12 Summer Scents You'll Want to Bathe in This Season
From bright to milky, there's something for everyone.
Ulta / Sephora / InStyle
Summer comes with some universal associations, but the way we spend the year's warmest months is a personal endeavor—one that should be accompanied by an equally special summer scent. “What I love about summer is that there are so many ways to interpret it,” says Givaudan perfumer Christine Hassan. “Fresh and carefree, solar and beachy, sultry and seductive, etc. It makes it easy to always find something you love to wear and create your summer memories with.”
Balmy heat and a sense of freedom factor into summer's narrative, with vacation-minded fragrances furthering the fun. "As temperatures rise, people often gravitate toward scents that evoke a sense of freshness and vitality," says Chriselle Lim, owner and creative director of Phlur, who favors citrus notes or light-skin musk florals for summer wear. "The best kind of summer scents are fresh, bright, and sexy that linger into warm summer nights."
The season also provides the perfect vehicle to test-drive some of the year’s most sniff-worth fragrance trends (think: sour citrus, milky musk, and solar florals), blended to create free-spirited perfumes that will have you wafting summertime vibes as you walk by. Along with the sense of summer, more literal highlights of this time of year help round out the fragrance menu. "Aquatic notes are wildly popular," says Brianna Arps, founder and CEO of Moodeaux. "Those that draw inspiration from the ocean and those that mimic other elements of nature (ex. coconut water)."
No matter which scent trends resonate with you, summer's less-is-more mentality means that a mist of your go-to perfume is more of a staple than an accessory. Read on to discover which scents the experts will be spritzing this season.
Tom Ford Soleil Blanc
Sephora
While a few Tom Ford fragrances came up in the summer conversation (namely Vanilla Sex and Neroli Portofino), Soleil Blanc comes first. “In the solar category, Soleil Blanc is a staple for summer scents,” says Hassan. Featuring coco de mer, cardamom, and ylang-ylang, the solar floral amber fragrance offers a sultry spritz sure to heat up even the longest of summer nights.
Ôrəbella Blooming Fire
Orebella
Bella Hadid's new fragrance line contains a new summer signature. "Blooming Fire nurtures a sense of freedom inspired by Bella's escape with her family at the beach," says Fabrice Gibert-Darras, President at Orebella. "Its essential oils include cedarwood, which supports tranquility, clove leaf, which stimulates the soul, and cardamom, which balances energies."
Phlur Tangerine Boy Eau de Parfum
Sephora
"Juicy, fruit-forward perfumes are having a moment," says Arps. “This fragrance ironically doesn’t open with a tangerine note; instead a spicy lemon-ginger-pepper burst greets your nose first for an element of surprise." Lim agrees. "I love Tangerine Boy for the summer!" she says. "It’s very playful but gives it that summer-time feel." The bold and fruity fragrance is designed for sun-drenched days. Plus, the bottle practically screams, "Take me on your beach trip!"
Relevant 13 Stems Eau de Parfum
Thirteen Lune
“Disclaimer: I'm an anti-traditional floral fragrance girl: most of what I've smelled over the years has just been way too powdery and predictable for my taste,” says Arps. “Although its name drew a raised eyebrow, after trying on 13 Stems, I was truly blown away by its complexity. The perfume is much more than its name suggests, boasting notes of freesia, green pepper, violet leaf, mimosa, leather, and amber.”
Henry Rose Windows Down
Sephora
This scent from Henry Rose was crafted to evoke freedom and togetherness, sentiments at home within any worthy summer respite. Bright and slightly sour grapefruit is balanced by neroli, earl gray, and musk for a crispy citrus fragrance.
Future Society Haunted Rose Eau de Parfum
Future Society
“Future Society is a cool, innovative label that incorporates the DNA of extinct flowers into their eau de parfums,” says Arps. “Haunted Rose meshes macrostylis villosa subspecies 1 and 2 with black pepper and passion fruit for a unique juice." For an alternative (or an addition), CEO at Arcaea and Future Society Jasmina Aganovic calls on Solar Canopy —which balances vibrant lychee with gourmand pistachio and pink sugar — 'Hawaiian summer in a bottle.'"
Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche
Sephora
"Historically consumers lean into bursts of sweet citrus and delicate florals that evoke the essence of a blooming summer garden or the fresh crispness of a sea breeze," says Aganovic. "Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche gives a sparkling and youthful interpretation of summer with notes of citron, jasmin, and teakwood."
Vacation After Sun
Vacation
According to Arps, summer 2024 calls for "lighter, breezier fragrances that mimic the essence of being OOO on vacay somewhere near water." Vacation After Sun is the olfactory embodiment of this want. The scent is inspired by a refreshing post-beach beverage, with notes of minibar gin, tonic, hotel linen, aloe, melon, and green tea cocktailing in an ode to the balmy vacation.
Heretic Dirty Coconut Eau de Parfum
Credo Beauty
"Lactonic skin scents will continue to trend into the warmer months, with notes like rice, milks, and musks," says Aganovic. Heretic leverages the lactonic take with its interpretation of coconut, which teams with vanilla and sandalwood for a warm second-skin scent.
Kilian Paris Sunkissed Goddess
Sephora
"As far as solar florals go, they're taking on the duality of luminosity and a new warmth," says Hassan, who lists this perfume among her favorite representations. Bergamot, tiare flower, coconut, and vanilla combine in a summer scent that's fresh yet comforting, and inspired by Polynesian mainstay monoi oil.
Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild Eau de Parfum
Sephora
"Pulpy, visceral fruits are making this summer very fun," says Hassan, referencing Nette Pear Jam—which features koji pear—and Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild. Banana blossom is the main note in the latter, an unexpected scent that's taking the season by light, sweet storm. This scent is green, earthy, and bright, making it an ideal choice for the summer season.
Moodeaux Brand New Eau de Parfum
Moodeaux
"Brand New was brought to life with one main intention: to help make every day smell and feel like a bright start," says Arps of Moodeaux's fresh scent. Key notes include sparkling yuzu, cardamom, pink pepper, coconut, neroli petals, muguet, and salty musk. The scent is meant to wipe the proverbial slate clean — a perfect perfume for the pursuit of summertime ease.
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