212 VIP Black Elixir

As soon as I sprayed this on, I was reminded very much of Scandal Absolu. Minus the plum. So I sprayed that one on the other arm, and compared. Yes. Very, very similar. One key difference, though, is that Scandal Absolu seems to get sweeter as it dries (mirabelle plum, most likely), whereas 212 Elixir doesn't. It actually darkens up a bit (licorice note?) and becomes a bit more masculine-leaning (none of these super sweet mass-market designers are decidedly 'masculine' to my nose). Similar to Scandal Absolu, but this is better. At least, in my opinion. This also has better longevity. I guess it is the licorice note that does it? I'm not sure. Is it redundant? I guess that depends on the size of your collection? I have only about half of my collection catalogued on this website, so for me an absolute 'yes'. But I get enjoyment out of the hobby, so who really cares. If you are trying to avoid redundancy, and have more than a few fragrances in your collection, this can probably be skipped. If you are a fan of the line, try and sample it. You might really like it. I know I do.

Now that note breakdown is much, much more accurate to how this fragrance comes across!!! They launch these fragrances with the simplified 3 note breakdown and then the entire breakdown gets released when the fragrance does but they never add the rest here. This has happened with a few different releases this year and last year. It's a little irritating that the companies don't think our attention span is long enough for more than three notes. You just cannot get the feeling of a fragrance and it's scent profile with only 3 notes! But anyway, if you want a better idea of how this amazingly good flanker is then look at the review below mine because I have always wanted to find out what the rest of the missing notes were here. This is very good stuff. I think it's a slightly less masculine take on Sauvage Elixir. 8.5 out of 10 for me.

Definitely worthy of the Elixir title for the 212 VIP line. Price is actually much more in line with what all other Elixir's should be coming from retail at $135!!! But I have already gotten one heavily discounted and it's top notch designer juice! Definitely top notch performance, great scent quality and hyper attractive for night out events when you'll be outside so it's nice thick sillage can move around well. I had the 212 VIP Black Extra flanker and it was more versatile, but the liquorice kick is so nice and I can no longer decide which one is my favorite. Highly recommended!!! 9.25 out of 10!

This opens with a Black Licorice BOMB. Could not smell any lavender/grapefruit/or juniper. Licorice stays strong for 60-90minutes until it starts to calm down and I could start to get the lavender, mellow vanilla, and woods. I got a tiny little bit of the orange blossom early in the dry down. Smells like a really nice dark candy on my skin. Dries on clothes into one of the most delicious sweet vanilla scents I have smelled.

The scent itself is not bad at all, but i still have the felling that there are so many alike on the market, so it's ok, but nothing spectacular. Not very sweet or vanillic, the lavender/black licorice are the main characters in this scent. Yes, i do agree that is a winter/autumn night out scent, it is very elegant and a compliment magnet! The bottle looks stunning and very heavy, and the performance is quite good!

this is the best vanilla scent I've ever smelt in my entire life, so damn good and delicious just a hidden gem very solid release from the brand, but I dont know why no even one talking about this bad boy this is even more 'bad-boy' than Bad Boy line from the same house haha

the top note is what Im dying for never in my life smelt such a beautiful gourmand top note like this mid and drydown you will smell the DNA of Cola vibe on the gourmand base modern, youthful and playful scent - bad boy style even more 'BAD' than Carolina's Bad boy lineup

I just purchased it few hours ago... very intense , very muscilan fregrance an amplified , inhanced version of VIP black in terms of radiance and longevity. im pretty much enjoying it, specialy the tone of vanilla... Over all 6.75 / 10

My scent of the day. Great juice, lasts long on my skin. Projects out around 3-4 feet for 3 hours, then slowly fades to skin scent and stays that way for 10-12 hrs. Long lasting for sure. The dry down is where it shines for me.👍

Amazing composition. I was skeptical at first - as I was not too impressed with the whole 212 VIP line, but this one is an exception. Very unique scent, challenging at first. but the drydown is to die for.

Take 212 vip black, go heavy on the vanilla, absinthe? meh. dry licorice!! then sprinkle some spices on top and mix those beautifully like a witches’ brew and the visions of your best night out ever start

For whomever LOVES the idea of black licorice and dark vanilla - THIS IS THE ONE! This is NIGHT OUT - Fall/Winter, but I fear I will wear it way more often than only at night...

Güzel, tatlı, sweet, vanilyalı miss gibi koku.. valentino yu anımsatıyor, ilk 1 saat yayılım bayaa iyi ve tende kalıcılık 3 4 saat, kıyafette kalıcılık başarılı, alınır tavsiye

Anyone please complete the notes up there. Top: Black Lavender Juniper Grapefruit Middle: Black Liquorice Saffron Orange Blossom Base: Black Vanilla Oakwood Vetiver

best of the line and much better than Rodeo

Abre com uma mistura de lavanda e baunilha bem potente, um adocicado no limite do enjoativo, mas que é bem sedutor, com um leve toque herbal. A secagem é bem especiada e deliciosa, o alcaçuz que dá esse charme único e misterioso, tem umas impressões distantes de caramelo, terra, talvez uma resina também, mas ao longo de toda a duração o que domina é a baunilha, chega a ser quase gourmand. De cara o perfume me remete às cores rosa e preto, se é que isso faz sentido. É bem noturno e perceptivelmente masculino. É bem um perfume de festa mesmo e bem sensual, mas tem muita personalidade e talvez não agrade todo mundo de cara (a primeira vez que testei estranhei bastante o excesso de baunilha e essa característica gourmand, mas vai ficando muito agradável com o tempo). Também precisa tomar cuidado pra não borrifar demais porque tem potencial de ser BEM enjoativo. Projeta bem por cerca de 1h30 e fixa mais do que o suficiente, 10+ horas, talvez. A silagem (felizmente) é moderada e não vai chegar a dominar qualquer ambiente que entrar, mas é fácil de perceber e deixar uma trilha considerável. Gosto bastante da personalidade dele e a combinação de notas é muito interessante, só não gosto mais porque é um pouco desequilibrado, ainda tenho um pé atrás com a baunilha. Melhor testar antes de comprar, tenho um decant e ainda não sei se vale a pena investir no frasco.

I’ve spent a few days with my sample. 212 VIP Black Elixir is a great vanilla lavender scent. My first impression of this really reminded me of Armani Code Absolu or even a Le Male Le Parfum. As this one dries down it smells very similar to Burberry Goddess Intense but more masculine leaning. This has great projection for the first two hours and lasts about 8 hours on my skin. Personally, i’m not the biggest fan of the licorice note. Although, it is tolerable for me paired with the sweetness of this fragrance. If you’re a fan of sweet aromatic scents i would recommend giving this one a try! I would rate it a solid 7/10.

212 Black Elixir opens beautifully, I almost wish the whole perfume stayed that way. But midway, it shifts into something warmer, almost sweaty and slightly dirty, before softening into a sweeter, more mellow drydown. It’s clearly made with heat and sweat in mind. A clubbing scent through and through. Full bottle worthy? Absolutely, especially if you’re a nightlife animal. While it gives off fleeting vibes that might remind you of Valentino Born in Roma, the resemblance is barely there and vanishes quickly. 212 Black Elixir is very much its own thing.

- lavender, leathery, dry meadow herbs - also a sweet vanilla perfume - you can sense the main ingredient of licorice (the "black sweet root") - licorice is also flavored with anise, which seems to be present in the scent too, though that might just be an association in my mind - some say it smells herbal, others say sweet and sugary - from a distance, it reminds me of the taste/scent of "Kofola," a soft drink sold in Slovakia 10/7

It smells nice, is long-lasting, and gets lots of compliments. But it is redundant if you have something like Invictus victory,212 black,1 million elixir.

Licorice gives it special vibe not many frags have,its ok frag for winter and autumn

Sweet in a nice way. Not overpoweringly so.

#1667 in my “Tour de Fragrance” There’s not much to this. Licorice and lavender. Not very potent. Not much silage. Barely a skin scent for four hours, so you’d go heavy with this. Fine for any environment. Really nice dry down. BUT, lavender is such an overdone ingredient in laundry and household cleaning products that for me it comes off cheap. This would be an awesome scent for dryer sheets, but it’s not something I’m going to wear as a fragrance. Good Luck and Good Hunting!

I am not a big fan of original Black but compared to this, it is a master class. Opening is full synthetic, fruity, bublegum type of Lavender and later dries down to gourmand vanilla. Licorice is nowhere to be found and composition is overbearingly sweet. It is strong, I will give that.

Ordering samples is REALLY saving my ass AND wallet! My sample of this arrived today and I have one question, which happens to be the same question I asked about the new YSL "Y" fragrance for men. The question is "Y?!?!" @eddykop nailed it below by saying, "Cheap sweet smell." I've said it before and I'm going to say it again, there are too many crossovers between the Herrera 212 VIP, Rabanne One Million, and Valentino Born In Roma lines. I was also looking forward to the black licorice note with this fragrance, but where the hell is it?! VERY disappointing! So much so, I threw the sample vial into the trash after several hours. I just don't even want to give it another attempt. The ONLY redeeming thing about this fragrance is the bottle. While I haven't seen it in person, the gradient from lighter to darker starting at the bottom and working its way up to what appears almost like a metallic lacquer, is really quite stunning! Everything else, however, is a colossal joke/waste of time. REALLY sick and tired of Puig and their ridiculousness!

Not my cup of tea. It reminds me of that OPULENCE OF DUBAI Swiss Arabian, which i dislike a lot

The final period is coming, when design houses are slowly waking up from their slumber and have started to work hard again with their releases as well as for their consumers. This time's release is 212 ViP Black Elixir...Yes, it's another one of the "Elixirs"...practically every design house has its own...but this time it's going in a good direction! There are really a lot of 212 ViP flankers to date - and with this they have put the finishing touches on it! This is still in the initial early phase of discovery among customers - and it will achieve great success! Let's wait a little longer for it to round out well among society and like everything else, it takes its time! Of course, it's not about discovering hot water or something completely new...But this lavender has a clean/sweet rooty/dark dark vanilla sexy vibe! It is a well-known profile among designers, which is attractive and proven in itself - but it also has something more that sets it apart from all the others on the entire market.. In addition, it can boast of very good performance (It lasts a very long time and well and you will be noticed in a wide circle) The bottle looks very nicely designed, adds sophistication with its special manufacturing and reflection, the cap is magnetic, the sprayer is good.. In short, for me personally, the Top 3 in the league of all "Elixirs" in general - in my opinion, this time at least the name is justified in the full sense of the word.. Worth the money!

Quick take from one night of spraying the sample (which came with FB directly from CH) on both wrists. Its very unique for a designer fragrance and the licorice is prominent. Unlike the EDP, the anise is absent. Also, I smell no real resemblance to say the licorice note in Sauvage Elixir. To my nose, the best direct comparison and the only fragrance that initially comes to mind (at least from my collection) is M. Micallefs DesirToxic. It reminds me of both versions, but, like the l'intense version of Desirtoxic, sits thick and close to the skin. The parfum oils dont dissolve into the skin quickly, so my guess is that it's probably going to be longer lasting, but without a huge amount of projection. There is still a ton that seperates this from those particular fragrances (which are very different from each other), but for those who want to have an idea of what this smells like, that's the best answer I can give you.

This sounds extraordinary. I'm an avid anise lover and would love to experience this note delivered in such a saturated, herbal, unsweet "black" way, especially paired with "black vanilla husk." I would assume this perfume would also have a fresh edge, in line with the VIP DNA, thanks to the lavender note. Hopefully it wouldn't stay fresh for too long, though. The black licorice and vanilla combination sounds heavenly. Does anyone know where to purchase this? I can't find any sellers online.

Just picked this up at duty-free in Miami. It’s smells wonderful. Definitely and upgrade from the dismal original. This one is sweet and sensual. It does remind me of fragrances like BIR Intense etc. but the licorice is nice. This is a keeper and will be a hit once it gets to discounters. Well done and perfect for date night, fall or when you want something cozy and warm . The bottle is gorgeous. 8.5/10

It smells “nice”, but so do many other fragrances with the same boring sweet vanilla most designers include currently. If you own any of Rabanne latest releases, you don’t need this one. The new NY Rodeo limited edition flanker launched almost at the same time, is much more unique and interesting without that boring vanilla and adding an interesting leather note.

Perfect for the night. Slightly above moderate performance in both projection and longevity. Perfect to be used not only for parties, but also for dates and bar. A bit more mature and serious than the original VIP Black but still playful. Bubblegummy sweet, so try first.

Top - mid nya bener bener fougere, aromatic, clean barbershop. Dan drydown nya di hidung saya sendiri bener bener kayak black candy slightly, sweet vanilla, slightly powdery. Aroma yg klasik banget, pas nya buat umur 30an ke atas. Under 30 bisa, tapi pake buat party

According to Carolina Herrera's official website, the notes are: Top Notes: Black Lavender, Grapefruit & Juniper Heart Notes: Black Licorice, Orange Blossom & Saffron Base Notes: Black Vanilla, Oakwood & Vetiver

Not the fragrance line I expect to see get another “Elixir” flanker... Having never sniffed any of the 212 VIP fragrances it would be interesting to get a sample..

I tried it in a shop and immediatelly thought it was a copy&paste 1 Million Elixir. So for those Who don’t like the 1M bottles, get this instead.

Official Note Breakdown based on the official sample. Top: Black Lavender, Juniper Middle: Black Liquorice, Saffron Base: Black Vanilla, Oakwood

PRAYING this one doesn't have the vanilla overpower the interesting notes like Invictus Victory Elixir. This looks really cool though.

Tested this on skin, and it’s nice - it just smells a LOT like Stronger With You Absolutely !! Which I already have :)

This is going to be one of the best underrated fragrances of 2025. I’m manifesting it right now 🙏

Quick try Reminds me by the great flanker 212 wild party Must try if not must have Cheers

This also smells like 1 Million Elixir. It must be the black vanilla in the drydown.

Cheap sweet smell. Terrible. 212 vip black is awesome, but this one is awful.

As someone who enjoys Elixir fragrances, I'm too tired of this crap...

I have few tester bottles if anyone interested text me 786-563-6004

I would like to be like the "pill" ... with black caviar...

I wonder what it smells like. Would love to test it out.

Honestly this sounds like one of the best scents ever