There are fragrances that smell good, and then there are fragrances that have such a spellbinding effect that it seems to change the energy of a room. Valentino’s Vendetta fragrance duo does the latter.
The luxury brand’s first prestige fragrance launch in six years, the new perfumes can be considered sensual sophistication in olfactory form. If Born In Roma is the effortlessly cool one, Vendetta is the hot villain. Your first clue to the scents’ vibes comes by way of the campaign: Set in Los Angeles, Dakota Johnson and Alexander Skarsgård embark on a steamy tryst, shown via tantalizing snippets of a bitten lip, a makeout session, and the exchange of a motel key. It would be blasphemous for the corresponding fragrances to be subtle.
Valentino Vendetta Donna
Vendetta Donna, in particular, smells exactly like the woman who would take that motel key. It’s a woody floral with a touch of sweetness — but has an undeniably moody edge. Created by master perfumer Dominique Ropion in collaboration with perfumer Andrew Everett, the fragrance is centered around its exclusive Tuberose Osmoblossom heart — a note the brand made even more intense with an air-capture extraction technology. If you’re not familiar, tuberose is a night-blooming flower known for its intensely creamy, heady aroma — precisely the kind of floral that can feel almost intoxicating.
To keep all that floral richness from becoming too predictable, Everett blended it with citrus. “To create an element of surprise, I immersed this carnal tuberose into a custom-crafted red orange nectar accord,” Everett said in a statement. “I envisioned it as something elevated, soaring far beyond conventional ‘sticky’ gourmand addictions to explore Italian sensuality.”
At first spritz, you get the red-orange nectar accord, bringing an instant sparkle that’s juicy with a hint of salt. Then comes the main event: a creamy, lush tuberose that feels almost narcotic against the bright citrus opening. As it wears, the floral gradually melts into a smooth sandalwood base, giving the fragrance a warm, woody backbone.
The result is bold without being syrupy, floral without feeling traditionally pretty. It’s provocative, sexy, and the kind of scent that makes you want to keep smelling your wrist long after you’ve sprayed it.
If Vendetta is a villain, Donna is Catwoman: seductive, mysterious, and completely aware of her powers.
My Review
I wore Vendetta Donna throughout my trip to LA for its launch party, and I loved the rich, mesmerizing aroma each time I caught a whiff. When I first checked into my hotel room, the deep red glass bottle — embossed with the brand’s V — greeted me on the table. I immediately spritzed it onto my neck and wrists, where the heady floral enveloped me, its sharpness hinting at the experience to come.
The actual party is where I really felt the Vendetta Donna character come to life. Held at the Safari Inn, a retro motel Valentino had transformed with muscle cars, red lights, and a pumping DJ booth, the evening felt like stepping into the fragrance’s world: dark, decadent, and just a little dangerous. The tuberose seemed particularly at home there, its rich, hypnotic aroma hanging in the air as the crowd sipped champagne and danced.
At one point, the fragrance campaign was projected onto a screen as The Pet Shop Boys’ “It’s A Sin” blasted through the lot. As I mentally sang along to the ’80s song, taking in Skarsgård’s piercing blue eyes on the big screen, I suddenly felt the urge to be naughty. Naughty for a middle-aged mom, that is — which, in my case, meant having two drinks instead of one and staying out past 10 p.m. I pushed down the rational, responsible voice reminding me that I had an early-morning flight and suggested to my friends that we grab a nightcap at the Chateau Marmont instead.
When my alarm went off at 5 a.m. the next morning, I blinked my eyes open, remembered where I was, and calculated that I had 10 minutes to get myself together. In that moment, I caught a whiff of Vendetta Donna. It must’ve rubbed off on my skin as I sweated in my sleep. I was tired as hell, but I was also proud of my decision to make the most of my time in LA — something I, at least partially, credit to the mood of the fragrance. That’s the thing about Vendetta Donna: It doesn’t just smell sexy. It makes you want to act a little sexier.
The Verdict
The other half of the Vendetta duo, Uomo has its own version of that bad-boy energy, with ginger, cinnamon liquor accord, and patchouli essence — a spicy, woody fragrance that’s just as magnetic as its feminine counterpart. Where Donna leans into creamy tuberose and red-orange brightness, Uomo is darker and spicier — less flower power, more come-hither.
Together, the Vendetta fragrances feel like two sides of the same after-dark fantasy. They aren’t for someone looking for a soft skin scent or to smell “clean.” Vendetta is the kind of fragrance you can build an entire character around — preferably one who stays out a little later than she should.
