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!

I've just dug out my bottle of this again. Cool fresh almost orangey opening, sweetish chalky powdery mineral feeling, unisex. Absolutely fascinated that others are smelling either smoke or fags. There's nothing acrid like cigs or even soft smoke to me. It's got a clean frankincense hint if anything, like when you put the essential oil in the bath. Amused it's accused of 'too expensive' so much. Like there aren't worse n more expensive things :)

This one is the sweetest out of the 3. It is very summery, sweet(ish), and just so unique. It is very special. And it really smells expensive! But in my experience, this one had the weakest performance out of the 3, but it is still good! For warmer weather, I believe it is perfect because it won’t be overpowering. Worth the price? Eh, maybe not for everyone. But I do not regret buying it. The packaging itself is so luxurious!!! Love love love.

I am in LOVE! I'm reorganizing my virtual perfume shelf, in fact. Vanilla Powder still reigns supreme but this is, easily, top 5 for me. The aromatic elements of this perfume are so captivating. Low-level it could come off just smokey but it's so bright and refreshing, otherwise, that it gives a sophisticated, spicy (pepper) vibe--- not at all dingy. RIP to my wallet because I want the big one 😍.

New favorite! This is a unique, addicting, sexy scent. I love it so much because it’s an aquatic scent that lasts all day and night which is rare to me. It has a sweet drydown so it’s not too masculine. I could see how it could be unisex, but it still leans more feminine! Highly recommend I can’t stop smelling myself whenever I wear it!!!

This is really nice, I find it a cool masculine type scent with a slight sweetness, carefree and very classy. Definitely something a women could wear. It's a white trousers white collar cotton top on a Mediterranean island boat cruise kind of scent. This is another one of Victoria's perfumes I'm adding on to my "have to have it" list.

This is gorgeous. Really fresh and laid-back, but there's a languid sexiness to it that is so easy to enjoy. I see what people mean when they compare it to Baccarat Rouge 240, but I'm going to go against the grain and say that this completely outmaneuvers it for me. Definitely going to save up for a full bottle.

Reminds me of Bal D'Afrique with a bit of Aventus in it. The refreshing citrus and vetiver from Bal D'Afrique with the Pineapple and a litte bit of smokiness from Aventus. Performance is great!; still projecting 8+ hours later. Feels unisex leaning slightly masculine.

Beautiful! Smells like BDA absolu + something earthy and woody maybe, it has some bitterness to it which is making it more interesting than said byredo. Uplifting and bright, sophisticated, juicy 🍊 great performance as well, again just like the absolu

It's a striking scent. I think the woody/incense smell sticks out most which I love. Woody scents aren't my favorite so I'm surprised I like this one but I doubt I'd be able to distinguish it from other woody scents.

This is a wealthy, young woman on holiday somewhere by the Mediterranean Sea. The scent is fresh, and citrusy but also woody and unique. Reminds me of an elegant lady, wearing a lot of white clothes, linen and silk.

Very pretty and unique aromatic citrus, but I do agree this reminds me a LOT of Bal d’Afrique. This one has a bit more “heft” to it, though. I think this may be my favorite of the VB fragrances.

This is such a gorgeous scent. I always get compliments when wearing this and I have been gatekeeping it 😏. It’s also not stocked in Australia so it’s still unique. Love love love!

on my skin this is literally Bal D' Afrique with triple the longevity and better projection. and at $70 cheaper (thank you blue mercury sale), this is my new signature scent.

Bal d Afrique but much more , and the longevity and sillage it's wooiwww.This parfum it's about elegance, sofistication ,beauty and spirit of freedom.

Reminds me of Mediterranean herbs infused oils that granny's sell on the Croatian cost during the summer... Fresh, invigorating, soothing . Love it!

Very sophisticated and well blended, good projection. I recently layered Instant Crush with Billie Ellish 2, it smelt just like Portofino'97.

People comparing this to Guidance. Please visit your local doctor asap, this is beautiful but smells nothing like Guidance

Bal D’afrique Absolu 2.0 is right. I don't know why people buy the Byredo when this exists.

Erba pura. Even the bottle is the same.

Very similar to Bal D'Afrique at the top and middle (in a good way). Bright, fresh, fruity, energetic. (It reminds me slightly of Tales from Zanzibar too - something about the zinginess of the fruit and pepper.) I compared side by side with Bal D'Afrique to see what slight differences I could detect and I think the main thing is that Portofino (for me, at least) lasts longer and has a distinct base. Bal D'Afrique seems to disappear once the top/middle are gone. The base of Portofino reminds me a little of Ellis Brooklyn Myth - reads a bit powdery (and actually a teeny bit like the smokiness of BR540 - haha I see below someone asks in disbelief how could it smell like both Bal D'Afrique and BR540 - I think it's a matter of the top vs the base). In the context of other fragrances I know - this one is not that unique, but it is like profile of fragrances that I truly appreciate. Head to head I liked it just slightly less than Bal D'Afrique, but the longevity was better. I think this one could be quite a hit actually! The other VB frags: Suite 302 was too heavy, woody, spicy rose for me. San Ysidro Drive was like Herbal Essences shampoo and I found Portofino much better.

I purchased the discovery set: Portofino & Rêviere were the only two I liked. After a full wear Portofino became a love while Rêviere stayed a like. Purchased a bottle. Suite 302: dirty smoky tobacco San Ysidro Drive: harsh leathery rose/oud with a hint of passionfruit 21:50 Rêviere: vanilla & chocolate with a hint of tobacco & plum Portofino '97: Dior Sauvage + Byredo Bal d’Afrique With Portofino the initial spray smells like a “men’s freshie cologne” with an extra dose of smoky vetiver. Gives me Sauvage vibes. In the air it’s a sweeter and heavier Bal d’Afrique. Wasn’t sure about this at first, but this requires a full wear outside. It becomes sweeter and fruitier as time goes on. Fruity sweet citrus with smoky vetiver. Ended up really loving this. Feminine with a masculine edge (which I think was the idea behind this). Very strong & long lasting. Love! 🍊🍋🌴

Let’s start with what Portofino 97 does well. The turquoise blue bottle is absolutely beautiful and immediately eye-catching. While it’s often compared to Bal d’Afrique, they are not the same fragrance. They may belong to the same general family, but the execution is quite different. I tested Bal d’Afrique Absolute on one arm and Portofino 97 on the other. Bal d’Afrique is creamy, soft, and more demure, whereas Portofino 97 leans distinctly herbal and astringent, with a prominent vetiver note. This profile could work well in hot summer weather; however, the longevity is lacking and requires frequent reapplication throughout the day. At this point, I’m undecided whether this is a scent I’ll keep in my collection or ultimately declutter. Edit: 12/16/25: Ended up being too masculine for me, would be great on a guy.

Portofino 97 is an over priced overhyped very basic fragrance that smells very cheap and masculine. Victoria Beckham Beauty started in 2019 and only started making a profit in 2024 of a meagre 2.2 million. The entire Victoria Beckham business brand has net losses of £60 million. The pricing is completely wrong and far too expensive and unaffordable. Whoever is giving VB business advice and has allowed this woman to run a business should be sacked! Fragrances are nothing special at all.

Smells of citrus, pepper, and resins smoked over with incense. More tangy than the notes would first make it appear. My first thought was that it smells like Maison Crivelli Citrus Batikanga if it were a bit less warm. I have a sample of Bal d’Afrique but I haven’t worn it more than once. I tried it on for a side-by-side and it’s more clean and almost soapy compared to Portofino ‘97 but still smells very close. You probably only need one or the other.

As Marty15312 said below, the dry down is very reminiscent of BR540. I am wearing Portofino 97 for the second time today and I just noticed the similarity 4 hours after application. I really am enjoying my sample and was going to get a FB, but now that I realize the dry-down reminds me of the BR450 Extrait that I already own, might be redundant in my collection...I do really love the opening of this however.

It's the first time I'm leaving a review because my experience with this scent seems so different to everyone else's! I get a sticky sweet vanilla citrus. Like lying right on the sand, sweltering in the sun, trying to inhale an orange dreamsicle before it melts onto your sunscreen covered skin. I absolutely adore it, but woody aquatic this is not.

The opening has an unmistakable vibe of Baccarat Rouge/ Trajan, no Instant Crush here, and then Bal D’Afrique hits you so I do understand how people can smell both in this. I will say this is a bitter Baccarat Rouge, smells like a Campari Baccarat Rouge to me. Makes me think of Disumano and Mauboussin Star also.

It is the perfect vacation scent. It's fresh, sweet, and creamy, but not too strong - very pleasant. It's different from Bal D'Afrique, which is sharper; Portofino '97 is more mellow and relaxing. Great for a holidays.

Anyone else find this to very pineapple forward? It’s not listed as a note yet that’s all I get in the opening. Dry down is a bit more complex with some warmth- smoke and spice. Still overly fruity for me...

Citrus and pepper at first blast, mellows out into a cool aromatic scent. It is quite nice - but a 50 ml is $200! This scent fades too fast for that kind of price.