In this video I’m giving you my honest review of the NEW Valentino Donna Born in Roma Purple Melancholia—because the girlies were split and I needed to try her for myself. I went into Sephora planning to just smell it, and on paper… whew. It was giving straight grape medicine/cough syrup and I was like, “Valentino, what did you just do?” But I still grabbed the 30ml so I could actually test it on skin, because paper and skin can be two totally different experiences. On my skin, the opening still starts off medicinal for the first few minutes, then it shifts into a deep, syrupy plum that feels more nighttime than juicy or bright. Once the florals (osmanthus/jasmine) come in, it turns powdery on me—and that’s where it really loses me, because it starts leaning chalky, like a Smarties/powdered candy vibe. The dry down is the best part: the vanilla finally shows up, smooths everything out, and makes it creamier and sweeter, but it’s marketed as a “whisper of vanilla,” so don’t expect a big gourmand vanilla moment. Overall, I don’t love her, and I’d recommend trying it on skin first—plus I’d personally pick other Born in Roma flankers (like Extradose, Green Extravaganza, or even Ivory) over this one.