Fantasia Pop Surprise! Anna Sui 2023

There are sweet scents that are juicy (those that are uber-fruity and sweet) and sweet gourmands (slathered with vanilla, caramel, or praline), but I find that there are also sweet scents that are - for lack of a better term and completely inarticulately - a sort of *dry* sweetness. This is one such scent to my nose: it's not rich and sweet or sticky-sweet, but more like crushed-up Valentine's heart candies - sweet but powdery. If you could hold the scent in your hands, it wouldn't leave you needing a wet-nap.

This is a really nice scent to me. I get the comparison to BR540 or Merchant of Venice's Red Potion - the ambroxan cuts through the fruits and florals and transforms them from something cloying to something more powdery and musky. The bottle is fun and playful, but the scent inside is surprisingly grown-up. The sillage is moderate - it projects but doesn't assault - and the longevity is better than I would have thought; a morning spritz lasts until at least mid-afternoon, and it lingers as a skin scent longer than that.

Lisa Frank. Barbie: Fairytopia. The "California Gurls" music video.

If any of these aesthetics interest you, this perfume is something you need to try. There are candy perfumes out there, but this is on another level; this is more candy than actual candy is. It smells like how I imagine a fictional rainbow berry from a kid's cartoon might taste. This would be a perfect signature scent for somebody really into the 'decora' aesthetic. Seriously, look it up if you're not familiar, and you'll know everything you need to about this perfume. There's an exclamation point in the actual name, and let me tell you, it earns it.

My statement on this perfume was just my initial reaction after the first spray, but now that I've worn it out multiple times I can attest to the amazing longevity of this fragrance. It is a powerhouse that leaves me smelling like sour candy and sugared berries ALL day with one application.

It's over-the-top, hyper-feminine, and ultra sugary. I can totally understand that this is not the ideal experience for many people, but I adore it. It avoids being sickly sweet with that sour, tangy note from the berries, and there is a freshness and juiciness to it that prevents it from coming across as overly artificial even though I don't think you could reasonably call it 'natural'. But I really respect that the fluid not only lives up to the name and bottle, which is rare for Anna Sui, but actually is at risk of surpassing them in absurdity. Say what you will about this one, but it's incredibly unique and bold, on par with the titular designer's actual work.

Remember in like 2014 when galaxy tights were super trendy? Or when Starbucks had the unicorn frappe which was inescapable on Instagram for several months? This fragrance feels spiritually connected to those concepts somehow. Thankfully, it doesn't feel dated like those trends... it's somehow both y2k coded AND futuristic?

A juicy, fruity, sugar-rush fragrance that's a must have for any Harajuku girls, club kids, rave candy collectors, kindergarten teachers with cocaine addictions, or anyone who thinks 'subtle' is an insult.