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As a beauty editor with friends in the business, I know as well as anyone that, in trying to identify the best perfumes, asking a fellow beauty journalist to share their signature scent is a tricky ask. While it’s our job to test new fragrance launches, popular perfumes and trending scents to decipher which ones are actually worth spending your hard-earned cash on, revealing which perfumes we keep on rotation in our own personal stash is another matter entirely. After all, most of us like to feel unique in our fragrance choices as perfume can be a real extension of our personalities—so if you’ve found a niche perfume that nobody else knows about then it can be tempting to keep it to yourself.
However, I’m really not about gatekeeping, and there’s one fragrance category in particular that I’m always most intrigued to ask people about: evening perfumes. Often deeper, darker and more complex than the easy-to-wear scents that most of us gravitate towards on a daily basis, the very best evening perfumes give us a chance to step outside of our fragrance comfort zones and embrace a more experimental side. And, luckily, I found 11 fellow beauty editors who were more than happy to share which fragrances they always reach for after dusk.
Ata-Owaji Victor, Freelance Beauty Editor and Journalist
Kayali Vanilla 28 Eau de Parfum
“For me, the perfect nighttime scent has to be Kayali Vanilla 28. The sweet (one of its key ingredients, I kid you not, is brown sugar) yet complex scent has slowly become my go to ‘after dark’ spritz for a few months now. As a someone that typically sways towards deeper, headier scents, I’ve loved incorporating a slightly lighter perfume into my rotation. It’s a scent that never fails to standout when meshed with the steamy fog of late-night dance floors before mellowing out perfectly when its time to roll into bed in the early hours. It doesn’t hurt that Kayali Vanilla 28 also comes in a fun-size bottle which is perfect for our increasingly shrinking handbags.” – Ata-Owaji Victor, Freelance Beauty Editor and Journalist
Lucy Abbersteen, Freelance Beauty Editor and Copywriter
Diptyque Eau Nabati Eau de Parfum
“I hummed and hawed over which evening fragrance to talk about here because, as someone who loves woody and amber perfumes, I have a good few in my collection that fit this description nicely. But in the end, I went for Diptyque’s Eau Nabati. Despite being a slightly spicy scent with bergamot, amber and balsam, it’s not at all heavy or overpowering. It’s got this gorgeous balmy quality that works well on both warm summer evenings and dark winter nights and makes a brilliant base for fragrance layering, too. Go and smell it IRL if you can.” – Lucy Abbersteen, Freelance Beauty Editor and Copywriter
Amerley Ollennu, Freelance Beauty & Lifestyle Editor
Jo Malone Tuberose Angelica Cologne Intense
“When I got a whiff of the news that Jo Malone were set to launch a tuberose scent I couldn’t wait to try it, and ten years in it’s still my go-to evening fragrance. A warm and sensual white floral, tuberose never fails to make me feel more sophisticated, and alluring (whether others think the same matters not). Expertly blended with a dose of rich, powdery, sweet amber and sharp, earthy and herbaceous angelica—to keep things interesting. I like to think this represents all the facets of my personality in scent form.” – Amerley Ollennu, Freelance Beauty & Lifestyle Editor
Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor at Fashion’s Digest UK
Agent Provocateur Eau de Parfum for Women
“My interpretation of an evening fragrance is one that I would wear on a date with my husband where I fully expect to end up in bed at the end of the night. In which case there is only one fragrance I could possibly include: Agent Provocateur EDP. As you’d expect from a lingerie brand it is sexy. It’s not for the faint-hearted, because it packs a punch. But oh my goodness do I feel powerful and in control when I wear it. My go-to fragrance notes are white flowers, which this has in abundance intertwined with the richer Indian saffron and Moroccan rose. There’s a creaminess to it too, and a deep resinous side thanks to the amber accord. It’s addictive, domineering and it commands attention. It’s the perfume equivalent of come to bed eyes.” – Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director at Refinery29 UK
Kayali Lovefest Burning Cherry 48 Eau De Parfum
“As soon as nighttime falls, I shelve my light, powdery fragrances for something more brooding—and it’s always Kayali Lovefest Burning Cherry. It opens with a tarte cherry note that develops into something so warm and moreish thanks to woody palo santo, deep and slightly bitter praline, and all-encompassing tonka bean, which is a lot like vanilla. To me, it’s like sinking an amaretto sour in a dimly lit bar with incense burning in a far corner. The perfect date night.” – Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director at Refinery29 UK
Keeks Reid, Beauty Broadcaster and Contributing Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK
Byredo Bal d’Afrique Eau de Parfum
“I adore a deep, woody evening scent that’s not overwhelming, so finding perfumes that don’t tip that balance is hard but I’ve found a few that perfectly tread that line. At the moment I’m loving an old favourite which is Byredo Bal D’afrique. It’s got that lovely woody base thanks to the cedarwood, earthy warmth with the vetiver, but still has a floral thread with violet in the heart of it. URGH it’s so good.” – Keeks Reid, Beauty Broadcaster and Contributing Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK
Rebecca Fearn, Freelance Beauty Editor & Features Writer
Chanel Beige Les Exclusifs de Chanel Eau de Parfum
“My favourite perfume of all time is Chanel Beige, and I think it’s super sexy for nighttime as well as subtle enough for daywear. It’s ironically anything but ‘beige’. I think it’s complex and layered, and dries down differently on every person. On me, it smells ‘sparkly’ somehow, but that may be my synesthesia! I get comments about it all the time on nights out, which makes the higher price tag absolutely worth it.” – Rebecca Fearn, Freelance Beauty Editor & Features Writer
Tori Crowther, Freelance Health and Beauty Journalist
Mizensir Ambre Magique Eau de Parfum
“I love traditionally more masculine fragrances for an evening perfume, but I’m also drawn towards the freshness that traditionally feminine perfumes offer. After recently trying Mizensir Ambre Magique, I’ve concluded that it’s the perfect in-between. It has the sexiness of the ambergris and orange with vanilla and rose coming through slowly and drying down beautifully on the skin. It also lasts all evening (which makes the price tag slightly more justifiable).” – Tori Crowther, Freelance Health and Beauty Journalist
Zeynab Mohamed, Freelance Beauty Journalist
Penhaligons A Balm of Calm Eau de Parfum
“Beyond perfume for an evening out, I have recently got into nighttime perfume as part of my evening in ritual. My mum has been doing it for years, but I’ve always dismissed it as a pointless step that I could definitely do without. Maybe it’s growing older or maybe it’s the influence of TikTok, but I’ve been reaching for a bedtime fragrance lately. With a mixture of soothing and serene notes of lavender, geranium, iris and sandalwood, Penhaligon’s A Balm Of Calm is the perfect edition to my bedtime routine. Penhaligon’s refer to as ‘an instant remedy serenity remedy’—it envelops you in a delicate scent very reminiscent of fresh bed linens. It’s a subtle yet luxurious addition to good sleep hygiene practice.” – Zeynab Mohamed, Freelance Beauty Journalist
Mica Ricketts, Freelance Beauty Editor
(Image credit: Mica Ricketts)
Jo Malone Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense
“Although I’ve never thought of myself as a person that loves sweet perfumes, a careful analysis of many of my favourite fragrances reveals a thread running through them—vanilla. And why should I change the habit of a lifetime for my evening fragrance? Jo Malone Myrrh & Tonka takes its vanilla spikes from tonka bean, which is a slightly deeper and earthier take on a classic gourmand note. Rather than being honeyed or saccharine, though, the addition of myrrh lends this fragrance a spicy opulence with an almost smoky undertone. Sure, it conjures images of enjoying cocktails in an underground bar, but as a homebody at heart this evening perfume also has a familiar cosiness to it. It’s warming and comforting, while still having an intoxicating allure.” – Mica Ricketts, Freelance Beauty Editor
Shannon Lawlor, Executive Beauty Editor at Fashion’s Digest UK
(Image credit: Shannon Lawlor)
Acqua di Parma Colonia Essenza
“I work with perfume day in, day out, and never in all my life have I encountered an evening perfume quite as perfect as this one. Truthfully, I wear it during the day, too, but it’s during the evening that this stuff comes into its own. Yes, it’s a light, citrus cologne, but the addition of patchouli, moss, amber and woods gives it a lingering sort of depth that I have never smelled before. The overall vibe it gives off is an intense, soapy, fresh spritz that has people flocking to you to ask after it. Whenever I wear Essenza (which is almost always), I feel like my sexiest, most pulled together self. While so many evening scents are dirty, come-to-bed florals and even dirtier smoke shows, Colonia Essenza is a fresh, just-showered, empowering sort of scent that everyone deserves to experience.” – Shannon Lawlor, Executive Beauty Editor at Fashion’s Digest UK
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