On the occasion of the release of the 'Born in Roma Intense' Donna and Uomo perfume, L'OFFICIEL spoke with the two Valentino Beauty muses. What perfume rocked their youth, and what is the one they never leave today? We reveal their beauty secret to you.

In this new olfactory chapter for Valentino Beauty , the tension of dualities is heightened. Going from day to night, the original ' Born in Roma ' signature comes in a more sensual and warm version with a resolutely Haute Couture style. The two faces of the fragrance line, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/adutakech/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adut Akech </a>and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anwarhadid/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anwar Hadid</a> , gave us a few minutes on the sidelines of Fashion Week , and both agree that this intense new juice promises to be&hellip; Audacious!

L&#39;OFFICIEL What is your first memory with a perfume? Adut Akech: This is my mother&#39;s perfume. In my culture and that of my community, it was a scent reserved for married women. I dreamed of it. Anwar Hadid: Instead, I&#39;m going to tell you about my first significant memory, that of my first contact with &#39;Born in Roma&#39;. It was around a shoot in Rome, discovering the city for the first time from the top of my 18 years, excited about this new adventure in my life. The smell will forever be linked to all these emotions of the young adult that I was. LO: How important is perfume in your adult life? AA: It&#39;s a very important part! Smelling good is a “must”. It is not a need, but it is essential. Everyone in their life wants — and needs — to smell a fragrance that represents them. We can&#39;t explain it, it&#39;s important. AH: It must be important! I like to wear perfume when I move around every day, or when I go to a sometimes more specific place. It&#39;s the perfect and necessary touch to any look before going out, who would say the opposite? LO: What does &#39;Born in Roma Intense&#39; make you think of? AA: A bold, powerful, sexy, elegant woman. A boss lady who has her own rules and isn&#39;t afraid to dictate them. AH: It&#39;s a biased answer — from my experience — because &#39;Born in Roma&#39; is like a Madeleine by Proust… The smell instinctively sends me back to Italy, to Rome, to its inhabitants. LO: What is your favorite smell? AA: It&#39;s difficult! First of all, I love the four scents developed for &#39;Born in Roma&#39;, and I couldn&#39;t choose my favorite bottle. It&#39;s as if you had to choose your favorite child. (Laughs.) My favorite smell can depend on my mood, the schedule of my day, the event I&#39;m going to... AH: I really enjoy a broad spectrum of scents. To choose, I will go for the fragrance of essential oils, since my mother has always used them for home fragrances. I know there are several variations, but I love them all! LO: And the one you can&#39;t stand? AA: Far too pronounced fragrances. I don&#39;t like when perfumes are too intense, so much so that it doesn&#39;t even smell good anymore. I am a woman who appreciates soft and sweet fragrances more. Even &#39;Born in Roma Intense&#39; looks like me, and I wear it for very special occasions — the ones where I want to turn heads and where I hope people ask me what perfume I&#39;m wearing. AH: I must not be so picky… Nothing comes to mind! (Laughs.)

LO: As the face of a perfume, you convey a brand image, but also a personality that people identify with. How are you preparing to embody your &#39;Born in Roma&#39; persona for Valentino? AA: For the perfume launch party, I wore a long black Valentino dress, both sexy and elegant. I add some accessories. Sober makeup and a beautiful red lip. And that&#39;s enough: the perfume slips me into this self-confident character, who needs nothing but his perfume to reveal his aura. The &#39;Born in Roma Intense&#39; woman is fearless. AH: I don&#39;t embody anyone else, except me. I just try to stay as close to who I really am. The message is to be in tune with yourself in every possible way. LO: Which perfume muse made an impression on you? AA: When I was young and didn&#39;t necessarily have the means to afford a luxury bottle, I wore Rihanna&#39;s perfume… I also remember buying &#39;Heat&#39; by Beyoncé with my sisters! AH: No one, no muse marked me in my childhood… Today there is of course one, Adut [Akech, editor&#39;s note] ! LO: If you had to describe the perfume &#39;Born in Roma Intense&#39; in 3 words? AA: Bold, fearless and sexy. AH: Bold, playful and authentic. LO: Why is the Valentino brand so unique? AA: Valentino understands and respects women. It&#39;s a brand that allowed me to accept myself as I am. With Valentino, you embrace your own person, your individuality. AH: Honestly, we could cite so many qualities that make Valentino such a unique House… But what I respect the most about the brand is its attention to detail.

Born in Roma Intense Donna EDP, 30mL from €79, 50mL from €115 and 100mL from €160 Born in Roma Intense Uomo EDP, 50mL from €87 and 100mL from €115

We met the muses of the most Couture of perfumes, Adut Akech and Anwar Hadid

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