Midnight Fantasy

I first fell in love with Midnight Fantasy in 2006, when I'd steal sprays from my friend Chasidy's bottle every time I slept over at her house. I was an Heiress by Paris Hilton girl at the time, but Midnight Fantasy had me by the throat. I still associate it indelibly with her. (Incidentally, we're still close friends who talk all the time despite living on different coasts. She's a brilliant ex-banker who now works in affordable housing policy and does pole routines dressed as Pitbull. One of the funniest people alive. Shoutout to her.) I fell back in love with Midnight Fantasy last year. I bought the OG, Midnight, and Fantasy Intense on a whim, which quickly extended to my needing to try almost every other flanker currently available. There are some gems in there - Electric Fantasy's passionfruit-ambroxan buzz is smarter and edgier than it needs to be; Candied Fantasy is a bubblegum-floral dream; Circus Fantasy has a nostalgic aquamarine quality, like a blue raspberry snow-cone at a water park. I'm partial to the Intense version in particular. But Midnight Fantasy is just that girl. There's a tart, zingy quality from the sour cherry that you don't get from many of the flankers, or many of the super-sweet perfumes being released these days, for that matter. It balances the syrupy plum and keeps the nostalgic raspberry-freesia blend from running away with the whole thing. Somehow, she still feels modern and distinct. And perfectly purple. I've been going through a bit of a millennial fruity floral renaissance lately, and am on a mission to try as many of the nostalgic celeb/mall store cheapies I overlooked growing up as well as some of the smarter newer offerings in that vein (I've recently fallen head over heels for Phlur's Mood Ring). But this one has honestly worked its way back into my top tier. It's such an easy reach.

Generally, I'm more of a fan of niche perfumes - I find many of the well-known brands too obvious or heavy-smelling. I like things that are a bit unusual. I'm also a lover of fresh or herbal scents. I'm not a lover of gourmand or anything too sweet. Anyway, I have a 16 year old daughter who's going through a bit of a Y2K obsession at the moment, so I bought her the pink-bottle Britney Fantasy. It was fine. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I was waiting to pay in Superdrug and I picked this up and had a spray. I wasn't invested at first. It smelt a bit biscuity and musky. But then something amazing happened between paying and getting back to the car! I kept getting hints of something fizzy and zesty. It reminded me of Refreshers (that iconic British retro-sweet). It wasn't cloying or overly sweet - it sparkled. And, boy, did it have some longevity - I could still smell it on my coat sleeve days later (and it also imprinted on my skin, so I could smell it on my wrist hours later). Anyway, the next time I was in Superdrug, I couldn't resist spraying it again. Now, I'm 53, so wasn't really sure if I could justify buying myself a 2006 Britney scent! But I could get it for my daughter. So I did. She loves it. We went to the theatre the other day, and I kept getting hints of it as she was sitting next to me. Many perfumes give me a headache - but not this one. It was just such a beautiful, pleasant smell. When I tidy her room, I've started spraying it in the wardrobe and in the room - and it's amazing. I guess the closest other perfume it reminds me of is Ginger Essence by Origins. If you're a fan of zesty, fizzy scents with a hint of sweetness (but nothing cloying), then I'd recommend giving this a try. It's incredible value - especially considering the silage and longevity.

Even though this fragrance is a flanker of the original Fantasy by Britney Spears, I hardly smell the original DNA from Fantasy. This fragrance gives off a shampoo scent like when you’re shampooing your hair in the shower and you get suds and the aroma of the steam and the shampoo combines together. The opening note of plum definitely adds to this shampoo like aroma with the sour cherry and raspberry, giving it a fruity punch in the beginning that smells a bit mysterious and fruity in a dark way. One of the middle note of iris gives it a musky, makeup like scent to it combined with the freesia and orchid balances out the fruitiness and adds more complexity to the scent. I feel like the way these notes are blended in with the other notes, it’s hard to identify them on their own. Then the base notes of musk gives it that shampoo scent and the vanilla and amber balance it out and give it a more generic, well-rounded smell. I imagine a very young girl in her early teens wearing this fragrance. It smells like a blueberry shampoo, even though there’s no blueberry note in it. To me, it gives off a more powerful version of a body mist and smells very immature and juvenile and for this reason, I have decluttered it. There’s a mysterious quality about it, and I would definitely classify it as an evening scent. It smells like a cloudy evening night on a full moon. Another way to describe it is it’s like a girl wearing dark blue velvet corset.

an intense, fruity, fresh, pretty good, but kind of difficult to wear and cloying scent. when i first started being interested in perfumes, i wanted this. so bad. i love cherry, i love plum, i love vanilla- i thought it was the perfect fit. i read all the reviews and for my birthday a friend got it for me. i tried it on, and for a few months it was my signature scent, until i was sitting in a class between two guys and it was so hot and all i could smell was that nauseating perfume. it was so sugary and icky and strong, and i was so embarrassed by it. those two guys were very polite and didn't say anything, but i'm sure they felt the same. not that much of a light seductive scent. soon after, i smelled it on someone else and thought, "oh my gosh this is heafy. after that i stayed away. until toiday-- i resmelled it and damn. its still super strong berries, kind of sour, dark, sugary and slightly nauseating scent that i think is nice, but, although i'm a goth and probably stand out a lot, i'm quite self conscious and easily embarrassed and i think this scent is too strong for me and i worry it draws too much attention to myself. :,) i don't know-- i still like it but i don't really wear it anymore all that out of the way i have to say this has insane projection and longevity + I love you britney my queen

I was so surprised by this. I'm not one of those people for whom "sickeningly sweet youthful candy perfume" necessarily sticks out as something I "should" buy... at least not without testing it first. I did, though. I sprayed it on, almost dreading the inevitability of me hating it. I sniffed it. I thought for a few seconds. Sniffed again and again for the next ten or so minutes. It didn't necessarily say "youthful". Without exaggerating, this is to Vivienne Westwood's Boudoir as Cherry Coke is to original Coca Cola. Nobody would pay the prices of Boudoir for this if it was discontinued and sold on eBay, but I think this is just as complex. As bitter/creamy almond & vanilla combo in the base that permeates the other two phases. Sour cherry that combines with the almond to make an almost Hypnotic Poison, without the play-dough. La Petite Robe Noire Black Perfecto with added sweetness. The plum feels very 80s & 90s. It's not overly complicated, but it does feel a lot more mature than its given credit for. Or at least other similarly sweet designers are given too much of a pass for smelling even sweeter in some occasions because of the price tag. Hugely suggest for anyone who likes fruit florals, gourmands, leathers, fruity gourmands and vanilla, or cherry.