Valentino Donna Born in Roma Purple Melancholia

VALENTINO 💜 Donna Born in Roma - Purple Melancholia🖤 • Top notes of Plum-mid note is Osmanthus & our base note is Vanilla • Officially releases 2/23(Sephora app) & 2/24 (everywhere - USA) I am a massive DBIR fan. I have every flanker and the original Donna. I let go of Coral and Yellow Dream, as well as Rosa Verde. I think Gold is still my #1 Donna. However, Miss Purple here has moved right up into my top 3–5 easily. I’m still deciding where she lands, but she is 100% in my top 5. THIS. IS. SO. GOOD! But this is not your normal Donna. This is not fluffy, sweet, or gourmand. This is BOLD. SEXY. DARK. This reminds me of Lara Croft, the Tomb Raider, in her catsuit during the London missions in TR III — IYKYK. This is pure, dark, twisted, sexy seduction. Think Catwoman. Batman. Leathery, heavy coats with chains. S&M, seedy, dark, raunchy New York City. This has such a personality. You don’t wear this on a sunny day. You wear this on a smoky, cold evening. A dark, rainy night. To a dark, candlelight-only dinner. When you want to dominate someone. This unlocked such a mind-fuck for me. This is WHY I adore fragrance. Leathery, spicy, sexy osmanthus. Hints of what I’d call patchouli and spice. There has got to be more than the listed three notes. You get a dense, deep, sweet plum, which dries down to an albeit sexy, soft vanilla. The drydown is most similar to the Donna DNA, but just barely. This is truly the first flanker that has personality and identity outside of the typical realm of Donna. This is that gritty, grunge side to Valentino. Had I purchased this myself, I probably would have only gotten a 1.7 oz. The fact that I got this as a gift in the 3.4 oz — hubby did damn good — because I’m going to tear through this. I’m obsessed. 10/10 from me. Hands down. I can’t put this down. I want to wear it every day from here on out. I have so many new perfumes coming, and I’m going to have a hard time putting this down! I will say: test this on skin, not paper. It is NOT blind-buy safe. This will most likely get destroyed by the influencer crowd, especially the “Paid” Donna girlies, and that is expected 🙄 but PLEASE give this a shot! 👑

I loved it, it was an immediate yes for me and I wasn't expecting it, since I didn't particularly like any of the other fragrances from the Valentino DBIR line. The opening of this fragrance kinda shocked me: I was suddenly hit with the intense scent of forest berries (blackberry, blackcurrant...), I'd say, as I couldn't immediately spot the plum in it. It was certainly sweet but also carried some depth to it so it didn't smell synthetic to me at all. By the time you get used to the juicy sweetness of it, the perfume tones it down and you're left with this sort of sultry, mysterious flowery fruity scent that feels almost hypnotizing (or at least that's how I felt and why I decided to purchase this fragrance ahah). I've been using it for a few days now and I particularly enjoy the way it smells on me even during the dry-down, when the perfume has lost most, if not all, of its fruitiness and leaves behind more of a powdery clean, but still intriguing, scent. I believe this fragrance fits the winter and early spring vibes more than the summery ones but it's not as overwhelming as gourmand fragrances which are popular during the colder months and for this reason it can also be easily worn anytime during the day.

I completely understand why they call it Melancholia 😍 It reminds me of a dark, brooding gothic baddie!! Exactly what I want to be 😩🖤💜 I can see why people feel it’s too much, but honestly that’s why I like it! The first hit of plum is vibrant and sweet, but the dry down is excellent! It’s still sweet and dark, but there is this touch of leather in the background that makes me think this chick must ride a motorcycle! 😩 I personally don’t feel the plum is medicinal, but my little brother has noted to him it does smell medicinal to him, but as he states not in a bad way. Depending on tastes and nose you could run into this problem. It is quite heavy and easy to over spray and be sticky with this fragrance, which is why I stick to pulse points strictly. I think early spring, fall, and winter works best for this fragrance as during the summer it might feel a little suffocating. I’ve been wearing her out mainly at night since we are heading into real warm weather. Without a doubt it isn’t for everyone, it seems to be most disliked in the line, which personally is wild!! It’s worth finding and giving a test 🥰 Definitely a keeper for me and I will be getting a bigger bottle!

i'm not quite sure why people are saying they are smelling Robitussin or Dimetapp. as someone who works in pharmacy, this perfume smells far from medicinal. when i first sprayed the tester on myself i really loved the opening notes, a sweet, gentle plum mixed with vanilla and soft floral (osmanthus). everyone has different chemistry when it comes to perfume on skin. if your skin doesn't project vanilla or florals very well, it may not smell as good. the dry down had me even more addicted to it, on clothes and on my skin. i keep smelling it occasionally throughout the day, and it feels very much like looking out the window at the flowers during a rainy day, nostalgic. Valentino perfumes are pretty pricey, but for how long they last and how good they smell, i personally am willing to spend the money on it. of course, the more you spray the longer it lasts, but i think with 3-5 spritzes you can go a whole day still being able to smell it at the end. i also appreciate how gentle on the skin their perfumes are, i have eczema and never noticed any irritation or stinging/burning sensations as with most other perfumes.

It makes me a bit sad to see so much hate for this fragrance. I do understand that it is not for everyone and why it's so polarizing, however I don't agree with all the nasty reviews calling it "a mess" or "disgusting". I don't like the original Donna Born in Roma yet I'm still able to appreciate it's appeal for other people. Anyway, I consider this to be an excellent flanker, very distinctive yet still sharing the original DNA. To me there is nothing medicinal about it. Just a delicious, sweet plum blended with osmanthus. The longevity is pretty good, especialy on clothes, and the sillage is also quite strong. I wouldn't exactly pick this in the store myself. Testing on the blotter didn't blow my mind. But then my boyfriend gave it to me as a surprise gift and once I actually wore it, I totally fell in love. Pretty unexpectedly, this became an easy reach and one of my most worn fragrances. Don't believe all the terrible reviews and just give it a try. You might be surprised.

honestly, the very opening of this perfume smelled so much like NyQuil, i really did not enjoy it, but then after a few seconds it settled into a candy gummy like scent, which i was not a huge fan of either. i sprayed it on my arm in the store to test it out along with some other perfumes, and honestly this perfume really began to surprise me and ended up being the best perfume i tried that day. after the weird opening notes, it settled into this very warm plum that just smelled like a mature feminine grown woman and it was very beautiful. i put it on my arm in the store around maybe 6:30 pm, and i smelled it on myself until 2:00 am. i am very impressed with how this sat into the skin, and i can totally look past the initial notes for how good it smelled in the end.

Update: I tried it again in the store and I loved it! The plum lasted more, the vanilla made a shy appearance and the osmanthus was not that strong anymore. If you stick your nose on the skin smells a bit weird after a couple hours, but from a distance smells great. I tested this fragrance today. I love the top notes - the plum is amazing - sweet and floral. I was expecting a jammy plum, but actually is a very lovely. Unfortunately the top notes disappear very quickly. Then it becomes somehow unisex. I would have loved a sweeter vanilla- I can barely recognise the vanilla. I adore the top notes, but I don’t feel like buying a quite expensive fragrance just for a couple of minutes of olfactory pleasure. I could layer it with a vanilla body mist or cream.

In my opinion this is a sexy scent! It’s the kind of perfume that leaves a sexy trail and people would turn their heads and look back and ask themselves “what is this sexy perfume”? The silage is juicy, heavy, sweet, fruity ,mysterious and a little powdery. It’s changing a lot! At one point I smelled even a nice ripe peach .... I understand why some people think it’s medicinal, it’s because many people are smelling this perfume very close , with their nose pressed on the skin or on the blotter. This perfume needs to be smelled from distance to understand it because it’s a strong perfume. Also , clearly are top-notch quality oils here. I bought a 100 ml and I like it, but I understand if this is not for anyone

I really like this one and I was terrified after seeing a lot of negative reviews lol For me I’m getting a very sugared plum for at least a few hours and then I get the fuzzy, fruit peel scent I’m guessing from the osmanthus. Barely pick up any vanilla which is a bummer and I do think that if you have your nose right on top of the skin you can pick up some funky notes people have described but it’s like I either have to search for that or it’s just in my head from reading it cause otherwise I get a sugary scent and after wearing it for a bit and using up my travel spray I may end up getting a full size. I do not own any of the pink fragrances for comparison. I only have Green and yellow and I love them!!!

Litteraly so shocked by the reviews on this😭😭 I understand that its not jawdropping or never done before but damn yall not cutting it any slack. I think its actually pretty, a nice moody fragrance that makes me think of smoking a ciggarete,on a summer eve after it rained. It juicy & fruity while having some creamy coconut in the backround even if its not listed in the notes, Longevity is good.....i guess.....could be better,and it creates a nice & soft aura of scent around u for a good amount of time. Will definetly get it,i have some good layering combos in mind ;) Edit: after running through some samples and buying a bottle.....i resent it.

I’ve gotten like five compliments on this fragrance and i only started wearing it not even a week ago. There isn’t much else from this line that interests me, but THIS ONE... this is the exception. Everyone else seems to be underwhelmed but this is sooooo up my alley. personally, i get syrupy plum, bubble-gummy florals, powdery vanilla, and something leathery in there. Lasts forever, great projection, light enough to not get nauseating in the heat. One of my favorite blind buys fasho. LOVE!

Tried Purple Melancholia today and I absolutely LOVE it! Fragrances are subjective, and there’s no one scent that fits all noses, but I really don’t get the hate for this one. It’s such a unique way to use plum. It has a powdery feel but still sexy and mysterious. The staying power is pretty good, not amazing but enough to make me happy. I’ll be grabbing a full bottle soon, lucky me!

Before looking at the notes, I thought I was smelling iris and jasmine. I really like this; definitely smells "purple," earthy, and plush. Peachy plum and suede-like osthmanthus. Night time or day/casual. Maybe not office/medical environment appropriate, but if you're in a creative job or service industry this would be no problem. My favorite of all the recent BIR colorful flankers.

Ok I just opened it. I love it tbh. Right off the bat I knew it was for me. A deep sultry Plum scent. It does have that twinge of being cherry medicine but it disappears quickly. I’m assuming that’s the Osmanthus. I’m not very familiar with that note. The Vanilla makes it smoothed out, I think. This is sexy. Definitely a date night or bedroom scent imo.

I see the reviews are pretty divided but I find this perfume so nostalgic and reminiscent of Y2K scents which is why I love it! To me it’s like Manifesto and Ultraviolet had a baby although the notes are not the same. It really has that vibe, reminds me of summer nights spent dancing in the city. I think millennial girlies are going to like it!

I love this, I dont get plum, not sure what im getting in the opening, more a candy smell. Its beautiful. The vanilla then starts developing and to my nose it becomes a sweet vanilla, which is what I like! I have had dbir intense, which I enjoyed, but I like this more. I also have coral fantasy, but that definitely more for the summer

I love it! Fresh, purple, feminine and aromatic...nothing melancholic about it. I now own a full bottle 💜🪻💜🪻💜 Please make this flanker PERMANENT!!!💫💫💫💫 P.S.: Unfortunately it doesn't project at all 😭 and lasts only max for 2h on my skin, 4-6h on clothes... It lasted way longer on paper. That's too bad for the price you pay.

I am definitely in the minority here, but I absolutely love this fragrance. I don’t get any of the cough syrup notes people are referencing, just juicy plum that dries down to a moody, powdery smell. Definitely a cool girl scent. FWIW I generally do not like the DBIR line, and this flanker is nothing like the rest

I purchased a mini version because of the reviews. I actually really like this! I am about seven hours in and can still smell it on my skin. I dabbed on my pulse points and it is really nice. Warm floral with a rich vanilla. I find it comforting. It gets a thumbs up from me.

I actually really really like this one. Basic? - maybe. Over-priced for a fruity vanilla? - maybe. But who cares, it actually smells really good and makes me smile. Plum is becoming one of my favourite notes now. And it actually lasts fairly well, at least on my skin.

Very sweet, kind of smells like grape cough syrup, but in a good way. Drydown has more vanilla but still that sweet medicinal smell. Smell before buying, since this won't be everyone's favorite, but from a males perspective this was enjoyable

Toned down, less spicy, inoffensive (yet way more pricey) cousin of Vintage Radio by Lattafa. Not cloyingly sweet, but rather boozy, sour, addictive. The plum really shines and gets the spotlight in the middle notes. I really, really like it!

i am generally not a fan of plum note but this is amazing! fresh, youthful, sweet, girly, well blended! im really impressed with this flanker! it is somewhat shampoo-y at the opening but i dont mind that actually i enjoy it alot!

Smells purple. Definitely a fruity floral. There was an overly synthetic, plasticky note I didn't like, but it faded away before I could write the review, and now I have nothing to say bad about it. Sad it's limited edition.

The only dbir I can stand. It's sweet and uplifting. More fruity at first (almost smelled like peach- but I guess it's plum) and then it gets sweeter. So warm like a bright spring day, love it. ☀️ 🍑

I repurchased a bottle of Donna and got a 10ml free 💜 I really like it. The fruitiness of the plum really stands out with the vanilla. I'll get a bigger bottle.

I had the chance to smell it today and I was sooo surprised by how good it is, don't ever believe the negative comments before smelling it first 😅😅

Gosh, I Might be the first over here with a different upinion but I LOVE THIS STUFF! I knew after the first sniff that I need a backup bottle!💜

Lovely rich plum and Madegascar Vanilla. The floral note makes this sexy. Strong, lasts many hours and perfect for cooler weather and evenings.

I’m so melancholic when I’m alone and people don’t see me I think I will love this perfume What a colour and name !! I can’t wait to try it

Sophisticated and elegant. Ripe plum with a rich vanilla. Definitely a grown woman's fragrance. Good for the winter and spring.

A deeply brooding, melancholic yet feminine scent. It’s not so much Ophelia as it is Lady Macbeth: rich, regal and tragic.

Simply wonderful! I’m in love with it! It's elegant but also daring and mysterious. Well-balanced and harmonic notes

The sweetest most beautiful plum. This is the best born in roma flanker ever and best release of 2026 so far!

this might just be THE perfume for all seasons and all times of day

Plum & vanilla it’s the first thing I smelled & I fell in love!

Purple Melancholia opens with a velvety purple fruit that feels shadowed, moody, and dusk‐lit in vibe - but never heavy. The darkness here comes from colour and atmosphere, not dense notes. It’s a soft, brooding plum that leans emotional rather than gothic. As it settles, the benzoin glow rises: warm, resin‐tinted, and quietly comforting. This is where the scent becomes the kind of pretty I gravitate toward - not pink‐sugar pretty, but violet‐dusk pretty. The purple fruit melts into a gentle amber‐wood base, creating a violet haze that feels like candlelight on velvet. The dry down is amber woods with a lingering purple warmth, not a deep resin pit. It’s cozy, glowing, and slightly melancholic - melancholic in a beautiful way, it's atmospheric rather than heavy. The formula stays light, modern, and wearable. Think twilight, not abyss. It’s more fairytale dusk than midnight cathedral. It is the gentlest member of my Valentino brood, but it still carries that warm, resin‐lit soul that makes the line addictive to people who enjoy the DBIR DNA. It smells like DBIR DNA, but in a softer, moodier, violet‐dusk interpretation. It’s the twilight branch of the DBIR family. I’ve seen people call it generic or messy. Yes, the amber‐wood base is modern and familiar, but the lingering purple tone keeps it from collapsing into sameness. It’s only “generic” in the sense that it’s wearable and polished. As for messy - absolutely not. There’s no citrus blast, no laundry musk, no pink sugar, no screechy florals, no chaotic note pile, and no identity crisis. It’s cleanly built and coherent, with a clear vibe: a moody, purple comfort scent wrapped around a soft, textured resin heart. It carries a dusk‐lit atmosphere that feels unmistakably Valentino, but is gentler and more atmospheric than the usual designer crowd. It especially loves overcast, rainy, or moody weather.

This fragrance wasn’t quite what I expected it to be. With a name like Purple Melancholia, I anticipated something darker, moodier, and more emotionally layered, a fragrance that would take me on a deep olfactory journey filled with mystery and atmosphere. Instead, what I found was something far softer, sweeter, and more straightforward. The opening is lovely, a juicy ripe plum accord that feels rich and almost velvety, like the first bite into perfectly ripened fruit on a late summer evening. Unfortunately, that moment is fleeting. Very quickly, the fragrance settles into a creamy blend of vanilla and osmanthus that remains fairly linear throughout the wear. There’s a cosy familiarity to it, purple sweets from childhood, satin makeup pouches, and the comforting sweetness lingering in the air of a softly lit bedroom at dusk. While it may lack the depth and complexity I had hoped for, it is undeniably pleasant and easy to wear. Longevity on my skin is around six hours with moderate projection. Overall, it’s a pretty, crowd pleasing fragrance and an effortless everyday reach, particularly for those who enjoy smooth fruity vanilla compositions without too much drama.

I really enjoy this fragrance. It opens up with a photo-realistic bright sour plum that starts to slow dance with airy white florals. Those two notes melt like a whisper into a warm sexy vanilla that turns tangy, flirty-fun, into full throttle sexy. I would say this is best worn by a powerful grown woman who owns any room she walks into. It's feminine, but confident. Maybe even a little cocky! Bad bitch vibes. I really think the hate and negative reviews are because people got hyped up about the release and expected something else. Sometimes we build things up in our minds and are disappointed when they aren't what we hoped. I guess I was lucky because I only heard about it this week, and just happened to see it at Macy's. I sniffed the tester and instantly bought the 100ml I had zero expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised. I do not think this is blind buy safe, but for me.. it's a gem.

WAIT I actually love this. I ordered it despite all the hate, and when I received it I sprayed it on a test strip and very VERY gingerly took a light sniff. to my utter delight, I didnt hate it. I immediately sprayed it on skin, and have been trying it out for about 3 weeks now. its unique for sure. it doesnt smell like any other fragrance, really. it kind of gives me dark berry wine vibes. vampy for sure. I completely understand what people are saying when they compare this to medicine or cough drops, so this is absolutely not blind buy safe (do as I say, not as I do...) the scent bubble is pretty addictive, and ive had several people smell this and no one picked up on anything 'medicinal,' so take from that what you will. to summarize: juicy, tart, syrupy dark berry... dark femme vibes.

I bought a 10ml of this and the first time I put it on it instantly reminded me of another fragrance that I new I already owned but I couldn’t exactly put my finger on which one.. I had to look through my collection and there it was, Khair Confection! This smells lika La Belle but instead of pear there’s this yammy plum and it also has a green touch. The osmanthus is not sensual and smooth, it’s sharp and green. So if you like Khair Confection or La Belle this could be something for you! It’s a pretty scent but as I already own perfumes with this DNA I won’t be buying a full size bottle. The purple liquid is really gorgeous tho!

It’s nice it’s a designer it has that designer dna a tad but it does have a plum dna I like it’s a little different for that reason else it would smell just like the new givenchy. It’s very similar. But the plum note gives it a slight zing. And a powdery woodiness that is nice I wouldnt run to buy as I have so many in my collection but for this line it’s a nice addition and something different to the designer world out of all the new releases I would pick this.

a very very strong start. fruity too. to the point where you almost have to sneeze depending on how close you get it to your nose. i haven’t smelled anything like this in a while. this is perfect for a warm spring or fall day. it’s giving kaiserschmarrn (delicious desert with a plum compote). very long lasting as well. you can still smell in on your clothes a day later. to me this would be a „special occasion“ perfume and nothing that i’d wear on a daily basis.

At first spray I absolutely adored this one, I even exclaimed ”wow!” Out loud. It was so beautiful, sweet but playful and pretty fresh. Most fragrances last very long on me, even the ones I hear most people say the silliage is very weak on. But this one... Gone after four hours without a trace except for a hint of something that reminds me of middle school grape erasers. It’s a shame because I really liked it initially. I probably won’t repurchase this one.

Considering the low rating of this, I fully expected to not like this perfume. So I was slightly apprehensive when I got to sample of it. But colour me surprised, it actually seemed quite nice. Very fruity and juicy opening - and it didn’t feel super artificial. The drydown seems decent too. Not quite like anything else in my collection, so I’ll probably get a 10 ml of this.

Smelled this today at Sephora, I definitely smell the plum in the opening but no leather notes to my nose. The base is similar to the new La vie est belle Nude vanilla base and the whole composition also kind of reminds me of Flowerbomb Ruby Orchid but sweeter and less fruity. I like it but I don't need to add it to my collection right now. Love the name though.

I like this a lot. The opening really sells it with the whole plum thing going on. Thr rest of the notes come way too soon and yes, it's a pretty vanilla drydown but nothing groundbreaking. Still, I find it comforting and so easy to wear. I'm half way through my bottle and about to get a backup because I do think they will discontinue this.

I think it's a bit too heavy in the beginning, it smells of patchouli, even though that is not a listed note. After a couple of hours it dries down to a jammy plum and vanilla scent. I think it will do best in the fall, it's too heavy for spring and summer in my opinion.

This has been my favourite fragrance ever since i’ve purchased it, but recently, it’s started to smell... spoiled in a way? I know the plum note is quite prominent, but it smells so different compared to when i first bought it. Anyone else experience this?

It's nice, to my nose smells very jammy, fruity, almost like a jelly bean smell, it does take me back a little. Not related to melancholia at all. Dry down is a nice vanilla. It's not impressive or a new smell. I don't think I will go for the full bottle.