VALENTINO
Born in Roma Donna EXTRADOSE
2025
PERFUMER
Honorine Blanc
bergamot
mandarin
blackcurrant
jasmine sambac absolute
rum
amber
vanilla
‘Born in Roma Donna Extradose is a floral ambery fragrance that opens the door to an inviting olfactive experience. This parfum is amplified by an extra dose of vanilla, fresh floral notes and warm amber notes. Donna Extradose opens with a top note of a playful cassis accord. At the heart is the liquor-like, highly concentrated rhum accord revealing a modern feminine olfactive experience. The base note showcases a sweet yet intense extra-doses of vanilla, amplifying the intensity and addiction to the scent.’ – Valentino Beauty
If you want a loud, noticeable and very sweet fragrance, Valentino has got you covered. Going by the notes and description of the brand, in my experience, the top notes and ‘playful’ fruitiness are by and large overstated. There is some sharp, tangy facet for a brief moment, but Donna Extradose dives head first into sweetness.
A lot of vanilla. The notes and description never really registered with me before, but given the pink bottle, I was expecting something slightly different. Apparently the extradose here stands for an extra dose of vanilla.
Aside from the vanilla, I get an experience closer to coconut and sun-tan lotion, but admittedly in an airy, floral fashion, rather than the usual milky, creamy one. The way I perceived it, no rum or booziness. A lot of people do mention that this is very boozy and syrupy to them though, so you’d have to figure out for yourself how it wears on you. I wouldn’t have doubted it for a second if Extradose was pitched as a yellowish, sun-tan lotion, beach aesthetic fragrance instead.
The jasmine is, as so often in these bigger designer release, a completely non-descript floral vibe that barely, if at all, registers as jasmine to my nose. Especially with this being such a sweet fragrance, the floral essence is here for the first couple of hours, but it doesn’t come across like a floral fragrance at all.
Instead, this is a screechy, airy, but powerful vanillic amber that grows somewhat harsh as it keeps on going (and going and going). As far as the most negative facet goes, I’m not a fan of the texture and loudness of Donna Extradose at all and the later drydown feels like it becomes less and less pleasant to my nose. Most positive would be that I smell actually vanilla and not just sugar. This style of fragrance (usually) borders on obnoxious to me, but the first couple of hours manage to be just pleasant enough to not bother me. Not my style by any means, but if you’re looking for a big vanilla women’s designer, you could be worse off for sure.