Women’s Perfume Essens W200 — a Fragrance Inspired by Valentino Donna Born In Roma

A floral fragrance — delicate, spicy and elegantly Roman

🏛️ The Legend of Valentino Donna Born In Roma

Donna Born In Roma was launched in the summer of 2019 and became one of the loudest premieres of the Italian house of Valentino in perfumery. The composition was created by perfumers Honorine Blanc and Amandine Clerc-Marie from Firmenich. The men’s version Uomo Born In Roma was created by a different team, Guillaume Flavigny and Antoine Maisondieu.

🏛️ Rome as a philosophy. The name Born In Roma translates as «Born in Rome». Pierpaolo Piccioli formulated the idea this way, «You do not have to be born in Rome to feel Roman». It is about identity, not geography, the fragrance speaks to those who share the Roman spirit of freedom and beauty, wherever they live. The philosophy of the brand is built on the contrast of ancient and modern, aristocracy and street culture. Pink is both punk and poetic, and the contrast of pink liquid and black bottle with spikes is the visual embodiment of this duality.

🌸 The fragrance pyramid. Top notes are black currant, pink pepper and bergamot. The heart is three types of jasmine, regular jasmine, jasmine sambac and jasmine tea. The base is bourbon vanilla, cashmeran and guaiac wood. The brand itself calls the fragrance a «couture floriental of three jasmines», while Fragrantica classifies it as Oriental Floral. Bourbon vanilla is specifically highlighted as one of the most expensive ingredients in modern perfumery, and guaiac wood adds smoky woody depth to the base.

🎬 The campaign. The face of Donna Born In Roma became American model Adut Akech. The face of the men’s version Uomo became Anwar Hadid, the younger brother of supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid. In the campaign they played a couple strolling through Rome and ending up at a party in an ancient palazzo, later they also starred in the Born In Roma Intense campaign. The commercial was directed by Harmony Korine, the director of «Spring Breakers» and «Gummo», the same one who later directed the Voce Viva campaign with Lady Gaga. The shooting took place at the Villa Aldobrandini in Frascati, near Rome. The photography was by the legendary duo Inez & Vinoodh.

💎 The bottle. A rectangular faceted bottle with pyramidal Rockstud spikes across the entire surface. Inspired not by a column but by the decor of Roman palazzos and the architectural elements of Rome. The Rockstud spikes are the signature mark of Valentino, referencing Roman architecture. The fragrance was created within the licensing agreement between Valentino and L’Oréal, extended in 2018, a year before the launch of Born In Roma.

⏳ The line. Born In Roma has grown into one of the most extensive series of Valentino. Donna Born In Roma (2019, the original), Uomo Born In Roma (2019, men’s version), Yellow Dream (2021, lemon, rose and musk for Donna, ginger, pineapple and vanilla for Uomo), Coral Fantasy (2022, kiwi, orange and rose for Donna, bergamot, cardamom and apple for Uomo), Intense (2023, amber-jasmine version), Green Stravaganza (2024, lapsang souchong, jasmine and vanilla), Purple Melancholia (2025), Extradose (concentrated version) and the limited edition The Gold. On Fragrantica the fragrance is often compared to Lancôme La Vie Est Belle and Armani My Way, called «a mass pleasant perfume that people love to hate» for its accessibility and safety, but fans note that the original remains the most balanced version of the line.

📖 Stories of the Notes

🍇 Black currant is a berry with a characteristic tart-sour note and a light «catty» piquancy. In perfumery it is prized for its ability to give a composition brightness and juiciness. In Born In Roma black currant opens the fragrance together with bergamot and creates a sparkling, bold start.

🌶️ Pink pepper is a spice with a warm, slightly woody sharpness. It is not pungent in the culinary sense, but rather spicy-floral. In Born In Roma pepper adds piquancy to the start and distinguishes the fragrance from dozens of purely berry compositions.

🌸 Jasmine sambac is one of the most expensive floral components in perfumery, Indian jasmine harvested at night. Its scent is simultaneously sweet, sensual and slightly intoxicating. In the heart of Born In Roma it softens the spicy start and gives the composition elegance.

🧣 Cashmeran is a synthetic molecule that creates the feeling of soft cashmere and warm skin. It gives the base a velvety texture and an enveloping effect, which makes Born In Roma feel cozy and wearable even in cool weather.

👤 Portrait of the W200 Woman

She was born in a city where beauty and chaos go hand in hand. She loves morning espresso on the go, evening walks along cobblestone streets and conversations until dawn. She is confident without loud declarations and knows how to be both gentle and bold.

Her style is contrast, a leather jacket over a silk dress, sneakers with a skirt, bright lipstick and minimal jewelry. She is not afraid to mix the unmixable, because that is exactly where her strength and her taste lie.

Essens W200 suits her at any time of year. In spring and autumn it sounds especially harmonious, in summer it refreshes with spicy currant, and in winter it warms with cashmeran and vanilla. This is a fragrance for the one who lives by her own rules and is not afraid to be noticed.

⚖️ Original and Essens W200 Side by Side

The only difference is the price and the bottle. The scent remains recognizable from the first seconds, a spicy-berry start, a sensual jasmine center and a warm cashmeran-vanilla base.

✨ Essens W200 women’s perfume is a spicy-floral fragrance unfolding with a sparkling trail of black currant and bergamot. It has absorbed the bold aesthetics of modern Rome — it is an exact dupe of the legendary Valentino Donna Born In Roma. Every drop carries the recognizable accord familiar to fans of the original. It gives a feeling of confidence and elegance while remaining affordable luxury.

A bright, spicy fragrance for any season, and for any day when you want to feel on top of the world. Try it and see for yourself.