Britney Spears Believe Eau de Parfum Review

Quick View: I was given a sample vial of this perfume and I actually thought it was quite nice when I sniffed it. However, once it settles, it smells like men's cologne and, to top it off, I am severely allergic to something in it and my eyes blew up and could barely open. Even without an allergy, I wouldn't buy this fragrance because it isn't feminine and light enough for me.

About Britney Spears Believe Eau de Parfum

I didn't know Britney Spears had a perfume line. Or that Paris Hilton did. Or that many other celebs have their own lines of fragrances. I like my favorites and rarely veer. However, I was at a department store and was given a sample veil of  Britney Spears Believe Eau de Parfum to try and, hopefully for the saleslady, buy. Let's put Britney's personal life aside and just focus on the fragrance since she clearly had no real input into the fragrance. It is made by Elizabeth Arden.

When I first sniffed this fragrance, it was fresh and sweet but not overbearing. I didn't immediately fall in love with it but it wasn't half bad. When I got home, I put just a bit on each wrist. The scent was quite nice. According to Elizabeth Arden, the notes are:

That sounds nice, doesn't it? It is. At first. I was digging the unusual scent for about 10 minutes and then I noted that it started to smell like a men's cologne. It had a sharp masculine scent to it which turned me completely off. It wasn't even a good smelling masculine fragrance. But something else was happening. I was starting to sneeze and my eyes were getting itchy. Long story short, when I realized that the perfume was causing my allergy symptoms, I quickly washed it off but the damage was done. My eyes were swollen shut and my nose was running constantly. I was sneezing and itching my eyes like a mad woman. Two Benadryl  and a night of sleep later, my eyes remain swollen and red and I feel like crud. I have no idea what ingredient in the perfume caused such a reaction. I have never had any such reaction to any perfume before. Needless to say, I won't be going near that stuff anymore. But even without the allergic reaction, I would not buy the fragrance.

My Viewpoint

Britney Spears Believe Eau de Parfum is her latest in a line of fragrances. She has Curious, Fantasy, Midnight Fantasy and, now, Believe. I never knew any of them existed and have no desire to try any of the others. This fragrance seems really appealing because it has fragrant fruits and top notes that seem sweet and feminine. It starts out fresh and unique but quickly turns into a masculine scent perhaps due to the patchouli and amber. I would never wear this fragrance because I like light, clean, fresh scents as well as citrus ones. This one is heavy and overwhelming. It's not very feminine when it settles. I didn't like the scent at all. Adding to that the fact that my face blew up like a balloon and my eyes turned blood red from something in it and you KNOW I am not going near the stuff. Allergy aside, I give this fragrance 3 stars. For me it was a 1 star experience but obviously my allergic reaction was unusual. This is a very, very average fragrance at a high price tag and one that probably isn't in high demand at the moment considering its namesake's current reputation. In fact, a few local stores here have removed all Britney Spears fragrances and accessories from their shelves. Yikes. Anyway, try before you buy and be sure to let the fragrance settle for 10-20 minutes before making a decision to buy. It changes drastically on the skin.