BY JULIA BENITO
A new meaning to “forever young”
There’s nothing like the experience of mastering a skateboard, of finally kicking off with the control and confidence to glide down the streets needed to banish doubt and instead beam with the excitement, thrill, and freedom of youth. That’s the kind of optimism and courage that Carolina Herrera’s audacious 212 Heroes eau de toilette series brings to the table.
Following the launch of their 212 Men Heroes in summer 2021, Carolina Herrera is bringing back the iconic skateboard-themed perfume with all its values of self-empowerment, community, and desire to excel — now made for her.
Behind 212 Heroes for Her
This vegan formula encased in the newly revamped Heroes skateboard carries over the 212 Men Heroes concept that pushes authenticity above all else, as well as celebrating youth as a state of mind. Bringing new meaning to the 212 Heroes leitmotiv, “Forever Young,”, Carolina Herrera’s 212 Heroes for Her encourages women to push forward, showing that youth beyond age is a state of mind that empowers everyone to bring change to the world.
“There is something heroic in the fact of standing out for your personality in a world that wants to shape you and turn you into a stereotype”, explains Carolina A. Herrera, creative director of Carolina Herrera fragrances.
“212 Heroes celebrates rebelliousness as a way of life and opens a new chapter of this adventure built around the transformative power of youth.”
Indulge in the Fragrance
As “vertiginous as a kickflip”, the 212 Heroes for Her perfume signed by perfumers Dora Baghriche, Marie Salamagne, and Alberto Morillas juxtaposes ingredients that are both energetic and effervescent — the olfactory signature of the 212 Carolina Herrera universe since 1996. Combined, we can expect a floral-fruity fragrance filled to the brim with color and audaciousness.
Pushing off, we are encapsulated by a surprising explosion of citrus and fruity notes with raspberry and mandarin at the center of it all for an unconventional mixture of intensity and playfulness. As the scent cruises along, the fragrance blossoms into heart notes of white flowers that embody youthful romanticism, orange flower for a hint of Mediterranean sweetness, and jasmine sambac — Carolina Herrera’s signature flower.
This creamy softness further opens to the lingering scents of cedarwood and sandalwood, two contemporary woody notes that not only bring depth and warmth to the base of the fragrance but play into gender conventions for a deep, beguiling trail.
The Image of Endless Youth
There’s no question that Carolina Herrera knows how to push the boundaries, both in scents and in bottle designs. The 212 Heroes for Her is one of their most ambitious designs ever, evoking the skateboard of the 212 Men Heroes but updating it with new proportions, sizes, and contrasts between its crystal and metal make.
From just one glance, its spritely pink shade brings out not only the grand feeling of optimism and luminosity but the Gen-Z visual language of self-expression and an object of desire, both online and offline.
A Step Toward a Sustainable Future
As with the 212 Men Heroes, the new 212 Heroes for Her is 100% vegan, as certified by the Expertise Vegan Europe (EVE) organization.
Several of the materials used in the formulation are also sustainably sourced. The jasmine sambac, for example, comes from the Chinese region of Hengxian, where they are hand-picked and transported directly to the factories. Carolina Herrera suppliers also notably organize programs to empower women who harvest flowers, namely the orange flower.
Other ingredients, such as cedarwood and sandalwood, are upcycled and collected responsibly with the conservation and protection of the trees in mind.