Valentino Donna Born in Roma Review
Illustration, not a product photo.
Valentino Donna Born in Roma is a gourmand fragrance (vanilla, tonka, coffee, caramel and edible notes) from Valentino, marketed for women. Valentino is a designer house.
Price varies (no price snapshot observed)
Based on 24 Reddit owner comments (20 with a clear rating) · Top 63% of tracked fragrances by overall score
Is Valentino Donna Born in Roma worth it?
Owners are often disappointed: 3.3/5 overall from 20 rated owner comments, with an average owner rating of 4.3★. Owners talk most about fresh & clean (4 mentions).
Who it suits
- You want fresh & clean: 4 owner comments praise it.
- You want unique: 3 owner comments praise it.
- You want sweetness: 1 owner comment praise it.
Who should skip it
- Headaches matters to you: 1 owner comment raise it as a downside.
- Projection matters to you: 1 owner comment raise it as a downside.
Longevity, projection and compliments
| What owners report | Positive | Negative | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longevityi | 0 say it lasts well | 0 say it fades fast | Not rated |
| Projectioni | 0 say it projects well | 1 call it weak or a skin scent | 2.9 |
| Complimentsi | 0 report compliments | 0 report none | Not rated |
Counts of owner comments that describe this fragrance's performance on their own skin. "Not rated" means no owner described it.
When owners wear it
Seasons
Occasions
Not observed: no owner mentioned an occasion.
Number of owner comments mentioning each season or occasion alongside this fragrance (positive or negative).
What Reddit owners say
5/5 Headaches“valentino donna born in roma yellow dream.”
4/5 Fresh & cleanSummer“Actually, I just realized that before I started taking the medication, my husband bought me a discovery set of the Donna Born in Roma perfumes, and Green Stravaganza was an instant scrubber for me due to being too aromatic.”
3/5“A free sample of Valentino Donna Born in Roma I got, trying to delude myself into seeing what others see in it. But the truth is, I kinda hate it. The pink pepper in here is the olfactory analog of nails on a chalkboard, and it straight-up refuses to fade off and let the dry-down come through. I don't know why, but pink pepper LOVES to give me attitude. There are exceptions, like my beloved Lola at Coat Check. But most of the time it's just obnoxious and bitter. I don't need a perfume mirroring that side of my personality. I'll probably take a shower and throw on some Lola in a few.”
4/5 Unique“Try it over Donna Karan Cashmere & Palo Santo, or Donna Born in Roma Green Stravaganza.”
5/5“I have two stunners for you! https://preview.redd.it/l33aq6qdbknh1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8bb71de21e290074bbe7984030e328cd925e5693 This is such a beautiful scent. It's exactly what you're after. It's a gourmand jasmine and it's delish. The second is Donna Born in Roma Extradose. Sexy, creamy, boozy vanilla and black currant.”
+19 more owner comments
4/5 Value“You could find one that has Donna Born in Roma, though, and get a bottle out of that.”
5/5“I love Donna Born in Roma but I agree, it absolutely has the vibe of a cheapie. like there's something about it that reminds me of the kids perfumes I used to wear in the 80s (in a good way, but still, lol).”
5/5“In my opinion, Donna born in Roma by Versace smells amazing on anyone. I can always pin point when someone's wearing it and legit can't stop smelling it it's magnetic (but strong)”
4/5“Valentino Donna Born in Roma Ivory.”
4/5“Valentino Donna Born in Roma Ivory.”
5/5 Unique“Valentino Donna born in Roma the gold is also mandarin, gardenia but with coconut base.”
3/5“Valentino Donna Born in Roma and YSL Libre! I hear such good things, but they're awful on me.”
4/5 Fresh & clean“Donna Born in Roma, when I tried that I smelled like rubbing alcohol the whole time. I gave up on Fresh Cream because it is good at first if it's a new bottle. But the scent in the bottle changes from what it's supposed to be after some time, even temperature controlled and unexposed to light it doesn't keep that long.”
4/5“Valentino Donna Born in Roma Ivory.”
2/5“Valentino donna born in roma extradose. It really smells pretty to me. At first I did not like it, smelled very perfummyuuh. But then it grew on me.”
5/5 Sweetness“I have valentino donna born in roma yellow dreams. It's a beautiful , easy grabdaily scent with just three notes lemon, rose and musk. Very light on the lemon. Ralph Lauren Romance line is a soft, pretty, sweet rose. Chloe has quite a few beautiful rose scents also . For a fun one I have Rose Whip by phlur, lychee rose leather scent”
4/5 ProjectionFresh & clean“Body sprays need 6 sprays IMO, like the BB&W mists. Most of them are very mild and disappear quickly. I only do 2 sprays of perfumes like My Way and Donna Born in Roma because they smell strong on me. Lanvin Eclat d'Arpege and Nina are so fresh and light with low sillage and projection so it's a 4-spray one for me. My point is, it depends on the fragrance and how long the scents last and present on the person.”
5/5“I was going to recommend Donna Born In Roma. My boyfriend goes feral when I put it on. I bought the Uomo version for him and he loves it. Too bad I broke it this morning :(”
5/5 Fresh & cleanUnique“I haven't! I actually don't think I've tried anything with a lilac note yet, but I do also love fresh lilac. You've got me curious! Usually for white florals to work for me there has to be something peppery, berry, green, woody, something that just cuts them a bit so they're more of a background player. Donna Born in Roma is probably one of my favourites that still has a noticeable white floral, or Elle by YSL is a different take a very punchy bright opening and woody as well. Rue des Lilas sounds intriguing!”
5/5“Guerlain Angelique Noire was gifted to me and had to grow on me but I love it so much now. It was eye opening because I thought vanilla was only gourmand. The funny thing is Valentino Donna Born in Roma smells like a watered down version to me so when I run out of AN it will have to do. I'm actually wearing them layered today”
Not rated (no clear sentiment)“Any of the Donna Born in Roma scents I've tried smell like ashtray on me personally. Maybe they could work for you? Lol I promise I'm not trying to be snarky, I know a lot of people like those scents.”
Not rated (no clear sentiment)“Valentino Donna Born in Roma and the green stravaganza flanker, Dior Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet. I have full bottles, mini bottles or decants of all of them.”
Not rated (no clear sentiment)“Yes, and I sell on Mercari. The couple bottles that are available are very marked up. Also, I am careful with Mercari and Ebay on items like this. I have a trusted seller on Ebay I sometimes go to, but I tend to buy new with frags that are true limited editions. They seem to attract scammers. Finding Donna Born in Roma Ivory from a reputable seller has been unbelievably challenging and there a LOT of suspect listings I would not trust.”
Not rated (no clear sentiment)“I have also tried Donna born in Roma and paradoxe, both of which felt too floral heavy and not fruity at all to my nose. But might have to give them another go tho as i tried them a long time ago.”
Dupes and similar fragrances
No dupe pairing for this fragrance reached our evidence bar (2+ comments naming both with a "dupe/clone/smells like" phrase).
Clone houses named next to Valentino Donna Born in Roma in "dupe/clone" comments: Afnan (2), Lattafa (2), Ariana Grande (1).
Alternatives in the same family
- Jean Paul Gaultier Scandal — 3.2 from 11 owner comments
- Lattafa Eclaire — 3.3 from 32 owner comments
- Mugler Angel — 3.2 from 42 owner comments
FAQ
How long does Valentino Donna Born in Roma last?
Owners in our sample did not comment on its longevity often enough to say. Longevity varies with skin, climate and concentration.
What season is Valentino Donna Born in Roma best for?
Owners mention summer most often (1 comment).
Does Valentino Donna Born in Roma get compliments?
No owner in our sample reported compliments for it.
Can I buy Valentino Donna Born in Roma on Amazon safely?
We did not find it sold by Amazon.com or by the brand's own Amazon store, so we do not link to it. Third-party fragrance listings carry a counterfeit and grey-market risk.
Keep deciding
- Valentino fragrances ranked
- Best gourmand fragrances
- Best Women’s Perfumes
- Best Designer Fragrances
- Buying guide shortlists · Methodology
Details
| Brand | Valentino (Designer) |
| Fragrance family | Gourmand |
| Marketed for | women |
| Amazon listing | No listing sold by Amazon.com or the brand store found |
| Reddit evidence | 24 owner comments, 128 mentions in total across r/fragrance, r/FemFragLab and related subreddits |
| Last updated | 2026-11-03 |
Family and "marketed for" follow the brand's positioning and common fragrance references; flankers (Intense, Elixir, Parfum editions) are tracked separately or excluded.