Being a huge fan of Valentino’s couture collections, I’m always a little dismayed by the fact that I only own a single Valentino fragrance — 1991’s masterpiece, Vendetta pour Homme. Although a couple of Valentino’s women’s perfumes intrigue me, I’ve never really gotten to know them; likewise, 1999’s Very Valentino for Men smelled pleasant enough, but never really grabbed me. So, it was with high hopes that I tested the new V Pour Homme, a subtly sweet blend of bergamot, mandarin, basil, pink peppercorn, transparent floral, jasmine, mace, cumin, ambrette seed, cedarwood, sandalwood, vanilla, dry amber and musk.

Last year’s initial launch in the V family of fragrances, V Pour Femme, was a soft, ambery floral and I’m pleased to say that V Pour Homme follows the theme rather well with sweet floral notes lifting the warmer amber and woods. V opens with a light and fresh yet peppery accord of citrus and jasmine. As the fragrance progresses, the sweetness of the jasmine becomes slightly more pronounced before finally relaxing into the background of darker base notes…

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