To date, I’ve reviewed several Britney Spears fragrances: Fantasy, Hidden Fantasy, Circus Fantasy, and In Control.
Haha, you probably think that I’m a huge fan of hers when I’m really not. Well, I’m a fan of some of her perfumes! (Her original Fantasy has been my signature scent since it first came out.)
Shoppers Drug Mart always gets me with their $19.99 CAD fragrance sales for 100 mL bottles! Honestly, I think I read the flyer, see the sale, and all will-power goes out the window like one of the flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz.
I’ve tried the Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy eau de parfum years ago in the store and wasn’t impressed with it. Back then, it smelled like sour candy on me. But I think that was because their tester bottle was left in direct sunlight for months and it caused the juice to turn.
So, I gave it another chance, and I’m glad I did! This is a cute (but very simple) sweet and fruity scent that I’ll definitely add to my rotation on those days when I need a pick-me-up.
(Just in case you’re wondering: the original Fantasy perfume is still my favourite.)
Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy Pictures
Claims: OK, but Product: TRUSTED
- Black cherries, framboise, plum, amber, musk & vanilla (Yes)
- Orchid, freesia & iris (Not sure – I don’t know what these florals smell like)
Key Notes
- Name: Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy Eau de Parfum Spray
- Collection: Britney Spears Fantasy Collection
- Fragrances Available in the Britney Spears Fantasy Collection: Midnight Fantasy, Fantasy (original), Hidden Fantasy & Circus Fantasy
- Amount: 100 mL (3.3 fl. oz.)
- What I Paid: $19.99 CAD (on sale)
- Where to Buy: Shoppers Drug Mart, Elizabeth Arden, Amazon.com, Perfume.com, FragranceNet, FragranceX, Target, StrawberryNet & I’m sure plenty of other places.
Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy Review
Fragrance
Housed under Elizabeth Arden, Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy was created by Caroline Sabas and released in select department stores in December 2006. (People found it easier to get hold of in 2007 when its availability increased.) The ads for it harped on how ‘magic begins at midnight’.
This is meant to be a night-time fragrance, but I think you can really wear this any time as long as you don’t go overboard and spritz yourself like a mad man (or mad woman – who I think is actually crazier). I wear 1-2 sprays on each wrist, dab my wrists together, and then dab my wrists on each side of my neck. I find that this doesn’t make it too strong or too light.
Midnight Fantasy by Britney Spears is said to include these notes: black cherries, framboise, plum, orchid, freesia, iris, amber, musk, and vanilla.
What I Smelled
The Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy eau de parfum on me smelled like a soft, creamy, sugared cherry-plum blend with heaps of vanilla.
I usually get sick when I smell fragrances that have cherry notes and I don’t even like candied cherries. A lot of cherry-flavoured things remind me of cough syrup.
I only like eating fresh cherries. Everything else smells very artificial and nauseating to me – I’ll literally get a pounding headache from fake cherry scents, even if they’re in something small like a lip balm.
I’m guessing the reason why I didn’t get a headache from this scent is that the cherry is subdued by the plum, and then the vanilla blankets the whole thing and makes it cozy.
I really like this fruity scent, and I can’t really detect any floral notes. On my skin, this scent becomes sweeter, which is actually the kind of fragrance I prefer.
Scent Throw
The thing I appreciate about all the Britney Spears perfumes I’ve tried (excluding Hidden Fantasy, which was too sharp), is that while you can smell the scent, it tends to linger closer to your body.
Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy doesn’t punch people in the nose the second you step into the room. (Actually, it doesn’t punch anyone ever. It’s very much a pacifist. ;)) It’s only when people come closer to you or walk by that people will get a soft whiff of it. It’s what I would call a ‘polite fragrance’ – i.e. it doesn’t force your scent upon people’s nose and assault them. Instead, it gives a come-hither finger and beckons them to come closer if they’d like a smell.
These are the kind of scents I like – they’re more intimate instead of loud. Plus I find that in general, these kind of scents are easier to wear. (Whenever I wear a strong scent, I feel too self-conscious…and I also get a massive headache, so that makes me grouchy. Close-to-the-body scents like this are pleasant.)
Scent Evolution
I consider Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy to be a really simple fruity fragrance because what you smell when you spray it on and let it dry is essentially what you’ll smell throughout the day and into the night. It does fade over time as you wear it, like with any perfume, but I found that it doesn’t evolve from the top notes to the middle notes to the base notes like with the original Fantasy perfume.
And you know what? I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. The upside is that if you really love the smell of it when you first spray it on, you’re not going to have to worry about it changing into something that you can’t stand. On the downside, its one-noteness (yes, I made up that word) may get boring after a few hours.
I really enjoy this scent, so I don’t mind its lack of fragrance evolution through the day.
Lasting Power
As with all the other Britney Spears perfumes I’ve tried, this has a moderate staying power. If I spray this on in the morning, I can still smell it at night. There’s natural fading, but it’s still there. This isn’t a scent that requires touch-ups. (That’s good, because I don’t do that anyway. I prefer to put my perfume on only once a day. The lazy way!)
Packaging
It features the same bottle shape as all the other Fantasy perfumes – round. Midnight Fantasy has a translucent-blue bottle with clear ‘crystals’ sprinkled all over.
The cap is cute and round.
Out of all the Fantasy bottles, I like the aesthetics of this one the most. It’s not as tacky, but…hehe, it’s also not sophisticated.
Pros
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Cons
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Final Verdict: 9.5/10
Out of all of Britney Spears’ Fantasy perfumes, this one comes in at a strong second place! (The original Fantasy has still stolen my heart.)
Sometimes fruity scents can be overbearing on me, but this one, I found really easy to wear because it was sweet and soft. The next time it goes on sale again for $19.99 CAD for a 100 mL bottle, I’m going to be tempted to pick up a back-up bottle because I can see myself finishing a bottle.
Which is your favourite Britney Spears Fantasy perfume? Do you think the bottle is gaudy, or do you agree that it’s the least-tacky Fantasy bottle? Do you ever re-apply your perfume at night?
Check out my other Fantasy perfume reviews:
My favorite is the original Fantasy. The scent isn’t too mature or too childish. I mostly use Bath and Body Works body sprays including Sweet Pea, Pink Grapefruit and Vanilla Bean Noel depending on the season or my mood. I might try this if I ever find it.
Hey maddy!
I agree with you about the original Fantasy fragrance not being too old or too young. Some people think that it’s an immature fragrance, but I disagree. I’m in my 20s, and I wear it. I don’t feel like it makes me smell like younger. Scent is all about what goes with your body chemistry (and obviously also what you think smells good). 🙂 And considering how I’ve worn the original Fantasy ever since it came out and still haven’t gotten sick of it is a testament to how good the fragrance is…hehe, at least to me!
I really like the packaging and bottle; it looks gorgeous! I’m really glad that you enjoy this perfume. Finding a perfume I love makes me so happy!
I think I’m going to go put some perfume on…. XD
Ashesela recently posted: Poinsettia Manicure
Hey Ashesela!
Same here – when I find a perfume I love, it makes me happy when I buy it, but then also every single time I spray it on. 🙂 It’s one of the best mood lifters!
I always find the idea of celebrity scents funny…is this what Britney wears and smells like? 🙂 Anyhow, this sounds very nice, and I truly love the bottle!
mellinail recently posted: A Matte Red
Hey mellinail!
Haha, well, there’s only one way to find out for sure…but I’m too lazy (and not crazy enough) to stalk her. 😛
I also wonder what happens if a celebrity is caught not wearing their own perfumes. (Probably nothing. But I think it’s funny to imagine a whole Coke vs. Pepsi-type fight.)
I have never tried any of the Fantasy perfumes, but I think this is my favorite bottle design out of all of them! I like the purple-y blue color. I sample different fragrances, but have yet to find my perfume soulmate. Too-strong fragrances give me a headache, but I don’t like having to re-apply it either–I feel like I’m wasting the perfume that way. Glad to hear this one is right in the middle! I should remember to sample it next time I’m at a beauty store.
Hey Jessica!
I’m the same way about strong fragrances giving me a headache. I think the best way to get around that is to look for fragrances that have a softer scent throw (i.e. that they stay closer to the body) and that you only get occasional whiffs of them throughout the day instead of scents that you can constantly smell. The ones that you constantly smell, I grow really sick of in such a short time because it’s sensory overload that leads to desensitization.
And even if you don’t care for Midnight Fantasy, consider checking out the original Fantasy – a lot of people love that one, and it’s a completely different scent than this one.
Hope you can find your perfume soulmate! 🙂
I’m glad that your favorite perfume is also inexpensive! I’ve tried the Britney Spears’ perfumes, but I don’t like them. 🙁 The bottles are very beautiful though!
My signature scent is Dolce & Gabana Light Blue. A lot of girls/women wear it so it’s not really original… But I just love the scent so much! It’s very, very soft and gentle and fresh. ^-^ But it is also crazy expensive!!! 🙁 I think it’s worth it though… I brought mine in August 2010 and I’ve used about half of the bottle.
I guess we all deserve come kind of luxury from time to time, and mine is D&G Light Blue! 😛
Have a nice weekend, Mary! xoxo.
Jennifer recently posted: Favorite lip balm ever
Hey Jennifer!
Yes, my wallet is also very thankful. 😉
Glad that you found a scent that you really love. And it doesn’t matter if it’s not original because a lot of people wear it. If you love it, that’s all that matters. Plus the way a scent smells is a little different depending on your body chemistry. 🙂 (Example: I’ve smelled the original Britney Spears Fantasy on someone, and it smelled way more tarte and syrupy than it does on me, and I didn’t like it on her.)
Hope you have a wonderful weekend, too! 😀
By the way, is there a way to subscribe to your replies? Your comment section don’t have the «Subscribe by email» like the default comment option of blogspot… So I always have to come back and look for my comment to see your reply. :/
Jennifer recently posted: Favorite lip balm ever
Hey again, Jennifer!
Currently there isn’t, but I’ll look into it. That would be a useful feature to have.
Since I read your review on all the other B.S. perfumes- I smelled Fantasy in Walgreens about two weeks ago, and I liked it- but I don’t know that it would work for me.
I usually wear a very light perfume from Victoria’s Secret, but I have Vera Wang Princess too.
I tried on Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy not too long ago- and it gave me the WORST headache!
It’s good to know the B.S. perfumes don’t do that!
I really want to try the Bestsy Johnson Too Too perfume!
Hey Emily!
I’ve smelled Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy, and it was soooo strong. I also got a headache!
I haven’t smelled Betsey Johnson’s Too Too perfume, but the bottle is so cute to look at. 🙂
Don’t pick up a bottle just yet, Mary! I’m going to drop by the Lisa’s Cosmetics warehouse sale this weekend and if I see this (or the other Britney perfumes) I can grab you a bottle. 🙂 Christmas is right around the corner anyway, right? 😉
I do enjoy these perfume reviews you do. I don’t know how you make it so entertaining. I did notice that you said you rub your wrists together and use your wrists to dab the perfume unto your neck. Big no-no in more elitist perfume circles! Apparently, if you have a perfume with more than one note (so I guess it doesn’t matter so much with this perfume, anyway, so do carry on :P) and you do that, it ruins the way it evolves over time. Kinda like crushing the scent or rubbing all the notes together. So either you spray directly where you want it or mist the air and walk into it. I swear it sounds silly but that’s what I’ve read. Have you tried scent layering? Maybe you can do that to make this perfume more than a one trick pony. 🙂
I really should give this a sniff (as well as the other Britney perfumes) since yours isn’t the first rave review I’ve read. I’m intrigued. As far as affordable perfumes go, I really enjoy J Lo’s Glow. I swear, every time I wear it, my co-workers always ask me what I’m wearing. Guys notice a lot too. Really strange, when I think about it. Have you tried it?
Carmela recently posted: Rimmel London 60 Seconds Camouflage ushers in the Christmas cheer with greens and golds
Hey Carmela!
Have fun at the warehouse sale! 🙂
Actually, I said that I first spray the perfume on my wrists, dab my wrists together, and then dab my wrists on my neck. I don’t rub my wrists together. 🙂 I’ve also heard that rubbing your wrists together ruins the way the perfume evolves, so I don’t do that.
No, I haven’t tried scent layering with Midnight Fantasy because I love the smell as is. I don’t mind that this is a scent that doesn’t evolve. It’s yummy!
I think I have an unopened bottle of JLo LA Glow somewhere – still haven’t tried it, though.
Hey, I was just searching around for a picture of the BS Fantasy line, and I stumbled upon on your blog.
I see this is an old post, but maybe you should update it with all the current perfumes; I see you’re missing Island Fantasy :3
Hey Hege!
Thank you so much for telling me about Island Fantasy! I didn’t even know Britney put out another perfume.
I actually contacted the PR firm that handles Elizabeth Arden, since Britney’s fragrances are produced by Elizabeth Arden. I was told that Island Fantasy won’t be coming to Canada! 🙁 I was so disappointed to hear that. But I’ve seen things online about how it’s in the UK. As for the US, some people found it, but it’s not readily available. Strange, since you’d think they’d want to promote it in the US and Canada where they could make a lot of money.