Every Ridiculously Chic Person I Know Has a Thing for Party Perfumes—Here’s Your Starter Pack

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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).