When I was a kid my mum had a scarlet red power suit from the House of Valentino. It was the coolest damn thing I’d ever seen and she rocked it like there was no tomorrow. This suit embodied the spirit of Valentino, which is powerful, feminine and classic, enhancing the glamour the fashion house has always been associated with. This sense of classic style has filtered down into their fragrance collection, which consists of three perfumes (Valentina, Donna and Uomo), each of which celebrates the fine tailoring and charisma of Valentino.
For summer 2017, two of Valentino’s flagship scents are getting a makeover in the form of Uomo Acqua and Donna Acqua. These summer flankers take the spirit of the originals and lighten them, injecting new olfactory twists to create entirely new interpretations of these popular signatures. For Uomo Acqua we see a herbal twist on the gourmand suede of the original, whilst Donna Acqua takes the candied florals of the original to new dizzying, fruity heights. Both are essentials for your summer wardrobes.
Valentino Uomo Acqua
The Notes
Top: Mandarin and Green Tomato
Heart: Sage and Patchouli
Base: Leather and Iris
How Does it Smell?
When Uomo came out in 2014 I became pretty obsessed with it. Somehow it managed to capture handsome Italian style and wrap it in a shroud of delicious delicacies from the brand’s native land. This all came together to create the image of a finely dressed man sipping Espressos at one of Milan’s many cafés. But Uomo is more than just a novel take on anise notes and leather, it’s also a luxurious essay in textures that feels booth rugged and smooth.
Uomo Acqua looks to play with texture in a more intense way, roughing up the fragrance’s edges with herbal notes of sage and patchouli. A touch of green tomato provides freshness in the opening, but for the most part, Uomo Acqua looks to celebrate mineral transparency over refreshing citrus notes. It provides an airy feel to the powder and leather that is Uomo’s signature, replacing the gourmand accords of myrtle liquor and coffee with a comfortable greyness that ultimately feels more casual. It’s the perfect thing to pair with your cropped trousers and suede loafers this summer, trust me.
Valentino Donna Acqua
The Notes
Top: Pear and Almond
Heart: Jasmine and Frangipani
Base: Sandalwood and Hawthorn
How Does it Smell?
When Donna came out in 2015 I became pretty obsessed with it. Are you noticing a theme yet? What makes Donna so interesting is the fact that it takes a classic idea and twists it into something incredibly modern. The fragrance is a balancing act of candied roses and iris powder to create a sort-of old school power scent with a neon pink touch that is undeniably modern. It smells like bright pink roses dusted in sugar, served with fizzy Prosecco and a pink powder puff. It’s as beautiful as it is fun.
In Acqua, Donna’s balance is shifted more towards the candied aspect, embodying a more traditionally fruity floral tone that is sweet and juicy. Initially, Acqua is tart and sticky, like a pear-flavoured macaron with a frangipane filling. There’s a subtle floral accord underneath, one that is tropical and sweet with a heady vanilla creaminess, which leads to the nutty warmth of sandalwood in the base. Donna Acqua feels like a real treat and seeing as everybody nowadays has to have a least one candy-sweet scent in their wardrobe, this one does a good job of extending the trend to something that is entirely summer appropriate. Just remember that it’s not actually edible…
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