Bad Boy Cobalt is a men’s cologne released in 2022 by Carolina Herrera, a unique release from the brand. It has notes of plum and truffle.
By the way, the original name of the fragrance is Carolina Herrera Bad Boy Cobalt Eau de Parfum Electrique.
Now of course we saw Eau Electrique and also Blue Electrique by Yves Saint Laurent, and of course, this one being as though it is fashioned in the shape of a lightning bolt, it makes sense that they put electrique in their name.
Also, coincidentally enough, both La Nuit de L'Homme Blue Electrique and this one come in a blue bottle, and so that's I guess a new trend that we can expect on the designer side of things.
Now this fragrance, Bad Boy Cobalt, you can expect this one to be a little bit stronger than the original, especially if we're going off the concentration as being any indication of this perfume's strength.
What does Bad Boy Cobalt smell like?
Let's first unveil the notes:
The top notes are Lavender and Pink Pepper.
The middle notes are Plum and Geranium.
Base notes are Vetiver, Truffle, Cedar, and Oak.
Once you spray this on the skin, there is no denying that this is in the vein of the original Bad Boy by Carolina Herrera.
Now, of course, the Eau de Parfum Electrique Cobalt version does kind of go in its own direction because there are a few other main players, if you will, sitting within this composition.
Of course, there's the note of lavender, and when you think of lavender, it could be a very sort of realistic lavender like Caron Pour Un Homme, which is in the green bottle, or it can be something where the lavender takes a more sweet turn of event like Le Male by Jean-Paul Gaultier.
In the case of this fragrance, though, it does kind of go in the direction of the original, but it's sweet in a different way. Interestingly enough, this has cedarwood, it has vetiver, and it also has plum.
What other popular designer fragrances released in the past few years contain all of those ingredients? 1 Million Lucky.
So as soon as I smelled this, I was like, ‘I've smelled this before,' and I'm like racking my brain trying to find out what fragrance is this similar to.
And then when I thought about 1 Million Lucky, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, it does smell quite similar to that.' So it's sweet but not in a chocolatey sweet way.
So while it does have some elements in there that connect to the original, it's also sweet in a different way.
So I do think the plum has a lot to do with it. I get a nice sort of mashup of the lavender, and the plum, and then once it starts to dry down, you have some woodsy elements on account of the cedarwood, some earthy elements on account of the vetiver, and then you also have this bright, slightly minty, and rosy feel. But again, that's like five to ten percent of the overall aura.
This does gear itself in a sweeter direction, but you do have the geranium and the pink pepper combination.
So I never found the original Bad Boy to be overly spicy. I always just consider that to be kind of like a tonka bean and cacao fragrance with some clary sage in the heart, which kind of gives it this bright, fresh, uplifting, aromatic profile.
And I see some substitutions in the note breakdown, mainly substituting the sage for the lavender, substituting the white pepper for the pink pepper, it, you know, the plum for the cacao or the tonka bean and/or both. But I think those substitutions are merely superficial.
And what I mean by that is while there's a significant change reflected in the note breakdown, I don't think there's nearly as much of a change reflected in the smell.
So when you smell it, you're going to make that connection to the original, but then it's funny, there's also like this newfound sweetness to it, which I can appreciate.
It's funny, the more that I kind of smell it, it also kind of gives me hints of Layton by Parfums de Marly.
Nobody has made that connection yet, but it seems like it could be a twist of the Layton DNA. Maybe it is, I'm not entirely sure, but it does smell pretty good.
So I am enjoying this fragrance and I think this is a solid release from Carolina Herrera.
But I think this one brings it in a sweet, milder, youthful direction that is sweet in an equally sweet way as the original but coming from a different source which I do really, really like. So honestly, nice release, very well done.
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Overall Assessment:
First, in terms of the uniqueness and the overall smell, I don't find it to be the most unique fragrance.
I think it's kind of a toss-up between 1 Million Lucky and Layton, but I do enjoy the direction it's going in.
I like the fact that it has a little bit of plum in there. It also has this truffle note in there, which truffle is found in Black Orchid by Tom Ford.
I'm not getting truffle from this fragrance, so I think it has mostly to do with that sort of tonka bean-plum combination, which is nice.
Overall, the smell is great. You can expect compliments when you wear this fragrance. It's very accessible, easy-going, and versatile. I like that.
Performance:
In terms of longevity, it's 7 to 8 hours. It is an Eau de Parfum Electrique concentration.
I like that they're kind of reinventing different concentration names if you will, but you are going to get seven to eight hours.
The projection on this one was great for the first hour of application.
It doesn't have a whole bunch of citrus in the opening, so it's not going to radiate too far beyond arm's length, but the projection was pretty consistent for about 4 to 5 hours. And then it becomes a skin scent after 7 hours.
Wearability and Versatility:
In terms of versatility:
I think this one is very versatile. I think it has some fresh elements in there that will allow summertime use this one, and then I think it also has some denser, sweeter elements that will enable you to wear this one in the colder weather too.
It's marketed for men. I think the plum and that sort of vanilla tonka bean smell is fairly unisex, so make your own opinions regarding that. I think this one does lean kind of casual, though.
I think the original is also fairly casual. I think there are some formal-leaning fragrances from the brand like CH Prive, and so I think there's a lot to explore within the lineup.
In terms of age range:
This will probably appeal to somebody a little bit younger just because of the sweetness.
Final Verdict:
It's a solid release. I don't think it's the most unique smell that I've tried, especially of new releases, but I think it's very well done, and I appreciate the fact that it went in a slightly different direction as compared to the original while still maintaining that connection to the original aesthetically.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Bad Boy Cobalt Eau de Parfum Electrique by Carolina Herrera
How does Bad Boy Cobalt differ from the original Bad Boy fragrance?
While Bad Boy Cobalt maintains a connection to the original Bad Boy, it introduces its own twist. It features lavender and plum, offering a sweeter and fruitier profile.
The original Bad Boy is more focused on sage, tonka bean, and cacao.
Is Bad Boy Cobalt similar to any other popular fragrances?
Yes, Bad Boy Cobalt bears a resemblance to 1 Million Lucky, another popular designer fragrance.
Both fragrances share key ingredients such as cedarwood, vetiver, and plum, resulting in a sweet, yet not overly chocolatey, scent profile.
How long does Bad Boy Cobalt last?
Bad Boy Cobalt offers a balanced performance, with a longevity of 7 to 8 hours.
The projection is notable, especially in the opening, projecting well for the first hour. It gradually becomes closer to the skin after around six to seven hours.
Is Bad Boy Cobalt a versatile fragrance?
Yes, it's a versatile fragrance suitable for both daytime and evening wear.
Its sweet and accessible profile makes it appealing to a wide range of fragrance enthusiasts.
