Valentino Uomo born in Roma Intense is a cologne for men released in 2023.
Now I just want to preface this article by saying that I've never been a huge fan of this line.
Sure, the fragrances do really well in the compliment department. They're mass-appealing, you're not going to offend anybody when you're wearing these fragrances.
But the reason why I've never really been crazy about any of them, for that matter, is they're kind of reductive and repetitive, or derivative, I think is the best word that I can use to describe them.
For example, the original Valentino Uomo born in Roma just kind of reminded me a lot of Invictus Aqua by Paco Rabanne, and then, of course, with some of the flankers, they reminded me a bit of Stronger With You by Emporio Armani.
And I don't know why that DNA is just becoming so popular. There's been this explosion where a lot of different fragrances are utilizing these two DNAs or similar accords, and a lot of the fragrances do end up smelling kind of derivative.
Well, let's see if this one with the very simple note breakdown of vanilla, vetiver, and lavender can switch things up a little bit. I tried this one for myself, and I'm excited to give you my thoughts on the smell.
What does Valentino Uomo born in Roma Intense smell like?
Let's first unveil Valentino Uomo born in Roma Intense notes:
The top note is Vanilla.
The middle note is Lavender.
The base note is Vetiver.
So right when this fragrance opens up, you are going to get a bit of lavender and vanilla.
Now, in terms of some of the greener notes that are residing in the dry down, they don't make themselves apparent until much, much later in the progression of this DNA.
There's also something kind of bright and methylated in the opening as well. It doesn't smell explicitly of mint, which is menthol, but I am getting a sort of brightness that comes from an aroma molecule known as eugenol.
Eugenol is found in clove; it's also found in bay leaf. And when I smelled it, that's what reminded me of Invictus Aqua by Paco Rabanne.
So it kind of has this bright Invictus Aqua type of DNA, which also reminds me of the original Born in Roma.
I think one of the flankers, whether it be Yellow Dream or Coral Fantasy, that's what reminded me of Emporio Armani's Stronger With You.
But this has more of that bright clove, bay leaf sort of vibe. But you do get this aromatic lavender that tends to sit in the heart of the fragrance.
Now, a lot of modern designer fragrances are using lavender, clary sage, or a combination of the two to make it smell like this 2023 contemporary, you know, in with-the-times sort of DNA. And I feel like that's present in here.
So it's not as much of an emphasis on the sweet because the vanilla could have been a bit stronger.
We've also seen a lot of fragrances utilizing that Azzaro Wanted or Azzaro Wanted by Night, or the Most Wanted kind of DNA with that spicy vanilla, amber vibe.
I feel like this fragrance, is a pretty nice balance of vanilla, a sort of brightness that would remind you of the original Born in Roma. But then you also have that aromatic lavender that's kind of sitting in the heart.
So I feel like because of that balance of these three ingredients, it's very easy to wear. I do think it's quite versatile. I don't think it's the most original fragrance on the market, though.
And I think that if you do own the original Born in Roma, you might find this one to be kind of derivative and maybe even redundant, as though you don't necessarily need to purchase it.
And that has been my sort of feeling regarding this fragrance. I feel like if you have the original, you don't need this one.
And in terms of it being an intense fragrance, I don't find this to be quite intense. I thought it said extreme for a second, but it's Oud Parfum Intense.
So I feel like a lot of that is marketing on behalf of the concentration to sort of give consumers the impression that this one is going to be much longer-lasting.
And we see that there's been this sort of subjectivity and flexibility when it comes to the naming of certain concentrations. And none of them are prescribed by law where it says, ‘Nope if it's between 15 and 20 concentration, it must be this designation.'
So I believe because of that sort of fluctuation and companies being able to name it whatever they want, that leaves consumers sometimes be left assuming that something might be stronger than it is or vice versa. Sometimes we pick up an EDT and it's super long-lasting.
So I think a lot of that is very subjective, and I think it's also quite arbitrary as well.
In any case, I do find this to be a nice balance of vanilla, and lavender, with some brightness in the opening. Not a whole lot of citrus happening in here, maybe a bit of bergamot; it's not listed in the note breakdown.
But you do have this non-descript effervescent freshness in the opening, which is, I hate to say, quite short-lived.
But in any case, I do find this to be a pleasant scent, albeit a little reductive. Not really my favorite, but I have never had a really strong adoration for this line to begin with.
So I feel like, you know, given that tendency to kind of be a bit underwhelmed, I thought of this fragrance as not the most innovative release on the market. But I do think that it's going to resonate with consumers because it is a compliment-getter.
It's very easy to get along with, and I think it takes off all the boxes for a lot of people out there.
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How long does Valentino Uomo born in Roma Intense last?
In terms of the longevity, 7 hours. So I feel like that doesn't entirely sync up with the Oud Parfum Intense designation.
You'd expect this one to give you 9 or 10 hours. For me, I got like 6 and a half or 7.
The projection was pretty good for the first hour of application. It didn't start to become an elbow-length scent until around 4 and a half or 5 hours. It became a skin scent right around 7 hours.
Even at work when I wore it, I found myself applying again at lunchtime, which is around noon.
When to Wear Valentino Uomo Born in Roma Intense?
In terms of the versatility, I think this is pretty versatile. I think this is great for any season, any occasion.
There's a bit of sweetness that would allow you to wear this one in colder weather.
And the lavender, I think, is very fresh and offensive and also complement-getting to a certain degree.
And that allows you to wear it in more of a casual scenario as well.
I think anybody of any age can appreciate this one. It's not this overly sweet, clubbing type of fragrance like 1 Million by Paco Rabanne.
So somebody a little bit older, a little bit more mature can certainly enjoy this one too, in addition to the high school student.
Conclusion:
My final verdict on this fragrance is I think it's going to resonate with the majority of consumers. I think it's a very pleasant fragrance, a very high appeal factor to it, complement-getting.
For me personally, having experienced a bunch of fragrances, it's a bit derivative. Not my favorite release. But I think there's a place for it in the industry, and I hope you enjoy it.
