Valentino Born in Roma Donna: a vanilla jasmine for people who do not like sweet, and how to read a gourmand

This page contains affiliate links. MoreThanMy earns a commission on qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Researched. We have not used this one long enough to give you a verdict, and we would rather say so than invent one. What follows is how it works, who it suits, and what it will not do. When we have used it properly, this page carries the verdict and the date.

Valentino Born in Roma Donna Eau de Parfum

Born in Roma Donna is one of the most searched-for fragrances of the last few years, and it is often described as a vanilla. That is true, and it misses the point, which is the jasmine sitting on top of it.

The notes

Retail listings commonly give it a top of blackcurrant, pink pepper and bergamot; a heart of two jasmines, sambac and grandiflorum; and a base of bourbon vanilla, cashmeran and guaiac wood.

Read that from the bottom, because the base is what you live with for most of the day. Vanilla on its own can go sugary. Here it sits under woods that are dry and slightly smoky, guaiac in particular, and under a lot of jasmine. That is what keeps it warm rather than sweet.

Gourmand, or floral

A gourmand is a fragrance built around things that smell edible: vanilla, caramel, sugar, coffee, marshmallow. A warm floral uses vanilla and woods as a bed for flowers.

Born in Roma Donna is the second, leaning toward the first. If you like the idea of vanilla but find gourmands cloying, this is the kind to try. If you want something that smells like dessert, there are sweeter choices.

On the skin

Jasmine is a big, heady white flower, and in an eau de parfum it projects. The pink pepper and blackcurrant at the top give a sharp, fruity first few minutes that fades quickly; do not judge it on that.

How long it lasts depends on your skin as much as the bottle; we explain why in why a fragrance lasts all day on one person and an hour on another.

Who it suits

Someone who wants one fragrance for evenings and cooler weather, who likes florals but wants them warm, and who does not mind being noticed. Two sprays is plenty for an office.

Before you buy

Fragrance is one of the most counterfeited categories on Amazon. Look at who is selling and shipping it, and prefer Amazon itself or the brand's own store to an unfamiliar third-party seller.

What it will not do

It will not stay close to the skin; it is not a quiet scent. It will not read as fresh or clean in summer heat. And it will not smell like the bottle's studded design suggests to some people: it is softer and more romantic than edgy.

A warm jasmine and vanilla eau de parfum over dry woods: sweet enough to feel cosy, floral enough not to read as dessert.

The product

The one people are searching for is the Valentino Born in Roma Donna Eau de Parfum.

Valentino Born in Roma Donna Eau de Parfum

We do not print prices here, because a price we typed last month is a price that is wrong today.

Written by JamieG in Garner Town, Tennessee.