“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