Confirmed: Alisha Boe Is a Blast at Parties

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love. Promise.Courtesy of YSL Beauty“Gen Z doesn’t know how to party.” I’ve heard it from friends, seen it online, and probably said it myself a few times when I’m smashed between a hundred bodies, all on their phones in the middle of a dance floor. But 29-year-old Alisha Boe, star of Apple TV’s The Buccaneers, absolutely knows how to party.I caught up with the actress in London last week, just before attending YSL Beauty’s London Block Party to celebrate the brand’s new fragrance, Black Opium Pink Glaze Eau de Parfum. It’s an irresistibly sweet perfume with strawberry, coffee, vanilla, and jasmine—and it’s just begging to be worn on a night out. In fact, Black Opium’s entire line has always been about this. It’s a dark and sultry gourmand, often photographed with leather jackets and glossy lips. It all made sense that the brand would kick off a new scent by, well, throwing its own party.“I like a good party,” Alisha tells me. And the key to one is (1) good people, and (2) feeling good about yourself, which is why she loves Black Opium Pink Glaze. “Black Opium to me really describes the most unapologetic, unafraid, cool woman,” she says. “I always keep my perfume right by the door, like on the entryway table,” Alisha adds. “It’s the last thing I put on.”We chatted all things parties and late nights, including the ideal way to end it:YSL Beauty says Pink Glaze “unlocks the party.” What do you think unlocks the party?There needs to be a general good vibe, right? People aren’t mean, but beyond that, there needs to be a willingness to lose control. Why else are we going to a party? To lose control and to let go of the stress of the day. What unlocks it is being a person who isn’t going to be self-conscious and not thinking about what everyone else is thinking about you. If I walk into a room, and I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks about me, I’m gonna have a good time.Parties don’t always have the best vibe. It’s so easy to blame this generation, but it is technology. Because everyone’s like, ‘Someone’s gonna post it, and then I’m totally judged.’ But I think we need to, as a culture, not give a shit about it because we’re all gonna embarrass ourselves. It's natural. Like we can’t be nonchalant all the time. Nonchalant is not fun. It’s so fun to care. I’ve embarrassed myself so many times. I embarrass myself most of the time. I cringe myself out. I don’t think of myself as the coolest person, but I think that’s what makes a person cool.Courtesy of YSL BeautyWhat do you always have in your bag before a night out? Mints, because I don’t want you talking to me with hot breath. I wouldn’t want to do that with you. I prefer mints because I find that if you’re a little dehydrated and you’re chewing gum, you get the white spiticles. And floss. I'm a big floss girl. I also always bring my fragrance to reapply.When it comes to getting ready, do you have a go-to look or vibe? I don’t. I kind of just go with what I feel the most comfortable in. It usually ends with like my closet on the floor. I’ll think, does this look good? Does this not look good? And then I don't care. I like to play around with my hair and makeup. But I just kind of go with what feels right.It depends on where I’m going too. Like if I’m gonna dance, then I wear shoes that are made for dancing. If I’m gonna go somewhere, like a nice dinner with my girlfriends, then I’ll dress up because my girls always like to look good. I feel like we always dress up for our friends more than our partner or something. I want to impress my friends the most.How long does it take you to get ready usually? Like 20 minutes. I usually let my hair air-dry, and then I fill in my eyebrows because I have none, and then mascara, some eyeliner, lips, and then spray on my perfume, put on my outfit, and I’m ready to go.You just finished filming season 3 of The Buccaneers, where you’re spending a while in the glam chair and constantly wearing corsets and full outfits. Does that get you excited for more simple get-ready routines?I have terrible time management skills—that’s what it comes down to. I have horrible ADHD, and my executive function is just bad. So I would love to spend an hour and a half. Right. In my brain, I can do an hour and a half worth of stuff in 10 minutes. I can get anywhere in 15 minutes. By the time I walk out the door, I’m already 20 minutes late. So it's more that I'm very unorganized.What are your party green flags? Nice, comforting vibe. Good music. It's hard to find a place with good music.Courtesy of YSL BeautyWhen you have free time, are you going out a lot or staying in and relaxing? It depends on my work schedule. I’ve been in Scotland for the last six months [filming The Buccaneers]. I think at the end of the day, I am a very outgoing person, but I do need time to be home alone. It depends on whether I'm in a very extroverted time in my life or an introverted time in my life. It goes through phases, but I wouldn't say I meticulously plan things.Since filming, I haven’t seen my friends. I'm excited to re-enter society. When you film, you're in a little bubble. You see the same people, and you know, you don't really leave the environment that you're living in. For me, that was Glasgow, and so I'm excited to be back. I'm like a baby coming back in, popping back into the world.Where can we find you at the party? I could talk to a wall. I think I have. I love talking to people and getting to know people and the different characters and stuff. I'm not set to my group. I think sometimes I’ll make new friends, and the people I came with are like, ‘Where did Alisha go?’ And I’m with random people who are lovely.It’s 4 a.m. and you’re ending the night. Who are you with?Hopefully not by myself. Who am I with? The rats. I'm in the fucking sewer. No, I'm with my friends. Hopefully, I am not in jail.What’s your ideal way to end the night? I like to go home a little. I want to be by myself. I’m in an Uber home with my AirPods in, with an Uber driver who is nice. It's like a very scenic drive home, going over the bridge in New York. And I’m romanticizing my life. Then I get home, and I’ve pre-planned it, so my pajamas are right there. My iPad is set up. I'm watching my latest comfort watch, and I tuck myself into bed.This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.