Beauty editor Ash Cometti takes a trip down memory lane with the 12 most nostalgic perfumes from the 1990s and 2000s.
I’ve read a lot of press releases about perfumes this year.
Scrolling through countless PDFs, one age-old sentiment resurfaced time and time again: the notion of the “transformative power
It can sometimes sound a bit waffly, but according to a research paper published by the National Library of Medicine in the US, there’s a lot of truth about the impact fragrance has on human psychological activity.
I’ll save you the science speak and summarise by saying authors Kandhasamy Sowndhararajan and Songmun Kim found that the 300 active olfactory receptors found in humans could a) detect thousands of fragrance molecules and b) stimulate the olfactory bulb which is linked to areas of the brain that control mood, emotion and memory.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll remember your first-ever perfume fondly.
Back then, switching out a can of Impulse Ice for a weighty, glass perfume bottle felt like a massive leap from teendom to adulthood. (In case you were wondering, it was a bottle of Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Girl eau de toilette that I won from a competition in Girlfriend magazine.)
Next came a Ralph Lauren Ralph eau de toilette and body lotion twinset, an early birthday present from my mum during a trip to Fiji. My joy was short lived: we forgot to pack it in our checked luggage and the set was promptly confiscated by a customs officer for being oversized for carry-on. Mum cried.
Curious about the scents that defined my friends’ younger years, too, I posed the question in our group chat: “What was your first ever perfume and what memories does this scent hold for you?”
“Alien by Thierry Mugler reminds me of my clubbing days,” one wrote, before adding her second submission: “Hypnotic Poison by Dior was what I used to spray all over me at the park after I would try puffs of cigs.”
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Advertise with NZME.Another (much younger) friend chimed in: “I used to solely wear Daisy by Marc Jacobs in high school and I had this girl very recently tell me that they smell it and think of me.”
“I was given Paris Hilton’s first perfume for Christmas. I remember feeling so cool and grown up,” said another. “The Paris Hilton one really shows my age. I remember every single perfume I’ve ever had.”
She added: “I was given YSL Baby Doll for my birthday. Fun fact: I only wanted it because the coolest girl at my school had it. She’s now my sister-in-law.”
Britney Spears’ Curious came up a number of times, the now-iconic turquoise blue bottle most have committed to memory.
Ready to feel more than a little nostalgic, too? Below, 12 scents sure to transport you back in time.
Happy by Clinique, $110
Fragrance family: Citrus
Key notes: Top notes of orange, blood grapefruit, Indian mandarin, bergamot, apple and plum, a heart of lily of the valley, freesia, orchid and rose, with base notes of mimosa, lily, magnolia, musk and amber.
Clinique’s mood-boosting perfume first landed in 1997, an uplifting floral and fruity scent that remains one of the brand’s best-sellers to this day. The vibrant aroma has since been reimagined into a collection of six scents with My Happy (call it one big, Happy family), alongside fresh takes on the original with options for men, plus home fragrance and body mists.
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Advertise with NZME.Still around now? Yes, from selected department stores including Farmers or see Clinique.co.nz.
Rush by Gucci, $130
Fragrance family: Floral
Key notes: Top notes of peach, Californian gardenia and African freesia, a heart of coriander, Damask rose and jasmine, with a base of patchouli, vanilla and vetiver.
The ultimate “cool girl” scent, Gucci Rush was as popular for its bright, boxy packaging as it was the perfume itself. It launched in 1999 at the turn of the millennium, and no doubt was pulled from many a Paul Frank crossbody bag during a night out at Asta (Aucklanders - if you know, you know).
Still around now? Yes, from Chemist Warehouse or see Chemistwarehouse.co.nz.
Curious by Britney Spears
Fragrance family: Floral
Key notes: Top notes of magnolia, pear and lotus, a heart of jasmine, tuberose and cyclamen, with a base of musk, vanilla, white woods and sandalwood.
Britney Spears’ Curious wasn’t the original celebrity scent (it was Elizabeth Taylor’s Passion in 1987) but it certainly feels that way - given the widespread appeal the white floral fragrance had for years following its 2004 launch. The original turquoise blue and hot pink bottle came with a luxe-looking atomiser (though wholly impractical and it didn’t really spritz well at all). Thankfully, it was later ditched for a classic spray cap. Britney’s follow-up scent, Fantasy, outperformed Curious in terms of retail sales, but the former still feels like more of an icon.
Still around now? Yes, from selected pharmacies, including Chemist Warehouse and Life Pharmacies, or see Lifepharmacy.co.nz.
CK One by Calvin Klein, $133
Fragrance family: Citrus
Key notes: Top notes of lemon, bergamot, mandarin, orange, pineapple, cardamom and papaya, a heart of lily of the valley, jasmine, violet, rose, nutmeg, orris root and freesia, with a base of green tea, musk, cedar, sandalwood, oakmoss and amber.
For an ingredients list as lengthy as this, Calvin Klein’s CK One smells surprisingly clean and simple. The unisex scent pioneered genderless fragrance well ahead of its time back in 1994, with a coterie of scantily-clad models (including Kate Moss) grouped together to front the campaign. Crisp, citrussy and refreshing, this scent stands up today as a seasonal favourite for the warmer months.
Still around now? Yes, from Life Pharmacy or see Lifepharmacy.co.nz.
Tommy Girl by Tommy Hilfiger, $55
Fragrance family: Floral
Key notes: Top notes of apple tree blossom, mandarin, camelia and blackcurrant, middle notes of lemon, honeysuckle, grapefruit, rose, lily, mint and violet, with a base of magnolia, jasmine, cedar, sandalwood and leather.
As a brand, Tommy Hilfiger was one of the biggest fashion authorities of the mid-1990s, a popular choice for the preppy and the hip-hop obsessed alike. Tommy Girl was the scent du jour at the time, with vibrant citrussy notes intermingling with a bouquet of white florals and heady sandalwood for a fragrance that easily transitioned from day to night.
Still around now? Yes, from Chemist Warehouse or see Chemistwarehouse.co.nz.
Angel by Thierry Mugler, $245
Fragrance family: Gourmand
Key notes: Top notes of cotton candy, coconut, cassis, melon, jasmine, bergamot, pineapple and mandarin, a heart of honey, red berries, blackberry, plum, apricot, peach and jasmine, with a heart of patchouli, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, tonka bean, amber and musk.
Sweet tooths everywhere fawned over Thierry Mugler’s ultra-sweet Angel when it launched in 2002, characterised by its deliciously decadent aroma of honey, caramel, vanilla and chocolate. The heady blend is instantly recognisable even now, with an intense scent trail meaning you can sniff it out from a mile away. Five years after its launch, Angel was ushered into the FiFi Hall Of Fame in 2007 (an event hosted annually in New York by the Fragrance Foundation).
Still around now? Yes, from selected department stores and pharmacies, including Farmers or see Farmers.co.nz.
Classique by Jean Paul Gaultier, $255
Fragrance family: Aromatic
Key notes: Top notes of orange blossom, star anise, rose, mandarin, pear and bergamot, a heart of ylang-ylang, ginger, orchid, iris, tuberose and plum, and a base of vanilla, amber, musk, cinnamon and sandalwood.
Easily one of the most recognisable fragrances on this list, Jean Paul Gaultier’s Classique shook up the fragrance scene at the time of launching, with its sexy bodice-style bottle serving to celebrate the mystique and allure of the female form. It was 1993 and no one else had challenged conventions quite so radically in the years prior. The scent itself is sophisticated and timeless, opening with notes of sweet orange blossom, unfolding to reveal spicy ginger and soft vanilla making a captivating finish.
Still around now? Yes, from selected department stores and pharmacies, including Farmers or see Farmers.co.nz.
Princess by Vera Wang, $37
Fragrance family: Aromatic
Key notes: Top notes of water lily, apricot, apple and mandarin, a heart of dark chocolate, guava, tiare flower and tuberose, and a base of vanilla, amber and woods.
Equal parts sweet and sensual, Vera Wang’s Princess burst onto the scene in 2006, inspiring women everywhere to adopt main character energy. Not your typical damsel in distress, the launch starred actor Zoe Kravitz, who brought a level of edge and dynamism to the campaign.
Still around now? Yes, from Chemist Warehouse or see Chemistwarehouse.co.nz.
L’Eau d’Issey by Issey Miyake, $221
Fragrance family: Floral
Key notes: Top notes of lotus, melon, freesia, rose water and cyclamen, a heart of lily of the valley, water peony and carnation, with base notes of musk, tuberose, woods, cedar, sandalwood and amber.
Fashion designer Issey Miyake made his first foray into fragrance in 1992 with L’Eau d’Issey, which is designed to evoke the scent of water on a woman’s skin. It’s both fresh and modern, and boasts timeless appeal with one bottle sold every five seconds to this day.
Still around now? Yes, from selected department stores and pharmacies, including Life Pharmacy or see Lifepharmacy.co.nz.
Daisy by Marc Jacobs, $99
Fragrance family: Floral
Key notes: Top notes of violet leaf, blood grapefruit and strawberry, a heart of violet, gardenia and jasmine, and a base of musk, white woods and vanilla.
It’s the scent synonymous with youthful beauty, and we predict Marc Jacobs’ gilt daisy cap sat proudly on many teens and pre-teens’ vanities back when it launched in 2007. Daisy adapted as its key audience grew, with Marc Jacobs revealing more sensual takes on the carefree original, including Daisy Eau So Fresh in 2011, Daisy Dream in 2014 and Daisy Love in 2018. Plus many, many more - there have been more than 60 versions of Daisy since.
Still around now? Yes, from selected department stores and pharmacies, including Life Pharmacy or see Lifepharmacy.co.nz.
Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf, $230
Fragrance family: Floral
Key notes: Top notes of tea, bergamot and osmanthus, a heart of orchid, jasmine, rose, freesia and African orange flower, and a base of patchouli, musk and vanilla.
The brainchild of four of the world’s top perfumers - Olivier Polge, Carlos Benaïm, Domitille Michalon Bertier and Dominique Ropion - it’s hard to remember a time before Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb had us in a chokehold. The cult-favourite fragrance launched in 2005, its grenade-shaped bottle proving a status symbol to late teens and 20-somethings alike. Equally impactful was the captivating and dramatic scent with punchy orange blossom, jasmine and patchouli with a lengthy scent trail that lingered all day.
Still around now? Yes, from selected department stores and pharmacies, including Smith & Caughey’s or see Smithandcaugheys.co.nz.
Glow by Jennifer Lopez, $25
Fragrance family: Floral
Key notes: Top notes of neroli, orange blossom and grapefruit, a heart of jasmine, rose and tuberose, with a base of musk, sandalwood, orris root, amber and vanilla.
Long before skin-enhancing Glossier You was on our radar, there was Jennifer Lopez’s Glow - a scent designed to smell like freshly showered skin with soapy, sexy notes of neroli and mask. The silver body chain and bedazzled “JLo” oozes Y2K aesthetic. If you weren’t the proud owner of a sculptural bottle yourself, then it’s likely your mum did - I distinctly remember mine displaying her bottle of Glow on her dresser (I’d sneak into her room and spritz it all over myself when she wasn’t watching).
Still around now? Yes, from Chemist Warehouse or see Chemistwarehouse.co.nz.
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