Carolina

Carolina, launched by Carolina Herrera in 2003 and composed by Carlos Benaïm and Clément Gavarry, is a spicy, sweet fragrance with a green streak. Everyone who describes it calls it spicy and gourmand, and about half also find it green, woody, floral or citrusy.

It opens with cardamom, wild strawberry leaf and bitter orange, a combination that is aromatic and leafy rather than fruity-sweet, with the orange adding a sharp, slightly bitter brightness. The heart turns warmer: pepper keeps the spice going, forest fruits bring a dark, berry-like juiciness, and rose adds a soft floral sweetness beneath them. The base of vanilla, amber, musk and cashmere wood is where the gourmand side settles in, smooth, cosy and lightly powdery, with the cashmere wood giving a soft, enveloping woodiness.

A feminine scent that balances freshness at the start with comfort at the end, it suits someone who finds pure gourmands too sugary but still wants warmth and a little sweetness on the skin.

Carolina — unisex fragrance by Carolina Herrera (released 2003). Top notes: Wild Strawberry Leaf, Bitter Orange, Cardamom. Heart notes: Forest Fruits, Pepper, Rose. Base notes: Cashmere Wood, Musk, Amber, Vanilla. — Parfica open fragrance database