Fantasy Stage Edition

When people said that they were re-releasing the 2005 fantasy in this bottle I did not believe it at first. My first experience testing the scent was at Kohls where I did a side by side comparison of the new version and this. I did notice a difference, especially in the top notes. The sour kiwi in the newer version is very intense whereas the kiwi in the stage edition is shy. The stage edition was also very sweet, it kicked me all the way back to 2005 where I sampled this scent every chance I got at the mall, which is like every other week when you are 14. I wrote this down on the top of my want list and got around to buying it 6 months later. I had already forgotten how the stage edition smells so I got worried and retested it at Kohls. I had the same experience as 6 months ago. I ordered my britney spears stage edition last week and got it today. I sprayed both version on myself for a 3rd time and I am still just as happy. I definitely believe in group think and placebo effect, but despite the nay sayers (and as a bit of a pessimist I am naturally tuned into them) I think stage edition is ABSOLUTELY different than the current version on the market. Whether or not it is identical to 2005 I can't argue because I do not have a 2005 bottle on hand. So all this britney jargon later... Fantasy fans who crave more sweetness, rich cupcake, white chocolate, and less of that shrikey musky kiwi...rejoice. Grab a bottle while you can!

This perfume smells almost exactly like the original Fantasy perfume that we all know and love. My mum had bought the 30ml of Stage Fantasy for me as a birthday gift and have been trialing out the scent out for a few weeks now. The best way I tested out this scent was by putting it on one side of my wrist, then the original Fantasy on the other. They both dry down exactly the same, first thing I noticed was that this perfume is way more softer after a few hours compared to the original fantasy. Also this doesn't seem to last as long. Stage Fantasy to me is an opportunity for those who didn't like the sillage from Fantasy, because this version is noticeably lighter. I rate this perfume a 7.5/10. I am not a fan of the packaging at all, and for a 'limited edition' packaging this one wouldn't have been something I would have picked up myself, I am just glad to have it in my collection. As explained before, the scent is the exact same, so for those wishing to blind buy this it is very important to know this, especially if you own the original Fantasy perfume. I only recently realized that the packaging of this perfume was a tribute to her iconic 2003 VMA performance, which to me is quite cool actually!

Yum! I’ve only recently tried Fantasy, and I can see why it became so popular. It really is delicious and truly a perfect balance of floral, fruity and gourmand. I got a sample decant of Stage Edition and upon first application I was absolutely addicted and doused myself with the vial. I just HAD to have a full bottle in the biggest size possible. So I haven’t smelled the original Fantasy formulation, so I can’t speak for anything involving that. However, I can say that the current Fantasy and Stage Edition are different (to me.) I sprayed Fantasy in a department store and it has a stronger tart fruit blast upon initial spray. Stage’s fruit notes are toned down, but aside from that, the rest of the formula is pretty much identical. Is there a difference between Fantasy and Stage? Yes. But is it a massive difference? No, not really; it’s mostly just the strength of the kiwi note. That’s just my nose though, I’m sure it can be different for others. That having been said, I love white chocolate cupcakes as well as tart fruit, so I personally like both of them! Though they aren’t different enough for me to own both, so I picked this one.

So my fragrance fans! I have a very good nose and memory when it omes to perfumes,If you were to walk past me I can tell you just EXACTLY what you are wearing... I had almost given up my quest with the Britney flankers because since the reformulation I just could not,for the love of God,find that white choolately cupcake scent that first came out. Until this morning. I ordered Stage Fantasy through Amazon and thought a few hours later..shit I should just canel it. To late,it arrived. After everyone left this morning (to avoid the you bought ANOTHER perfume)confrontations-I ripped open the packaging and box,waiting to be disappointed. OMG! OMG! OMG! I am selling the exact Fantasy as I still remember from 2005!!!! Didnt think about anymore til my hubby came home for lunch,he said and I quote "Remember back when we stopped at that boutique in Bratislava and I bought you that perfume? Yes dear! It subconsciously hit him and he remembered. This is the perfume where he fell in love with me! And I am forever gratefull to have sparked that memory and found this gem!!! Thank you Miss Britney Cheers!

Well, I have never smelt the original pink fantasy, nor any so-called reformulated versions, so this is my opinion of the SF version as is. I find that the different Fantasys play on my skin differently depending on the weather. SF is absolutely adorable on me in the summer. I find it mostly soft and vanilla-y, with more cupcake than anything else, and the kiwi comes through on more humid days than dry-hot ones. But if I re-spritz throughout the day, the kiwi ups its prescence in both sillage and projection. I am in agreement about the bottle. The plasticy overlay is naff. A yellow bottle with pink stones would have looked much better in my humble opinion. I may well be decanting a travelo of this to take on holiday with me...but then again I have yet to try Maui or Island, which may be more appropriate for summer.

I finally got this princess. Is a wonderful as the original one. Pink Fantasy was my first perfume, I still remember being amazed at this gourmet scent :-) Fantasy is something that, you still want to feel, if you like sweet bombs. At this summer I wanted a new one. It didnt matter to me, if the Fantasy Stage edition will be the same as a "Pink Fantasy ". But according to me, it's almost the same original perfume but it does not in itself sharply fruit. Kiwi with lychee is in the background. That's only one difference. I love it ! The bottle is beautiful, interesting... I mean look at that, the bottle looks like pyton with pink & silver details. Looks amazing :-)

Saw this at Kohls today, so I decided to sniff it. It smells very nice. Very gourmand, sweet, and unique amoung the loads of celebrity fragrances I've smelled recently. I also smelled the other Fantasy flankers sitting nearby including original pink bottle Fantasy and this one smelled the best by far. I am now a little surprised to see that this is supposed to be the same as pink bottle Fantasy (pre-reformulation?). If that's the case, it definitely smells quite nice. I never smelled original Fantasy to compare, but I can assure you this yellow, snakeskin bottle smells quite different from the pink rhinestone Fantasy that was sitting right next to it.

I like this one so much! To me, it smells like they took the original, toned down the vanilla / cupcake note, and upped the florals while adding some juicy tropical fruits. I get maybe just the slightest smidge of woods thankfully, since I'm not a huge fan of it. I snapped this up at TJ Maxx (where else) for $7.99 along with Rocker Femme for the same price. Not bad! My only complaint of course is that it did not last that long on my skin, which is a shame because it really is a beautiful scent! If only all her perfumes lasted as long as The Naughty Remix. My God... that sucker lasts through seasons changing!

Thank goodness for Fragrantica! I really wanted Fantasy to work on me the way it worked on a friend of mine, but after testing it all I got was fruit. I'm not a big fan of fruity fragrances... Then I read here that Fantasy Stage Edition is the Original Fantasy, the way I remember my friend smelling. I went out, tested it and immediately bought it. This is the chocolate, cupcake scent I've been craving!!!! And it is oh so gorgeous in cold weather. It's like sitting by the fire place drinking hot chocolate on a cold Winter's night.

I like it so far. I don't know how MUCH I like it, but I doubt that it'll become a love. It's nice and not as strong as I would've guessed. I started out with four sprays, but amped it up to six, and I still don't think (at least I don't hope so) that it's overpowering at all. I am not sure which notes I can detect, but Stage Edition smells sweet and a bit woody. It's like a sweet citrusy pie with wooden shavings on top... if that makes sense.

Fantasy Stage Edition is NOT the original pre-reformulated version from 2005.....the ONLY Fantasy/fantasy Spin off, that is the original formulation, is the Fantasy 10th Anniversary Edition. James Krivda said the ONLY change that was done to the original Fantasy formula was switching from organic ingredients to synthetic ingredients in an interview he did promoting his business where they make scents for people.

It's essentially the original with the sour kiwi note toned down, less tart and more fruity. It starts off effervescent vanilla cake and fruit and dries down to a sexy woody musk reminiscent to the dry down from Intimate Fantasy. I love it! It's what I expected from the original and it's a good cheap little fragrance to put on when lounging around the house.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm not excited about this. I want entirely new scent, not new bottle. This is just original Fantasy with new bottle. Just like Fantasy Anniversary Edition. Britney really have to let go this Fantasy line. I love all her perfumes and Fantasy is one of my favorites, but I want something new.

How perfect! The exact same notes as the first edition, wich smells a bit better than the reformulated, and the bottle is gorgeous! I so want this. Nothing can be wrong with it! Maybe she has started to make collectors bottle, just like Jean Paul Gultiere with his collectors bottle of "Classiqe" Think about it.

If you wanna more berries and kiwi but less white chocolate, buy Anniversary edition. If you wanna less berries and kiwi, but more white chocoalte + capcake buy Stage edition. I don ́t know why, I don ́t know how, but they should be same- they AREN ́T SAME. I swear. Have them both on my hands, and am confused.

I don't understand how people are saying fantasy has changed since it came out, I have worn it for years and it still smells as it did in 2005. They say your senses change every 7 years so maybe it doesn't smell the same to you because your sense of smell has changed but to me, it's still fantasy

nope, it hasn't been reformulated, I worked for elizabeth arden and it HAS NOT been reformulated. As I stated before your sense of smell changes over time and hence why things smell different over time. Smell is like taste it changes over time.

I just received this today!!! I sprayed it on at 1pm and could still smell it at midnight. On the dry down it pulls brown sugary on my skin then turns to a calming sweet fragrance. I plan on getting the anniversary edition next.

Sweet,Sweet,Sweet! Reminds the first reformulation for sure Much sweeter than the original one and less fresh or sour,you smell the cupcake and white chocolate strongrly. Also its a boys magnet Just Perfect!

Fantasy Stage has been my go- to recently. This smells sooo good🤤🤤 this is much better than the reformulated Fantasy. No overwhelming kiwi here!

If someone has this perfume in 100ml and wants to sell it to me, even if it is used or the bottle is empty, write to my email [email protected]

It's not Britney, it's Elizabeth Arden! They are having LOTS of trouble right now, so a new sent might be in the works for fall.

Love it got the 2014 bottle from ebay in the 100ml and now they put the prices up so gald i got mine for cheaper 🤩

thank you michelle ! that's because IT IS THE SAME FRAGRANCE it never changed!

Fantasy Stage Edition is just Britney Spears Fantasy EDP in a limited edition bottle (the design is 'inspired' by her Las Vegas residency performance of her song Slave 4U). Now I adore Fantasy and have worn it since it was launched and still occasionally wear it now I've passed the 3-0 milestone so I wish I could say that this is a fantastic new version of the original, but I can't. Whilst there may have been many whisperings that this edition of Fantasy has "the original formulation", I've gone through many bottles of Fantasy over the years and I've never noticed a formulation change that has altered the scent of the fragrance on me before. This edition smells like the delicious gourmand Fantasy always has done to me - from my very first bottle almost 11 years ago, to the bottle I received for Christmas last year. There is not, and never has been, any difference in the scent to my nose. You are simply paying for the bottle with this edition - which in itself wouldn't be so bad, except that this is the third time in as many years that Elizabeth Arden have rereleased Fantasy in new packaging, to try and get fans to part with more money.

Having bought this last week, I realise now that the normal pink fantasy is what I smell when I walk into practicality any perfume store lol. I was already aware that this is the original scent but while I'm not usually hugely influenced by packaging, I just couldn't go past the snakeskin bottle lol..yes I'm a sucker. It's quite a strong perfume, and lasts at least 5 hours on my skin which for the cheap price, is pretty good really. I find if I spray too much though I do get a slight headache because it is just SO sweet at first. I didn't think I'd enjoy the kiwi but that first blast is actually quite addictive! it quickly moves to a floral scent with a sweet sugary note that I think is the chocolate. The cupcake note comes after all that, well for me anyway. Once its completely dried down it gets warm, sweet and almost edible smelling, it's creamy and not as sugary as its earlier stages. I quite like it, I really wasn't expecting to like it this much.

I got this one today! I wanted it because of the rumors it is similar to the pre reformulation, so it would smell like the 2005 Fantasy with loads of white chocolate and cupcake notes instead of the kiwi and quince being prominent. I wasn't really expecting it to happen, though... So, after trying it on... I can conclude it has the same smell of the current pink Fantasy.. Haha It has a very fruity and sharp opening and I can still feel the fruits during the dry down. And unfortunately, there's almost no white chocolate or cupcake scent on my skin :( UPDATE Ok... It's kinda werid but there are days when I can actually feel the cupcake (really soft) during the drydown and some days it doesn't happen... What can i say haha

I snapped this one up because it was only $11. I've realised that as much as I like the idea of a white chocolate note, I'm yet to find one that sits well on my skin. The fruity notes are the most prominent, at the start, then the white chocolate and cupcake notes make an appearance (that's the best stage of this perfume, for me), but the dry down leaves me with an undertone of something that's just a bit odd. I don't quite understand the hype about the Fantasy fragrances (I've had Nice, Island and Midnight before too - Island was the only bottle I managed to finish). I find it ok, but it's not up there in my favourites. Sorry, Britney!

There's no way this is the same scent as the current pink bottle nor Anniversary Edition. This is a million times better. Highly pleasing, less sharp (Anniversary Edition in particular turns extremely green on me!), fruity vanillic cakey goodness. I have never smelled the 2005 formulation of Fantasy so I cannot compare them in this regard, but I can believe that either this or Nice Remix comes closest to the original, as a lot of people seem to be claiming. Too bad I find the bottle even more garish than the default Fantasy...

So I just got this in the mail today and it is not the original scent from 2005, smells like the reformulated one :( I was so excited but now I'm sad lol still love it, still sweet and warm the sourness does go down but it's still kinda there through out the scent. Update: so I do smell the cupcake and white chocolate but the sour part of the fragrance is still there it's just toned down a bit but you can still smell it.

Same juice as Fantasy in the pink bottle, don't bother unless you like the design of the bottle, which I personally do love. And I've compared several times, sour sour.

This was gifted to me a few years ago and I quite enjoyed the quince cupcake deliciousness of it during that Spring and Summer.

the bottle is v cute!! the scent is so so cute aswell. when i spray it, it's like i'm baking white choc cake pops ♡

Im going to agree with the general consensus that this is a softer version of the current pink bottle. I do definitely detect kiwi but it isnt screaming at me, and other than that its white chocolate and in my case mostly cupcake. The thing i do notice about this flanker is that the lasting power and sillage arent exactly explosive, in a way that the pink bottles always have been. I have a pink bottle from 2004 and when you remove the lid on the the fragrance the scent engulfs you fully, where as i feel that i really have to sniff at my wrists to be able to smell stage addition fully. None the less, gorgeous fragrance, but due to the sillage ill end up going through this bottle faster than the standard fantasy as i will be spraying much more liberally.

I like orig fantasy~pink 💗 bottle,others she made...this one actually disappointed in...its almost like a faded very toned down shadow of fantasy like I'm thinking of fantasy& someone put a shirt over the scent mix fabric linen inside....I love this bottle style the best...but I love B.S& her perfume,just this one I didn't care for its like a sparling fizzy water version of original fantasy...very light airy& doesn't last long..like others from her fantasy line.

How very disappointing I want a new perfume from her since she makes one of the best celebrity perfumes but when I found out that this Is just the original fantasy in a different bottle I was disappointed,Britney has been doing that a lot lately with the fantasy twist.anniversary edition and the remixes (which was at least were actually different from the original,I got the naughty version) but that being said I would a like a completely new and original fragrance from her and not just fantasy in a different bottle or been altered.

I only bought this for the bottle &was thinking it smelled like original fantasy in pink bottle,sadly it does not it's like a faded shadow of fantasy:( so I never reach for this one. My favorite sweet perfume by her is fantasy in famous pink gem bottle&my other favorite is Believe my favorite,yeah on this special addition only thing special is the bottle &colors,it doesn't last as long as original either,very dissatisfied,but hey I got a bottle I liked better than the pink,but was decieved into thinking it smells the same.

The lid should be the same as the bottle and change the scent with MORE exotic notes we never heard of to go along with the song "Slave 4 U" performance... the lid is very unrelated to the bottle. Her Fragrance team should've include accessories like she had on the performance

The bottle is lovely however the scent on me smells like I have been baking vanilla cupcakes and have bathed in white chocolate for hours, far too sweet for me ,however it lasts for ages.

UPDATE: Britney said its just a NEW BOTTLE, same fragrance notes... She should've CHANGE the whole concept

All I can say is, is that this is very disappointing to me.

I'm surprised by all the negativity of these reviews...yes, it is the same perfume as 2005 "Fantasy", which it says right in the description. Yes, to some the bottles may appear ugly. But the original Fantasy's bright pink rhinestone overloaded design may not have appealed to everyone's personal taste either. What it really boils down to for me is this: Since starting my fragrance journey on this site, I saw numerous threads and posts about how much so many loved the 2005 Fantasy, and so many are bemoaning how the fragrance in 2014 has been ruined, a ghost of its former self due to extensive reformulations. Now it appears you don't need to hunt down an older bottle on Ebay to get the scent that so many love (if it really is the exact same formula as 2005 Fantasy.) I thought that fans of the original scent would be happy that their favorite perfume was back, in all of its former glory. There are already tons of Britney perfumes. Midnight Fantasy, Hidden Fantasy, Circus Fantasy, the Fantasy remixes etc etc. The same people complaining that there are so many remixes then complain when the original is finally back, and not yet another half-baked flanker? Whaaa? I have not tried Fantasy yet as everyone's reviews have convinced me that the 2005 version is the only way to go, and I already exceeded my perfume hunting budget this month xD. However, I would like to add either the 2005 version or this stage edition to my collection when I have the funds (or perhaps receive it in a swap.) Simply due to all the nice things I have heard. There are so many perfumes that have been ruined by this reformulation nonsense, from Chanel to Britney, and in my opinion i'm happy an original scent that is loved my many is finally back on the market. I only wish it was available in London, UK where I currently live!

What?!! Anybody who says STAGE EDITION is the same fragrance as the reformulated, must have a bad sense of smell. The kiwi in the pink bottle is SO dominant & sour, it lingers through the dry down, making it smell plasticy and cheap. I literally get the visualization of my white chocolate cupcakes being drenched in sour kiwi juice, leaving my pastry soggy and unappetizing. In Stage Edition, there's just a HINT of kiwi (about 30 seconds) milky, melt in your mouth white chocolate, and freshly warm baked cupcakes, with premium thick icing (not the whipped kind). Yes! And this aroma stays with me for about 8 hours. ***I made the mistake of testing them on each wrist, But I could only pick up the kiwi from the reformulated version, because it's that strong. Plus the notes are the same (besides the amped up kiwi) so my nose couldn't really tell the difference between the two.*** Later, I made sure my nose was absolutely clear, then wore Stage Edition all day. The next day I wore the reformulated version. There's definitely a difference between the two. No its not wishful thinking. And even if STAGE FANTASY isn't the EXACT formulation as the original, the kiwi only plays a small role here! So yes, less kiwi, more cupcake. And this MAY not be the EXACT formulation as the original. But STAGE FANTASY is what I will be buying from now on.

So ok I’ve been wearing this Stage edition for a couple of weeks now, every single day to really study the difference between this and the reformulated pink fantasy. It’s weird but it does smell a bit more cupcake like at the first hour or so. It then becomes exactly the same as the reformulated fantasy, more on the lines of synthetic sugar rather than that beautiful bakery style. So basically it would seem for some strange reason, this edition is a sort of mixture between the original and the reformulated. It’s not exactly the same as either one. Interesting as to why this has been fiddled about with so much! Wonder why! Just don’t get your hopes up if you are truly looking for the original formula. I’m constantly hearing it is the same. But trust me it’s not unfortunately. On a happier note this is still a slightly nicer version of the reformulated fantasy. So it’s worth a try, a lot of people seem to enjoy it more. Update Stage over time smells much more like the reformulated fantasy than ever before. Please don’t get your hopes up about this being the pre-reformulated fantasy. It most definitely isn’t. Sometimes this can smell a bit better than the reformulated, but it could be my nose playing tricks. What I am getting right now out of stage F is something very very sour 😑

Smelled this in 2015, it was completely different from the pink fantasy, kinda green, alittle spicy, reminded me of how my gym smelled and it was interesting and unique. The scent matched the bottle. Wish she would make one that smelled like the one I tested in 2015. Kiwi was more intense and there was something dry about it, reminded me of snakes and the desert. I still recall how it smelled. I made the mistake not to buy it back then, and i bought it in 2017. Now it smells like a more plain pink fantasy without the intense sweeteness. I honestly prefer the original to this now. I let my mom choose which of the two she wants(just to make some room for my other perfumes) and she made a painful expression when she smelled this and said "ugh too harsh!" - She picked the original and said "ahhh thats sooo nice!". Shes brutally honest she doesnt care if its britney or whats the name, she says what she smells ya know. It also turns alil plastic on me in the winter. I regret buying the reformulated version and really miss the previous one. I keep it for the bottle and cuz i know in a million yrs it prolly wont go bad in the bottle. With Britneys perfumes I dont hurry to use them up, i know they last for years.

So it appears from the comments here that that this perfume has a ridiculously low rating because many have downgraded the fragrance because it's the same as the original. And yet, the description clearly states that yes, it is the same formulation as the original: "Fantasy Stage Edition, launched in 2014, is a limited edition that includes the original scent of Fantasy 2005 in a new packaging, available in 50 ml EDP." So I'll actually review the perfume itself. I have no clue whether it is truly exactly the same or not, nor do I care. It is a delightful scent, definitely not overly sweet. It has a slight fruity opening and a very warm and cozy dry-down. I get no sharp or screechy notes as I did with Jessica Simpson's Fancy, which to me was a mish-mash of discordant notes that did not agree with me at all. This will probably be a cocooning scent for me and a fall/winter staple. ETA: I probably should note that although I personally didn't feel bombarded by to much sweetness here, this perfume is sweet. If you don't like sweet perfumes, you probably will not like this one.

I was in Kohl's to sample fantasy before a purchase on Ebay and spied the stage edition on the shelf. The bottle looks better in picture than person, imo. I sprayed SE on my left arm and the original on the right. I thought they would smell the same but the SE was by far more tart and fruitier upon first spray and the original was much sweeter. Both were long lasting but they each stayed in that vein until the dry down were they became similar in smell. I just purchased fantasy for the first time snd really like how it evolves on my skin; however I enjoyed the tart opening of this version. They are probably the same but to my nose and on my skin the difference was noticeable in the beginning. FYI, both testers were full and freshly opened. SE would work for those, like myelf, that have not had fantasy before or prefer a fruitier opening that lasts well into the heart of the fragrance. It does get sweeter. That bottle, though, has made me appreciate the pink one more. Starting to think the pink bottle ain't that bad!

As many others, I was looking for a version of the original Fantasy that smelled more like the “preformulated” cupcakey, white chocolate sweet gourmand we all wish to get back. Stage *does* smell slightly different than the pink Fantasy I own that is from 2018. Sprayed one on each arm and there is a difference. Stage doesn’t have the fruity tart kiwi note opening that original does, but instead a slightly citrus? Opening. Edit: realized this is the lychee coming through! Then it blends into a synthetic cupcake/white chocolate/vanilla musk. It doesn’t project or last as long as my original unfortunately. I do like to layer it with the original or my Rocker Femme flanker. The bottle is really pretty in person, and fits nicely with my Fantasy collection. However, I won’t be purchasing again. I wouldn’t recommend purchasing it for yourself if you already own and like the original Fantasy, it’s the closest to that one without being the exact same.

I know there is a huge debate over whether this is just like the current pink bottle Fantasy but I can assure you it is not. The pink bottle has been my signature scent for years. The only thing I hated about it was the initial blast of sour fruits but I would ignore it until it dried down to the glorious white chocolate cupcake woods we know and love. I almost didn't buy this as I owned the pink Fantasy already and didn't want the same thing in a different bottle. I am so glad I did. This is the best version of Fantasy I have ever smelled. When you first spray it, there is no initial blast of kiwi. After a few minutes I smelled the most decadent, cakey vanilla cupcake scent of my life. This version has almost no fruit and no woods. It is pure edible cake and buttery cream frosting. My wife said "For some reason your Fantasy perfume smells better today." If you love the foody aspects of the pink Fantasy go buy this and you won't be sorry.

I have just about every one of britney's fragrances and I'm not even a fan of hers but I do like her fragrances. So I went to sears today and I hadn't heard of this new fantasy yet so when I saw the bottle I got really excited and when I sprayed it (without knowing it's repackaged original fantasy) I sprayed it and said damn this smells exactly the same as fantasy. SO when I came on here and found out that's exactly what it is you can imagine the disappointment its smells EXACTLY the same there is nothing different about it so why bother putting it out when the original fantasy still sells just fine to this day? I mean I could understand if sales were dropping so you think hmm i'll repackage and breath new life into it and maybe pickup sales but i'm pretty sure they never went down so seriously why the hell did she do this?!