How Sweet, Food-Inspired Y2K Fragrances Like Britney Spears' Fantasy Are Back Thanks to Byredo, Prada, and Marc Jacobs

For millennials and Gen Growing up, our olfactory pathways were stimulated by aromas such as Britney Spears‘Fantasy, and Bath & Body Works’ Warm Vanilla Sugar, which dominated the fragrance scene in the early to mid-2000s.

For millennials and Gen Growing up, our olfactory pathways were stimulated by aromas like Britney Spears’ Fantasy and Bath & Body Works’ Warm Vanilla Sugar, which dominated the fragrance scene in the early to mid-2000s.

While Y2K fashions like platform shoes, butterfly clips and bandeau tops have made a comeback, fragrance trends are once again going through a nice phase. Gourmet fragrances are all about the kind of delectable notes that would go well in a bakery or café – think vanilla, caramel and chocolate, to name a few. The trend started in 1992 when perfumer Olivier Cresp introduced it Thierry Mugler Angel, a mix with patchouli and the new ingredient ethyl maltol, which gave the fragrance the characteristic aroma of caramelized sugar or candied fruit.

Britney Spears Fantasy eau de perfume and Work Your Magic Body Soufflé

Although Angel didn’t take off immediately, it gradually gained momentum and became a signature scent in the industry and one of Mugler’s bestsellers. For some, the fragrances of this decade were about capturing a pure, innocent femininity, celebrating traditional gender norms and painting feminine beauty as elegant and sweet.

“While a few years ago gourmet was associated with addiction and sensuality, today it is all about pleasure, comfort and generosity,” says Marion Doré-Fabius, head of global marketing at Serge Lutens. She explains how such scents are often a form of nostalgic indulgence, “characterized by warm, comforting notes that evoke the feeling of enjoying a beloved treat.”

Contemporary gourmet fragrances tend to be more nuanced, she says, “balancing their pleasant quality with a subtle complexity to evoke a more refined sensory experience.”

Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Range

Y2K perfumers competed with their high sugar content to see who could put the most ethyl maltol in a perfume, or the most synthetic vanillin in a lotion. From crème brûlée to birthday cake and strawberry ice cream – if it was a dessert, there was also a scented version. Over time, the sweet scents lost their appeal, paving the way for scents like Daisy by Marc Jacobs, Be Delicious by DKNY and Addict by Dior – which retained the appeal of sweet notes, but added a more refined edge.