{"id":977672,"date":"2025-12-09T12:12:47","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T09:12:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=977672"},"modified":"2025-12-09T12:12:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T09:12:47","slug":"9-millennial-coded-perfumes-that-smell-like-nostalgia-and-the-mall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=977672","title":{"rendered":"9 Millennial-Coded Perfumes That Smell Like Nostalgia and the Mall"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.\n<\/p>\n

9 Millennial-Coded Perfumes That Smell Like Nostalgia and the Mall<\/h1>\n

Unlocking scent memories. <\/p>\n

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By<\/span><\/p>\n
Holly Rhue<\/p>\n
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\"byrdie\"byrdie<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nHolly Rhue\n<\/div>\n
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    Holly Rhue is the editorial director for Byrdie, covering all things beauty for the brand. She has 7 years of experience in beauty editorial and has been with Byrdie since 2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    \nByrdie’s Editorial Guidelines\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    Published on June 20, 2025 07:00AM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    \"Britney\"Britney<\/div>\n<\/div>
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    Getty Images \/ Courtesy of Brands \/ Byrdie<\/p>\n

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    Key Takeaways<\/p>\n

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    • From butterfly clips to Lisa Frank-inspired manicures, the Y2K resurgence is still going strong.<\/li>\n
    • In light of the trend, our millennial beauty editors are dusting off their favorite nostalgic fragrances, which include Stoked by Bethany Hamilton and Curious by Britney Spears.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      As a millennial, I’m absolutely delighted by the resurgence in Y2K styles. First came the low-commitment return of colorful, Lisa Frank-esque Y2K manicures. Then came hairstyles like butterfly clips and micro braids. And all spring-long, our TikTok feeds have been flooded with early 2000s-inspired outfits (think: going-out tops, Uggs, and the capris of yore). And while I’m personally leaving my low-rise jeans behind, it’s fun to watch the time capsule be opened\u2014and reinvented\u2014in 2025.\n<\/p>\n

      It’s also more than a little nostalgic; the Y2K movement is unlocking memories I didn’t even know I had, like stealing my sister’s Olsen Twins T-shirt and rolling on way<\/em> too much “try-me” body glitter in Victoria’s Secret. For our beauty editors, it’s also unlocking countless scent memories, which has us dusting off some of our favorite Y2K fragrances (in the name of research and nostalgia). So, what were the fragrances that defined the early 2000s, and which scents are worth revisiting during the Y2K mega-renaissance? Ahead, millennial beauty editors share their 10 favorite early-2000s fragrances that you can still try (and buy) in 2025.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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      01<\/span>of 09<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Stoked Perfume by Bethany Hamilton <\/span><\/h2>\n
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      \"Box\"Box<\/div>\n<\/div>
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      Courtesy<\/p>\n

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      $27 at Tropaholic.com<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      “I was born and raised in a beach town, so naturally, famed surfer Bethany Hamilton was a staple of my town’s culture in 2003. Her autobiography, Soul Surfer, <\/em>had a months-long wait at the local library, and her surfboard-shaped perfume, Stoked, was the official it-girl status symbol of my middle school. It smells like fresh pineapple juice with a hint of soft florals, and I’m still a sucker for the packaging. Even though I’m certain it’s expired, the bottle I’ve held onto is definitely going in my summer beach bag.” \u2014 Holly Rhue, editorial director<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      02<\/span>of 09<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Bath & Body Works Cucumber Melon <\/span><\/h2>\n
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      \"A\"A<\/div>\n<\/div>
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      Courtesy<\/p>\n

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      $17 at Bathandbodyworks.com<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      “The very first fragrance I ever tried in the late ’90s was Cucumber Melon from Bath & Body Works, and every time I wore it, I felt grown. It smelled like the perfect summer day\u2014sweet yet fresh. Though it\u2019s been years since I\u2019ve last tried the retired scent, it will always remind me of trips to the local mall, where I\u2019d always stop by Bath & Body Works for a quick spritz or pump of lotion.” \u2014 Jasmine Phillips, social media editor<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      03<\/span>of 09<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Curious by Britney Spears <\/span><\/h2>\n
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      \"Curious\"Curious<\/div>\n<\/div>
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      Courtesy<\/p>\n

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      $15 at Amazon<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      “It was the launch of a lifetime. The second that crystal, potion-like bottle flashed across my screen at the absolute peak of Britney mania, my future was solidified as a beauty girl. This was the first ‘real’ perfume I ever owned (before that, it was just body mists and a dream), and in hindsight, I definitely overdid it. Curious is strong, you only need one spritz for scent that lasts (I’d like to apologize to everyone I shared a middle school locker room with), but the scent portfolio does hold up. Used sparingly, it’s a sweet, summery scent that always reminds me of Juicy Couture tracksuits and flat-ironing my bangs beyond repair\u2014in a good way.” \u2014 Holly Rhue, editorial director <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      04<\/span>of 09<\/span><\/div>\n
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      White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor <\/span><\/h2>\n
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      \"A\"A<\/div>\n<\/div>
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      Courtesy<\/p>\n

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      $35 at Amazon<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      “This perfume is my earliest fragrance memory, as it was my grandmother\u2019s signature scent. It\u2019s strong, sophisticated, and unforgettable, just like her. Inspired by Elizabeth Taylor\u2019s lush gardens and dazzling diamonds, the hero notes include Amazon lily tuberose, and sandalwood. It\u2019s definitely an old-school scent but it instantly makes me feel like I\u2019m wrapped in my grandma\u2019s arms whenever I get a whiff of it.” \u2014 Olivia Hancock, senior beauty editor<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      05<\/span>of 09<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum <\/span><\/h2>\n
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      \"Juicy\"Juicy<\/div>\n<\/div>
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      Juicy Couture<\/p>\n

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      $97 at Juicycouture.com<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      “Originally conceived as the scent Barbie would wear if she were an IRL person and not, well, plastic, the first Juicy Couture fragrance is a kaleidoscopic fruity white floral with notes of green apple and mandarin at the top, blooming into a rich tuberose heart and fading to a pretty, sweet-but-not heavy base of vanilla and woods\u2014perfect for transitioning from a busy day as the president or a veterinarian to a night on the town with Ken and Skipper. The fragrance was launched in 2006 and became nearly as popular as the brand\u2019s signature colorful sweatsuits, even winning a FiFi Fragrance of the Year award. The OG Juicy scent was quickly overshadowed by its neon pink sister Viva La Juicy, which is equally yummy, but it manages to feel as lush and lovely in 2023 as it did nearly 20 years earlier. After all, Barbie is forever.” \u2014 Kara Nesvig, news contributor<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      06<\/span>of 09<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Kiehl’s Original Musk <\/span><\/h2>\n
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      \"A\"A<\/div>\n<\/div>
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      Courtesy<\/p>\n

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      $50 at Kiehls.com<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      “My Grammy wore this fragrance for most of my life, and once she died, both my mom and I started wearing it. It smells so soft and clean, and feels like a warm hug every time I wear it. It’s a totally timeless scent, but makes me think of cozy hand-knit sweaters and Christmas time in Vermont.” \u2014 Bella Cacciatore, senior news editor<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      07<\/span>of 09<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Marc Jacobs Daisy <\/span><\/h2>\n
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      \"Daisy\"Daisy<\/div>\n<\/div>
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      Marc Jacobs<\/p>\n

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      “By the time I reached high school, Daisy was the reigning scent to adorn your hand-me-down dresser. It’s a delightful, soft floral that I genuinely still pick up today; but at the time, it was all about the packaging (and the Marc Jacobs label). The year I got this for Christmas is a core memory that I’ll never forget. And today, you can enjoy countless iterations from the brand, including Daisy Dream, Daisy Wild, Daisy Love, and so many more.” \u2014 Holly Rhue, editorial director<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      08<\/span>of 09<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Ralph Lauren Romance <\/span><\/h2>\n
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      \"Ralph\"Ralph<\/div>\n<\/div>
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      Ralph Lauren<\/p>\n

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      $63 at Sephora<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      “Your mom probably wore it. You should wear it, too. Since its launch in 1998, Romance has been a megaseller\u2014and for good reason. It\u2019s just pretty, <\/em>a light, glimmering watery floral. Sometimes you just want to wear something nice, something you don\u2019t have to fuss over, and Romance is right there, ready to wrap its loving arms around you.” – Kara Nesvig, news contributor<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      09<\/span>of 09<\/span><\/div>\n
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      Glow Eeu de Toilette by Jennifer Lopez <\/span><\/h2>\n
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      \"A\"A<\/div>\n<\/div>
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      Courtesy<\/p>\n

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      $42 at Macy’s<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      “You won’t belive how many compliments I get when I wear this fragrance. JLo was totally on to something with this perfume’s soapy, sunny notes and delightful tacky bottle. It’s very early 2000s but without the sticky sweetness found in the era’s most popular scents. It makes me want to hit the beach with a heart-shaped tanning sticker and string bikini.” \u2014 Bella Cacciatore, senior news editor<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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      Read more:<\/div>\n
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      • Fragrance<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

        Source URL: https:\/\/www.byrdie.com\/nostalgic-millennial-perfumes-11756146<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. 9 Millennial-Coded Perfumes That Smell Like Nostalgia and the Mall Unlocking scent memories. By Holly Rhue Holly Rhue Holly Rhue is the editorial director for Byrdie, covering all things beauty for the brand. She has 7 years of experience in beauty editorial and has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":977673,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[83],"class_list":["post-977672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-byrdie-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/977672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=977672"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/977672\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/977673"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=977672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=977672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=977672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}