valentino

Born in Roma Intense vs Coral Fantasy

by

Born in Roma is a popular series for Valentino, both on the men’s and women’s sides of the roster. Uomo Born in Roma has spawned off some well-liked colognes, two of which are: Intense and Coral Fantasy.

But, which of these two scents is better? In terms of how each smells and performs. I’ve worn and reviewed both Valentino options and will break things down in this post.

Tale of the Tape: Born in Roma Intense vs Coral Fantasy

Uomo Born in Roma Intense

Notes include: vanilla, amber, lavender, vetiver

Click here to try: Born in Roma Intense

Read my review: Intense

Coral Fantasy

Notes include: red apple, tobacco, patchouli, sage, geranium

Click here to try: Uomo Coral Fantasy

Read my review: Coral

roma coral fantasy review

Opening

Uomo Born in Roma Intense delivers some sweetness up front, but certainly doesn’t reach the same levels as the original release in this series.

The lavender plays a major part here, actually tempering the sweetness in this iteration.

Those mineral notes? Completely absent. I personally wasn’t a fan of them in the original, so I’m quite happy they’ve been eliminated.

Intense follows a distinctly different path than the EDT version. After that initial sweetness dissipates, it’s predominantly a lavender and vanilla experience.

Coral Fantasy begins with a sharp and succulent red apple note, which is flanked by cardamom with other spices in more subtle supporting roles.

Sage and some citrusy bergamot complete the opening profile. That bergamot pads out the red apple nicely. In the later stages, a freshness emerges through geranium, clean lavender, and tobacco.

Which is better?

It’s a close call for me. I do like what Coral Fantasy brings at the very start. It’s interesting, but I like the smell of Intense more in this part of the wear.

Edge: Intense

Projection

Born in Roma Intense delivers a powerful opening act, quite substantial, with a great projection . Particularly during those initial one to two hours.

No complaints regarding this aspect of the cologne. It’s definitely noticeable and leaves a pleasant scent trail behind you, for the rest of the wear.

Coral Fantasy is a more moderate fragrance overall. It doesn’t achieve the same reach as Intense or even the EDT, though it also starts reasonably strong. It’s also just not as heavy of a scent as is Intense.

Edge: Intense

Longevity

For much of my wearing experience, it remained primarily a skin scent. Roma Intense endured about 8.5-9 hours on my skin.

In my estimation, it wasn’t significantly superior to the original Born in Roma EDT regarding longevity. It’s certainly respectable, just not top-tier performance.

Coral Fantasy tends to persist in that 6-7 hour territory. Perhaps slightly longer, but I still consider it a step down compared to Roma EDT.

Edge: Intense

Versatility

Seasonally, both of these are best from autumn through the spring. Neither is built for hotter weather, but can do just fine when things are temperate.

They’re both quite versatile in their use cases. Can be worn by any age group, though, these aren’t very formal fragrances. Day or night wear for each of them is fine.

No real separation in this category.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these fragrances do I prefer?

I really do like the opening performance of Roma Intense quite a lot. It’s not perfect, but it is one that grabs my attention

Plus, this represents the peak of my enjoyment. The latter parts of Born in Roma Intense smells good enough, but strikes me as fairly uninspiring.

There’s nothing particularly thrilling  with it. Intense is merely a lavender and vetiver combination with lingering vanilla and amber emerging from the base.

Nevertheless, it remains a pleasant cologne with solid performance and deserves the win, when compared to Coral.

With Born in Roma Coral Fantasy, I was excited to try it out upon its release. Ultimately, it wasn’t as good as I had hoped for. The apple note is good and is the highlight of the fragrance, but I was expecting more

It was above average with decent performance.

Note: You could pick up something like the Dua Brand’s ‘inspired by’ version: Rome in Coral Fantasy to go along with a bottle of Roma Intense, if you really can’t decide between these two.

So, with either of these colognes, I think that they are likeable. It’s just that neither is all that great. However, Born in Roma Intense is my favorite thus far from this Valentino series and it gets the win here.

Winner: Intense

Born in Roma Intense vs Stronger with You Intensely

by

Uomo Born in Roma and Stronger with You are two of the most popular mainstream designer lines, in the men’s fragrance space currently. And the Intense versions of each, are particularly sought after.

Today, I want to compare them: Uomo Born in Roma Intense vs SWY Intensely. I’ve worn both, tested them out, and now it’s time to choose between them. Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is the best one to buy?

 

Tale of the Tape: Born in Roma Intense vs. SWY Intensely

Uomo Born in Roma Intense

Notes include: vanilla, amber, lavender, vetiver

Click here to try: Born in Roma Intense

Read my review: Intense

Stronger With You Intensely

Notes include: pink pepper, cinnamon, toffee, lavender, sage, suede, amber, violet, vetiver

Click here to try: Intensely

My Full Review: Stronger with You Intensely

Opening

Stronger With You Intensely kicks off with its spiciness too, though here it’s warmer and doesn’t stick around as long as in the original. The pink pepper now takes center stage, with cinnamon and sage joining the mix.

I notice Intensely’s sweetness emerges earlier. That toffee accord mingling with cinnamon and caramel notes really gives Intensely a more lively character.

Uomo Born in Roma Intense still offers some sweetness in its opening, but definitely not matching the same level as found in its original release in the series. The lavender actually tones it down, playing a significant role in this version.

Those mineral notes? Gone completely. I honestly wasn’t fond of them in the original, so I’m pleased they’ve been left out.

Intense develops quite differently than its predecessor. Once that initial sweetness fades away, it’s primarily about the lavender and vanilla

Which do I prefer? I do like the way Roma Intense starts off. It’s balanced with the sweetness and improved over the original, but I think the Armani has this one.

There’s a more dynamic aroma, the spice is great, and I like how it plays off of the sweeter notes.

Edge: Intensely

Projection

Born in Roma Intense is a strong perfume, fairly heavy, with a good ability to project itself. Especially, in that first hour or two. No real issue with this aspect of the cologne, you’ll notice it and it will leave a nice scent trail.

Stronger with You Intensely, is the more powerful of the two, however. It reaches further and maintains its strength for deeper into the wear than does the Valentino.

Both are good, but Intensely is great.

 

Edge: SWY Intensely

Longevity

Roma Intense lasted 8.5-9 hours or so, on my skin. For me, it wasn’t that much better than the original Born in Roma EDT, in terms of performance. It’s solid for sure, just not elite.

Stronger with You Intensely is an excellent performer for a mainstream designer fragrance. I get 11-12 hours of wear from it, before it finally evaporates completely.

A pretty easy win for the Emporio Armani scent.

Edge: SWY Intensely

Versatility

Both of these are seasonally at their best from autumn through early spring. I think that Roma Intense might be able to pull off warmer weather better than can the SWY option.

While neither is a formal fragrance, the dry down of Roma Intense doesn’t have the sweetness and bolder facets that Intensely does. Both can fit in during the nightlife, but I think that the Born in Roma option has the advantage in this category.

 

Edge: Roma Intense

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these fragrances do I prefer?

While I do like the opening act of Roma Intense quite a lot, it still falls short of the Armani. Also, it’s the peak of my enjoyment. The back half of Born in Roma Intense smells fine enough, but is just rather boring to me. 

There’s nothing too exciting, just a lavender and vetiver blend with some remaining vanilla and amber coming from the base. Still a nice cologne with a good performance and worth checking out.

When I compare it to SWY Intensely, there’s not much of a question in my mind as to which of them I like more. Plus, the better performance of the Emporio Armani makes the choice even easier. 

Toffee, vanilla, and suede with periods of spice and lavender. Very nice, without the same chestnut note reliance as the rest of the series. I also like how the vanilla is blended in this edition. 

As of now, however, I do think that Born in Roma Intense is the best of that Valentino series. It’s the one that I would go with, if I were in the market for a cologne from that line.

 

Winner: Stronger with You Intensely

 

Uomo Born in Roma vs Intense

by

Uomo Born in Roma has spawned a ton of flanker fragrances since its release, including the very popular Born in Roma Intense. Being in the same lineup, people are often deciding between these two colognes.

So, in this post I wanted to do a head to head comparison between these fragrances, after having tested each of them out. Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better Valentino to buy?

 

Tale of the tape: Uomo Born in Roma vs Intense

Born in Roma

Notes include: ginger, salt, mineral notes, sage, vetiver, violet leaf 

Click here to try: Valentino Uomo Born In Roma EDT 3.4 oz / 100 ml Men’s Spray 

My review: Born in Roma

Uomo Born in Roma Intense

Notes include: vanilla, amber, lavender, vetiver

Click here to try: Born in Roma Intense

Read my review: Intense

Opening

Born in Roma EDT is sweet with a prominent mineral note, and an aquatic kind of vibe thanks to a salt and violet leaf duo. It reminds me of a mix of Invictus and Invictus Aqua, in the early stages.

The ginger isn’t heavy, but it adds a nice freshness to the mix and as this one dry down it will become cleaner and soapier, with less resemblance to those Paco Rabanne fragrances.

Uomo Intense still has a sweetness in the opening act, but it’s definitely not to the same extent as with the original. It’s actually tempered by the lavender note, which plays a big role here.

Also gone, the mineral notes. Which, I really didn’t like very much in the original, so I’m glad it is absent. 

Intense does develop fairly differently than the original. This is mostly about lavender and vanilla, once that initial sweetness burns off. Also, I think there is some unlisted sage in here too, like they have in Coral Fantasy.

Which is better? For me, I’ll give the edge to Born in Roma Intense. It’s not as sweet and I like the lavender and vanilla more than what I get with the original.

Edge: Intense

Projection

Born in Roma EDT begins pretty strong with its reach. I can detect it from up to 8 feet away, when I spray it on a t-shirt and walk away. That’s with a few sprays.

It will settle into a cologne that is more moderate, but it’s not a weak scent at all.

Intense starts off on a higher level and maintains that throughout. It’s not significantly more powerful with its reach, but it is a step ahead of EDT, and has a slightly heavier feel to it.

Edge: Intense

Longevity

Born in Roma EDT lasts somewhere in the 7-8.5 hour range. Most of the time, it will be 7-ish, but sometimes I could still detect it at that higher end of the range.  A solid fragrance, no real disappointment with the longevity.

With Intense, I personally get 8.5-9 hours of wear out of it. Again, performance wise, it’s not that much of an improvement over the EDT, but it is noticeable for sure.

Edge: Intense

Versatility

EDT is best in spring and summer. With Intense, it’s more of an autumn through early springtime scent.

The main difference here, is that Intense is more well put together and can fit in better in more situations, day or night. Now, it’s not strictly a formal scent or even designed for that, it is more mature than EDT is. 

So, outside of younger guys as a group, Roma Intense would be a better fit for most adults. Both of these are versatile scents, but Intense has an advantage.

Edge: Intense

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two Born in Roma fragrances do I prefer?

Even though, I’m not a massive fan of either of these or the series as a whole, Intense is easily my choice. The performance is better, not be a lot, but there’s a bit more than Roma EDT.

Beyond that, I like the scent better. The opening is more tolerable with the sweetness and there is a nice play between the vanilla, amber, and lavender notes. I do find the back half to be pretty boring, while still smelling good.

I don’t think that Born in Roma is a bad fragrance. It’s pretty good, gets better as it dries down, and the performance is solid. It’s not too original up front and there are other fragrances that are similar.

But, between these, Born in Roma Intense is the better buy.

Winner: Intense

 

Uomo Born in Roma vs Coral Fantasy

by

Born in Roma is a series from Valentino which has enjoy pretty massive success for the brand, in both the men’s and women’s side of things.

Uomo Born in Roma has now spawned a bunch of flanker colognes and the number seems to be growing each year. One of the more popular options, is Coral Fantasy.

In this post, I want to compare these two scents. Which one smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better fragrance to buy?

Tale of the Tape: Uomo Born in Roma vs Coral Fantasy

Born in Roma

Notes include: ginger, salt, mineral notes, sage, vetiver, violet leaf 

Click here to try: Valentino Uomo Born In Roma EDT 3.4 oz / 100 ml Men’s Spray 

My review: Born in Roma

Born in Roma Coral Fantasy

Notes include: red apple, tobacco, patchouli, sage, geranium

Click here to try: Uomo Coral Fantasy

Read my review: Coral

roma coral fantasy review

Opening

The opening of Born in Roma is sweet with a strong mineral note, and an aquatic sort of feel thanks to a salt and violet leaf combination. It really does remind me of a blend of Invictus and Invictus Aqua, at this point.

The ginger is light, but it adds a nice freshness to the mix and as this one dry down it will become cleaner and soapier, with less resemblance to those Paco Rabanne fragrances.

Coral Fantasy opens up with a crisp and juicy red apple note, which is mainly paired with cardamom and some other spices playing a lesser supporting role.

Sage and some citrus bergamot round things out at the top. Later, we get a freshness with geranium, lavender clean, and tobacco.

Which is better?

I like Coral Fantasy more at the opening. The apple is nice and it has a more unique aroma than what I get from the original which apes the Invictus line a bit too much.

Edge: Coral Fantasy

Projection

Born in Roma EDT actually starts things off pretty strong. I can detect it from up to 8 feet away, when I spray it on a t-shirt and walk away. That’s with a few sprays.

After that, it settles into something that is more moderate, but it’s not a weak scent at all.

Coral Fantasy is a much more moderate scent, on the whole. It doesn’t reach the same heights as EDT, but has a solid enough start.

Much of the wear for me, was as a skin scent.

Edge: Born in Roma 

Longevity

With Born in Roma, I’ve gotten between 7-8.5 hours on skin, during my testing of this colognes. It’s pretty solid with what it delivers, but nothing that elite and it never came close to double digit hours in my experience.

Coral Fantasy seems to fall in that 6-7 hour range. Maybe a little longer, but I still think it’s a step down from Roma EDT.

They’re not too far off from one another, but EDT takes this category.

Edge: Born in Roma

Versatility

Roma EDT feels more like a spring and summertime fragrance to me. But, really anytime it’s moderate to warmer outside, it should be good.

Coral Fantasy is better in autumn and winter, but still quite nice in the more temperate days. I wouldn’t venture into the summer with this one.

Each of these skews younger with it’s target demographic. Especially the early stages, I do think that Coral Fantasy is the more versatile scent with its age range in the back half of the wear. Feels well put together.

Also, I think it fits in slightly better in a wider range of scenarios.

Edge: Coral Fantasy

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two Born in Roma colognes do I actually enjoy more?

With Born in Roma EDT, I think that the dry down is better than how it opens, but I still not completely sold on what I get with this fragrance. It’s fine.

Though, I have to say that violet leaf and mineral notes are not my personal favorite ingredients to smell. So, others may enjoy this one a lot more than me. The performance is better and this a pretty good cologne all around.

With Born in Roma Coral Fantasy, I was excited to try it, back when it came out. The apple opening is good and I thought that the overall experience would be great.

Turned out to be pretty good with good enough performance. I do slightly prefer how it smells versus the original Born in Roma EDT, but it’s not by much.

I’d personally go with Coral Fantasy because I actually get something at least somewhat different with its entire presentation, even if I don’t think that this Valentino is ultimately an amazing fragrance.

Winner: Coral Fantasy

Uomo EDT by Valentino

by

In this review, I’m going to be taking a closer look at a fragrance, that I’ve been meaning to try out for a long while but never really got around to doing so: 2014 release, Uomo EDT by Valentino. As usual, I am going to be going over the notes, how it smells, when it should be worn, and ultimately if it is worth a buy or not. Note: I originally reviewed this years ago and have updated since.

What does Uomo by Valentino Smell Like?

Notes include: myrtle, bergamot, leather, coffee, cedar, gianduja cream

Click here to try: Valentino Uomo FOR MEN by Valentino – 3.4 oz EDT Spray

My Full Uomo Review

The opening of Uomo by Valentino is awesome. Now, Dior Homme Intense, has long held my top spot for best opening act, but I think it’s got some real competition with this one. It starts off with a juicy and slightly sour bergamot that is paired with gianduja cream (smells like hazelnut), along with some myrtle.

This trio is utter heaven and I wouldn’t have ever thought to pair such things.

Further along, I begin to get a lot more similarities with the original Dior Homme, which explains why I’m digging this Valentino so much (because I wear Dior Homme often). Mostly this is from the cedar note, floral note (myrtle instead of iris) and the warm sweetness, which here is a mix of the gianduja and roasted coffee.

However, even with their similarities, those two fragrances are still quite distinct from one another. It’s mostly a similar vibe shared. There is also a similarity with 1 Million Lucky, due to the hazelnut, albeit this is much more mature, and less tart sans plum.

So, as the scent dries down, I get less of the bergamot (which is great) and more leather and the coffee note. It all comes together a very smooth and sort of has a chocolaty aroma to it, which is another Dior similarity.

Very delicious gourmand cologne, that blends sweet, warmth, smooth, and fresh together wonderfully.

Ultimately, what I get from Uomo is the hazelnut aroma, leather, bergamot, and the smell of roasted coffee. It’s sweet and inviting, while staying completely classy.

Fairly late into the wear, the citrus seems to make a comeback in the composition, and it’s like a different variation of the opening. It’s a good blend with the hint of coffee that is still hanging around.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Uomo starts off pretty strong, but it quickly moves to be a moderate within an hour. The sillage isn’t going to hit across the room, but people will be able to smell it around you. Above average, just not extreme or super bold.

The longevity is somewhere around 7 hours, maybe an hour more or less, depending on the climate. Not really great, but definitely serviceable. A few more hours with decent sillage and this Valentino would be an absolute gem…though, it’s still awesome.

Seasonally, mostly for autumn and winter, but like the Dior’s this one can be perfectly fine in the springtime. It’s not a really heavy scent that can only come out for two months of the year, but not really a summer wear, in the slightest.

Yes, it is safe to wear at work or casually. Even if it’s not a club beast, I still want to wear it out at night, because it strikes me as so attractive and sexy in a refined way. Very attractive and one that can grab complements, especially in those early stages.

Overall Impressions of Uomo

Overall, do I like Uomo by Valentino? Obviously, yes. I think that it is a fantastic cologne and I am really tempted to get a full bottle, even if I don’t have the need for any other scents right now.

Update: Years later, in 2022, I finally did pick up a full bottle of this that I saw in a department store. This and Oajan, became two of the colognes that I wore a lot over the following autumn and winter. I still enjoy wearing this fairly often, even if I’m not quite as enthusiastic as I initially was. Still very worth checking out.

The opening of bergamot, myrtle, and the gianduja cream is one of the best that I’ve ever come across. I do, however, really like this style personally. I cannot guarantee, everyone else will agree.

Beyond that, it has a great roasted coffee note and cedar at its base. The whole thing is well blended and a joy for me to wear. Yes, it has a lot of similarities with Dior Homme, but it is still quite distinct from anything else.

My only real gripe is that the performance isn’t superb, but still above average. This is wonderful overall, though.

The score gets docked due to the longevity and how much it has resemblance to plenty of other fragrances, mainly the old Dior Homme series. On smell alone? It’s great.