down, I do sense more of the ginger as the spice and less of the original pepper from the opening which allows VIP to take on a different vibe.

I would say that the cologne definitely gets better as time wears on. 212 VIP softens up from the more intense opening but still retains its alluring sexiness.

The base notes of leather and wood, aren’t that strong here. You can pick them up hours into it, but they never really overtake the main ingredients.

Sillage, Longevity, and When to Wear

Projection wise, this stuff is great. A couple sprays were enough to have it be very noticeable without going into the realm of being too much.

It’s a loud and confident kind of fragrance. I get really good longevity out of this too, 8+ hours seems to be no problem thus far…so you do get some bang for your buck.

Update: The sillage on this, is really strong. 212 VIP can be a monster, so spray lightly. Once I grabbed a full bottle of this stuff, the projection absolutely dominates a room.

It does settle some, but is well above average for the rest of the way until VIP is done. It will routinely get me over 10 hours of wear, sometimes less, but it does its job well.

This is cold weather performer. I’ll be wearing this a lot during the wintertime, as it seems I’m always finding great scents to wear during this time of the year. This isn’t so much a casual fragrance. I mean, one or two sprays will probably be okay while at work but 212 VIP is built for nights out.

This is a club/bar banger, much like 1 Million but I’m finding VIP, to be the more mature and interesting of the two. Yes, this is a sexy, date night, lady attraction kind of cologne and I will be wearing it as such.

Really, outside of the club/bar scene, this fragrance hasn’t had much application for me. The strength and booziness can be prohibitive, in that regard, and it isn’t able to stray much outside of its niche.

Overall Impression of 212 VIP

Overall, do I think 212 VIP is worth a buy? Yes! I bought my bottle and am very glad that I did. It’s great across the board. It smells really good, it lasts a long time, it isn’t weak, and it’s amazing for nightlife.

Now, I do love a lot of scents that have that sweet tonka, warm ambery, boozy kind of feel to it…so, if that’s not your thing, you should probably go with something else. However, if you want a cold weather cologne that doesn’t let you down, I would strongly consider 212 VIP.

Update: This is still my favorite from the 212 line. I no longer have my full bottle, yet this is one I would want to wear every once in a while. If the price is right this can still be worth it.

Again, this stuff is powerful, and the vodka/gin is an integral part of its composition. You should consider it, if you’re younger and still involved in the bar/club scent. Outside of that, it probably won’t be much use to you.

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.