If you’ve ever walked into a Victoria’s Secret store during the peak of summer, you’ve probably seen the bright, tropical bottles of Very Sexy Now Victoria's Secret perfume sitting front and center. It's basically a rite of passage for fragrance lovers. But here is the thing that trips most people up: "Very Sexy Now" isn't just one single scent. It’s an annual limited-edition release, which means the bottle you fell in love with back in 2014 is fundamentally different from the one that hit shelves in 2016 or 2018.
It’s a clever, if slightly frustrating, marketing move.
Every year, the brand takes the "Very Sexy" DNA—which is usually heavy on the vanilla, orchid, and clementine—and gives it a tropical vacation. They swap out the heavier musks for things like coconut water, guava, or mariposa flower. Honestly, it’s a gamble. Sometimes they nail it and create a masterpiece that people hoard on eBay for a decade. Other times? It’s just "okay." If you’re hunting for a bottle today, you aren't just looking for a name; you’re looking for a specific vintage.
The Evolution of the Very Sexy Now Victoria's Secret Perfume
Most people don't realize that Victoria’s Secret has been doing these summer flankers for nearly twenty years. The Very Sexy Now Victoria's Secret perfume line officially kicked off the "Now" branding to capture a specific "moment in time" vibe. It’s meant to smell like a beach club, not a boardroom.
Take the 2014 edition, for example. That one was a massive hit because of the coconut water and pink lotus notes. It was light. It was airy. Then, compare that to the 2016 version, which went in a completely different direction with sand lily and guava. The 2016 version felt much more "fruity-floral" and had this almost salty, sun-drenched skin quality to it. If you bought the 2016 bottle thinking it would smell like the 2014 version, you were probably pretty disappointed. That’s the quirk of this line. It’s a moving target.
The 2017 edition shifted again. They leaned into Scent Trek technology, which is a fancy way of saying they used a vacuum-like device to "capture" the scent of air around a living flower without picking it. For that year, it was the Mariposa flower from Cuba. It gave the fragrance a very specific, lush greenery feel that set it apart from the more "sugary" versions of the past.
Why the 2018 Version Became a Cult Favorite
If you ask hardcore fragrance collectors which year reigned supreme, many will point to 2018. It came in a stunning gold-dipped bottle with palm leaf accents. But the juice inside was the real winner. It featured:
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- Guava (The top note that gave it a tart, tropical punch)
- Mariposa Flower (Continuing the floral heart from the previous year)
- Sunkissed Coconut (The base that made it last longer than most summer mists)
It was the perfect balance. It wasn't too sweet, and it didn't smell like sunscreen. It smelled like expensive poolside lounging. Because it was limited edition, once the stock ran out in late 2018, it was gone for good from retail stores. This is exactly why the resale market for these specific bottles is so intense. You'll see half-used bottles going for double the original retail price on Mercari or Poshmark.
Decoding the Notes: What Makes It "Sexy"?
The "Very Sexy" line in general is built on what perfumers call "oriental floral" or "amber floral" foundations. When they pivot to Very Sexy Now Victoria's Secret perfume, they have to keep that "sexy" undertone while making it wearable in 90-degree heat.
How do they do that? Usually, they rely on "solar notes."
Solar notes aren't an actual plant. They are a synthetic accord designed to mimic the smell of skin warmed by the sun or the scent of hot sand. It sounds like marketing fluff, but in perfumery, these molecules (like salicylates) actually create a physical sensation of warmth in the nose. When you mix that with something tart like lychee or apricot, you get that signature VS "zest."
The Longevity Problem
Let’s be real for a second. Victoria’s Secret perfumes are Eau de Parfums, but they don't always perform like high-end niche fragrances. Especially the "Now" editions. Because these are designed for summer, they often use lighter molecules that evaporate faster.
If you’re wearing the 2015 edition (the one with the chocolate-nutty vibe from the tonka bean), you might get six hours. If you’re wearing the 2016 fruity version, you’re lucky to get four. It’s a common complaint. People love the scent, but they hate having to re-apply it every few hours. To make it last, you basically have to layer it over a scent-free moisturizer or, better yet, spray it on your clothes rather than just your skin. The oils in the perfume cling to fabric fibers way longer than they do to your pulse points.
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How to Find Your Specific Year
Since the packaging changes every year, identifying which Very Sexy Now Victoria's Secret perfume you actually have (or want) can be a bit of a detective project.
In 2010, the bottle was a tall, sleek purple. By 2015, it was a chunky clear bottle with colorful, confetti-like accents. By 2018, it was the gold palm leaf design. If you find a bottle at a garage sale or an online liquidator, look at the bottom label. There is usually a batch code. You can plug that code into sites like CheckFresh to see exactly when it was manufactured.
Watch out for "Off" Notes
Because these fragrances often contain citrus and coconut notes, they can go bad faster than a heavy wood-based perfume. If the liquid looks significantly darker than it should, or if the first spray smells like vinegar or burnt plastic, the top notes have oxidized. Coconut notes are notorious for turning "sour" if the bottle was kept in a hot bathroom or in direct sunlight. Always ask a seller if the juice is still clear and if the scent is "true" before dropping $80 on a discontinued bottle.
The Wild World of Flankers
Victoria's Secret is the king of the "flanker." A flanker is just a spin-off of an original scent. The Very Sexy Now Victoria's Secret perfume is a flanker of "Very Sexy," which itself has had dozens of iterations like Very Sexy Orchid, Very Sexy Night, and Very Sexy Sea.
What makes "Now" different is the "vacation in a bottle" mandate. While "Very Sexy Sea" (a permanent fixture now) focuses on salty citrus and cedar, the "Now" series was always more experimental. One year it might be dominated by "tiare flower," which smells like Tahitian gardenias soaked in coconut oil. The next, it might be all about "wild ginger."
This variety is why the "Now" line has such a dedicated following. It wasn't predictable. You never knew if the next release was going to be a "green" tropical or a "gourmand" tropical.
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Is It Still Worth Buying Today?
If you can find a well-preserved bottle, yes. There is a specific nostalgia attached to these scents. For many, the 2014 or 2018 versions represent a specific summer, a specific trip, or a specific time in their lives.
However, if you are just looking for a "good summer perfume" and don't care about the brand name, you can find modern alternatives that last longer. Brands like Sol de Janeiro or even high-end houses like Tom Ford (with his Eau de Soleil Blanc) cover similar territory. But honestly? They don't quite have that specific, punchy "VS energy."
Victoria’s Secret fragrances are designed to be "loud." They have a high projection (sillage) for the first hour. They want people to smell you when you walk by. If that's what you're after, the Very Sexy Now Victoria's Secret perfume series is hard to beat.
Moving Forward With Your Search
If you're looking to track down a bottle or find a similar scent profile, here are the tactical steps you should take:
- Check the Batch Code: Use a site like CheckFresh to verify the age of any bottle you find on the secondary market. Anything over 5-7 years old needs to have been stored in a cool, dark place to still be wearable.
- Search by Notes, Not Name: If you loved the 2016 version, don't just search for "Very Sexy Now." Search for "perfume with sand lily and guava." You might find a modern dupe that satisfies the craving without the vintage price tag.
- Layer for Longevity: Since these are lighter summer scents, use a coconut-based body oil before spraying. The oil gives the perfume molecules something to "grip" onto, which can easily double your wear time.
- Verify the Seller: If buying from eBay, only buy from sellers who show photos of the actual bottle, not stock photos. Look for "juice level" and color clarity in the images to ensure you aren't buying a degraded product.
The era of the annual "Now" release has shifted lately as the brand focuses more on its permanent "Very Sexy" pillar expansions like "Oasis" or "Sea." But for those who remember the thrill of the annual summer drop, the search for that one perfect, tropical bottle continues. It’s about more than just smelling like coconut—it’s about capturing a summer that never quite ends.
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