I love Britney Spears. I have done since ‘…Baby One More Time’ hit the airwaves in 1998. That’s twenty years of being a Britney fan. I grew up with her music so it would be pretty TOXIC for me to turn on her now. I mean, I LOVE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL but Britney is my favourite, her music makes me STRONGER and whilst SOMETIMES there have been FREAKSHOW moments and things have often been a CIRCUS, I have always ensured that I WILL BE THERE for Britney. I support Ms. Spears because she will always GIMME MORE and I’m LUCKY to have someone who will provide me with the daily motivation I need to DO SOMETHIN’ – to tell me to WORK BITCH when I most need it. Basically, Britney, what Im trying to say is that I’M A SLAVE 4 U and you can have a PIECE OF ME whenever you damn well please.
OK. I’ll stop now. I promise.
Music career aside, Britney has had huge success with her perfume empire. Fantasy is one of the best selling celebrity fragrances on the market and has outlasted so many others from a whole host of her contemporaries. It’s also the best example of a fruity, cupcake floral there is and you can come at me if you think otherwise. This summer, Britney is treating us to a brand new fragrance – the provocative Prerogative, which takes its name from her hit single (a Bobby Brown cover) and Greatest Hits album. Prerogative is designed as a “break the rules” kind of a fragrance, created for all Britney fans, regardless of gender. It comes with the battle cry that we can all do whatever the hell we want. Well what I wanna do right now is review the heck out of this fragrance, and if Britney endorses that with this “do whatever you want” scent, I’m a do it.
The Notes
Top: Pink Pepper, Goji Berries and Apricot Nectar
Heart: Latex Patels and Red Calla Lily
Base: Espresso Foam, Saffron and Amber
How Does it Smell?
Let’s be real, when it comes to Britney Spears fragrances, one does not expect the next Shalimar, I mean, that would be OUTRAGEOUS. Sorry, sorry, no more Britney song title puns, I promise, it’s just that EVERYTIME I think of Britney, I can’t but help slip a song title in…OOPS!…I DID IT AGAIN. OK that’s enough now, back to the fragrance. So yes, one knows what to expect when it comes to a Britney scent and what’s expected is a fruity, gourmand treat that has a cutesy vibe. Prerogative delivers exactly that, but with a richer twist.
Prerogative is top-loaded with sheeny, shiny fruits all served with a juicy, glossy feel. It’s immediately evocative of Fantasy, but there is more of a neon-cocktail vibe (I’m thinking of Miami as I sniff it) with goji berries and apricot nectar bringing a lot of sparkling sweetness. A lily note warms things up with a waxy floral character that merges with the provocative latex petals accord to provide a bit more of a racy tone. This is Britney all grown up, whip in hand, cocktail in the other, oh and by the time we get to the dry down, an espresso in the other. Wait, how many hands does she have?! AS MANY AS SHE DAMN WELL WANTS BECAUSE SHE IS BRITNEY!
Underneath is the usual bed of cupcakeseque vanilla, except this time, a good serving of coffee has been folded into the mixture. In the notes this is listed as an “expresso foam accord” because that’s apparently a thing now, and whilst it sounds a little bit wanky (I’m fully supportive of extra behaviour so no judgement here), I can kinda go along with it. There is a frothy, aerated vibe to the base that feels soft and whipped. So what one actually gets is a lighter presentation of the vanilla-woods-musk accord one usually sees in this style of scent. It all works very nicely.
I like Prerogative. It smells like a Britney fragrance, which is to say that it’s fruity, fun and easy to wear. The additional depth of coffee and latex gives a warmer, more satisfying contrast and I can imagine it being quite the guilty pleasure when it comes to winter – a time when frivolous gourmands really do shine. So yes, Prerogative does what it sets out to do, and whilst it may not be as iconic as Fantasy, it does possess the playfulness that gives the Britney fragrances their Britney DNA. I’m not sure you’ll be saying YOU DRIVE ME CRAZY to this one but who knows, it may just be your next BOMBASTIC LOVE (I’m truly sorry, I cannot help myself, it’s a sickness).
Availability
Prerogative is available in 30ml (£23), 50ml (£30) and 100ml (£40) Eau de Parfum.
The Candy Perfume Boy 