212 Carolina Herrera for women

I purchased this perfume 3 times, I get compliments about it. I think the bottle represents the smell so well , white and matt . When I smell all I can imagine white flowers in the wind.fresh and sweet..this perfume is a longevity and silage beast for eau de toilette , I would never say it is edt . The smell will last all day and you would still smell after shower. I wish all expensive perfumes would last as this one without reapplying. You can get 60ml quite cheap for what it is.

This isn't my first perfume but it has a special meaning to me because my late father got this as a gift when I was a kid. He was such a perfume geek and had a great taste. Although this perfume isn't my style (I prefer sweet perfumes) I plan to get one.

De primeira eu amei esse perfume, senti bem presente o floral dele e lá no fundo o cheirinho leve de sabonete. Só que ao longo do dia esse cheiro de sabonete foi ficando mais forte e mais insuportável passei o dia enjoada com o cheiro, tomei até banho pra vê se o perfume sai a não saia por NADA (ou seja se você quer fixação essa é uma boa pedida kkk) e no final fiquei morrendo de dor de cabeça, isso tudo pq gosto de perfume com cheiro de banho tomado mas esses extrapolou kkkkkkk. Apesar dos pesares um perfume ideal pro dia a dia e pra dias quentes

Light, fresh, clean, white floral. Cool NYC Sex and the City vibes in a snazzy bottle. It's youthful and fun and at the time was worn by many of my friends. I loved it.

um dos melhores perfumes pra dia a dia, ele é bem cheiroso, não é forte, não é doce, é um frutado bem levinho. pra mim, ele tem cheiro de banho tomado, porém sem aquele aspecto de cheiro de ambiente e nem talco igual a maioria dos perfumes que passam essa vibe de banho possuem, ele te deixa cheirosa e com um aspecto limpo kkkkk combina com a noite e o dia, frio e calor, perfume pra todas as horas. não acho que seja um perfume marcante ao ponto de usar em ocasiões especiais, ele é bem normalzinho mesmo, pro dia a dia fica perfeito.

I got a sample of this and WOW, this is so so lovely. Clean, fresh, carefree, a white crisp white shirt and jeans, just strolling around on a spring day, airy but not fleeting. Would be great for someone younger, but also dosen’t really have an age range. Really fits the theme, of my other favorite perfume's at the moment. I would absolutely love a bottle of this.

This was my mothers fragrance in the early 00s...

And what i am refering to is first formulation of it, and OH BOY! it was STRONG! Almost headache inducing. But i wish i had a chance to purchase it again.. I remember it being very stylish floral-spice scent. It has that 00s high fashion "icy look" to it, i imagine a woman with short hair dressed in monochrome, carrying an edgy laquered leather bag and dark sunglasses.

Unfortunately this fragrance was devastatingly neutered. It is not worth to buy anymore.

My first perfume. I used to absolutely love it, smells clean and fresh. Went through 2-3 bottles and started giving me horrible headaches. Sad!

I remember having this perfume as a teenager, really loved it, I revisited it recently and the aroma is still beautiful to me, it's like a long glass of cold lemoncello on ice with sugar syrup and a mint leaf topping, it is refreshing and very suitable for a hot European summer or for those crisp spring days, I think you can wear it for dinner nights, it's not offensive. Longevity is not great, as it regularly happens with fresh perfumes, I feel I have to re-apply every three hours to keep the freshness going, but the projection is very good whilst it is on. It was nice to revisit and I suppose I would not mind buying it again in the future.

I kind of dislike the bottle, but this is so beautiful it caught me off guard. I got it in a swap and was initially disappointed because it totally isn't my style, but the scent kept drawing me back. It is floral, watery but strong and projects well, so clean and pure without annoying sweetness. This is a clean white shirt and blue jeans scent. It is like a breath of fresh air on a cold and clear spring day - absolutely beautiful. I love it for the office in the spring and summer. Such a wonderfully done fragrance, I love it much more than a lot of what is available at Sephora these days!

I want to blindbuy this based on the notes but I'm worried about the lily of the valley as this note tends to overpower every other note once it's on my skin

Is it very dominant?

Pure masterpiece!!!

Own this magnificent masterpiece for me wife, something just clicks man, there is this aura of a confident women who will make your world better when you smell this. Its those citrus notes, those subtle beany a fragrances that make you feel life is good and everything is going to be ok! 5 star for me, can buy blindly as a gift for your lady

A clean and fresh fragance that is easy to wear. It has a certain sporty feel to it. Nice for just staying home or do some errands and chores as its inoffensive. If you want or need a "standard" perfume to wear, or need to smell clean, this is the one.

First Impressions (full bottle):
I’ve tested this perfume for quite a while, and I have some thoughts on it. This does smell like soap, but the kind that is the cheap expired kind in the mall bathroom. I think it’s the Lilly that gives it almost a vintage old 90’s feel. Definitely smells like a millennial, and not for my age bracket. It definitely does have almost a dry dusty, smell to it. Almost like a very dry detergent, but NOT in the best way. Like if you walked into an abandoned mall, and there was for some reason Lilly’s or even Lilly of the valley somewhere hiding. The scent almost reminding me of what once was the bustling stores. If you like the scent of the 90’s, or old mall soap this may be for you.
Edit:
OHHHH okay. I think I’m going to use this for the gym. Maybe this is a slow burn for me. Yep no. Still doesn’t work. It almost has a plastic or fake smell. The lily of the valley and the cactus note is strong! This does smell like a girls night out in 2000’s I will say.
Edit 2:
If you like jhag not a perfume line you might like this one. It’s kind of a vintage take on superdose possibly?
Verdict:
Pass- giving s*x & the city vibes, 80’s hair spray, or girls night out circa 90’s.

It's clean like you walk off of hair salon,
Easy to wear daliy.

The first 30 seconds were horrible, then rewarding beauty. I guess it is the freesia+lily of the valley+ rose combo that makes me think of Happy and Tori Burch. I am not a big fan of either of those, even though I get compliments when wearing. This one, I like so much more. I find the other two cloying or something that is a bit too heavy for me personally, but it was like 212 was cut with Penhaligon Juniper Sling which gives it that crispness. Also, seems to be balanced with cactus paddle (rather than cactus flower) cactus juice and all. This is exactly what it needed to make it uniquely mature and slightly different than other nearby fragrances without attention craving vibes.

Doesn't smell like Dove soap to me.

Definitely adding this to the day time, summer and spring, flex scent rotation especially since cheap full bottles seem easy to come buy.

My favorite perfume. Smells so clean, I love it!

It is courteous, elegant, sophisticated, clean, yet with presence because of its good performance. It projects for 4+ hours and lasts for 8-10 hours on my skin. It is appropriate for work, any casual occasion, date night, and everyday wear. Makes me feel young and sophisticated. Beautiful Fragrance!

Freshly ironed white blouse, sophisticated jeans, classy leather loafers but a messy beach-y hairdo. Chic and inoffensive yet remarkable and fun. I like this edt a lot!

I adore this scent got this for my 16th Birthday. My mother was told it was a gents scent. I however adored it from the start after opening it! I tended to prefer femmine smelling fragrances on me, I still do!.
Something so fresh crisp and divine about this 🥰 it's like being transported to central park New York on a cool crisp spring morning. The Cactus Flower , Mandarin, Musk and Sandalwood is always really prominent on my skin !🥰 I always find depsite being a EDT it lasts for a long time ! And doesn't smell overly floral on my skin.

Surprising has similarities to MFK’s Amyris!

It’s a similar watery, musky, floral combo.

don't be mislead by the name bc this is so clean, unlike NYC. light and neutral white floral (not overwhelming at all, very elevated and pleasing) with an undercover sweetness. it smells like soap without smelling like soap if that makes any sense, not like chemicals or public bathroom soap dispenser. wouldn't get this for myself but this is a great scent to feel fresh during hot crowded days.

smells like a rich neighborhood in the heart of a city that's sequestered from all of the noise and grime.

I’m not a big fan of summery flowery fragrances, but this just stole my heart! It’s clean, and fresh, and watery, yes, watery to my nose. I adore this fragrance.

This is beautiful! Not my all time favorite but definitely one I reach for often. I would describe it as fresh, clean, floral, soap. Maybe it’s just me or does this smell like if I would later Glossier You and Issey Miyake L'Eau d'Issey.

It smells like absolute purity!
It crunches like a clean white shirt that is worn on a clean female body. When I spray it, I feel like a businesswoman and I love that feeling. It is cold and not the most feminine of those perfumes that I have. I think 212 is quite unisex.
It looks like soap, but soap that I can smell forever.
I'm waiting for the moment when I get tired of 212, but this moment has not come in three years and it looks like it will never come.
I am glad that there is a perfume that I can without a doubt call my signature fragrance!

I remember liking it as a teenager. Now however I can only smell soap. Where are all those notes? Just faint elegant soap. And it seems to react with my skin creating a sweaty drydown. Underwhelming but could work on some people as a casual white shirt scent.

Clean, fresh, light, classy, sweet innocence
Not cloying, not heavy, not racy.
Wore it on my wedding day 2004.

Lovely notes and it smells like dove bar soap but unfortunatelly I dislike the dominant cactus note. But the scent is so beautiful that I want to give it a try again!

Girls night out circa 2005. Period.

I really wanted to love this as it was a blind buy and the notes mentioned were right up my alley. However, there was something quite sharp in this juice that made me absolutely hate it. It exudes a certain coldness which borders arrogance that didn't suit me personally. Gave it to my hubby as it had a unisex element to it. He seemed to like it.

This just ticks all the boxes for me. I love citrussy florals with a musky base and have spent a lot of years searching for the perfect one which has no deal-breaking notes. I have a tiny sample of 212 my mum gave me years ago, and I eventually realised I had my perfect perfume all along. It may not be especially distinctive to most people, but on my skin it just develops into a full-bodied amazingly sensual scent I can only describe as *warm* musk. It reminds me of my mum... we must have the same skin chemistry.
I bought a bottle recently, sprayed and inhaled deeply waiting for it to hit the spot... but I wonder if it has been reformulated as it seems to lack the depth of my little splash bottle sample. Maybe it'll improve with age. Maybe aerosolization itself changes the way the scent develops on the skin?

More than 3 times wearing this and I still can't figure out the notes except orange, freesia, orange blossom, and maybe gardenia if I concentrate hard and use my imagination. Other than that, I am not getting the other notes at all. Okay, maybe a little musk on the dry down, though I'm not getting powder, and I definitely do not get sandalwood.

I don't know if this was reformulated or not. Actually, I don't know much about this scent at all as it was given to me by someone who didn't care for it. It's okay. Reminds me of so many body mists on the market today used to refresh oneself. Not really like a full-fledge perfume. Or it could be meant as a perfume for people who don't particularly like heavy scents. For them, something like this would be great as it is very light.

It's not a bad fragrance by any means; it just isn't my style. If I see gardenia, I want GARDENIA. Shy, little notes are not for me. I like scents with some VaVoom. This doesn't make the cut. Looks like I'll be passing this one on. Maybe one of my daughters would like it.

This is truly a horrible smell. I would rather smell like garbage.

Very much a clean, shower fresh scent. I’ve gotten lots of compliments when wearing this, and most of the comments are that I smell like I just freshly showered. Very good office/everyday scent. Wouldn’t necessarily call it sexy, but it’s definitely sophisticated. I also wouldn’t say it’s particularly feminine either. I feel like a man could pull this off for sure. Again, he will smell like he just walked out of the shower. Inoffensive, but not necessarily memorable or unique.

Air if Grace it was fake. The original is stronger as Alien edp 2005 and has monster longevity and sillage.

So disappointed that I smell hardly anything except screeching plastic or some waxy , smell which I assume is the cactus note .
Just stayed waxy the whole time on my skin with hardly any identifiable notes .
It’s actually offensive !
No , from me

I get gardenia with a sharpness from freesia on a mostly musk and hint of wood base. It's almost like a crisp, non-coconut and non-spicy/cold version of Versace Crystal Noir. I'm obsessed with lily, and I can't detect any in here...so I'm perplexed by the votes. I also don't pick up on orange blossom, either. CH's website claims the top notes are "flower stems & bergamot", heart notes are "gardenia and jasmine" and base notes are "sandalwood and musk"...which sounds about right. Either way, I think it's a pretty scent. No one did a clean/soapy frag quite like the perfumers of the latter '90s/early 2000s. I wish the trend would resurface, but we're all seemingly stuck in this gourmand, orange blossom florals and ambroxan purgatory.

Soft clean and crisp. Absolutely love this scent. It just gives sophistication and professionalism. It smells like a classic. Great for everyday and the work environment.

Lazy Sunday Morning vibe… soft, delicate, clean. Love it.

As I scroll down reading the reviews, I noted a lot of comments about the bottle. A couple of them asked why there were two bottles. Well, the answer is so you can have one at home and the other at the office or in your purse. Back when this was launched, there wasn’t any purse sized atomizers like Travalo to easily carry your scent with you. So, this was Herrera’s solution for that.

Now, on to the scent. This is a fresh, clean, straight out of the shower type of scent. It’s floral, very musky, and soapy which makes this an ideal scent to wear daily for work, running errands, or just hanging out. For an edt, this has serious longevity (8-10 hours) on me and it projects moderately. Give this scent about 15 minutes to settle in with your body chemistry and wait for the compliments to come rolling in. I can’t imagine anyone being offended by this unless you way overspray.

Kind of reminds me of Pure Poison for some reason, but this is lighter and fresher. Can be worn year round but it performs best in warmer weather. Totally recommend this if you’re into soapy, clean type scents.

I tried this and was not a fan. It made me think of orangeade and heavy musk. I'm normally a fan of musk scents, but that watery, candy-like orangeade note spoiled the whole thing. It made me think of Tang, the watery orange drink popular in the '60s. I have nothing against a clean orange blossom, citrus, and musk combination, as it is in Prada Candy Kiss, but that phony orange note just killed this for me. Disappointing, because I usually like Herrera's scents and was certain I was going to like this too.

BTW - I still think the bottle design is wonky. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Fresh, clean, green, white flowers. Cool and aloof. No nonsense, a 90s classic. Much nicer and refined than the whole CK one-type genre of fragrances back then and it’s aged well. Love it.

Very fresh and clean. Unique scent. It gives me retro vibes. This is a power house. Huge longevity and sillage.

@tristan99 perhaps it's less of an "old lady" thing and more like a "you" thing?

This is truly awful, smells like something has gone bad or sour or bad BO. I remember an old lady who wore this in a place I worked. It made me so nauseous!

So clean, soapy. Great to wear for a quick spritz and out the door. Perfect out of the shower scent. I love it. Very strange bottle though. Good sillage and longevity.

I think this perfume was my first perfume obsession. I had been told at a perfumery that it was being discontinued, and at that moment I totally panicked and began hunting for it at airports etc everywhere I went..I was invested! This was before online shopping was a thing.. Love the fresh smell of this perfume <3

I've had this fragrance in my collection for nearly 20 years. Went through so many bottles of this. It's a beautiful soft floral. So feminine. It works really well in warm weather and a easy reach. Good office scent as well. The only thing I will say is I really dislike the bottle. I wish it came in something simple and elegant like the juice inside.

I love that perfume. Even in 2021! It gives me a feeling of freshness as if I had taken a shower, washed my hair and left with a dress!

Ooh this is good! So comforting, warm, clean so soft and sensual.

I get mostly musk and sweet orange blossom on my skin and it lasts for hours. It can be used all year round, not offensive, never met anyone who didnt like this fragrance. It’s been around for over 20 years but it doesnt smell dated at all. Dry down is similar to Chance Eau Tendre. My only complaint is I am not the biggest fan of the bottle, I have a hard time putting the glass bottle back into the plastic. I wish CH would come up with a newer bottle without reformulating the fragrance.

When I was younger my mum was bought this as a gift, I remember I really liked how it smelt, in comparison to Chanel No5 and Calvin obsession that I couldn’t stand.
Fast forward to now, and I’m in my late 20’s and a mum. I’m so pleased I bought this, really affordable as well 30ml (tend to buy smaller so I can use them up before going off) for £19 (Boxing Day sales) I think this is a beautiful perfume. The fact it is very different to the usual fragrances a lot of women my age wear as well makes it more appealing.
This is perfect.. just out of the shower perfume, a very clean fresh citrus and floral fragrance. This has a beautiful powdery and musky dry down that also softens and becomes very inviting. Some citrus fragrances can be quite cold and sharp, less inviting but this has a lovely base and I think because of this, you could possibly get away with wearing this as a everyday fragrance/signature even in the colder months.
This is a safe blind buy if you like fresh citrus and floral fragrances that dry down softly. It lasts quite well on the skin, I would say still picking it up 6 hours later without shoving my wrist to my nose. I think the lasting time on clothes would be 10+ hours. I’ve ordered 212 sexy, let’s see if it is just as impressive. 😄

I had this many years ago and all I remember about it was that I loved it so much I actually used the full bottle and was wondering how I could get it open to savor every last drop. Fast forward to many years later, I have an enormous collection. I wanted to remember why I loved it so much so I purchased it online. I received it and on first spray I remember why...so clean, fresh, but with a hint of sandalwood peaking through. This really works great on my skin. Love again!!

It is the smell of a clean, well-groomed female body after a wonderful, cool shower. It smells clean and that's it ;-)

This perfume is a contradiction that combines airy florals with a prominent white musk. It’s an airier version of Cashmere Mist. I’ve had a bottle for years that has mostly sat in a drawer. I decided to try it on this rainy August day indoors in air-conditioning. The florals are still quite lovely, and the musk is still prominent. This would definitely work as an autumn fragrance, but to me, prominent musk works only when it’s below 70°F, therefore I would not wear this in summer, and I find it very much a one season fragrance. This would be a good fragrance for a girl starting her junior or senior year of high school or going off to college. I could see wearing it to homecoming or Oktoberfest. I could also imagine spraying this on a favorite scarf and wearing it while sitting on a balcony, sipping my favorite tea, and watching the autumn leaves.

A while back, maybe around two years ago, I'd splurged and spent about $150 on a big box of all kinds of samples, and I'd included this one. LOVED IT. After my sample ran out, I wanted a full bottle but I kept talking myself out of it because at $85 it was pretty expensive at my salary! She would have to wait... Fast-forward to now, having more experience with fragrances, I realize that price is really quite affordable. I've paid more than that for most of the bottles in my modest collection. I also now prefer the mid-sized bottles so they don't sit around too long and possibly go bad. Unless it's Chanel. Lol! I went ahead and bought the 50 ml for just over $40 and I'm so happy I did! 😊 I have been searching all summer for a fresh-floral scent, I'd forgotten just how perfect this is?! The cactus flower and light musk are beautiful on skin. Mmmm... This scent is lovely! If you want to smell fresh, clean and unique, this is it. Safe blind buy, good longevity for an EDT, maybe 4 hrs? Smells really good on clothes, too. I just love it. Great in the heat and also really nice in the cold, brings out a sort of crisp floral aspect.

Glo by JLo, but with none of the warmth.
Straight cold steel, spicy, lkke ivory soap with the sweetness removed. A classic, though not one I find myself ever reaching for.

This is soap and water freshness in a bottle, 212 is clean, cool and somewhat metallic, for that reason, I love it.

Its not an overly popular scent, you will not smell this on anyone else on the street, its fresh and cool, its soapy but not "soapy", its crisp, modern, vibrant and bright.

212 opens with a crisp, green aqueous note, from the cactus flower and bergamot, followed closely by the lily , Muget and musk, after 4 hours some sandalwood emerges and rounds it all off, but for the most, its a cool, slightly aquatic, crispy floral that makes you feel and smell freshly showered all day.

Silage is moderate and longevity is great, I can get a full days wear from it (8am to 5pm), its a great scent for times when you want to smell fresh but not "perfumey", it smells fantastic year round but it really shines during the summer, its never cloying or suffocating at all. Future repurchase and the bottle is pretty cool too

Such a classic. I cannot understand the ratings. It's such an unique fragrance... It has something green in it. It's fresh, clean, soapy but yet interesting. Men's compliment getter. Good sillage and long lasting. Addictive. Definetely a masterpiece.

Very 90’s. Same vibe as CK one, but without spiciness. Fresh musk.
Down side - it stays very close to the skin. No projection.
After 9 hours the smell gets sour on me.

Off the top it is a floral fragrance. I imagine of a beautiful woman on a silk dress walking down a garden of extravagant flowers. Beautiful youthful and sophisticated. I love it 9/10. Recommend it!

It's very citrusy. I remember it being synthetic but at the time (early 2000s) I had no other perfume so this was what I used lol. Good in hot weather. Not cloying, unless you go crazy with it

My first perfume love. Got it for the first time in 2000 and have been waiting the price to do down (LOL at myself) It is perfection in a bottle. I felt so fortunate to own such intricately designed perfume flacon and smell like heaven. One of my sweetest memories is related with 212. In 2005 went to a postgrade course in Spain and my sister - 20-years-old at that time - gave me her bottle of 212 to make my stay the happiest one. I'm celebrating my 20th year anniversary of being in love with this perfume. Thank you, Carolina Herrera, I love you.

I find this fragrance very green, although the Greeniness fades away with time, while the flowers get mores noticeable. I find it quite a nice fragrance and a good match for the male version. It is quite subtle, but it is an edt.

This has to be the wonkiest perfume bottle I've ever seen. I couldn't even figure out how to access the perfume at first. Why are there two bottles of perfume; one at either end? This doesn't make sense to me. I haven't done a full wearing yet, just a one wrist spray so far from both bottles, so I won't review it yet. But I was just so confused by the bottle I had to comment on it.

It's interesting to read the variety of reviews for this one. It either works with your body chemistry or it doesn't, and you must enjoy musk. Thankfully, it works for me!

212 Was my signature for years. For me, it's a beautiful, clean, musky floral. Soft, classy and long-lasting. I have re purchased this one several times and will continue to do so as long as it's available.

This clean musky floral makes me feel cool, calm and collected. The first compliment I got on wearing this was from a masseuse. She immediately knew what fragrance it was and she stated that it's her signature scent for the past 15 years. This is also a sentimental choice for me because my mom had it in her collection during my childhood and I remember being fascinated by the bottle.

Overall I think 212 is best worn in spring and summer. It's light and clean which is nice in warm weather. The most apparent notes on my skin are lily, cactus flower, bergamot and musk. Low sillage, moderate longevity on skin, long lasting on clothes.

This beautiful, alluring, seductive perfume is a floral, soapy, musky fragrance that reminds me a little of JLO eau de GLOW. It has a light, citrus sillage which makes it feel crisp and clean - yet at the same time there is this barely detectable veil of smokiness which adds a touch of mystique, allure, and sophistication - making it more of an evening scent in my opinion.

This is nice ! Wow I am super late to the party . This is he perfect mix of clean florals on a woody and musky base. Perfect for everyday . Not too sweet . I love it !

Smells like Jadore on me. I like it.

This is such a nice perfume, its odor is just beatiful!
I really like it, one of my favorites,Its a very feminine, classy scent, and its strong yet not too strong -nice lasting power, it's great!

This is my fresh perfume, as I don´t like citrus /green fragrances (out of Cristalle).

212 NYC is polite, elegant, classy, clean but with presence, due to its good Performance. It projects for 3 Hours and it has longevity of 5 upon my Skin.

It can be easy a signature: perfect to work, for the shower after the gym, an afternoon with your Friends. It´s just for me a daywear scent. I don´t see that on evening Settings.

When I´m tired of wearing perfumes, and I just want to feel myself fresh and elegant, I wear this one.

Lovely Fragrance!

I bought a CH variety pack that included a mini of this. I love 212 Sexy and 212 VIP Rose, so I've been looking forward to sampling the original.

At first I didn't know how to take this. It hit my skin as a sharp, harsh, clean scent, almost with an aquatic kind of aspect.

Thankfully, that disappeared after a minute or two. Now, it's still sharp, but not in a harsh way. I'm still a relative novice, so I don't know what note I'm smelling, but it keeps giving me an aquatic vibe (which is great, I love aquatics).

I don't get any musk, citrus, or bergamot (one of my favorite notes), just a crisp, clean floral (primarily white floral), with a lot of woody notes thrown in.

It's a synthetic floral, but it's done extremely well. Fresh and spicy.

Someone a few reviews down mentioned Samsara, and as soon as they did, my brain went, "Oh! Yeah, definitely!" This does feel like a less sharp, fresher, perhaps more modern version of Samsara (not that there's anything wrong with Samsara. It's a classic, but it's heavy, while this is light and fresh).

I like that it isn't sweet. Sexy and Rose are both a little on the sweet side, and I can only wear them when I'm in the mood for sweet. But this is more versatile for me, personally (because I don't always like sweet smells).

Gorgeous. Sophisticated and grown up, without being dated. Suitable for any age, definitely evokes feelings of a bustling city. I've never been to NYC, I live in Vegas, but it definitely has a metropolitan kind of vibe to it.

It's definitely right up there with Sexy and Rose in my mind. I enjoy it.

It's been more almost 2years that I have a tiny bottle of 212 but I forgot to write a review for it.actually I even forgot I have it until recently that I washed my cotton bed sheets and wanted something clean to spray on it and this was the first thing that caught my eyes.since then I'm liking it more and more.
I believe it's much better on skin.on fabric or paper it's harsh opening lasts for a long time.white flowers,clean musk and,a hint of sandalwood and slightest touch of lemony citruses which fade away after initial five minutes are what I smell here.I guess I can pickup cactus too,a note I know from John Varvatus Viva Rock. sandalwood's warm creamyness rounds flower's cold sharpness.I'm not fond of it's opening and white musk has a bit of soapy,syntethic undertone but it's ok as the final result is very pleasant,feminine,innocent,ageless and very versatile.I know it's mainly a spring/summer perfume but now I'm wearing it in a winter day.it's crisp and clean and pure scent feels good even now and gives right out of shower vibe.it's not among my top favourites and I won't repurchase but I'm going to keep it and enjoy every drop of my 30mil bottle
The intresting point about 212 is that it's my younger sister's signature(below 25),also my grandma's signature perfume(she's 70)!and it smells lovely and appropriate on both of them! girly and innocent on my sis and ladylike,fresh and classy on my grandma(they also share Lanvin Eclat d'arpage and Cacharel Noa as their other favourite perfumes).that's why I call it ageless
Edit:
It has crazy longevity on my skin! I didn't expect such an amazing lasting power at all.it's beautiful musky floral scent clings to my skin and is there even after 24 hours!!
Albeit perfumes with a dominant musk note are usually very long lasting on me
اگه روایح تمیز دوست دارین حتما امتحانش کنید.فقط اینکه حتما رو پوست تستش کنید و حداقل پنج دقیقه بهش فرصت بدید
رو پوست من موندگاری فوق العاده عالی داره

It'a a safe fragrance, nothing too special.

I found a sample of 212 in magazine and that way it became my first perfume.

This is spicy, peppery, green floral but not realistic floral scent. It's more like cologne used by modern city girl who enjoys CK One or Gucci Envy for weekends. 212 easily created image of someone professional and grown up, that's what I wished to be at time. The unusual packaging was a big impact in choice too.

A woman was wearing this as I past her in a Starbuck's parking lot. She smelled so good that I had to spin around and ask her what she she had on.

This smelled GREAT on her -- very sweet, high notes - but really nice and approachable... friendly.

I'm glad I asked her. Both she and her mom were beaming that I noticed her perfume. She reached into her purse to show me the bottle. Was beaming that I stopped and asked what she was wearing!

-------

This is definitely one to try! Glad I found it!

I've been curious about this fragrance for years and finally tried it thanks to my monthly fragrance subscription. I really like it! I can smell the orange blossom with the first spray but that fades pretty quickly. There is also an unusual green note that must be the cactus flower. The fragrance is pretty sharp and soapy at first but ends up being a soft and musky white floral. It's a very sophisticated scent that would be great for almost any occasion.

I found this EDT for a great price for 60ml (2x30ml bottles). When I first tested it, there was some note that made me think this perfume smells like just cleaned public toilet, but I am sure the tester was bad. But there was something that made me think this is a great perfume for me, found a good tester in another shop. The initial smell has too much mixed notes, but right after 10 minutes it works its magic and fits great with my skin.

Musky and sharp. Lots of freesia and something green like lily-of-the-valley. Not my cup of tea.

It has recently become one of my favourites...beautiful, elegant, feminine and unobtrusive .. it reminds me of Samsara - but a much kinder and softer version.

Love it!

To me it smells like clean warm skin, probably because of the musk. Perfect day-to-day fragrance, inoffensive but unique enough to not be boring, and I always get compliments with it. 212 brings me a peaceful feeling. White flowers on a spring breeze, fresh lemon juice, long flowy dresses, cuddles under cool smooth sheets... Not a beach scent, though, more countryside.

Sillage and duration are moderate, a true EDT.

I had it a long time ago, in 2003, so only describe the memory. It was a rather delicate scent, nose-less, not typical fresh , but also not typical floral, rather something in between, some wood-floral climates.
It did not make an impression on me at that time, because I never came back to this perfume.

I decided to test it today, because I'm really not familiar with Carolina Herrera's fragrances and i was curious.
It is a light, airy floral. Usually, this kind of perfume doesn't touch me, but i would be lying if i said it is bad made. It is not. It is actually very well blended. Elegant and unintrusive. It is feminine and self assured. It is not very original, but from this genre, i can say it is the best. I would even dare to say that it makes enough impact to be remembered and therefore it would be a good signature fragrance for floral lovers.
I would recommend it to a polite but relaxed lady.
Sillage is close to the skin. Can't talk about longevity yet.

This scent is just amazing. Soft and warm with a full spectrum of well-blended facets that are not easy to readily identify. Very lady-like, creamy, and subtle. A true keeper.

a soaped silver chain necklace (musky soap + old silver)
I tested it on a hot day, omg I felt boiling inside, literally sinking in soap, got migraine aura flashes
Color: glaucous, Payne's gray.

EDIT: Palmolive Naturals Olive & Milk

I think this is a very clean scent. For everyday use, work, specially. It's not fruity, nor citrusy, to me is smells like something I would call 'dry scent'. I smell a little bit of lemon, until it wears out, but is really very subtle, I can smell musk and sandalwood through the whole day when I wear it. To sum it up, it is the kind of fragrance that makes you feel fresh, that you can wear during all seasons, it has moderate silage (for those who want to be noticed) and it lasts for 10h on my skin. It's different from all other Herrera fragrances, not sweet at all, no patchouli, no smoky hints. I would still wear it as a night fragrance, though. I think it is different from everything you can find when it comes to the perfume market, nowadays... I don't think I ever bumped into anything alike since it was launched. Perhaps slightly a bit of Oxygene, from Lanvin, which was discontinued. It is definitely not my favorite, but it is the one I carry in my purse, always. It just goes so well and blends with my skin so beautifully that it is the kind of scent I know won't bother anyone, night or day and still smell elegant. You will never smell cheap with this one. Thumbs up for its uniqueness.

I first discovered this fragrance when I was very young. I still remember the place and the summer breeze. I sprayed on my arm and I instantly fell in love with it. I bought it much later when I had enough money...Since that time I bought may bottles, until CH disappeared from Canada with all its fragrances. I managed to buy a few on sale at that time. Now I barely use it, as I don't want remain without it. I still love it. It reminds me of the summer breeze somewhere in Europe where I first discovered it. It is mild floral, sophisticate,and in the end smells like some musk and sandalwood. There is nothing like it. My signature fragrance, though I like many other perfumes.

This was my first perfume when I was a teenager. I still purchase a bottle every now and then cause I'm still in love with it It's a very safe choice for work and very recognisable. Beautiful smell but not "wow"...

This is not a real review because I have tried it just once and on a paper strip but for sure I'm going to try it again and this time on my skin because I find it absolutely lovely on paper
It's a famous fragrance and I've seen it in different perfume shopes for ages but I was never willing to try it.I don't know why but I never cared much about 212 perfumes(I only have 212sexy which I like it but not a love)
Recently I've been interested in florals and musky scents.I opened this page accidentally and when I saw it's notes I felt it would be right up my alley.today when I sprayed it's tester I could smell soft,fresh,lovely white florals with a slight green undertone,I usually hate any traces of greenness in my perfumes but it's not bad here.now after four hours what I smell on paper is a delicate,clean scent.white florals and white musk.I find it very pleasant,feminine,ageless,beautiful and great for spring days
Gonna edit as soon as I try it once again
❤❤❤❤
فقط یبار تستش کردم تو همین تست دراین حد متوجه شدم که یه عطر تقریبا خنک،لطیف و زیباست.شروع عطر با رایحه ملایم و لطیف گلهای سفیده که کمی ته رایحه سبز دارن.در ادامه مشکی تر میشه و ترکیب گلها و مشک سفید رایحه اصلی این عطر رو تشکیل میده.رایحه ای تمیز و زیبا،زنونه ومناسب تمام سنین و کاملا بهاره.من که خیلی خوشم اومد

Teenage stuff. I can't use it anymore. It is nice, but for me is over. I find it flat, which is y opinion for most Carolina Herrera scents, very comercial, not very interesting.

It is a scent that refers to a morning walk in an orchard of flowering orange trees. No relation to large cities that asks for a more electric aroma. It brings a young, pink-cheeked feeling to the spring sun. It is a fresh floral, not citric and with a light touch of sandalwood at the end. It is neither musky nor sweet. It fits well on the skin. Orange blossom, Lilly, Lilly-of-the-Valey and Sandalwood are the most prominent notes. It remembers me Anais-Anais, but is softer. Very feminine and romantic, it combines with fresh sunny days or starry nights.

For my skin ,it hard for me. Clean and fresh but sexy and good smells spread.For a confident woman.

212, I love thee, let me count the ways...I have owned this perfume for a few years, and I always go back to it once I've worn different perfumes. To me, I wear this scent best in the fall and winter. It's starting to get colder, so I've gotten my sweaters out, and started wearing 212 again starting this past Monday. Today is Saturday and EVERY DAY since I started wearing 212, I've gotten compliments from men and women on how good I smell. I usually wear Wind Song during the fall also, but I never get compliments on how I smell, not like when I wear 212.
On me it's a very white floral with musky-powdery undertones which I absolutely ADORE! It reminds me of smelling like you just took a lovely shower; I mean, how sexy is it to smell out-of-the-shower fresh?
I have always loved how the bottle is made: a cylinder with two separate perfume bottles on either side that connect into it. It's very convenient because I can put one ball in my purse, and the other is left on my vanity, so you save money on having to buy a smaller perfume bottle for travel! I've read a few reviews on here stating that this perfume isn't suited for someone over 25, but I'm 28 and I wear this well, just as anyone would, regardless of age. I'm actually almost out so I need another bottle...I'm gonna have to ask my hubby for one (or 5 :P)! Please, please don't discontinue or reformulate this perfume, Mrs. Herrera, you've definitely got a winner here, my dear!

This scent is perfect for all moods of a woman. It is calm and feminine when she is relaxed, and bold when she is active....the trail marks herbunforgettable identity and lasting memory. It knows when to keep silent and when to roar...the fragrance that leaves a mark to the senses.

I also detect a chemical dry down with this one, much like the smell of witch hazel.

The first impression just after spraying on, was immediate dislike. But dry down is much better and very floral. But still, not for me, there is something that I just do not like about it, for me it smells quite artificial. It reminds me of Alfred Sung's Pure, which I like a lot, but this one didn't work for me. The longevity and silage is very good, and I can understand that some can really love it, but try it before you buy it.

My favorite in 2001 in high school

I didn't have CH perfumes in my wardrobes
But 212 ...
CH has strong scent which became very nice after a while.

I have grown to love this scent. When I first spray it there is a metallic note but given around 20 minutes or so it becomes much more rounded and sophisticated, working well with my skin chemistry. It is floral without being sickly, there's a coldness to it that makes me reach for it on sunny winter days. On me, it does not smell like any other perfume and for that reason alone I would recommend it as a fresh out of the shower, every occasion scent but without being generic. I can understand this might be a disaster and seem chemically or synthetic if it does not suit your particular skin chemistry, but for me those particular elements work in this perfume - I don't always want to smell like something that grows out of the ground :) In the summer I'd wear it too, it's definitely suited to a city. It's not an easygoing summer bbq fragrance. I've never been to NY...perhaps at a sophisticated beach restaurant in Barcelona!

Summary: boring and artificial on paper and while wet, but magnificently juicy and natural feeling green floral musk as soon as it dries on my warm skin.

Try before you buy, and let it mix with your natural scent. If your skin chemistry works with this one it becomes an interesting juicy green floral soapy scent unlike anything I have smelled.

========

I received this as a gift a year ago, and it was a lucky choice of the gifter, as it is a kind of scent I would not have chosen, done in a way that suits my skin and my taste wonderfully.

It's, on me, a mix of clean flower soap, musk, very fresh gardenia and something green, plant-y and juicy (probably the cactus). The green juicy part reminds me of crushed white flower petals, almost lettuce. Unusual.

The surprising thing, for me, is how much it smells like some flower bushes from my childhood, flowery but still green and very natural-feeling. Maybe camelia bushes did have a smell, though I seem to remember unscented flowers.

Smells much better on me as my skin warms it than on paper or at first, right after spraying.

My skin amps just the right notes to turn it interesting and unusual.

It really was a lucky guess from my gifter :)

Honestly I love it. At first i felt kind of sweet, musky aura...but after that, the first 30 minutes my nose captures the smell of a bergamot and some white flowers. Or at least this is what I feel. To sum up, it brings me a common soapy sensation, feminine cleanliness. Good choice for everyday use, at work, school, etc. I used to have '212 sexy' some time ago, but compared to one another I would prefer it over this (*212). Somehow 'sexy' has more sweet and seductive notes and sort of feels closer to me and my skin. The '212' itself is a wonderful fragrance too, but I'm not sure if I want to repurchase it :)

this one is like a beautiful floral soap to me. i always have one on my collection. i can use it in any time of the year. it's something different, i don't feel like i'm wearing perfume. makes me feel clean all day, as i took a shower yet.

and also my fiance thinks it's very sexy, but this is not weird to me. he is a hygiene lover, he can smell any detergent for hours and hours without boring. :D

What I love the most about tis perfume is the drydown. It turns in such a clean, subtle scent. And it does last a while on your clothes. Definitely a favourite of mine.

I've been wearing this one lately. Its floral and fresh. Initially it's a bit too floral but then it dries down nicely to a soft floral. Longevity is pretty great. Lasts a good 8-10 hrs. Turns into a skin scent at the 5th hour. I haven't recieved many compliments on this perfume. I've been told I smell nice by a few people but Not in an enthusiastic way. Once I finish my bottle i won't repurchase. It's nice but not for me. Maybe because it's my aunts winter signature. My aunt gifted it to my mom and my mom hates the scent. Says it's too floral and gives her a headache. so probably not a safe gift option.

I wanted to edit this reviews because I've been wearing it exclusively at work for a few weeks because I'm trying to finish my bottle. Now I'm recieving compliments everyday on how great I smell. When I get out of the shower I use a fruity Victoria's secret body spray and after I'm dressed I spritz on 212 on my skin and clothes. I think the combo may be softening up the strong floral or maybe it's just mixing well with my skin chemistry. It smells better on my skin than clothes.

i am 42 and i am wearing this perfume. it is a safe choice for everyday. easy to wear it, very good for work and mornings.

The musk is the most prominent. I can slightly feel some underlying flower notes but that's about it. It's quite pleasant but nothing extraordinary for my nose. And I don't smell anything at all unless I get close, but I only sprayed once so maybe I should have applied more. These were just my first impressions.

It is very powerful thing. On clothing smells so many days, it has a good projection. Very good choice for every occasion and for work. I liked this one, for me is a clasic. Much like the others, it is not an ordinary fresh out. I heartily recommend.

Likeable fragrance. It's musky and citrusy floral. Nice and light. I really like the review below mine, it describes this perfume well.
I think it's an everyday scent, no wow factor there.
Just simple clean and nice, a little soapy as well.
Still, I am waiting for Carolina Herrera to wow me, it hasn't happened yet.

Working-girl scent. It's sign is Virgo. I say girl on purpose, I think it doesn't really suit a woman older than 30-35.
It's musky, I smell something green but not dry in the opening, maybe the cactus. Apart from that it stays pretty stable -musky floral- from the beginning to the end.

I don't find it wow but it's recognizable and makes sense as a perfume, characteristics which are hard to find in perfumes released after let's say 2010.
Or maybe it's just me getting old!

I bought it for me and got it just yesterday. It is a good perfume, a bit overwhelming and strong for me. My friend tried it on and she is in love with it! I will give it to her for her birthday soon! She will be so so happy. I will look for another one from Carolina H. It is a great line and sure will end up finding what I like :) Again this is a nice perfume, but it is not for me :)

When I was ordering samples I actually wanted to try Carolina Herrera 212 Sexy instead of this one, but because I have it, I decided to test it out anyway.

This scent is very soapy on my skin, and it's quite a clean and bergamot heavy soap. White florals and citrus are not a good combination on my skin. I don't get much development with the scent, which makes it quite linear, although it does get a little softer in the dry-down. I can definitely understand the appeal to this fragrance, but the clean soapiness reminds me a little too much of a soap used in a ladies' bathroom, which is really off putting. I think it's the freesia and lilies which give me that feeling.

Soft sillage; lasts for about 4-5 hours.

I've been thinking of getting a bottle of this for the last 17 years or so, but I always ended up buying something more expressive either way - sweeter/spicier or fresher/more floral. 212 belongs somewhere in between, which leaves me with a sense of unrest. But I guess this is why it's so universal. I think I'll eventually get it one day when for some reason I'll get tired of experiments and wish to wear an elegant perfume that has a little bit of everything and is inoffensive at the same time.

fresh, modern and city feel like perfume. Gives you energy and a young feeling. it's not the classic fresh perfume though, it has a distinctive note as well, so not boring at all. I had it few years back and I would buy it again anytime.

I marked this one as my signature just now because i realised that this is the only fragrance that i've been purchasing at least once every year for ten years. It's young, clean and crispy and sophisticated in a womanly way.

This is a wonderful, fresh, clean, elegant fragrance suitable to be worn everyday. It does smell a bit soapy with the musk, but that is what makes this great for everyday. It's a clean, understated fragrance that speaks every day elegance that people find very attractive because you're approachable. Many come very close to me to smell this, and they let me know it too.

You might say, "it's not special!" I ask you, would you wear that fabulous evening dress that accentuates those curves with those Manolo's and that gorgeous diamond necklace with matching earrings to the office or out running errands? No, that would be for the gala you plan on attending Saturday night. Your perfume should be something appropriate for the outing. So should your fragrance to the office or out and about running errands. Nothing flashy to draw TOO much attention to yourself, but certainly nothing frumpy either. With the compliments I get on this, this is far from frumpy and the word used most often by people complimenting me is "elegant".

Some mention the plastic doll scent in the opening. I get that too sometimes. I find that fragrances with a bergamot/orange or mandarin combo causes that. I just see it as the scent setting things up for the other notes to join in and come together. Much like musicians tuning their instruments before the symphony starts. It only lasts a few minutes. When the other notes start coming in, oh what beautuful music they play. The freesia, rose, lily of the valley, sandalwood, and musk are the main players in this symphony with gardenia chiming in here and there.

Longevity is 6+ hours which is great for an EDT and sillage is moderate at about 1-2 ft away the first few hours and closer to the skin later on. I've been told that this does leave a trail. I could walk past someone and the scent comes in like a pleasant breeze. It does make heads turn. The sandalwood and musk is very sensual yet elegant to people.

Great for warm months and a couple of friends of mine in Portugal wear this during the winter months there which is comparable to the winters here in Houston.

EDIT: I wore this today. Spritzed it on at 6:30. I thought this was probably gone at about 1:00 but was rushing to a meeting, so I didn't have time to freshen up. Around 3:30 this afternoon, one of our outside vendors came in the door as we were leaving out of the meeting from our conference room. As we walked down the hallway he asked, "what is that gorgeous perfume you're wearing? You smell so good!" I was shocked! 9 hours later from when I initially spritzed it on and he could still smell my perfume just standing next to me. I'm impressed! Not to mention, the sincere compliments I've been getting from people when wearing this. Well nothing would do, he wanted the name of it to buy it for his wife. I gladly gave it to him. I hope they enjoy it as much as I have.

My dad works on cruise liners around The Netherlands and bought me a bottle of this when he away. He has a very good nose for perfume and has actually recommended a lot of my perfume collection over the years. He wanted to find a perfume for me so he and a bunch of his workmates all went down to the store on the ship and sprayed each other with different scents.

As they were walking around the ship later that day, one scent in particular caught my dad's attention, which was 212 Carolina Herrera. He bought it for me and here is my breakdown of what it smells like on me:

Opening- Fresh, soapy floral base with green and a very subtle citrus layering overtop to give a bit of bite. (15-20 mins).

Middle- Green floral, strong rose and white camilla gives way to white flower and freesia. Cactus prominent. Musk begins to creep in subtly underneath the soap. (30-40 mins).

Base- Soapy, musky white flower. Clean and crisp. Most of the green has gone, some floral still detected though not as prominently.

Scent cloud= 1 1/2-2 hours (soft)

Total wear time= 6-7 hours (long-lasting).

I'm a fan of stronger scents so i'd never had anything this light or clean before but i've quickly grown used to it and now it's my go-to spring scent.

Having said that, i totally understand why many people on here have said that they like it, but they don't love it. It can be a bit too soapy on some people and it's not very strong. After about 2 hours you have to get in really close to smell it anymore, but it actually lingers quite a long time on my skin. I was surprised that i could still smell it faintly by the evening if i sniffed my wrist.

But the imagery of three working-class white-van-men spraying each other in women's perfume is too funny not to love!

beaglebaileysm - I think you might have a faulty bottle. I've repurchased 212 several times now and have never found the bottles difficult to remove from the middle, nor have ever had any leakage. If I were you I'd contact the store you purchased your bottle from and see if they'll replace it for you x

So while I somewhat like this, I definitely don't love it. It does have a nice clean vibe to it but my problem is the way it goes on my skin, I can't detect it right away but throughout the day I get sparatic bursts of scent. It's really weird. If I try to smell my wrists or wherever I sprayed, it's like 'Poof' magically disappears and then resurfaces sometime later. I am a perfume lover and have many but this one puzzles me! Lol

I am surprised no one has mentioned how exasperating the bottle is. What is the purpose of dividing it into two bottles? And SO hard to remove from the silver thing in the middle that holds them together. And my bottle(s) leaked terribly. Alas, this fragrance seems to be the next best thing to Elysium, so I will grin and bear it. It is beautiful.

UPDATE: I did exchange for a new bottle, and the new one is not difficult to open. Thanks for the tip! I do love this fragrance!

Have a bottle of this for swap. 30ml unused. PM if interested.

Nice and clean. I like the smell on me! Simply love it. Thumbs up.

Love love love this fragrance! I will run out and venture with a few different one but I always come back to this one!

I can see why there are many 'likes' for this perfume, but few 'loves' and 'dislikes'. I would add my vote of 'like' as well. It is a good perfume- smells clean but expensive. However, I feel that it lacks originality- it smells similar to many other perfumes (e.g. 5th Avenue). It also has a unisexy vibe that I don't quite care for. I'm glad I only got a sample of this, and not a larger decant.

I agree with FloridaMom, this is an exquisite, elegant perfume. I love gardenia so this was a no brainer for me, I get a sultry, musky gardenia not an overpowering in your face gardenia. Love the sillage, it leaves such a nice after scent in my wake.
I found this during one of my perfume runs and a fellow shopper, a lady who used to work for a high end perfume store asked me what smell I liked and turned me on to it. Thank you ma'am, I love it.
This is one of my favorites and a great addition to any collection. Give it a try.

Very nice! It's more musky floral than fruity floral to my nose. There is a warm feel to the florals, which is balanced by the soft freshness of the cactus. The result is a rounded fragrance that is modern and feminine. I agree that the lasting power is great.

212 CH features possibly one of my favourite notes of musk in the fragrances I've encountered so far. I sometimes have trouble wearing very musky fragrances. This musk adds a surprising level of femininity and sensuality without being harsh or overpowering.

I can see why this has attracted so many positive reviews. Thank you to RhaineClayton for the generous sample!

Nice and clean. Everyday frag for me. Delicate and feminine, my husband likes it on me:)

I've reviewed this one before and must admit I wasn't that impressed by the soapiness in this. To me it ruined it.
Anyway, I took a punt and got a 30ml of it and I've had a change of heart.
The soapiness doesn't really come out on my skin and I get whiffs of this amazing floral all day!
I think this may be an ongoing "stayer" in my collection.

This is a beautiful perfume that wears long, is sophisticated and comforting, and smells like a creative mixture of all the ingredients- florals and woods. After I had sprayed myself in Sephora, I was surrounded by a little cloud of 212 radiating off my skin all night.
I initially tried this on a tester strip at the Sephora. I thought, ugly bottle but hey, I've seen this one higly rated on fragrantica.com and other beauty guru sites. I sprayed a few others on other tester strips, but this one I kept coming back to. I discarded the other strips and sprayed it again to make sure it was 212 that I sprayed. I kept thinking, it can't be 212-
I decided to have a spray on my neck and look around at makeup for a while. While browsing I kept getting whiffs of this gorgeous powdery, warm, musky, woody scent. I even asked the sales associate for help and kept smelling something thinking it was "her perfume". However, I soon realized it was me!
I bought this thinking the main notes were bergamot, musk, gardenia and vanilla.
Boy, I was wrong, there is this special cactus flower, mandarin and fruits, jasmine and lots of other flowers as well. This is apparently a floral.
Just- don't overspray (golden rule of perfume)

Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez give this perfume only 1 star in their a-z guide, and this is possibly the review I disagree with most.
Maybe it is my skin chemistry, maybe it is the climate I am in, but this works wonders on me. Very clean, very fresh, very feminine and elegant, I nearly always receive compliments when I wear this. (oh and one very negative comment, once, that it smelled like "perfume you could chew on"!)
That said, a few people who have asked what I was wearing have reported back that they tried it themselves and it smelled nothing like it does on me when they tried it. So maybe it just works well on me?
It always was a very comforting smell to me. Having said that, in my new journey of olfactory exploration I have not turned to this in a while so maybe I will find my perceptions have changed?

212 is clean, fresh, feminine and sexy. This is the perfume I go back to every summer and would wear this for any occasion, daytime or evening, or simply for everyday wear. There's something absolutely beautiful and unique about this perfume, as I don't usually go for fresh or citrusy scents, but this really is different from the rest as far as I'm concerned. The only trouble with 212 is that the lasting power is virtually non-existent on me and I have to layer it with the matching body lotion in order to make it last longer. This is by far my favourite perfume from Carolina Herrera and in my opinion, better than any of the 212 flankers that followed. This is also to my nose much sexier than 212 Sexy, which seems ironic...

Unique and soapy in a good way. I haven't tested any frags with cactus flower or white camelia yet, so those must have come into play for me. I almost like this all throughout except for the wilted rose note which ruins the musky drydown just a tad. Would buy at a discount as it's unique enough to make a worthy addition to my small collection.

I think 212 is best worn in spring and summer, it's very light, floral and clean smelling which is nice in warm weather. The cactus flower was probably the most apparent note on my skin, and jasmine and bergamot stood out as well. I only wished that there was more gardenia and sandal.

This one is VERY popular here in Brazil.
I used to wear it but it didn't fit my skin.
It's so strange how this fragrance chooses the woman...
My friend wears this and I love it on her.
212 is very fresh and sexy. Love it.

Pretty revolting for the first 2 hours. It just smells a bit 'off'. But after it has settled, it smells beautiful! Soft, warm, light. I just don't want to have to wait this long for a fragrance to blossom.

Edit: Correction! This is BEAUTIFUL! I have learned to love the topnotes just as much as the middle and base. This perfume makes me feel light and feminine (but not girly).

...krásná čistá vůně

I am looking for a smell that smells like detergent or soap: very fresh and right for every occasion. I think this smell will be close to my wishes. I will buy it (and I hope that the staying power will be good).

Love it, love it. Very clean, but not too sweet. I love to wear this in the summer.

I love this perfume. On other people. My friend, a fellow perfume collector, and possessor of opposite-than-me body chemistry, bought 212. It was AMAZING. Bergamot and gentle citrus notes carry a well-balanced cool floral body. The silage was great, though not over-powering. This was a definite new want!
However... I wisely decided that I should give hers a try before buying my own bottle, and boy, was I glad that I did. On me, the fragrance fell flat. The notes became bland and discordant at the same time. It was nothing like it was on her.
My conclusion is: 212 is amazing on the right person. It is clearly very sensitive to body chemistry (even more so than most). My friend wore it well - i did not. (She can also wear Chanel No. 5 and it smell fresh and amazing on her. While on me, it smells like sour aldehydes in a nursing home.) Give it a try! If it works for you, GREAT! I'm jealous!

A nice soft clean scent for days when you don't want to be too "perfumey". I really like it.

Very feminine perfume. Soft, relaxing clean scent. a little sweet and very romantic. I love the bottle design as well, though I think it doesn't suit the soft romantic character of the scent.

On the first spray i feel a little dizzy but after few minutes it smells lovely and i feel like i'm a mature woman. I love wearing this perfume before meeting and this perfume is very long lasting.

This is pretty nice, fresh,like a white clear scent, and yet smooth and pleasant to wear, no overdose of citrus here, I am a big fan of Carolina Herrera , her scents are pretty, nicely done, 212 is perfect for an active day, it is am energetic scent, clean. Yet feminine I like it.
I smelled it a year ago and I remember it, it isn't common.

not bad....I think its very fresh smelling but nothing special that I would spend the money on it

I read that this smells like Clarins Elysium so I gave it a try. Very similar at first but a touch powdery. Unfortunately, the base smells too soapy. Not unpleasant, but not what I was searching for.

Update: Revisited a few more hours later and the powdery/soapy smell has diminished. May purchase a miniature to try it for a few days.

2nd update: revisited this fragrance again in store today - all I can say is WHY ruin perfection with so much soapiness!?

I had asked for 212 sexy, but got 212 instead. This is clean and fresh. Floral but with a nice citrus and cactus balance. Low sillage, longevity on me is really inconsistent, there are days 212 lasts 6+ hours and days I reapply after 2 hours (weather is not a factor, it's always 35+C and 50%+ humidity). Still waiting for my 212 Sexy...

Every moorning, while I walk to work, i can smell somebody wearing this perfume.... I can´t explain what it has that likes to many women.

Err not my type. Too white for my liking

Similar to Dior Pure Poison.

VERY "white flower". A bit unclean, and indolic actually.

First off, I don't leave negative reviews. Let's just say that this one wasn't for me. By looking at the notes it should have been one of my favorites; however, something just didn't fit... A beautiful fragrance indeed on someone else.

A soft floral with citrus notes all around, not to subtle, not to sexy, I would say a nice fragrance for everyday and even into the evening.

On me, this girl lasts... You don't even understand, I mean she just keeps going and going and going and going! I sprayed (a single spray) on at around 8pm one night and could still her at 10pm the next night!!! Holy $h!t I have never had anything cling on for so long!

Oh how I wish I could pull this one off, or at least smell this on the woman who can!!!

So... Do I like Carolina 212? Yep, sure do, just because I can't wear her doesn't mean I'm going to give up! I guess I'll keep my bottle around for another day, and hopefully we will hit it off a little better in the future!!!

Thanks and I hope this helps!

I have 2 kinds of parfume, soft and harder that be able use in different session, I love it cause I didn't get headache smelled it, but fresh and bright!

I thought I had smelled a very similiar scent my mother had worn when I was a child called Jungle Gardenia, by Tuvache on one of my female co-workers. I wanted not to just duplicate the scent, but make this my own special scent. I was very happy and excited to purchase the fragrance in the unique shaped bottle. I ended up having to give this perfume to a good friend because the musk gardenia smelled really bad as if the bottle went bad but it hadn't, this just smelled bad on me.

A fragrance whith passion, elegance and style.
A fresh scent but strong.
It is strange but I am using this perfume during the winter, I think the cold smell protrudes more.
This is not one of my favorite scents but in my opinion is a very good scent.

I love it! This make me smell clean all day :) The smell is so refreshing even after several hours wearing it. It probably blends well with my skin :) It's not too daring nor too subtle, just the right amount of sensual & elegant

To set this fragrance the word "versatility" is the best one. Great for any occasion, time and season. The sin is on the topic "exclusivity" ... It is very popular. : (

I've repurchased this several times! It's a lovely long lasting scent...very classy! The citrus in it is not too overpowering at all :-)

Soy alérgica a este perfume.

Lily of the valley, which is my favourite smell (or one of them) is actually quite strong in this for me...

however i only noticed it when i have bought it for my niece and smelt it on her... then i had to go and get myself one too... Smell like a thirteen year old, haha, not sure this was a good idea for me..

This is a fun fragrance i would say, it is light and would say more summer than winter, but still, lily of the valley... :)

It's a soft floral fragrance with a clean feel to it. Very pleasant and inoffensive but classy and remarkable as well.

I can't think of a more versatile scent than this. It's perfect for all seasons and suitable for any occasion.

Just bought it yesterday and what can I say? It's clean and fresh fragrance, with big portion of white floral note. Personally, I love white flowers, especially, lilies, so I like this perfume. I wouldn't say it's a unique scent, but definitely worth to buy it. To me it starts with mild citrus notes, like mandarin or bergamot, then it turns into musky floral. I fell scent of lily, gardenia and jasmine, also it has a little hint of lily-of-the-valley. I'm not huge fan of lily-of-the-valley and trying to skip those perfumes which has this note, because usually it's overpowering. But here it's just a polite mention about that white flower. I don't feel any cactus or sandalwood. 212 is good for everyday uses, can be a good addition to a young woman and can be worn at office. It has good combination and balance, it's nice, not overpowering, classy, but not plain. Best season - summer, it has no age limitation, because it's classy. Longevity is ok, about 3-4.5 hours.

I can smell mostly the citrus scent from beginning to the end. The perfume I am reviewing says 212NYC, I do not know if it this one. I find it pleasant, although nothing special and not particularly original, this seems to be the most common type of scent these days. Also I find it too simple and does not seem to evolve, keeping the same on and on. It does not project much but staying power is not bad. There are lots os citrus fruity floral much better than this one. Actually I think that most Carolina Herrera perfumes are not that good, tend to be cloying and not well structured or sophisticated at all. I do like CHIC though.

I am definitely a "floral" girl, and 212 is definitely a floral, but the musk in it anchors it and gives it a sexyness or a more serious edge to it. I really like it- it's unique. The drydown is my favorite part, and the sillage is great- days later it's still in my clothes!

I blindly purchased this perfume at 2008 just because of friend's suggestion. And I love it! Every time I wear this I just feel...different, in a good way. It's because actually I can hardly find other women smell like this. Clean, fresh, classy, and not overpowering on me. It's just perfect. I always use it on my neck and spritz once on my clothes, then it would last all day. Day or night, leisure or formal occasions, all is fine with me.

Pretty scent:) Soft white floral, clean, soapy and creamy, with hints of musk and delicate watery notes.
The only complaint is that it doesn't last long enough, 3 hours what's that, booo!

amazing fragrance. it's unique.

oh, i looooooove this perfume , it`s amazing , it smells like a powder fresh and sexy at same time,

it was recommended to me becuz i was searching for a soapy fresh fragrance. but once i sprayed it for the first days experience i grew tired of that smell :(

Smells fresh and crisp, which is how it draws me to own a bottle of it, I love it when I first put it on. But after using the entire bottle over many years, I no longer like it. It's too ordinary.

I was looking for a soft spring fragance since I have a lot of powdery, heavy perfumes. I went to the shop and tested a few, and I liked this one the best. I thought it was nice, not great or charming or an obscure object of desire: just nice. Discreet, actual, perfect for work maybe. It's not a peculiar or characteristic perfume, one that you'd remember (for better or worse), but I loved the first fresh notes. However, I didn't want to buy it until I had the chance to see how the last notes worked on my skin, so I came home without it.
Now (a few hours later) I can clearly make out the plastic, synthetic, Barbie-doll stink some people have mentioned here. Yuck. I kept sniffing my arm over and over, wrinkling my nose and trying to figure out what that smell reminded of, and when I read the reviews it clicked. I'm sure it's an unfortunate mixture of natural ingredients.
Certainly not flattering or enjoyable. Must go back to the shop to test another one.
Woe is me.

My bf gave it to me, but i really dont like the smell of it. It reminds me of some kinda cheap pachuli flower fragrance, plus i find it too heavy. Though, my gfs love it.

Smells like Bath & Body Works' Gardenia fragrance. All I smell is gardenias. Or a dirty soap holder (thanks Amanda!), when I get sick of the scent. Sillage and longevity is nearly non-existent unless I spritz more than 10 times. Drydown takes about 20 mins, the smell gets slightly more bearable after that. I hate the packaging. I am still on the 1st bottle, but I groan at the sight of the 2nd bottle.

One of my friends gave me this perfume on my birthday and since I loved 212 sexy, I didn't hesitate about loving this one either.. Until I try it on. For some reason, this perfume gives me strong headaches (sometimes even migraines) So I gave it to my mum for her to use, on her skin, it smells fantastic. When I wear it on mine, just blergh. And I wouldn't recommend it for the people who have sensitivities for smells..

I love, love, love this scent, when I spray this on, I can smell the sweet gardenias and sandalwood, the soft musk stays all day making you feel like you just steped out of the shower. I's a nice spring/summer scent and perfect for going out at night.

212 was a pleasant surprise. I'm not usually a florals type girl, but this was different. I think it would be a perfect work scent, especially in the springtime. It is so mild and almost skin like. The mixture of Easter lily and camellia with a little cactus juice is an amazing combination. It has similarities to Lulu Guinness with the white lily (but not as loud as LG) and Glow with the soapy haze of just-showered feeling.

I really like 212. Some days I just want to smell clean and pretty. I can't always be a harlot.

bought it after read the review here and i am happy with the smell and the longevity, the top note is not so nice, but as it dried down, u will love it, clean, fresh, suit for everyday wear,it is no more available here in my country, managed to buy the rejected one, the one for tester only,cheaper with long last power and clean , fresh smell, i love it

i reviewed this not long ago after trying the tester at Ulta but I have since changed my opinion. I opened the new bottle and sprayed it on before work and it smells so lovely at first but then after a couple hours I kept smelling a weird smell, almost like the smell your clothes will have if you leave them in the washing machine too long before drying them, they start to smell sour. So I tried the cologne again the next day and the same weird smell, only this time a co-worker even commented that something smelled sour. I don't know if the bottle I bought was bad or a different formula than the tester but it's going back to Ulta! If it mixes well with your chemistry it's a gorgeous fragrance but it doesn't work on me.

i went to ulta looking for a new winter perfume. i saw the cute 212 bottle, picked it up, spritzed it on my wrist and fell in love! this will be perfect in the spring but i couldn't wait until then to purchase it, i had to have it now. it is so beautiful and feminine. so, so pretty!

We recently got an Ulta store in our shopping mall, so a girlfriend and I went to check it out today. we went to the perfumes and were smelling them, and smelled so many that we were both about to get headaches, but I just wanted to try one more...it was 212 and boy I'm so glad I did! I sprayed it in the crook of my right elbow, and could not stop smelling my arm throughout the day! I sprayed it like at 1pm and it's 1:34 in the morning and I'm still smelling this on my arm so on me it's lasting for an exceptional period of time which is phenomenal because there aren't many perfumes that last one me! I'm definitely getting this one to add to my collection! To me I would wear this all year long, and it comes off as very floral with powdery notes to it which I absolutely adore. It sort of reminds me of Glo by JLO...they're not exactly alike but I think the type of fragrances are the same. I absolutely love this perfume!

WOW:)

I was in a fragrance shop looking for new launches and this girl was trying perfumes. The shopkeeper put a few sprays on her left arm. Nothing great. He sprayed another one on her left hand. That was ok. Then he sprayed one on her right arm. God. Now that was excellent. My nose caught the beautiful rose. I could not help myself asking him which one he sprayed. He said 212. I told the girl that the last one he sprayed, 212 is far superior to others. She bought it :)

I do not know about its longevity but this is a great daytime perfume for women. Not light, not overwhelming. Must be even better in spring. If you are looking for a floral which is not so strong and not so light at the same time, buy this! This is a beautiful floral.

this scent somehow evoke a masculine effect... is it just me or what? :p i had one as a gift, but i already pass it on to my friend, who is actually a guy. he likes it.

This is eau de toilette, so the staying power is weak. But the scent is lovely. You can wear it everyday, at work, beacuse it is so light.

Nice scent but will not be one of my favourites. good staying-power. Fresh flowers - but just not really "me". Great scent on the right woman.

Trevlig doft men kommer inte att bli min favorit. Stannar länge på huden. Fräsch blommig, mjuk doft men inte riktigt "jag".

You walk in the rainy city with your umbrella, wet streets, smile on your face, pleasant perfume cloud around you. 212 is like smooth cashmere sweater- it makes you feel comfortable even in bad weather. Or you wake up in the cloudy morning, but you can stay in bed, cause you´ve got free day.
This is 212. Elegant and cool

Unlike its male counterpart, 212 Female is cloying on my skin. Where the male version is a masterpiece for young, relaxed urban men with its perfect freshness and impossible-to-miss edginess; what they have put in it to make it softer makes the female version, well, cloying. It feels as if the perfume couldn't make up its mind whether to be feminine or masculine. Normally this can be a good thing, what we call unisex :) But with this, it just doesn't work for me. The fresh and clean scent you smell in the first minutes is soon overcome by some other heavier aromas. And this is surprising because the middle notes are the usual white flowers and rose. Most probably my skin projects musk more than the other notes but I just don't like 212 Female. And it didn't last on my skin at all, only 2.5 hours and lost...

I really like Carolina Herrera's line , In my opinion, she seems to be a pretty elegant woman.
This was the second perfume I did buy from her.
I like the scent, but to bad it does not last long on my skin.
won't buy it again =(

This one is a classic! I´ve worn it for about 8 years, it's a great fragrance, those ones that are almost impossible not to like! However it has become that fragrance that everybody wears, do that's the down side for me!

This is one time I'm really glad I waited a while to write a review.

First time I tried it, after buying it blind, I thought...ho hum, just another quite nice, clean smelling greeny floral. Good, powerful first blast, but then, ten minutes later I thought, see, nothing left...

Then...I went to work. OK for work, I thought. Now, I'm a teacher, and there I was happily teaching when one student asked me what perfume I was wearing, because it smelt so good she wanted to get it for her mother.
'What?' I thought. "Someone can still smell it?'
Decided it would be my everyday for school perfume. Again, another student asking...
Then, I put on a coat I'd worn when using 212. Put it on...snuggled in...and thought 'Oh my, What is this warm, sweet inviting pure smell.' Yep...it was 212....Smelling so strong and so fresh.

So, this is a quiet beauty that sneaks around and obviously has huge, secret sillage and longevity. If you want a fresh, citrusy floral that is smooth and mellow, and really makes you smell pure I would thoroughly recommend this little diamond.

modern, for every day

Sweet sweet sweet and tender. Also very fast vanishing. And not my cup of tea :)

I got this as I wanted something 'fresh and clean' for spring, but with a bit of depth. I had had the 'Sexy' version of this before but couldn't find it anywhere (went to 3 different shops!). This starts off quite citrusy on my skin, but then mellows out to a sharp white floral with the sandalwood shimmering through. The dry down is very clean with the sandalwood and light musk mingling. I really like this one. Nothing spectacular, but very easy to wear, non-offensive and long lasting. Definitely warm weather and office appropriate. BF loves it!

212 is only suitable for a woman who believes what she wants in life and who knows who she is. It is a smell of confidence, competence and passion. Definitely, you'll stand out of the crowd when wearing this.

My experience with 212 was a love-at-first-sniff one. I instantly knew this perfume is going to be on the top of my list for a very long time. Why,
1) because it's perfectly gentle, fresh, with a shy touch of beautiful flowers.
2) because it makes me feel classy and sexy
3) because it lingers forever...and people keep asking me how do I manage to smell so damn lovely all the time.
Also, i love the scent of lilies and it's the only note i can distinguish (besides the sandalwood)....while the rest remains an amazing mystery to me....
I highly recommend this modern and mild scent....hard to find a combination like that!!!

Bright, clean delicately sweet floral.

Camelia, rose and orange blossoms are most obvious in the heart with a slightly modern note to it--neither sharp nor minimalist.

The dry down is comforting and fresh. Nice and casual for warmer weather.

Bought this today , but i was disapointed . it smells clean and fresh yes . but on my skin it dosnt work . buhu.. smells a lot like cheep Lilly of the valley. well well . someone else is gone like it :)

The first time that I smelled this on a girl, I went and asked her which perfume she was wearing, thinking I had smelled something like Tocca Cleopatra. 2 friends were with me and they had the same feeling about Cleopatra. It was summer and at the beach bar I could smell her from meters away. I bought it and I really like it but now it doesn't remind me of Cleopatra at all and on me has no lasting power. It only stays in my clothes until I wash them.
PS my boyfriend dislikes it

this starts of terribly soapy! but after a good hour it settles into a lovely pink floral scent. In the vein of Miss dior/coco mademoiselle..
Long lasting and very ladylike, nice to work and daytime wear.
I bought a 30ml bottle (blind buy!) wont buy again but will get some use from this one.
if it had a whisker of apricot I think this scent might really have oomph! might dabble with a drop of Liz Taylors Rubies and Diamonds.

yes...soapy at first but after 3 hours my wrists get stuck on my nose! :)

212 is very much of a just-out-of-the-shower scent. When you have used a cheap bodywash though. It's smells pleasant and fresh, but also a bit cheap. But you only get the cheap part when you really pay attention to it and smell it a dozen of times like me. Else, it's just pleasant and fresh. Perfect if you have a husband or boyfriend who claims not to like perfumes and just wants you to smell clean.

There are days I like soft or floral or spicy or unique scents. This particular one is for the days I just want to smell "clean". It does smell a little soapy but nothing is too distinct in this, it doesn't smell overtly floral or green and I definitely don't get fruity from it.

My best description would be freshly laundered cotton with a touch of citrus. Light,fresh and pleasant in a comforting/familiar way.

It has nice sillage and longevity (it lasts 10+ hours on me).