Honestly, walking into a room wearing Eilish No. 2 is a bit like playing a character in a noir film where it’s always raining. It is moody. It is damp. It is decidedly "not for everyone," which is exactly why it’s become such a cult staple since Billie Eilish first dropped it back in late 2022.
If you’re coming from the original Eilish—the gold bottle that basically smells like a warm, sugary hug in a bakery—the second act is going to be a massive shock to your system. There is no vanilla cupcake here. Instead, you get hit with what Billie herself describes as a "darker, rainy, gray world."
The Scent Profile: What’s Actually Inside?
Most people expect a celebrity perfume to be safe and mass-appealing. Billie Eilish perfume 2.0 (officially known as Eilish No. 2) flips that script. It’s a woody floral musk, but that description feels too clinical for what this actually does on your skin.
The opening is sharp. Like, really sharp.
You get a zing of Italian bergamot and apple blossom, but it’s immediately clouded by a heavy dose of incense. It doesn't smell like "clean" laundry; it smells like a wet forest floor.
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- The Top: Bergamot, Apple Blossom, Incense.
- The Heart: Black Pepper, Papyrus, Wild Poppy.
- The Base: Palo Santo, Ebony, Skin Musk, a tiny hint of Vanilla.
That black pepper in the middle? It’s aggressive. It gives the fragrance a "bite" that makes it lean much more unisex—or even masculine—than the original.
Why Some People Say it Smells Like Pickles
We have to talk about the "dill pickle" elephant in the room. If you look at reviews on Fragrantica or TikTok, you'll see a vocal group of people swearing they smell vinegar or pickles.
This isn't actually because there's a pickle note. It’s the papyrus and palo santo. When those woody, slightly "green" notes interact with certain skin chemistries, they can turn acidic. It’s the same phenomenon that happens with Le Labo’s Santal 33. On one person, it’s a sophisticated, smoky sanctuary. On another? It’s a jar of Claussen’s.
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It’s a gamble. You've gotta test it on your skin, not just a paper strip.
The Bottle: A Darker Vision
The bottle remains one of the most striking designs in the beauty aisle. While the first was a bright, reflective gold, Eilish No. 2 comes in a deep, metallic charcoal-slate finish. It’s the same bust design—focusing on the neck, collarbone, and chest—which Billie chose because she finds those parts of the body the most "human" and beautiful.
It feels heavy. It feels expensive. It looks like a piece of brutalist art on your vanity.
Performance and Longevity
How long does it actually last?
On average, you’re looking at about 5 to 7 hours. It’s an Eau de Parfum, so it has a decent oil concentration, but the "rainy" and "airy" qualities of the top notes mean the initial blast settles down quite quickly.
The dry down is where the magic (or the misery, depending on your taste) happens. The palo santo and ebony wood stick around the longest. It becomes a "skin scent" after hour four—meaning someone has to be pretty close to you to catch a whiff.
How It Fits Into the 2026 Fragrance Landscape
As we move through 2026, the "celebrity scent" world has split into two camps: the ultra-sweet gourmands (think Sabrina Carpenter’s Sweet Tooth line) and the "mood" scents. Billie is firmly leading the mood camp.
With her newer releases like Your Turn II recently hitting the shelves, looking back at Eilish No. 2 shows where she started to take risks. She’s using upcycled ingredients and 69% renewable materials, which was a pretty big deal when she started.
Is It a Safe Blind Buy?
No. Absolutely not.
If you like Encre Noire by Lalique or Ebène Fumé by Tom Ford, you’ll probably love this. If you want to smell like a "forest nymph" or a "witch in a rainy wood," this is your signature. But if you’re looking for a sweet, floral, "pretty" perfume, you will probably hate it.
Actionable Tips for Wearing Eilish No. 2
If you’ve already bought it or are planning to, here is how to get the best out of it:
- Layer it with Vanilla: If the woodiness is too "cold" for you, spray a basic vanilla body mist underneath. It bridges the gap between No. 1 and No. 2 and softens the sharp pepper.
- Spray the Clothes: Since it can be finicky with skin chemistry (the pickle risk!), spray it on your sweater or coat. The scent will stay truer to the bottle and last significantly longer.
- Wait for the Rain: This perfume genuinely smells better in high humidity or on a cold, overcast day. The moisture in the air brings out the "wet poppy" accord that often gets lost in dry heat.
- Check the Batch: Since the 2022 launch, some users report slight variations in the "smokiness" of the incense. If yours feels too "peppery," give the bottle a few weeks to macerate after the first spray.
Check your local Ulta or Sephora for a tester before committing to the full 3.4 oz bottle. It’s a polarizing masterpiece that demands a trial run.