As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an Amazon affiliate link on my pages, I receive a commission based on that qualified purchase. It doesn't cost you any more money and it helps keep the site running.
Born in Roma has developed into a best seller for Valentino over the years. Now, it has a bunch of different flankers to its name and plenty of fans.
On this page, I want to keep track of fragrances that either smell alike, are similar to, or are cheaper alternatives to Uomo Born in Roma. I will try to update and include options beyond just the EDT version, such as Yellow Dream, Green Stravaganza, and Coral Fantasy.
Colognes that Smell Like Born in Roma
Inspired by Rome
Aromatic Sage by Dossier– For those who want an inspired take on the Born in Roma formula, this one from Dossier aims to get as close as possible to our target scent.
I haven’t yet tried this Dossier out, but they usually do a pretty good job a getting near what fragrance they’re aiming to replicate. But, they are using pineapple and ‘water fruits’ up top in effort to match the opening sweetness and sort of aquatic element that you get with the Valentino.
Added pink pepper to the spice profile as well. I would be interested in seeing if they pulled off the mineral accord well in this version. But, it should be fine.
Green Inspiration
Rome in Green by Dua– The Born in Roma flankers keep getting released, including Green Stravaganza. Long enough name, but Rome in Green is Dua’s take on that design, if you’re in the market for a cheaper alternative.
Bergamot, coffee, and Hatian vetiver combine for this interesting mix of bright citrus, a cafe aroma, and a smooth dry down period.
They don’t seem to have yet created their version of the original Uomo Born in Roma or any of the others, but this is a unique enough scent that some might be looking for.
Similar Start
Invictus by Paco Rabanne– This is one of the mainstream designer colognes that Born in Roma gets compared to most often. To me, it’s mostly confined to the opening hour or so, and it’s more of a mix between Invictus and Invictus Aqua.
Invictus EDT is definitely sweeter and has a heavier use of citrus early on. Salty with a bay leaf note adding some fresh spice to the mix.
Yet, early it does have a very noticeable overlap with the Valentino. Again, if I could take elements from both EDT and Aqua, it would be even closer to Roma.
After that, the dry down on this one is different. Marine notes, that citrus, and its woody base are still going strong. Invictus doesn’t shift as much as Born in Roma does, as the Valentino gets woodier and soapier to some extent. Invictus review
Join the Club
Ralph’s Club Parfum– Here’s the first of the designer options that have similarities to Roma, but without being entirely the same. Giving you a different take, while hitting some of the same beats.
Apple and grapefruit are the opening fruity notes up top, with sage, lavender, and that general blue vibe throughout. This one also has a lot in common with the YSL Y fragrances (listed below).
That opening will calm down and you move into the floral heart with lavender and orange blossom, before it dries down to an earthier and somewhat smoky finish.
Less of the freshness found with the violet leaf in Roma, but it has the same kind of clean aroma and that vetiver note. More floral and woody. A good alternative, if you’d like to branch out a bit. Ralph’s Club Parfum review
Y so Intense?
Y EDP Intense by YSL– The sage and blue-ish aspects of this version of the YSL Y line, do lend it to how our target fragrance smells. Not the same, but have enough similarities that a fan of one would probably enjoy the other.
For me, this definitely isn’t my favorite of the Y line (I’d go EDP or Elixir), and I actually might favor Born in Roma slightly more than this. But, it’s the closest in smell to what we’re looking for.
This one starts off with a good amount of sage, it doesn’t have the mineral notes, and instead you’ll get ginger and geranium. This is paired with a light bergamot citrus and the usual Y blend of notes.
A woody and earthy back half with calming lavender. Performance is middling. Y Intense would be my last pick out of this list, but some might really enjoy this if bought for a decent price.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides.