The Story
Why it exists.
Very Sexy Now 2016 was conceived as Victoria’s Secret’s answer to a carefree summer moment, a scent that could bottle the feeling of stepping onto warm sand after a dip in turquoise water. Developed in Givaudan’s Paris lab, the Eau de Parfum arrived in 2016, building on the brand’s legacy of playful, feminine fragrances that began with its first perfume in 1989. The formula leans on coconut nectar and a bright fruit accord to evoke a sun‑lit beach, while pink lotus adds a delicate floral heart, grounding the composition in the house’s signature romantic aesthetic.
If this were a song
Community picks
Island In The Sun
Weezer
The Beginning
Very Sexy Now 2016 was conceived as Victoria’s Secret’s answer to a carefree summer moment, a scent that could bottle the feeling of stepping onto warm sand after a dip in turquoise water. Developed in Givaudan’s Paris lab, the Eau de Parfum arrived in 2016, building on the brand’s legacy of playful, feminine fragrances that began with its first perfume in 1989. The formula leans on coconut nectar and a bright fruit accord to evoke a sun‑lit beach, while pink lotus adds a delicate floral heart, grounding the composition in the house’s signature romantic aesthetic.
Choosing coconut nectar as the opening was a bold move for a mainstream brand, tapping into the growing trend of gourmand tropicals while keeping the scent approachable. The inclusion of sand as a base note adds an unexpected mineral edge, echoing the gritty texture of beach grains beneath a creamy vanilla and white musk foundation. This contrast between sweet and earthy gives the fragrance a layered depth that feels both playful and grounded.
The Evolution
At first spray, the coconut nectar erupts like a splash of fresh coconut water, instantly transporting you to a sun‑drenched shore. Within ten minutes the bright fruity notes mingle, adding a juicy sparkle that feels like ripe mangoes drifting on a sea breeze. The heart emerges around the 15‑minute mark, where pink lotus unfurls a soft, watery floral that tempers the sweetness with a whisper of garden freshness. As the fragrance settles into its drydown, the sand note surfaces, offering a subtle mineral grain that anchors the composition. Warm vanilla then rolls in, creamy and comforting, while white musk provides a lingering, skin‑kissed softness that clings for the remainder of its 4‑6 hour life, leaving a faint, powdery trail that feels like the last light on a beach at dusk.
Cultural Impact
Since its 2016 debut, Very Sexy Now quickly became a staple for fans of sweet tropical fragrances, frequently cited in online discussions as a go‑to summer scent. Its coconut‑driven profile helped reinforce Victoria’s Secret’s beach‑inspired line, influencing subsequent releases that emphasized bright fruit and creamy vanilla. Over the years the fragrance has appeared in seasonal gift guides and social media trends, contributing to a broader acceptance of gourmand‑type summer perfumes in mainstream retail. The scent’s approachable sillage and moderate longevity also encouraged casual wear, expanding its reach beyond niche perfume circles and cementing its role in shaping the brand’s youthful, playful image.
The House
United States · Est. 1977
Victoria's Secret began as a San Francisco lingerie company founded in 1977 by Stanford graduate student Roy Raymond and his wife Gaye. The brand entered fragrance in 1989, launching its first perfume Victoria as part of a national magazine campaign. By the early 1990s, the company had grown to 350 stores nationwide with estimated sales of $1 billion. The beauty division grew substantially enough to generate nearly $1 billion in sales by 2006. Victoria's Secret fragrances are developed through Givaudan's Paris laboratory, the same fragrance house behind perfumes for Tom Ford, Prada, and Louis Vuitton. The brand works with a rotating roster of over 30 perfumers rather than a single in-house nose, creating scents for its Dream Angels, Very Sexy, Body, and Pink collections. Popular fragrances include Bombshell, Love Spell, Tease, and Heavenly, which ranked as the top-selling fragrance in the United States by both revenue and volume from 2005 to 2010. Victoria's Secret has won 20 Fragrance Foundation awards since 2001. The company offers fragrances alongside perfumed body care products including body mists, body lotions, and eau de parfum in various formats.
If this were a song
Community picks
A breezy, sun‑lit pop track mirrors the coconut splash, while a mellow indie ballad captures the soft lotus heart, and a warm acoustic tune reflects the vanilla‑musk drydown.
Island In The Sun
Weezer
