Very Valentino by Valentino, 1997

I find this fragrance to be much more complex than the other reviews suggest, but it is all a matter of personal taste, of course. A relative was wearing it, and when she walked past, I had to ask what she was wearing. When she said "Very Valentino", I couldn't believe it. I thought it was some rare Chanel or Dior creation, which is what she usually wears. Having recently smelled Valentina Assoluto, I detect a pattern, and in my opinion, Assoluto is a new version of this. I love both.

The first nuances of this fragrance are the citrus and magnolia. Once on your skin it warms and takes on definite spice and wood notes, but not at all overwhelming. I do not get much of the "green" from this, perhaps only the tarragon is noticeable but very faint. It centers itself and then settles into a refined violet and rose bouquet mixed with an even amount of sandalwood, amber and vanilla. This is truly a romantic woman's fragrance

erm, I cant smell it! For the 1st hour maybe you can get sharp white flowers,and some strange grass like smell- sheer woods, perhaps? Forget all the base notes; amber, sandalwood, vanilla, that make it sound like a real scent, they aren't there! Subtle in the extreme.

It's true about the vanilla. You sense it from the beginning even when the fresh citrus and florals are doing their work. But I enjoy the way the almost sharp magnolia note plays against the warmth of the vanilla. In the end it dries down in a similar fashion to practically all new sensual feminines these days, with the wood/vanilla/ dusty, ambery base, similar in feel to Hypnose and distantly, to Allure.

A very classic fragrance, it has an orange-like/jasmine/magnolia/amber/musk structure, with a main note of roses. Strange, with my wife it's roses almost all the time, but when tried it on my best friend, on her skin both felt violet notes (although they don't appear in the olfactive pyramid), giving us the brief idea of a Bvlgari pour femme.

The rose notes are strong, but not in a romantic fresh aspect (like Burberry London or Givenchy's Very Irrésistible), instead in a more mature ("granny") classic image. Seems to be suitable for an office use or an evening event, better in colder seasons, for women over 30 years old.

I loved the fresh and fruity top notes and it seemed quite elegant and clean, like the bottle itself. Then it dried down to a boring vanilla/sandalwood combination, quite powdery, and reminded me of the base notes on Chanel Allure without the interest. TOO classic...

Bitter floral at the opening. Rose in the middle, quite nice. Probably one of the prettiest rose notes I've smelled. Takes awhile to get down to the base - but that's o.k., because the rose stays well throughout. This is a VERY pretty fragrance creation...although it's not for me.

soft and sweet and very girly

The promise of a complex multistage composition never comes true. Instead it's vanilla all the way you can feel the smell. Though a nice choice for a rainy or a snowy day when you want something tender and warm.