212 Sexy by Carolina Herrera was launched in 2005 and has a distinct sweet note of praline, which so far could only be found in Angel parfume by Thierry Mugler and CH also by Carolina Herrera. The difference with Angel and CH however, is that in 212 Sexy it will only dominate in the opening and the focus will later shift on floral notes. The declared ingredients for this perfume are: mandarin, bergamot, pink pepper, flower petals, gardenia, candy floss, sandalwood, white musk and vanilla.
The opening is intense and sweet, like in CH, but more loaded with sugar, plus fruity notes in the background, in the line of orange, bergamot, or mandarin. The middle notes are still sweet, but florals gain more presence, with gardenia and a powdery rose. As time passes, florals become dominant, with the praline notes moving to the background. The bouquet is quite wide here, with roses (now less powdery), freesias, and possibly traces of violets and iris. The sweet layer now tends towards vanilla and blends better with the florals.
The sweet note of the opening can be misleading, As this Carolina Herrera 212 will develop in a different direction towards classic florals. Both sides of the fragrance are quite pleasant, and not too complex for a daily use. In the office it will mark its presence, although the florals tend to be very concentrated and intense and can be intrusive in closed spaces, if over-sprayed. A night scenario is where 212 Sexy can be used more freely, where intensity and sweet notes will be a plus. In romantic situations, in spite of the word “Sexy” attached to the name, if over-sprayed it could indeed be too aggressive. With the right quantity however, the florals will feel quite feminine and the gourmand notes are always addictive. Age-wise, it will feel more provocative between 25 and 40, and more natural at an older age.