212
Carolina Herrera (1997)

A simple fresh floral scent. It smells nice and would make a good gift. Based on what I've smelled so far, CH doesn't seem to make a lot of polarizing scents for women. I've enjoyed most of their women's fragrances that I've tried.

212 was my first international designer fragrance back in the 90s so I thought it would be nice my first review to be about it. I clearly remember the day when I made acquaintance with 212: it was a hot summer day; I was working and entered a drugstore with a friend in order to get her some painkillers. While she was shopping for the medicine I started browsing the store, specifically at the perfume counter. I was immediately attracted to the silver package with the crystal clear liquid in it. The sales attendant offered me to try it, which I did. The rest of the afternoon I spent sniffing my wrist and feeling cooled down in face of the brazing heat. A week later I went back to the drugstore and acquired my first bottle of 212. It became my first signature fragrance and I recall receiving many compliments, both from men and women. One in particular was from a male friend who stated 212 was how I should always smell like. My passion for this fragrance lasted until international designer fragrances became more accessible in my country, due to globalization. And globalization was also one of the reasons I started smelling 212 in many other women around me. I kept it as my main scent for a while, but later became bored both with its linearity and popularity, so we parted ways. Twenty years later, revisiting the fragrances that started my love for the perfume world and not smelling 212 around me so often as in the past, I decided it was time to own a bottle again. When my bottle arrived and I eagerly applied it I immediately recollected why I fell in love with it in the past: a soft, clean, slightly powdery fragrance, with lovely white flowers that, together, compose a soothing aura for me. It still has great longevity and a projection that allows you to smell the fragrance constantly for at least 4 hours. After so many years I can state that my passion grew into love and I'll keep 212 in my collection not only for the sake of fond memories, but also because it smells simple and divine to me.

I have had this in the past and am ordering again today. It's delightful and stays with me for awhile.

I really, really like this fragrance. Surprising, because I never expected to.

It's slightly fruity, it's fresh and it's powdery. Three qualities that I usually detest in fragrances, however this scent is bliss for me.

I actually adore the cactus note, strangely enough. I suppose it is to be expected seeming that my mother collects many rare and interesting cacti for her garden. I'm practically surrounded by the scent of cactus whenever I go home, so perhaps this scent sparks sentimental value for me.

Apart from the cactus note, I also sense the mandarin orange and orange blossom notes which are subtle yet divine. The floral notes which make their first appearance after the initial 10 minutes, are quite powdery and strange, not at all what you'd expect. The flowers are somewhat plastic and artificial smelling, however I believe it only adds to this fragrance's appeal.

The sillage is actually quite strong, which surprised me because most scents of this nature are soft and intimate. The lasting power is also fabulous.

I would recommend 212 as a unique Spring/Summer fragrance for women that long to stand out in a crowd.

One thing that I notice is that the longevity is amazing. It's fresh, floral smelling but it's not too sweet but still feminine. I love it and wear it to work and get compliments from colleagues. Great scent for both work and play. Not so much for formal events though, but good enough for daily office wear and a day out at the mall or barbecue with friends.

This the sexiest women fragrance i've ever smelled .... very clean, very fiminine , very charming ... irresistable.... the different kinds of flowers blended in a very great way .... perfect perfume indeed ...