212 Men

Grassy, watery and powdery (the violet I'm guessing) with a subtle sweetness. Best for warm weather. 212 Men is soon-to-be thirty years old but doesn't smell dated to me. It is a kindred spirt to Chic for Men from the same house, which came out four years after. If I had to choose between the two, I think I'd take Chic, but it would be a close call because 212 is great.

Still one of the best spring, and summer fragrances that is classically dated, but still has pretty modern appeal. Fresh, has a slight sparkle to it. 212 has definitely inspired other fragrances. Performance isn't the best. Most of the 212 line falls in the average to slightly above average range. In terms of quality typical designer mass appealing given its age. Working in a perfume store part time. Most middle-aged men, me included still go out of the way to get our nose on it. There is a reason it's still available at retail. Don't pay that, but I'm just saying. 212 Men not going anywhere anytime soon.

Way too powdery for me.

Batch 0A01. Purchased in summer 2000. I was wearing a lot of Curve, Tuscany, Le Male, ADG, and Joop around this time. I wanted something “fresh” and instantly fell in love with 212. I’ve kept the bottle through the years and wear it sparingly. Wearing it today in the sunny Wisconsin summer heat. I’m instantly brought back to my 20’s and living care-free. I can’t help but have a smile when I wear 212. My wife loves it on me and never fails to get a complement. Such an amazing summer fragrance!! Cheers!!

Yet another men's fragrance that I think pairs wonderfully with a cool, rainy atmosphere with humidity in the air. A very nice green, watery floral scent with a very striking sharpness atop a heavier base. I mostly get the green notes, the violet, and a spicy ginger poking through here and there. Vaguely reminds me of YSL L'homme Libre with it's watery/ginger/green composition. To others, it may be a bit hit-or-miss. I received a comment from someone who said "whatever cologne you have on, it's not BAD, but it smells a little medical, like a hospital". I got a kick out of it, but I understood because 212 has this sharp, almost sterile characteristic to it while lacking any substantial sweetness, especially as I'd recently applied it and was still wearing out the opening notes. As it wears down, there's a certain density in the body that makes 212 feel full without feeling too thick and overbearing. It's fresh and clean, definitely, but there's also a soapiness underneath (think of a white bar of vaguely floral bath soap). It's not the absolute zingiest, most modern scent you can imagine but it's still appropriate for warmer weather. I've noticed throughout the decades, the standard of what a "fresh" scent is has gotten airier and sharper over the decades (there was a time powdery scents were considered "fresh"). Performance is surprisingly good for this under-the-radar gem. I'm used to these 90's scents being reformulated into water but this still packs a punch that lasts throughout the day. Reapplication is nice but not necessary with 212. It lasts and lasts and I was starting to worry if I'd gone too far with even 2 sprays of it. Not quite sure if I did or not. All in all, CH 212 still has its place among the modern freshies. Fresh and clean without being yet another modern Bleu-style fragrance. It's sharp, professional, and easy to wear as a daily scent. Will it be my daily scent? No, but it could be yours!

Carolina Herrera perfume, although I knew it from before, was a huge disappointment when I tried it again. It held a special place in my memories. So, I guess the formula has changed. If I had to describe its current state, and I apologize to those who love it :), it smells sour, slightly spicy, like a grandfather's armpit in his 70s. I've never smelled a grandfather's armpit in his 70s, but that's my guess :)

Smelling like New York nightlife before social media existed. 212 Men was peak early-2000s cool. Clean, metallic, fresh and slightly spicy, it smelled like wearing way too much confidence. There’s something unmistakably “urban” about this DNA that still feels unique today. The green freshness mixed with musks and woods created a futuristic vibe back then, and somehow it still works. A true time capsule from the era when every mall had a Carolina Herrera counter and everyone wanted to smell expensive. To me, still better than many “modern” stuff.

Another Scent box fragrance for my husband. This was a general green freshie scent to me. Nothing here really stood out but I think it's pretty mass appealing and would be pretty blind buy safe if you like green fragrances. Overall it's just ok to me, but green freshies aren't my favorite. Not worth it for me but also not something that I would dislike smelling on others.

Surprisingly good, smooth freshie. Smells nothing like a 1990s fragrance. That vanilla note saves it from being reduced to just another pretender in the growing sea of citrusy summer disappointments. The only citrusy fragrance that doesn't sting even when I over spray.

First impression from spraying a tester on paper: like Versace pour Homme, but orangier and mintier. Quite spicey underneath. Like the reviewer before me: Issey Miyake is much better.

smells like green deodorant in the worst way possible. Some guy at CH had the bright idea of bottling nail polish mixed with polo green with non-existent longevity and selling it at designer prices and running a global psyop to trick people into thinking this was a mens classic. Worst part is on top of that the lavender smells like a newborn mothers bag that they carry all their baby stuff in.

I was truly excited to try this seemingly high praised, somewhat forgotten hit by Carolina Herrera. Unfortunately this was met with immediate disappointment when I tried this scent out and realized that it is more comparable with a lower-end body spray than even a dated cologne. The bright green aspect truly takes over and gives off more of a synthetic-grassy feel. I've tried wearing this at the gym or on some sport occasions but it genuinely comes off as childlike and unrefined. Scent is MUCH more linear than it appears to be in the notes here. If you are looking for a bright/refreshing nostalgic type of scent, I would much rather lean towards Issey Miyake. 4/10 .. Not necessarily bad, just far from good.

Just bought this again after years and it is still as awesome as the first time I smelt it in the air. That was back in college when it had just hit the shelves. Oh my! Good times. This is how simplicity smells like and it is great.

I haven't written a review on here in a long time because I simply couldn't find a fragrance worth reviewing—until I smelled this one. This scent was a true eye-opener for me. After trying so many unnecessary niche releases and absurdly complex scents, I finally realized that a fragrance doesn't need to have hyper-realistic or overcomplicated notes to be good. A perfume should simply smell exactly like this. As for the vibe of the scent, it’s a beautiful citrusy fragrance with a great green accord. If I had to describe it, this perfume is like a classic, old-school BMW: vintage, but still undeniably sporty and powerful.

I don’t know why but this smells like boiled chicken skin when you’re making a soup. I’m probably crazy for saying this but if there’s anyone who thinks similarly let me know.

O ano era 2005, e algumas músicas falavam nesse tal de 212, ai resolvi comprar, e foi a escolha mais certeira que fiz, foi meu primeiro perfume importado, meu primeiro amor.

This to my nose is a very simple and spicy ginger. The words I just used might not be very attractive if I word it like that, but I think that's what they smell like. I'm a southeast asian young man. People in my country assumes every aromatic spicy fragrances as an oldhead fragrances, even the sephora employees will tell you that. But if you're a young man like me and you just so happen to like these types of fragrances, don't go for it. It's like a humiliation ritual. The girls don't like it. They don't think of you as like a gentleman, but more like an old perverted creep. Okay some of that might not be true but I think you shouldn't buy it even if you like it. For your own sake and other people.

This cologne is a classic, definitely a blind buy, excellent scent that everyone will like, excellent aroma and for the price it's quite affordable.

I love the smell of rain, and even though 212 isn't exactly a replica of that, it contains the essence that makes me love petrichor. This can easily be someone's signature daytime, warmer weather fragrance. It is definitely mine at the moment, and I find it to be a timeless piece.

Patrick Bateman smelled liked this in the movie, it’s smells like the future we were promised, frutiger aero aesthetic, futuristic office scent, masculine, attractive, uplifting, dominant, been looking for this smell for years, I’m 22 now, this is how grown ups who used to get all the girls smelled like when I was younger, definitely signature scent worthy for office, school or college all ages can wear this no problem 10/10 scent on the opening 7/10 longevity for what it is. an edt 7/10 projection 10/10 will buy this forever timeless

Very clean and soapy, fresh out of the shower. The opening is very mood uplifting and zingy. Doesn't smell dated at all. If creed SMW and GIT had a baby it would be this guy. Performance is average with moderate projection. 7.5/10

A Timeless Clasic and can't be replicated. A mAsterpiece that can be used in every situation.

I have this but I like 212 Heros and VIP Black Elixir and I Love NY more. Well this might be first Fresh Fragrance that I didn't liked.

Outstanding smell love this perfume

I just tried it for the first time and this shit is addictive even tho its simple i absolutley love it

Very Morillas: fresh, clean, unisex, slightly spicy. I get some neroli in here, although it's not listed. So versatile; it just smells like you're freshly washed, put on freshly washed clothes and are ready for a fun, sunny day.

I occasionally detect the bad breath/BO note that many people mention, but most of the time I wear this, I don't smell it. This is a great fragrance. It is often called a "freshie", but it's not sporty or bland. After the awesome grassy green opening, 212 smells like a fresh, unlit cigar with grapefruit and black pepper to make it sparkle. Totally masculine, strong, suitable for all occasions and all seasons. Performance is excellent too, lasting about 12 hours for me and projecting well. This is a stone cold classic, not an outdated 90s timepiece.

Very nice fragrance. Classic and unique with green notes. I understand why people say its smell like Silver mountain water. I dont think it does but the is an element that almost reminds you of it. Good performance, sileage and longevity. The price is also great as it has dropped a lot in South Africa. Wonderful classy fragrance.

A forever classic and masterpiece of drydown composition. If you have the patience and fortitude to get through the very tenacious and very synthetic top and mids that tickle the nose, this is a good one.

I am in my twenties, but even though this fragrance is from 1999, I still think it smells great, relevant and mature, but not old. It works well anywhere you don’t want to choke people out or feel too heavy. It’s sporty and classic, not childish, yet still not “old” to my taste. Especially after the opening, it feels masculine and actually younger to me than some fragrances that were released in recent years.