carolina herrera

Bad Boy Cobalt by Carolina Herrera

by

Bad Boy is a series that Carolina Herrera seems to be staying with, though without the million flankers its Bad Girl line seems to get. Nonetheless, we do have another flanker scent on the men’s line this year (2022), Bad Boy Cobalt EDP Electrique.

How does this one smell? How long does it last? Is Bad Boy Cobalt actually worth a try?

Bad Boy Cobalt Overview

Notes include: pink pepper, geranium, lavender, black plum, truffle accord, vetiver

Click here to try: Bad Boy Cobalt

bad cobalt review

My Full Review

Here’s how Carolina Herrera describes it: Bad Boy Cobalt Eau de Parfum Électrique puts a bold new spin on the duality of modern masculinity – the concept that defines every Bad Boy fragrance. A fusion of mineral sexiness and wild freshness, this energizing and complex fragrance shows us Bad Boy at his most elegant, inspired to be himself and confident that anything is possible alongside his trusted friends.

I’m not a huge fan of either Bad Boy or Le Parfum. They’re both fine, but never blew me away. So, I really had no expectations of Cobalt. However, I saw plum and truffle listed as notes, which did intrigue me.

Cobalt starts off with a fresh spicy punch, that is boosted by the tart sweetness of the plum note. Pink pepper and geranium, really start this one off with a bang. Can kind of be too much, but this Bad Boy flanker will settle.

Geranium has an edge on my skin, early. But, that flips with the pink pepper and it will begin to diminish. Nice cool freshness.

The next phase sees the plum note really come into its own. It’s less tart in this stage, sweeter, and I do get the comparisons with 1 Million Lucky. These aren’t the same however, the plum is much more tolerable in Cobalt, also.

For me, the truffle here is much earthy and dirty versus having a sweeter or chocolate-like finish to it. I like it, gives the aroma a more naturalistic feel than it otherwise would.

This and the vetiver really help to temper the blend and keep it from going completely in that 1 Million Lucky direction.

At some point, about an hour in, the lavender takes over as the lead note for the plum. This is about what I get for the rest of the wear.

It’s an sweet, woody, earthy lavender led mix. The plum doesn’t stay too powerful, but it is there.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, Cobalt is pretty moderate. On me, it’s never entirely weak, either. I get a nice trail and scent bubble out of this one.

The projection is decent, but this one doesn’t seem as strong as the other Bad Boy colognes. Testing it a few more times after this initial review, and yeah, it’s pretty mid-tier with its performance.

I get about 6-7 hours of wear. With, Le Parfum, that number hit the 8-9 hour mark. Again, a slight step back from the others, but still pretty solid.

Seasonally, this is a versatile fragrance. Outside of the extremes of hot and cold, Cobalt would work just fine. Not going to melt when it is warm and can stand out on chilly outings.

It’s more of a casual, daily wear, nightlife, semi-formal fragrance for men. Not a super formal fragrance, but it can fit in for most other uses.

It’s attractive and mass pleasing. Leans more towards being for younger guys, but not totally limited to that demographic by any means. Date night? Yes. Maybe not the sexiest cologne out there, but it’ll do the job in most instances.

Overall Impressions of Cobalt

Overall, do I like Bad Boy Cobalt? It certainly has aspects of it that I enjoy. On the whole, it’s something that I like around the same extent as the others in the series. Fine, but not a cologne that I’m personally going to buy.

The plum and truffle combination is nice. Cobalt has its time as a sweeter type of fragrance, while also going pretty hard with the lavender and earthiness, later on in the wear.

With my nose pressed up against the skin, Cobalt does seem all that great. However, when it hits the air, I do find myself liking it much more. It seems to have periods of being very good, then maybe above average with how it smells.

The performance is run of the mill for a scent of this type. You do get a pretty unique aroma, it doesn’t smell exactly quite like anything, but just don’t expect Cobalt to be completely beast mode.

This should be a good option for younger guys and fans of the other Bad Boy colognes. I’m not sure that I prefer this to either of the two, but it’d probably fluctuate between that first and third spot depending on the day.

In the end, Bad Boy Cobalt is worth trying out to see if you like it. Not a bad fragrance and one that certainly already has its fanbase.

The Bad Boy line really isn’t that great, despite its popularity. They keep churning out new flankers, so, maybe one that I haven’t tried is elite.

All of the fragrances that I have tried are wearable, but none of them seem to deliver anything all that special. Cobalt certainly doesn’t despite having flashes of attractiveness.

Bad Boy Extreme by Carolina Herrera

by

Bad Boy Extreme was released as a flanker back in 2022. I wasn’t too interested in the fragrance at the time, but I recently received a sample of this Carolina Herrera scent, as a part of another order. So, I’ve tested out.

How does this Bad Boy cologne smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a buy?

Bad Boy Extreme Overview

Notes include: cacao, bergamot, ginger, patchouli, tonka bean, clary sage, plum, vetiver, incense, davana, labdanum

Click here to try: Bad Boy Extreme

My Full Review

Bad Boy Extreme starts off with sweet and warm spicy mix, but with more aromatic touches at the start. The ginger is particularly present on my skin, as is the cacao early.

Along with these two, the sage is the next most noticeable and some tart aroma coming from a light plum note. The sage and ginger are pretty central to how this cologne begins.

Yet, it still has that spice and ambery warmth which keeps it masculine and more interesting to my nose. Once that first wave begins to fade, the patchouli and vetiver create an earthier undertone.

Also, here’s where I start to notice more of the incense smokiness. Still, that’s a fairly subtle touch for me.

It’s at its most aromatic, in the early stages. Later, it will still be spicy and sweet, but the profile will have changed from that. Cacao with patchouli and some vetiver, a general spice, and some warm amber sort of aroma.

The ginger and plum evaporates for me.  The sweetness is more about the cacao and tonka bean, much like in the original Bad Boy. The labdanum holds it all together and those three notes are basically what it smells like for the rest of the way.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This is a fairly heavy scent but, it’s got enough freshness not to get bogged down. If I compare it to something like Le Male Elixir, this one doesn’t have the same level of sillage and projection.

Though, it is a strong fragrance that you will for sure notice. It moderates after an hour or two, but I wouldn’t worry about the power here.

Extreme is the best Bad Boy fragrance in terms of performance, that I’ve come across thus far. On my skin, it will last for more than 10 hours. Maybe it’ll hit 11 or so before evaporating completely.

Seasonally, this is an autumn and winter wear. I wouldn’t venture too far into springtime with this scent. Though, since it is more of a nighttime wear, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem so long as the heat and humidity isn’t that high.

It’s still a fragrance that trends toward a younger crowd. It is more casual and not really a work scent or something to wear for formal occasions. Going out, just hanging around, maybe a daily wear if you’re college age.

Overall Impression of Bad Boy Extreme

Overall, do I like this Carolina Herrera cologne? I like it for a Bad Boy release. I’m not a massive fan of this line, most of the scents are okay to me, and nothing more. Extreme, is one of the better releases, and maybe the best of the lot.

Extreme is better than Cobalt and one that more people would go for versus Le Parfum.

I like the greater depth that it has versus the original and I think this mix of notes actually works well enough and gives it some extra power.

The opening is a showcase for how much this scent has going on. The ginger and sage, which give way to the patchouli and vetiver, which finishes with the cacao, tonka bean, and labdanum.

That’s when you get the sweetness with the remaining woodsy aroma and touches of spice.

If you enjoy the Bad Boy line from Carolina Herrera, you’ll almost certainly like this one. It’s closer to the original in the dry down, is unique earlier on, and has much better performance.

If you want a spicier chocolate sort of cologne, this can fit the bill. Though, while it smells good, it’s probably not going to be a fit for everyone. If it sounds like something you’d like, give it a try.

9 Best Smelling Carolina Herrera Perfumes

by

Carolina Herrera is known in the luxury fashion world for designing elegant clothing for women, including First Ladies of the United States. The fragrance line is no different in terms of its scope and accomplishments.

Herrera provides scents for all personality types, fashion tastes, and occasions. For this list, I have selected nine perfumes which I feel are the best of the bunch.

Favorite Carolina Herrera Perfumes for Her

Most Popular CH Perfume

Good Girl– Good Girl has been out for a few years now and has become a best seller for Carolina Herrera. Also, one of the bigger sellers in popular women’s fragrances.

Obviously, the high heel bottle grabs attention from the start, but its powdery aroma is also quite captivating. Is it wholly unique? Probably not, but it is distinct enough to carve out a niche for itself.

Good Girl is sexy and versatile, with a balance between a spicy opening and a sweeter later act. Floral notes of jasmine and tuberose, sits underneath sweeter notes of cacao, coffee, and tonka bean. This is a safe wear and one that will definitely spur further flanker releases. My Good Girl Review

Blushing Beauty

Good Girl Blush– This Good Girl flanker came out in 2023 and has already become a fan favorite and best-seller. 

Blush is more floral and doesn’t have the same cacao influence as the original. Though, there is a vanilla and tonka bean combination in the mix.

Yet, this one is clean and fresh rather than just being heavy and sweet. Although, it does have a sweetness to it. Early on, the peony and ylang-ylang are balanced, but the peony seems to get the upper hand later in the wear.

Bergamot, vanilla, and almond are the main support for the flowers. Each has its time to shine in the mix.

There is also an Elixir version of this scent. I haven’t tried it out, but it’s supposedly heavier on patchouli and vanilla. Possibly, even more ylang-ylang.

Top High End Perfume

Saffron Lazuli– This one can be tough to find in a retail environment it seems. But, I linked to the Herrera website, as they still carry it right now.

Saffron Lazuli is a part of the expensive Herrera Confidential Collection of unisex fragrances. A lot of them skew more masculine, but this one is the most interesting to me, that I’ve come across.

Saffron is obviously the main note. But, you get a fruity top, with smooth warmth and woody spicy touches (cardamom). Notes like iris, vanilla, tonka, and the namesake saffron are excellent. The black currant up top gives it a nice sweetness with some tart. Not too heavy, though.

It starts off bold, but it will settle into something more moderate. The performance is excellent, as it should be with this type of scent, at this price point (around $260).

best herrera perfume

Best Classic Floral Perfume

Carolina Herrera– A smart and versatile fragrance that can be worn on almost any occasion. This perfume is fresh, light, and clean. Plus, it tends to get a lady noticed.

The Carolina Herrera namesake scent kicks off with the light freshness of citrus and orange blossom. The other floral notes, quickly follow, and are led by: jasmine, ylang-ylang, and tuberose.

Later on, it really becomes about the tuberose, but I also have detected hyacinth in this. It’s got enough of that fruitiness, to keep it from becoming overly ‘green’ and plant like. Nonetheless, this is a great little pickup for those who want a throwback floral perfume.

carolina

Chic in the Warmth

Chic– Chic is a sophisticated and feminine fragrance that is probably best served in the warmer months of the year. However, this blend of floral and woodsy notes is a long-lasting and fashionable perfume to be worn with confidence.

Update: Unfortunately, it looks like Chic was changed from its original formula. It was a really nice clean floral. More of a pure rose and freesia scent, versus the option above. I think you can still find older bottles, so, I’ll leave it up here.

chic

Top Nightlife Pick

212 VIP– This one beckons the exclusivity of the NYC nightlife along with all of its excitement and energy. Rum, vanilla, passion fruit, and others combine to give the notes a unique spirit and beautifully youthful vibe. Great stuff.

The men’s version of this namesake is a vodka and gin mixed drink. It’s also bold and unique. 212 VIP for Her, is a great rum mixed drink with fruity undertones up top. Then, as it dries down, the perfume gets smoothed out by a mix of vanilla and tonka bean.

This is a nice boozy scent, with fantastic longevity, but not as much of a powerhouse as the men’s version. Still pretty strong sillage, just not a monster.

vip

Best Sexy Fragrance

212 Sexy– A sweet blend of seductive fruit notes and cotton candy, 212 Sexy is a playful and passionate formula bound to put one in the mood. An excellent choice for romantic evenings out.

Beyond the sweetness of this scent, 212 Sexy also features a warm and slightly spicy pepper note. Vanilla and musk act as supports and help to give this its attractive aroma.

As it dries down, it falls more into that warm pink pepper aroma, with light floral notes and the remaining sweetness. Good performance overall and can be worn in plenty of situations outside the nightlife, too.

212

Smooth Fatale 

Very light fruit and spices from cinnamon and patchouli, dot the perimeter of this fragrance. Good Girl Velvet Fatale might still be a bit difficult to find, but it is a really pleasant example of a warm and gourmand blend of notes, done right.

For me, it is among the top of the Good Girl line. Better than the original and at least the Very Good Girl variants of this perfume. 

As of this update, it’s probably only available online, since I believe that it was a limited edition run a few years back.

 

Very Good Girl

I’m adding this to the list, as it is one of the better newer options. But, I will say it’s not my favorite of the Good Girl perfumes. Actually, a similar one to this that I prefer is from Mugler.

That being said, Very Good Girl has enough to recommend about it. The litchi note is powerful up front, when combined with the red currant, the fragrance is sweet and tart. Then, it will shift to a more powdery scent with the rose note.

It is a fresher fragrance, when it dries down. Not as tart, with a nice rose, and the vanilla note. The performance is solid, this lasted 7-8 hours on my skin with a quite noticeable sillage. Very Good Girl Review

Bad Boy vs. Bad Boy Extreme

by

Bad Boy has become a highly successful series for the Carolina Herrera brand. The original EDT has now led to the creation of a host of other scents, which will probably lead to many more beyond the current crop.

Bad Boy Extreme is one of the offerings that has stemmed from the original and become a new popular cologne, in its own right. But, how does Extreme compare to EDT? Which one smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Bad Boy vs. Extreme

Bad Boy

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

Read my review: Bad Boy EDT

Bad Boy Extreme

Notes include: cacao, bergamot, patchouli, tonka bean, clary sage, plum, vetiver, incense, davana, labdanum

Click here to try: Bad Boy Extreme

Opening

The opening of Bad Boy EDT, can hit differently, depending on how far away I am from where I sprayed the cologne.

Up close, it smells like honeycomb that is dripping in amber and combined with a few pepper notes.

From afar, I really pick up the sweeter and creamier aspects of this scent. Namely, the cocoa and tonka bean.

Bad Boy Extreme starts off with sweet and warm spicy mix, also. The ginger is particularly present on my skin, as is the cacao early. Along with these two, the sage is the next most noticeable and some tart aroma coming from a light plum note.

It’s at its most aromatic, in the early stages. Later, it will still be spicy and sweet, but the profile will have changed. Namely, the ginger evaporates and the sweetness is more about the cacao and tonka bean, much like the original.

Which is better?

I like how both of these start off. To me, Extreme brings a bit more dynamism to the table, and I enjoy how the ginger note helps to kick things off.

Edge: Extreme

Projection

Bad Boy EDT is moderate with its projection, but it feels substantial and can leave a nice scent trail in one’s wake. Nothing amazing, but I think it does a fair job.

With Extreme, it’s not a completely massive scent. However, it does essentially live up to its name. The projection is really good and it pretty easily surpasses the original Bad Boy with its performance.

Edge: Extreme

Longevity

The original Bad Boy from Carolina Herrera will usually last for about seven hours on my skin before it gives out. Again, this isn’t a complete powerhouse of a scent. Bad Boy EDT has moderate strength and ability to stick around.

Extreme blows the original Bad Boy out of the water.

On my skin, it will last for over 10 hours without issue. I don’t think it goes too much beyond that, but Bad Boy Extreme comfortably hits the double digit mark.

Edge: Extreme

Versatility

There is still a lot of overlap with both of these fragrances. So, for this category, I don’t think there’s too much distinction.

Each of them, is good in the autumn and winter months. Can venture into springtime, but I’d avoid the heat.

Extreme strikes me as a better choice for the nightlife, with its boldness, but the original is also a fine choice for that.

Not really seeing an edge here for either.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two Herrera fragrances do I prefer?

I’m not too big of a fan of the Bad Boy line. However, these are two of the better releases, in my opinion.

Bad Boy EDT is a nice enough wear. I like the honeycomb, the creaminess, and mix of sweet and spice that it provides.

Though, I think Bad Boy Extreme does a lot of the same things but better. While also, having some differences in terms of its notes and the performance that it provides.

Having worn both of them plenty of times, Bad Boy Extreme seems to separate itself from the pack. I think it’s better than both EDT and Cobalt (which are pretty interchangeable to me).

Cacao, tonka bean, labdanum along with periods where vetiver, sage, and ginger get there time to shine. It’s sweet, woody, spicy, with an amber dry down. It is powerful and will also last a long time.

EDT is decent with the performance, but doesn’t come close to the power of Extreme.

If I had to get one of these colognes from Carolina Herrera, I’d go with Extreme. I’m not in love with wearing it, but it is the best that they’ve come out with thus far.

Winner: Bad Boy Extreme

Bad Boy vs. Bad Boy Cobalt

by

Bad Boy is a popular ongoing line of men’s fragrances from Carolina Herrera. Each new year seems to bring about a new flanker in the series. The original EDT is still going strong itself, but how does it compare to one of the later additions, Bad Boy Cobalt.

I have tested out and reviewed both of them. On this page, I will compare how each smells, how they perform, and which cologne I think is the better buy between them.

Tale of the Tape: Bad Boy vs. Bad Boy Cobalt

Bad Boy

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

Read my review: Bad Boy EDT

Cobalt

Notes include: pink pepper, geranium, lavender, black plum, truffle accord, vetiver

Click here to try: Bad Boy Cobalt

Read my review: Cobalt

bad cobalt review

Opening

The opening of Bad Boy EDT, smells differently to my nose, depending on whether it is closer to the skin or just wafting in the air.

Up close, it smells like honeycomb that is dipped in amber and infused with different pepper notes.

From afar, I really pick up the sweeter and creamier aspects of this scent. Namely, the cocoa and tonka bean.

Cobalt starts off with a fresh spice and tart sweetness. Plum provides the latter, but pink pepper and a crisp geranium note give Bad Boy Cobalt a cold and clean feeling.

That will, however, be ‘dirtied’ up somewhat by the emergence of the truffle note. To me, it’s always been an earthier example of that note, but it pairs well with an increasingly sweet and less tart plum.

Which is better?

I like both and they’re both interesting, but I prefer what I get from the original versus Cobalt. I like the mix of sweet and spicier here, more than the tart and freshness that I get with the flanker.

Edge: Bad Boy

Projection

Both of these are pretty moderate fragrances. When I compare them, there isn’t too much of a difference in how they project off of the skin.

However, Bad Boy EDT seems like it has a slightly heavier sillage and hits a higher level of projection than I get with Cobalt.

Not much more, but it’s noticeable to me.

Edge: Bad Boy (slightly)

Longevity

With both of these fragrances, I get 6-7 hours of wear out of them, on my skin. Bad Boy Le Parfum gives me a few hours more, but that’s a better performer in this series.

Between Bad Boy and Cobalt, they’re equal. No real advantage to be had in this category.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Seasonally, both work well in autumn and wintertime. I wouldn’t use either in the depths of summer, but I think Cobalt can hold up better in the warmer weather than can Bad Boy EDT. That’s one advantage that it has.

Otherwise, both of these colognes are for a younger crowd. More of nightlife fragrances than being a daily wear or something more formal.  Can be worn casually or out on a date. They cover the same ground, basically.

Edge: Cobalt (slightly)

Overall Scent

These two are quite close in terms of my overall enjoyment wearing them and in terms of how they both perform. Nearly interchangeable, but I do have a preference for one against the other.

Cobalt is a solid fragrance. I like it, but don’t really love any aspect of it. The plum and truffle is a good combination, though. To me, that’s the highlight of the entire wear. A lot of the wear will be lavender dominant and isn’t as good to my nose. Still fine, just doesn’t hit the same.

In the end, I like the way that Bad Boy EDT smells more so than what I get out of Cobalt. Cobalt is really close, so, if you happen to really enjoy that plum or the later lavender note more than the original formula, you can probably go with it.

Not a big difference in these two, just a slight edge for one of them.

Winner: Bad Boy