I Want to Smell Like a Glittery '70s Discotheque—13 "Glitzy" Fragrances That Give Serious Cher Energy
From Sol de Janeiro to Valentino, these perfumes smell like sequins, synth, and Studio 54.
Sequin-stacked ensembles and bodies swirling furiously on the dance floor; thrumming beats and electric synth flowing as freely as champagne. Few eras possess as much poetic nostalgia as the '70s, which is why the style set still tries to resurrect its glittering aura more than 50 years later. While you can slip into your bell-bottoms and feather your hair into voluminous '70s 'dos to no end, there’s nothing that infects you with disco fever quite like a "glitzy" perfume.
While the effervescent aromas of trending champagne fragrances and party perfumes certainly fall into this category, the scent that sent me searching for the rush of retro melodies and mirror balls was unlike its showy sisters. I first met Krigler’s Velvet Night 76 Eau de Parfum—an intense, ambery floral designed by the legendary German-French perfume house—in a sun-soaked suite at New York City’s Plaza Hotel, but one whiff whisked me off to the rich, velvety, and uninhibited Parisian nightlife scene at the height of disco mania.
Key notes: Bergamot, orange blossom, tuberose, jasmine, vanilla, cedarwood, musk
This scent is a bouquet of florals and citrus from the moment it hits your skin, with an electric, inviting projection that attracts late-night dance partners and a sillage as addictive as your favorite song. As lovers and friends get closer, they can detect the sweet, musky undertones that balance out this bright fragrance—a sensorial love letter to the duality of women. Down to its base notes, this fragrance is designed to dance.
Perfumer Liliane Krigler developed this scent 50 years ago to mark the French women’s liberation movement of the 1970s—the culmination of overdue equality and jubilant celebration. “The year 1976 was when women went from formal freedom to real freedom,” Krigler stated in a press release. Once only available to Krigler’s esteemed clientele (a cohort of royals, first ladies, and celebrities, from Grace Kelly to Jackie Kennedy Onassis), the perfume, described by Krigler herself as “a wild dancing act,” is officially yours to own.
Though the bottled essence of '70s celebration costs a pretty $595, a luxe sample size of the scent is a mere $45—a worthy price for a scent that needs but one spritz to shower your skin in long-lasting French joie de vivre.
But if you’d like a few more options that smell like dancing till dawn and the celebratory croons of Cher tunes, I have a trove of options for you. Ahead, the best disco perfumes for dancing machines.
12 More Disco Perfumes
Key notes: Galbanum, lavender, tobacco leaf, suede
If you ask Who What Wear editors, the perfume equivalent of a sultry discotheque in 1970s Los Angeles is this suave bottle from Perfumehead. "I immediately thought of Cosmic Cowboy, especially cause the brand describes it as 'vivid and velvety,'" says WWW beauty editor Kaitlyn McLintock. Inspired by the Sunset Strip, this fragrance is a seductive wash of whiskey, cinnamon, and suede—designed to smell like cigar bars and neon signs.
Key notes: Pistachio, jasmine, salted caramel, sandalwood
Has a perfume ever screamed "disco" at you the way this Sol de Janeiro vial does? Outfitted in gold and manufactured for intense payoff, this deep version of the brand's most famous scent (you know it from the Bum Bum Cream) has lengthy staying power and a seductive, sweet gourmand sillage. WWW Beauty Director Erin Jahns recommends this one for its alluring scent and gorgeous bottle.
Key notes: Violet, ylang-ylang, yuzu, musk
If Amanda Seyfried and Meryl Streep's Mamma Mia had a trademarked perfume, it would be this blooming scent from Discothèque. The on-theme bottle, topped with a mirror-ball cap, is enough to make you want to burst into an ABBA song, and its distinctly sweet and floral scent is the kind of head rush that comes from twirling partner dances and pheromones. The sweet, citrusy fragrance is vying for a spot as my 2026 summer scent, but it's already become my go-to for dancing.
Key notes: Orris, cocoa shell, tonka bean, vanilla
As if possessed by the spirits of Diana Ross, Freddie Mercury, and David Bowie all at once, St. Rose’s Out of the Blue bottles the addictive intensity of the '70s disco scene. The description explains that the scent profile was “inspired by 1970s music icons,” which is evident in its timeless makeup with an unexpected twist. An alluring gourmand base is splashed with an unexpected dash of orris—a statement note that symbolizes this era’s age, legend, and unconventional creativity.
Key notes: Violet, vetiver, mineral salt, ginger
One spritz of this darkly intoxicating scent whisks you back to the heyday of NYC's Studio 54. Its sparkling array of violet and vetiver is eclipsed by sharp ginger, crescendoing into a romantic, drenchable unisex scent that can be layered or worn alone. A sprinkle of mineral salt evokes the earthy musk of slick skin, worked up from a rousing night of dancing. It's fearless, effortlessly cool, and undeniably sexy.
Key notes: Ambrette, citrus, sandalwood, lavender milk
If you want a scent that smells like the pop of a champagne cork, confetti on the dance floor, and adrenaline, look no further than this pale pink bottle from Phlur. Afterglow, as described by the brand, "evokes the thrill of a first connection." Inspired by the sparks of new love, this scent explodes in a cloud of citrus before mellowing into softer notes of coconut and lavender milk. It rounds out with a lush combination of sandalwood and cashmere woods, like the sweet, musky scent of your lover's skin.
Key notes: Lemon, violet, suede, amber
Jahns calls out this sleek Byredo scent for its sexy, androgynous profile. This scent first shrouds the wearer in a cloud of fresh lemon and violet before revealing a musky, "animalistic" base of suede, amber, and tobacco leaf. "Animalique is like if Byredo and D.S. & Durga had a baby," writes one shopper in a review. "It’s got that leathery gasoline vibe mixed with a refined violet note that settles and changes throughout the day."
Key notes: Vanilla, cocoa, rum, tonka bean
This scent is one of the newest on the fragrance scene, but it quickly earned a place among my top dance-party scents. The warm gourmand scent—a confection of sugar, cocoa, and vanilla—is cut with tonka bean and rum for a splash of spice. It smells like endless summer, low-rise skirts, teeny bikinis, and Zara Larsson's Midnight Sun (IYKYK).
Key notes: Violet leaf, orris, cashmere, sandalwood
Perhaps the most "everyday" perfume of the above, this musky floral can stand on its own as a chic signature scent—but there's no denying the electric undercurrent of this sexy elixir. Inspired by Paris in 1979, this powdery scent meshes violet leaf and jasmine with cashmere and sandalwood, but the shimmering zing of cassis makes this a full-blown party perfume. Baise Moi on the Dancefloor shapeshifts between daytime chic and after-dark vixen depending on her environment, making it a year-round staple.
Key notes: Peach blossom, saffron, ambrox, blackcurrant
5 Sens's fruity floral bouquet proves that perfumes don't need to be three figures to make an impact. Although this fragrance retails for just $65 (the least expensive on our list), the payoff of this aura-enhancing scent mimics the results of its pricier counterparts. Its makeup—a mixture of saffron, jasmine, blackcurrant, and peach blossom—is bright and attention-grabbing, while ambrox adds a mysterious depth that has dance partners leaning in for more.
Key notes: Black coffee, white flowers, vanilla
Maybe it's the glittery black bottle or the fact that it's a celebrity favorite, but YSL Beauty's Black Opium is an undeniable disco perfume. Its vanilla base is splashed with black coffee and delicate white florals for an energetic thrill—think of it as your after-dinner cup of espresso before a night of dancing as the floral aroma of gin martinis hits your nose. Sweet, but not overly, and as exuberant as a mirror ball.
Key notes: Mandarin, jasmine blossom, pink pepper, coconut milk
Phlur's Golden Rule is the epitome of main character energy. Sharp, fresh, and gorgeously solar, this scent finds harmony between the warmth of creamy, coconutty vanilla, and bright mandarin. Pink pepper elevates this youthful scent and brings the wearer down from Icarus heights, and it's also extremely layerable. In short, this fragrance is ripe for daytime discos and twirling in the sand but still wears gorgeously when the sun goes down.
