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.

Smell like pencils too me, sotisphicated i bought my bottle in Shanghai, really love it since then Woody, vanilla, Iris Feel like color pencils, very artist

Very powdery, flowery, iris, woody. It's not to sweet but not also not very green. Strong vanilla. I love it!

The shortest and recurrent description I can give this is "an oily vanilla". Other notes listed only appear as a whiff occasionally, but it's the bourbon vanilla that is firmly stamped. It is gourmand, but not quite the edible kind. It is sweet, but not sugary or sickening. I don't reach for vanilla based fragrances, and yet I'm wearing this and I thought I was going to give it away. I can really smell the oil here, although I couldn't tell what kind of oil. I don't just smell it, I taste it. It's supposed to hint at olive oil, but lacks the fruitiness that good olive oil has. However, oiliness (not greasiness!) is what makes this perfume so smooth, like a body oil. If you love vanilla, definitely check it out. My complaint goes toward the sticker with the name on the bottle and the plastic cap. And I can't really put the name and this fragrance together.

When I first sprayed this I was like ‘yes! This is fabulous’ it was a vanilla bomb!... then... seconds later, I smelt something I didn’t like. It got weird... like a spiciness trying to creep in. But then after 5 mins that goes and it’s the spice with the vanilla mixed together and blended well on skin! Overall, if you like. Vanilla, I think it’s a safe blind buy!

This is a very weird description but it smells like lipstick on a wine glass at first. Or like the inside of a purse. That makes it sound a lot more feminine than it is but it leans pretty unisex. As a man idk if I’d wear it. But it is very nice.

im getting high doses of Iris, tho it is not in the notes pyramids

Not sure how I feel about this but I’m leaning towards dislike. The sandalwood pulls “pickley” in this, which I normally don’t get in vanilla sandalwood scents. I would attribute that to the olive tree note I suppose. The first spray on skin was overwhelming in a way that it wasn’t on paper, the juniper and sandalwood really shining on me. Wanted to get it off my skin at the 30 minute mark. Once it sat for another few hours I reaaaally enjoyed the vanilla woody scent at the dry down, but the middle wear time was way too much for me. I will say this is quite strong and decently long lasting, so you’re getting what you pay for. Packaging is cute too and I like the purple color to the juice. Dont think this is a safe vanilla blind buy and I’m glad I only got a small sample.

someone said its an oily vanilla and i have to agree- but not in a gross way at all, in fact, quite the opposite. someone compared it to vanilla ice cream topped with olive oil and salt. thats a good representation of the comparison. its a creamy vanilla with an olivey edge that may be the medley of woods (olive wood accord/ sandalwood/ juniper) and it has a savory facet also from the woods and the pepper. the 'oiliness' coming from the rich olive oil that is the key to such an experience of this dessert. when i first tested it with my mom, she said it reminded her of a jordan almond. i also like that comparison. the 'oiliness' being the almond. and the vanillic sweetness coming from the candy coating. when i wear it, i think of lipgloss, like the mac ones or the lancome ones both from the 2000s. the oiliness being the gloss that may be the almond oil in them. and the vanilla from whatever they used to fragrance them. from all these comparisons, you can gather that its glamorous yet nuanced. not for everyone, but it can be enjoyed as a treat. i think of it as my weekend scent. i prefer to enjoy it on casual, relaxed days.

Same with the below review lol had been dying to smell it. It's...interesting. I don't hate it, I think it's the juniper in it possibly. It's honestly hard for me to describe because I sometimes feel I am smelling a bubblegum rose scent (almost like Moschino toy bubblegum?) But also gives me MM by the fire place vibes too. For me, it's definitely the juniper coming through, with everything else playing nicely in the background. If I was gifted it I'd wear it but I'd never purchase it myself unless it was like $40. It would make a good winter fragrance. If interested in testing, theperfumedcourt sells decants! If you like by the fireplace you'd probably like this.

Couldn’t wait to get my hands on a decant of this Fragrance. The notes sounded unique and nothing like I’ve ever tried , but it’s a Huge No for my chemistry, that first spray B slapped me with a putrid animatic note , That supposedly Black pepper , just awful on my skin . It does have Phenomenal staying power because it took a while to get it off after washing my hands 10 + times and even sprinkled husbands foot powder hoping it would help absorb some of it . Just gnarly.

It smells like a lipstick. Vanilla and woody combination. Reminds me of Guerlain's Iris Torrefie. The difference is that it is not as diffusive as Guerlain's. I listened to the sales associate who recommended layering this with other perfumes. But why would I pay all that money if it doesn't stand alone?

Screechy metallic synthetic scent. The musk here is very harsh and the black pepper is super heavy, the green accords don't help much, the vanilla note is kind of muted. The sandalwood here smells like rotten coconut. I need to wash this off my skin. I am glad I only got a sample.

This is an awesome Iris scent that no one is talking about. Reminds me of a clean hotel room similar to Armani Cuir Zerzura but less spicy. My favorite Valentino of all time

all i smell is vanilla honestly with the tiniest hint of like lumber or pencil shavings in the background like a gourmand girly took a trip to home depot

The performance on this is so garbage it’s shocking. Don’t bother.