se*y perfumes have similar talking points: animalic notes to mimic humid skin and gourmand notes like vanilla to make you smell good enough to eat. Eilish No. 3, the third fragrance instalment from singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, skips all of these predictable smells in favour of spice, wood and heat – and oof it’s good.

“Our inspiration [Billie and Linda’s] for Eilish No. 3 was all about creating a state of mind,” says Linda Chinery, senior perfumer at Takasago International, who fine tuned the limited edition fragrance, which launches today exclusively at Superdrug. “As the bottle shows, this one is red and se*y! The mood was flirtatious and sensuous and red in feeling.”

Interestingly, the colour red is integral to Eilish No. 3 as well as being the shade of its bust-like bottle. Billie has frequently spoken about having synesthesia, a condition that allows her to visualise smell. So we can only imagine that for her, se*y smells crimson – but in a cool, rather than cartoonish love hearts way.

When I read the press release, my interest was immediately piqued by the idea that Eilish No. 3 disrupts the usual perfume ‘pyramid’ reveal of fresh top, floral middle and deep base notes. Yes, the typical top notes of zippy grapefruit and pink peppercorn still exist. But they’re joined by only a brief flash of jasmine, allowing creamy woods, entwined with spicy saffron and warm, velvety amber, to take centre stage.

“In a traditional fragrance structure, the woods would be part of the dry down,” Linda notes. “The decision to disrupt the traditional fragrance pyramid was a deliberate and thoughtful choice aimed at capturing the essence of Billie’s unconventional and boundary-pushing style. I wanted the fragrance to tell that story as well.”

Admittedly, when I first sprayed Eilish No. 3 I had to sit with it for a while. It’s unusual for a floral note to evaporate so quickly and for woods and spices to suddenly hit you square in the nose. In that way, Eilish No. 3 echoes the tenacity of ‘80s perfumes like Christian Dior’s Poison.

I didn’t exactly drive dogs wild whenever I wore Eilish No. 3, but I did get a constant stream of compliments.

I normally wear soapy skin scents so Eilish No. 3 was a big departure genre-wise. Its first outing was at a birthday party. Both my male and female friends couldn’t resist going in for a second sniff every time we ordered another round of drinks. The taxi driver on the way home wanted to know its name so he could buy it for his wife. And when I wore it to work, a stranger asked me what perfume I was wearing in the lift – then purred that it smelt really good.

I didn’t exactly drive dogs wild whenever I wore Eilish No. 3 but I did get a constant stream of compliments. Without knowing it, I also chose heels over trainers on the mornings that I spritzed it on, so I was definitely channeling a different hot girl/boss woman energy.

The final verdict

Like all the Eilish iterations, No. 3 is unisex, vegan and certified as cruelty-free. It has also been created with Gen Z in mind as it resonates with the desire for self-expression and breaking away from the norm, Linda notes.

If I had to pinpoint exactly why it’s so alluring, I’d have to say its ability to make you stand out from the typical citrus or floral crowd. Eilish No. 3 is so unusual, it’s hard to put your finger on what you’re actually smelling. It’s not soft and pretty; it’s also less saccharine and romantic than Eilish and Eilish No. 2, so there’s no ‘come hither’ sexiness about it.

Put simply, Eilish No. 3 has lustiness written all over it, making it the perfume equivalent of wearing a sheer dress while draped across a red velvet chaise longue in a smoky French jazz bar.

Will it go viral in the same way as the vanilla and gourmand-based Eilish? Perhaps. But what I can say with conviction is that if you’re looking for a fragrance that genuinely surprises, or you don’t want to be peddling traditional perfume tropes for Valentine’s Day, then Eilish No. 3 could be just the ticket.

The limited edition Eilish No. 3 will be available exclusively at Superdrug from 31st January 2024 for a limited time, while stocks last.

For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR’s Acting Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.