Valentino Donna

Did they put crack in this?! I don't see it listed in the notes, but I've NEVER burned through a 3.4oz so fast. I was scrolling eBay and saw a bottle going for $60 from a well rated seller, needed a dopamine hit, so I bought it and weighed it against a real bottle. Down to the gram, and it was indeed authentic in every way one can possibly inspect. I even weighed the BOX against an authentic box. So I opened it and sprayed it and at first it opened really fresh and bergamoty and I had just bought 2 freshies (Bella Essence and Romance) and felt this one would be redundant. Wow was I wrong over the night I kept smelling my wrists like a fein as it transformed into the next phase and the next. I was scared "leather" would make it smell too masculine. I can't imagine a more feminine perfume. I LOVE this perfume. It smells like none of the current hits I have collected (how many vanilla orange blossoms does one woman need?! Pls, perfumers, pick another flower!!! And not Jasmine - again!) I have Goddess, I have Libre, I have Mon Guerlain and 3 flankers, but after I smelled this one open with the bergamot and slowly evolve into a brand new leather Valentino purse with luxurious powdered rose makeup inside with a hint of incense and vanilla and praline I was like Goddess? Why would I? Libre, where did that go? Mon Guerlain? Who's that? Been wearing this one out...I don't buy backup bottles. If they dc something, well, they've dc'd my signature scent before and then brought it back, reformulated to smell like Britney Spear's Curious....I LIKE Curious, ok, but Blue was downright majestic in 2008 and now? Shes a shell of her former self. Like if she died and her spirit left the bottle. THAT is what she smells like now, and it broke my heart, so I'm not usually scared something will get dc'd. I'll find another. But I immediately bought ANOTHER Donna for $60...then when I saw how fast I'd blown through one 3.4oz in a week? I ordered TWO backup bottles for $60/each. I don't go nose blind to it either. I can smell it alll day. It doesn't ever tap out but I do like to go through the note changes again and that 1st hit of bergamot mixed with the mid notes in the background? I wanna smell it again and again and again. I noticed a VERY popular perfume influencer I watch on YT made a very recent video with this one the other day and I was like OH NO now it's gonna sell out and the price is gonna go way up with eBay sellers. I like to buy/gamble on eBay, because I follow 2 channels on YouTube that weigh the most popular perfumes against fakes. It is VERY hard to get your product to look perfectly like the real thing AND weigh the same down to the gram or 2. (A gram weighs about as much as a small paperclip - so this makes counterfeiting significantly harder). I bought a $5 scale off Amazon, it was in the mail the next day, and I've been weighing my perfumes like a mad scientist and I will send it back for a refund if it doesn't weigh within 3-4 grams of the 'Real' version of the videos on YouTube. Best $5 I ever spent. If you like to gamble for great deals on eBay like I do, 1, you need to buy from a very highly rated seller that accepts returns, and 2, you NEED A $5 kitchen scale and access to YouTube. Just because the batch code matches the box doesn't mean anything. You think they can't steal batch codes? Of course they can. All you have to do is buy ONE real box, OR simply look at one real box and boom you have the batch code for your counterfeits. They NEED to start putting the batch codes sealed INSIDE the box with a lottery ticket scratch off type deal, and have every single perfume with its own code you can type into their website and see if its been used yet or not. I've read comments on that YouTube channel of Fake Cip busting fake perfumes, and ppl are commenting they're buying fakes off Jomashop. Which is supposed to be a legit site! I'm actually surprised at how many perfumes I've got for crazy good deals off eBay that ARE real. Ive only had one fake so far out of like 50 bottles this year. Black Opium, and I could tell it was fake just from looking at the bottle. The indentation on the bottom of the bottle was sideways and not flush perfectly with the bottle. YSL would never be so sloppy. Returned and refunded and I left a negative review with pictures showing why its a fake. I've read positive reviews on eBay from customers that got sold a fake and then got a refund and STILL left a positive review because the seller refunded them and made up a sad excuse that THEY were tricked. No. The buck stops somewhere and it should stop with the person who sold the fake to you. And do you think the seller took the fake item down after that?! NO! They kept selling the fakes! Leave a negative review with details and pictures! The counterfeiting has got to stop. There is another one on YT that's really good, but Fake Cip has nearly EVERY hit perfume weighed down to the gram on his channel. He'll weigh the whole box with everything inside then open it, weigh the box alone, weigh the cap, weigh the bottle. Inspect the box. Fakes are nearly always 20 grams OR MORE off from the authentic perfume. I don't care how well they did the box or bottle, if the scale doesn't come correct you have a fake as far as I'm concerned and need a refund. I've seen some perfume influencers on YouTube videos comment they knew they were buying a fake and still did anyway. Pls don't. Authentic perfumes are held to safety regulations. Counterfeits are not. They could've mixed your batch up in a rusty barrel in some back alley using whatever ingredients they want that have been banned. Don't buy it or use it. You don't know what chemicals are in it. Ingredients have been banned for a reason. Anyway, THIS is my new "signature scent". Im so happy. I didn't think I'd ever have a signature scent again considering the amount of perfumes I have collected that I feel "good" about, but not always "great". Not one that I feel nearly addicted to... except Donna. I have been neglecting them ALL for Donna. This is me in a bottle. This is EXACTLY how I wanna smell. And it's not discontinued. I went to Valentino's website to read the notes because Fragrantica tends to frequently be incorrect and I think the "my skin but better" smell it has comes from the "peach skin" note they don't include here on Fragrantica. Or maybe it's just because it smells like a luxurious face powder you wanna ration because it's expensive af. And it's still for sale (for full Valentino price tho) on the Valentino website, with no note of being dc'd, but I'd never suggest someone buy a 10 year old perfume for full price...so look for a deal from an outlet seller - then weigh it. And NEVER buy from a seller that doesn't accept returns. eBay DOES have an authenticity guarantee on all their products being sold whether the seller chooses to accept returns or not, I just think you'd have a much harder time proving the perfume is a fake and not worth the hassle when the next seller DOES accept returns so save yourself any hassle and buy from them. Besides, if they don't accept returns, to me, that seems like it's because they know it's fake and a LOT of ppl are gonna want returns. When I sell my perfumes on Mercari or wherever I'll always take a return provided they haven't used half the bottle. Because if it's legit I can just sell it to the next person or just keep it. If she doesn't find a new home then we were meant to be. Lol anyway, LOVE this perfume. Gonna start buying more "lipstick"/makeup type perfumes (iris/violet). Lipstick Fever is next. Then Insolence. I can't believe its taken me this long to get into makeup smelling perfumes but I have a scent memory of my great grandmother always wearing this body powder that was rose scented, so I LOVE rose, but if it has a powder or iris or violet note I'm always wary because my scent memory associates talc powdered rose with my 90 year old great grandmother...so I almost didn't buy this. Sooo glad I did anyway, this smells nothing like that. I think I'll try Lipstick Fever next. Clearly this is my type of perfume, in my mid 30s. The other night I layered this with Goddess, then hopped in bed and my husband said "what did you do?! 😍" And I said " I don't know what you mean..." 💅 (spoiler: I KNEW!) 😉 Edit: surprised to read comments from ppl saying this perfume doesn't have good longevity or sillage. That's probably the most important factor to me when I buy a perfume. My skin eats pefumes, too - ravenously (even when moisturized). This one lasts on my SKIN at least 8 hours. It lasts on my clothes until I wash them. My mother walked in my house and said, I can smell your perfume from everywhere in this house! She said when I walked in the guest bedroom (that I never go in) and sat for a moment to speak to her that she could smell it all night lingering in the air. If you got a bottle that isn't lasting or projecting. 😬 I'm quite sure you may have a fake...even if you bought it on Jomashop. Or maybe it's been reformulated to perform badly and the eBay seller I used sold me the old formulation? Outlet retailers/resellers often are selling perfumes from stores that went out of business or stores that needed to clear inventory for room for newer perfumes so SOMETIMES it will be an older batch (although I never keep a batch code of a perfume made 3 years or more ago - even in the bottle, unopened, they will eventually oxidize. I bought a 7 year old, brand new, unopened Mon Guerlain and sent it back because the delicate top notes had oxidized down to nothing and the base notes were all I could smell. And sometimes the ingredients can degrade to unhealthy chemicals which is why they have beauty health expiration dates on perfumes in the first place. Even though its mostly alcohol which keeps it from growing bacteria and such. The authentic Donna SHOULD last a long time. The votes for strong and enourmous longevity and sillage are correct. It performs VERY well. If yours doesn't, are you SURE it's authentic? Did you weigh it? My authentic bottle weighed about 415 grams including the top when I had used about 10 sprays and the liquid was still touching the top. The cap should have a V inside...go to YOUTUBE and look at the real vs fake bottle. Unfortunately, this one isn't on Fake Cip's channel yet but there is another channel that it is on. I type in "real vs fake (insert perfume here)". This is one of my best performing and I have...quite a few. It lasts even longer than Libre Intense on skin and clothes.

Original/Puig 2015 Formula Review I was interested in this for years because the trio of rose, iris, and leather is mi amor, but I was held back by reviews that said that this was too sweet. One reviewer likened it to a candyfloss scent, and what with the girly pink bottle, I figured that they were right. Candyfloss leather? No thank you. As the fragrance world turns though Loreal bought Valentino from Puig, and there was a threat of reformulation at the very least, if not actual discontinuation, and bottles of Donna were being dumped in the meantime due to the acquisition. So I bought a boxed bottle for $34. I'm impetuous what can I say, and I really have severe fragrance FOMO. Well! This is lovely, and while there is a bit of sweet going on, it has so much depth that it's okay. It's interesting because the two base notes I can smell as soon as I spray Donna--a cloud of earl grey style bergamot infused with a cool vanilla and dry leather. The opening is not sweet at all, the sweetness comes after it's been on your skin for awhile--a rich rose floating in peach liquor with raspberry on the edges. Not syrupy, exactly, but the rose is quite fruity and dessert-like which I really enjoy. The iris adds a bit of musk and powder, and really who can resist an iris and musk combination? As it wears down I feel that the peach note intensifies, and the dry down is a full patchouli with a slight hint of vanillic amber. Very serious for such a pink presentation! As far as the leather goes, I think that iris sometimes smells like leather or suede. The iris is what gives this a suede/leather feel...but you can't smell it in the drydown, only the top and heart notes. That's awhile though because Donna does a slow fade--the patchouli/amber drydown only appears hours after you've been wearing it. This is just lovely, serious enough with the iris/musk/suede/leather to be adult but the rose had enough desserts to be fun and compelling. I really appreciate the darker drydown--a perfume like this I expect to have a laundry musk finish, and happily this doesn't. I am puzzled by reviews that say that this smells like the (in)famous La Vie Est Belle. It's not that sweet. Maybe they are reviewing a new bottle? I saw a note list for the Loreal version that had praline. It would make sense too because both Valentino and Lancome are owned by Loreal. The two scents that I DO think Donna resembles are the original Bottega Veneta, with the smooth suede and peachy rose notes, and Oscar de la Renta Bella Rosa, with the sweet musky rose haze and patchouli drydown. Donna has very good lasting power and has interesting changes all day. Best of all I like this is the cold weather and the hot weather, so she's versatile that way. I think it's worth searching out the original formulation of this perfume. Why did they have to change it? Just leave well enough alone for God's sake. We already HAVE a La Vie Est Belle.

I have both the original from around 2018-19 (Made in France, labeled Valentino Beauty LLC) & recently obtained a 2022 bottle second hand (Made in Spain, Puig), so as I'm writing this I'm wearing and comparing the two. There has been some confusion in this comment section so let me clear something up. Firstly, it's possible that the reformulation can be found from a Puig bottle. The new formula WITH a new bottle has a studded neck just like Born in Roma. Liquid in my newer one is significantly darker, pretty much orange. It's obviously not have been stored properly since I got it second hand. My original is still faintly pink liquid. Donna has been my favorite all these years so after I heard that it was sold out and there were rumors about it being discontinued, I have been holding on to my original ever since. A bit later Donna came back, but only after Born in Roma was released (2019). That's when it became public knowledge that Valentino was actually sold to Loreal. Donna is NOT discontinued. It's pretty hard to come by any bottles anymore that are pre-pandemic though. The ones I've found have been snatched quickly. Now, the scent is only slightly different in these two, not something a regular person will notice. The original Donna is much more well-rounded, soft scent with a leathery patchouli base. Absolutely beautiful. The reformulation has a fruitier edge, it's more "in your face". I guess it's the zestiness of pergamot sticking through, there is that same tartness. The softness of leather/vanilla is pretty much drowned in there somewhere. I wish they wouldn't have cranked up the fruits in top notes, but I guess Loreal likes that... The newer one doesn't seem to ever settle to just base notes and lose that fruity edge. Kinda headache inducing :/ They are very similar though, the new formula is just sharper/sweeter, which is a shame. Also, if people could please stop comparing Donna to LVEB. They're nothing alike & it's insulting, LVEB is terrible ::)

A review for diehard fans of Puig version - written by a diehard fan of old version herself...😉 Okay, call me a "Donna e mobile". After I mourned the Puig Version and claimed that the L'Oréal version smells different (especially less rosy), I am all in with their remake of original Donna, nethertheless. And I am quite critical, since I knew the Puig version through different batches so very well (was my signature scent). On a trip, I tested the L'Oréal version again on paper, thought - "okay, not that different" (except the missing of my beloved bulgarian rosenote), but didn't buy because it was too expensive (for what it was without that Rose...). Came back to Europe and tested again, this time on skin. Thought: "okay, not that different...but wait ...what does sting in my nose? Oh, some grapefruit instead of good old bergamot, and some chemicals"..not completly different from Puig's Donna...later in even a bit rosy...but I could not get past that sting in the topnotes, again I didn't buy... Next morning up to work in a hurry, I fetched my jacket...and...omg...what was that wonderful smell? It smelled like home, glorious former times, just like the elegant basenotes of original Donna....Left on the jacket just for the beautiful smell and the sweet memories....so, of course, I went back and bought a bottle, just for that memory. On clothes the basenotes are nearly the same, elegant enough. And from far away both versions smell not that different. So, I spray once on my neck - and get a whiff of something smelling nearly like Puig. I just wish, the rosenote was still as strong as before, but it is a bit more pronounced in humid air. So, I keep the remake for that special memories that (for me) go along with this scent. And I have to admit - yes, I still like.

Am I allowed to start off by gushing and "gosh-ing" or do I need to write a proper review first? I really want kick it off with some OMG-OMG-OMG's but alright, I'll follow the suit of Donna herself - pull myself together, be elegant, eloquent and verbalise my thoughts first. Yes, yes, she is elegant, eloquent and pulled together, very lady like and impeccable. She has 2 main themes going on, she plays on 2 main characteristcs of hers - restrained and alluring. First axis is bergamot-iris-leather, the second one is rose-iris-vanilla. They do intersect and play off of each other. It's this tangy somewhat bitter and leathery accord surrounded by a cloud of softness, fairy feathers. I love the combo of bergamot and leather, it's scrumptious! With a bit of bite. However the more it develops the more approchable, attractive, warm she gets. It's not a warm scent per se, but it gives the sensation of being cared for and being pampered. However the image it evokes in me is a story. It's a short film of a woman escaping the grey, glass and steel hich-tech corporate environment on a random mundane Tuesday morning in March. She's dressed office - appropriate, behaves, hair in a low bun, etc you wouldn't expect her to be a rebel. Yet. Off she takes in her beautiful Italian convertible, with white leather seats, vanilla and rose macarons in a cream box on the passenger seat. She leaves corporate Central-Europe behind, and heads towards Italian coast. To have dinner with her Italian boyfriend, and never go back. And yes, OMG, where has this fragrance been all my while life!! And OMG how did they even dare to reformulate it?!? This is a modern classic, no question about it. Just fallen victim to thr popularity contest.. Marketing.

Chapter I I manage to find a passionate, addictive fragrance that, in a subtle way, doesn't need to "beat hair" in space to call attention! Hot, well-behaved, a real Donna who knows how to dress, interact and be nice anytime, anywhere. Her lightness makes her someone who may not please even the masses, but anyone who submits to meet her will fall in love! Chapter II How to resist a Donna who, in addition to dressing well, knows how to intensify her femininity through her act of keeping herself well made up and impeccably dressed in the environment in which she is inserted?! Everything about her is translucent and amenable to associations with what is good, beautiful, tender, constant and magnanimous; I see no reason to resist it, other than to get involved. Chapter III Her sweetness reveals the most beautiful of all acute sweetnesses, however, if we stop to calmly observe her movements, we will realize that she says more between her lines than her own lines, yes. There is a kind of aggressive, rustic tone to her, which is perhaps her natural defense tactic; an acute "what" reveals that his supposed innocence is not an absolute truth, but the real manifestation of a being with its pros and cons, that is, the way it has to be, without pseudo masks that can cover up its essence. Chapter IV Every Donna will naturally always have a good husband to match her, or at the very least, a line of ascendants to the vacancy of her most coveted woman's heart. Anyone who knows her husband can prove how deserving one is of the other, in every possible and even unimaginable aspect!

Well, I think I've just found the perfect iris fragrance. And oh boy, what a name. I truly feel like a lady wearing this. That's so feminine, sweet iris with a very smooth touch of leather. The quality of iris in this one is stunning. It gives me a makeup vibe, which is a mega bonus for me, as these kind of frags are very hard to find, as most of them had been discontinued. Just one negative note, the projection, sillage and longevity aren't the greatest on my skin, I get around 4 hours and another 2 as a light skin scent, but I could find that on clothes it stays much longer. Spray this on your coat and it will be with you for days, as a personal space fragrance. I heard rumors it is being discontinued, but I hope those rumours are false, as I saw a post here back in 2019 with people talking it's been discontinued. Maybe those rumours were due to the fact that Valentino has been bought by L'Oreal around that time, and we all know L'Oreal is the perfume's doom. It's 2023 and Donna it's still available for purchase, so probably they haven't "big plans" for this one. I hope it will be still around here for a very long time, as it's a so unique and one of a kind scent. Just lovely. Haven't thought before that Valentino could have such good ingredients for their perfumes. Scent: 10/10 Sillage: 6.5/10 Longevity: 7/10

I have super mixed feelings about this perfume! When i first heard of it i was sooo intrigued. A rose/iris, vanilla, leather scent sounded so appealing to me and the fact that its a discontinued scent made me want it more 😭 when i finally was able to get my hands on it i adored it! Its such a pretty, dainty, and feminine scent ☺️ Its very soft and powdery but also quite sweet. I can totally see it on both a mature person or a younger person who wants to be more elegant 💖 but although i think its a very VERY pleasant scent, unfortunately it doesnt really go beyond that 😓. I once saw a youtube video where someone talks about this scent and the way he described it was “nothing special”. And unfortunately i have to agree 😣 it is a beautiful scent and i think it’s worth looking into if the notes intrigue you, but personally i dont think its anything that stands out in particular. I do think its worth mentioning though that i do think the dry down smells VERY similar to Parfums de Marly’s Delina! Not an exact dupe but definitely similar. So overall I think its appropriate for an every day scent or to wear to a date, and i think the bottle is very pretty! But other than that i dont think itll make an impression beyond “oh that smells nice”. But sometimes thats enough 💖 xoxo - <3 Stevie

Valentino Donna is the only perfume I have ever had two bottles of the largest size in. I had it as my signature scent in 2018 before I started collecting perfumes and have been on the hunt for it since I ran out in early 2020 because I decided I couldn’t be without this beautiful fragrance. It smells like a sophisticated, seductive woman who is sexy in an understated way. There is nothing gaudy about this scent, it is the epitome of elegance — the woman who wears this knows what she wants and has no time for anything that holds her back. This is a grown woman scent in the best way, not a mature, grandma vibe that I tend to get from some more popular floral scents. This is my signature scent and I can’t imagine something bumping it off it’s top spot. It is appropriate year round, day and night, and is pretty & sexy enough for date night while being elegant and classy enough for something more serious like a job interview. You could even wear it to a funeral without it being inappropriate - I wore it to two different family funerals and was told by extended family who hugged me that I smelled lovely. So when I say it’s great for every scenario I really do mean ANY scenario!

This is my ultimate favorite scent When you wear this, you feel so elegant, classy, sexy and sophisticated. I love how the old formulation smells like, how the leather, roes and vanilla complements each other. Though the new formulation also smells good, I just hope they didn't change the Valentino Donna and just created a new scent -- as the new formulation smells kind of different (if you really loved this perfume like I do, you'll know the difference). I still have the bottle with very very few drop left (old formulation) and I just had the one with the new formulation. How I wish I could still buy bottle with the old formulation and just keep it in my closet. These are the changes I noticed (and also based on the Valentino Beauty website where I bought the reformulation), for the Top Notes, they added grapefruit and retained the Bergamot, for the Middle Notes, they changed it to Peach with Praline accords while the Base Notes now Iris and Patchouli. It also states there the Turkish Rose (I just couldn't determine which notes). So to summarize, they added grapefruit, peach and praline, changed the Bulgarian rose to Turkish rose then removed the Leather and Vanilla.

I don't know... there's something kind of cool and clever lurking around in Valentino Donna, like one of those girls who pretends to be just like all the others for the sake of not being hassled. But deep down she's a rebel. On the surface Valentino Donna is basically La Vie Est Belle: a pretty, sweet iris covered in vanilla and gourmand niceties. But the more you smell it, the more you start to notice it's a little rough around the edges, a little less sweet than you initially thought. In it's top notes it's surprisingly close to the fresh tobacco iris of Dior Homme, and while it develops you catch some bitter notes amid the fruity sweetness that kind of make me think of green leathery chypres like Farenheit and Panthere. In the drydown I finally saw what made me like this fragrance all along: the base of this perfumes borrows not so much from the sugary coumarin-praline of La Vie Est Belle, but from the patchouli-musk accord that made perfumes like Narciso Rodriguez and Lovely so attractive and memorable. Basically, this is a perfume for sharp-witted, sly young ladies: if you plan on using your intelligence as a weapon, Valentino Donna is your battle cry.

What can I say?? Valentino Donna is an absolutely stunning, feminine, classy fragrance with a bit of an edge. It's like being dressed up in heels in an elegant close-fitted dress that has a deep cut to the back or a slit to the side. The sexiness is there but it's not very obvious, it's not vulgar. Valentino Donna is bold and daring but feminine. It's not a girly, playful scent like Voce Viva or is it like Donna Born in Roma . This is more sophisticated, it's for a Woman who knows what she wants and gets it. I LOVE this!! OMG. I was never usually into leather note but this one is done just right. It's soooo good. The first time I smelt this I was almost tempted to buy 100ml at full price in store and I never pay full price. That is how caught up I was with it. It took me months, but I waited patiently until I saw it somewhere else on offer, then I got it. It was indeed worth the wait. Valentino Donna has great longevity and projection. A little goes a long way. (I have an older bottle). I think it's very original. I have nothing that smells like it in my collection. Best suited for cooler days/weather and can be worn day or night time.

This is one of my absolute favourite perfumes, I would say top two that I have owned so far. What this perfume smells like to me or on my skin is first of all a powdery, rosy, fruity scent. I definitely smell the bergamot and earthy notes too but its more subtle. I feel like the subtle bergamot really lifts this scent and gives it a lightness and freshness that would otherwise make it heavy. I agree with most people here who would describe it as a lipstick smell. Now the way I would describe how the scent makes me feel when I wear it, would be nostalgic, warm, young, hopeful, I would say its more of an Autumny/cosy vibe. I feel chic and sexy when I wear this. Like a chic, young brunette Parisian lady, wearing a beret and red lipstick. Or like Im in a cute 2000s romance movie that features Jazz music like The Lake House. I would say that to me this smells similar to La Panthere by Cartier, but its younger and lighter but with the same powderyness. All in all, I love this perfume and the bottle is just beautiful. I think the colour pink is THE perfect choice for this perfume. Love, love.

I have the original formulation and I am in love 😍This is definitely a fragrance that would be worn to a black tie affair. Ladies dressed to the 9's in their long, elegant, shiny, evening gowns adorned with diamantes or shimmery silk ruching across the bustier. Their hair styled in a smooth french roll or bun with gentle wispy bits softening their faces. Dazzlingly, breathtaking necklaces around their necks, matching the sparkling earrings, gently swaying as they move gracefully about. Then in walks the belle of the ball with all that and Valentino's Donna trailing her, making sure to turn the heads of those who failed to notice her presence based on her appearance alone. Granted, I don't personally know anyone who fits the above scenario, but Donna is a truly feminine, classy and expensive smelling fragrance. It could be worn day or night, to meet with friends for a coffee, or date night with a partner. Longevity is great as I can still smell it the next morning, and projection and sillage are above average. An absolutely gorgeous fragrance and glad I invested in a full bottle.

this is for sure one of the most unique fragrances in my collection. the iris gives it a very pronounced, lipstick-y quality but not in an unpleasant way; it smells like an expensive lipstick from a fancy makeup counter at a department store. the leather note, i think, is the star of the show. it's such a smooth leather, and it somehow stands out from AND complements all the other notes in the composition. the drydown is stellar with the leather on top of the subtle vanilla base. i'm really a huge fan of this scent, but i don't think it works with my personal skin chemistry; it pulls very "old" and "dusty smelling" on me (which, as a twenty-something, is not exactly something i'm trying to embody right now). strangely enough, i don't get any of the supposed bergamot opening! it goes straight to flowery lipstick and later to leathery, vanillic patchouli. all in all, though it isn't perfect, i think Donna is truly a beautiful fragrance.

It is smelling so beautiful! Donna is my going out, meeting with friends, signature scent, (it might be too heavy for the office). I loved the new formulation! The leather in the old formulation was not agreeing with my skin somehow, leaving a very unpleasant note. When I wash it with water, it would smell heavenly though, it was very confusing. But Valentino made the favor and remove the note so now it really smells pretty floral, lipstick vibes. <3 I was never a very sweet scent perfume girl, i like more floral, light perfumes, but Donna does not feel overwhelmingly sweet to me, so I think it is a good blend :) Sometimes we need to let it go and don't obsessed with what is not available anymore and look our new options. Valentino Donna new formulation is just for me so beautiful! Enough life messages haha, love to all fragnatica users :*

This is another randomly sprayed blotter today, which I like a lot. I sprayed today around 20+ perfumes in a perfumery, and I like this Donna version the most 😍 I remember Yana, the YT reviewer from The Scented channel, that she loved it and had a backup of this, because it is probably discontinued in Canada. Not in Europe 😁 and I was curious to sniff it, especially how I could handle the leather note, which I have "Italian" relationship with. But I love it 👏It is very delicate, barely noticeable and calms down the overall sweetness. I truly feel that the name of the perfume is very appropriate! Donna means "woman" and I would imagine this on a true Italian woman symbol, like Sophia Loren or Monica Belucci. A beautiful woman with a class, wearing dress, high heels, walking and moving graciously. I love it and I want it!

I love this! It came in today and I could smell it as soon as I opened the box! It is so long lasting , I can still smell it on the box on the recycling pile twelve hours later! It is rose but not a potpourri rose. I don’t even detect the leather note but there is a beautiful warmth to this and the dry down is absolutely stunning!! This is definitely scratching the itch that I’ve been having lately for a perfumy perfume! So many of the scents I’ve purchased recently have been incredibly sweet and dessert like, even the non gourmands still have a hint, that I’ve been resorting to more vintage scents that were new to me to try! This is along the lines of what I’ve been craving! I adore it! I tried La Vita the other day and loved it too so that makes total sense!! I’m so happy to have this! I will love wearing it!

I know nothing about the old one and tbh I don’t care, I wish fragrantica had separated them but oh well, here we are. I have the new one (studded neck) and it’s gorgeous to me. It’s sharp and sweet and feels luxurious, you can tell right away that there’s grapefruit in it because of how sharp the citrus in the opening is, the iris is present from the start but it’s overshadowed by the citrus until the dry down, I find the rose isn’t overpowering and it blends well with the iris, I don’t get a lot of powder from it. I get absolutely no leather or earthy accords, there’s some patchouli but it’s slight, the vanilla and praline are in there for a little bit. Moderate sillage, moderate longevity on skin, but I find on my clothes it sticks around a LOT longer than some of my other frags do.

Valentino Donna is rich, rounded, sweet, a rosy leather that's somewhat gourmand but also with an edge of lipstick & powder. As yelinadelimon put it so well, "A middle term between La Vie Est Belle and Malle's Lipstick Rose." It's beautiful, in a way -- not at all too loud like LVEB can be -- but smells like a LOT of other fragrances I've put my nose on recently. It's most reminiscent of another sweet, rosy, Italian feminine leather, Bottega Veneta Eau de Velours, and its less pricy, slightly sweeter American counterpart, Rihanna Rogue. It's kind of beautiful but a bit generic, at this point, if you're familiar with a lot of fragrances from the last 5-10 years or so. If you don't already have Eau de Velours or Rogue, Donna is a pretty rose-leather fragrance.

Valentino Donna smells like Bottega Veneta Bottega without the oakmoss but with smoother leather, an added sweet lipstick iris, and some fluffy but not powdery rose. I actually avoided testing this because I thought it would be a powder bomb. It's not. Very elegant and classy scent. Very rounded, not too dense and not too airy. Lasted around 6 hours. I really like this and don't think it's similar to Givenchy Irresistible Nude Velvet, which I couldn't stand as it was purely a powder puff. I also prefer this to Hermes Cuir d'Ange that's also a floral leather scent, with the leather being too dominating at times. If anyone knows where to find an authentic travel size, please let me know. So far, it seems none exist.

Abridged: grapefruit-laced leather pouch encasing lipsticks. This, tucked beneath underarms while partying. There's a cyber animalic tint to this: all underneath the dainty berry and powder boudoir style as presented. I think it's the dosage of grapefruit along with the patchouli, makes you think fruits on the verge of rot but fantastically made. This is beautiful, really beautiful and am glad Loreal brought it back. Also it doesn't smell like LVEB. Donna has a pronounced bitterness hazed by a lipstick-berry (rose)-patchouli accord. LVEB on the other hand is saccharine praline-pear-patchouli combo. The leather gives Donna its texture, you know when cats like to scratch their nails on certain surfaces.

Changed my like to love because of the way she smells summertime: like pralines in rosy-irisy air. It is a change from her spring-autumn performance when it is a gentle and feminine floral. I could detect grapefruit and vanilla too but Donna is perfectly blended - the scent is something new out of the parts - subtle, sweet and delicious. I would not guess the notes during spring - it is then just a feminine melange. But wow, given how subtle she is, the obvious praline was a nice surprise during a hot day. Subtle, classy, sweet pleasure. Her biggest flaw is just being pleasant and not a memorable standout but it is her plus, too. Not every day I want a standout or an easily recognizable scent.

Valentino Donna has been my signature since it came out and I recently bought a new bottle. The juice is no longer pink, it is clear. The top notes are exactly the same, but the dry down feels different to my nose. I can't be 100% sure that it has been reformulated as maybe my tastes have just changed over the years and I no longer like it as much. First 30 min it is an amazing scent and after that just plain and boring sweetness. Does not smell like La Vie est Belle or Shalimar Parfum Initial(I have used up big bottles of both). I think longevity isn't as good as it was in the old bottles with the pink juice, but again it might be me being too used to it and no longer able to smell it.

I absolutely love this gorgeous, lush, power scent. It's a confident, sensual fragrance with soft suede, full-bodied rose and the hit from a powder-puff out of a self-asured lady's fancy make-up bag. It's beautiful. It manages to feel like a glamorous throw-back from the golden age combined with the modern sensibility of today. I have to say however, that the original incarnation (made in Spain) version is the best and is not surpassed by the following (made in France) version with the latter being less deep, much weaker performance and overall, not as interesting. Born in Roma has indeed seemed to steal this fragrances thunder.

I actually bind-bought this and this was the most successful blind buy ever. First of all, it lasts super long. Like when I wear this at 5-6 pm, I can still smell it very strongly when I go to sleep and my nose does not get used to it so whenever I move my hair, the smell finds me. It smells very elegant, timeless and it has a noticeable note of rose in it. This has been the closest perfume that could be my signature perfume. This smells like a very rich girl, feminine, strong, confident and kind. The perfume itself is kind of expensive at the price point but I guess you paying for the name "Valentino". Overall I love it.

I have a full bottle of Puig and another that is in the middle. I recently bought the new Loreal version. First I have to be thankful that they changed the sprayer, which on the old one,I find horrible. Regarding the scent, I think they are very similar, I could even say they are practically the same. Although it is true that the Puig version is more intense, it may be due to the age of the bottles. So, I have sprayed my new bottle, and I will let it rest to age. I usually do that with all my perfumes,I am a Guerlain lover and I can assure you that a few sprays and a rest in a dark place,make all the difference.

This is the original beauty! Valentino Donna is a gorgeous scent and represents feminity to the max! The iris is very feminie in this, not at all like a cold iris’ as in Penhaligans Iris Prima or Guerlain Iris Ganache (which I miss) or even L’Artisan’s Iris Padilla. Rose and bergamot are amazing and sit right up there with the iris. The vanilla shows up in the drydown. Longevity is stunning and sillage will get you noticed. You have to be into this type of fragrance i.e. Chanel Coco or any of the Guerlains. It’s a mature scent not for the young at heart! I’m a Mom and in my late 50’s, it’s perfect for me.

i first posted a review here last Nov 2022 and I saw a lot of reviews that we all agree at some point that we all missed the old formulation - the original Valentino Donna 😭 I still have a few drops of the original and in search for stores who still sell it. So sad that they had to reformulate, I agree with one review here she said that was the scent she would like to wear on her wedding and that also is for me- the first time I had it I knew I would love to wear it on my wedding day. i hope Valentino could actually see our reviews and consider our sentiments 😅🙏 #valentinohearusplease #valentinodonna

Thank you all! I truly had difficulty in adding Valentino Donna to my page today. After staring at this beautiful bottle with clear juice on my table, I didn't believe that the photo of the bottle with pick liquid could be the same one. I even had to hunt for the original packaging, just to be sure. Now, as I hold the bottle up against a white background, I can detect just a faint blush coloring. As for the smell, I really love the Donna, as much as my Born in Roma. To me, Valentino scents are so crisp and elegant. I know that I can always blindly purchase Valentino and never be disappointed.

It’s a beautiful, bright spring morning in Paris. You stroll into a patisserie with soft rose-magnolia walls for morning tea and the venue is filled with very refined, pristine and elegant women adorned in tailored suits, stilettos and lipstick. You take a seat on a polished, brown leather couch and bite into powdered pink macaroons with a floral sweetness. There are baskets spilling with abundant, pale pink roses everywhere. Everyone is cordial and poised. However, the powdery formal atmosphere subsides into a bright, zesty citrus as the morning progresses into a warm and inviting ambience.

So sad that born in roma line overshadowed this beauty. I adore this as a genuine Iris lover. Each time someone asks for what I'm wearing when I'm wearing this I really emphisize that it's just ''donna'' and not the ''donna born in roma''. Most feminine perfume that I've ever own. Kinda smells like vintage makeup but not as much and overpowering as ''lipstick on''. Very divine and feminine powdery, iris-y smell while carrying the crowd pleaser factor with the rose. Signature scent worthy. The only issue is that it doesn't perform well on my skin and the bottle is too bulky to carry around.

This review is for the original formulation. The leather note stays throughout the entire lifespan of the fragrance. In the beginning it is accompanied by patchouli and this combo smells slightly masculine, it reminds me of a woman who sprayed on her boyfriend's perfume. I get a very distinct bergamot note too. As it progresses, patch tones down and a dusty rose starts to accompany the leather which I find to be very feminine. Longevity is great, sillage is about an arm's length. Such a shame that it has been reformulated. I will cherish my bottle for as long as I can.

The current version of Donna available on Valentino's website is a reformulation of the fragrance from 2015. I haven't tested it yet, but it has different notes. Top: grapefruit, Italian bergamot Heart: peach, praline Base: iris, patchouli So it's a similar situation as with Miss Dior... the same name, changed composition. And the bottle looks a bit different, too - matching the rest of the Donna-collection. In my opinion the newest Donna should be added seperately to the fragrantica database because reviews of both versions posted here may be a bit confusing...

I am currently wearing this perfume. I absolutely love it. It smells amazing when you spray it, almost like Pink molecule, just a lot better. In my opinion i feel like there is a hint of champagne, that is probably why it kinda reminds me of pink molecule. The first few hours of the drydown you can smell citrus, rose and iris very strongly. After it has been on my skin to the end of the day (only one spray) it's almost like it brings out my pheromones and it smells like absolute heaven. I really like this perfume, it's my signature smell tbh.

You know how every time you try a floral perfume, you wish to be surprised by something new but you end up slightly disappointed with a repetitive, generic floral smell? Well, Valentino Donna is your "something new"! What a lovely lovely smell. It starts with Dior Homme Intense/Valentino Uomo's iris. So much, that I was like: really?! But wait for the dry down. Wait for it to become sweeter, rosier. Then you end up with that lovely, truly feminine smell. I simply love it & can not wait to find an occasion to gift my wife this.

I managed to get a spray sample of this (recent version) and at first I was really worried it was going to be a floral/rose powder bomb, but I was wrong. The base notes really carry this scent after the first half hour, and it's such a good blend of the feminine citrus/floral with the masculine leather, wood and patchouli. I'll be getting a big bottle of this, it feels like a great 'boss lady' perfume. Lasts moderately long 4+ hours, better on clothes. Work safe, yes--blind buy, no. Tester purchased from: MicroPerfumes

Like it quite a lot. The citrusly patchouli trail (caused by the right amount of grapefruit) in the drydown is to die for. Donna is the name, but for me it is a Bossy Donna performed in a well balanced retro lipstick perfume with that slightly tough touch that i was looking for. Sweet and barbie like, but thank God the leather and some smokyness keeps it far away from being girly. I am more enchanted by the drydown than by the first blast to be honest. But overall, well done Valentino!

This is perfect for the office- non-offensive, light, and floral. It doesn't lean too powdery, too citric, or too musky. It's balanced right in the middle. The vanilla and citrus lend it a slightly sweet profile, but it comes across as mature and professional. I would say the most present notes for me are bergamont zest, iris, leather, and some white musk. It smells clean, and gets a lot of compliments. Longevity is good for me, about 8 hours or so with light to moderate projection.

This is very pretty. The opening is bright and citrusy with the bergamot, and it settles into a beautiful rose that’s grounded by leather and patchouli. It becomes light pretty fast but it lingers for many hours. I think since the Uomo got an intense version (a very popular one at that), i would’ve loved to see a more unique, expressive version of this one. However, they definitely didn’t need to because it’s pleasant and usable in many occasions. Very inoffensive and smells great.

Words cannot describe how much I love this. It’s soft, feminine but not screechy. It’s rose but not really floral. It’s ageless- I can see just about any age wearing this. It calms me, makes me feel balanced and collected. This is my first time with iris, so perhaps I should look for more fragrances with the note. This perfume is like slipping out of work attire and into cozy sweatpants and a tee shirt, cuddling up with a good book on a rainy day, cup of tea in hand. Pure bliss

Oh no! Was this reformulated? I loved this when l had it! It didn't have praline, grapefruit, or mahonial; whatever that is. I hope they didn't butcher it too badly as the born in roma flanker and even the flankers of that flanker are so cheap smelling. This was a beautiful chypre, so hopefully it doesn't smell like febreeze now. I can't even stand the smell of febreeze in the air. At the risk of sounding like a maggot, I use body sprays and perfume dupes as air freshener.

Donna is one of my favourite scents and I allways got compliments even from strangers on in. I was so sad, when it got discontinued, as I wanted it to be my wedding scent. Then the new version came in the picture, I bought 100ml bottle, but just isnt the same. There is sooomething missing and I cant pinpoint what it is, but its different. Almost identical, but that IT factor is missing and that makes me so sad ...if someone has old version willing to sell, please DM me 😭

The opening is sharp, but it very quickly settles into a feminine and refined scent. This is a perfume in the "classic way": it is flowery, I can smell a delicate mix of rose and iris, it is slightly sweet but also very sophisticated. It is superbly executed, I don’t really smell the leather note, which is why I think it is so well blended and so refined. This is an elegant and feminine scent, classically beautiful, and an absolute joy to wear 💕🌹✨️

Reminds me of sparking fruity lemonade in the most delicate, classiest way possible. The nectarine, grapefruit, and peach are delicious. I got 10+ hours of wear on my skin, and lasts on clothes until the next wash. If you can handle patchouli in flowerbomb, this will palatable. The Born in Roma flankers get all the attention, but this should be just as popular, if not more.

This perfume is just feminity in a bottle. She is cold and shy at first but when you get to know her you see she’s really not. Deep down she is actually edgy. When the sun is up she is sweet and romantic. At nightfall she is THAT girl in the club. Dressed in leather, rocking to beats, completely in her own world. She is duality. She is the best of both worlds.

I don't know if I have a reformulated version or not (spiky bottle). But it smells like an old powdery lipstick (love it). Very feminine, suitable for all seasons. The lasting power and projection is moderate, could be a signature perfume. Office friendly. No offence to Valentino, but from all their fragrances this one is the most niche smelling.

One of my most favorite fragrances. I am used to choose different scents in different seasons, but Donna goes the whole year round. Modern, elegant, classy, but not boring, strong and longlasting. People notice it, I've got a lot of compliments. Lipsticky iris, rose, leather, just stunning. I love this and am devastated that it is discontinued 😭

This is such a wow for me. The dry down is just perfect. It is possibly the most elegant and sophisticated feminine scent I have ever smelled. It is a perfume a real lady would wear. It’s very floral but the dry down has sweetness to it. I can’t detect notes but I think I smell a lot of the Iris. Performance is excellent but not too much.

Oh my god... Valentino hardly ever disappoints when it comes to their perfumes. I am in LOVE. It's just a super powdery, pretty, long lasting scent. It's so pretty, yet so sexy and sophisticated. I tried this out in the store, and I absolutely need it. It's defiantly suited for both day and night, but fits better as a spring scent.