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These days, everything has a name—especially when it comes to fashion and beauty trends. If someone’s rocking a milkmaid dress, they’re channeling the cottagecore aesthetic. If you pull your tresses up into a claw clip, it’s called “commuter-girl hair.” And don’t get me started on the “clean girl” craze. The nonstop churning out of monikers and labels can be a bit confusing—especially when half of these ideas have long been a thing. If you can’t tell, I’m pretty against the constant classification … that is, until I learned about “beast mode” perfumes.
Like with most things, the phrase “beast mode” didn’t originate in the perfume space. It first popped up in the video game world in the 1980s, describing an action where players could transform their characters into beasts. A decade or two later, it was given new life in professional sports—thanks to former NFL player Marshawn Lynch, who used it to describe his on-field performance. Then, in the early 2020s, it made its way into the fragrance community as a way to describe scents that are strong, bold, and long-lasting.
What are beast mode fragrances?
Octavia Morgan, fragrance expert and founder of Octavia Morgan Los Angeles, tells StyleCaster a beast mode scent “stays on your skin all day, sometimes even into the next—leaving a powerful scent trail wherever you go.” Isaac Lekach, co-founder and CEO of Flower Shop Perfumes Co., echoed similar sentiments, adding that beast mode fragrances are “intentionally designed to be bold and deliberately composed to make a strong impression from the first spray.”
But what makes a fragrance project so strongly, you ask? It’s all about the concentration, ingredients, and composition. “Higher concentrations of fragrance oils—like in extrait de parfum or intense eau de parfum—typically lead to strong projection and longer wear time,” Morgan explains. And yes, some ingredients naturally carry more weight. Think oud, patchouli, amber, musk, and woods. Those notes are going to be more forceful than something light and fleeting like citrus. “It’s also about how the fragrance is built,” Morgan says. “A well-structured fragrance with a strong heart and base will often have greater longevity and presence.”
Speaking of base notes, think of those as the foundation of a fragrance. They’re usually heavier and linger long after heart notes fade away. “Base notes also help determine the sillage—the scent trail a fragrance leaves behind. They are the powerhouse,” Morgan shares. Lekach agrees: “Base notes are the slowest to evaporate.”
While woods and musks make sense as beast mode bases, florals can be powerful too. According to Morgan, it all comes down to concentration. If a clean floral scent blends “airy florals” or citrus notes with bases of musks, woods, or resins, that scent can absolutely qualify as beast mode. Another way to make a traditionally lighter scent more powerful? Increase the fragrance oil concentration. “Creating an extrait de parfum boosts both the staying power and sillage,” Morgan says, adding that her brand’s Summer Fleur is a great example—it features top notes of grapefruit and white lily, heart notes of jasmine, and base notes of sandalwood and vanilla.
Can you layer beast mode fragrances?
With fragrance layering becoming increasingly popular, Lekach advises against layering beast mode scents. Morgan, however, thinks it can work—if done right.
“Layering beast mode scents is all about enhancing depth without overwhelming the senses,” she says. “These fragrances are already intense, so layering requires a bit of balance and intention.” She suggests starting with an unscented or lightly scented moisturizer, then using a softer scent—maybe a citrus, floral, or musky clean scent—as the base layer. From there, apply your beast mode fragrance strategically. “Spray it on pulse points only—like the wrists, neck, and behind the ears—because a little goes a long way.”
The key? Don’t overdo it. And focus on complementary notes. Oud and warm vanilla make a great pair. Bold amber can be brightened by clean citrus or neroli. And musk can be grounded with powdery florals.
Keep scrolling for some beast mode fragrances, including picks from Morgan and Lekach:
Octavia Morgan Los Angeles Dark Rose
“A rich, velvety floral grounded by warm woods and subtle spice. It’s unapologetically bold yet clean, with a sillage that turns heads and a dry down that lingers well past sunset,” Morgan tells StyleCaster.
Zara #Tobacco Collection Rich Warm Addictive EDT 100 ML
Zara describes this as a “warm, intense, and luminous” fragrance that includes notes of rum, white peony, and bourbon vanilla.
Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau de Parfum Intense
For those who like delicate scents, this YSL fragrance is a warm floral, featuring key notes of lavender essence, orange blossom, and warm vanilla.
Whenever I wear this, I receive an overwhelming amount of compliments. I honestly didn’t even know this was a beast mode fragrance until writing this piece, and now I understand why. The staying power is insane. I mean, I still smell it on one of my winter coats to this day. Notes include black orchid, black truffle, and patchouli.
This scent is woody and fruity, with a top note of cinnamon, middle of tobacco leaf, and base notes of vanilla, musk, and woody accord.
Carolina Herrera Good Girl
If this bottle isn’t enough to click “add to cart,” this beast mode fragrance features notes of tuberose, jasmine, and tonka bean. It’s for the good and bad girls.
Ellis Brooklyn Super Amber
Morgan says this scent is “minimalist but mighty,” adding that it’s an “ambery musk scent that builds on the skin beautifully and lasts all day.” She also raves that’s its great for “layering” or “standing alone.”
“While it starts off soft and intimate, this scent blooms with warmth and musk the longer it’s worn. It’s a “quiet beast”—deceptively powerful and emotionally resonant,” Morgan says.
Henry Rose Queens + Monsters
Morgan calls this scent a “sophisticated blend of vanilla, sandalwood, and violet leaf.” She adds, “It’s clean, skin-safe, and surprisingly powerful. The creamy base gives it incredible staying power while still feeling refined.”
Cirque du Soleil L’eau de Parfum
“I tend to gravitate toward fragrances with more subtlety and nuance like L’eau de Parfum by Cirque du Soleil that performs a show of its own on the skin revealing different notes as time passes,” Lekach says.
