This Is What Dua Lipa Smells Like

Few celebrities embody the modern It girl quite like Dua Lipa. When she’s not releasing hit songs for blockbuster films, performing in sold-out stadiums across the globe or fronting campaigns for major fashion houses, the British-Albanian pop star is almost impossible to pin down. And that air of mystery is exactly what makes her so compelling.

One of the internet’s favourite running jokes is that Dua Lipa is perpetually on vacation—a meme she’s fully embraced with endless Instagram travel dumps and captions like, “My suitcase stays packed.”  But behind the humour is something more telling about her appeal. Her free-spirited, always-in-motion lifestyle—elusive, unbothered and entirely on her own terms—is exactly what keeps us hooked. In an age obsessed with constant visibility, there’s something intoxicating about a star who always seems just out of reach.

It’s also what makes Lipa’s partnership with Yves Saint Laurent’s Libre perfume line a match made in fragrance heaven.

Originally launched in 2019 as “the scent of freedom,” Libre was formulated for women who live boldly, move instinctively and refuse to be tied down—values Lipa has embodied ever since we met her over a decade ago. Since fronting the fragrance’s several iterations, the “Don’t Start Now” singer has become synonymous with the line, lending her signature confidence and ease to each new release. Now, she returns as the face of its latest chapter: Libre Berry Crush, a vibrant take on the original that bottles that same spirit of sweet freedom.

When we caught up with the singer, she was excited to share how the latest launch seamlessly fits into her fragrance wardrobe, a selection that, unsurprisingly, mirrors her ever-shifting, on-the-go itinerary.

“The YSL master perfumers are always coming up with the most beautiful combinations, so it’s so great how many options I have to choose from,” she says.

Her latest fixation, the Libre Berry Crush, is a bright, addictive eau de parfum layered with juicy raspberry, creamy coconut accord, French lavender and Moroccan orange blossom. “It’s great for a few cocktails with the girls,” she adds, before running through the rest of her lineup, “Libre L’Eau Nue just gives me that fresh summer vibe. If I’m wanting something bold and sensual, I’ll go for the Libre Intense. And you can never go wrong with the classic Libre Eau De Parfum. It’s perfect for any day, any time.”

Despite her expansive scent rotation, the YSL Beauty global makeup ambassador insists she’s not one for complicated rituals—consider her a staunch monogamist when it comes to fragrance. “I like to wear one perfume for both day and nighttime, so there’s no magic formula with layering needed. The fragrances do all the work for you.”

And when it comes to application, Lipa keeps things just as effortless. “It’s usually two spritzes and a third on the wrist,” she explains. “You don’t want to overdo it.” Sometimes, she’ll dab a little from her wrist onto the tip of her nose, a subtle trick that allows her to enjoy the scent wherever she goes throughout her day.

As for her most memorable moment from the recent Berry Crush campaign shoot in Chile, it’s less about a single scene and more about the experience as a whole. “Chile, the people and the country itself, is just so beautiful. After shooting the campaign, I left there really looking forward to coming back to my show in Santiago, which was really such an incredible experience,” she says. “I love any chance I get to shoot with my YSL family. I always know I’m in for something fun with them.”

Safe to say, when Lipa and YSL link up, we all get to come along for the ride.

YSL Beauty Libre Berry Crush