Everything gets bolder after dark. We swap our sweaters for slip dresses, our nude balms for statement reds, and our floral fragrances for options with a little more edge. Once the sun sets, full-bodied fragrances are in their element – sensuality reigns supreme and a side of spice is a non-negotiable. Daring, decadent drops are ideal for taking you from day to night in a flash – after all, when you’re running from your desk to dinner, spritzing on a scent is a whole lot easier than nailing an elaborate smoky eye in five minutes flat. We’ve rounded up an edit of evening eaus worth stashing in your desk drawer for those times you need to make maximum impact with minimal effort – when time isn’t on your side, these scents will be.
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Clinique
Not quite sure what your P.M. plans are? This eau is up for anything. Expertly toeing the line between delicate and dangerous, Clinique’s brave blend opens with a citrus splash and a bouquet of jasmine and neroli before settling into a vetiver-tonka bean fusion during the dry down. In other words, it’s a scent suitable for any setting.
Elizabeth Arden
Elizabeth Arden Always Red EDT
This Elizabeth Arden perfume steers you into sensual territory the same way slipping on a statement-making red dress would. Designed to stand out, the powerful praline-freesia-blood-orange blend is bound to elicit endless “what are you wearing?” style queries. Wallflowers, you’ve been warned.
Beyonce
Don’t let the fruity first spritz fool you; an opulent olfactory experience is mere minutes away. Rich plum and heady patchouli would be stunning solo, but the real kicker is night-blooming cereus, a flowering cacti that smells like vanilla. It only blooms in the evening, so night-time is the perfect time to bring its fragrance form out to play.
The Body Shop
A fragrance as multifaceted as the women who wear it, this fragrance from The Body Shop is sweet (pear), sharp (pink pepper) and surprising (the sensory journey rounds out with liquorice root). If you’re looking for a scent that’s seductively striking without steering into OTT territory, your search is officially over.
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani Si Intense EDP ($189, myer.com.au)
If the classic Si splash threw on a sleek LBD, this would be the rebellious result. With the same hints of vanilla and rose that got you hooked on the original, its boldness is bolstered by blackcurrant and bergamot, and it finishes with a silky touch of femme freesia. Just like its celeb face Cate Blanchett, it’s beautiful, but it’s got bite.
Dior
Dior Poison EDT ($135, myer.com.au)
If powerful and mysterious are the adjectives you’re after, this Dior drop is your seductive secret weapon. With playful plum, sophisticated sandalwood and a hint of heavenly honey, it’s a moody mix that neither your senses, nor anyone you cross paths with will soon forget.
Have sniffed dior poison edp and Si Intense. Si intense is way nicer (lots of juicy blackberry). Dior poison I would wear maybe when over 100ish. A bit too old fashioned and "mature" for my taste.
The original Stella McCartney is another great option for day to night too.
Love Cliniques Aromatics in Black so interesting to hear the verdict about its versatility
I'd like to try Always Red.
I like the sound and the bottle of Beyonce's and Giorgio Arrmani's Si Intense sounds good too but a bit expensive
I 'collect' perfumes and wear according to how my mood at the time is!