Valentina Oud Assoluto

PERSONAL STORY, SKIP TO READ REVIEW OF FRAGRANCE: You know how perfumes can bring you back to certain memories in time when you smell them? Well, this perfume brings me back to a certain person whenever I smell it. This smells like my first love, I was 13-14 years old. I used to hug him and he had this distinctive smell that I just wanted to smell forever and all the time. I was certain it was probably some laundry detergent his mother used but I was too shy to ever ask. When I tested this perfume I was thrown back to that time, being so young and vulnerable and feeling the first emotions of love for another person, envisioning a future with them and wanting the security of forever with someone, someday. Now I'm no longer with this boy, and all the better for it. I wouldn't trade my life for a single second, nor the family I've been blessed with today. But wow, it sure was fascinating to take a trip down memory lane every time I smelled this. It's a wonderful thing sometimes to reflect back on your youth, and realize how much you've grown as a person, how those experiences shaped who you are today. I think I'd like a decant of this, not a full bottle. And not necessarily to wear. Some people keep boxes of memories, or photo albums with pictures of their old flames. I burned all his stuff, of course, the dramatic teenager that I was, but now I'm happy that I have this perfume to bring me back to those nice fuzzy feelings, and that wonderful smell he had. We can just kinda kick him to the curb, and imagine this as the equivalent of keeping the leather jacket he wore just to smell it from time to time. REVIEW: I smell this fragrance and fond teenage memories aside, I'd have never guessed that oud was involved. Oud always smells dirty to me, a bit like animal waste or rotting wood that's being consumed by termites. But this oud is quite clean. I would attribute this to the rose, perhaps, but this doesn't have that same ROSE + OUD generic combo that every single house releases. You know the smell, and this isn't that. There's no fruitiness, no sweetness, nothing that would bring to mind either notes. I don't get the vanilla. Maybe there's a touch of leather. But again, it's not animalic. It brings to mind clean new car leather seats. Very luxurious. Almost a bit too snobby to wear out in normal public functions. This is something you'd wear if you were invited over to a White House banquet, or to Bill Gates house. It's got an air of "I know I'm better than you, and you've never smelled anything like this before, because you couldn't afford it" to it, even though it's price is easily accessible. This is something that the normal masses might find unappealing, or even grotesque when held up alongside its alternative, La Vie Est Belle or Flowerbomb. Many would choose the latter. Someone who doesn't care what's in vogue, or on the contrary prefers what's the opposite, would be drawn to this. It has nothing to do with its original scent, Valentina either. This is a flanker that actually makes no sense as a flanker, but I understand when they do this it's to save money on packaging and marketing. I give props to Valentino for realeasing such a daringly different fragrance. It's not mainstream, it's not even the typical standard oud fragrance that you'd think IFRA might've passed a law requiring every house to release considering they all smell exactly the same no matter what they price it at. If you thought you hated oud fragrances, don't pass up the chance to still test this one, it might surprise you. If you're still hung up on Britney Spears perfumes and can't stand anything "musky" (isn't that what they describe every scent that doesn't smell like cupcakes or Light Blue?), maybe move down the line to its original pink flower encrusted sister that smells like strawberry lipgloss. I sound like such a snob at this point, don't I? I assure you, it's not me, it's this fragrance I have on. They should list that as a possible side effect when you wear this on the side of the box.

Valentina Oud Assoluto Valentino (USD 65, 80 ml. with 2ml. decant from friend, thank you) I think most people might put a little harsh opinion into Valentina Oud Assoluto. I know, Oud is "It" ingredient, Niche people appreciate but General Audience turn down. Therefore, Majority of Oud fragrance from Designer realm are lost in the red sea. Bare in mind, designer is always be designers. It means to be easily understandable. Oud Assoluto is one of them, but this beautiful as well. Valentino Oud Assoluto is beautifully done Oud fragrance that very Unisex but Femme Fatale. Out is syntactic and leans woody / bitter. Leather in this are also not very strong leans suede than leather. While Oud / Leather combination is seems scary (think of Ombre Nomade). The Rose and Vanilla really help overall assessment and lighten the scent significant. The point where do I like the most is Rose questionably has Fruity nuance (Apple like). While Vanilla kind of wrap around everything, it is very see-though to Rose / Oud / Leather It opens strongly with Leather / Bitterness - Mild spice by Cardamom Before transiting to Leather-Rose fragrance that can be easily wear everyday. I would say this is still tranperent, but I might just sniff way more dense fragrance. Personally, I think Oliver Creep makes the best scent when he make scent for Femme in Absolute / Noir style. It is almost always leans masculine, guarantee both gender can wear. Score 7/10 (Consider both Niche / Designer realm, but for designer only I think I can give this Solid 8/10) Longevity : 6-7 hours. Projection : Moderate Classification : Unisex (femme-fatale realm) Summary : The Everyday Rose-Oud Other suggestion with Rose-Leather-Oud style of fragrance. - Guerlain L'homme Ideal L'intense - Guerlain Musc Noble - MEMO Paris French Leather ===== Revisit note on May 22, 2024 I rewear this one, after like 6 months ago, that quite a time.. After the scent deepening a bit. Yeah, I am enjoy this evermore. I think the charm of this fragrance is beautiful in the middle until late dry-down. When I first apply the scent, it was tight. The smoke undertone cover everything. Rose was buried, The Summering Crisp Oud battle with Layer of vanilla. That's quite unpleasant batter, because it feels like a dust storm, everything unsettle. I recently discover the fragrance that need time to bloom. The beautiful was the late stage, not a top note catcher. Right now, almost 1 hours post wear and their was a perfect amount of Woody-Oud, Clean Leather, Mildly Sweeten Vanilla and Rose. It is not opulent tho, it sort of linger around you. Vanilla in this, are leans creamy one. The sweet but it was good. It merge with Rose, and counterbalance the bitterness of Leather & Oud. Yeah, this is wonderful and I think can be impressive fragrance too. It is not overly over the top, plus they was no patchouli in this. Don't get me wrong, I love Patchouli but modern offering use Patchouli as backbone for everything, it is the trend we keep seeing. Something, Like Valentina Oud Assoluto. Is such a relief while keeping the vibe of Femme Fatale way. Score 8/10

Heaven help me I do NOT want to wash this perfume out of my shirt! I want to roll around in my shirt, graced by a spritz of Valentina Assoluto Oud, forever. Luckily I don't HAVE to do that because, you see, I can actually buy this perfume and then wash my shirt like a normal person. However, time will tell when I can blow $150 on a bottle of perfume rather than have electricity for the month. So, yes...earlier today I was walking through Neiman Marcus- to which this perfume is exclusive to, along with Bergdorf Goodman - and I saw this bottle. Black, mysterious, and decorated with a black leather rose. I COULD NOT RESIST THE URGE. I sprayed just one little spritz upon my chest, and upon my poor shirt. It would have taken peanut butter and olive oil to get my male acquaintance's face UNSTUCK from my cleavage after I sprayed this. He loved it and could not stop smelling me. They should have named this perfume temptation, because you are giving into it every time you spray it. On a serious note, I cannot believe how decadently sexy and intriguing this perfume is. I don't think there is a perfume out there that embodies the femme fatale ideal such as Valentina Assoluto Oud. I have tried many. I have come close. This is the closest and the best. It is not in my possession, but I will have to make it mine. If it were not so unique, I could talk myself out of it, but no; I am a woman with dark interests and this perfume is my beautiful nightmare. ;) It's on the sweet side. The most prominent notes are the rose, leather, vanilla, and whatever woodsy notes it includes. I cannot smell the orange blossom so much, however all I can smell at the moment is the dry-down which really is all that matters to me, since that's what I'm stuck with for the rest of the day. For the record, I haven't logged into Fragrantica since 2008. It is almost 2014! What an atrocity on my part! I was looking online for information on Assoluto Oud, and here I am. Please be careful. If attractive men flocking to your cleavage does not sound appealing, do not use Valentina Assoluto Oud.

As fate would have it, I did end up buying a full bottle of this dark, rosy nectar! I thought, however, that it was unlike anything else I have smelled in all my years of olfactory interest. I was wrong. The more that I wore it, I couldnt get away from the fact that I feel like I may have smelled this parfum in a past life... I don't know how I could not have noticed that this smells almost like the original FENDI for women! I didn't wear it in a past life as far as I know, but I actually own a bottle of original Fendi that I rarely wear (but love very much). I'm surprised at myself and slightly embarrassed, but still satisfied nonetheless! If the original Fendi for women had a younger sister born of the next generation, it would be this very oud fragrance by Valentino. The difference is in the base notes: Valentina Oud is sweeter and woodsier, Fendi for Women is stronger and spicier. Both are orientals and share the very prominent and sophisticated notes of rose, leather, cardamom, and vanilla. Although the similarity is undeniable and they are both equally as expensive (considering Fendi was discontinued), Valentina Oud Assoluto maintains her own personality. Valentina Oud, in comparison to Fendi, is more wearable in these modern times. I'm able to better acquaint myself with the notes, though few, now that I have my own bottle. Upon opening, I smell strictly orange blossom and oud. I understand oud is the middle note, but I smell it immediately in full strength. The orange blossom subsides and the rose emerges from the leathery darkness to demand the spotlight as the cardamom and saffron sit in silence to watch. Alas, you are left with a tantalizing trio of rose, leather, and oud that will cling to your skin for hours. A perfect winter parfum and an 80's classic revived in the form of a modern oud. Edit: I want to make it clear that when I say they are similar, I am NOT saying they are the same, or that this is a replacement for Fendi. They are definitely not the same smell, though the notes are close.

I blind bought this because I'm a sucker for leather and oud and some of the reviews on here intrigued me. Im a risk taker in that I will wear anything if the notes interests me. I try not the let the marking (if it's supposed to be made for men or women), the packaging or the bottle influence me. I got this online at a cheap enough price for me to gamble a bit. Was it worth it?Short answer: Hell yes. First spray scared me a bit as it starts off very sweet and fruity, I thought it might be way too feminine. I don't see berry in the notes, but I swear its in here. The moment the alcohol dries off, the oud and leather come right to the surface. The sweet and bitter mix perfectly, this is really multi dimensional, multi layered and very very interesting stuff. As potent as it is, it softens after 20 mins and the rose and vanilla comes through, bringing out the familiar original Valentina notes, but the oud and leather never stray too far off, giving this a nice backbone. I always thought the original Valentina was nice, but safe and a little boring, its 1000% improved here. At the end of the day, any woman would loves this. As a guy, I see myself layering this with another stronger oud or leather scent to make it my own. This would pair well with Black Orchid or Tuscany Leather. I cannot recommend this one strongly enough. If you see a deal online, get it, you won't be disappointed.