NYLON Guys
How To Smell Like The Life Of The Party
So you’re embarking on a scent journey — here are five places to start.
A few years ago, I woke up on my birthday, stared at my dresser drawers, and suddenly thought to myself: I am too old to have band tees be the foundation of my wardrobe. I simplified, streamlined, and stocked up on solid basics — but turning down the dial on one form of self-expression only made me want to turn it up in other ways.
Fragrance, I soon learned, offered infinite possibilities to do so. Unlike my other online shopping missions, which usually involve slipping into a fugue state of obsessive research to find the One Perfect Item I need, there is no decisive “win” to check off. You can spend hours studying Fragrantica to figure out what you might like, but trial and error is the only way through. There are endless brands to discover, endless TikTok rabbit holes to go down, and endless opportunities to refine what feels like you. It can be overwhelming. But make peace with the idea that your quest is never really over, and the true fun begins: Few pleasures in my life right now compare to the dopamine hit of getting a delivery notification on a new discovery set.
And the same part of me that once balled out at the merch table, trying to communicate something to the world about my interests and tastes through music and culture, finds an outlet here, too. Instead of trying to dress like the life of the party, now I’m trying to smell like it — and if you’re embarking on a similar scent journey, here are five brands that have music, nightlife, and a damn good time in their DNA. (And ladies, if you’re reading, these are all unisex scents, so you’re invited, too.)
FOR THE VINYL LOVER
Hailing from the homeland of house music, Chicago native Zernell Gillie built a career as an internationally acclaimed DJ before deciding to formulate his own eponymous brand during the quiet of the pandemic. His seven fragrances are all named for and inspired by genres of music, so you’re basically guaranteed to find something worthy of heavy rotation: the sparkling citrus of Disco; the luxe guava opening of R&B; the leathery red fruits of Techno; the boozy, smoky rush of Jazz. Queue it up.
FOR THE HEAD-TURNER
Confidence required: Alloy Studio makes a statement not only with its six scents but also its sumptuous visual universe and storytelling, brought to life by perfumer Bryson Ammons and creative director Eddie Hodges. Luster conjures a sweet-potato pie; Faux wraps you in a fabulous mink coat; and Idyllic instantly summons a pineapple cocktail spiced with ginger, spearmint, and star anise. Even if a sample doesn’t land with you, you’ll still be impressed by the big swing — and feel emboldened to take a bigger one yourself.
FOR THE NIGHT OWL
Of course a brand called Discothéque celebrates the rituals of going out — the bottles are designed to evoke disco balls, and each of the nine fragrances evokes a snapshot of club culture across time and space. The grassy sweetness of Heathens, Cowboys, and The Santa Ana Winds? Los Angeles, 1986, naturally. The powdery glam of Lola at Coat Check? New York, 1992, baby. And don’t worry if you’re actually an in-bed-by-10 kind of guy dreaming of adventure: The bright grapefruit of All Night Until First Light works just as well if you’re getting up at dawn, not coming home.
FOR THE SOPHISTICATE
Taste is the word with Serviette, founded in 2024 by former magazine editor Trey Taylor. Each discovery set comes with an embroidered handkerchief to spritz — a callback to a Victorian-era method of applying fragrance. Yet there’s nothing staid about what’s on offer: Sour Diesel dirties up tart rhubarb with a kush note, while Byronic Hero puts a twist on oud and rose with a strangely alluring hint of fuel exhaust you could get away with wearing to the office. (OK, if your employer is not that hip, the plum-forward Priscus or the icy and floral Frisson D’Hiver are more SFW.)
FOR THE HOST WITH THE MOST
If Troye Sivan’s Architectural Digest house tour from 2021 has a permanent spot on your mood board, let his lifestyle brand Tsu Lange Yor (a Yiddish toast to long and good years) bring the festivities to your doorstep. Its six eau de parfums lean a little green, a little spicy, refreshing, and rejuvenating — the profile of someone who probably throws really lively dinner parties. Pool, with notes of lychee, cucumber, tomato leaf, and chili pepper, might be the star of the bunch, the perfect afternoon pick-me-up when it’s time to log off and touch grass.
