212 VIP Black
Fifty millilitres is the right amount of a fragrance this strong, and Carolina Herrera 212 VIP Black Eau de Parfum 50ml is the bottle most people should be buying, because the larger one is more than they will use in years.
The composition is uncompromising from the first spray. Absinthe alone carries the opening, bitter and green with that aniseed sting it always has, and nothing lighter is offered alongside it. Lavender sits in the middle, dry and dusky rather than soapy, and black leather gives the scent its polish, a smooth tanned smell with none of the animal roughness that leather can bring. The finish is sweet and dense, vanilla burnt at the edges and musk holding it against the skin. Anne Flipo and Carlos Benaïm composed it in 2017 using five materials, which makes it blunt by design. You are buying a mood, not a journey. The practical case for the small bottle is strong here. At eau de parfum strength this projects hard and lasts eight hours or more, so one or two sprays is a full dose, and fifty millilitres amounts to several hundred wears. It also makes a better travel bottle and a less intimidating first purchase for anyone unsure whether they want something this sweet and this dark in their collection. Use it at night and in cold weather. It is aimed at men, it suits bars, parties and winter evenings, and it will be far too much for a desk or a warm afternoon. If that sounds like a limitation, it is more accurate to call it a specialism.
A designer born in Venezuela started this New York fashion house, presenting a first collection in 1981. Puig, in Spain, has made the scents under licence since 1988 and acquired the clothing company in 1995.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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