Believe

I'm excited to write this, as I have both the original and the reformulated version. If you're looking for a review comparing the two side by side, this is it. BACKGROUND: I had this perfume literally 13 years ago when I was 15 years old. Honestly it was my favorite Britney perfume. The scent to me was so beautiful, it made me cry! Part of the reason is I know how personal this scent is to Britney. I remember how unique it is, especially for a celeb scent. And I LOVED the advertisement and presentation. So last year, I re-purchased this for nostalgia and because I wanted something sweet with honeysuckle. I was disappointed... it just wasn't the same. It had changed and lost its character and the honeysuckle was GONE. Then I found out it had been reformulated. Despite this, I still wore it regularly as it as reminiscent of its old self and doesn't smell bad. It's just not the same as I remember. Recently, I found the original version and the minute I smelled it, I thought, THIS IS IT!!! So let me compare the two. COMPARASSON: The first thing I noticed is the original is sweeter, fresher, and has more depth. I get a lot of the patchouli in the original, but it's a clean patchouli that doesn't take over. I also get the floral notes more here, and definitely the honeysuckle. The guava adds to the sweetness but it's not cloying. It's more well-blended. It smells sensual and mature, especially for a celeb perfume. It smells way more expensive than it is. But it still has a youthful quality to it, it smells like a young woman who believes in herself. The title is so fitting! The bottle is gorgeous, especially with the silver plate that has her signature. The bottle is way better quality. It really works for all ages, but not too young... I'd say over 18. The reformulation is stronger and will definitely fill the room if you spray too much. You get the patchouli, a bit of amber, and guava, but that's about it. No floral notes. It also smells more unisex. The biggest distinguisher here is the reformulation smells outdoorsy. It's a dirty patchouli, not a clean one like the original. The reformulation is also earthier. It's more animalic. It's less feminine and sensual, more hippie and unisex. So, it's actually pretty cool in its own way, sense it's stronger and more earthy. And I'm sure some people would prefer that! My gripe is that it has more of a chemical smell to it and can give me a headache if I'm not feeling well that day. That and it lacks depth. That said, the reformulation isn't BAD hence why I was still wearing it. It's just more straightforward. More for an outdoorsy tomboy. The original just... blends right into my skin. I think the scent is gone, but then I realize it just works really well for my chemistry. It just becomes ME. It mixes with and brings out my natural scent instead of masking it. Therefore, it's more subtle... sensual... feminine. The reformulated sits ON my skin and really projects out. It's a lot heavier. It doesn't mix with my natural scent well and masks it but is more of a head turner because of its larger sileage and projection. Longevity is about the same between the two... I get about 4 hours before I need to reapply. All in all, I prefer the original any day. I'm SO pleased with the original and glad I found it!

When it comes to celebrity perfumes, Britney Spears is known for being top of the line. Indeed, there are some real gems, very well-crafted, that have been pleasant surprises, few disappointments, and even flashes of genius. Believe is a bit of an anomaly. It appeared, I believe, in 2007, right around the time of our friend's memorable meltdown. A meltdown that I understand better and better as I get older, by the way. Plus, there was a controversy surrounding the promotional poster; supposedly it wasn't her, or at least it was heavily photoshoped. It was amidst this uproar that Believe arrived in its somewhat "precious stone" bottle, not always easy to handle, especially if you have small hands like me. The juice is a bright, acidic green, not very inviting, but it certainly piques your curiosity. When I received my package, it was very cold; it had been sitting in my mailbox all day. I only got it in the evening when I got home from work. Precisely because of the temperature, I could barely smell it. I had to wait several days, several tries, before I could fully appreciate it. A patchouli that isn't overpowering, even though it's very present, is softened by juicy guava—a happy marriage I haven't seen anywhere else. There's a discreet but definitely present praline. But there's also mandarin and honeysuckle! This fragrance has character and can be quite surprising! Could Believe have been categorized as a "catch-all" fragrance called fruit-chouli? As a reminder, this term was coined by detractors of La Vie est Belle to ridicule all the patchouli-praline-sticky fruit perfumes that have sprung from this iconic perfume house by trying to imitate it. But here's the thing. La vie est belle was released in 2012 (or so I think), Believe in 2007. So, was Believe ahead of its time? No, not for the accusation of the crime of fruit-chouli, in any case. Not guilty. It remains a special case. Extraordinary, in the sense that it defies the ordinary. Not just original for a celebrity fragrance. Simply original. Don't blind buy unless you're a daredevil like me. It's divisive. You either love it or hate it.

I finally got my hands on this and I am in love! I will admit, I was a bit nervous blind-buying this at first, especially considering how polarized reviews are. Despite that, I took my chances and snagged it for just over $20 on Amazon. This perfume is so unique, as many others have said, and it is surely a standout in Brit's fragrance line. The bottle is so eye-catching (although I do wish it was still produced with the engraved metal plate on top), and probably one of my favorite designs from Britney's fragrances! I agree that this perfume is definitely more mature than the other Britney fragrances I have tried, but definitely not in an "old-lady" way. As Fantasy, Curious, and the like would best appeal to teens (in my opinion), I could see this being a great fragrance for young adults (probably best suited for end-of-high-school, college-age, and older)! I cannot place exactly what it reminds me of, but this smells a lot like another popular fragrance from the late 2000s (for some reason, it's giving me Armani Code vibes even though I feel like that guess is wrong?). The bright citrus opening transforms into a warm, spicy patchouli in about 30 minutes. The sweetness from the praline and amber really complement the dirtiness of the patchouli base, and I adore the way this smells on me: I just recently got it, and I'm already getting complimented on it! Considering the spiciness and fruitiness of this perfume, I feel that its uniqueness makes it pretty versatile. I can see this performing beautifully in spring, summer, and early autumn, and can't wait to give it a fair chance in all of those seasons. Overall, if you are a fan of fruitchouli fragrances and feel nostalgic for the 2000s, Believe is a fantastic contender that is worth a try.

TROPICAL GUAVA-CHOULI. Opens with a burst of tropical guava with near-pear facets supported by tangerine, and already the patchouli base is coming through a little. That deepens into the floral heart of honeysuckle & lime-blossom that elaborate the beautiful guava further. This all rests on a patchouli base that over time manifests praline & amber in addition to some sparkly and earthy patchouli facets. The patchouli is really the star of the show here and is on display in all its multi-faceted splendour. Contrast to Gucci by Gucci EDP: These are different, but there are similarities with tropical guava & patchouli. GbG dries down with a more forward honey quality, while Believe has honeysuckle but dries down more patchouli-praline. Both have excellent performance. Contrast to See by Chloe: These are different, but there are some similarities with dewy, sweet fruit blossoms. Believe has a much more forward patchouli. Believe outperforms. Contrast to Sotoor Seen Rasasi: These are different, but there are similarities with guava & patchouli. Sotoor Seen is more a dupe of Gucci by Gucci EDP where there is a tropical fruity opening that dries down more honey forward. Sotoor Seen outperforms. Overall: Beautiful tropical guava-chouli scent with excellent performance for a year round wearing experience, although due to the tropical facets, I would be more likely to wear this in spring-summer. It's a love for me. Enjoy!

People seem to read very different things into this fragrance. Without looking at the notes, I would have described the scent as non-sweet citrus (like lime, grapefruit or green orange peel) and (conifer) woodsy. It’s sharp. I do not feel the floral or fruity at all. But I have to trust everybody that it’s guava, because my knowledge of guava does not extend beyond drinking juices with guava included. What I think is woody must be patchouli, except for me it’s woody from the beginning rather than as it dries down. I must be a fan of patchouli because many of the fragrances I like contain it, but I wouldn’t be able to tell it apart. But I do know the praline aroma, and I’m surprised to see it among the ingredients. I don’t know if this scent is unique to people who’ve gone through dozens or even hundreds of fragrances, but to me it is. Without intending to try it, I am glad that - by chance - I did. I find it to be very pleasant. That’s enough for me. So many interesting observations have been made about this fragrance over the years. I’m such a latecomer. PS: as I wear it again, I do detect sweet fruity notes at the opening. Not sure how I missed them initially. But I also feel the praline in the dry-down! I didn't wait long enough the first time. So, it’s even better than I thought before.

This is great!!! SWEET patchouli, very long lasting, some sort of unisex but more on feminine side for me and even more to my boyfriend who said 'this is typically feminine perfume' I have probably the very last release of this fragrance N22228A, 2022. ,5 months old it obviously doesn't have metal plate but it is a great scent. For longest l was off put by comments about reformulated version that sucks,after nearly 2 years l finally gave it a shot,and this is gorgeous... I haven't compared it to original but for this one l can say it's long lasting (lasted more than my 8 hour shift, after which my friend complimented me on my perfume) , smells expensive, has prominent guava note(similar to one in Dylan Turquoise), it's sweetchouli and to me more feminine than LVB or Coco Mademoiselle....and if this was not from a celebrity probably would have similar price as those two. I'm tempted to try metal plate one but what more would l want ???....simply gorgeous Ahh yes ..downside...as some other Britney perfumes this one leaks if carried around in the bag...l 'll have to decant it, but as it's long lasting even spraying just in the morning might be enough.

One of my favorite fragrances—truly unique and refined. I blind bought a 30ml bottle of the older version, the one with the metal cap, before it was reformulated into the current all-glass packaging. Compared to other Britney Spears fragrances, Believe by Britney Spears is less sweet, greener, and more unisex. It opens fresh and green, with guava taking center stage. As it develops, the patchouli comes through strongly, making the scent feel deeper and adding a earthy nuance. In warmer weather, the praline becomes more noticeable, adding a brown sugar-like sweetness. That core remains all the way through: prominent patchouli, a chocolatey praline, and guava. The guava softens after the opening, while the patchouli brings a distinct woody character that really stands out. On my skin, it lasted around 8 hours, with impressive projection. I wore it to a party, and it projected at about a 1-meter radius for nearly 3 hours. I really enjoy its mysterious vibe—it’s an excellent nighttime fragrance for summer/spring. Just note that this review refers to the original version, which is stronger, denser, and less fresh than the current reformulated one.

Fruit-chuli done right. It start with a tropical blast, just the right side of a nice juice box (with a decent amount of actual natural juice, not from concentrate). The citrusy guava holds its own for a good 30-45 minutes as more floral notes start creeping in. Sounding feminine? Fruity floral? Meadows and orchards? Think again. The patchouli which is timid at first comes full force within the first two hours and stays present and ever more dominant, without ever being cloying. It dries down to a sweet (but not diabetes inducing), citrusy (but not pucker inducing), spicy (but maybe a one 🌶️on the Scoville scale) that projects very unisex. Great for a cold summer day, spring, or a warmer fall. Cozy, sweet, comforting, delicious. Longevity and sillage are not beast mode, but you can get a decent six hours with "close chatter" projection with a few sprays. Complexity and longevity wise it punches above its price range. Put off because it's celebrity? This is less debatable "I can't get no satisfaction" at the VMAs, and more "Toxic" is the defining hit of the mid 2000's fare. Get it if you can!

I just got this and I've only worn it once but I plan on wearing it more to form a better opinion but holy crap. I hate patchouli.. This is a very patchouli forward perfume. I knew that going into it. I blind bought it knowing it's patchouli af but I heard nothing but rave reviews about how much of a gem this is and oh my god is it.. I think this perfume has made me come to a realization that I don't like dirty patchouli. This.. This here is such a fresh.. Beautifully well blended patchouli. The fact that it's complimented by the deliciously juicy guava and tangerine.. And then those delicate florals.. UGH the honeysuckle. And all on a woody amber base which I am biased towards. Now this, THIS is my kind of patchouli. So yeah this perfume is umm???? Amazing. For how cheap it is.. For what you get.. This smells so expensive and high quality and it's a Britney Spears cheapie lol like how? HOW?! This is 100% a top tier perfume and favorite of mine now and I never thought I would say that about a PATCHOULI perfume. Damn

I received this as a gift from my aunt & cousin in 2007 or 2008. A few years ago, I made the mistake of throwing out a bunch of my body mists and perfumes that I don't use anymore, because apparently I didn't know they don't really "expire" / are safe to use for pretty much forever. 😞 I'm sooo disappointed I threw this one away. I can still smell it in my mind; it always reminded me of Calvin Klein Euphoria (which I owned first and still own the same bottle to this day), but less intense, and I preferred this to that one. It is definitely more of an herby, earthy scent, but still has sweetness to it. Definitely check it out if you are interested in the notes. But I always noticed a similarity to Euphoria. If you like that at all, you would likely enjoy this. I wish they'd bring this one back! Along with Curious (was my fav Britney perfume/still own it) & Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers 'G' :( why do they have to discontinue perfumes?!? 😭 lol.

I've worn Believe since it first came out & it has been a constant in my perfume collection. It's my signature scent at this point. I hope it's always available to find & purchase! I am a HUGE patchouli lover. I also love sweet gourmand scents and I feel like this is giving me the best of both worlds, yet not overpowering. I used to wear and be a huge fan of the fragrance Danielle by Danielle Steel and wore it daily. I think when it was discontinued, this was a very close dupe for me! No one noticed a difference & neither did I! I'm wearing it now. I love it. I wouldn't say the silage / projection is huge, but I'm told people can tell I was in a room because it smells good and they know that's me. Lol! I highly recommend if you love a touch of patchouli. I don't think it's great for layering as it's a scent that stand on it's own. This is the only Britney Spears fragrance that I like. It's a mature scent. Classy. Timeless. To me anyways! :)

My first Britney Spears perfume! I wanted to try something that wasn't necessarily hyper-feminine and toothache inducing (though I am curious about them..) and I'm always a sucker for anything green, so I went with Believe! On first wear all I could smell was guava and patchouli. Not the worst thing, but the juxtaposition really gave the impression of overly ripe fruit. I was a little disappointed but I didn't necessarily hate it. After letting it sit for about a week, however, it really came into its own. Instead of the fruitiness of the guava and tangerine awkwardly sitting next to a strong patchouli, they harmonized; instead of smelling overly ripe, they are now reminiscent of the powdery sweetness of the powder they sprinkle on gum to keep it from sticking to itself. The lime blossom and honeysuckle are now detectable, and they make it smell more like my idea of a true "perfume". Soft, fruity and sweet! Just wish it lasted a bit longer.

OK, hear me out. When I first smelled this I thought, wow, what a cheap perfume. I accidentally let it sit for like nine months, tried it again, and to me, in my heart, it was like a gothic dream. It’s fresh with just enough patchouli. It’s sweet like candy, which I adore in perfumes. A linear sweetness, nothing else. I wore this to watch The Crow 2024 in theatres. Cringe is only cringe if you let it. Don’t judge me lol. But this made me fall in love with fruitchoulis. Forever grateful for that. this frag is actually beast mode. I thought it wasn’t but revisiting it, It lasts a long time even overnight. This is a standalone in the Britney line. I guess the moral of the story here is don’t judge a perfume by the “cringe” association, or do and fall in love with the campiness and tackiness. edit: I see everyone is experiencing what I have. You have to let this perfume sit to bloom, that’s when it really shines! ❣️

This is rainforest in a bottle. It is a walk after rain has ceased, in a tropical hot summer day, and the minty herbs around you eases the warmth of the air, that soon will be gone when the storms hit again. Ever since my nostrils had the pleasure of smelling this gem, I knew this was special. This is unique but not in an avant-garde kind of way, or because its notes. Its uniqueness lies in the personality of this perfume. While others scents (more so celebrities releases) scream, this is silent, but you can tell that this is there. This doesn't need to talk or be suggestive, this just emanates. It has an intriguing presence, sometimes it's right in your face and sometimes you feel its distant aura. I gave this to my niece in her 15th birthday and it pretty much sums up what she is. This is somehow halfway from whimsical to mystical. One of a kind that will make you BELIEVE.

I've been a super-fan of Britney's since day one (big shocker, I know), but for some absurd reason never got around to smelling Believe until today, when my original, metal-plated bottle (so luxe!) arrived, and *wow*. Where have I been? Dare I say it's the crown jewel of her fragrances to date? So completely unlike anything else she's ever released: decadently earthy patchouli, swimming in the delicate sweetness of the guava, tangerine, and praline. Mature, absolutely, but nowhere even close to the vicinity of "old lady." It feels absolutely perfect for warmer months, day or night, conjuring visions of a shimmering, magical forest, bursting with lush greenery and romance—far more befitting of the classic Fantasy commercial with her in a similarly fairy tale scenario. Whatever y'all do, don't sleep on this underappreciated masterpiece!

Maybe I need to let this one languish in the drawer a bit or something to see if this matures nicely, because I am not getting any of the Angel comparisons. I don't perceive patchouli at all, really. I am getting acidic fruits, LOTV, and musk. Agree with another reviewer's unisex experience, although it feels more feminine as it dries down. I like Believe, but it's not what I expected. Update: the second time I wore this (very next day after the review above) I was totally getting that patch. I really like it!! This is in the vein of the new Angel EDT. Sparkling, juicy, tart, and the earthiness of patchouli to ground it. Like Angel EDT, the performance isn't great. But at less than HALF the price-per-ounce of the Mugler, this offering from Britney Spears is a budget-friendly winner that will simply require reapplication.

I began this fragrance journey not knowing what I liked and thinking I couldn’t wear perfume due to allergies. I went through some old body sprays trying to figure out what I liked. Apparently I had a couple that were my favorite that had guava in them. Long story short, I bought this because of the guava and good reviews. I really like it, it doesn’t smell cheap, and it is well blended. I discovered I like patchouli. This is a great everyday fragrance. Usually I layer with other stronger performing guava fragrances. I prefer to play up the freshness in layering. If you like guava, want a guava heavy fragrance that isn’t tropical forward, or want an expensive smelling affordable guava fragrance that can be worn everyday, get it. Oh, and the bottle is very pretty. 9/10

TLDR: Very good. 9/10. So, funny story about this one. I've actually had a bottle of this sitting around for literal years, totally untouched. I received it when I was probably just a kid, and I only remembered I had it when I refound it while moving. So this poor perfume has pretty much sat in a dark cabinet with a bunch of other old beauty products for about 10+ years... Oops? Anyway! I've been wearing this off and on for the past few months, and man, I really do love this fragrance. It has a very refreshing smell. Juicy, sweet, fresh fruit. It lasts quite a few hours and definitely catches compliments. The ONLY off-putting thing about it is the almost minty opening, but it dies off within minutes for me. Otherwise, it's timelessly great... literally. 😭

For a celebrity fragrance, this is amazing! You could put this in another bottle and slap a different name on it and sell it for way more! The guava and the lime blossom make it really unique! It is fresh and perfect for warmer months but still a bit warm and sexy! I feel like it’s a great scent that everyone would enjoy and has a good sillage. That said, I do not get a strong patchouli note that others have described whatsoever. I only get the tiniest hint and I have to really stick my nose in there to find it! Perhaps, it’s a reformulation? No idea. I just received mine from an online website and was able to get a 100ml for under $25! Money well spent!

I absolutely love this fragrance! It’s everything! I bought it when it came out in 2007 then I had bought it a few years back but I think that bottle was off because it didn’t smell right. So I just got another bottle and baby this is it! Light, fruity, juicy guava with patchouli but the patchouli is light and not dirty, thank God! I get a little spices too. I recently tried Lyncis from Terenzi and as soon as I smelled it, it reminded me of this but Lyncis is more spicy. Either way I enjoy this fragrance better and the price is great too! It’s soft, romantic and definitely different. I definitely recommend this one. I love Britney and her fragrances! 💕