Valentino was founded in Rome in 1960 by Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti, and the Born in Roma perfumes are the house's most literal love letter to the city. The bottle is covered in the Rockstud, the pyramid stud the house took from the facades of Roman palazzos, and it makes even a travel spray look like a piece of hardware. Valentino Coral Fantasy came out in 2022, created by Nadège Le Garlantezec and Jacques Huclier and inspired by a Roman sunset. It is bright with orange, kiwi and rose, softened by jasmine, ambrette and musk, and it wears lighter than the original. The Uomo version pairs apple with sage and tobacco, and it sits closer to the Donna than you would expect, so it is easy to share. The travel spray is the same Donna scent in a size that fits a clutch. The original Donna, with bourbon vanilla and jasmine, is the one Coral Fantasy grew out of, so smell them side by side. It is a summer perfume, and it fades faster than the richer bottles in the next row.

The second row is where the line gets heavier. Intense adds amber to the jasmine and leaves a long trail, and Extradose is a parfum with a cassis and rum accord over vanilla, the sweetest of the four. Green Stravaganza swaps some of the sweetness for a tea accord with jasmine, which is my pick for anyone who finds a vanilla perfume too much. Purple Melancholia is Mirabelle plum, jasmine absolute and Madagascar vanilla, dark and a little moody. The line was created with Pierpaolo Piccioli, then creative director, who drew on his own Roman heritage, and each color reads like a different evening in the city.

The mists are limited editions, and they are the easiest way into the line. Vanilla Bliss is ambery and gourmand, Caramel Crush is a toffee gourmand, Salty Pistachio is a floral amber with creamy pistachio facets, and Golden Coconut is floral and musky. They work on hair as well as skin, and they are light enough to reapply during the day. What I would skip is layering a mist over Extradose. The sweetness doubles, and the brightness of Coral Fantasy disappears. Pair the mists with Coral Fantasy or Green Stravaganza instead. Spray them on your hair from arm's length, never up close.

Coral Fantasy for summer and daytime, the original Donna if you like vanilla, and Purple Melancholia for evenings. If you are unsure, start with the travel spray. L'Oréal has held the Valentino fragrance license since 2019, and the line keeps adding colors. The stud bottle stays the same, and it looks good enough to leave out on a dresser. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Valentino Yellow Dream and the Bright, Sunny Perfumes to Wear With It and Ariana Grande Perfume, From Cloud to the Newer Vanilla Bottles.