BuzzyBugle

Ask any Gen Xer or millennial about their favorite mall memories and you’ll be bombarded with rhapsodies about sipping an Orange Julius while browsing, listening to the pianist at the local department store, or playing Dance Dance Revolution with your friends at the arcade.

The mall is also a hotbed of scents: the chlorinated zing of the fountain, shiny pennies shimmering under the water; a greasy slice of food-court pizza or a yeasty, parmesan-dusted pretzel; aisles of brand-new sneakers and leather shoes. And of course, perfume! Depending on your generation, the mall smelled like the tuberose blast of Dior Poison, sticky-sweet Mugler Angel being spritzed by as you walked through the fancy department store, the cheerful floral notes of Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers and Clinique Happy, or the irresistible mist of Victoria’s Secret Love Spell and Bath and Body Works Sun-Ripened Raspberry. (Oh, and that unmistakable blast of Abercrombie & Fitch’s Fierce!)

When you say something “smells like the mall,” that means it’s a scent tinged with nostalgia and happy memories spent shopping with your family or your besties. It could be the first “grown-up” scent you fell in love with, a body spray you drenched yourself in for school dances, or a treasured moment with your crush at the food court. Ahead, take an olfactory trip back to your favorite stores with modern scents that will send you straight back to your mall era.

The Fancy Department Store

Let’s begin our scent journey at the local fancy department store; its name may vary depending on where you grew up, but the spot had several things in common, including fragrance and beauty counters buzzing with activity. Clinique Happy has been replaced by Ex Nihilo’s Lust in Paradise, and Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle by Penhaligon’s blood orange and peach floral Empressa. For ’90s teens who preferred CK One and Tommy Girl over Estée Lauder Pleasures or Vanilla Fields, there’s Eauso Vert’s Sintra, which toes the line between fresh and spicy thanks to citrus top notes over an orris and musk base and feels like a modern interpretation of that decade’s skin scent. Brown Girl Jane’s High Tea, a blend of French madeleine cake, chai, freesia, and biscotti, smells like grabbing a pastry at the department store café with your mom or grandma before a day of shopping.

The Food Court

You can’t visit the mall without hitting up an ice cream shop, Auntie Anne’s pretzels, or a pizza slice joint. Maison Francis Kurkdijan’s Kurky, which was inspired by the perfumer’s precious childhood memories and layers fruity notes over comforting musk and vanilla, is like a trip to the candy shop. Juliette Has a Gun’s Miami Shake smells like grabbing a milkshake or a cup of strawberry frozen yogurt with your friends, while Snif’s Soda Snob is reminiscent of a crisp, bubbly Coca-Cola from the mall movie theater. 

Bath & Body Works and The Body Shop

For many ’90s kids, Bath & Body Works and The Body Shop were their first real exposures to the world of fragrance. Parfums de Marly’s Meliora is a vivid red berry scent that feels like a modern spin on Sun-Ripened Raspberry, while Phlur’s Mrs. Smith body spray is a sweet green apple. More of a Warm Vanilla Sugar person? Upgrade with Donna Karan’s Cashmere & Vanilla Essence. 

Victoria’s Secret

As a child, sneaking into Victoria’s Secret’s romantic pink-and-black world felt idyllic, sniffing the body sprays and Angel perfumes and dreaming of what life would be like as an adult. While the store still exists and still sells many of its classic scents—Love Spell included—you can channel that sweet and tart vibe of OG Vicky’s with flirty, fruity, and floral scents like By Rosie Jane’s Leila Lou, which is a brighter, juicier spin on Pear Glacé (my personal fave) and U Beauty’s sparkling Proem. Modern bombshells will gravitate toward Violet Grey’s Madame Grey Pour Cheveux Strip-Tease hair mist, a voluptuous white floral that leaves an alluring trail. And don’t ignore the current fragrances at Victoria’s Secret, either; Bare and Bare Rose are lovely.

Claire’s

If Claire were a real person, the grown-up 2025 version would absolutely wear Chanel Chance Eau Splendide, which sparkles with raspberry, geranium, and cedar notes and comes in the same pretty purple color as the store’s awning. She’d also love Ellis Brooklyn’s flirty, tropical Mango Milkshake Hair & Body Fragrance Mist, which pairs perfectly with some fun beaded jewelry and sparkly hair accessories.