Divisive and dialled-back, Carolina Herrera's 212 Sexy Men promises allure but often delivers a softer, powdery vanilla with an opening that some find challenging. Reformulations seem to have dulled its spark, but for others, it's still a surprisingly smooth, intimate classic.

This is Divain's take on Carolina Herrera's 212 Sexy Men, the spicy-amber follow-up to the original 212 line. The pepper-cardamom heart and vanilla-amber-musk base capture the original's warm, slightly gourmand seduction reasonably faithfully, though the projection is noticeably softer and the dry-down loses some of the guaiac wood smokiness that gives the real thing its edge.