Welcome to Beauty’s Night Out, a series dedicated to the need-to-know beauty conversations dominating the nightlife scene. Expect a first look at the latest trends, behind-the-scenes tutorials, and loads of going-out inspiration as you get all dolled up—all you need is your favorite playlist.
Ellis Brooklyn’s Bee will always remind me of my 25th birthday. I can no longer stomach espresso martinis since that Friday night (RIP), but I can treat my pulse points to the sticky-sweet honey-, cocoa-, and dark rum-infused elixir, and there I am—situated in the retro upstairs lounge at Little Ways, sharing a plate of damn good fries with even better friends underneath the spinning disco lights. It’s become my ultimate party perfume, each spritz a gentle nudge to embrace the endless possibilities of a night out in New York City. If I’m wearing Bee, I’m ready for a good time.
Scent, after all, has immense power in shaping your overall mood and aesthetic. It’s why you might reach for a beachy blend while clad in a lace-trimmed slip and straw hat on vacation or douse yourself in a caramel, nutmeg, or cinnamon situation at the first sign of crisp, autumn air. Your fragrance often enters a room before you do, and a party perfume arrives with the metaphorical aux cord, saying, “Let’s have a night.”
The concept of an after-dark fragrance isn’t new—consider Maison Margiela’s Replica Jazz Club, which evokes clinking cocktails in a Brooklyn basement bar and has been around since 2013—but perfumer Erwan Raguenes of DSM-Firmenich has seen them rising in popularity, especially among the younger generations as a tool for self-expression. “A bit like fashion, but more intimate and emotional,” he explains. “It is designed to stand out in a crowd and enhance your presence, almost like an olfactive version of dress to impress.” And when it comes to standing out, it pays to lean into the fantasy, much like the shift towards pop star–inspired dressing. Go ahead and channel your inner “Mediterranean water nymph at a sweaty West Village bar,” like Who What Wear associate beauty editor Alyssa Brascia, or opt for a “villain-era perfume” when you want to feel dark and mysterious, like beauty director Erin Jahns. A party perfume is less about specific notes and more focused on how you, the wearer, wish to show up and show out.
The only rule? A party perfume must work its magic all night, which is why they tend to sway leathery, creamy, and somewhat animalistic. These richer notes are known for their intense sillage and depth, making them solid choices for smelling good around the clock. “Typically, party perfumes, regarding their profiles, will blend bold and high-impact notes, often leaning towards warm, gourmand, or spicy profiles that linger and project in crowded or dimly lit environments,” agrees Raguenes.
That said, it doesn’t have to be all smoke and debauchery and live jazz. A party perfume can also be featherlight and refined—think twinkling flutes of champagne over an Old Fashioned—emphasized by floral, marine, or edible elements to leave a lasting impression. All fragrance families can join the fun; it only depends on what you find most inviting.
Dessert Party
These aren’t your average dessert-inspired scents. Think of them as the perfumes you might wear to an after-dinner nightcap: deep, rich, cozy blends that swap syrupy for sultry. Vanilla tends to be the reigning note, but honey, cream, and cocoa can also add mouthwatering depth without turning out too cloying.
BYREDO
Vanille Antique Parfum Extract
Key notes: Vanilla, cashmere, wood, ciste, musk
Vanilla might be in its name, but this wildly popular Byredo fragrance is far from sticky-sweet. In fact, the vanilla here is presented in its rawest form: smoky, dark, and earthy. “One of my friends once called it ‘sex on a stick,’ which is slightly explicit yet an accurate reaction to how intoxicatingly good it is,” Jahns says of the compliment-worthy blend.
Ellis Brooklyn
Bee Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Dark rum, davana, honey, bran absolute, cinnamon, sandalwood, vanilla bean, cocoa absolute, musk
Bee is one of the most seductive gourmand scents I own. Honey, vanilla, cocoa, and cinnamon give it that unmistakable sweetness, while deeper notes like dark rum, bran absolute, sandalwood, and musk definitely add an air of mystery. You—and everyone you know—will keep wanting to take a whiff of your wrist.
Yves Saint Laurent
Black Opium Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Coffee, white flowers, vanilla
The glittering black bottle practically screams “party perfume,” but the blend itself—a warm, spicy, subtly sweet concoction—is downright dazzling for a night out.
Victoria Beckham Beauty
21:50 Reverie Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Tobacco leaves, plum, vanilla, tonka beans, cedarwood
Victoria Beckham’s fourth fragrance isn’t just any night-out blend; it’s meant to transport you to a night out with her husband, David. (Give me 50!) Warm and sultry with a hint of juiciness, 21:50 Rêverie is the ultimate date-night scent. “If you like a vanilla with a difference, you’re going to love this fragrance,” Beckham herself once shared.
Party Florals
Delicate, pretty florals meet a night of bad behavior. You might associate floral perfumes with all things light and refreshing, but the fragrance category actually casts a rather wide net: some are classic and powdery; others lean smoky, sparkling, and spicy. As you can probably guess, “party florals” tend to favor the latter.
Serge Lutens
La Fille De Berlin Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Rose, pepper
“Serge Lutens La Fille De Berlin is insanely sexy and is the ultimate villain-era perfume IMO,” notes Jahns. The main notes are rose and pepper, and the brand describes it as floral, spicy, and thorny, which is kind of perfect. Another one that has resulted in so many compliments, and it’s a niche classic.”
PHLUR
Rose Whip Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Rose, black currant, cashmere wood, osmanthus, amber, musk
Rose Whip, a musky rose, is the epitome of romantic mystery. Phlur founder Chriselle Lim once described the scent as capturing the energy of a black rose (a nod to the elixir’s sleek black packaging). It’s at once elegant, deep, and provocative—and it’s sublime.
Kilian Paris
Good Girl Gone Bad Eau Fraîche by Kilian
Key notes: Orange blossom, jasmine sambac, tuberose
“Though I know no one at the sweaty West Village bar will even notice that I smell like an ethereal Mediterranean water nymph (which is exactly how I’d describe this sexy, warm, summer floral, okay!!), I still get an immediate boost of confidence when I smell how I’d imagine Aphrodite would,” Brascia says of this modern scent. “It’s inspired by the Aegean Sea, so it has a slightly musky, earthen undertone that makes this otherwise light scent feel a bit more mysterious.”
Chloé
Atelier Des Fleurs Orchidée De Minuit Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Orchid flower, clove, rum, jasmine, benzoin, styrax, vanilla, patchouli, musk
This fragrance in a word: Unexpected. Inspired by night-blooming white orchids, which only release its intoxicating scent upon nightfall, this unique, amber floral noticeably transforms with wear. It starts out soft and delicate, but as the orchid notes mingle with rum, benzoin, and patchouli, it reads sensual and electrifying.
Beach Party
Brasica says it best: “There’s something about a scent that transports you somewhere adventurous that lures everyone in.” Sure, sun-drenched fragrances certainly shine during the day, but they tend to smell even better as the hours wear on, notes of salt and coconut mixed with dance-floor sweat functioning like a siren song.
Orebella
Salted Muse Parfum
Key notes: Sea salt, pink pepper, CO2 extract, olive tree accord, fig, lavender, cedarwood, sandalwood, amber
“When I want to add a sensual shine to my look, I’ll always reach for Orebella’s Salted Muse,” says Brascia. “Sea salt, lavender, and sandalwood will never not be a killer combo to me, and I’ve gotten so many compliments on this scent when I’m out dancing, on dates, or having al fresco martinis with the girls. But the best part is the gorgeous shine this oil-based perfume leaves on my skin, so I tend to douse my décolletage, shoulders, and arms with it on tube top or slinky dress nights.”
Vacation
“Grand Cuvée” by Vacation Eau De Toilette
Key notes: Vanilla bean, chardonnay, peach eau de vie, amber, cedarwood, cognac
Grand Cuvée is a summer yacht party, bottled. Seriously—it’s meant to evoke a “teakwood-decked yacht at sunset” with notes of argan, amber, cognac, and cedarwood for a warm, slightly oaky profile. The luxe beach-culture scent was inspired by the brand’s original Chardonnay Oil, which smells so fabulous that it once racked up a 1700-person waiting list.
D.S. & Durga
Jazmin Yucatan Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Water, passion flower, bergamot, jazmin yucateco, sambac, clove, snake plant, vetiver, copal
While technically a floral, this fragrance contains tropical undertones that immediately transport the wearer to the Yucatan peninsula. It’s fresh and fruity with an animalistic edge, thanks to jasmine’s slightly musky profile mixed with copal—a tree resin used for centuries as incense.
TOM FORD
Soleil Blanc Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Coco de mer, ylang ylang, cardamom
If you’ve ever wanted to smell like a private island, reach for this Tom Ford solar number. It’s warm and vibrant with just enough floral notes to make it feel refined and expensive. Coco de mer (aka sea coconut) adds a breezy, oceanic touch that still reads exquisite.
Party in the Woods
Woody, earthy fragrances tend to smell grounding (yes, pun intended) and cozy, but when you give it a little spice—say, a tobacco or cinnamon note—the blends transform into smoky, leathery heaven. Mysterious, cool, and intense, these party perfumes are specifically made to turn heads—and even raise some eyebrows.
Maison Margiela
‘Replica’ Jazz Club Eau De Toilette
Key notes: Pink pepper, rum absolute, tobacco leaf absolute
“Jazz Club, with its boozy rum, tobacco, and vanilla, gives off a warm, sexy, and a little rebellious vibe,” says Raguenes. True to its name, it’s meant to evoke entering a private Brooklyn jazz club, those spicy, woody notes drawing you in with their smoky elegance.
Le Labo
Thé Noir 29 Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Black tea leaves, bergamot, fig, bay leaves, cedarwood, vetiver, musks
Here, we have another favorite of Raguenes, who describes this Le Labo blend as “mysterious and refined.” He adds, “With black tea, fig, and woods, it feels cool and grown.”
Perfumehead
Cosmic Cowboy Extrait de Parfum
Key notes: Cinnamon bark, tobacco leaf, cacao blanc, black musk
If there ever was an entire “party perfume” brand, Perfumehead would tick that box—one million percent. All its elixirs transport you to a specific time of day, and Cosmic Cowboy is 1 a.m. in a nightclub on the Sunset Strip in the 1970s. I mean, swoon. It’s my personal favorite of the bunch, and Jahns adores it too, especially when layered with Canadian Tuxedo—a rustic, amber-wood scent that oozes cool. “[The combo] has quite literally caused strangers at bars to sniff my neck and head and tell me how good I smell (creepy, but also telling!),” she notes.
Diptyque
Orphéon Eau De Parfum
Key notes: Cedarwood, tonka bean, juniper berries, jasmine
Orphéon is named after a historic Parisian jazz club, so you better believe this is one dark, alluring, and sultry blend. It’s certainly smoky and woodsy, but it has a slightly powdery finish that Brascia once described as “a rouge touch-up in a dark, ritzy bathroom.” Very French, very cool, very fitting for day to night (and well into the early morning).
