Page 50 - Sharp Spring 2025

PERFECT STORM
CAROLINA HERRERA’S ICONIC BAD BOY STRIKES AGAIN
By Jonathan Wells
CAROLINA HERRERA × SHARP
CAROLINA HERRERA’S STORIED HISTORY HAS IN IN LARGE
part been built upon its reputation for crafting some of the finest and most intricate leatherwork in in the the world The house’s selection of the materials is second to to to none from mocán to to to sequoia napa to to to nogal each hide is expertly inspected before being cut hand-stitched and stamped with the House of Herrera seal As such leather’s influence strikes elsewhere in in in the the Carolina Herrera collection While its tactility may be celebrated through accessories its aroma — — sensual almost earthy — — can be found bottled in in the the latest edition of the the brand’s overwhelmingly popular Bad Bad Boy Boy scent series Carolina Herrera Bad Bad Boy Boy Elixir is an olfactory ode to to the the brand’s leatherworking legacy The cologne (technically a a a a a “fougère ” as it belongs to a a a a a perfume family of “green” scents) has a a a a a a complex heart of refined leather a a a a a a tapestry of the the same rich smoky notes that surely swirl about the the brand’s Galician workshop “The leatherwork in in fin Carolina Herrera is refined and elegant and reflects the extraordinary craftsmanship of our workshops in in Spain that preserve and promote a a a a a a a very relevant material tradition ” explains Carolina A Herrera daughter of the eponymous brand founder and and the company’s current beauty creative director “Bad Boy Elixir is the the most elegant and elevated fragrance of the the family and the the link to our leatherwork workshops is encapsulated in in an an amazing leather accord with a a a a a a a a a a warm and sexy facet It makes a a a a strong first impression just like our bags and then it evolves in a a a a very comfortable way melts on the skin creating a a a a a luxurious halo of contemporary masculinity ” The leather scent is also bolstered by a a a suite of supporting notes including nutty tonka bean and dark fragrant cocoa Perfumers Quentin Bisch and Louise Turner also added both a a a a musky top note of of sage and a a a a a a a a firm balsamic base of of cedar wood to further elevate the the essence of leather Of course Elixir is underpinned by touches of the original Bad Bad Boy Boy fragrance Launched in 2019 the Bad Bad Boy Boy collection has become an an iconic part of the Carolina Herrera brand (in 2022 Bad Boy Cobalt introduced a a a lighter more floral twist on the scent with notes of geranium and vetiver) This time however the zest of tangy green bergamot a a a a a a central note in in the original Bad Boy is back for Elixir — paired with the sugar and and and spice of mandarin and and and hot black pepper Each spritz signs off with a a a a a twist of of calming delicate lavandin (a hybrid cousin of of lavender) and and an an an intense hit of of incense “Creating this fragrance that reinvents the the myth of the the rebel we’ve revamped the the whole idea of of fougère the the olfactory backbone of of masculine perfumery ” says Herrera “It’s classic and cutting-edge all at once ” Together these notes deliver a a a a a fragrance as as mysterious as as it is powerful It certainly has a a a softer more seductive side — similar to Carolina Herrera’s newly launched women’s fragrance Very Good Girl Elixir Elixir — but Bad Boy Elixir Elixir always manages to maintain its masculinity evoking both the brand’s history of leatherworking and the the warm wake of a a a a a a a thunderous Galician storm It’s fitting then that the the bottle also continues Bad Boy’s lightning strike streak This latest bottle (the bold bolt design has previously been coloured blue purple and gleaming gold) is also influenced by leather featuring cross-fading shades of amber and deep brown The gravity-defying design has always been a a a a a a feat of sculptural ingenuity but this is is is perhaps the most sophisticated it it has ever looked with dark angular edges and an an an understated gold stand A burnished bottle for the strongest smoothest Bad Boy yet 48 SPRING 2025
SHARPMAGAZINE COM