Description
The L.12.12. collection by Lacoste, dedicated to the first polo shirt designed in 1927 (“L” stands for Lacoste, the number 1 symbolizes the “Petit Piqué” material used, 2 represents short sleeves and 12 is the number of prototypes made before the final product) was presented in 2011 with three men’s fragrances: White, Blue and Green. In February 2012, the collection expands with the fourth edition – L.12.12. Red (Rouge).
L.12.12. Red is a passionate, dynamic and energetic woody – spicy fragrant composition. It opens with powerful aromas of red roiboos tea, mandarin liqueur and juicy mango. The heart is very spicy and includes notes of black pepper, ginger and cardamom. The warm base follows with benzoin and acacia wood.
It is available in red bottle as 30 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette.
crystalbrite – :
Beautiful, fresh, clean, and sexy! It’s a fresh spicy, warm fragrance that definitely smells “red”. I love it.
фокс05 – :
Weak, not very masculine. I don’t even remember it. Forgettable.
Рамин48 – :
The opening is nice and is the best part of this fragrance. Tea, mango, citrus and ginger are the main players to my nose. Sadly this only lasts about 30 minutes and then you just have a fairly mono-dimensional dry-ginger and cardamom with a faint trace of pepper. For the want of a better analogy……kind of like Dior Sauvage with it’s eyes closed.
I tried a sample of this in a store a couple of years ago and remember this to have been much more heavy on the pepper and woods with the aquatic fruits sitting more in the background. Now it seems to have been flipped the other way round so it fits a more youthful audience but in so doing has also become fairly generic and unremarkable.
Just bought Coach For Men too which is heavier on the minty tones during the opening but also very nice. Nonetheless, it too, like Lacoste L.12.12 Rouge, has a very familiar Dior Sauvage/Prada Luna Rossa Carbon style of dry down. L.12.12 Rouge is not better than any of these so no need to have this one in my rotation. If it smelt more like I remember that it used to with heavier pepper/spice then that might be a different story.
Aerohoplenericca – :
Now I remember having a small bottle of this years ago, probably when it first came out, my memory is fuzzy. Either this or Ferrari black was my first ever fragrance, so the nostalgia of it probably makes up a large portion of my opinion, my nose back then definitely isn’t what it is now. I remember a burst of freshness, followed by surprisingly light and fresh tea notes, which at the time was absolutely groundbreaking to me (bearing in mind I was a very very young teen with almost no reference points in the world of perfumery), being sweetened up immensely by fruity mango. IIRC, spices came in eventually, being very warm and not too aromatic, calming down into a vague musky wood. That’s all I can remember.
bkmbx – :
I have recently come to love rooibos tea, so I was excited to see that this is a featured note in L.12.12 Red. (And yes I’m aware that rooibos tea is technically not tea, settle down)
One of the things that I love about the scent of rooibos is its spicy-tobacco-leather quality. L.12.12 Red has that quality to an extent, but the watery, fruity notes clash against the rooibos, so everything ends up watered down and generic. It’s not unpleasant but if you’re looking for something that really showcases rooibos as a note then this will probably be disappointing for you. I think this composition would be more effective if the volume was pumped up a little bit and they went in more of a spicy-oriental direction, but instead it is done in a very Lacoste fresh-sporty kind of way and it feels like a missed opportunity.
Oh well, I’ll keep up my search for an amazing rooibos fragrance, because L.12.12 Red definitely isn’t it.
CrydayNal – :
A loud and synthetic-opening, cloying, scent that is below average (4/10); this is one time I wish the performance wasn’t average, which it squarely is, but worse. It reminds me of Nautica Voyage which I know many people are able to stomach if not actually like too. I just thank Dog I only bought the 30 ml. un-labelled bottle of this over-priced, for what it is, fragrance. In a word: horrid.
Sikh – :
I’m going to just say this, this woman told me that if I didn’t get away from her, she was going to rape me- BUY THIS JUICE!!!
rijii_jargara – :
Really nice scent here. This and the white are both outstanding scents. This review is for the Lacoste L-12-12 Rouge Energetic, but the picture here only shows the rouge. I’m starting to realize, fragrantica really needs to update it’s products listings. I’ve found 6 scents I currently own that are not on Fragrantica.
You mostly get mango, and a good mix of Mandarin, Rooibos tea and pepper. I get a faint hint of benzoin as well in the background
Scent:8.5
Longevity:6
Sillage/Projection:6
Unique/Industry First:7
Quality:8
Overall:8
This one is a winner, and it’s versatile enough to wear on a first date, weddings or new years eve parties, or daily office wear. Another outstanding scent from Lacoste.
trongman – :
This one is a fall fragance, with better perfomance in cold and clean atmosphere, mandarin in very prominent at the beggining then the tea note appears givin this one swagger,proper for the office or school if u go in the morning coz this one will make u fell awake at morning
isy675Negeltzex – :
scent : 7/10
sillage : 7/10
longevity :7/10
80% day/ 20% night fragrance
reminds me of Polo Black Ralph Lauren (nothing special)
PsiX0015 – :
I love this scent, soft and fresh but powerless. Too bad it was too soon to fade on my skin.
It’s not like Lanvin Pour Homme that scents soft but powerful.
xrenvam – :
boring opening, semi interesting dry down
bought it on sale today and pleasantly surprised me
kubelik – :
A spicy fragrance of modernity,fun,contemporary style & elegance.For the man who is passionate & sporty.
Grtrudenskalala – :
I tried the white and I like it. But this one is a little sketchy. It smells ‘too regular”.
With a mix of mango, red tea, ginger and cardamom I was expecting a revolutionary scent. Instead I get this boring, generic spicy fragrance. I don’t smell any mango, just cardamom, light woods and a weak ginger in the background.
After it develops it becomes slightly interesting, the bitterness of the tea appears while at the same time a dry floral note appears, similar to linden blossom.
So, even though I’m not crazy about the opening, the middle and dry down are interesting. I don’t think that I would buy it, but it’s worth giving it a try.
rou075Bessinepome – :
Believe it or not but it gathers me compliments.
Work scent, very casual but really good
Extremely recommended
Кристиновка – :
Sweet and woody and soft. I love it.
александр123456 – :
Try this, this is a great fragance, its a lacoste and people will probably pass it by, cuz this brand in perfumery is not taken seriously and with a reason but I assure you this is a great smell, the kind of smell that if creed did it and name it “rooibos imperial” people will pay the 300 bottle. Is not a projection bomb thats for sure, but it a great smell you can always reaply if you are into it, it does last more than a lot of creeds thats for sure.
backlinks – :
I tried this recently. I like the smell but it sits very close to the skin. How unfortunate.
kiabcag3 – :
Not much too say about the notes that hasn’t been said already. For a fragrance that doesn’t get much love around here. It sure does get a lot of love when I wear it. It is one of the very few that I will constantly get compliments from the ladies. This along with D&G light blue and ck escape. I know, Who would of thunk it. The 3 most synthetic fruity/citrusy aquatics..lol…
I can where creed aventus for weeks without any fanfare but put on one of these 3 synthetic aquatic bombs and receive all sorts of praise. If you don’t want to add this into your normal rotation I can totally understand but it’s worth at least a spot in your gym bag. A couple of spritz before you work out and you will start to see notice women get on the treadmill beside you when so many other empty treadmills were available. The proof is in the pudding….
SoulEater1 – :
Looking for a cheap/great scent?
This may be for you. It’s very sporty/spicy which I love.
It starts out very very spicy….but in the light, crisp way. Honestly after seeing the reviews of longevity and projection, I sprayed around 10 sprays and it was way too strong and I could smell it through the next day!
Also….girls love it. There’s just something about the spiciness to this one….
gtnhjdbx – :
Bought this for my boyfriend 🙂 He really likes the sporty feel to it!
aealekseev – :
A curiosity about that name: the letter L means Lacoste, the number 1 symbolizes the petit-pique, embroidered material that was applied in this line (the Lacoste logo) and the number 2 symbolizes the “short-sleeved” shirt. Then the number 12 indicates the number of prototypes made before the final product. It’s a confusing and little commercial message, that the final consumer can wonder and that, in my point of view, would be used only for internal identification purposes.
Anyway, the cool style and the “short sleeves” theme is, actually, the concept of this fragrance.
Consists of Mandarin orange, mango and Rooibos tea, in the output. This tea, also known as Red Tea, is done with the infusion of a shrub called Aspalathus linearis, cultivated and well diffused in South Africa. Then, in the heart of the fragrance, black pepper, ginger and cardamom; at the base, benzoin, acacia and woods.
The result is a fine, fruity aroma with a juicy mix of mango and orange that lingers throughout the development of the fragrance, which surprised me, since output notes don’t usually cross over 1 hour of application. The tone of the pepper is very characteristic and, along with the ginger, give the final touch to this red composition.
I don’t feel the influence of cardamom and, on my skin, the base – that should be slightly floral and creamy – was not evident. Still, the proposal of “red” suggests another kind of fragrance, less fruity and warmer, less daytime, more night time. In this respect, perhaps it would be better a bottle in orange or yellow colors.
The biggest problem of this scent, in my opinion, is the low projection. If its projection was bigger, taking into consideration our warm climate (I am from Brazil), it would be a best seller for the summer, for sure. But it is delicious, it lasts very well and the bottle, though simple, denotes the quality of their famous brand shirts.
aih182speagoessenda – :
Agreed its very sharp almost unpleasant at first…when it settles down its great! Notes of Mango, spices..really
this is right up my street, it’s one that can be warn everyday for sure.
Doesn’t stick around very long but hey it’s subtle.
Not as nice as the sublime Blanc but very good nevertheless.
koli – :
the initial spray of this cologne is very strong and hits almost like mosquito spray but once it has time to settle a bit it turns very sweet. the tea and mangos are very prominent.
sillage: 6/10
lasting power:7/10
smell:8/10
avg:7/10
would/would not buy again: would buy again
origin – :
Nice typical masculine odour, nothing special, fails to produce any sillage.
07y44u10 – :
gifted myself with the Rouge after reading rave reviews on this one…
the smells are complex but lean more on the sweetish side, the spices kick in only when i sweat! (which is nice)
not many people noticed it, but i could smell it well through out the day.
a must have for the freshness it brings in, i have a smile on my face the whole day 🙂
Pheno – :
This cologne serves it purpose. You can sport all year round IMO however, the reason would change. This opens with a fruity (Not Girly) note that sort of stays around for a while then the transition comes and it turns into a light clean scent. Far from soapy but it just smells good, non offensive and moderate. Really Really good scent to try out and keep in the stash. Oh and women will 99/100 give you a compliment on this too!!!
Алексей13 – :
Sweet, woody and tropical.
Mango is the most prominent note to me, followed by tea, pepper and wood.
Quite sharp and fresh, but fruity. I think this one would be well loved by young men (teens to early twenties).
hidfox – :
In spite of the negative reviews that i red a bout the L.12.12. Red by Lacoste , frankly i must say that i find it a really good scent & when i sprayed it on my cloths in my wardrobe it lasts 4 a long time , every time i opened my wardrobe i smell a really good scent with good longevity & projection / Sillage & i got compliments from my wife a lot .
Scent : 8/10
Projection / Sillage : 5 hour
Longevity : 10 – 12 hours
Bottle Design : Average.
P.S. i have the green , blue & white & i will start using the green 2day.
P.S. can not wait 2 have the ( intense ) edition which as i saw the TV ad is black.
silovikxxx – :
Start off good sort of a aquatic. It evolves just as decribed tea/mandarine/mango. Then in the middle the cardamon and mango/mandarine blend together making a more intimate scent and stays the same through its life. Avarage strenght. Don’t like cardamon. D for me.
leeloo – :
Lacoste Red falls behind White and Green in that its spicy freshness is a bit overwrought, to the point where too many bright notes conspire to make the composition functional. The fizzy tea, cardamom, and fruit notes up top have a vaguely tropical appeal (let’s not kid ourselves into thinking there’s actually citrus and mango in here), and the wry ginger drydown is synthetic and one-dimensional. Where White smelled of laundry on steroids, and Green was succinctly grassy and sharp, Red is a bit too bland to compare. Would make an excellent room spray.
Vovandriy – :
very surprised! i was at a Lacoste store today and saw this and figured “might as well try it” I usually stay away from Lacoste because they dont seem to get any love here( I also like essential)…I smelled this and fell in love straight away …yes its synthetic and all but the bottom line is I can t stop smelling my wrist! For retail prices its a no go but for 37$ off amazon for 100ml its a buy!
dennissaa – :
This scent to me has three major steps:
1st phase (0-1 hour) : As soon as it contacts your skin, it gives off a vibrant warm spicy note. to myself it reminds me a burst of energy
2nd phase (2-3 hours): Cools down into a sporty like scent that has spice/kick to it. It is as if each scent represented a sport, this would indeed represent something very physical and gritty.
3rd phase (3+ hours): becomes a very intimate sensual spicy fragrance. Really someone has to smell this at almost point blank range. Very sensual, yet in weak in sillage at this point.
To me, this is a signature everyday fragrance that is really one of a kind when it comes down to spicy scents. I recommend this to be an everyday scent for all seasons. Do also recommend reapplying as well.
Do not smell this on paper, the paper blocks out the warm spice and makes it very harsh on the nose. Also, I recommend applying this cologne when your skin is dry and warm. Try a sample and see what you think.
Overall 8.5/10 due to its unique spicy scent.
GrishaDanks – :
Most of the Lacoste 12.12’s smell the same to me from start to finish, synthetic, fresh and soapy with perhaps one ingredient that defines them to their color theme. With the Red there is a blend of spices, ginger, black pepper and cardamom. The only negative is the projection and longevity is rather lacking.
Jubretsmisure – :
I bought the Red, the White and the Blue in a gift set for my 10 year old son.they are all similar, light, a bit powdery, not really my favourites, but my son likes them, and they aren’t heavy or overly masculine. They smell a bit of fresh laundry, which is fine. I can’t hardly tell the difference between the 3, although the White is more manly.
I later got him Big Pony 2 which is way nicer in my opinion.
So those Lacoste are nice simple scents,a bit sporty and outdoorsy, nothing extraordinary there.
uryukk – :
The spicy opening is nice without being overwhelming. It settles down very quickly and from there – dies. Very little projection and strength.
For the price, buy something else.
Serga-Romanov – :
reminds me so many other aftershaves, all the Adidas, Umbro, Denim, Nivea…
Garik51Rus – :
i love this frag a lot! why? all event and situation are perfect but i use for work only
Ленин – :
The top and middle notes are unbelievable. But from the get go, I gotta say it just smells like scented wood. The woodsy “base note” is pervasive throughout. I’ve not tried the other La Coste scents, just received a free sample of this. Overall, I quite like it but I wouldn’t wear it. It’s too masculine.
Needs some bass!!
Starters – :
A frag reminiscent of the 80’s, which initially projects well, and soon turns into a clone of Guy Laroche Horizon EDT…
I applied 6 heavy sprays
0 – 1.5 hours. 1.5 foot projection, strong. This is a harsh, spicy, common place, dated scent which is very suprising as some of the other scents in this series – white and blue bottles, are very modern and different good. The penny dropped after 30 minutes, that this is 90% a doppleganager of Guy Laroche Horizon EDT.. that particular frag is a third of the price of this and lasts longer, though my personal taste likes neither
1.5 hours – 3 hours – 4 inch projection. Linear
3 hours – 5 hours – 2 inch projection, thereafter faint smell on the skin which is a little more easy on the nose and slightly softer
Not for me
Tiptmomiumb – :
This is a very sweet and Summery men’s fragrance. When I sprayed it, my initial reaction was “TEA!”. I can easily see that Roiboos tea is the featured note in the campaign for this EDT. There are light fruits and spices which make this a lot less warm that I expected… this is very much intended for Spring/Summer wear.
Zmeelov – :
It really reminds of the long discountinued fragrance my mom used to wear:Escada Tropical Punch but mixed with the masculine spiciness of a men’s cologne.
Domogackiy – :
I ordered a free sample card off Lacoste.com which I recieved in the male today and it also had a sample of the white one! It has a real tropical/spicy/tea scent to me.
krasnoff – :
Sampled on A test card today. I will definitely put spray to skin on this one next time. Seems to be complex and very unique.
Loarsecrava – :
I LOVE IT!!!!! THE LADIES LOVE IT!!! ..
smells so fresh, so hott !! the only bad thing about it, that it only lasts about an hour or so on me ..
it smells perfect, tailored to my liking..
sez1988 – :
I feel like being bashing to the head with the initial blast that’s piercing and sharp like an artificial sweet fruity energy drink. Nothing comes out like “mango” or “tea” here. It’s quite energizing but not is a nice way for me. Then the drydown is good. It’s pleasant and nicely sweet like the White L 12.12. flanker, which I still think it’s the best one. I wouldn’t get this for now, but I’ll wait til whenever Lacoste releases a mini set or 1oz set of all colors like Ralph Lauren did with the Big Pony set. I think it’s better as a set, not individual bottle.
ak-8320 – :
When i first smelled it .. i just couldnt but help remember good times.. this is the best perfume ive smelled in a long long time .. so nostalgic, so energitic!! .. I LOVE IT!!! .. bought it on the spot!!! didnt even ask about the price!! ..
TomekaNema99 – :
Another say-nothing fragrance from a sports fashion brand. If anything, this one’s designed for people who don’t feel comfortable wearing a scent because they’re afraid their “friends” wouldn’t like it. Put differently: dull stuff for dull people.
*
Entrudo – :
I smelled this today. Despite all great ingredients shown here, i didn’t smelled something more than a dull scent. Maybe I’m wrong but I felt nothing more than another L12.12 (either blue,green,white) and just a bit spicy. I was excited about the combination of rooibos tea and mango. After I smelled it, big dissapointment. Not going to buy this Lacoste.. Sorry but NO!
xakimov79 – :
like a lot of other lacoste scents it has a definite fresh blast and a nice drydown. As for the scent I detect a lot of nondescript citru/mango that sweetens up a bit with the aromatic spices and the woodsy notes pull it all together and this is one of the more non/sensual and reserved types of scents compared to many of the other woodsy musk types of fragrances out there
cs51.ru – :
Really excited about this one, I think the notes sound vibrant and agree with other reviewers that along with the white version this could be a winner! Unfortunately Lacoste have been a little hit and miss over the last few years. The white L.12.12 was amazing, equally the vert and blue versions were terrible. The challenge and challenge remix fragrances were really weak, nice smelling but extremely poor longevity. Elegance was interesting and a great design, quite unique. Essential was a big success but personally was not a fan, until the sport version came out which I still like to open. Lets hope this rouge version is a classic with good spicy silage. Guessing the black version will be out for next Christmas, sorry, Noire!
PycleriPreapy – :
Interesting notes, gonna try this as soon as poss.
Spilklali – :
Tea and Mango…unique chemistry…might work in hot and sultry climate..
ura-19880527 – :
The green and blue were just poor follow on’s from ‘Essential’ and ‘Cool play’ respectively.
The favourite was white as they hadn’t done anything like it before. I wonder if this is just going to be ‘Style in Play’ mark 2? Let’s hope not!