The nostalgic fragrances that will take your back to your teens

Everything about this fragrance – from the bottle to the name and the blend of woody notes mixed with sea spray – felt impossibly cool. It was a bit more grown-up and sexier than many perfumes you may have owned in the past, and a firm favourite among ‘90s club-goers (paired with flatforms, boob tubes and sparkly nail polish, of course).

The best way to emulate the idol that was, and is, Britney Spears? Wear her perfume. Reminiscent of low-rise jeans, scrunchies and So Fresh CDs, Sunset Fantasy features a memorable blend of grapefruit, apple, sandalwood and vanilla that made us feel like the pop star herself.

Fronted by Kate Moss in a spaghetti strap top and roomy jeans, this gender-bending fragrance transformed the way we thought of scent and was the first hugely successful unisex cologne. If the ‘90s grunge-chic era could be bottled up, this is what it would smell like.

One of the most successful celebrity perfumes of all time, JLo’s fruity and floral Glow was the signature scent of any tween who wanted to be a bit sexy, but was ultimately, still ‘Jenny’ from the block.

The sporty girl’s perfume of choice, Tommy Girl — another fruity floral – encapsulated the perfect mix of spontaneity and luxury. It felt chic and accessible, and so, appealed to any girl, even those most comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt.

While Marc Jacob’s Daisy hasn’t been around for as long as others on this list (it only celebrated its 10^th birthday last year), chances are this was a favourite of yours and the scent that took pride of place on your vanity (the bottles are too pretty not to, after all). Although you may have moved on from the raspberry, grapefruit, musk and cedarwood cocktail, there’s no doubt it will always hold a special place in your heart.

For many, this scent marked your first foray into the olfactory world. Probably because you wanted to graduate from your much-loved (and over-spritzed) Impulse body sprays and DKNY’s Be Delicious was the perfect age-appropriate scent that still left you feeling sophisticated.

Somehow Light Blue’s surprising blend of citrus, green apple, jasmine and amber managed to be both light and sexy at the same time. It also tended to be the go-to scent of girls who somehow oozed cool without needing to put in any effort to do so.  

There’s nothing subtle about this sweet and fruity scent. In fact, the initial hit of wild berries and mandarin are so potent, you could smell anyone wearing it from several metres away. But that’s why Juicy Couture’s Viva La Juicy was so popular. After all, why else would a 13-year-old girl who’s just discovered kitten heels and glittery lip gloss wear perfume? She wants to be noticed.

If this gallery is anything to go by, grapefruit fragrances reigned supreme throughout the late ‘90s and early 2000s, which may be why Yves Saint Laurent Beauté’s Baby Doll was such a big hit. With a blend of citrus, freesia, lily of the valley and rose to complement the zesty grapefruit notes, this oh-so-girly scent was often worn by Supré mini skirt and butterfly hairclip lovers.

Now you’ve taken a stroll down memory lane, check out the top fragrances seven beauty editors can’t live without right now.

What were your favourite fragrances when you were growing up? Let us know in the comments below.

Main image credit: Sevak Babakhani