I Want to Smell Like a New Year's Eve Angel—14 On-Sale Sephora Fragrances I'm Shopping
Cue the champagne and confetti.
New Year's Eve has always held a prominent place in my imagination. Blame it on books and movies, but it's hard not to romanticize it. I love how it's one night wrapped up in gratitude, reflection, and celebration. I love how it feels like a catalyst for change. It's kind of magical.
Since I'm a beauty editor, I like to observe New Year's Eve in the best way I know how—by styling my hair with a chic accessory (a black, velvet bow has been my go-to in years past), scheduling a salon appointment for a festive manicure, and wearing my most angelic perfume. As for the latter, there's no better time to break out a fresh, new fragrance than on NYE. It's an underrated way to ensure the most memorable night.
Luckily, Sephora is having a sneaky fragrance sale right now. Through December 24, take 20% off full-size fragrances and hair and body mists as a Beauty Insider when you use the code SAVESCENTS at checkout. I'm using the sale to scope out 15 luxe, classy, and compliment-winning scents ahead of my NYE.
Fragrance notes: Wild strawberry, gardenia, brown sugar, vanilla accord
Not only is Miu Miu's new perfume supremely chic (it features matelassé glass inspired by the house’s iconic leather handbags), but the scent is stunning. It features notes of wild strawberry, brown sugar, and vanilla, making it warm and sophisticated with a twist. It's retro! It's sweet! It's mischievous! It's made for New Year's Eve.
Fragrance notes: Creamy vanilla, brown sugar, warm hinoki wood
If you want to give "indulgence" on New Year's Eve, then this scent is for you. Notes of creamy vanilla, brown sugar, and warm hinoki wood will swirl around you, creating a warm, sweet, and downright irresistible aura. It's inspired by "good times" and "the sweeter things in life," making it perfect for NYE.
Fragrance notes: Mandarin, ylang-ylang, vanilla
If you want to radiate a sensual, traditionally feminine scent on NYE, I strongly recommend spritzing this perfume on your pulse points before you head out for the night. Inspired by powder blush, this perfume combines two different vanilla extracts with sweet ylang-ylang and a light-hearted peony heart note. It's warm, floral, and incredibly sophisticated.
Fragrance notes: White chocolate truffle, champagne accord, dark cacao
This new-to-me perfume is rich, decadent, and one of my top picks for a NYE-worthy scent. I mean, just look at the notes—white chocolate truffle, champagne accord, and dark cacao. It reads like a luxe, NYE grocery list. It's not heavy or cloying, though. A juicy burst of plum adds brightness, while vanilla and sandalwood create an alluring, lean-closer vibe. It's a scent that draws people close and earns countless compliments.
Fragrance notes: Spun sugar, sweet vanilla, amber mist
If the majority of your favorite fragrances belong to the warm, gourmand category, you'll love Emi Jay's Aura Hair & Body Fragrance Mist in Toasted Sugar. It's a warm, sophisticated scent that lingers "like a warm hug." The toasted sugar, sweet vanilla, and amber notes receive top billing, but a subtle hint of tonka bean, bergamot, and jasmine lies underneath. It's warm, sophisticated, and sugar-spun.
Fragrance notes: Vanilla infusion, vanilla caviar, vanilla absolute
This is the ultimate NYE perfume for vanilla lovers because it's based on a trio of vanilla notes—vanilla infusion, vanilla caviar, and vanilla absolute. So, it's as rich, warm, and alluring as you'd expect. Meanwhile, a subtle note of lavender adds a breezy levity. I think it's one of the best designer fragrances ever made if we're talking about pure luxury and sophistication.
Fragrance notes: vanilla tincture, vanilla absolute, sandalwood
Speaking of classic vanilla perfumes, I also can't recommend Tom Ford's Vanilla Sex Eau de Parfum enough. It contains two creamy, warm vanilla notes, plus soft sandalwood and milky tonka bean. I've never met a single person who doesn't like this scent, and whenever I wear it, I get compliments. I highly recommend it if your NYE vibe is warm, cozy, and intimate, rather than stay-out-all-night party animal.
Fragrance notes: Chantilly vanilla, tonka bean, cocoa shell
Okay, I'll admit that "Dave" isn't the sexiest name for a NYE perfume. However, this is a sexy scent—one of the sexiest scents I own, in fact. With notes of chantilly vanilla, tonka bean, and cocoa shell, it's intimate, alluring, and comforting, wrapping the skin in a subtle sweetness. I wear it constantly, and it never fails to earn me compliments. I recommend it all the time, NYE included.
Fragrance notes: strawberry, pink marshmallow, whipped vanilla
A true gourmand scent, this perfume features fruity notes of strawberry and coconut, sugary notes of pink marshmallow and whipped vanilla, and a floral note of freesia. Described as bougie, it's a sweet, expensive-smelling scent that reminds me of dropping a juicy strawberry into a bubbling champagne flute.
Fragrance notes: black cherry, tonka bean, almond
Tom Ford's Lost Cherry Eau de Parfum isn't any old fruit-forward scent. There's a candy-like element from the black cherry, a rich element from liqueur, and a floral element thanks to Turkish rose and jasmine sambac. The brand says it "attains fantasy-like levels of insatiability," and I just love that, especially when it comes to having a fantasy-like NYE.
Fragrance notes: black coffee, white flowers, vanilla
YSL's Black Opium Eau de Parfum is one of the most seductive and sophisticated scents at Sephora. A deep, dark, rich note of black coffee is the star. Soft white flowers and creamy vanilla act as the supporting notes. The effect is chic and tantalizing, perfect for catching stolen glances across a velvet-seated bar.
Fragrance notes: datura flower, patchouli, red berries
Romanticizing NYE is easy if you're wearing YSL's Mon Paris Eau de Parfum. It's soft, floral, and slightly fruity, evoking the City of Lights at the stroke of midnight. I can almost see the Eiffel Tower sparkling off in the distance.
Fragrance notes: black currant, jasmine grandiflorum, bourbon vanilla
If the previous perfume gives Parisian vibes, then this one gives Roman ones. With notes of black currant, jasmine grandiflorum, and bourbon vanilla, it's classic, warm, and sophisticated—as timeless as the Eternal City it's inspired by.
Fragrance notes: orange blossom, vanilla absolute, luscious marshmallow
Rihanna once confirmed in an Instagram post that she wears this editor-favorite Kilian perfume. (If a fragrance can give me Rihanna energy on NYE, I'll gladly wear it.) Notes of orange blossom, vanilla absolute, and marshmallow are divine, delectable, and worthy of wearing year-round, but especially on December 31.

Kaitlyn McLintock is a Beauty Editor at Who What Wear. She has 10 years of experience in the editorial industry, having previously written for other industry-leading publications, like Byrdie, InStyle, The Zoe Report, Bustle, and others. She covers all things beauty and wellness-related, but she has a special passion for creating skincare content (whether that's writing about an innovative in-office treatment, researching the benefits of a certain ingredient, or testing the latest and greatest at-home skin device). Having lived in Los Angeles, California, and Austin, Texas, she has since relocated back to her home state, Michigan. When she's not writing, researching, or testing beauty products, she's working through an ever-growing book collection or swimming in the Great Lakes.