212 VIP vs 1 Million Fragrance Comparison

n this head to head fragrance comparison, I want to take a look at two of the most popular nightlife fragrances for guys, 212 VIP by Carolina Herrera vs. 1 Million by Paco Rabanne. 1 Million has been a best seller for over a decade and is the more famous scent, but is it actually better than 212 VIP? Which has the best aroma? Which lasts longer? Projects better? Is the top buy?

Tale of the Tape

212 VIP

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

Read my review: 212 VIP

1 Million

Notes include: Mint, Grapefruit, Rose, Patchouli, Amber, Cinnamon, White woods, Blond leather, Blood orange, Spice notes

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne 1 Million By Paco Rabanne For Men Edt Spray, 3.4 Ounce

Read my review: 1 Million

Opening

1 Million opens up and let’s you know it’s arrived in a big way. It starts off with leather, rose, and citrus notes of grapefruit and blood orange. It is a sweet and warm aroma surrounded by amber and dotted with cinnamon spice.

212 VIP opens up with boozy spice and sweet notes. It’s led initially by vodka, with some fruity top notes, but more of the mint, pepper, ginger, and tonka bean. 212 VIP also has a warm and quite a loud disposition.

Which do I prefer? I actually really like both of them. However, the vodka note in VIP puts some people off to this fragrance. It does settle down, but 1 Million is probably slightly more enjoyable from the start.

Edge: 1 Million

Projection

1 Million is pretty legendary for its massive sillage. That stuff can project extremely well, which is why it’s been such a popular club fragrance.

However, 212 VIP, is one of the fragrances that can absolutely go toe to toe with 1 Million with its performance. It’s also a beast and I don’t find either to have the upper hand, here.

Update: Newer bottles of 1 Million aren’t as strong. So, this went from being a tie to advantage VIP.

Edge: 212 VIP

Longevity

212 VIP is good for 8+ hours. Usually, it is over 10 without a problem, but it does have days where it dips into 8. Depends on the climate and body chemistry. 1 Million, always gets me over 10 hours of wear, and it’s not unheard of to go 13-15 at times.

Update: Newer bottles of 1 Million go only 8-9 hours on my skin. 212 VIP is now the stronger.

Edge: 212 VIP

Versatility

So, both of these fragrances are best in colder weather, and are great in the nightlife. They also, cater mostly to the younger crowd. 212 VIP is pretty much limited to the bar/club scene, that’s what it’s named for, and what it excels at.

I have a full bottle of the stuff, but don’t really wear it outside of that situation. 1 Million is similar, but it can venture into other areas of life, if you go light with it.

Edge: 1 Million

Overall Scent

I enjoy wearing either one of these colognes, on occasion. Neither is a daily wear for me, but are really fun scents to break out, from time to time.

212 VIP is brash and loud and not for everyone. It is like an alcoholic drink centered around vodka. It’s sweet with a spicy kick and a warm enveloping aroma. I totally dig it, and it’s one that I love to spray on when I’m feeling bold, and want to go enjoy myself.

However, it’s a step below 1 Million. The mint, leather, rose, and general dynamism of this cologne is simply great. It’s much more well known than the Carolina Herrera cologne, but it is still a better scent, with a bit more performance and versatility (older bottles).

Is 1 Million way better? Not really. If I had to wear one or the other on 10 separate occasions, I’d pick the Paco Rabanne 6 times probably.

Winner: 1 Million

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.