"I Like to Douse It": Coco Gauff on Her Perfect Going-Out Scent and Her Funniest Night in Paris

Welcome to Beauty's Night Out, a series dedicated to the need-to-know beauty conversations dominating the nightlife scene. Expect a first look at the latest trends, behind-the-scenes tutorials, and loads of going-out inspiration as you get all dolled up—all you need is your favorite playlist.

When Frank Ocean comes on, nothing can stop Coco Gauff from having a great time—not even dehydration and over 2 million prying eyes on Instagram Live. I can hear the smile in the tennis star's voice as she details winning the 2025 French Open this past June, which culminated in a few celebratory toasts and, it turns out, her first brush with Paris nightlife. "I didn't really hydrate after the match. It was almost a three-hour match, and obviously when you win, everybody's trying to hand you champagne… and I didn't say no!" she trails off with a laugh. And who could blame her? Victory champagne, after all, has to taste a bit sweeter.

"My friends were there—the ones that were in Paris—and my team was with me, and I just had a great time," she continues. "I remember they played Frank Ocean [at the bar], and I love Frank Ocean. He was my number two most-listened-to artist this year. I went Live when that came on—everybody was scared that I was on Live. I was like, 'Bro, I just want to vibe out to Frank Ocean and share it with the people.' … I sounded terrible, but it's okay." You don't really need to hit perfect high notes when you're delivering brilliant overhead smashes and serve speeds up to 128 miles per hour.

Clinching the French Open was certainly a special feat, accompanied by an equally special outing that, Gauff admits, isn't exactly the archetype of her post-match celebrations. "Tennis players, we don't get to go out often," she notes. On a normal night—well, as "normal" as you can be as the world No. 2 champion—she'll typically treat herself to her favorite TV show (Stranger Things, I later find out; "I'm almost done with season 4, so I'll be caught up soon," she tells me) and room service to her hotel room if she's playing late at night. "If I play early in the day, I'll try to make sure I go to dinner with my parents. Something pretty chill, because [when you're] still in the tournament, you're kind of just focused on the end," she adds.

When she does hit the town, however, she is nothing if not prepared. "When I go out, I feel like I need everything, not necessarily for myself but for other people," she shares. Gauff is for the girls—the reliable friend who always has a phone charger, tampon, piece of gum, or sanitizing wipe ("Because, you know, sometimes the tables are a little gross, and you've got to wipe it down") at the ready. I can picture her handing these goodies out to the group with a warm, Mary Poppins–esque efficiency—just swap the bottomless carpet bag for Miu Miu's Wander Matelassé. "It's the perfect size for going out," Gauff says of the luxurious nappa leather best-seller. "I'm not a big purse person, but you also need enough room to put all your little things."

In addition to the practical, communal props, those "little things" do include some beauty staples of her own. Below, discover the hair, makeup, and fragrance picks Gauff swears by for a night out worthy of documenting Live.

You'll always find a travel-size fragrance tucked in Gauff's shoulder bag, specifically (and very apropos) Miu Miu's Miutine—for which Gauff is a U.S. ambassador, joining the likes of Paloma Elsesser and Chloë Sevigny. "Some people will spritz areas that you're 'supposed to.' I like to douse it," she shares. And there's no such thing as overapplication: "When I stop smelling it, that means it's time to reapply," she adds.

A visual person, Gauff doesn't categorize certain perfumes as "day" or "night" elixirs but rather matches them to specific outfits (imagine a spicy floral with wide-leg trousers, for example, or a mouthwatering gourmand with a sumptuous velvet coat). "If I'm wearing the same outfit all day, my fragrance will stay the same, but if I'm changing outfits, it can change," she explains. "Or if both outfits that I wear—one [during the] day and one at night—give the same vibe, I'll wear the same fragrance." Miutine, she says, suits both casual fits and going-out looks—though she'll always pair it with a skirt. "I feel like skirts are so Miu Miu," she notes. "Whenever I'm wearing a skirt of any sort, I have to reach for Miutine. Or whenever I'm wearing little kitten heels... I just feel like it gives that vibe."

When it comes to makeup, Gauff's on-the-go heroes ensure she has just the right amount of shine—that is, velvety, cloud-like skin and impossibly juicy lips. "I'm not really a matte lipstick girly, so I always have lip gloss. I hate the feeling of dry lips," she shares, praising Fenty Beauty's Gloss Bomb as her latest purse pick. "And then I'm also an oily skin girl, so I'll usually have some type of blotting powder or paper—anything that can get me matte." Fenty Beauty comes in clutch once again, namely the brand's Invisimatte Blotting Powder, which Rihanna herself famously used to touch up her T-zone midway through the 2023 Super Bowl Half-Time Show.

From there, she tosses in some last-minute staples, like a hair tie ("I get hot pretty easily," she quips) and the aforementioned sanitizing wipes. She's not so much of a brand loyalist in these areas; a hair tie is a hair tie—and who doesn't lose track of their elastics after a night out?—and she oscillates between gentle baby wipes and more intense Lysol packs. "It depends on where I'm going, but I like to keep some sort of wipe with me," she adds.

Gauff, it seems, is not the type to carry multiple lip combos or touch up her brows in the middle of a crowded bar. Still, whether she's out late or having a quiet, post-match fête all to herself, she relies on her nighttime beauty routine to help her feel centered—and, in a way, celebrated. "In tournaments, I'm actually better at doing [my skincare routine] than when I'm at home. I just feel like it's a way for me to unwind and reflect. Maybe put some music on in the background…" She also never ends a night without a final spritz of perfume, a ritual that practically whispers cozy elegance. "I'm one of those people that puts on fragrance before I go to [bed]," she says. "Usually, it drifts me to sleep." I have to imagine the bedtime scent she pairs with her pajamas (Miu Miu's striped poplin set, maybe?) is just as chic.

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