“I’m In A Joyous, Sweet Moment”: Hilary Duff On Fragrance, Nostalgia, & More
Nostalgiacore is virtually inescapable these days. It’s in the return of Y2K influences everywhere — from frosty eyeshadow and computer fonts to corded headphones and a collective longing for a pre-internet era. But if you told my teenage self that one day Hilary Duff and I would be trying a bunch of fruity body mists from Bath & Body Works and debating our favorite layering combinations (more on that in a minute), I probably would’ve assumed I was dreaming. Instead, it’s actually what my Monday morning was like last week, on a July afternoon in 2026 after watching her perform live. Fragrance, of course, is one of nostalgia’s strongest triggers. So when I sit down with Duff to talk about her new role as the face of Bath & Body Works’ latest launch, I ask what nostalgia smells like to her. “Cucumber Melon,” she says without missing a beat (of my heart). “I was a big bike rider as a kid, and I remember always putting on my Cucumber Melon splash before going for a ride around the neighborhood.” (Her close second favorite Bath & Body Works scent? Warm Vanilla Sugar — which I would argue was ahead of its time, now that delectable, dessert-inspired gourmand scents are more popular than ever.) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bath & Body Works (@bathandbodyworks) Bath & Body Works’ new Fruit Fusion collection, meanwhile, is all about leaning into all things fun, sun, and fruit-forward this summer and beyond. It launches with four core scents — Tangerine Twirl (which also features notes of sparkling pink grapefruit, juicy blood orange with a base of blonde woods and sheer musk), Banana Blend (alongside candied jasmine, sweet vanilla, and warm amber), Berry Bliss (a delicious blend of blackberry, acai, pineapple, and just a whiff of grounding musk), and Watermelon Whirl (which of course features refreshing watermelon, airy peony petals, and a hint of cozy blonde woods) — designed to be worn solo or layered together into what can only be described as a scent smoothie. When we sit down, Duff extends her wrist for me to smell (!!), and I immediately catch creamy banana softened by bright, juicy tangerine. On paper, I wouldn’t think it would quite work, but it absolutely does. Along with the body mists (my prediction for the collection’s first sellout), each scent is also available as a moisturizing body wash, body butter, hand cream, clear lip oil — I notice Duff’s own Banana Blend lip oil never strays too far from reach during our interview — and hand sanitizer. For many budding beauty enthusiasts, Bath & Body Works was an early entry point into the world of delicious body products and perfume mists; and while Duff is here for all that too, she’s quick to note that the stuff just plain works. “I want to be hydrated. I want to be dewy. I want to be juicy, and I want things that work because I don’t have that much time.” she tells me. “But also this stage of my life, I’m in this very joyous, celebratory, sweet moment, and all of the products really suit that.” What Hilary Duff’s home smells like While summer and smelling like a delicious fruit salad are an obvious pairing, I wonder what other scents Duff gravitates toward. “I love [fruit] as a body lotion. I love it as a body wash. I love it as a personal fragrance, but my home is a little bit different. I don’t necessarily want my home to smell like me,” she says. “If it’s October, I’m probably leaning toward something woodsy that goes with my fireplace. It really depends on the season and what’s going on in my life.” One scent she’s partial to year-round is Black Tea For The Botanist from her own home fragrance line Below 60.) What nostalgia smells like to Hilary Duff And then there’s perhaps the strongest scent memory of all: “My mom always smelled like Chanel No. 5, so anytime I smell that, I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s me hugging my mom after school.’” Chic! Hilary Duff on what makes her feel strong As we continue chatting, my attention drifts to the campaign film looping behind us, where Duff dances like no one’s watching while singing along to Squeeze’s “Tempted” — an appropriately nostalgic soundtrack for a campaign centered around fruit-forward fragrances. “One thing that I loved about filming the campaign was that the theme on set was just ‘strong,'” she says. “They wanted me to hold these poses and represent singing in the shower and doing things that make you feel powerful and strong.” I don’t know if this is what dreams are made of (will we ever, truly?), but it’s certainly what they smell like. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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Nostalgiacore is virtually inescapable these days. It’s in the return of Y2K influences everywhere — from frosty eyeshadow and computer fonts to corded headphones and a collective longing for a pre-internet era. But if you told my teenage self that one day Hilary Duff and I would be trying a bunch of fruity body mists from Bath & Body Works and debating our favorite layering combinations (more on that in a minute), I probably would’ve assumed I was dreaming. Instead, it’s actually what my Monday morning was like last week, on a July afternoon in 2026 after watching her perform live.
Fragrance, of course, is one of nostalgia’s strongest triggers. So when I sit down with Duff to talk about her new role as the face of Bath & Body Works’ latest launch, I ask what nostalgia smells like to her.
“Cucumber Melon,” she says without missing a beat (of my heart). “I was a big bike rider as a kid, and I remember always putting on my Cucumber Melon splash before going for a ride around the neighborhood.” (Her close second favorite Bath & Body Works scent? Warm Vanilla Sugar — which I would argue was ahead of its time, now that delectable, dessert-inspired gourmand scents are more popular than ever.)
Bath & Body Works’ new Fruit Fusion collection, meanwhile, is all about leaning into all things fun, sun, and fruit-forward this summer and beyond. It launches with four core scents — Tangerine Twirl (which also features notes of sparkling pink grapefruit, juicy blood orange with a base of blonde woods and sheer musk), Banana Blend (alongside candied jasmine, sweet vanilla, and warm amber), Berry Bliss (a delicious blend of blackberry, acai, pineapple, and just a whiff of grounding musk), and Watermelon Whirl (which of course features refreshing watermelon, airy peony petals, and a hint of cozy blonde woods) — designed to be worn solo or layered together into what can only be described as a scent smoothie. When we sit down, Duff extends her wrist for me to smell (!!), and I immediately catch creamy banana softened by bright, juicy tangerine. On paper, I wouldn’t think it would quite work, but it absolutely does.
Along with the body mists (my prediction for the collection’s first sellout), each scent is also available as a moisturizing body wash, body butter, hand cream, clear lip oil — I notice Duff’s own Banana Blend lip oil never strays too far from reach during our interview — and hand sanitizer.
For many budding beauty enthusiasts, Bath & Body Works was an early entry point into the world of delicious body products and perfume mists; and while Duff is here for all that too, she’s quick to note that the stuff just plain works. “I want to be hydrated. I want to be dewy. I want to be juicy, and I want things that work because I don’t have that much time.” she tells me. “But also this stage of my life, I’m in this very joyous, celebratory, sweet moment, and all of the products really suit that.”
What Hilary Duff’s home smells like
While summer and smelling like a delicious fruit salad are an obvious pairing, I wonder what other scents Duff gravitates toward. “I love [fruit] as a body lotion. I love it as a body wash. I love it as a personal fragrance, but my home is a little bit different. I don’t necessarily want my home to smell like me,” she says. “If it’s October, I’m probably leaning toward something woodsy that goes with my fireplace. It really depends on the season and what’s going on in my life.” One scent she’s partial to year-round is Black Tea For The Botanist from her own home fragrance line Below 60.)
What nostalgia smells like to Hilary Duff
And then there’s perhaps the strongest scent memory of all: “My mom always smelled like Chanel No. 5, so anytime I smell that, I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s me hugging my mom after school.’” Chic!
Hilary Duff on what makes her feel strong
As we continue chatting, my attention drifts to the campaign film looping behind us, where Duff dances like no one’s watching while singing along to Squeeze’s “Tempted” — an appropriately nostalgic soundtrack for a campaign centered around fruit-forward fragrances.
“One thing that I loved about filming the campaign was that the theme on set was just ‘strong,'” she says. “They wanted me to hold these poses and represent singing in the shower and doing things that make you feel powerful and strong.”
I don’t know if this is what dreams are made of (will we ever, truly?), but it’s certainly what they smell like.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
