Our take
What does Valentina smell like?
Valentino launched Valentina in 2011, with Alberto Morillas and Olivier Cresp sharing the formula. The pitch was very Italian: Calabrian bergamot and Alba white truffle up top. On skin the bergamot does most of the talking. The truffle is shy and adds only a faint earthy shadow. The heart slides into a light strawberry that jasmine quickly takes over. Tuberose and orange blossom fill out the white flowers, and a slightly bitter green edge keeps it from turning into jam. Vanilla, amber and Virginia cedar make up the base. The drydown stays clean and fairly sheer, more musky than sweet. Compared with Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb, another bestselling sweet floral, Valentina feels lighter and far less sticky. Some retailers say the original eau de parfum is getting hard to find, though Valentino hasn't confirmed it.
When to wear it
A clean fruity floral that suits the office or a lunch outdoors. Go for three sprays, because the base fades into the skin fairly soon.
It belongs to the Floral, Oriental / Amber family. Valentina is one of 12 creations by Valentino in our encyclopedia.
