Bad Boy by Carolina Herrera

Bad Boy was released by Carolina Herrera in 2019 and has become a rather popular fragrance. I’ve pretty much ignored it, up to this point in time. I have smelled it before, but really wasn’t that intrigued. But, with the release of Le Parfum, I figured I should get a hold of this one as well and do a full review. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is Bad Boy EDT worth a try?

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What does Bad Boy by Carolina Herrera Smell Like?

Notes include: white pepper, cocoa, sage, tonka bean, vetiver, pink pepper, grapefruit, and amber

Click here to try: Carolina Herrera Bad Boy EDT Eau de Toilette 3.4oz / 100ml For Men, Black

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My Full Review

This fragrance opens up sort of weird for me. On my skin, it resembles a honeycomb (like an actual honeycomb) dipped in amber and then sprinkled with pepper. Early on, I get very little citrus and almost no real sweetness to this scent.

Another thing that has stood out to me with Bad Boy EDT, is how different it can smell up close versus what I pick up in the air. Throughout the wear, if I smell it on my skin up close, I get amber, pepper, and sage mostly.

However, at a distance from my skin, it becomes much more about the tonka bean, cocoa, and other assorted notes. That aroma, I absolutely have started to really enjoy.

Now, the Carolina Herrera website lists black and white pepper as notes. Then, it lists the notes as white and pink pepper. I’m leaning towards it being pink pepper with more of a generic white pepper, not being involved. In either case, it wasn’t super prevalent.

What’s interesting to me, is how much citrus I pick up after 30 minutes or so. It’s a part of the top notes, but get almost zero on my skin at first. Then, it comes on and blends in that sweet tonka bean and cocoa mix.

I don’t think that Bad Boy is a really nuanced fragrance, but it is a strange one with how it develops and interacts with my skin. It can smell very different based on distance alone.

That’s what I get for most of the rest of the wear. A warm amber-soaked cocoa and tonka bean, sitting on top of a fairly woodsy base. Not super sweet, but with enough fresh spice hanging around to keep things balanced.

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Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Bad Boy isn’t a heavy fragrance, more of a moderate, but it has a consistency through the wear. It’s not one that opens up huge and then falls apart quickly. With a good amount of application it is going to hang around and be noticed by others.

I’d call it above average, but I think it sticks more in the 3-5 foot range for most of the wear, before becoming more intimate as you close in on the finish line.

The longevity is pretty decent, but not elite, by any means. For me, it’ll go for 7 hours and maybe a little bit more…but not quite 8 it seems. If it were pumped up a bit in performance, this would be a darn near classic, in the realm of youthful colognes with popular mass appeal.

Is it a super unique fragrance? Not really, as you’ve probably smelled other scents that have a similar vibe and style. However, this specific construction of notes is a bit different. It’s similar to many things, but not a straight match of anything that I can think of.

Seasonally, this would be best in autumn and winter. You could also wear it out at night, when the temperatures aren’t too high, just avoid the heat with this.

Bad Boy definitely skews younger, but since its more of a casual or nightlife wear, an older guy could absolutely wear this. I doubt most people would be trying to spray on Bad Boy when going to a business meeting.

This is more of a fun, somewhat sexy, and borderline party fragrance. Not to the same degree as something like 212 VIP, but this isn’t a stuffy formal wear.

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Overall Impressions of Bad Boy

Overall, do I like Bad Boy? I do. Wearing it a few times, made me really appreciate this fragrance for what it is. It’s not some niche masterpiece, but it is something that plenty of guys are going to enjoy (they already do).

Up close, it does smell a lot messier and synthetic than when you come across it floating in the air. That sweeter, amber/woody aroma is actually very attractive and something that I enjoyed catching off my skin during the day.

The performance is good, even if I’d like it amped up some more. Neither this nor Bad Boy Le Parfum are powerhouses.

Even still, I think that it has enough going for it to be a worthwhile fragrance to try. I don’t think it’s amazing, but it has its merits, and probably gets hated on way too much.

This is one of those colognes that will draw complements especially from those who dig a sweeter scent. This one is a good mix of the sweet and spicy. Not something that I’m personally going to run out and buy, but I like it.