Carolina Herrera blazes further into the world of sustainable men’s perfumery with the release of Bad Boy Extreme, a fiery new fragrance that boldly explores a daring new tension between fresh ginger and the warmth of vetiver des sables, together with a seductive hit of deep cocoa absolute and a woody base of patchouli. To portray the core message of brotherhood that defines this new Eau de Parfum, the visual campaign introduces an exceptional group of stars including Josh Upshaw, Ty Ogunkoya, Eric Martin and Aida Andrews, whose confident vision of masculinity is as diverse as the scent that they embody.
The major motif in all Bad Boy fragrances is a fascinating play on the glowing contradictions that define the inner world of modern men. Strictly unconventional and at once rebellious and tender, Bad Boy Extreme represents a fiery evolution with its unexpected use of ingredients. Formulated by Quentin Bisch, Louise Turner and Yann Vasnier, this exciting new fragrance delves into extraordinary new territory in the combination as well as the sustainable sourcing of these ingredients.
At one end of this tension lies a shimmering spicy citrus top note, the prime component of which is a completely re-invented use of Ginger. “We have managed to capture the fresh and sparkling scent of ginger as it occurs in nature, allowing us to inject Bad Boy Extreme with an unusual take on citrus freshness,” says Quentin Bisch. “This is obtained through a process called Flash Distillation, which allows us to find the truest scent of the plant with a much lower carbon footprint than when using traditional methods”. To amp up this vitality, ginger is joined by a zesty note of fresh bergamot, which adds a linear and long-lasting brightness to the scent.
The complementing contrast to this vivacious energy is the warm heart of vetiver des sables, which has historically been a reference to exotic travel in Carolina Herrera fragrances. For Bad Bad Boy Extreme, Vetiver is sourced in India, its country of origin: “we chose to plant in the sand there, which not only opens new olfactive paths of creation but makes it easier to harvest and contributes to a positive impact for local communities,” says Quentin Bisch.
Agricultural land in India is in considerable demand. Vetiver that is grown in a saline environment not only has an exceptionally high yield, but the roots which are actually used in the creation of perfume are also much easier to harvest. Rice cultivation, the other primary use for local land, only lasts for a maximum of three months in the year, meaning that the growing of vetiver des sables provides a beneficial additional income for the population there.
The woody Vetiver heart of Bad Boy Extreme is intensified with the addition of a hit of warmth in the form of Cocoa Absolute and its nostalgic gourmand quality, but it’s in the Indonesian Patchouli at the base of this fragrance that the masculine strength of a glowing woodiness lies. The perfumers found the true power of the root with an interestingly innovative extraction of its essential oil: the gathered leaves progress through a light process of fermentation after their harvest, thereby releasing some surprising olfactive components. Once distilled into an essential oil, the result is a revelation of the richest woody facets of the patchouli plant.
While these key ingredients and the progressive ways they have been treated are the stars of the fragrance, the perfumers skilfully played with some intriguing additions to give Bad Boy Extreme its rich texture. Sage contributes an aromatic top note, but it’s the sweet and musky undertones that reveal some compellingly masculine tobacco facets. These are only deepened with the addition of tonka bean, combining tobacco with a complex combination of sweet amber notes to give Bad Boy Extreme an enticing powdery aroma that serves to unify the fragrance with its generous breadth of intensity.
To portray the luscious energy of Bad Boy Extreme, the emblematic gravity defying lightning bolt-shaped bottle, itself a feat of sculptural ingenuity, has been cast in a physical realisation of the fiery aromatic fragrance it contains. With a black and gold dégradé, it represents all the suave facets of the Carolina Herrera ethos as being fun and surprising yet entirely sophisticated.
The Bad Boy of today will go to extraordinary lengths to demonstrate loyalty toward his most intimate friends. It’s a bond that’s fiercely durable, and as diverse as the men in the campaign themselves. From dashing to deep or sensual to edgy, they realise that there’s no strength without sensitivity, and their individual energy is expressed in Bad Boy Extreme as fully as their burning bond of brotherhood.
