Valentino Beauty’s Vendetta Is The Perfume That Arrives With Attitude

By Jessica Ye (Jessica Yap)

Vendetta isn’t the name you’d expect to see on a perfume bottle.

It sounds like the title of a thriller, not a fragrance sitting behind the beauty counter. Most new perfumes lean into romance, delicate florals or dreamy escapes. Valentino Beauty has gone in the opposite direction. Before you’ve even lifted the cap, the name already has your attention.

It’s a fitting introduction to the brand’s first new prestige fragrance franchise in six years.

Rather than creating matching versions of the same scent, Valentino Beauty has launched two distinct fragrances. Vendetta Donna and Vendetta Uomo share the same confidence, but each heads in a different direction once they’re on the skin.

Vendetta Donna

The first thing you’ll notice isn’t the tuberose.

It’s the burst of red orange, which gives the fragrance a bright, juicy opening before the floral notes gradually emerge. Once the citrus settles, tuberose becomes the heart of the fragrance. Valentino Beauty uses its exclusive Tuberose Osmobloom™ extract to capture the flower at the moment it blooms, giving it a creamy richness without becoming overly heavy.

Sandalwood appears later, smoothing everything out and leaving behind a soft warmth that lingers close to the skin.

Despite the name, Vendetta Donna never feels aggressive. It wears with far more ease than you might expect.

Vendetta Uomo

Vendetta Uomo opens with ginger and Italian citrus before moving into warm cinnamon liquor accord. Patchouli and woody notes anchor the fragrance, adding depth without weighing it down.

Many men’s fragrances compete to be the loudest thing in the room. Vendetta Uomo doesn’t seem interested in that. The spices stay controlled, the woods remain smooth and the whole composition feels balanced from beginning to end.

Although they’re launched as a pair, neither fragrance relies on the other. They work just as well separately, each with its own identity.

The bottles echo that same confidence.

Valentino keeps the design clean, allowing the oversized V motif to do most of the talking. Pleated caps nod to the folds seen in the Maison’s couture collections, while Vendetta Donna’s deep crimson fragrance immediately draws the eye. It’s unmistakably Valentino without becoming over-designed.

The campaign is equally restrained.

Photographed by Inez & Vinoodh, Dakota Johnson and Alexander Skarsgård front the launch with none of the exaggerated drama perfume campaigns often fall back on. Instead of oversized gestures and cinematic romance, the focus stays on their expressions, body language and the space between them. It’s understated, which makes the images feel all the more convincing.

After waiting six years to introduce a new fragrance franchise, Valentino Beauty could easily have played it safe.

Instead, it released a perfume called Vendetta.

It’s a bold name, but one the fragrances manage to live up to. Vendetta Donna balances creamy white florals with vibrant citrus, while Vendetta Uomo keeps things warm, spicy and quietly self-assured.

Some fragrances are memorable because of how they smell.

Vendetta manages to make an impression before you’ve even sprayed it.