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Let me start off by saying that I LOVE a good sensual date night perfume. As someone who often romanticizes their life, I am constantly finding new ways to elevate the day to day things I already do. Isn’t it funny how something as simple as spraying on your favorite perfume can change your whole mood?! After years of smelling countless fragrances, I have narrowed it down to 6 that I love and wear on a routine basis, but especially for date nights. This blog post is devoted to the best, sexiest date night fragrances that I have found and love.
- This list has been updated October 2024 with the limited edition Valentino fragrance, Born in Roma Rendezvous: The Gold. Get it before it’s gone!
Let’s be honest: when someone compliments your perfume, it makes your entire day. But when your MAN loves and compliments it…**snaps fingers**
Not only do I love intoxicating scents, but I prioritize wearing them. After all, scientific research has shown that olfactory senses have the strongest connection to memory, and therefore, experiences. Want to be that girl they can’t get out of their head? Of course you do!
You may be thinking, “aren’t you a travel blogger?” – and yes – I am. A travel blogger who always packs perfume in her suitcase. (And don’t worry: everything I recommend on this page comes in travel size.) But, it goes deeper than that: as a solo traveler, I am also known to go on a date or two when I travel the world. How else would I feel qualified to write you a blog post about the best date night perfumes?
BUT! BEFORE WE DIVE IN, LET’S ANSWER A COUPLE BURNING QUESTIONS…
What is the Most Seductive Perfume for Women?
To put it simply, the most seductive perfume for women is the one that makes you feel seductive.
Let me put it this way: a lot of the time, when a woman thinks date night perfume, she usually envisions some sort of musky smell. I personally love musky, stronger perfumes because they give me the most seductive feminine energy.
4 out of the 5 perfumes mentioned in this blog post are characterized by more intense fragrance notes to put you in that romantic, date-night frame of mind. The one that isn’t musky (Chance by Chanel) is my “exception-to-the-rule” and probably my all-time go-to fragrance.
How Find Your Signature Fragrance
The first step to finding your signature fragrance is to discover which fragrance family smells the best on you.
What Are the 4 Main Fragrance Families?
Most scents fall into one of 4 main fragrance families:
- Fresh
- Floral
- Woody
- Amber (previously known as Oriental)
The most sensual fragrances – which also happen to be my go-to scents – are usually more intense and contain notes of musk, amber, and bergamot. Think a woody/amber hybrid. In fact, some of them could be described as borderline masculine! However, a lot of the scents on this page also have floral notes to them too, which creates a unique fragrance hybrid.
- My biggest tip for you while reading this blog post is that in order for you to also like these perfumes, you need to be able to pull off these types of scents. I say this because amber can sometimes be a difficult fragrance family for younger women to wear.
How to Decide on the Best Date Night Fragrance for You
IMO, amber is the hardest fragrance family to find good perfumes in when you’re younger because there’s an extremely narrow window. You have to walk the line between choosing scents that are feminine yet flirt with masculinity.
The other difficult thing about choosing musky scents from the amber family is they can sometimes fall into the “old lady” category – but rest assured, there are many that exist that mature younger women can easily pull off.
My Top Tips for Finding Your Signature Scent
- Always ask for a sample bottle so you get a solid idea of what the fragrance smells like on you. If a store won’t make you a sample, find another store that will.
- Pay attention to how you feel when you spray each one on. Do you feel seductive or shy? Powerful or ordinary?
- Notice how the scent smells throughout the day and how it differs from when you first sprayed it. I have found scents that I loved at first and then disliked them as the day went on.
- Notice how the scent smells on YOU. Our body chemistry can alter the way certain perfumes smell in the bottle vs. on our skin
- Know your “fragrance family.” Do you like floral smells? Citrus? Spicy? Knowing this will often make deciding on a new fragrance much easier.
Through years of trial and error, I have found fragrances that have a great #DateNightEnergy and put me a romantic frame of mind. Read on to discover my favorite sexiest date night fragrances!
The Most Sensual Perfumes to Wear for Your Next Date Night
Pro Tip: As someone who loves finding new fragrances to try, I can guarantee you I will be adding more to this post in the future. Make sure you follow my Instagram to know when this post gets updated!
1. Apple Brandy on the Rocks by Kilian
Perfume Notes: Bergamot, Apple Brandy and Cardamon
Reminds Me of: A seductive New York City speakeasy meets Bad Angels Bar in Prague (iykyk)
This fragrance is by far my newest obsession. People have stopped me everyyyywhere and asked me what this perfume is. Seriously though…when I die, I want this sprayed in my casket.
Apple Brandy is part of Kilian’s The Liquors Collection and is said to be inspired by the nightlife in New York City, which was my immediate thought before I even read it on the bottle. Damn, they did good.
I love this scent because it’s borderline masculine (I mean, technically, it’s unisex) – but it also has a sweetness to it that makes it feminine. Sidonie Lancesseur, the perfumer, did an absolutely phenomenal job of balancing this scent to appeal to both sexes. When I first sprayed it, I questioned if it was supposed to be solely for men, but it quickly settles into a sweetness that assured me of its dual power.
This scent gives me the ultimate Main Character Energy. Think red lips, your favorite dress, and a pair of SJP stilettos. It puts me in the frame of mind to go sit in a dimly lit, intimate bar and be that person that nobody knows but everyone wonders about. In fact, Apple Brandy mentally transports me to every dark, moody speakeasy I’ve ever been to. Talk about romanticizing!
- Pro Tip: This scent is by far the most expensive perfume on this list, but worth it IMO. Shut your eyes when you click “Complete Order” 😉
2. Angel Eau de Parfum by Mugler
Perfume Notes: Bergamot, Red Fruits, Patchouli
Reminds Me of: The woman who looks a challenge dead in the eye and gives it a wink
I can’t tell you how many people have stopped me when I’ve had this perfume on and asked what it was. It’s definitely a stronger scent and one that will carry through the room as you walk by. The large bottle is expensive, but I’ve found that a little goes a long way!
My favorite times to wear this perfume is when I know I’m going to be at a nice restaurant or swanky speakeasy bar. As Gen-Z would say, “it’s giving sophistication.” Similar to Apple Brandy, this one also gives me the ultimate Main Character Energy.
Angel comes in an Eau de Toilette version too, and I’ll admit I liked it better at first because it wasn’t as intense. But the more I wore the toilette, the more the parfum grew on me – and now I’ll never look back. You know how they say the more sweet wine you drink, the more you crave dry? Same concept.
- Pro Tip: If you find that you like the Eau de Toilette version of this perfume better, know that it is much harder to find in stores and online. Click the link in the above section to shop!
- (Another) Pro Tip: IMO, this perfume is geared more towards the 30+ crowd; if you’re in your 20’s, it will probably feel too mature for you. My recommendation for ladies in their 20’s is my favorite Chanel perfume.
3. Fenty by Rihanna/Fenty Beauty
Perfume Notes: Magnolia, Musk, Bulgarian Rose
Reminds Me of: What Rihanna would probably smell like in real life
The first thing I noticed shortly after I saw this perfume launch on Sephora was the reviews. While Fenty Beauty is a well-loved brand amongst almost every beauty influencer I know, at the time, this perfume only had 3.5 stars out of hundreds of reviews.
I still wanted to check it out, because let’s be real: Rihanna can do no wrong. I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this one. I get strong musk, rose, and amber notes with a hint of vanilla when I smell it. After trying it on, I realized that while she made her beauty line very inclusive with the wide variety of shades, I feel like Rihanna created a scent that only certain people can wear (which, of course, explains the lower reviews).
I personally love it, but I can understand why some people don’t. Actually, I take that back…because like I said, Rihanna can do no wrong. /shrug
- Pro Tip: Fenty Beauty also makes a body lotion in this scent that smells equally amazing. I have layered a little bit of the lotion with the perfume before and it lasts all day on me
4. Chance eau Fraîche by Chanel
Perfume Notes: Citron, Jasmine, Teakwood
Reminds Me of: Meeting a handsome stranger on a European vacation.
When it comes to my all-time favorite perfume, I would prooobably have to say this one. Ironically, this scent by Chanel is the least “borderline masculine” out of any of the ones on this page, but I absolutely love it. Not to mention, I have had so many men compliment me on it that I had to include it in my date night fragrances post.
I think the thing I love about this scent is that it goes from day to night so well. There’s something light and crisp about it but also something equally romantic and sexy. It’s the dualities for me. I am not normally a “citrus” scents person either, but this perfume is the exception to the rule.
When I go on trips, there is a 95% chance that this perfume is in my bag. It’s the one I almost always pack, partially for its compact size, but also because it’s just that versatile and that good. If you are in your 20’s, this is the perfume on this list that I would recommend for you.
5. Miss Dior Eau de Toilette by Dior
Perfume Notes: Grasse Rose, Lily of the Valley, Patchouli
Reminds Me of: My favorite nights out in college with my best friend
Miss Dior was the first “sensual” perfume I ever owned, and it takes me waaay back. My best friend in pharmacy school and I were obsessed with this perfume. It started out as our *classy bar night* scent when we were “just going out for one drink” – but we all know what happens when we say we’re just going to have one…
Before long, Miss Dior became our go-to scent for all things fun in college: the classy bar nights, the date nights, the shut-the-club-down-at-4am nights. Now, of course, I would absolutely wear this on date night instead of to the club. Similar to Angel, I think you have to be able to really pull off musky, stronger scents to wear this one.
- Pro Tip: I have tried the parfum version of this and absolutely hated it; the toilette is where it’s at
6. Born in Roma Rendezvous: The Gold by Valentino
Perfume Notes: Spice Blend, Virginia Cedar Essence, Ambery Vanilla Accord
Reminds Me of: Dating around the world
I love all versions of Valentino’s Born in Roma perfumes, but this one seems extra special. I don’t know if the word “rendezvous” has anything to do with it, but it reminds me of being in a foreign country and meeting a very cute boy who speaks great English and is willing to teach me some of his native language. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I’ve experienced this before…oh, wait…
This one is a limited edition, so don’t fall in love too hard…but make sure to snag it before it’s gone!
