Excuse the long delay between postings, charity work and late a late summer ball (or two) have taken their toll and a dose of relaxation was in order. Without further ado, let’s talk about perfume.
212 for Men has been around since 1999 and is often regarded as something of a classic, especially in South America – it should be noted that Herrera is Venezuelan by birth. It opens on a slightly green and spicy note, with additions of lavender, lemon and definitely ginger (which isn’t listed as an official top note). Let it dry down for half an hour and the ginger is retained and is combined with a dash of pepper and violet to create spicy and almost floral scent that wafts around you rather well.
Base notes of sandalwood, musk and vetiver give it a fairly dry finish which lasts nicely. Longevity as a whole is great, with it lasting a good six hours (on me). Silage is also quite acceptable but won’t blast the heads off of everyone around you. You wouldn’t think it’s a scent of the (late) nineties, it has none of the pseudo-sophistication that permeated other aspects of the decade and retains its modernity very well.
212 for Men VIP on the other hand opens with passionfruit, lime and pepper and I don’t think I have another perfume quite like it. It is meant to reflect the atmosphere of the VIP New York party scene – caviar, vodka, gin and exclusivity (whatever that smells like). Not only does it promise this, but also claims it will arouse the jealousy of those around you and convince them you are beyond a “mere mortal” and are the object of all our dreams and desires. Middle notes are listed as gin and vodka – now I don’t detect gin but do detect juniper, the berry used to flavour gin. Most people wouldn’t notice the distinction but I suppose it’s due to the fact I’ve tasted so many gins over the years! Not quite sure if the vodka is detectable or not but it is this middle phase of the scent that is my favourite – after a while, a lovely spearmint note cuts through everything and is very refreshing.
The base notes are fairly woody and amber is also rather prominent (I like a good amber base to a scent), as is leather. It is stylish and exclusive but not in the classic English gentleman style – its certainly more reminiscent of the American party animal who will raise eyebrows yet still be socially acceptable. A special mention must also go to the spray pump which dispenses the juice nice and fiercely, none of that mucking around here.
Both are available at good department stores, priced at around £35 for 50ml. Neither are priced in the premium bracket but both smell like it.
