We are officially doing nostalgia at the moment. There are waves of ‘90s hitting our wardrobes (hello, bucket hats), our faces (by way of lashings of lipgloss), and our music preferences (with Britney Spears firmly at the top of playlists once again). Latest in our desire to revive all things ‘90s and comfortingly familiar is vanilla scents, with the note being one of the biggest perfume trends of 2023.
It makes sense that vanilla has been enjoying a resurgence. Things have been rocky in a variety of respects over the past few years, and, similarly to the lipstick economy, where sales of less costly luxury goods skyrockets when the economy plummets, we seek reassurance during times of turbulence in the arms of the past or the products that evoke it. Anyone who lived through the heady late ‘90s was as likely to douse themselves in The Body Shop’s enduringly popular Vanilla EDT or Impulse’s Vanilla Kisses as they were to know all the lyrics to Wannabe and to wear a Baby G.
