Valentina Poudre

I find this fragrance to be SO beautiful. Sometimes I’ll spray myself while sitting around at home just to smell this. Although, I do that with a lot of my collection! Probably my most favorite aspect of Fragrantica aside from the reviews is the “This perfume reminds me of...” section. I all too often will fall down the rabbit hole clicking perfume after perfume or opening multiple different tabs of scents that remind people of my favorites. I’ve discovered and purchased tons of perfumes that way! Something I’ve actually thought a lot about is how literal does that section have to be? Some people are quite militant and only want exact dupes, others allow for similarities in a note or two, and while some will say a perfume reminds them of another because it gives them a similar feeling about the perfumes. Aren’t all of those reasons equally valid? I look to that category to get an idea of what the scent smells like and to see if I am familiar with some of the scents it reminds other of. Or if it’s a favorite of mine, I always look there to see others like it that I may love even more! Most of us perfume junkies are always on the hunt for our next holy grail. Some people get so worked up over this section. When in actuality it’s OKAY for our noses to pick up different similarities. That’s why we all get to vote on the comparisons. Isn’t that great? We also all get to leave our own reviews describing our thoughts on the fragrance. I equally appreciate reviews that say they don’t agree with certain comparisons as much as others that do. Because, usually what I am looking for is an overall picture of the fragrance that I put together in my mind based on the different comparisons and different reviews. Today I was looking at this page and noticed that this perfume has the most votes as reminding people of Hypnotic Poison. I was so surprised as I didn’t think Valentina Poudre has any notes of almond or vanilla and I thought it had a slight bitter undertone to it. I also don’t pick up any Oriental vibes from it at all. So I sprayed each one on a different wrist and I was so surprised! The powdery aspect of Valentina Poudre does in fact have some slight almondish nuances and it was sweeter than I remembered. They do have some similarities which I wasn’t expecting at all! It’s really hard for me to describe overall similarities that I’m getting, but maybe it’s a similar vibe kind of thing. Anyways, now I know why I enjoy Valentina Poudre so much as Hypnotic Poison is my signature scent. As I smell each wrist I’m even more baffled, because to my nose Hypnotic Poison isn’t powdery and lacks the slight bittery powder edge that I find in Poudre. So I guess this means they’re cousins, not twins ;) Also nothing about Fragrantica and/or it’s comparison section strikes me as being set up to increase sales for any one fragrance. I find that to be an odd statement. And lastly, if you read this whole thing, I appreciate you! Sorry for that but of rambling.

I was recently browsing Fragrantica and came across Valentina Poudre. Being a powdery oriental vanilla gal through and through, the notes really sang to me. I saw positive votes for sillage and longevity, which made me even more excited. I mentally made a note of it in my head and went about my day. This past weekend while shopping at Nordstrom (Canada), I decided to take a walk through the fragrance section (even though my head was screaming NO, you do not need another perfume!!!) Low and behold, there she was. There was no tester, but the urge was too strong and I bought it blindly without smelling it. It was a good blind buy, because this perfume is heavenly. It is indeed similar to Hypnotic Poison, which I own and love, but they are not of the same ilk. Hypnotic Poison is deeper, smokier, sweeter, brighter, and with more depth, longevity and sillage. Valentina Poudre is much more powdery (hence the name), much drier, almost dusty, and not as sweet or smokey. The scent is quite linear, and doesn't change much on my skin. This may be a downer for some people, but I don't mind it. At least you know what you're getting. Does it smell divine? Yes, but it is not without fault. I have quite an extensive fragrance collection, and I have never in my life said this about a fragrance, but here it goes. After a few hours, I literally cannot smell this on my skin. Nor can my husband, and he has a very sensitive sniffer. It is absolutely a skin scent; next to no sillage whatsoever after about an hour, and longevity is weak, about 2-3 hours. Alas, in life, something always has to give, and I am willing to accept these faults for just how beautiful this perfume is. This is a fragrance that you can safely spray several times and not have to worry about punching somebody in the face with your scent. The bottle is just lovely; probably one of the prettiest bottles in my collection. It's heavy with a porcelain feel to it, and is a dusty matte pinkish rose, with a flower adorned to it. It suits the fragrance just perfectly. This fragrance is very reminiscent of an incredibly high end, expensive face powder, perhaps with the scent of a fireplace crackling way off in distance. Think Guerlain Meteorites face powder, but so much better and a little more complex. The vanilla is not sweet in any way; it's sophisticated, cozy and is blended superbly with the other notes, which are quite minimal. If you love powdery vanilla scents and aren't put off by the weak sillage and longevity, run, don't walk to this beauty! I do believe it is limited edition and quite hard to find. Nordstrom only had two in stock and were not able to order more.

So, these days I have been trying to explore different kind of powdery scents, as normally I'm more into the sweet, baby powder/soapy kind of those, something like Teint de Neige, Iris by L'Erbolario, etc. This time it's the makeup kind of powder and, well, this fragrance is pure delight. :) It really does smell like makeup, like a makeup bag, like crushed eyeshadow, or more precisely, like those 1990s/early 2000s eyeshadow palettes, as the eyeshadow palettes nowdays don't have that old, nostalgic kind of scent anymore, sadly... The iris and vanilla combination is magical, creamy and very powdery here... I love iris in perfumes and I'm in awe of this one. :) As I implied above, Valentina Poudre is definitely not like those Teint de Neige or other famous "powder bombs", it's rather different from that... but if you love powdery scents, you will probably like this one, too. As far as the longevity and sillage goes, this smell lingers and lingers on my skin and clothes, on my hair, too. Even people around me noticed immediately I'm wearing a new perfume, so, it' s a nice surprise for me, as I didn't expect good sillage with this, based on the reviews. However, I like being generous with my spritzes, so maybe that's why. :) Anyway, this was a blind buy and I'm quite happy I purchased a brand new 80 ml full bottle, as this is rare to find these days. The seller in the country I live in had this one left and so I couldn't wait anymore and had to get it. >P I keep smelling my wrists and I can't wrap my head around how much this scent reminds me of my mom's old eyeshadows, this scent literally takes me back to my childhood, it' s so unique. The most "makeup-y thing" I have smelled so far, indeed.

Very realistic vintage makeup powder scent. That's it. No more, no less. After you first spray it the scent is a little off-putting, sharp, and quite bitter. Then it softens a bit into the skin. To be honest, this is a bit challenging for me, i expected it to be softer somehow? It's not a love at first sniff, but i do find it interesting. And here's the obligatory Hypnotic Poison comparison, since i have that too, and is one of my faves: they both have a bitterness to them, but in HP it's contrasted with the creaminess of the vanilla. Valentina is less sweet, less creamy, less complex, more dry and powdery. Although they do have similarities,I think they are different enough to justify owning both of them. I can see wearing Valentina during the day, and then at night changing to HP without them clashing. Overall I do like it, I'll have to wear it a bit more to see if it grows on me. Glad I sampled it first instead of blindly buying a full bottle. EDIT I love it now! The trick is not to spray too close to the skin, and obviously do not overspray, otherwise it will be too much. I would buy a bottle of this but since i have narciso poudree already i think it's redundant to have both since they have a similar vibe. The bottle is so beautiful though...

I have been craving for this perfume for 6 months! Yes, I need to save my money because this perfume is expensive for a college student like me:") First time I knew this perfume is because I went to Douglas and tried sniff it. When I went home, I was really amazed by the smell of powdery (I love soft perfume) and the longevity which is really long (it can be a whole day and it still lingers). However, because it's expensive, I always switch with my Jlo-Still perfume so it doesn't empty quickly HAHA. This perfume really perfect for cold weather. It makes me feel calm. It is suitable too for day/hot condition, but sometimes if it's really hot, it becomes a little bit heavy for my nose. Anyway, I really love the design of the bottle (and I love nude pink, so yeah, we are fate). Anyway, IT'S MY SIGNATURE now! (updated 02.07.20): I need to make this perfume empty. Since at first I love this perfume, it made me use this perfume so slow until now I have 4 perfumes and nothing empty yet. Now, I am using it everyday even when I am going to sleep. Since corona virus came and I need to be at home everyday, she accompanied me ;)

Love it! Although I had doubt before it arrived as a lot of the reviews liken it to Kenzo Amour, which I don’t hate, but I certainly don’t love and find it a bit boring. This is also compared to hypnotic poison, but I only see the similarity in regards to the sweet powderiness, it’s not in the same ballpark in my opinion. To me it just smells like vintage makeup. Mildly sweet and super duper powdery. It smells like the antiquated idea of “clean”, not the contemporary interpretation, no citrus or soapy notes here, this is dense and thick powder and first impressions can be a bit suffocating and dusty, but that soon fades and I actually find I now enjoy the dense fog that falls upon you with the first spray. This is a scent I think a lot of ignorant people would label with a term many of us hate, “old lady”. Today these powder fragrances are no longer associated with freshness and cleanliness like they used to be, but I for one love them. I love using old fashioned dusting powders after a bath or shower and this is basically the perfume version of a dusting powder.

I think Daria_21s review below sums up my experience with this lovely scent as well. I would note that I don't really care for hypnotic poison but adore this fragrance. I can see some of the similarities and why others are comparing it to Dior's fragrance but the vanilla comes through as softer and less sweet to my nose. As others have also mentioned it does disappear on bare skin pretty quickly but I've been spraying it on before I finish dressing so that it scents my lingerie and have had it last most of the day using this method. I'm also a big fan of the nicely weighted bottle. I love that the entire thing is a matte mauvey pink, from sprayer to flower embellishment. It's a perfect representation of the juice inside. The last thing I will note is for those seeking it in the United States. I was searching for a second bottle to keep in reserve and after calling several high end retailers was told that Nordstrom would be carrying it in July during their anniversary sale. Seems that it's pretty hard to find in the US but oh so worth it.

this is a very pretty vanilla-heliotrope-powder scent. sort of smells like the nougat in a three musketeers bar if it were not edible, a perfumed nougat, so to speak. sweeter and more vanilla than most powdery scents. I love it and would totally buy a fb if it lasted more than 25 minutes. this vanishes so rapidly it’s not worth your consideration. scent 9/10 longevity/sillage 2/10 another option if you’re looking for a sweet powdery scent is Narcisco Rodriguez Poudree. I personally can’t wear that one but I’ve tried it lots of times and it’s a nice, dense, powdery floral. it’s less sweet than the Valentina and so much more detergenty/synthetic but if NR generally works for you give it a shot. responding to @rosebush340, it really doesn’t last on my skin. I’ve since started spraying mainly on clothing and get a light projection for a few hours and it does linger on fabric much longer. I ended up buying a fb because I love the scent but continue to find longevity an issue. Never received a compliment and I’ve worn it a half dozen times.

What a lovely powder bomb! It's true that this bears similarities to Hypnotic Poison, especially in the opening. The tuberose and vanilla they used here are really close to these notes in HP. But Poudre also has a dash of the original Valentina's earthy floral DNA in it, and it's obviously missing the intense almond that defines HP. So I wouldn't call them twins. I actually enjoy Valentina Poudre much more. This is such a soft and cozy scent, like a bubble or veil of comforting vanilla-infused powder around you. In that regard I understand the comparison to perfumes like Kenzo Amour or Narciso Poudré, they have the same vibe to me. But they don't really smell the same. Maybe the opaque bottle is fooling me, but Valentina Poudre has a dry and cooling, almost clay-like texture to it that makes it stand out from similar scents. I can easily be worn to any occasion, almost year round. Maybe not to the beach, but really, it's much more summer-appropriate than most other powdery vanillas.

Gosh I love this! Wearing Valentina Poudre gives me the mental image of floating in a fluffy pink powdery puff cloud. It is a gentle and sweet almond-heliotrope combination with a slight edge in the base - my guess is the earthy ambrette providing some depth and weight. I have vintage Hypnotic Poison (2004 formulation) and agree that VP bears some resemblance to it. However, HP has a harsh note that gasses me out sometimes, almost as if it requires some courage to wear. VP, on the other hand, is gentler, more comforting and snuggly. I have to say, I actually prefer Valentine Poudre to Hypnotic Poison. This might seem like a frivolous girly perfume but do not underestimate it. There is an understated elegance and seriousness to it. It is pink, soft and cuddly on the surface but has an integrity and quirkiness beneath. Longevity is at most 2 hours on me but I hardly care. It is that good.

This smells sooo good! I received this today and I'm in love with it! Another succesfull blind buy. To me it's a powdery scent lovers' dream. Sillage seems to be pretty good, I can smell it myself without effort, it's not a faint scent. I can't give any information about the notes as I can't detect many in most perfumes. But I know I love it already. Will have to update for longevity, but I think that will be at least moderate. I think the bottle is very pretty too, I really like to touch it lol. It does remind me of hypnotic poison too. They're not the same, I think you can easily tell them apart but they definitely have similarities. It's an autumn day here with the sky coloured grey and temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius and I think it really blooms because of that. I'm not sure if I would wear it on a hot summer day, I think it might be a little cloying then.

I'm quite picky about perfumes because I have a really sensitive sense of smell. But this perfume, for me personally, is A-MAZ-ING!!! It's what goddesses and femme fatales smell like on their days off. It starts on the skin quite bright - alcoholic and a touch flowery, as most perfumes are. But in only one or two minutes, it transforms into a warm, sensual, powdery musk. And this doesn't have a rose focus so it doesn't smell like grandma's powder. Perhaps it has a touch of a baby powder-like scent - but it's a lot more like your-skin-but-better kind of powdery. I'm so specific about the powder scent because I find most powder scents in perfume either smell elderly or too sharp (I find Narciso Rodriguez's NARCISO POUDREE to be too sharp to truly be a dupe for this). This perfume is the love of my life, and I'm so sad that I can't find it anywhere anymore.

This was a blind buy, and I must say one of the best I've ever encountered...I am on a cloud of fine pink pressed face powder. This has the most beautiful vintage vibe I haven't seen in a long time...an instant love! I don't get Hypnotic Poison at all...which is another one I love, but it has more of a root beer vibe with coconut, and Valentina is pure vintage face powder...oh how I have longed for this scent. It is perfection to me...the fragrance of my dreams! A true boudoir perfume that smells like expensive face powder that came right out of a depression-era pink powder jar...elusive, classic and exquisite...I must have this always in my collection... My first Valentino perfume and I am VERY impressed...must explore more. The bottle is beautiful and matches the scent perfectly...

I got to have this.. my love for powder scents has led me to :Chanel 19 poudre (green fresh powder), Villoresi teint de neige (ultra strength baby-wipe powder), and l'Erbolario mandorla (almondy gourmand powder). What was missing was a powder/floral mix without sharp/soapy notes. Love chloe has Hyacinth in it witch to me overwhelms the entire soft and round aspect of powder. And Narciso poudre doesn't work for me because of the synthetic musk (anosmic to it). So after some searching decided to try Valentina poudre and it has a baby-wipe aspect(no problem..love it)but also a more floral side. The opening was a bit rough though. Performance on paper is great; stil there after two days. On skin i have yet to try it out. Now to find a bottle...

It is the only perfume I felt I had to write a review about. Because it is the nicest one I ever had. I felt miserable when I found out that it was limited edition, now I think I heard it is not limited anymore, added in Valentino standard line. Powder yes but the best powder ever. Not sharp, (like Narciso) not baby, not girly, but classy, soft,airy, like the best powder ever. I could wear this all day every day, but because I have others too and love trying different ones all the time I come back to this one like a return to the love of my life. Hahahah. Wish it lasted more. This is my only issue I have. I smell it for about 3-4 hours. After that I loose it. If it could last more it would great. I will be buying for years I guess....

This perfume is divine! Soft, delicate and powdery. This fragrance smells expensive and oh so sensually creamy against my skin. It’s not like baby powder, and while it’s a little more in line with high end cosmetic powder it’s much more fragrant and complex. It’s classy and feminine. I feel like a lady wearing this so I think it suits someone more sophisticated, not girly. The dry down has warm but subtle vanilla goodness with a floral hint. I like Narciso Rodriguez Poudree but I love this so many times more. This skips the sharp - almost medicinal - note that I pick up on Narciso (yep, I think my nose is a bit weird on that one so I realise not everyone will agree). Valentina Poudre is just smooth and gorgeous all the way.

Dry powder, very vivid. It does not echo the flowers and does not sound in the background. She is self sufficient & soloes throughout the day The powder is dense, like powder from cosmetic bag shattered and a powdery mist hovers in the room, which tickles the nose. The powder here is definitely beautiful. I love to wear it on a windy day. This powder especially pretty when create the plume & so beckons. Top notes is powerful. Powder is definitely the soloist. But she is not alone. I feel tender vanilla and sandal wood closer to the base notes. Tuberose & iris here do not bothering because they fail drown out the powder. The scent seems to envelop me in a light veil. Good on a winter day with Nude makeup.

I blind bought this one based on reviews here and I absolutely love it! This is everything I wanted Donna and Narciso Poudree to be. Pure feminine powdery pale pink vanilla deliciousness. My husband wrinkles his nose at it and says it smells like the inside of a woman’s purse. It totally does smell like expensive cosmetics and vanilla but in the best way imaginable. This scent is so comforting. So soft and powdery and girly. I love it, and the bottle is one of the prettiest in my collection! The scent is fairly linear, not a lot of change from opening to dry down. It just gets a little more vanilla sweetness coming out towards the end. Lasts a good 6-8 hours for me with moderate sillage.

One of my all time favourite "layering" perfumes. It is perfect to layer with flowery and/or woody notes and also to tone down louder perfumes. It is a simple and linear perfume (i like that) so don't expect complex performance and an acrobat of notes. Just straight forward Iris-powder. Very feminine and office friendly but don't overspray. If I am layering then 1-2 sprays are more than enough and if not then 3-4 max as it is long lasting. I spray on my clothes and probably that helps with longevity. Unfortunately it is discontinued (whyyyyyyy Valentino???!! ) so I bought two bottles to stock up. highly recommend it if you're into powdery/ires feminine perfumes.

This was a declutter regret for me. I purchased and decluttered it when I had less then half of the amount of fragrance I have in my collection now. My reason for decluttering it was because I was reaching for it more than I was reaching for Hypnotic Poison. What was the logic in that?! The truth is I prefer Valentina Poudre. It is similar to Hypnotic Poison EDT but it doesn’t have the licorice/caraway note which makes it easier to wear. If anything I think Alaïa Blanche and Valentina Poudre are more similar. Either way I love them all but Valentina Poudre is the easiest to wear. It’s a powdery, chalky vanilla with a little ambrette. At least that’s what I get.