Carolina Herrera

212 VIP Men by Carolina Herrera

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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

212 VIP Herrera

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.

Update 2: I’m basing all of this on the original bottles, I’m not sure if it’s taken a step back.

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.

212 VIP Black by Carolina Herrera

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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.

212 by Carolina Herrera

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In today’s review post, I want to take a closer look at a reasonably priced fragrance for men, 212 by Carolina Herrera. I want to give an overview of its ingredients, my impressions of it, how it performs, and rate whether or not that I think it is worth a buy. Also, check out my post in the best Carolina Herrera colognes for men for more options that might suit your tastes better.

What does 212 by Carolina Herrera Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, sandalwood, bergamot, ginger, green notes, musk, spices, violet

Click here to try: 212 By Carolina Herrera For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

My Review

The opening of 212 is a rather unique blend of green notes, ginger, and grapefruit. This gives is a sort of grassy/floral scent at the start, which isn’t my favorite but it is moderate and short lived enough that it doesn’t distract from the overall scent which is very pleasant.

While this cologne is for men, it strikes me more as a unisex fragrance with enough musk and spice to make it lean slightly masculine.

It has quite a bit of citrus after the beginning, a commonplace bright and clean aroma, with ginger and pepper sitting underneath the grapefruit. I can’t pinpoint what other fragrance that 212 smells like, but it has a pretty generic scent, so to speak.

When wearing it, it’s like I’ve been here before, just with another scent. Then, 212 gets more interesting.

The dry down period is where 212 really begins to shine. The floral/green note is present during the whole way and the citrus scent from the grapefruit and bergamot takes on a support role.

Ginger is a strong element to this fragrance and gathers some of it warmth and spice from the musk. It’s a very clean scent overall. I pick up on those notes, herbal elements, and sandalwood.

However, one note that really come through for my nose is violet, like the actual flower and not violet leaf that is usually used. The floral element in 212 has a well-established place in the dry down, among the other grassy/outdoorsy smells that are present. I like this part, much more than the typical start.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

212 is a moderate fragrance in terms of projection. At first, it comes on pretty strong (in terms of projection) but quiets down later in the wear.

Also, it longevity is average, not bad but really not an all-day longevity champ either. I can get 5-7 hours out of this one, on my skin. This doesn’t hit the same level as some of the other Herrera colognes, that can be absolute beasts.

It is a versatile cologne that can be worn on any occasion but it is a better where for the warmer months of spring and summer.

212 for Men is a pleasant sort of cologne. You can wear it casually, to school or work, or any other situation in which you need something that doesn’t require much thought.

Overall Impressions of 212 Men

Is 212 worth a buy? Yes, it is a moderate, non-offensive scent that is affordable enough to be a value purchase. Carolina Herrera, has a whole line of great scents for men. I personally like CH or 212 VIP better than this one, but 212 for men is still a great pick for many guys.

It’s longevity isn’t the best nor is it very original, but it smells good enough and has decent performance. 212 is a good starter fragrance or one that you can go to whenever and not really have to worry about it.

CH Men by Carolina Herrera

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In this post, I would like to delve into a name, that I never got around to doing a review on. Well, apparently, this old name has a new formula and is basically a new cologne: CH Men by Carolina Herrera.

In this post, I want to explore what the notes are, how it smells, how it performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a purchase?

CH Men Overview

Notes include: violet leaves, grapefruit, cyclamen, saffron, cashmere, leather

Click here to try: Carolina Herrera CH Eau De Toilette Spray – 100ml/3.4oz

My Full Review

So, right off of the bat, CH Men has been reformulated and isn’t the same scent as it was before. The ingredients have changed significantly and I will be reviewing this newer version.

The opening of CH Men I get plenty of saffron, violet, and grapefruit. It is fresh with a bright fruity sweetness and grassy notes, that sit underneath it all. It’s clean and has a pretty unique aroma, yet feels familiar, like the structure is similar to other colognes but the individual notes are different.

As it moves along, CH Men becomes more of a green floral with woody notes emerging from the base. I get  mostly cashmere and I think some sandalwood is in there, as well.

Violet leaf and saffron are still the two main notes that hit my nose, with the secondary layer consisting of green grassy notes and spice.

The floral note here is cyclamen, which I’m not too familiar with how that smells, but perhaps is what is providing that green aroma.

Finally, there is a leather and woody base. It is smooth and masculine and provides a nice balance with the saffron and violet leaf. The grapefruit, at this stage, is pretty much gone completely.

So, what you’re left with is a green freshness led by saffron and violet leaf, with leathery woods, and with floral notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage is pretty light with CH Men. This is definitely a candidate for over-spraying the hell out of it.

I would double up each side of the neck and possibly once more. That way, you might get a better performance from it.

The longevity isn’t great either, about 4-5 hours, of light sillage. Maybe you could squeeze out and extra hour or two with heavy spraying, but I wouldn’t expect much more than that.

Seasonally, it’s one that seemingly can be worn year round, and fit in just fine. It is attractive and office safe, with the ability to venture into the nightlife, just won’t be a bold beast performer.

CH Men is the type of scent that will get complements, if you can get it to perform up to par.

Overall Impressions of CH Men

Overall, do I like CH Men? The smell of it is really good. I’m already a fan of saffron and leather, but Carolina Herrera takes it in a new, and appealing direction with this new formulation.

The only issue that I have, is the performance. I wish that it was stronger and would last on my skin, but it doesn’t seem to want to.

If you can get a good price for a bottle, it might be worth just doubling or tripling the sprays, as the scent itself is quite enjoyable.

CH Men Prive by Carolina Herrera

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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.

CH Men Prive Overview

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

My Full Review

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.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

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 attention.

Overall Impressions of CH Men Prive

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.