Punk Romantic

After seeing influencers compare Punk Romantic to the scent of olive oil drizzled over vanilla ice cream with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes, I was immediately intrigued. There’s something strange yet irresistible about that description—luxurious, unexpected, and slightly rebellious, which makes the scent feel undeniably punk. From the very first spray, Punk Romantic opens with a powdery, woody iris—refined, slightly melancholic, and evocative of Dior Homme Intense and Penhaligon’s The Omniscient Mr Thompson. The olive tree accord lends a dry, almost suede like quality, grounding the fragrance in something soft yet structured. But as it settles, a transformation begins. The scent melts into a creamy, warm vanilla, blooming on my skin with Valentino’s signature bourbon vanilla—rich, smooth, and undeniably addictive. If you love the enveloping sweetness of Donna Born in Roma Intense or Uomo Intense, you’ll recognize that familiar, intoxicating warmth, but Punk Romantic carries its own quiet, smoldering soul. Despite its depth, this is a fragrance I can see myself reaching for all year round. The juniper berry and olive tree notes add a crisp freshness, keeping it from ever feeling too dense or overpowering. It’s a scent that feels effortless, something that clings to the air delicately, never demanding attention but always leaving an impression. The interplay of olive tree, Madagascan vanilla, and bourbon vanilla is hypnotic—comforting yet unexpected, familiar yet distinctive. I’m completely taken with it, and the moment my sample runs dry, I’ll be picking up a full bottle.

I’m gonna split this review into 2 sections. First, the scent itself, which is woody, vanillic, and slightly bitter (guessing it’s from the olive wood note). It’s definitely a unique scent. I’ve seen other reviewers saying they feel it has Iris but I have to disagree. Iris is very obvious in any perfume but I just don’t get much of it here. It has a powdery aspect but it’s not from an Iris note. The longevity is very good but the projection could honestly be better. I could always tell it’s there but faint after 3 hours. (Side note: the bottle is beautiful but the plastic cap and the sound it makes is pathetic for such an expensive fragrance. Do better Valentino.) Moving on to the second part, the value. I managed to get this for the equivalent of 130 USD. At that price, it’s a good deal for a private line fragrance that isn’t super basic like some private lines. However for the retail price of 340 USD, this is a robbery.

Gosh I love this—and I find one aspect challenging. Initially, to me, this feels a bit vintage. One of the wood notes I believe is giving that feel. Could it be the olive wood accord? That said, it also makes the scent overall unique. The fragrance contrasts that vintage feel with something that is totally new to my nose. And the scent overall is marked by that newness. It’s vanilla, woody in a way I can’t describe (like aged wood), slightly sweet, vintage, modern, and a little creamy. The dry down does give you that herbal olive and delicious vanilla, as if you had put olive oil on the purest (not the sweetest and most westernized) vanilla ice cream.

Wow. Love at first sniff for me. This is STUNNINGLY good for those who like non-perfume-perfumes. It's like L'eau Papier got a hold of mother's eyeliner, donned fishnets and hot-stepped to a sculpting class. I know it doesn't share any notes, but it's that kind of interesting skinscent, but here with iris, clean incense, some blank page or other and Ambrox. I get a little pepper and the vanilla is dry. More proof that Fanny Bal is a star.

I tried it on skin at the store and it immediately remind me of the set of color pencils (maybe the olivewood kick in) and I thought why dont buy this as a reminder for my color pencils when I was a kids,. Later tried it at home again, still remind me of the pencils but I start to feel the vanilla and its sooo perfect for a summer night out. Love it! Not so offense yet so calm.