Developing best-selling fragrances is nothing new for Valentino. The luxury brand released its inaugural scent, Valentino di Valentino eau de toilette, in the late ’70s. It gained initial traction in the beauty industry through word of mouth from high-profile fans like Jane Birkin and Pierre Cardin. Since the days of disco, Valentino’s signature fragrances and studded bottles have become well-known in modern perfumery as an extension of the house’s statement-making fashion pieces.
Valentino Beauty’s new seven-piece Anatomy of Dreams collection is the latest addition to the brand’s scent family, created with the prestige consumer and the hedonistic spirit of Rome in mind. Featuring the ambery Sogno in Rosso and Notte d’Oro, floral L’Innocence de L’Air and Private Talk, woody Punk Romantic and Behind the Seen, and chypre of Club Couture, the perfumes contain unique sets of genderless scent accords that are likely different from anything in your perfume or cologne wardrobe. Each bottle is topped with a studded glass cap and accented with a dimensional stud that reflects the color of the fragrance, as well as a piece of canvas fabric used in Valentino’s recent haute-couture collection.
I joined the brand in Paris to learn more about Anatomy of Dreams, straight from the professional noses who created it. Keep reading for an exclusive look at the creation process behind Valentino’s new fragrance offering, along with more on the individual scent journeys each “dream” is designed to take you on.
Sogno in Rosso parfum
Scent profile
Ambery, spicy
- Top notes: black pepper essence, juniper berry essence, petitgrain essence
- Heart notes: incense DM essence, orange blossom absolute, latte foam accord
- Base notes: sandalwood heart, vanilla bourbon premium infusion Madagascar, ambergris accord
The inspiration
Sogno in Rosso provides its wearer with a cozy yet sensual scent experience. Principal perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin tells Bazaar that he kept two elements of the maison’s brand DNA in mind within the fragrance. “The first element was this idea of red, which is the iconic color of Valentino,” Pellegrin says. “The other is the essence of Valentino itself: its chic and elegant side, very Italian.”
The artisan also blended Sogno in Rosso with a milk-foam note for additional depth. He intended for the accord to add texture, sensuality, and character without being too sticky or sweet. “For the color, I chose to work with spicy notes, especially black pepper, for its vibrant and modern tones. There’s a contrast between this addictive milk foam and the pepper that gives it something unexpected,” Pellegrin explains. Sogno in Rosso’s combination of ambery and spicy notes helps create a bold yet comforting sensorial escape.
L’Innocence de L’Air parfum
Scent profile
Fresh, floral
- Top notes: superessence green mandarin Italy, angelica seeds essence
- Heart notes: ambrette Guatemala absolute, rose centifolia infusion, rose damascena absolute
- Base notes: musks, suederal
The inspiration
Master perfumer Nathalie Lorson tells Bazaar that inspiration for the fresh and floral L’Innocence de L’Air composition stems from qualities she loves most about the brand. “It’s the blend of timeless elegance, impeccable and modern cuts, all imbued with Italian sophistication,” Lorson explains. “I had all these aspects in mind when I created this perfume. I wanted a certain fluidity in this composition. It is a very pure, ethereal, and radiant atmosphere that captures the essence of nature’s unspoiled beauty,” she notes. The white color of the fragrance itself also gives the expert a feeling of being free and without limits. According to Lorson, L’Innocence de L’Air parfum’s scent aims to be associated with a sense of joy the wearer may have while living life “intensely.”
Private Talk parfum
Scent profile
Floral, ambery
- Top notes: ginger essence, ginger
- Heart notes: tuberose absolute heart India, tuberose absolute ylang essence, cappuccino accord
- Base notes: sandalwood heart, cedarwood Virginia essence, white musks
The inspiration
For renowned fragrance expert Nicolas Bonneville, the anatomy of Private Talk was formed from a personal memory. “Drinking coffee on my terrace in Paris during the summer, surrounded by tuberose,” he reminisces. “This unexpected encounter made a mark on me. I wanted to translate it into perfume.” Private Talk channels the combination of simplicity and intimacy, much like enjoying a cup of coffee on a flower-lined terrace. Expect this bright, ambery, and 2024 Bazaar Fragrance Award–winning scent to mentally transport you to the warmer days of summer and the potential serendipity of running into a special someone. “It is a fragrance that evokes the privileged moment between two people,” Bonneville shares. “It is the memory of an unexpected encounter—life’s surprises that catch us off guard.”
Club Couture parfum
Scent profile
Chypre, fruity
- Top notes: bergamot heart, bitter orange oil, mandarin oil
- Heart notes: fig accord, orange flower absolute, orris accord
- Base notes: cedarwood oil, patchouli Bali oil, musks
The inspiration
At the heart of Club Couture parfum is fig accord, a powerful, earthy note its perfumer Andrew Everett fell in love with while living in Italy. “It was an obvious choice for Anatomy of Dreams,” he says. “I actually created my first fig accord years ago, but it was the starting point for this formula. I then tried to make it more complex, to give it a lot of refinement.”
Club Couture expertly personifies the combination of sophistication, brilliance, and seduction in a bottle. “With iris and patchouli, there is a very sophisticated approach. With the green notes of fig, there is a luminous touch but also a niche, haute couture character,” Everett adds. The scent is also grounded by a blend of seductive base notes, thanks to patchouli Bali oil, cedarwood oil, and musk. “This fragrance creates a positive energy through sensations of Mediterranean freshness, with a lot of elegance,” Everett explains.
Behind the Seen parfum
Scent profile
Woody, spicy
- Top notes: turmeric leaf oil
- Heart notes: hazel wood accord, geranium oil, orris accord
- Base notes: cedarwood oil, vetiver heart, sandalwood heart
The inspiration
Valentino Beauty’s Behind the Seen parfum was inspired by scents that remind perfumer Delphine LeBeau of her childhood. “My great aunt had a property in the south of France, with hazelnut trees in the garden. I crafted this hazelnut-wood accord to encapsulate this memory,” she says.
LeBeau explains that along with cherished family memories, Behind the Seen’s distinctive blend also embodies everything she loves about scent in general. “[It combines] the sleek and divine iris texture in the heart and powerful elegance of vetiver, which is one of my favorite raw materials in perfumery. A blend of high-quality woods like vetiver and a bit of patchouli, with earthy and enveloping intensity, resonates with the addictive texture of a hazelnut accord, enriched with tonka bean, to create an elegant, modern scent.”
According to LeBeau, Behind the Seen’s composition ultimately aims to bring its wearer to a place of delight and happiness. The well-rounded scent also aims to capture the delicate feminine and masculine balance of nature. “I wanted to create a fragrance that would make people feel good,” she shares. “By using the addictive effect of hazelnut wood, I tried to offer something reassuring and warm that hopefully takes you back to childhood.”
Punk Romantic parfum
Scent profile
Ambery, woody
- Top notes: black pepper oil
- Heart notes: juniper berry oil, olive wood accord
- Base notes: sandalwood heart, vanilla bourbon premium extract Madagascar, musks
The inspiration
Punk Romantic’s vanilla-bourbon-extract base is inspired by scent expert Fanny Bal’s love of the vanilla note. “I wanted to create a new olfactive story with vanilla bean. It’s a universal ingredient, but it allows so many creative possibilities,” she says. “I was looking for a new twist.” Bal adds that the fragrance’s spicy earthiness is due to the richness of vanilla bean, infused with spices and resins, with the unexpected authenticity of an olive-wood accord. “These vibrant top notes give a lot of verticality to the architecture, with black and pink peppers blended with elemi and juniper berries, contrasting with the warmth of the woody base, enriched with resins, vanilla, and sensual musks.” The perfumer’s intention is for the scent to take its wearer to a place that feels confident and bold. “It encourages the wearer to embrace individuality,” she adds, “creating a sense of empowerment and self-assurance.”
Notte d’Oro parfum
Scent profile
Woody, ambery
- Top notes: sweet orange oil, grapefruit oil, black cherry accord
- Heart notes: jasmine absolute heart India, geranium oil, rose oil
- Base notes: patchouli oil, sandalwood heart, oud oil
The inspiration
“I rediscovered oud wood, this emblematic raw material,” Notte d’Oro parfum creator Paul Guerlain says of the enduring ingredient, which piqued his creative interest during a recent trip to the Middle East. “There, oud is absolutely everywhere. I had a kind of revelation,” he explains. “With so many different facets, the olfactive richness of oud is fascinating.”
The perfumer looked to embody oud in a new way for Notte d’Oro, pairing it with an ultra-addictive yet almost regressive almond note to balance the scent. “I wanted something accessible, bright, and warm, without being too dark,” Guerlain adds. He also infused the rich, ambery juice with fruit-forward notes of sweet orange oil, black-cherry accord, and grapefruit oil, along with floral jasmine absolute heart India and rose oil to soften its woodiness. “For me, Notte d’Oro gives a solar aura, bringing character and self-assurance,” the perfumer explains. “I also would like people who smell Notte d’Oro to be seduced by the sensuality of this wood.”
Scents from Valentino Beauty’s Anatomy of Dreams collection start at $165 for 30 milliliter bottles and $330 for 100 milliliter bottles.
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