Valentino
Valentino
88 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The blackcurrant and bergamot burst forth with genuine vitality, immediately undercutting themselves with creamy lily of the valley and violet that smells almost talc-dusted and powdery. Within minutes, the fresh-fruited promise starts collapsing into something more nostalgic and unexpectedly retro.
The rose and gardenia emerge with surprising complexity—the gardenia carries an almost green, slightly indolic quality that prevents this from becoming conventionally pretty, whilst orange blossom adds a herbal, nearly citrus-like crispness that feels almost medicinal. The blackcurrant, rather than fading, lingers in the background like a fingerprint, continuously reminding you this isn't a traditional feminine floral.
Florentine iris and sandalwood attempt to create woody structure, but the vanilla and heliotrope render everything increasingly powdery and abstract, a soft, increasingly nebulous cloud that dissipates with frustrating speed, leaving only the faintest whisper of musk and iris powder on the skin.
Rock 'n Rose Valentino occupies a peculiar liminal space between rock-and-roll swagger and powdery femininity, a fragrance that seems perpetually caught between two identities. Françoise Caron has constructed something genuinely unusual here: the blackcurrant and bergamot opening promises sharp, almost tart vivacity, yet this is immediately tempered by the creamy, slightly soapy presence of lily of the valley and violet, creating an almost jarring tonal shift from fresh-fruited bite to nostalgia-drenched florals.
What emerges in the heart is the fragrance's true character—a rose-gardenia-orange blossom trinity that trades on classical femininity but with an undeniable edge courtesy of that lingering blackcurrant undertone. There's something almost unsettling about the combination: the gardenia adds an almost medicinal, slightly green quality that prevents this from becoming the expected pretty floral, whilst the orange blossom lends an almost herbal sharpness. The Florentine iris and sandalwood base attempt to ground everything with woody structure, but here lies the fragrance's most significant weakness.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.5/5 (1.2k)