Portofino'97

To me, Portofino ’97 feels like the better version of its “cousins.” The closest one in vibe is Byredo’s Bal d’Afrique, but Bal is musky, powdery, and a little vetivery, it barely lasts 1–2 hours on me. Portofino takes that same idea but makes it fresher, with more amber, musk, and citrus. It also hangs around a lot longer — about 5 hours solid... which is why I would prefer to purchase one over the other. - I also get some similarities with Kilian’s Playing With The Devil... I don't know why... probably the mix of blood orange, pepper, and a little floral lift (jasmine). I love Playing With The Devil, but it’s another one that disappears too quickly..however people complemented it a lot... - Sospiro Contralto comes to mind too, because of the sweet pepper and white florals, is a very very good one.. - Xerjoff Torino 22... I know people compare them, but on me they’re nothing alike. Torino is all eucalyptus, tea, and musk. Nice in its own lane, but very different. So... ’97 is fresh, citrusy, ambery, musky, and just feels “put together” compared to the others. It has that same spark as Bal d’Afrique or Contralto, but it actually lasts more than the 1st... and feels more balanced... My point is unless you are really fan of this scent profile you don't need all of them... Maybe couple will be fine..

I sniffed this on a whim in Selfridges - and fell absolutely in love. Lord almighty what a fragrance! I am utterly in love with this scent it’s simply stunning and I can’t stop wearing it. The notes throw me off as it doesn’t quite translate into what I actually smell - I get a distinctive pineapple but woody blast at the top which melts a unusual blend of fresh aquatic coolness, with a sandalwood peppery touch yet somehow also remains very sweet, almost rich but yet citrusy/summer leaning scent. It’s so odd yet so bloody delicious. And despite its sweetness it also remains firmly unisex. And the best part is that it LASTS and LASTS. Projects beautifully, but this isn’t one that will knock anyone out, yet does whisp out softly and leaves a lingering scent trail. It makes me beam ear to ear when I catch a sniff - it’s such a happy and uplifting scent. Overall, this is a fresh, crisp, modern, “clean girl” fragrance but doesn’t have the typical airiness of that category - this instead has real depth and character, never staying linear. Who would have thought a designer/celebrity fragrance would be quite so lovely. I can’t not wait to try her other ones! Side note - I dont get the BR540 comparisons at all, it’s much too citrusy, woody and has a distinctive freshness BR540 couldn’t dream of.

I have just purchased this and it certainly has the wow factor about it. It's very unisex although more leaning toward feminine. I do think men could get away with wearing it however. The Fragrantica main accords as listed are pretty spot on although I do not get much amber. This perfume has very much a 'cologne' smell with primarily citrus, aquatic and then woody notes. I do detect a bit of powdery smokiness as the dry down begins. The strength is amazing! A small spray on one wrist and another on my throat and I can still smell this 8 hours later. It has staying power comparable to the old version of Poeme by Lancome before it got reformulated into a weaker version. This perfume is likely going to become one of my signatures. The smell is incredible and it smells very high end and good quality. The bottle in and of itself is gorgeous and worthy of display just on its aesthetics alone. This perfume is also amazingly versatile and could be a day or night, winter or summer, male or female scent. I don't often rave about a new perfume but this one is definitely worth raving about! It's pricey but very high quality. I was never a VB fan before but bravo to her for bringing out a perfume of this quality and versatility! I will definitely repurchase.

I got the Fragrance Discovery Set with 21:50 Rêverie, Portofino’97, Suite 302, and San Ysidro Drive in those cute little 2ml parfum vials, plus the hand cream set with the same four scents in baby tubes, and honestly? Most of them weren’t for me — Rêverie was a sugar bomb, Suite 302 a bit too girly, and San Ysidro way too heavy. But then... Portofino’97 happened. Absolute bliss. It’s everything I want in a scent: citrusy-woody heaven with bright bergamot and crisp vetiver shining through, all tied together by a soft amber warmth. The mastermind Jérôme Epinette and Posh Spice created something elegant yet daytime-friendly, energising but grounded, formal without being stuffy. The marine-meets-incense twist is shockingly addictive — who knew I’d fall for that combo? It gives off this unmistakably 90s vibe (as the name suggests) but stays far from feeling dated. Totally gender neutral, beautifully balanced, moderate sillage and insane longevity — like, still-there-at-bedtime levels. It’s polite to others but faithful to me, just how I like it. Not even gonna lie, I ordered the full 100ml bottle right before writing this. It’s a lifer.

My signature scent - I adore both the perfume and the bottle. It opens with a burst of juicy citrus that melts into an aromatic, aquatic experience, finished with a hint of smoky incense and salt that lingers on the skin like a day spent by the ocean. I first bought it in Paris and wore it throughout a trip to Greece, so it will always carry the memory of that special time. Now that I’m landlocked, I find it harder to wear, as it pairs so perfectly with sunshine and water. It’s definitely a spring and summer fragrance; it just doesn’t feel right in autumn or winter. Another bonus is its impressive longevity - lasting easily 6 - 8 hours, which is rare for such a citrus-forward scent. Others have mentioned it performs better than Bal D’Afrique but I don’t find them to be that similar honestly. Bal d’Afrique is far creamier and doesn’t have the beautiful salty and incense notes. It’s a truly gorgeous fragrance that I know I’ll enjoy for years to come!

Im obsessed with the wheelhouse of aromatic, citrus, woody fragrances. I adore Bal DAfrique and Contralto. This one is my least favorite of the 3 due to the patchouli base. However, I would own this in a heartbeat if I didnt have the other two. I love the marine note here. That salty aquatic edge is so beautiful. I almost get a cigarette note - ashy, smoky (the incense?). This perfume tells a story, something I feel Contralto & BDA might lack. Its a beautiful created and masterful work of art! Contralto for me is more citrusy at the base in lieu of the patchouli. Bal is my favorite but the longevity is lacking. Again, love this; if gifted I would wear it frequently. VB hit it out of the park! Its just not my preferred favorite of this scent family (Im not the biggest patchouli fan). This is unisex leaning feminine. Or as the person said below, I would agree its a fem fragrance with a masculine edge.

This is my favorite out of the three new VB fragrances. It is fresh and reminds me of a day on the beach (but without any coconut or sunscreen type scents). It is a close to skin scent after an hour or so, much different than the other VB fragrances that SCREAM at you. I can see how people think it smells like bal d'afrique or acqua di gio, however, it definitely is different and I feel more feminine. If you already own one of the others, this is different enough to buy. I may end up purchasing it as I dont have anything like it in my collection. Edit: I got a sample vial to try of this, where the first time I tried it was from a paper card tester. After trying it again, it is quite masculine and reminds me of the scent of abercrombie and fitch! Will not purchase..

I think CaliBlonde said it best when she stated that this is feminine with a masculine edge. It's lovely. On me it projects for maybe an hour or two at most and then I have to put my nose into my skin to smell it. I wouldn't quite say it becomes skin scent but it's not a powerful fragrance like Suite 302 (that one is beastly with projection and longevity compared to Portofino '97). This is the perfect Spring/Summer fragrance that can easily be worn both day and night. Reading all the reviews I thought I was going to get a sharp citrusy fragrance, but this is just lovely. I see a lot of reviewers compare it to Bal D'Afrique, which I never smelled, but I assume that also has to be divine. I loved it so much I bought a full size.

I can assure everyone it bears no resemblance to Jean Arthes Smiley, not even sure what that is doing there even for trolling purposes? I need to test the start again but the very end of the drydown is actually like Instant Crush or maybe even BR450, that kind of sweet woody chalkyness but not so in-your-face. & please forget about Neroli Portofino TF as well, just cos it's got a bit of citrus up top n is the same turquoise colour. NP is same exact thing as 4711 (yes it is bite me) & this is very not that either. It is most similar to Trajan Electimus but I prefer the dry down here, it's fresher, less sweet white chalk more bed linen, so lives up to its blurb.

As someone who regularly wears Bal D'Afrique, I can definitely see the similarity. Having read in past interviews that Victoria Beckham wears Bal D'Afrique as well, it makes sense why she would want something similar in her own line. On my skin, the citrus in Portofino starts off more tart than in BDA, but while BDA generally stays the same on my skin throughout wearing, Portofino dries down to give off far more of the musk and amber notes. Between the two, I don't really have a favorite, but would say that with the steady citrus, BDA is more of a summer scent, while Portofino would also be great for cooler fall weather.

This is a contender for a signature scent for me and something I am wearing often these days. I find its bright citrus notes and deeper woodier dry-down to be perfect for day or night, and for all seasons. This is a special scent. It’s a pleasing and versatile fragrance with an addicting quality. It’s lovely and refined and everything I want to smell like. Edit 8/1/25: Just sprayed this on after not wearing it for a while and it is still such a wondrous scent. So deep and richly layered and it just smells so clearly of class and long, languid days. It’s just beautiful.

First sniff I instantly knew this was the ultimate signature scent I had been searching for ..... it said Classy , modern , chic and unlike all the others out there it said modern elegance without the stuffy !! Whenever I put this on I feel I’m on point no matter where I’m going or how I’m dressed casual or formal , it says “ I know who I am “ .... Can be quite strong if you overspray and projects well but says total Chic !!!! Never has a fragrance I fell for so instantly as Portofino sadly I haven’t connected to other VB fragrances but this will always be my No.1

Holy moly. I ordered a sample of this along with 29 others, including Creed Aventus for Her, which I’d never smelled before. I always test and make notes without reading the labels first, and I was sure this must be Aventus for Her because a juicy pineapple note hit me right away, which reminded me of the men’s version of Aventus. I couldn’t have been more wrong, but this is a stellar scent. I was worried it would be too masculine, but I sprayed it on my skin before heading out for the day here in sunny Cornwall, and I felt very sexy. I will be buying a bottle!

I don’t even know how to describe how good this is, I love it! I sprayed it on a tester in selfridges and went back an hour later and bought it, I spent the whole day with the tester under my nose, people must’ve thought I was very strange but it’s very addicting to me 😂 I picture when wearing this being sat on a yacht off the coast of portifino, still sparking water drinking a glass of something... it’s sweet, a little Smokey, salty and I feel like on the dry down I get a little nuttiness? Even though there’s no nut notes... I don’t know I just love it!

I’m a little in love with this. Bright juicy bergamot in the opening...a little spicy. Then it’s all warm ambery incense and the marine notes bringing in some sweetness. This all blends down to a scent that I love to get a whiff of around me. The patchouli~musk ~vetiver combo truly is ...combined. It’s one cohesive base. Definitely has a sweetness to it so I have only used 2 -3 sprays max with decent performance. Leaves a gorgeous scent on my clothing. I get some pine somewhere (possibly the incense and marine notes together 🤷🏼♀️ ).

Portofino ‘97 is a creamy aquatic musk in a woody cologne base. The scent leans more feminine but can be worn unisex. I purchased a bottle on sampling cause I knew immediately that I needed a bottle of Portofino ‘97 in my life, and this is coming from someone who has ever only liked Bal d’Afrique. The scent is head turning, long lasting and very luxurious. It can be worn day or night through any season. Update: Portofino ‘97 has become my new signature scent and fyi, the Rare Beauty body lotion goes really well with Portofino ‘97.

I just purchased it ! After eying it for a while, I decided to pull the trigger. I have at least 20 fragrances but nothing similar to this one. I think this is such a beautiful classy, clean WHILE sexy scent. Victoria definitely put a lot of thought in this one. For me this scent is worn by a classy woman, fresh blow out, dressed in white, walking in Monaco with shopping bags on her arms and she’s on her way to lunch with her girlfriends or boyfriend. I think it’s very hard to create a sensual AND clean fragrance, but this is it!

This is everything I want from a luxury celebrity fragrance. Victoria has access to the best and she flexes her connections with Portofino. The bottle feels substantial & luxurious. The juice is stunning with projection and longevity you expect from a lux brand. Victoria delivers a stunning elegant new scent in collaboration with Jérôme Epinette. Portofino'97 is beautiful and in my regular rotation. If you are a fan of Bal you may need to cheat with her sweet & sexy cousin, Portofino.

I’m definitely getting a bottle soon! I love it! It’s very interesting, happy, fresh, sweet (not too much though) and comforting perfume that can be worn all year around. To me, it is a much lighter version of Baccarat Rouge 540, not a dupe by any means, but on that direction when it dries down. I’d need to smell again Bal d’Afrique, as many reviews mentioned they have similarities, however, to this day, I haven’t smelled any perfume from Byredo that I like enough to buy.

I got this sample (together with the other VB scents) when I bought an eye liner from the brand. Love at first sniff! Bit peppery and spicy at the beginning which softens later to a sweeter base. I find it a more masculine (but still unisex) version of Bal d’Afrique Absolu, I see a lot of similarity between the two, also given they were made by the same perfumer. I hesitated for a long time to buy it given the price point but didn’t regret getting a full bottle!