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kung – :
Acqua is a strange name for this perfume. This is definitely not an aquatic
gflibq – :
I get a sweet fruity floral pear opening with a good almond heart. Cozy yet beautiful. The almond is quality like sweet oriental dream by montale but not as powdery which I really appreciate. Will repurchase.
chdmma – :
I bought this for my other half a few months back. I personally love it on her and she is continually asked by friends and family ‘oh what’s that lovely perfume you’re wearing?’
On a recent family holiday, all her female relatives would keep pooping into our room to ‘borrow’ some!
Pluton19811972 – :
It’s on my current wishlist because I love almonds, especially when they are sweet and delicious in a fragrance. For example, in Etro Heliotrope I feel like I taste a glass of amaretto, but in this fragrance they are creamy, sweet and intimate. I can feel the presence of a sweet cherry pulp, very strong, almost glazed. Maybe it’s juiciness comes from the pear, I don’t know actually.
Clearly, this is a perfume made for the cold season!
General impression: Love! A true flanker, not a copy of the very different lipstick vibe that I get from the original Donna (also a true love and a strong presence on my wishlist).
витаминка123 – :
This scent is fantastically sweet and cozy! I don’t think it is a summer scent so the Acqua label doesn’t make sense to me but it will be an amazing Autumn addiction to my wardrobe. It is sugary and syrupy but not too young. I love it and I am happy I do since this was a blind buy.
vavilin.mikh – :
Mmm well without knowing the notes ahead of time I had no idea it was almond in it lol but it’s sweet and reminded me of a sophisticated cotton candy:) but a bit of a nutty and dash of spice so yes it’s good! Kind of reminds me of jimmy Choo a little it smells expensive which it is lol
larisadidyr – :
I was going to review this once it had a chance to settle into my skin – after about 2 hours – but it has nearly disappeared!
All I can smell now is faint candyfloss.
It started off really well, fairly strong and had a lovely scent of cherry Bakewell tarts. After an hour, it turned into what smelled like cherry shampoo with a hint of green nature. It wasn’t radiating at that point.
If you want something similar to this but better, get Montale’s Mukhallat or even Cheryl Cole’s Stormflower. Both perform much better.
-ManFan- – :
Starts promising – you can experience the clash of slightly bitter almond note and the sweet pear one. Unfortunately it stays mainly bitter on me, the flowery notes absent. Like an almond medicine, with low projection and longevity. The temperature is now about 20-30 degrees celsius – maybe it needs colder wearher to bloom on me?
Flixi2 – :
Smells like pure almond oil to me. I like it. It’s sweet and comforting. If you love the smell of almond oil and almond extract and wish you could find those in perfume, here’s your answer. I personally did not smell much of any of the other notes. It was an almond bomb from first sniff for me.
Longevity is very, very poor. You’ll need to carry a decant with you for touch up.
Кинзябаев ильгиз – :
The almond note is very intense, sharp. Almond sharpness is like Elie Saab- Girl of Now.
If you love almond note, you’ll definitely love this scent!
Its good scent but not speacial for me.
mirgorodskiy_33175 – :
Sparkly, sweet, synthetic food/cosmetic pear and cherries. Not too much sweet or gourmand. Feminine, young, cheerful. In a way innocent due to resemblance with sweet fruity candies and chopsticks. Fun fragrance. Later more almonds and wood join, that makes this perfume more elegant and suited for woman. Inoffensive to most people, but not entirely office safe. Bit on candy-woman side.
egorochkin111 – :
I really like this. It’s a sophisticated fruit. It reminds me a lot of Prada Candy Floss in that it’s sweet and there’s like a cherry/almond thing going on in the top notes. It’s interesting and I only tried this on paper so no idea how it develops but it smells more floral and mature/formal than Candy. It’s like late summer, late afternoon, Florence as opposed to Capri. It’s very pleasant, sweet and strong so I imagine it’ll last long. A good blind buy if you like fruity scents with a twist.
jackass33 – :
Why in the world is this called Acqua when it has nothing to do with the acqua(tic) group. (It doesn’ really feel like it has watery notes but it doesn’t sound fair to call it a watered down version of Donna either because that would make it sound like a rip-off and this totally isn’t! Just lighter like an almondy L’eau version of the EDP.)
It actually smells like if Valetino Donna and Chanel Beige EDP met together some dark enchanted night underneath an almond tree in full bloom and had a beautiful perfume baby together.
It’s so lovely! I actually have Valentino Donna on my wish-list but these two are similar enough (Donna being much stronger and powerful and longer lasting/sillage like LVEB) that I feel like I can’t buy both. I will have to do a side-by-side wrist-by-wrist test to really decide which one I’ll have to go with because I really love this version but can’t justify getting both (then again, wouldn’t the two bottles look so cute next to each other?)
(And yes I know they share no notes together according to Fragrantica but I swear they still share a very strong DNA!)
stadnikmen – :
This is not as gourmand to my nose as other reviewer’s. I get mainly a light-hearted fresh scent. Especially perfect for Spring and Summer, if you like this one, that is. There is a sweetness, but it is not overpowering nor cloying nor synthetic. I can’t really pick apart the notes too much here, if anything I think the frangipani and pear are a bit more prominent than the almond to me, but really, nothing is overpowering the other notes. Nicely blended to my nose/on my skin. I like this one, but always seem to forget about this. I need to pull this one out more. It is very light and fresh, I like it. I think the reason I don’t use this more often is not good longevity, but I still enjoy this quite well. A nice fresh and light scent, which I appreciate when the heat and humidity roll in…
tolyan97 – :
The opening is a very sweet almond, really gourmand. Later, i get sweet and fresh flowers. It is a very pleasant fragrance, soft, peaceful and carefree. Great for spring. I find the name a bit misleading though, it is not aquatic and is completely different from the original Valentino Donna. This one is younger, more relaxed, a bit powdery. I like both, but don‘t find them really remarkable.
Try this if you like fresh and sweet or uncomplicated sweet florals.
mik747 – :
Love the frangipani in the beginning but it lasts too short. Sweet pear and a floral powdery part then comes along and a creamy almondy scent lingers rest of the day. It´s a complex scent and quite heavy on me. Not for every day but lovely sometimes. The bottle is the most beautiful ever!
lla321speagoessenda – :
Mmmm.. Yummy.. This is great!
It’s not something i typically would go after. The opening is very fruity, which normally isn’t my cup of tea. Also sweet, but not artificially, rather like ripe fruit sweet. But just let it settle – there come woody notes and slight bitterness. This is where i was sold! I don’t detect jasmine, but i don’t miss it here (although i generally love it).
This perfume is a perfect combination of smth fruity,floral and bitter-sweet. Like contrasts that were put together, but they work. I guess it’s what the advertisement shows: modern music and the vibes of old architecture.
This perfume is also a reminder for me, that warmer days are on their way 😉 A yes from me
ipod video converter – :
Very fruity/floral. Smells almost like a Cherry Starburst or Skittles. Slightly cloying but I enjoy it. Very delicious and somewhat fresh. Not like the original Donna which is powdery. In comparison it is more ‘aquatic’ but I wouldn’t have labelled it as such. As it is not a Cool Water or Light Blue.
empociami – :
I should just clarify – I can see that this isn’t a gourmand, but the very very sweet notes sound like it could be masquerading as one.
howards – :
I’ve been offered a small bottle but I’d like your advise please. As I don’t like gourmands (LVEB for example – sorry to those who adore it, it’s just not my taste), am I likely to like this, or should I tactfully decline and let it go to a more deserving nose? Thanking you in advance.
eem757speagoessenda – :
Like SailorV said, I don’t get the name either since I also don’t get any ‘aqua feeling’ from this scent.
To me it is quite sweet and powdery and gourmand.
I like it but I am not sure yet if I like it enough to buy.
vova.finansist – :
This would have been one of the most amazing fragrances ever created … the top notes are delicious beyond words and the heart notes are pretty and unique which is always a plus for me (I hate smelling like everyone else). The bottle is the most gorgeous bottle I’ve seen in thirty years (matched only by the original Donna). But like others have said, the show is over all too quickly. It’s summer here, so longevity may fare better in cooler months, but so far I’m only getting an hour out of each application, then it becomes a barely detectable skin scent. If you’re a perfume fanatic or bottle collector and don’t mind a fragrance that disappears faster than a firework, go ahead and purchase. If you’re saving your pennies for a perfume that performs … steer clear. The scent is absolutely stunning while it lasts though. Huge amounts of almond on a floral background … absolutely divine. Hopefully they’ll make an EDP version of this.
serjio24 – :
Uniqueness – 4/10
Longevity – 3/10
Sillage – 2/10
Value for money – 3/10
Best for: everyday wear, romantic date
Character: soft, feminine, romantic
I have tested it today, in cold (+1°C) and sunny day on my skin. Almond, vanilla and frangipani sweetness definitely stand out, I didn’t get any pear though. On my sleeve the drydown smells like sweet almond.
Overall, a very appropriate daytime or date scent, not offensive or ‘in your face’. I won’t purchase it just because of quite poor longevity (about 2h on my skin, 4-5 on fabric). Quite quickly it becomes a skin scent, while I like to feel my fragrance at least several hours.
The bottle is gorgeous! Would make a great gift if you know for sure that a person likes almond in fragrances. In my opinion, more blind-buy friendly than Valentino Donna.
vitalik378 – :
Ok so this was a blindbuy…I was so excited about the notes, but..Iam disappointed 🙁 It doesnt smell anything. Nothing! And it was so expensive, the perfume itself isnt bad, but it’s not interesting either..its like, I didnt feel anything when I smelled it. It didnt stand out 🙁 After one hour the faint scent was gone, can’t believe Valentino made this..huge letdown 🙁
svarnoy_69 – :
The name of this fragrance doesn’t make much sense to me. It’s neither aquatic, nor light and watery, and it’s not similar to Valentino Donna EDP at all.
But it’s beautiful in its own right!
The main note of Valentino Donna Acqua is almond. There is also a lot of pear, especially in the beginning. Both notes are bittersweet and beautiful. I sometimes get nail polish remover from pear notes and cloying cherry from almond notes, but both is absolutely not the case in this perfume.
The pear moves to the background after some time and at this stage reminds me more of pear juice than fresh pear. The almonds are rounded by a creamy accord, maybe from the florals that I can’t really single out and identify here. I do get the sandalwood in the base, giving the scent some slightly spiced warmth.
This is very feminine and deliciously gourmand, sweet, but never too much. Actually quite soft for a scent of this category (maybe that’s why it’s called Acqua), but still long lasting.
Must-try for almond lovers!
gjkboer-1 – :
I like the creamy, nutty almonds. Those go well with the slightly mystic sandalwood. The juicy pear smells nice in the opening. It’s not too fruity so this note doesn’t dominate the perfume. The frangipani note and other florals are very soft and feminine. This is a very likable scent which would make a great blind buy.
mdu207speagoessenda – :
I wanted to pass it just because of the term “acqua” in it’s name but it caught hubby’s eyes and he sprayed it on back of my hand.I lik it.it’s pretty,fresh,youthful also classy and there’s nothing aquatic in it.as soon as my husband sniffed my hand told me is there almond in it?almond is among my favorite notes and I don’t know why it didn’t come to my mind.actually when I first smell it,I didn’t think of any specific note,just that it’s well put together and it’s a little delicious but not a gourmand or too sweet at all
I don’t find it similar to original Donna,which is among my top favorites.I’m definitely going to test it again.a real test I mean.the only things I know for now is that,this is a spring, summer Perfume for me and that it has amazing longevity and sillage.it’s light and soft so I didn’t expect such a great projection.none of the perfumes I tested that day could beat it!by the way original Donna also lasts for years on my skin and has great sillage
Edit:I tried it again.
This time I could detect pear and almond from the very first minute.it’s all about almond,pear and beautiful,softly creamy florals.it’s alluring and refreshing while being sweet.the only reason I didn’t buy it was that it’s cold here.I’d rather wait for warmer days
AspellVeX – :
OMG, I see that even other reviewers have similar reactions trying to describe it with one word! (see WOW from the comment under) This reminds me a lot of Viva la juicy La Fleur EDT by Juicy Couture. They have similar vibes. I cannot disagree with those of you that find Burberry Brit EDT similar, but this is way fresher and younger.
Donna Acqua is elegant and ‘mature’, not that bubble-gummy/girly, nevertheless delicious. It’s ‘full’ if you get my point perfume with pear shinning bright. I had such a long time to be impressed by a perfume never tried before. Where was I living all this years? From now on I will pay more attention to the house of Valentino and although an EDT, I think it can even stay proudly next to La nuit tresor by Lancome. You can’t imagine how curious I am to try the original and very first Donna EDP edition. Strange but it wasn’t in the stand.
Conclusion: To me, Donna Acqua is fruity that follows latest trends without being generic. I dislike fruity perfumes as they have a ‘cheap’ effect (again I am talking only for my taste) but in some climates and summer time they can be nice. As I said pear is the protagonist but it’s a natural and yummy type of kind. Immediately almond follows and makes it addictive. It’s a type of liquor-amaretto that adds the gourmandise touch that I love. Jasmine makes it strong without being sharp, the ammount of it in the composition is just perfect. Sandalwood is noticeable. I can’t say something on frangipani or hawthorn. Lasting power is good and sillage even better. Thinking seriously of including it in my collection or try more from Valentino. A huge like, yet not love.
iderfedge – :
Wow! Obsessed. This smells so nice & sparkly in the beginning, and upon first sniff it reminded me of Burberry Brit Eau de Toilette, obviously because of the almond + prominent fruit combo. Although, this is almost a lighter version of that combo compared to BB EdT, since there’s no vanilla here. I’m kind of happy about that, since the vanilla made the BB EdT a bit too heavy for my liking. Later, it becomes more floral/creamy because of the frangipani, so good. I don’t like the Donna EdP (too powdery/rosey), but this I’m living for!
NoulgeNem – :
This is outstanding in my opinion. So different and good. It’s fresh and floral, but sweet at the same time.
Almost reminds me of Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire line. Sweet almond, fresh jasmine and delicious frangipani are the main notes in it.
It smells intriguing, so interesting right after spraying.
I think it’s my new favorite and the best perfume by Valentino so far in my opinion.
dfcz – :
Heaven in a bottle. Lovely and delicious almond scent. It has a unique sweetness. And I do believe that Heaven has a soft sweet powdery smell 🙂
P.S. I don’t like it. The top notes are so lovely and delicious, indeed, but the drydown…I feel it a bit cloying on my skin. But I think it’s just me, cause my colleagues loved it. I’m so disappointed… It’s just not my kind of sweetness.
wwwcam4com – :
Scrumptious! Myself and my sister tested this the other day. It is a beautiful mouthwatering scent. My sister said it smells like shortbread and to me it smells of Mr Kipling Angel slices, which are available in most supermarkerts in the UK. Almond and Pear are scrumptious when paired together in this. I own the original Donna which I also love. I really like this one, but as lovely as it is. It is crazily overpriced as projection and longevity are very weak, and this scent is so expensive here in the UK. Beautiful, but due to projection and longevity, I honestly couldn’t justify paying anymore than £30 for 50ml. If I see it going cheap on ebay, I will certainly bid for it though- it is lovely. Don’t understand the word acqua- it is not fresh and acquatic at all to my nose?!
Nerd87 – :
Completely different from its predecessor: Valentino donna edp is a gorgeous scent, a cyprus, a bit dusty and of great class, this edt version has a completely different olfactory pyramid and in the whole very sweet and fruity. In Valentino Donna Acqua the most remarkable note is almond, and I think it’s the fashion of the period, as we find it in many of the fragrances launched on the market in recent months. I think that unlike V.D. original, which is good for both girls and mature women, this flanker is more suitable for young teenagers. I prefer edp version
hovo3m – :
if you like almond this is for you !
it is amazing , super sweet almost syrup like, the sillage is very good it is very thick .
i also have burberry brit and i don’t think they have a lot in common burberry brit is fresher and more powdery valentino is richer deeper.
super nice
similar vibe as la petite robe noir
cwk19 – :
It’s cute but I don’t see how the scent is related to the original Donna? They have nothing in common. Original Donna is so perfect, powdery sweet and sexy. This new Acqua is just like any other generic pink fragrance only with a handful of almond, which makes it more special, but not special enough, certainly not as special as its perfect big sister.
xx00xx – :
Gorgeous fruity-almond perfume. Love at first “sniff”. Bought it right away, 100ml. Unfortunately, the longevity is rather weak (less than two hours and it was totally gone). While it lasts, it stays close to your skin. I wish it would last much longer.
Totally different from Donna. Young, fresh, sparkling scent. Suits for all generation and spring-summer time. The almond is rather sweet and is beautifully combined with pear, frangipani and jasmine. These are the component that I sense.
I cannot detect any sandalwood and only a hint of hawthorn. Almost not noticeable. If you look for a beautiful, attractive perfume, go for it. But again: id won’t last long.
nillvua – :
It starts off with a strong almondish vibe, then rather quickly the almond dissipates, and it has a bit of a burned nutty undertone…those top notes are challenging to me I admit..
It is very different from the original, definitely not as good..the drydown is rather non descriptive to my nose..although nicely soft and sweet..with a powdery nutty touch..
I think you need to love almond scents to enjoy this one
In truth the whole scent leaves me unimpressed..a blind buy that isn’t working so well for me…I didn’t really love the original, this one even less!!
I might try it again in the dead of winter !
tomin – :
smell like fresh cotton lundery
air wick -fresh cotton Air Freshener have the same smell
suselxxx – :
Beautiful and delicate, like sugared almonds in muslin tied with a satin ribbon.
alexander373 – :
Update: I tested this for a few more days and ended up going back to get it. Since the weather has warmed, I don’t get the dry sandalwood phase anymore. Donna Acqua is a very pretty, light creamy, sweet almond, fruity-floral – smells delicious on my skin. The dry down is so smooth like sweet cream and an all-around easy to wear scent.
I went to get this today but it didn’t turn out to be the light and fresh summer version of Donna that I thought it would be – actually, it doesn’t have anything to do with Donna at all. Donna Acqua is very pretty with frangiapani, almond, and pear but the sandalwood in the opening seemed a little dry to my nose – so I passed. As I went about my day, I kept getting whiffs of something creamy and delicious and I kept sniffing each of my arms (I tried on E Saab Resort on my other arm) to see which one it was and it was Donna Acqua! After this had warmed on my skin, it transformed into the most pleasantly soft, creamy nutty, sweetish, floral, fruity scent. I may have to get this after all!
kadriya36 – :
I was so happy to find it in Müller today! My first impression was a sweet and fresh gourmand (almond and pear), the almond gave also a cherry vibe but not in a super synthetic way (like i.e. Cherry in the air), after ah hour or so I could smell the frangipani that gives a creamy vibe. This is in no way a flanker of Donna (which I love) – it´s going to be my next purchase…exactly what I was looking for!
Denmonster18 – :
It starts very fruity, somewhat raspberry like, very bright and much sweeter than the original. I immediately smelled almond as well, fresher in the top snd much more intense and slightly bitter after a while. It is quite exotic and sweet, and creamy gourmand.
CoachBracelet5 – :
Just tried a sample of this on the back of my hand and absolutely love it – but that might be because it’s soooo much like another new favourite I’ve become addicted to: ‘Mon Guerlain’ (which I bought 2 weeks ago and now only have about 3 or 4 squirts left, out of a 50ml bottle). I’m loving sweet smells right now.
My next fragrance purchase was supposed to be ‘Gucci Bamboo’, because its clean fresh scent (that reminds me of ‘Boss Woman’) is the perfect antidote to the revolting, fetid, stickiness of summer. As I ploughed through my bottle of ‘Mon Guerlain’ so quickly though, I was considering replacing it with a second bottle first and postponing the ‘Gucci Bamboo’ until payday next month.
BUT…having just smelled this new flanker (I’ve never actually smelled the original ‘Valentino Donna’) and how much it reminds me of ‘Mon Guerlain’ (‘Donna Acqua’ has almond and frangipani notes listed and I have sworn blind I can smell almond in ‘Mon Guerlain’, despite it not being listed as one of the ingredients/notes) only with a slightly fresher vibe (pear notes?) I think I might be splashing out on a bottle of this instead, next week.
I’ll try them out side-by-side instore to see how similar they really are, but I also really like the bottle design on the ‘Valentino’ one, so if they’re hard to tell apart scent-wise, I’ll go with the pretty crystal faceted ‘Valentino Donna Acqua’.
koi634elipseskism – :
Top notes are soft sweet and promising, but later it’s just another simple floral, oriental based scent. Shame. I love the bottle.
bigtipica – :
I agree with the first reviewer. It opens up like Cherry Chapstick and after about 15mins it becomes a very bland fragrance. Imagine Donna EDP is Beyoncé and Acqua is Solange. The only way I can describe it.
sergei-1976 – :
We just got this into store today, I’ll be honest I’m not too impressed – it’s reminiscent of Prada Candy Gloss. Very sweet, but still light. I’m sure many people will enjoy it but at that price point I feel like you can find something much better that’s going to last far longer! I’ll admit though, I do like the bottle!
*edit* arghh I can be so so critical at first – yes it’s expensive, yes it’s not hugely long lasting but oh my, I really want this fragrance! The almond and pear notes keep pulling me back, I don’t know what it is about this fragrance but I really can’t stop smelling it!