CHICYEE

Have you met Donna? How about Uomo? If not, I’m so happy to introduce you. They’re at a very special time in their lives, you see. If we were going to assign a color to it—which, actually, we definitely are going to do—it would be purple. The color of royalty and magic and ambition.

On February 23, Valentino Beauty is officially launching Born in Roma Purple Melancholia with two scents: Donna Born in Roma Purple Melancholia and Uomo Born in Roma Purple Melancholia. The fragrances were designed by Valentino perfumers Pascal Gaurin and Natasha Côté-Mouzannar, who each had a specific vision for how the fragrance should make people feel.

“It’s meant to lift you up. To give you presence and allure. A magnetic sensuality that
feels intimate yet powerful, leaving a trail that is memorable,” Gaurin told Byrdie. As for Côté-Mouzannar, words that came to mind were “glamorous, beautiful, and special.”

Ahead, discover everything there is to know about the vivid new scents (Donna in particular), including more notes on inspiration from the perfumers themselves.

The Inspiration

The Born in Roma fragrances first debuted in 2019 with the original Donna Born in Roma and Uomo Born in Roma. Since then, we’ve seen the icons through many changes in “chromatic moods”: Coral Fantasy, Intense, Yellow Dream…

“I love how Born in Roma plays with color. It’s very fashionable, very contemporary, almost like a couture wardrobe of scents. Each color tells a different story, a different attitude,” said Côté-Mouzannar.

And now, everything is purple—a shade that provided (almost) all the inspiration necessary for the perfumers. Built to bring out the best in you, the scents explore fruity, floral, and creamy notes. Donna, for example, is all about the contrast of radiant plum and velvety vanilla.

“Purple immediately evokes something emotional. A form of sensual melancholy, a contrast between light and shadow. My starting point was to create a strong structure, that could carry that emotion. I wanted a fragrance that felt elegant and confident, but with a bit of mystery. I approached it like a modern chypre, crafted with velvety and fruity facets,” explained Gaurin.

Like all of his creations, this one was also inspired by sound.

“My work is always deeply connected to music. I think of perfume as a melody, with an opening, a refrain, and a lasting echo on the skin. It’s about rhythm, tension, and emotion,” he shared.

The Process

Outside of color and sound, both perfumers found inspiration in their collaborative effort.

“Creating Purple Melancholia was a real exchange with Pascal, an ongoing dialogue that truly nourished our creativity,” shared Côté-Mouzannar. “Together, we worked to balance [Gaurin’s] original idea with a vibrant, expressive sensuality. The plum became the key expression of that ‘purple feeling’–emotional trigger, juicy, bold, slightly liquorous.”

Gaurin added that the goal wasn’t to repeat what already existed with this scent. Instead, it was about enriching the collection.

“The original Born in Roma is luminous and modern; Purple brings a new layer, something deeper, more sensual, more magnetic,” he noted. “It introduces liquorous and mysterious facets that were not yet explored, while remaining unmistakably part of the Born in Roma DNA.”

The Notes

Per usual, both fragrances are housed in Valentino’s signature Rockstud bottles, reimagined in a “melancholia purple” shade with black leather detailing.

Belonging to the “warm, floral, and fruity” olfactory family, Donna Born in Roma Purple Melancholia starts with a burst of radiant plum. Côté-Mouzannar explained that, because plum doesn’t exist as a natural extract in perfumery, they were able to create an idealized accord that’s “more intense, more contrasted, more sensual than nature itself.”

“The fruitiness is my favorite facet. It gives the fragrance its personality. It’s joyful, bold, and immediately captivating,” she added.

After the plum settles, you’re led into a heart note of osmanthus that Gaurin is particularly fond of.

“Osmanthus has a multifaceted character, at the crossroads of many olfactive tones. I particularly love how this little flower creates a smooth, enveloping transition from vibrant brightness to sensual warmth,” he explained. “In Born in Roma Donna Purple Melancholia, it enhances the juicy plum and blackcurrant notes while adding contrast and sophistication, reinforcing the fragrance’s edgy personality.”

And when the fragrance finally dries down, you’re left with lingering sweetness via sensual vanilla and comforting musks.

“I also love how osmanthus connects beautifully with the chypre structure. Its slightly dark, ambery character enriches the woody base, especially patchouli, reinforcing depth, trail and long lasting,” the perfumer added. “The fragrance evolves from a lighter shade to a deeper, more intense purple, gaining richness and sensuality over time.”