born in roma

Uomo Born in Roma Intense by Valentino

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Uomo Born in Roma Intense is the 2023 flanker to the ongoing fragrance series by Valentino. I haven’t been a particularly big fan of Born in Roma entries thus far, especially the original release. As such, I wasn’t all that excited to try this Intense version out. How does it actually smell, though? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Uomo Born in Roma Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: vanilla, amber, lavender, vetiver

Click here to try: Born in Roma Intense

My Full Review

Here’s how Valentino describes it: A fougere ambery fragrance combining the intensity of lavandin with an addictive vanilla.

Intense opens up with a fresh sweetness about it. The original was sweeter to me and had more of an Invictus style, but there is similarities here. One major difference is the lavender note that is present throughout.

It sort of tempers things from venturing too far into the candy-like sweetness realm. Though, it still flirts with it. I also appreciate the lack of mineral oil/saltiness in this Intense version. That gave me a headache while testing the original.

Intense becomes more of a lavender and vanilla combination after about 20 minutes or so. Very balanced and almost unisex with how it comes across. Could be a unisex version of the YSL Libre line.

They don’t seem to go into much detail regarding all of the notes. But, I think this has some of the same sage note, as the original and Coral Fantasy. Not to the same extent, however. Possibly some tonka bean? This fragrance totally has Luna Rossa Sport vibes.

The final dry down is like a lavender and vetiver blend on my skin. The vanilla and amber are in support, but this is much less sweet, and more of a floral/fougere aromatic for the rest of the way. Clean and easy to wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage opens up even stronger than Born in Roma. With that, I got 5-8 feet of projection off of where I sprayed. This seems to hit an extra foot or two for that first hour. Not massively more powerful, but it does take things to a slight higher level.

After that, it settles into the same sort of moderate performance. That being said, I still could detect it for a good long while without having to press my nose in closer.

It sticks around for 8.5-9 hours, on my skin. Very nice for a mainstream designer cologne like this. That should be a boost for its popularity.

Seasonally, this is going to be an autumn through springtime wear. It’s fresh, but just a little too heavy/thick for the summer months. In cold or moderate temperatures, Born in Roma Intense comes off well.

The versatility is one of its main strengths, if not the biggest selling point. Day or nighttime wear. You can wear it casually or more dressed up. It has mass appeal and an attractiveness that can work on dates.

For the non-enthusiast or collector of fragrances, you won’t need much more than something like this in your rotation.

Overall Impressions of Born in Roma Intense

Overall, do I like Intense? I do. It’s my favorite of the Born in Roma line thus far. It’s still nothing groundbreaking or anything, but Intense delivers a good experience overall.

I like that initial sweetness, in its more tolerable form versus the other entries in the series. That blended with a strong lavender, vanilla, and the amber coming from the base is nice. Not sickly and has a great freshness.

The back half of the wear is kind of boring to me. Doesn’t smell bad, but Intense gets pretty linear and the development is basically non-existent.

This isn’t too original. Similarities with the other Born in Roma’s, Luna Rossa Sport, and some of the Most Wanted by Azzaro fragrances. Not exactly like any of them, but takes cues from them all.

While it doesn’t hit the ‘great’ level for me, it does everything well enough that I think this one is pretty safe to grab a full bottle of for most guys. Unless you’re not a big fan of lavender, this probably won’t ever be a complete waste.

Personally, it’s too borderline for me to want a full bottle, but I’m glad that Valentino finally put out a good Born in Roma for men.

Donna Born in Roma by Valentino

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Valentino’s Born in Roma line is their latest successful release. As of now, they’re up to three of each for men and women. I got a sample of the women’s Donna Born in Roma, recently. So, I figured I’d try it out and give my full review of how this scent does. Does it smell good? Is it actually worth a wear?

What does Donna Born in Roma Smell like?

Notes include: jasmine, vanilla, black currant, cashmeran, pink pepper, bergamot, guaiac wood

Click here to try: Born in Roma on Amazon

born in roma review

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Valentino describes it: A couture floriental jasmine trio, twisted with an overdose of woods.

Born in Roma starts off with a nice sweet/tart/juicy fruit blend. I get more of the black currant than I do the citrus bergamot. The black currant note actually doesn’t get as sharp as it usually can, since it is tempered by the pink pepper and jasmine notes.

The black currant is actually great in this composition. It really adds a playful dynamic to the jasmine dominance that increases during the first half of the wear.

Even with this early fruitiness, you’re still going to start smelling where this is going with the floral, woods, and vanilla all already playing a role.

A few minutes in, I’m already getting a lot of jasmine out of Born in Roma. At this stage, it’s a pretty basic sweet white floral perfume with some very light spiciness.

There isn’t a ton of development with this Valentino. For me, the dry down is jasmine and vanilla sitting on a woody base. It’s well blended and the individual wood notes, don’t even stand out to me…just an impression.

One difference is, that the jasmine doesn’t completely dominate the second half. It’s still the main note, but that blend keeps it from going overboard.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is a lighter moderate scent. It’s got some nice power up top, but that’s pretty short-lived, and it’ll be a nice little scent bubble thereafter. Wasn’t a complete skin scent for me, but not a beast.

The longevity was actually good, even without the huge projection. It seems to go for somewhere in the 7-8 hour range. Not a marathon wear, but you should be able to squeeze a full workday out of it.

Seasonally, Donna Born in Roma can pretty much work year round. I would probably avoid the extreme cold and extreme heat, but outside of that, you’re basically good to go.

The age range probably skews more youthful, but it isn’t a purely teenagers’ fragrance. High school girls could wear it, but it’ll probably be mostly for women in their 20s and 30s.

The versatility is its greatest strength. Lots of people are going to like it and should gather compliments fairly easily. Daytime wear for most occasions, office or school safe, and could even venture into the night…if needed.

More of a pretty and playful sort of perfume than anything that screams ‘sexy’.

Overall Impressions of Donna Born in Roma

Do I like Born in Roma? Yes, this is a very nice perfume. If you want a versatile and all around crowd pleaser, this is a scent that you should look into.

If you don’t like jasmine, it might not be. But again, it’s not a pure dominant jasmine wear, either.

The opening act is nice, with those fruity notes up top. The sweetness will stick around for a long while, even as the perfume begins its shift. The vanilla adds a nice touch to the mix, but doesn’t bog down this Valentino.

It’s actually a pretty simple dry down, but it is still attractive and keeps my attention.

Performance is decent, but not amazing. Extremely easy to wear and safe, but doesn’t ever feel like a boring fragrance. For me, it’s a strong like. I don’t absolutely love it, but this would be great on a lot of women.