Women’s Perfume Essens W198 — a Fragrance Inspired by Valentino Voce Viva

A floral fragrance — delicate, airy and effortlessly Italian

🏛️ The Legend of Valentino Voce Viva

Voce Viva was launched in 2020 under the leadership of Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, who took the role in 2016 and had already released other fragrances for the house before Voce Viva, including Valentino Donna and Valentino Valentina. So Voce Viva is not his first perfume project, but it is the one that became the loudest. The composition was created by perfumers Honorine Blanc and Amandine Clerc-Marie from Firmenich.

🌈 The gender-neutral stance. Unlike most luxury launches, Valentino positioned Voce Viva not as a «women’s fragrance» but as gender-neutral. The brand representatives stated directly, «It is a fragrance for everyone, without a specific gender. We do not say it is for women or for men, we speak of people». In stores it is sold in the women’s section, but conceptually it is a universal fragrance about the voice, not about gender.

🌸 The fragrance pyramid. Top notes are mandarin, bergamot and ginger. The heart is orange blossom and gardenia, with some retailer descriptions also mentioning jasmine, but in the official pyramid it is not singled out as a separate note. The base is vanilla, tonka bean, musk, sandalwood and oakmoss. The fragrance belongs to the floral-woody-musky group. The start is sparkling, mandarin with bergamot and the piquant sharpness of ginger. In the heart a white-floral duet of orange blossom and gardenia, sweet-creamy and sensual. The base is warm, musky-woody, with vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood, oakmoss and soft musk.

🎬 The campaign. The face of Voce Viva became Lady Gaga, whose image of a generational voice and bold self-expression perfectly matched the concept of the fragrance. The commercial was directed by Harmony Korine, known for the films «Spring Breakers» and «Gummo». The shooting took place in a forest near Los Angeles during the pandemic. Lady Gaga appeared in a Valentino gown with a V-shaped neckline and sang the song «Sine from Above» from the album Chromatica (2020). She was then joined by a choir of different voices and faces, a metaphor for inclusivity and diversity. The campaign photography was shot by the duo Inez & Vinoodh.

💎 The bottle. A rectangular block of transparent glass with smooth facets and notches on the sides, through which light passes to form a V-shaped silhouette. The cap and collar are adorned with the signature Rockstud spikes, referencing Roman architecture and Valentino aesthetics. The vibrant red of the cap contrasts with the golden liquid inside.

📖 Stories of the Notes

🍋 Bergamot is a citrus grown in southern Italy, in Calabria. Its cold-pressed oil gives a sparkling bitterness and light sweetness, and in perfumery bergamot is prized for its ability to simultaneously refresh and lend nobility to a composition. It is bergamot that opens Voce Viva, setting a ringing, confident start.

🌹 Rose is the queen of the floral world and one of the oldest perfume notes. In Voce Viva the rose is not sweet or jammy but fresh, slightly cool, with a light green edge. It gives the start classic elegance and depth.

🌸 Jasmine is a snow-white flower whose scent is simultaneously sweet, sensual and slightly intoxicating. In perfumery jasmine has been used since ancient times, and in the 20th century it became a symbol of feminine elegance. In the heart of W198 it gives soft sensuality and floral depth.

🦌 Musk is a base note that sounds like warm skin and clean linen. Modern musk is synthetic, it has nothing to do with animal origin, and is prized for its ability to make a fragrance a «second skin». In W198 musk anchors the composition and leaves an elegant lasting trail.

👤 Portrait of the W198 Woman

She knows her worth but does not shout about it. Her voice sounds calm and confident, and that is exactly why people listen. She lives at her own rhythm, loves simple things, knows how to enjoy the moment and does not waste time on the unnecessary.

Her style is elegant simplicity, light fabrics, natural shades, minimal jewelry. She is not afraid to be different, nighttime and daytime, gentle and bold. It is precisely this versatility that makes her truly modern.

Essens W198 suits her in any season. In spring it sounds in unison with the first flowers. In summer it refreshes and adds lightness. In autumn and winter it warms with a warm musky base. This is a fragrance for the one who values freedom of self-expression and is not afraid to speak up.

⚖️ Original and Essens W198 Side by Side

The only difference is the price and the bottle. The scent remains recognizable from the first seconds, a sparkling citrus-floral start, a delicate white-floral heart and a soft musky base.

✨ Essens W198 women’s perfume is a refined floral fragrance unfolding with a delicate trail of an Italian garden. It has absorbed the magic of Roman luxury — it is an exact dupe of the legendary Valentino Voce Viva. Every drop carries the refined accord familiar to fans of the original. It gives a feeling of joy and confidence while remaining affordable luxury.

A delicate, radiant fragrance for spring and autumn, and for any moment when you want to feel on top of the world. Try it and see for yourself.