Reviews of Valentino Uomo by Valentino

I had wanted to try this for a while and finally did. As someone who loves DHI, I found Uomo to be both sumptuous and excellent, but also its own perfume. More of Polge riffing on a theme, rather than copying his work at Dior. There's still lots of iris, so if that's not your thing, probably best to stay away. But rather than being sweet per se, the cocoa/Nutella vibe adds an enveloping richness to the overall scent and helps with the transition towards a lovely leathery drydown. Very classy, very sexy. The only thing is that I find it more synthetic than the Dior Homme line, and as such, you need to be more careful with the trigger. Less is indeed more here. And contrary to some comments, I find the bottle to be one of the most beautiful of all modern men's colognes. Looks stunning on my dresser and I reach for it often.

Decent fragrance if maybe not quite as good as the intense version.

Hazelnut, Iris, woody notes and musk are the order of the day!!

6/10

Too gourmand with chocolat and hazelnut, so féminine. i don't like anymore. It smells like makeup powder!

Valentino has had similar luck to Gucci with its perfume efforts, in that everything they released up until the 2010's was a false start that eventually saw discontinuation as the license for the perfume division of Valentino kept shifting hands. Past masculines for the house ran the gamut between leathery to sweet tobacco in the 1990's and early 2000's, eventually landing on a typical "freshy woody amber" as the 2000's drew to a close, with each scent signalling the discontinuation of the preceeding one which caused a fear-of-missing-out frenzy among fans; just look at the aftermarket prices for anything released prior to Valentino Uomo (2014) to see what I mean. This house-rebooting masculine pillar seems to have found success the others missed, as it has spawned numerous flankers in the years since, and has given some serious competition to houses like Chanel or Dior in the segment. The reason for this is simple: Valentino Uomo is a continuation of the concept perfumer Olivier Polge put forth in Dior Homme (2005) nearly a decade earlier, and he works with the same ionona-based iris compound he created for Givaudan when he made Dior Homme. From the very onset, it's clear Olivier Polge is continuing his work with Dior through Valentino, especially in light of François Demachay becoming house perfumer for Dior, tinkering with and reformulating all past Dior creations still in production to his liking in the process, although Valentiono Uomo shouldn't be considered a clone of the Dior either.

The opening of Valention Uomo separates itself from Olivier's past work with Dior by being a great deal more gourmand in nature and blended differently. The top notes of bergamot and myrtle are joined by the obvious iris note that this shares with Dior, and a bit of that cocoa is also present as this moves quickly into the heart, but Valentino Uomo is decidedly more Italian in personality by also including a gianduja or "Nutella" note as people outside Italy might recognize it. This chocolate hazelnut vibe is where Valentino Uomo differs the most from Dior Homme, although some may stretch that to say it rests somewhere between the original and intense variants of the latter. For me, it's "different enough to be different" if that makes sense, and the base certainly is not the same display of leathery dryness as Dior Homme. Make no mistake, there is a leather accord in Valentino Uomo considering their stock and trade as an Italian couture house, but cedar mixes with amber, labdanum, and vanilla to round this out far more completely, even if I wouldn't exactly call Valentino Uomo sweet. Wear time is over 8 hours and sillage is appreciable, although projection is thankfully not monstrous. If you enjoy iris masculines, you already know that they can flirt between the office and after-hours arenas fluently enough, and the same holds true with Valentino Uomo, I just wouldn't wear this in the heat. There may also be some unisex potential here for fans of the venerable Guerlain Shalimar (1925), as all these oriental-type exercises in iris inexorably draw comparisons to that fragrance.

Maybe this is revenge for François Demachay messing with (and flanking to death) Olivier Polge's original Dior masterpiece, or maybe this is just second thoughts in perfume form for the former Givaudan perfumer who now works in his father's stead exclusively as house perfumer for Chanel? Either way, this is the last hurrah for the style under Polge's hands outside the Chanel stable, and a nice little period on the whole movement that has since spawned several competing Prada and Amouage masculines as well. If you're an absolute fiend for iris in a masculine perfume, and wouldn't at all see this as redundant in a wardrobe alongside Dior Homme, give it a try. Or, if you found the Dior too harsh but don't want to go in a soapy direction like other masculine interpretations of iris, this might be a great alternative. Valentino Uomo is remarkably classic in vibe and classier than anything the house has released for men previously, so I may not mind so much the fact that the rest of the male lineup lives in unicorn-land so long as I can enjoy this one. I also need to add that in 2015 a black collector's bottle was released that is no different than the 2014 or 2016 and onward bottles, although some may argue with me on that as they do with various limited editions of the original Calvin Klein cK One (1994) released over the years. If you really hate iris, checkout Valentino Uomo Noir Absolu (2017) instead, which a defanged version of this one. Thumbs up.

Clearly a mixture of Dior Homme and Dior Homme Intense , first few minutes smells like DH(vintage) then a sweeter Dior Homme Intense starts just misses the Iris. People bash small companies like Armaf, Lomani etc for making copy cat fragrances but is there any restriction on these famous Perfumers making the same fragrance for various companies? It would be redundant imho to have both VU and DH/DHI. I would always prefer the Dior btw even its reformulated.

Sex Art Booze Love and
Starbucks Dark Barrel Latte.
Barista stories.

I'm willing to give most things by Olivier Polge a chance, but there is not much to get excited by here. Sure, it has some things going for it. It's certainly an accessible and palatable take on the gourmand. Personally, though, I don't find it up to muster.

To start with, it is extremely linear. After some thought, I managed to place the familiar accords: the cocoa and pastry-type scents are the final stage of L'Instant de Guerlain. But VU completely lacks the journey that LIDG takes you on to get there - little citrus, no jasmin, none of that wonderful set of transitions.

Another obvious comparison is with the Dior Homme family. Again, although I am no fan of the regular Dior Homme, VU lacks the challenging iris component of the Diors. I feel it also suffers by comparison with them in terms of performance.

Put simply, if I was in the market for an accessible gourmand, I would look elsewhere. There are better choices at all price points. And when I say better, that's not to underestimate the warming and comforting qualities that VU undoubtedly has and which has clearly earned it a following. All I mean to say is that for the same price (LIDG, Dior) or an additional investment (Frapin's 1270, New Haarlem) you can obtain something edgier and more interesting; if you really must go this safe it's possible to save some money.

Assuming there is at least an element in perfume purchases of expressing an identity or subjectivity: that bottle is far too bling for my tastes.

I only buy what I love, not like, not that's ok, not because someone else likes. Another master piece of Bergamot, coffee, chocolate, & leather. Man I love this

Tested this fragrance on test paper at Nordstrom, fell in love the minute I breathed it in. I didn't need to try it on my skin to know how the scent will be on my body. You just know you found that fragrance that will make your day a bit happier.

The fragrant is unique, it is definitely not a general scent. I have not smelled anything close to this. The heart note have the smell of caocao and hazelnut. Yet it is not overly sweet or distracting. Subtle and elegant, made for a man that is confident and classy.

Projection is not good, but just decent. The longetivity is good though, what makes this truly worth the buy is the scent. Classy is the best word to describe it, and it is definitely filled with it.

A very nice alternative between Dior Homme and those hypersexual gourmand fragrances.

I get the references to DHI but, this is totally different. It is much more subdued. Upon first spray, I get a very earthy fruit smell. 15-20 minutes later you definitely smell the coffee/chocolate notes, and the hazelnut cuts the harshness of the coffee. An hour or so and the leather and sandalwood give it an amazing earthiness. I get great sillage and projection, and it lasts 6-7 hours. This really pulls people into your space, wanting to smell you ask what you're wearing, etc. A winner in my book.

Tested from a 2ml sample over 24 hours, 3 separate applications.
Sweet and nutty throughout. The opening is a bit strange as you get this mixed with a fresh herby smell, which I have to say I don't like, but this wears off quickly. Then it's an appealing, warm, nutty gourmand scent, becoming gradually more powdery and talcy. I wouldn't wear it myself, it's too sweet, it doesn't have my notes, apart from the cedar, which to be honest I hardly detect. But I like it, it's sexy., particularly in the dry down. It's one of those I'd probably buy for someone else....
I was complimented on it too, by a woman. I'm also a bit surprised this is marketed only at men ; I would have said at least unisex.
Sillage and longevity (3 hours) moderate.
The bottle is cool, although for me it's "prickly" look doesn't match this sweet, sexy fragrance.
As I'm writing this and experiencing the end of the dry down of the last of my sample, I keep imagining a woman wearing this. Women should definitely not rule this out.
March 2016

A sweeter version of DHI, with less lipstick. Really enjoy wearing this one as it is one of those that makes me feel like I've got an edge because the scent is so interesting, fun and refined. Performance is good for a day and the sweet notes come through more as hours go by.

Another homage to the mighty Dior Homme. No surprise here as Oliver Polge is the perfumer of both VU & DH. VU dials down DH's Iris and cardamom but ramps up the powdery cocoa and roasted vanilla. Not as good as DH but the flacon is a work of art and much nicer that DH, especially the matte black version. Since DH has been reformulated and the majesty tarnished, VU has moved closer to DH.

7/10

The opening of this fragrance is extremely cloying. It is extremely strong and sickly sweet. Although I can understand the comparisons to DH/DHI, It much more closely resembled Lolita Lempicka au masculin. Although, there is no anise listed, I detect a very strong licorice accord. This composition has more depth and is less powdery than au masculin. The drydown is much more pleasant and reminds me very much of YSL's La Nuit. I do detect leather, coffee bean, and hazelnut but I do not detect any chocolate whatsoever. I am not a fan of this fragrance but I can understand why other's may like it. I don't particularly care for this fragrance and it feels like a mash up of a variety of different well known previously released fragrances but as stated before, I can see it's appeal. 6/10

From a sample...

Revisiting Valentino Uomo I find the fragrance a little more definitive this time around. It still reminds me of an elderly version of Dior Homme. However, Uomo balances the sweeter lipstick/face powder note with cocoa and coffee. The bitter sharpness of the cocoa and coffee balance out the cosmetic notes and make Uomo slightly darker than DH, IMO. I also got a faint leather in the later stage, but not a prominent note, which may have been nicer.

VU's an interesting fragrance that has an appealing development from top to base, but not certain if it's a purchase for me. I'll change my rating to a Thumbs Up this time though.

I smell almost no differences with Dior Homme, except a more prominent gourmand side, and less complexity. Which means this scent smells undoubtedly good, actually much good if you are into that "metrosexual gourmand" type of fragrances, but well... I don't see the point - it's not even cheaper. Get Dior Homme if you like this, it smells better and at least *they* had the idea.

6/10

Beyond sweet gourmand there is this scent. It's olfactory abuse in a bottle. From what I can remember, it's closest to Cadillac, and certainly not Dior Homme (never tried DH Intense). There are strong aroma chemicals, but they are dominated by what comes across to me as candy or food flavorings amplified to the extreme. I wear gourmands regularly (A*Men, Play Intense, So New York, Rochas Man, Pi, etc.), but this one goes where no man should ever venture (just kidding, of course). On the other hand, if you want to announce your arrival from a mile away, this may be your best choice!

Versace Eros' more humble brother, but still Italian and still loud and boisterous. I gave Eros a thumbs up because there are times when you need to cut through the masses, though you run the risk of popularity: someone else might be doing the same thing and then all of a sudden it is too much.

So why the thumbs up? The bottle.

UPDATE: Yes this does recall Dior Homme.

Not as soul-abusive as you might deduce from reading the reviews here. Yes, a gourmand (UPDATED BELOW), and it's a pleasant enough one at that. And while the scent has a certain degree of refinement, it comes at the cost of retreading familiar ground while mistaking a sense of restraint for elegance. Others in this realm (A*men, Givenchy Very Irresistible) might be more uncouth, but they have personality for ages while this shrinking violet disappears almost completely. Not bad, but needs to grow some teeth, luxury be damned.

UPDATE: The more I wear this, the less I want to call it a gourmand. It has a floral (Iris?) note that almost pervades the scent to me, while the hazelnut has faded far into the background and the cocoa almost completely disappears to me. I actually find the combination to be quite jarring. Jarring but inoffensive in the worst way.

I don't like the combination in the same way I abhor orange and vanilla together. A lot of people adore the creamsicle/orange julius thing. To me, the first thought of orange and vanilla paired enters my mind as extremely acidic orange mixing with sickly sweet vanilla creaminess, and I visualize it as the sharp acid curdling the once-unctuous cream into something resembling the contents of a warmed-over puke bucket stationed at the most notorious small-county carnival ride on a steamy summer day. That's a combo that surely should exist only in the bowels of Hell.

Surprisingly, I'm still not 100% thumbs down on Uomo though. But it's getting pretty clashy to me.

Gives 'gourmands' a bad name. Too sweet and 'perfumey'

I find the whole fragrance to be a fake and very unoriginal.

But hey, it's all relative in 'designer' world.

I think this is a very decent scent, although I wouldn't wear it myself (I don't do gourmands). Yes, there is a similarity to DHI, which is no bad thing, but this is sweeter, and as such, might suit the younger crowd better. I found the sweetness initially a little overpowering but this did wear off to some extent, to something approaching wearability, allowing the coffee/suede notes to shine through. Miles better than anything else in the 'popular designer' stakes I have tried this year.

Not my style: sweet, foody/chocolate/gourmand. Also get a hint of the roasted hazelnuts. Initially smooth and arguably classy, however the sweetness gets monolithic and cloying. Maddening clots of fake leather. Quite irritating, and hangs in despite repeated scrubs (as the worst always do).

I get a delicious chocolate, coffee, hazelnut mix that make my senses explode. From the moment I sprayed it on I was so fascinated with Valentino Uomo. To me I DO NOT see anything in this fragrance that reminds me of Dior Homme Intense. Dior is soooo much stronger than Valentino Uomo.
The dry down is creamy, sexy and masculine. I will be wearing it very often.