Valentino Donna Noir Absolu

@perfume_infatuated I totally agree with you Today I tested this elegant perfume on a paper strip.I didn't know it's notes but I guessed there's slightly spicy,plummey rose in it and a deep,warm,almost dark,softly powdered base. now that I've checked up the notes,I can also recognize liquor and leather in this amazing scent that wafts from paper strip This is so sophisticated and classy.smells so expensive and has definitely a significant character.it doesn't seem loud or much heavy on paper.seems to be one of those perfumes that leaves a tail behind you not a killer bomb. I can see what other fragranticans mean by calling it unisex.I agree but I don't find it manly.I mean that it will probably do well on a man but at the same time,on a woman it won't seem like a perfume without feminine charm. I'm into supersweet gourmands, vanilla florals and girly fruityflorals. I can't usually tollerate wearing masculine or even most unisex perfumes but I'd love to wear valentino donna noir absolue. I have valentino donna and love it.I can see a hint of similar gene between these two(they share rose,leather and a luxurious powderyness) but all in all they're very different donna is the younger,much more sweet, more girly, pink sister(still very classy and a grownup) while VDNA is an independent,elegant,self-confident, darker seductive queen. Right now I can't afford this amazing perfume,it's about 120$,but I'm adding it to my wishlist BTW I dislike Elie saab Nuit Noor and TF Black Orchid with passion Edit: tried it on my skin and now I like it even more. it's so sexy, so delicious without being a gourmand and smells so expensive .It's a dark, leathery,boozy,spicy,smokey,powdery jammy rose. a modern femne fetal perfume. and it's very long lasting with beast mode projection. unfortunately it's not widely available anymore. I hope it's not discontinued because that would be a crime.

My bottle has stickers on the bottom, not etched glass, and the rectangle on the box, so it’s the L’Oréal version I think. For those who care about such things. 100% unisex. I love it. It’s deep, rich, has a fresh spicy edge to it. The dry down is sexy, soft yet sweet and rich and deep all at the same time. Amazing projection, 3 sprays fills the room. And I never say that. And lasts all day. Stunning. Love. In the same ball park as a lot of fragrances I own, but definitely unique. From the ‘reminds me of’ section I have the following: Initio Side Effect - I’d say this is one of the most similar smelling from what I own, but it’s not the same, Donna Noir is less fruity, and doesn’t have that touch of rubber smell. The dry down of DN is smoother and sweeter. TF Black Orchid - Donna Noir is not as floral and nowhere near as sweet or tangy. Not even in the same ball park. TF Velvet Orchid - Donna Noir is nowhere near as sweet or floral, like to even compare them is crazy. (DN is closer to TF Vanille Fatale than to both of those listed above, there’s something vaguely similar in the drydown, although DN has less vanilla and has a sweeter dry down so it’s still not the same). Penhaligons bewitching jasmine - weirdly, at first they do give the same vibe on my skin, which I wasn’t expecting at all. I don’t know how when the only note they share is leather, but yes, I’d say this is actually the closest before the mid dry down. DN is smoother and a bit less spicy as it’s missing that lovely cardamom note, and it is lacking the incense too. And DN is less floral in the drydown (the jasmine comes out in the dry down of bewitching jasmine, which totally sets it apart). I think it has been discontinued as I couldn’t find it for sale anywhere in the UK online. So if you find it I’d grab one as it’s great, and a bargain when the closest comparisons are from niche houses.

I discovered this perfume on vacation. We were stopped in Italy on one of those Mediterranean cruises. After doing the usual sightseeing, we were browsing stores, one of which was a two-level Valentino store. Ignoring the spiky heels, which matched the motif of this bottle, I tried on both Noir Absolu and either the original Donna or Born in Roma; One on each arm. As we left the store, I forgot which arm had which on it, the black or the pink bottle. I was completely overtaken by one of the scents. It was deep, complex, warm and sweet. I couldn't identify what I was smelling, but I wanted to know which bottle it was, so that in the future, I might recover it. After trying samples of both the Uomo and Donna lines, I finally found the scent that I fell in love with that day. In hindsight, it was the leather, plum and booze that had me intoxicated. Donna Noir Absolu is a perfect fragrance for the late afternoon; when the day cools down, and the evening is still ahead of you. She is casual, playful, sweet, and a bit of trouble (wink).

YUM! Like a dummy I almost sold this one before testing it on skin. On testing strips and clothes it's ultra unisex and smelled so peppery it reminded me of incense, but once I tested on skin the peppery notes died down pretty fast and I'm left with this slightly sweet, leathery plum liquor. Divine!! It's narcotic indeed. Like one of the other reviewers said, this smells witchy, like a room with a witch making a potion in a cauldron. This will be a knockout come wintertime. In a way, this reminds me of Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Black Perfecto because they fall in that 'black clothes/leather jacket' perfume category. Guerlain LPRN BP has that intense cherry smell with almost choking incense/smoke, whereas this is far more refined. I still love both. Also, I think it is rumor only that this is discontinued. It is still on the website, albeit with some different notes - jasmine and vanilla. I emailed and asked if it was reformulated and they said no. I don't think they are getting rid of it!

I love it. Dontthink its for blind buying unless youre familiar with less mainstream notes, i would not have likes this 10 years ago. I didnt pick leather, i thought suede, the leather is not dry and masculine. The plum is kinda dusky but not powdery, not mega fruity, the booze... is not quite straight spirits, maybe more like a port yet not wine-like.. perhaps bourbon territory? The woods are not woody-dry or fresh, they are warm and perhaps a little ambery?? I totally dig this. I wanted to say maybe oud was in it when i first sprayed, oud and i are not easy company but with certain formulations we get on. I likebmost of the donna line, and most valentinos, not so much donna aqua... Thumbs up. Nice sillage, decent longev.