Valentino Donna Acqua

Oof! I think I'm in love! Yes, I know I've already written a sort of review of this perfume, but that was way back when I'd only had access to a single tester and was so bubbling over with enthusiasm for it that I just waffled on with little thought to describing how the formulation unfolded itself to me. At the time I was on my first (of many) bottles of Mon Guerlain, drenching myself in it daily and loving it so much that whilst that tester of Donna Acqua really appealed to me, I (mistakenly...foolishly) thought that the two scents were too close in fragrance profile to necessitate a purchase of a bottle of this glorious potion. Don't get me wrong, I still love Mon Guerlain and will always continue to have at least one bottle of it in my possession, (I've got another bottle of it on the way to me in the post as I type this, along with a miniature of Mon Guerlain Intense too) for as long as Guerlain continue to manufacture and sell it. It's the perfect classy, mature, pretty, sensible scent to have at hand, whenever one wishes to feel like a respectable grown-up. Donna Aqua however is a different creature altogether! She is a cheeky, bubbly, slightly klutzy yet adorably cute, effervescent little princess; the part of us girls who refuses to completely grow up and who still loves tiaras, feather boas, brightly coloured wigs and everything glitter. The original Donna is a woman over 30 who likes to ditch work on the odd afternoon to go shopping for handbags before guzzling pink champagne on a rooftop patio bar. A ladylike woman with a streak of indulgence, but upon whom one can always rely, to turn up immaculately dressed and ready to deal with whatever the world throws at her. Donna Acqua on the other hand is her ditzier, more mischievous little sister. The one who still comes home in the wee small hours with her handbag swinging around her neck, carrying her shoes in one hand and some randomly appropriated flowers in the other...giggling as she fails yet again to get the key in the lock, because she's just had an absolute time of it. And why not? In my opinion, THIS should have been the fragrance that Valentino should have led with when they initially created the Donna brand. Not that I don't like Donna, I do. She's a lovely little addition to have in my fragrance collection. Perfect for days when I want to be feminine; girlish but not girly; ladylike, with a much classier vibe than her little sister Donna Acqua. I bought and reviewed it just this week. Whilst I don't love it, I like it. I won't repurchase it, but I will definitely enjoy the days when it feels appropriate to bring her out and be cheerfully feminine. Donna Acqua though, is for those days when mirth, merriment, mischief and a hint of madness calls for nothing less than this glorious pink fizz. The notes? Oh the notes are all just utterly enchanting! First off, we get the grand opening: an explosion of sparkling pear that is at once both juicy and syrupy. Just. Gorgeous. Reminiscent of a similar note that can be found in Fragonard Belle Cherie and Tommy Girl Pear Blossom. Then, just as you're about to start salivating over the intense juiciness, the green almonds come along to temper it a little and bring an ever so nutty, yet sweet note in, helping the pear to merge seamlessly into the exotic frangipani note that will be familiar to all fans of the Elemis Monoi Oil beauty range. The frangipani thankfully retains its creamy, aromatic essence without descending into some Hawaiian tropical vibe, thanks in part to the grounding arrival of sandalwood and a final note of jasmine which gives the overall fragrance some depth. And what's lovely about the fragrance as it wears on for a couple of hours, is that each time I go to sniff my wrist, I can still smell that pear, that frangipani, those almonds, the jasmine and the merest hint of sandalwood. They all manage to merge together beautifully whilst remaining individually identifiable. I love that. I love this perfume, can you tell? Did I already mention that? Sorry/not sorry. I haven't been this enthused about a fragrance in ages. Which of course, naturally leads us to the inevitable heartbreak of knowing that this stunning scent has been discontinued. Because that's just how things go in the world of fragrance fanatics. And so it is that I must now embark upon a mission over the next few months, to seek out and procure as many bottles as I can find of this stuff online, forgoing other such unnecessary things such as food and electricity. What use are such fripperies when there are bottles out there just waiting to go to a good home. My home. Not your home. My home. In fact...yeah, forget everything I just said about Donna Acqua. It's an absolute stank brew. You'll hate it. It's like Secretions Magnifique that's been left out in a cow-shed for an entire August heatwave. No. You leave well alone dear reader. This is not for you. You hear me? Not. For. You. Heh heh, sorry. But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, amirite? Lol. Oh, before I wrap up, I just have to respond to the comment down below from someone who said that they didn't understand the choice of the word 'Acqua'. I totally get it. Because when that pear opens up, it's so juicy and mouthwatering, your olfactory senses are just drenched in its sparkling nectar. It's only the green almonds that rein it in. Oof. I just smelled myself again. I smell amazing. This is such a happy scent. That reminds me of the song Happy by Pharell Williams. When he wrote it he said the song was 'Pink Lemonade', because as a synaesthesiac he associates smells with sounds and visions. Well, Donna Acqua isn't pink lemonade...she's much more of an Very Cherry Amaretto Sour cocktail. There aren't any cherry notes in it per se, but it somehow sort of hints at them being there (which is more than alright for an absolute cherry bomb lover like me). Donna Acqua will bring a smile to your face, intoxicate you almost to the point of giddiness and leave you feeling tipsy and ready to dig out that tiara for a big princesses sleepover, complete with cocktails and pink macarons. But you totally won't like it. It's not for you. I'm just trying ta save you the disappointment, honest! ;-)

I got a carded sample of this just our of interest and I’ve spent some time with it recently. Although I’d never smelt Donna Aqua until I got this sample, I felt like I’d smelt the scent before.... It was reminding me very strongly of something else so I’ve been trying to work out what it is! The carded sample says green almond, frosted pear, frangipani rose accord and roasted tonka bean. I think it’s fair to imagine it also has the notes listed above but the rose is what makes this one more interesting to me and stops the jasmine taking over the frangipani! I feel like it’s close to Burberry Brit edp. The edt is more unisex, fresher, more citrusy and has that slightly medicinal vibe from lemongrass. Stronger woods in the edt too. The edp is still woodier and way more of a beast that Donna Acqua but it could almost be an extreme version. Acqua intense with added woods and a bit of citrus! There are some similarities to Elizabeth Arden Untold too. Also in a beautiful bottle and also discontinued unfortunately. The drydown in untold is woody but it has a very similar juicy and sweet pear note but it’s got a spicy woody vibe from pink pepper and patchouli (both of which are notes I don’t like, but in Untold translate as a cashmere wood sort of vibe). Untold is also very soft and cosy, feminine and pretty but not quite as pretty as Donna Acqua and lacks the almond. It think it also shares some of the best qualities of Ariana Grande’s God is Woman although Donna Acqua smells more expensive (fair enough, it is more expensive!) and god is a woman has a definite synthetic smell, especially on first spray, but it dries down to pretty pear and rose, with the fluffy vibe coming from ambrette rather than almond and sweetened by vanilla rather than tonka. Still sweet but not as creamy as Acqua. All in all I can absolutely understand why so many people mourn this one. It’s light and doesn’t last long but it’s really quite beautiful. I would actually love a bottle of this which I just wasn’t expecting as I have never found a Valentino that I like before this one!

OMG, I see that even other reviewers have similar reactions trying to describe it with one word! (see WOW from the comment under) This reminds me a lot of Viva la juicy La Fleur EDT by Juicy Couture. They have similar vibes. I cannot disagree with those of you that find Burberry Brit EDT similar, but this is way fresher and younger. Donna Acqua is elegant and 'mature', not that bubble-gummy/girly, nevertheless delicious. It's 'full' if you get my point perfume with pear shinning bright. I had such a long time to be impressed by a perfume never tried before. Where was I living all this years? From now on I will pay more attention to the house of Valentino and although an EDT, I think it can even stay proudly next to La nuit tresor by Lancome. You can't imagine how curious I am to try the original and very first Donna EDP edition. Strange but it wasn't in the stand. Conclusion: To me, Donna Acqua is fruity that follows latest trends without being generic. I dislike fruity perfumes as they have a 'cheap' effect (again I am talking only for my taste) but in some climates and summer time they can be nice. As I said pear is the protagonist but it's a natural and yummy type of kind. Immediately almond follows and makes it addictive. It's a type of liquor-amaretto that adds the gourmandise touch that I love. Jasmine makes it strong without being sharp, the ammount of it in the composition is just perfect. Sandalwood is noticeable. I can't say something on frangipani or hawthorn. Lasting power is good and sillage even better. Thinking seriously of including it in my collection or try more from Valentino. A huge like, yet not love.

Just tried a sample of this on the back of my hand and absolutely love it - but that might be because it's soooo much like another new favourite I've become addicted to: 'Mon Guerlain' (which I bought 2 weeks ago and now only have about 3 or 4 squirts left, out of a 50ml bottle). I'm loving sweet smells right now. My next fragrance purchase was supposed to be 'Gucci Bamboo', because its clean fresh scent (that reminds me of 'Boss Woman') is the perfect antidote to the revolting, fetid, stickiness of summer. As I ploughed through my bottle of 'Mon Guerlain' so quickly though, I was considering replacing it with a second bottle first and postponing the 'Gucci Bamboo' until payday next month. BUT...having just smelled this new flanker (I've never actually smelled the original 'Valentino Donna') and how much it reminds me of 'Mon Guerlain' ('Donna Acqua' has almond and frangipani notes listed and I have sworn blind I can smell almond in 'Mon Guerlain', despite it not being listed as one of the ingredients/notes) only with a slightly fresher vibe (pear notes?) I think I might be splashing out on a bottle of this instead, next week. I'll try them out side-by-side instore to see how similar they really are, but I also really like the bottle design on the 'Valentino' one, so if they're hard to tell apart scent-wise, I'll go with the pretty crystal faceted 'Valentino Donna Acqua'.

I was actually meant to purchase Valentino Donna but accidentally ordered Valentino Donna Acqua by mistake (lol), but I'm actually glad I did because this fragrance is SO gorgeous! When I first sniffed, I was entranced by it's sharp zingy frangipani and pear. Very delicious and crisp. The almond notes are shy and aren't too noticeable until the dry down, then they appear along with the jasmine and sandalwood. I'm not sure if anyone will agree, but this perfume, to me, is the exact love child between Poison Girl by Dior and Scandal By Night by Jean Paul Gaultier. Very zesty, lively and juicy. I feel like naming it 'Acqua' was a mistake since this fragrance is more heavy and creamy than light like water. Overall this perfume is a delight. It's not too cloying or rich, but it's enough to turn heads and get a compliment or two. It's a sultry sweet treat and perfect for a spring night. Update: So I had some of this perfume left in a sample, and I sprayed it on my sister and she said how it smelled just like English cherry bakewells - and she was right! Weird how I never got this impression when I first tried it, considering how much I love cherry bakewells. Valentino Donna Aqua also shares some of the same ingredients with the English treat (frangipane and almonds!)