ESScent Of The Week: Valentino’s Purple Melancholia Is A Darker Take On Born In Roma

To know me is to know that Valentino’s Donna Born in Roma sits firmly on my Mount Rushmore of fragrance favorites.

It’s a scent I come back to over and over again and it never once lets me down. Date nights, homecoming tailgates, airline rides, concerts, sporting events… you name it, I’ve worn it there. So when Valentino announced a new chapter in the Born in Roma world, I had the same energy I get when one of my favorite artists is dropping their sophomore or junior album, especially after their debut album was a banger. I’m going to support them no matter what, but on the other hand I’m silently praying they don’t let me down. So when I got my hands on Born in Roma Purple Melancholia, I took my time with it before I said anything at all.

And now, I’m ready to speak my piece.

The concept behind this one is genuinely beautiful. Valentino built it around the idea of “who is your purple,” meaning the person in your life whose presence draws out the very best in you. No pressure, Valentino. Both the Donna ($180/100mL) and Uomo ($136/100mL) versions come in the iconic Rockstud bottle, now reimagined in this deep, moody purple with black leather detailing, and honestly the bottle alone will make you want to put it on your vanity whether you’ve smelled it or not.

Why I love it: This one surprised me. I sprayed it expecting something in the same universe as the original Donna and what I got instead was a dark wave of blackberry and blackcurrant. The plum is listed in the notes but the berries show up first and they show up loud, honey. Now, sweet fragrances can go wrong very quickly, but this never once crossed that line into feeling fruity or cheap. It never went powdery or cloying on me, which I was half expecting, and once that opening started to calm down a woodier, darker quality came through that made the whole thing feel a lot more interesting. I wore this around the house for an entire afternoon and lost track of how many times I stopped what I was doing just to smell my wrist.

By the dry-down, the plum has deepened and the vanilla is fully present and this is the point where I started to recognize a little Donna in there. Just a little though, because this fragrance is not Donna and I want to be very clear about that. Donna is soft and pretty and easy to love. Purple Melancholia has an edge to it. It’s darker and bolder, and honestly it’s the first flanker in this whole franchise that I think could survive without the Born in Roma name behind it.

Now, full transparency: the osmanthus note is not my favorite, and it does show up here. If you’ve ever worn JPG La Belle Fleur, you might catch a thread of familiarity, and that note is probably why. Purple Melancholia wears lighter and brighter and sweeter than La Belle Fleur, so it doesn’t bother me the way it might in a heavier composition, but it does keep this just outside the territory of a full love for me personally. It’s a strong, strong like. The dry-down vanilla? An absolute yes. The full fragrance? Impressive. The osmanthus just isn’t my thing. So what I will say is that if osmanthus doesn’t bother you at all, you might love this even more than I do, and that’s saying something.

Perfect pairings: If you really want to lean into the dark, moody energy of Purple Melancholia, try layering it underneath YSL Black Opium. The coffee and vanilla base in Black Opium go well against the plum and berry opening in Purple Melancholia, and together they create a rich, almost addictive depth that is perfect for a date night, or a night out on the town. For something that plays up the vanilla drydown specifically, Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace is a really gorgeous complement. The warmth and woodsmoke in By the Fireplace wraps around Purple Melancholia’s softer base notes and creates a cozy, sophisticated skin scent that wears beautifully into the evening. And if you want something that brings a little brightness to balance all that depth, try layering Purple Melancholia over a light spritz of Chanel Chance Eau Tendre. The citrus and jasmine in Chance Tendre lifts the opening just enough to give this a softer, more wearable daytime feel without stripping away any of the personality that makes this fragrance worth talking about in the first place.

Final verdict: Donna loyalists, this is not a replacement and I don’t want you going in expecting it to be. But I will say your next Sephora trip needs to include a stop at the Valentino counter. Just go smell it. You’ll understand.

Born in Roma Purple Melancholia is available now at Sephora.com and Valentino Beauty retailers.

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