Fantasy

Fantasy isn’t just a random celebrity cheapie to me. It’s one of those scents that got tied up with my personal history, and I’ve been acquainted with it since the original 2005 launch, so I know its DNA really well. I’m mainly posting because there’s now a new 2025 Give Back Beauty (Made in Italy) version entering distribution and there still aren’t many reviews of this specific formulation. I was able to pick up a bottle by chance recently and have spent some time with her before giving my thoughts. OG Elizabeth Arden Fantasy (particularly 2008–2022 era, made in USA & France) was peak Fantasy for me. It had that syrupy, juicy lychee/kiwi fruitiness and the whole thing felt “pink” in the best way. What I miss most is the white chocolate musky shampooey pink glow of a drydown, which clung to clothes and lasted like actual perfume. Also: I don’t agree with the common idea that 2005–2007 Fantasy was significantly more cupcakey. To me Fantasy was always more cupcake-textured than cupcake-scented. Sweet and spongy, yes, but not buttercream frosting. I do remember those first editions being more complex and vanillic, but the 2008 - 2022 versions of Fantasy basically smelled the same to me despite any small tweaks, and like a good reliable rendition of the original composition. The 2023 Revlon version (Made in Spain) is where Fantasy really started to feel cheap to me. It’s thinner, less sweet, and the performance drops to “body mist” territory, as has been covered by other reviewers. The roundness in the lychee/kiwi fruity notes feels replaced by a flat, cheap citrus note (honestly it screams citronellol-type to my nose). There’s also this watery melon/cucumber thing going on ~ very BBW Cucumber Melon ~ that I never got from earlier bottles. The drydown loses that pink glow and the white chocolate effect becomes faint and generic. ~ Now let's discuss the new bottle on the block - Give Back Beauty Fantasy (2025 Made in Italy) ~ This one is definitely an improvement over the Revlon bottle. It restores a lot: more pink fruit, more strength, more sweetness, and more of the white chocolate vibe. But it still isn’t the later EA formulation, because there’s now a weird buttercream/yellow cake note in the drydown on my clothes that wasn’t there before and it throws me off. It feels like it was added to satisfy the online “OG 2005 cupcake Fantasy” narrative, but that’s not what Fantasy was to me. Fantasy didn’t need frosting, it already had the cake texture. I want my clothes to smell sweet musky pink again, not buttery 🤢 So yes: GBB Fantasy is better than Revlon, and I’m glad they tried to fix her... but it’s not a true replacement for the later EA version. It's still missing that sweet musky silky "pink" thing that was a big part of the original EA formulas. Some of the lasting freshness and lift is just missing - like it was deleted. My hunch is that it's due to the lilial ban. They tried but it's just not possible to make it like it used to be with current restrictions. I hope I can get used to it or that they tweak it again, if they are indeed reading our reviews. Do you hear me, GBB? But for real, at the end of the day I’m grateful Fantasy is still recognizable, and that this reformulation is genuinely an improvement. Most perfumes don’t get that kind of second chance.

🩷💚💙🤍✨Fantasy✨🤍💙💚🩷 My first celebrity scent. A friend wore this and when she said it was Britney’s scent I was shocked. It smelled so good! At the time the only celebrity scents were by Elizabeth Taylor. They seemed too mature, not reflective of the time. The other scents were chemist or designer/ perfume house scents. I left behind, for a while, my signature scent at the time Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDT, for Fantasy. This was on-trend, brought gourmand into the mainstream and was ground breaking. First, the packaging. The swirls on the outside remind me of Pucci designs. Abroad, exotic, high fashion. I imagine Britney’s world was opening up at this time as she travelled abroad and experienced this jet set world. Then the I Dream of Genie bottle! An Arabian touch, from distant lands again. Pink, fun, frivolous. Attention grabbing, amongst a sea of elegant clear glass bottles, with champagne juice and gold tops. I remember reading long ago the original bottles of Fantasy had Swarovski crystals, not just on the bottle, but around the neck. Next the juice. The opening is a Pucci swirl, a genie twirl, equal parts citrus and florals, not competing, just dancing together. Like Britney who loves to twirl. Not long after this settles, the scent predominantly becomes fruity. The kiwi although fresh and tart, with the orris root, is stamped into the skin, the fragrance is set, along with the powdery note from the orchid. There isn’t much sweetness...yet. As the drydown starts the sweetness begins. And lasts for hours. I mainly get the red litchi, maybe mango, tropical fruits. I don’t pick up on the cupcake or chocolate, perhaps they’re blended perfectly together, but there is extra sweetness pairing with the fruit. I pick up more on the texture of cake, not the smell of it. Original versions were much sweeter. This dance is concluded with musk. Or was it all a Fantasy? Longevity and projection are big. The price is small. Britney did all of us a solid with this one. Although I no longer reach for it, I keep a bottle for the memories and, quite frankly, as a memento, a piece of fragrance history. The Legendary Miss Britney Spears, thank you for this legendary scent. 🩷💚💙🤍✨🌺🪻🥝🥭🧁🏝️🛥️🩰✨🤍💙💚🩷

What do Fantasy by Britney Spears and Angel by Mugler have in common? They’re both fragrances that, at the time of their release, represented the absolute peak of sweetness and gourmand perfumery. Today, though, there are much sweeter options out there. I wanted to start my review this way to make it clear: I don’t find Fantasy to be as overwhelmingly sweet as people say. In today’s fragrance world—dominated by ultra-vanilla-heavy scents and Middle Eastern-style caramelized gourmands, especially in the vein of Bianco Latte and similar syrupy, dessert-like creations—Fantasy is no longer the sweetest perfume in existence. Not only is the competition sweeter than ever, but reformulations of Fantasy have also amplified its fresher, slightly tart kiwi facet. These days, it feels much more toned down compared to the original version. It opens with a tangy, slightly green fruity kiwi note. There’s even a hint of freshness at first—but it’s not a full-on fresh scent, because soon after, the cupcake and white chocolate notes begin to emerge. Another nuance I pick up is a clean musk in the base. When blended with the other notes, it gives off a slightly “doll-like,” almost plasticky impression. Personally, I really enjoy this—it adds to the fragrance’s unique charm. As it dries down, it becomes sweeter... but it’s far from the white chocolate cupcake bomb it once was. I also don’t consider it overused. I only bought Fantasy for myself later in life, and I rarely smell it on people around me. Fantasy is now 21 years old—soon it will start to feel almost vintage. Just like in the 2000s, when fragrances from the ’80s were already considered vintage. And even if it were overused, it would still be magical and iconic. To me, it truly captures the scent of fantasy—a princess-like aura. On my skin, the current version lasted around 6 hours, with solid projection throughout. It’s stronger for the first hour and a half, then settles into a softer, more intimate trail. P.S. I’m obsessed with the ad, where Britney Spears runs through an enchanted forest, escaping from a prince. That’s exactly the imagery that comes to mind whenever I smell Fantasy. 🩷🥝🧁🍭🩷

This scent THREW me back into the early 2000s. I am in my early 30s, but I will never forget the scent of this fragrance. My mom used to spritz herself once on each wrist and dab it on her neck. The smell would follow her all over the house. I recently re-purchased this fragrance from my local Walgreens and I was honestly surprised it was still in production. The bottle looks and feels exactly how I remember, beautiful deep magenta bottle with the patterned small gems with the greenish yellow hue. The neck of the bottle even feels exactly like I remember from when I would sneak it off my moms counter in middle school thinking that my mom wouldn't notice. The perfume is sweet, gourmand, slightly fruity, and it has a distinct musky base. A lot of reviewers mention that they don't smell the white chocolate (especially youtube reviewers) but I noticed it immediately upon spraying it on my wrist, and even after letting it settle. It's not a top note so a lot may not notice the white chocolate because of the floral and sweet notes, but there is a light creamy/vanilla scent in the fragrance. I would say, if you imagine the scent of a white chocolate wax melt, it's that same synthetic scent. And for me, it doesn't detract from my love for this perfume. The best part about this perfume is that once it settles into the skin, the scent remains fruity, musky, and floral. I have had more expensive scents that settle into the skin and lose the fruity scent. And the sillage!! When I spritzed this on my wrist and went to run my dogs outside an hour later, the scent followed me all the way down the staircase with my hands at my side the entire time. This is such a timeless classic, I am definitely making sure I keep this one on hand at all times.

ohhhh this one. im guessing most of the girls are aware of fantasy, because we were all babies once, and bc i remember seeing a tiktok this white professor academia guy made saying THIS was the best perfume ever made. like, scientifically. i cant remember his data. but. this first came to me when i was probably around 5 or 6. my mom and i would visit her friend debras apartment, where debra would smoke inside, kept the lighting ambient, and had cushy leather furniture. i have a distinct memory of seeing a pool of toenail clippings in the crack of the recliner cushion. her teenage daughter lived with her, up the small stairs, her room was protected with pink beads that hung from the doorframe. my first taste of true american glamour. 2007~2008. she would give me big girl gifts about everytime we came over, like those all-in-1 makeup gift sets from ulta when creme lipstuffs were still in. in 1 inch squares on a plastic plate. one time she gifted me a britney spears perfume set of 4 tiny baby sized glass bottles. midnight, fantasy, and two others, one teal and one chartruese, that i didnt even see listed on this website. they didnt matter. it was the two bedazzled blue and pink mini bottles i fell in love with. i could write a book but let me say it clear. fantasy is a sister, fantasy is a memory, fantasy is meant to be paired with sweat and BO and unwashed vag. its young and iconic and an artifact of the women who came 10 years before me, the world of crass feminimity and sass and love i was brought up in. **i own the midnightfantasy duo ball so i still have these 2 nostalgic scents on hand, atp afraid to use them because i dont care enough to drop cash on a replacement, but i dont ever want it to go away

i used to wear this perfume in early high school (about 5 or 6 years ago) but ultimately stopped wearing it for some time because i started to associate the smell with some negative memories. i LOVED the scent then, and wore it every day in the winter time. it felt like a sugary sweet hug. at the time, i didn't really get much of the white chocolate or cupcake notes, but i think it's possible that my nose just wasn't very good at detecting fragrance notes yet or the bottle was just too new and smelled very fruity, clean, yet musky. anyway, it was unlike anything i had smelled before and i thought it was amazing. after keeping my bottle in a drawer for the past 5 years, i decided to take it out today to check to see if it still smelled fruity and powdery like i remembered. upon first sniff, it smelled a bit like a drugstore shampoo. nothing inoffensive, just fruity and clean smelling. but i quickly started to smell a lovely vanilla cake smell underneath the shampoo scent. i know it sounds like a weird combo but they blend very well in my opinion to create a flirty, girly, unique fragrance. i also noticed that the silage is fairly decent and it lasts for several hours on my clothes and skin! while this is a playful and youthful scent, i think it could be appreciated by an older person as well (i wouldn't judge anyone for wanting to smell like a yummy cupcake at any age!). if you are looking for an early 2000s, victoria's secret-like fragrance that smells fruity, shampooey, cakey, and warm, this is for you. i truly think this is a beautiful fragrance

Just bought this and oh my goodness I am in love! this is so fun and fruity and it makes me feel like a princess when I wear it. Anyways: it starts off sugary and sweet, then it takes a turn and melts with a sort of fruity haze. You can really pick up on the kiwi and white chocolate. Not really any cupcake? But that's probably because cupcake is just cake batter labeled as something else IMO. Back on track, you don't get much of a tropical vibe besides the kiwi. Which I LOVE kiwi by the way, kiwi is my jam. Eventually, on dry down, the sweetness and fruity notes make way for a very lovely jasmine and orchid which dance on your skin and make you smell gorgeous! More on the package: The bottle is so stinking cute! It's this cute magenta with these adorable little rhinestones, it reminds me of a spinel in a way. All of her fantasy bottles are too cute! They sold Jungle fantasy and Blissful fantasy there, and they also have the cutest packaging as well. Final thoughts: This isn't a mature fragrance, so don't go into it thinking you'll smell "serious and brooding" wearing it. This is to smell cute and have fun doing it. So don't expect something serious when you buy it. Also, if you complain about it being childish, dude? You bought this knowing it was a cheap perfume intended and marketed to teen girls? what did you expect?

Just blind bought this since I’ve never smelt before! It’s really nice! Smells dated but I think that’s a given considering when it came out but not necessarily in a bad way. Upon first spray it’s a little messy but the fruit smells good! As it dries down I start to get a creamier and floral smell blending with the lingering fruit. I don’t get a strong cupcake chocolate smell but it’s definitely there. The fruitiness lingers with the cupcake and florals balancing everything. I would say if you want a stronger cupcake white chocolate smell try fantasy intense but only if you like patchouli. But i like this one nonetheless I think it needs to grow on me more Edit: after wearing it more I can say it officially grew on me. It reminded me of another perfume and I finally put my finger on it. For some odd reason it reminds me of angel elixir if it was fruity lol. It’s odd but it was very reminiscent to my nose. The sweetness of the cupcake and white chocolate balance the fruitiness of the fruits, the florals adding a nice spice, and the musk adding a nice delicate touch. And it’s interesting because I do get a slight warm spice to it. I really love this perfume now it’s awesome

I absolutely adore this fragrance - right from the first glance, the bottle feels like something straight out of a fairy tale. It's whimsical, magical, and a reminiscent of a potion a fairy might keep on her vanity. Upon the first spritz, the sourness of the kiwi immediately pops, lively and fresh, and then the fruity sweetness really takes centre stage. The white chocolate note comes through, indulgent richness that makes the fragrance feel almost edible in the most delightful way. There's also a subtle floral touch - hints of orchid and jasmine - that grounds the scent, preventing it from becoming overwhelmingly sweet. The nuance adds a soft sophistication beneath all the playful fruitiness. As the day wears on Fantasy develops a warm, musky dry down that lingers gently on the skin giving it a comforting, long-lasting presence without ever being overpowering. Overall it's playful yet sophisticated scent, perfect for anyone who wants to feel a little magical every day.

This will always be a divine scent to me. First smelled at school, in French. I still remember the girl, her blonde hair, her pretty little handbag and the scent that filled the whole classroom 😂 Then I got hooked but always found it was never that sweet on me as it was on her and years of frustration went by 😂 Finally, one year it just clicked. I think you basically need to be patient and also, if you love the scent, it won't smell that intense to you. But let me tell you... when I walk by girls who wear this I KNOW. And they smell sweet and gorgeous. And whenever I've worn it, someone always says ARE YOU WEARING FANTASY 😍 It is the ultimate beauty to me. You get the kiwi 🥝 , kinda tart, wakes you up in the morning and then 🧁 the cupcake comes along hours later and then you're just floating in a cloud of happiness, hot pink 💗 💕 y2k dream. And still £19.99 in Savers to add to the nostalgia of not having to spend a fortune to smell good. I mean, what a dream 💕💕💕🎀😍

Genius concoction!! 💗💚🧚🏻 At first there is really strong citrus from the kiwi and quince I personally don’t smell lychee. For a while you get a strong airy kiwi and then it softens! A delicious airy white chocolate and cupcake appear! It smells musky and sweet but magical! The jasmine mixes in and adds an ethereal like quality! It reminds me of winx club, like a magical girl with sparkles and magic swirling around in the air! 🧚🏻 There is always an airy ness in this perfume! It’s not sicky sweet but delicately and comfortingly sweet! I read a review that said it smells like kittens furr and it truly is as cosy smelling as that!! I have both an og formula and a new formula. They are similar however the kiwi is stronger in the new formula and all stages of the perfume are a lot airier and fresher. There is cupcake and white chocolate present in both formulations and they both smell great however og is slightly sweeter less musky.

I am SOO in love with this fragrance. This was the scent I wore a lot in college, and I never failed to get a compliment when I wore it out. She is the definition of a fun, grown-up girly scent, perfect for all ages. I feel so nice and feminine, but also sweetly mature when I put it on my body. It's so incredibly versatile, working for casual outings during the day, or an event at night. I can smell this on me ALL day, and I swear every time I spray it, my scent takes up any room I walk in. I could go out clubbing with this on, and still smell it when I come home. Perfect smell for when you want to take up a room with your scent, or have someone remember you purely by your smell. Don't sleep on seeing this scent in a TJMaxx or Ross, I've worn this scent for years and it never looses it's novelty, I am constantly smelling it throughout the day, its so addictive. Seriously one of the best celebrity perfume lines ever released.

I had never smelled this perfume before and finally decided to buy it after all the hype online. The first spray definitely surprised me—it was sweet and very fruity, yet incredibly unique. I had never smelled anything quite like this. However, after some time, the fruitiness faded and I was left with an “old doll” scent that reminded me of a bag of dolls my grandma used to give me to play with at her house when I was a kid. I didn’t really enjoy that phase of the scent, which left me feeling a bit disappointed. After a few more days of testing, I can say that I do like it overall, but it’s way too strong for me when freshly applied or overapplied, it can even make me feel a bit nauseous, not because of the sweetness (I love sweet gourmand scents), but because of how heavy it feels. That said, the dry-down is very nice. I just wish it lasted a bit longer :) Edit: I loooooove it :)))))) i got used to it being strong yay

This is a very balanced white chocolate to me. It's like a cupcake with pine tree extract and pieces of white chocolate and fruits in it .. it develops into a creamy white chocolate musk the closer it comes to the dry down.. People are saying it is soapy I disagree yes theres a dove soap facet to the scent into the dry drown but it's not at all what I get .. cannot be summed up that way.. Because yes theres a jasmin note and a musky note but the creamyness of the white chocolate keeps it from becoming too musky or too soapy or screetchy it is a very balanced gourmand. It's not at all too sweet If u wanna liken it to a white chocolate bar then it's like eating a white chocolate bar that's full of herbs and pine extract and fruits... Britney.. very perfume u created is amazing as far as I know. So thank you and thanks to the perfumers who created these masterpieces. Especially hidden fantasy and circus fantasy

Este perfume me lo regalaron para mi cumpleaños número 16. Qué perfume más maravilloso. Es ese aroma dulcecito que te hace tronar la guata de antojo, además te hace recordar mucho a tu infancia, aunque nunca lo hayas olido. Tiene esa sensación de inocencia que se va transformando a madurez. Es uno de los perfumes más juveniles que he tenido, que más pega con la adolescencia. Lo único malo es que no es de esos que dejan la estela en la piel a lo largo del día, pero si se puede mantener un buen tiempo en la ropa. Lo recomiendo para finales de invierno y mediados de primavera, a pesar que a mí me lo regalaron a finales de primavera (primera semana de diciembre) xD Los primeros días no controlé cuando me echaba y me terminé causando un dolor de cabeza, así que con unas cuatro atomizaciones estai más que dada pal éxito. Lo recomiendo mucho.

I am a Guy and I use 'Fantasy'. There I said it. Judge me if you'll want but I love this fragrance. It is juicy fruits and whipped cream drizzled with white chocolate And sprinkled with icing sugar. I use it on days when I am going out with friends to the mall or to have a day of fun. I've even used it to nights when I went clubbing. And I've never had someone tell me I smell fem or like a chick. In fact I've had people ask me what is that awesome scent or sniff me and be like yum you're good enough to eat. So I can suffice to say it suits my skin chemistry. I've even had total strangers walk past me and stop me and say dude you smell like a childhood dream. So judge all you want But fantasy is childhood and fun in a pink bottle for me and I love it all the way from the fruity top to the chocolatey, vanilla musk woodsy drydown. 8/10

Brand new bottle... Manufactured by give back beauty. Smells a lot stronger than the Elizabeth Arden version! I had previously bought an Elizabeth Arden version and it was very watered down. This version is a lot stronger... Initially I'm getting a lot more white chocolate with this one and quince...it's reminding me more of the original formulation. It's a little bit stronger than sheer fantasy , but not too different . I get a lot more citrus and florals in sheer. Very happy with this formula cause I was wanting a white chocolate dominant fragrance 🥝🧁 Update : the new version is identical to the original formulation. I sprayed 3 sprays before work and mid shift it got even stronger. I think 2 sprays would have been enough. It got me slightly dizzy. Lasted on my clothes until the next morning!

I’ve recently just bought 3x 15ml 2016 formulation of Fantasy and wow they are potent. I also own the 2014 stage edition with the snake skin bottle and I can definitely tell a difference between that formulation and this one two years later in the 2016 formulation. 2014 formulation leans more smooth with the white chocolate and cupcake and has way less sharp tangy kiwi. Whereas the 2016 formulation has way more fruit eg kiwi and Quince and is quite sharp to some peoples noses. As it dries down, you basically get fantasy but in the background you can still smell them tangy slightly sour in a fruity way fruit. They are both very strong. And I’m glad I’ve got them in my collection.

I personally love this perfume, it's floral and fruity with slight creamy undertones. I don't find the cupcake to be super noticeable. I have smelled both the original and the reformulation now, and the fruitiness definitely takes center stage in both, with the older being more refined, having a bit more depth and creaminess. The newer bottles are very heavy on the kiwi when compared to the older formula. I really don't mind the new formula however, I feel like it carries the same essence as the old one, I only wish it lasted longer! Overall, a very fun sweet scent for a feel-good day, just like her music! Also the bottles are adorable as always.

Hiçbir parfümden bunun kadar iltifat almamışımdır, ÇOK GÜZEL KOKUYOR 💕. Parfüm tamamen early 2000lerin parfüm modasına uygun yapılmış ama cupcake ve beyaz çikolata notaları parfümü günümüze de uyacak hale getirmiş, ayrıca bu iki nota parfümü lezzetli bir hale getirmeye de yaramış. Parfüm kiviyle birlikte biraz herbal ve ekşi açılıyor, diğer notaların devreye girmesiyle de gourmand bir havaya bürünüyor. Yumuşacık, kremamsı olduğu kadar kivi ve liçi sayesinde oldukça fresh de kokuyor. Parfüm biraz Escada Magnetism'e benziyor ama onun daha vanilyalı ve daha lezzetli hali gibi. Bu tarz kokuları seviyorsanız buna da bayılacağınıza eminim 💕