Victoria’s Secret is renowned as a leading lingerie and beauty brand, but their impact extends beyond bras and panties. The company’s popular fragrances hold a special place in the fashion and beauty world. An array of hit scents like Bombshell, Love Spell, and Very Sexy have shaped style trends and beauty ideals.
Victoria’s Secret perfumes help define eras, inspire new looks, and drive sales across categories. Beauty lovers eagerly anticipate the next irresistible scent. Meanwhile, the brand’s iconic bottles and ads set the tone for femininity. Let’s explore the wide-reaching influence of Victoria’s Secret coveted fragrances.
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Bombshell Sparks Fruit Fantasy Trend
When Bombshell launched in 2010, it ushered in a new era of fruit fantasy fragrances. The explosive purple passionfruit and Shangri-la peony notes were an instant sensation. Bombshell’s fruity vibe and pink leopard print bottle exuded irresistible sex appeal.
The runaway success of this juice put tropical, succulent fruits at the forefront of women’s perfumes. Brandon Truaxe, founder of The Abnormal Beauty Company, cited Bombshell as direct inspiration for his brand Deciem and hit scent Frapper. The dewy fruits in Frapper aim to “spark joy” just like Bombshell.
Bombshell increased demand for audacious fruity notes over safe florals. Peach, lychee, starfruit, and guava blended into feminine perfumes. Even Victoria’s Secret expanded their fruit repertoire after Bombshell’s impact, adding scents like Coconut Passion and Strawberries & Champagne. The craze for mouthwatering fruity scents continues today thanks to this groundbreaking pink bottle. For more on the iconic scents of Victoria’s Secret, check out this guide
Love Spell Inspires Fresh Spring Florals
Sweetly romantic Love Spell has been a Victoria’s Secret signature since 1998. But this tender floral didn’t just appeal to lovers—it inspired fashion. Love Spell’s blend of cherry blossom, peach, and jasmine popularized fresh, dewy spring blooms.
Calvin Klein admitted Love Spell was the impetus for their 1999 hit CK One. The clean floral shared that same aquatic, innocent vibe. Designers like Betsey Johnson and Rebecca Minkoff featured pretty floral prints in their 2000s collections. Pastel pearls, blossoms, and hearts adorned everything from tops to accessories.
The youthful charm of Love Spell also influenced beauty looks. Malibu Barbie and Lisa Frank aesthetics recall the dreamy palette. Pastel eye shadows, lip glosses, blush, and nail polish flooded the market. Even two decades later, you can see Love Spell’s carefree whimsy and spring blooms reflected in fashion and beauty.
Very Sexy Sets the Tone for Sensuality
Sultry, spicy Very Sexy turned up the heat in 2001. The bold red rose and amber juice conveyed primal sensuality. This daring fragrance tapped into appetites for richer, sexier scents compared to airy florals.
Very Sexy’s unabashed sultriness aligned with Y2K tastes. Low-rise jeans, crop tops, and visible thongs pushed fashion boundaries. Makeup trends followed suit with neutral smoky eyes, red lipstick, and body shimmers. Victoria’s Secret straddled the line between feminine and provocative.
Following Very Sexy’s success, brands rushed to create similarly sultry perfumes. Scents like Dior’s J’adore, YSL’s Opium, and Chanel’s Chance employed spices, resins, and wood notes for sensual depth. Very Sexy sparked a hunger for sensuous, spicy fragrances that lingers today. The ruby red bottle remains an iconic exhibit of early 2000s sensuality.
Victoria’s Secret Angels Drive Fantasy Beauty Ideals
Nothing represents Victoria’s Secret’s influence more than their glamazon Supermodels. Gisele, Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks and other runway Angels sparked an era of bombshell beauty. Their barely-there lingerie looks promoted slim, feminine curves and flawless skin.
This beauty ideal drove interest in padded push-up bras, thongs, and body makeup. Victoria’s Secret was the #1 bra retailer by 2008. Their products promised the perfect cleavage, tiny waist, and perky rear.
Makeup also mimicked the Angel image. BareMinerals, MAC, and other brands promoted glowy complexions and natural contours. Being sun-kissed with alluring bedroom eyes was in. Even the fantasy wings Victoria’s Secret Angels wore on the runway spawned a mascara trend.
Today the signature VS Angel look remains aspirational. Consumers, influencers, and models emulate their enviable beauty. There’s no denying these sculpted icons and their dazzling wings impacted 2000s looks. Victoria’s Secret brilliantly marketed feminine fantasy.
Flirty Tease and Youthful Love Captivate Millennials
As the 2000s closed, Victoria’s Secret worked to capture younger audiences. They wanted to maintain relevance with Millennials through flirty, playful scents. In came Tease and its apple-shaped bottle in 2010.
Tease’s notes of fruits and light florals exuded girlish charm. The pink and blonde juice felt young and approachable. Love Spell also enjoyed a resurgence as the preferred scent for tweens and teens. Victoria’s Secret offered both to appease younger noses.
These youthful juices accompanied the rise of young starlets like Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande. Brands embraced pink, bows, hearts, and fruity candy flavors across all categories. Even diffusion lines like PINK by Victoria’s Secret tapped into this innocence.
Today scents like Tease Creamy Body Wash outsell Very Sexy. Millennials and Gen Z crave the flirty vibes. While sexy bombshells still have a place, fresh and fun is ideal for new generations. Victoria’s Secret dominates this market.
Scandalous Scents Raise Eyebrows
While some scents are universally crowd-pleasing, a few daring Victoria’s Secret perfumes have caused controversies. Scandalous in particular ruffled feathers in 2010
The racy red bottle depicted a naked woman with a hand barely covering her private parts. Victoria’s Secret described Scandalous as a bold, empowering scent. But critics argued it objectified women by promoting dangerous stereotypes
Scandalous was ultimately pulled from shelves due to poor sales. But it showed Victoria’s Secret is willing to push boundaries and start conversations. For better or worse, their provocative approach keeps people talking.
Bare Vanilla and Coconut Passion Stirred Passions
On the opposite end of risqué, two of Victoria’s Secret’s sweetest scents caused a stir for alleged copying. Bare Vanilla and the later Coconut Passion were accused of smelling identical to other popular perfumes.
Bare Vanilla’s creamy vanilla notes mimicked Thierry Mugler’s Angel. Coconut Passion was a dead ringer for Michael Kors’ Island. Critics accused Victoria’s Secret of lifting popular notes to capitalize on trends.
However, dialects in fragrance copyrights made lawsuits futile. This scandal revealed how powerhouse brands can assert influence. Victoria’s Secret proved they can drive mainstream tastes, even at the risk of knock-offs accusations.
VS Bombshells Today Set Beauty and Style Standards
The latest generation of Victoria’s Secret models continues to sway fashion and beauty today. Diverse angels like Taylor Hill, Romee Strijd, and Alexina Graham boast trend-driving power through social media.
These relatable yet aspirational models sway purchases among their millions of followers. Their glam looks even sparked a bombshell revival of winged liner, red pouts, and tousled beach waves. Retro styles are new again thanks to the VS Angels’ collective influence.
No matter the decade, Victoria’s Secret’s spokeswomen enthrall consumers. Teens tape photos on lockers while adults emulate their idols’ hair and makeup. The new guard of Angels proves Victoria’s Secret still dominates fantasies and impressions of beauty.
In Summary: Scent as Sensory Seduction
Fragrance is memory. Scents elicit powerful emotional responses and transport us to special moments and mindsets. Victoria’s Secret fragrances conjure fantasy and desire. Their blends promote beauty, romance, and sex appeal.
Without saying a word, Victoria’s Secret perfumes influence our ideas of fashion, femininity, and allure. Bombshell made fruit sexy. Love Spell captured innocent charm. Very Sexy provoked provocation. And the Angels made fantasy irresistible.
Moving forward, Victoria’s Secret will continue driving sensory experiences through scent. Their beloved perfumes promise beautiful possibilities. Each spray empowers the wearer to feel transformed. Victoria’s Secret fragrances will go on inspiring through their sensual magic and seductive abilities.