Versus Donna

To have discontinued Versus Donna is one of the worst capital sins that perfume industry could do against women. Red is my favorite color, and to me Versus Donna's bouquet is the apotheosis of red: not only cause of the brilliant bottle (what a pretty bottle, a little beautiful sculpture, nice to touch and to the sight!) or cause of the presence of red fruits... the whole combination of notes that compose this perfume hits my senses like a glorious vermilion aura. The first time I met Versus Donna (1999), I was flashed by its fizzy, tangy prelude, by the blazing hotness of that incredible blend of fruits, aldehydes and spices. As the scent develops, floral notes bloom on the skin (how bold and impudent are that roses and tuberoses!), amber, musk and sandal make the scent become more and more smooth, deep and dark... the initial flare of the beginning turnes into a sensual, velvety amaranth. That were my subjective feelings when I sniffed my skin. Since I was a child, red has always given me an uncontainable joy (red clothes, red hair, red accessories, red car, red mugs, I love everything red!)... and so Versus Donna did when I wore it: I would have spent whole day splashing V.D. on me! When I finished my second bottle of this magic potion, I found with great regret that V.D. was discontinued (the two bottles I bought in 1999 were already leftovers of stock). Fifteen years have gone before being able to find online another bottle of my red dream. Maybe cause of an inappropriate storage (the bottle was not sealed), maybe cause of the old age of the perfume, when I opened it I felt a slight rancid undercurrent which pervaded the whole scent... such a pity! But I could recognize the wonderful notes I had yearned for so long, too, and this was enough to bring me back to the time I was a young woman, when I felt bold and sexy and "red", the time i was wearing V.D. everyday.

Girls, you won't believe where I found a vintage bottle of this gorgeous perfume!! At a humble supermarket near my house!! They used to sell brand name perfumes back in the 90s and some years later, for some reason they stored the units that hadn't been sold back in their basement. Now, years later, they brought them back upstairs HALF PRICE... Therefore, you can imagine how thrilled I was to see all these vintage gems right before my eyes in 2014, and, most importantly, properly preserved in a cold, dark basement!!! Back to Versus Donna now, it was last August that I tested it at the supermarket's stand. At first I thought it smelled like detergent. It was unbelievably heavy. But later on, I started getting wafts of something devine. Mainly rose and the berries. And it was so sweet and gourmand!! Even in the heart of the summer, in a mediterranean country, it smelled irresistible!! Still, it goes without saying that the perfect time for this gem is the winter because of its warmth and richness. I'm going to use my vintage perfume very sparingly, that's for sure. And if I'm lucky enough, I'll get 2 or 3 other more vintage perfumes from my local supermarket before they vanish into thin air!! :-(

I agree with you reviewers, definitely a sin to have perfumers discontinue this. In the 1990s i found it in Sofia...where I'm at now in Johannesburg this is unheard of. I SERIOUSLY cant figure out why the most precious and loved fragrances get discontinued. Don't designer houses ever look at sites like this one, nowadays, CONSIDER them, to see, & READ comments, and get a feel for which perfumes are old favorites, are missed etc????? Dont their marketing departments care the least bit? I mean come on, we are in 2015 for crying out loud. They should seriously become more proactive. And i mean this for maaaaany other discontinued, unobtainable fragrances. I remember so well how this scent smelt...a sweet, feminine and sensual blast, somewhere up there with Hypnotic Poison, Givenchy Very Irresistible Sensuelle, mixed with John Galliano...but...in truth there is no match for it, its that unique. I was a kid when i had it, and never knew the notes or anything like that, but i still loved it and treasured it, and it was my signature, a perfume i wouldnt even share with my girlfriends! I'd do just about anything to get it again

I found it 11 years ago, when I was desperately looking for Escada Margaretha Ley. A young shop-assistant showed Versus to me... maybe 'cause of the color of the confection? I don't know! Now I really don't remember if Versus Donna Versace reminds in somewhat Margaretha Ley, but certainly in that evening I felt in love with it's amazing red, transparent bottle (red is my favorite color, of course!), and immediately after with it's wonderful, warm and sensual scent. I remember I definitely got crazy for its sexy, spicy, fizzy and exotic notes, and I got crazy as well when, after few months, I realized Versus Donna Versace was almost impossible to find. I wonder why marketing is so cruel to women! Now I don't remember very well the main notes of Versus Donna, so I cannot analyze it very well... I only hope to find it somewhere, because it has been a great lost for my nose and for my skin!

Wow! this is some good stuff. At first spray you are assaulted with a rich plummy note with a hint of the nutmeg.Then along with that you catch a whiff of the rose, so lovely and sweet.Finally it develops into this fruity vanilla amber sensation. Just really nice. I know I am not the greatest at describing these perfumes, but I know what I like.And I really like this perfume.Sweet, spicy and sassy all at once. You can't go wrong. Hope I can find this again. My only complaint is that the lid doesn't work so well on my bottle. But such a small complaint. Love it!

This is so unique....I keep buying bottles 😂 it’s a treasure and I would dare anyone today they’ll say this is a niche perfume. I cannot agree more with @snick04.....since Versace sold their cosmetics to EUROITALIA they ruined their perfumes. EUROITALIA on the contrary did a huge success with D&G in the 90s.....wicked!!! ...and now all the D&G perfumes have been ruined by P&G LOL. Makers are super important and key in the chain of a perfume creation....what it has been done and succeeded by some labs, it cannot be re-done by others

I was on my very young age when i 'borrowed' this perfume from my sister. My own perfume ran out that time and i couldn't go out without any fragrances on me. I was surprise with the smell. On my skin it turn up as vanilla, jasmine and little bit rose. So flowery! According to my son I smelled like a vanilla ice cream. Unfortunately they discontinued this perfume.

It is such a shame that it is discontinued. By far my favourite from Versace house. Donna Versus is all about roses and rasberry....actually raspberry and aldehydes turn it into a dark red almost black rose. This is a "cold beauty" scent, dark sexy and mysterious. It is still fairly reasonably priced, so don't miss an opportunity to experience this beauty!

Versace Donna opens with a blast of hot spices, like paprika and cayenne, then quickly moves to a complex aromatic vanillic woody fragrance reminiscent of the 1980s, and finally becomes a very strong baby powder for a lasting drydown. Lasts into the next day. I get an impression of paprika, cayenne, vetiver, and oakmoss not listed in the official notes.

Oh my ... How can i describe this one, i just can't , the best thing is to try it ! Which is impossible now, since it's discontinued ... I think there should be a group for this kind of scent : The sexy scents . Just like Gucci's "Envy" it's so seductive , womanly . Can turn the most shy woman into the most dangerous heartbreaker ;-)

Versus Donna is an extremely powdery, big, 80s fragrance for women. I get a lot of powder, raspberry, amber, oakmoss, vintage sandalwood, and a complex blend of other notes. The fragrance is long lasting and seems to bloom larger as it wears.

The most wonderful perfume... not for the faint hearted. Strong, sultry, va-va-va-voom! You don't wear this if you're trying to be discreet! Such a shame it's so hard to get now. Fond memories.

Dark fruits, vanilla and benzoin. Warm, sensual and very special scent. Very sad it is discontinued scent. Luckily got a big bottle and going to enjoy it till the last drop.

One of the best fragrances ever created. Extremely sexy and special. Modern yet classy and stylish. Incredible work of art by late great Gianni Versace,

This is nothing but a masterpiece. I've had it for few years, but my mind is blown every time I wear it. They just don't make them like this anymore.

Missing it exactly as much as the 90's :) A LOT. That was a great perfume.

This is the best perfume for me...my first fragrance, sweety and lasting

WAUW! This is bursting with fruit, i ADORE this one! 10/10!

Loved this sweet scent. Sad I cannot find it anymore.

My first and only love, miss it so much