V by Valentino

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Finally, I found it, what a wonder. It smells divine; the trail and longevity are impressive. The fig, sandalwood, and wood are the stars; it’s incredibly addictive, sweet but without falling into gourmand territory, offering an elegant and warm sweetness.

I confess I only own one used 30ml Valentino Men’s. I always find them expensive and never spot a good deal. I adore the Valentino Uomo line for that lipstick and luxury cosmetic scent. I’ve been hunting for all their versions for ages. This V by Valentino Femme (courtesy of Spartacus) is a fine, elegant marvel, like everything else I’ve tried from the brand, despite the fruitchouli in Donna which upsets my stomach. The olfactory family is perfect: a floral musk with slightly less woodiness. It’s a prime example of high-quality white musk; that note that scares people and is often misused is here in its best form. The opening is a bright, cheerful citrus musk, like a gazelle under the sun. I don’t detect fig, but rather accessible mandarin and grapefruit. With the flowers, the addiction kicks in and it’s impossible not to smell my own arm. The freesia stands out above all. The rose and neroli aren’t as perceptible, but that typical iris appears, adding majesty. The base of sandalwood and amber wraps you in a softly woody sweetness. A perfect complement if you have red clothing from the brand.

Yes, I have it! I’ve had this for years and still have half a bottle left. The bottle is ugly, as Spartacus says, but the perfume is marvellous, nothing like Valentino’s recent releases. It’s refined, elegant, original without being loud… I don’t know, I’m not good at describing notes, but let’s just say it’s a work of perfumery art.

Last Saturday night in a crowded bar, someone smelled like what drives me mad. I sniffed around like a dog searching for that woody scent from the 2000s, but couldn’t find the owner. I wanted to kill myself with curiosity to know what it was; it smelled like Cristóbal Balenciaga for women, with sandalwood and fig tree; here the sandalwood is luminous, but there’s something squid-like and acrid, warm and rough. Minutes passed, I stopped smelling it, and with my gin tonics, I forgot about it. In the bathroom queue, I noticed the perfume nearby again. It was the girl next to me. Half-drunk, I lost my shame and told her she smelled good and asked if I could smell her neck. She gave permission, and I was blown away. It smells like a woody oriental with R&B music video touches; it’s delicate, sweet, mysterious, and unisex. I asked for the name, and she didn’t remember. Or wait, yes she did. J’adore by Dior. Me thinking not a chance, friend, J’adore and I don’t get along; I find it repugnant). She insisted it was J’adore and that yes, that was what she was wearing. I smelled her neck again, bade farewell to that exquisite sandalwood with a sweaty, animal base, and left. Until I saw her again searching and couldn’t find her. She was carrying a gift vial, a 10ml roll-on in a box, and said, ‘This is it, you were right, it’s not J’adore, I had it in my bag and forgot.’ I looked at the tube. V by Valentino. She gave me permission to put it on my hand. From that moment on, I sniffed like a madman for the rest of the night while my friends asked what the hell I was doing as if I had a disorder. V by Valentino was completely overlooked before. The campaign was bad, the bottle ugly, and the bland name seemed like any generic floral musk. It seems the world lost it for four days and never heard of it again. How many wonderful perfumes are lost due to poor communication. Bad names, ugly bottles, boring campaigns. This is a case where the uninspired bottle and name hide a beautiful perfume: delicate sandalwood with polished wood nuances and an acrid base with subtle fig, ambergris, and rose that seem like a sophisticated animal musk. It’s androgynous, unisex, delicate, and delicious, with lingering notes of human skin, sweet like dew with pollen; impossible not to smell it and not want to bite the neck. I’m fed up with the craving to own it and bathe in it; it has that pristine, immaculate, and sexual nature of sandalwoods like Cristóbal Balenciaga Femme, Very Valentino By for Men, D&G Gucci Rush for Men, or Honeymoon by Vanderbilt; that sinful, delicate, unisex air they share. It could be the perfume of an angel who is too human. Unfortunately discontinued, and surprise, another invention by Alberto Morillas. How delightful to meet you, and how short the infatuation lasted.

Smells wonderful, subtle and charming.