If you’ve ever been to a strip club – or so I’ve heard; I, of course, have never been to such an establishment – you’ve undoubtedly been confronted with a powerful wave of fragrance.
Variously described as “strawberry air freshener”, “bubble gum and sweat”, or “eau de baby oil”, the piquant perfume(s) that diffuse through the strip club air are a seminal (pun somewhat intended) part of the experience.
Whether it be sweet, gourmand, floral, or fruity, a stripper’s scent is a critical part of their routine. And, of course, it’s always got to be sexy.
But what perfumes do strippers wear? I’ve got nine perfumes here that might give you exactly what you’re looking for.
In general, strippers favor sweet, fruity, and crowd pleasing designer scents that will garner compliments and won’t turn up any noses. Victoria’s Secret body sprays are a huge favorite, as well as Pink Sugar by Aquolina and Lancome’s La Vie Est Belle.
Let’s get into the list.
9. Victoria’s Secret Body Sprays
One of the most popular options for strippers would have to be Victoria’s Secret massive collection of body sprays. They’re sweet, seductive, well known, mass appealing, and affordable to boot, so it hardly comes as a surprise that they’re a go-to.
Sweet, fruity, and vanilla-heavy (a common theme in this list) scents like Love Spell, Strawberries & Champagne, Amber Romance, Pure Seduction, Coconut Passion, and Vanilla Lace are perennial favorites.
You can get Victoria’s Secret Bombshell here (Amazon).
8. Aquolina Pink Sugar
Key notes: cotton candy, caramel, vanilla
A saccharine concoction if there ever was one, Aquolina’s Pink Sugar takes me right back to hot middle school classrooms. But Pink Sugar approaches the platonic idea of a gourmand fragrance: caramelized sugar, great vats of berries, creamy vanilla, licorice, and a bevy of musk. It also happens to be one of the most popular gourmand fragrances of all time, and is very widely available. So perhaps it’s not overly surprising that this fun, sweet, and fruity fragrance can be found in many strippers’ arsenal.
You can get Aquilina Pink Sugar here (Amazon).
7. Lancome La Vie Est Belle
Key notes: praline, vanilla, patchouli
Another incredibly popular women’s designer fragrance, this sweet, gourmand fruitchouli has been a staple since it was first released back in 2012. Though some decry it as the candyfloss Trojan Horse which set the female fragrance trend on the path of all things sweet and fruity, most agree that it is one of the most crowd-pleasing, compliment getting perfumes on the market today (just so long as you go easy on the trigger). Many strippers have been known to spritz a bit of LVEB before hitting the floor, and it’s easy to see why.
You can get Lancome La Vie Est Belle here (Amazon).
6. Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy
Key notes: caramel, praline, vanilla
Caramel, praline, vanilla, fruits, oh my! Another sweet confection of a fragrance! Surprised? This, along with Pink Sugar, was one of the mall fragrances back in my middle school and high school days. An unapologetic, in-your-face, devil-may-care kind of fragrance, Viva La Juicy is simultaneously sweet, fruity, gourmand, floral, and fresh. Playful, inviting, feminine, and seductive, it’s no wonder that this has been a staple for many strippers since it was first released back in 2008.
You can get your Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy perfume here (Amazon).
5. Thierry Mugler Angel Muse
Key notes: patchouli, hazelnut cocoa spread, grapefruit
The original Angel by French designer Thierry Mugler was an epic, titanesque kind of fragrance that made shockwaves back in the 90s as one of the first mainstream gourmand perfumes. Angel Muse, the inheritor of Angel’s sweet, patchouli-laden legacy, released in 2016, certainly lives up to expectations. The characteristic Mugler patchouli DNA is augmented with a dollop of rich Nutella, juicy grapefruit, pink pepper, and vetiver, resulting in a decidedly sweet (but not too sweet), sexy, fun, and evocative blend that is highly favored by some strippers. It’s unisex, too – I wear it myself.
You can get your Thierry Mugler Angel Muse perfume here (Amazon).
4. Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium
Key notes: vanilla, coffee, pear
The party perfume of the 2010s, Black Opium is a sweet, fun, and fruity fragrance with a dash of added mystery from coffee and white florals. It’s also an incredibly popular perfume, amassing an army of flankers to its ranks like Black Opium Extreme, Black Opium Neon, and Black Opium Nuit Blanche. The massive popularity, edible nature, and compliment factor of Black Opium make it a staple for some performers.
You can get your Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium perfume here (Amazon).
3. Viktor&Rolf Bonbon
Key notes: caramel, peach, amber
A sweet and sassy gourmand treat, Viktor&Rolf’s Bonbon has been a club favorite since it hit the scene back in 2006. A decidedly orange inflected mix of peach, amber, white florals, and woods, Bonbon is a warm, sensual, but playful fragrance that will have them wanting to take a bite out of you.
You can get your Viktor&Rolf Bonbon perfume here (Amazon).
2. Britney Spears Fantasy
Key notes: white chocolate, cupcake, kiwi
I would be remiss if I did not mention any Britney Spears fragrances, and especially not Fantasy, a gourmand classic of a sort released in 2005 to much fanfare. Housed in a kitschy rhinestone-studded pink bottle, Fantasy combines notes of white chocolate, cupcake, kiwi, quince, lichi, and jasmine to create a sumptuous (and scrumptious) gourmand perfume that smells downright drinkable. Fantasy is probably the most popular celebrity perfume of all time, and for good reason. It’s fun, feminine, and fruity, but also manages to be alluring as well.
You can get your Britney Spears Fantasy perfume here (Amazon).
1. Carolina Herrera Good Girl
Key notes: tonka beans, cacao, tuberose
Clean jasmine and tuberose, chewy tonka beans and cacao, and a hefty dose of praline, vanilla, and coffee combine in Carolina Herrera’s Good Girl to create a classy, sexy, and totally seductive take on the sweet white floral genre. A perfect perfume for a night out or a close encounter, it’s no small wonder that strippers have taken a liking to this perfume. Best of all? That chic-but-kitsch stiletto heel bottle.
You can get your Carolina Herrera Good Girl perfume here (Amazon).
The Final Word
I should say, finally, that strippers come from all sorts of walks of life and backgrounds. They are as diverse as anyone, and to recommend a scent that strippers love is like recommending a scent that teachers or actors love. This list is a generalized collection of recommendations that by no means attempts to reduce or stereotype the vibrant and unique human beings that work in the industry.
However, it has generally been observed that a large number of strippers (heck, a large number of people overall) tend to wear mass appealing, compliment getting fragrances.
Many strippers favor sweet, fruity, and edible fragrances that have a sensual edge. Perfumes like Yves Saint Laurent’s Black Opium, Carolina Herrera’s Good Girl, and Juicy Couture’s Viva La Juicy are some favorites, as well as Victoria’s Secret’s line of body sprays.
