Believe in freedom [reviewing Believe edp, by Britney Spears].brand

The greatest freedom is to believe in yourself

... and the Britney fragrance train continues.

I went on Amazon as I've finished my bottle of Fantasy Intimate and wanted to replace it, but I saw a old favourite from the Britney brand that is completely unrelated to the Fantasy or Prerogative lines, so couldn't resist getting it for the new spring season. 

Let's go back to 2007 nod get introduced to Believe again...

Believe opens with a sweetly, fruity burst of guava pulp and tangerine. Sweet, but not as overpowering in it’s sweetness as most of her other releases are - there's a zesty freshness here, so the overall feel of Believe is refreshing. 

It’s the middle notes of honeysuckle and the grassy tang of linden blossom that make this fragrance stand out from the more well-known sweet & fruity Fantasy fragrance family. The creamy-yet-powdery-and-clean white-floral notes, lead by what I think is apple blossom and magnolia, lend a ‘grown up’ vintage feel, as the fruity sweetness in the opening 20 minutes scent calms down and takes on more of a supporting role.

The base notes of patchouli, amber and pink pralines lend a comforting blend of nutty & creamy warmth to the florals after an hour or so. I think that linden blossom is meant to have a scent that can seem a bit like honey, which comes through more as the amber accords strengthen it. There's also a hint of rough dirt underneath it all to add some uniqueness to the blend.


Official scent notes; guava, tangerine, honeysuckle, linden blossom, patchouli, amber and sweet praline notes.

Believe was Britney's first attempt at a more adult fragrance, and I think she did a great job - grown women & men can easily wear this without the embarrassment that some people may feel when wearing a celebrity fragrance. The longevity is good too - around the 7 to 8 hour mark, which is great considering the low price.

Such a shame that this fragrance was released around the time of her divorce & breakdown and was lost in the media storm around her. I personally feel that this deserves a relaunch, or at least a new flanker - I can't believe that I managed to forget about this fragrance  .

I thought that Believe was no longer in production, but it is very easy to find online in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml bottles - some online stores sell gift sets too.