Fragrance comparison

212 Surf for Him vs Cristal for Men

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 9 Oct 2026 122 ratings analysed

2 wins

212 Surf for Him

Carolina Herrera

3.54121 votes

Rank #13,742 MarineCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Cristal for Men

Nino Touma

4.001 votes

Rank #53,475 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

212 Surf for Him takes 2 of 3 categories.

212 Surf for Him
Choose it for a marine and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Cristal for Men
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, day or night wear.

212 Surf for Him2/3

Cristal for Men1/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Cristal for Men
Sillage & projection: 212 Surf for Him
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: 212 Surf for Him

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

212 Surf for HimCarolina Herrera

Cristal for MenNino Touma

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.54/ 5 · 121 votes

Have 40%Had 28%Want 31%

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 8%Had 0%Want 92%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

23%Love

38%Like

12%Ok

24%Dislike

3%Hate

121 votes

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate63

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityCristal for Men

Sillage212 Surf for Him

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

marine100%

citrus92%

aromatic84%

patchouli77%

salty69%

woody61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

powdery84%

earthy77%

lavender69%

patchouli61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both aromatic, woody and patchouli

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

Sea Notes

Heart2-3 hrs

Grapefruit

Base5-7 hrs

Patchouli

Top

Mandarin OrangeSea NotesGrapefruitBergamot

Heart

WalnutLavenderCedarCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Base

SandalwoodMuskPatchouli

InformationalShared notesSea Notes, Grapefruit and Patchouli. Durations are only published for 212 Surf for Him, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring58

Summer100

Fall11

Winter5

Day100

Night21

Spring100

Summer0

Fall50

Winter0

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men90

Unisex10

Women0

Casual 52%Party 25%Work 12%Date 11%

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,742

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews23

Overall rank#53,475

PerfumerChris Maurice

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winner212 Surf for HimHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Carolina Herrera 212 Surf for Him is a straightforward aquatic scent built around an unmistakable blast of salty sea notes, zesty pink grapefruit, and clean earthy patchouli. The opening kicks off with an aggressive wave of ozonic ocean spray that hits your nose with immediate maritime saltiness. Give it five minutes …

Reviews →

Nino Touma Cristal for Men, composed by perfumer Chris Maurice in 2015, pairs vibrant citrus with an unusual nutty woodiness. The opening blasts brisk mandarin orange, bergamot, and salty sea notes that immediately feel bright and invigorating for daytime wear. As the initial splash calms, a distinctive heart of dry w…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, 212 Surf for Him or Cristal for Men?

212 Surf for Him takes 2 of 3 categories. 212 Surf for Him is rated 3.54/5 from 121 votes; Cristal for Men is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose 212 Surf for Him for a marine and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Cristal for Men for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, 212 Surf for Him or Cristal for Men?

Cristal for Men lasts longest (Cristal for Men 100/100, 212 Surf for Him 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, 212 Surf for Him or Cristal for Men?

212 Surf for Him projects furthest (212 Surf for Him 56/100, Cristal for Men 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do 212 Surf for Him and Cristal for Men smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and patchouli accords. Common notes include Sea Notes, Grapefruit and Patchouli.

Is 212 Surf for Him or Cristal for Men better for summer or winter?

212 Surf for Him suits daytime wear; Cristal for Men suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in 212 Surf for Him and Cristal for Men?

212 Surf for Him has top notes of Sea Notes, heart notes of Grapefruit, a base of Patchouli. Cristal for Men has top notes of Mandarin Orange, Sea Notes, Grapefruit and Bergamot, heart notes of Walnut, Lavender, Cedar and Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, a base of Sandalwood, Musk and Patchouli.