I wish I could say that, as a beauty enthusiast, I was equally passionate about all of my journalistic beats (hair, cosmetics, skincare, nails, etc.). Unfortunately, I don’t. I could go on and on about my favorite skincare and makeup products for a lot longer than anyone would want to listen, but other subjects, like hair or fragrance, seem more difficult.
For instance, I’ve never been a big fan of scent, and my hair product routine and styling repertory are unabashedly simple and dull. Perfume is a personal component of one’s beauty routine, and in the past, I’ve found it very challenging and perhaps a little forced to recommend perfumes, much alone try to describe them. But in terms of obsession-forming scent launches, I think the last several years have been exceptionally fantastic. The quantity of new scents that have recently caught my attention has astounded me, as I used to turn my nose up at most new fragrances I’d sniff. The turn of the season is also a prolific opportunity to identify a new favorite scent, and this spring and summer have been no different.
In advance of the season, I’m offering ten of the top summer fragrances so you can discover a new favorite. The dazzling summer selections below have given me a reassuring mood boost as I’ve been testing and spritzing for the past few weeks. Additionally, I’m contrasting these scents with some of the greatest cult favorites from previous seasons because I am aware that selecting a new perfume may be really challenging (like finding a needle in a haystack). This should give some background information regarding notes, scent families, and similar things. Continue scrolling! Check out the top ten scents for summer below, along with the well-known formulae that they resemble.
If you love: Skylar Isle Eau de Toilette
Skylar
Isle Eau de Toilette$90 $68
Family of fragrances: fresh
Important notes: sandalwood, bergamot, and cardamom
Customer review: “Anyone looking for a light, fresh aroma should try this. It is undoubtedly a wonderful, fresh summer scent. The aroma perfectly captures the essence of a lovely beach holiday.
Try: Skylar Salt Air Eau de Toilette
Skylar
Salt Air Eau de Toilette
$90
Family of fragrances: fresh
Important points: seaweed, driftwood, and sea salt
Isle may be Skylar’s best-selling scent to yet, but we have a suspicion that Salt Air from the natural fragrance company could challenge the perfume with an aquatic motif. This would be the perfect bottle to capture the cool, soothing scent of a sea breeze covered in salt. Even better, you can mix, match, and layer any of Skylar’s fragrances to create a distinctive, dreamy summer aroma by layering Isle and Salt Air.
Customer assessment: “I’m quite happy that I purchased this one! It smells clean and fresh and really depicts the beach vibe. I adore it so much!
If you love: Prada Candy Eau de Parfum
Prada
Candy Eau de Parfum
$90
Warm, spicy fragrance family
Important notes: caramel accord, benzoin, and white musks
Customer review: “This fragrance has a lot of body. Spicy gourmand is its olfactory family. Warm, creamy, rich, and decadent. It’s delicious, but not as sweet as cotton candy and bubble gum.
Try: Sol de Janeiro Sol Cheirosa ’62 Eau de Parfum
Sol de Janeiro
Sol Cheirosa ’62 Eau de Parfum
$78
Warm, spicy fragrance family
Important notes: vanilla, pistachio, and salted caramel
One of the most recognizable scents available is Prada’s Candy Eau de Parfum, which is particularly well-liked by people who prefer a sweet, all-encompassing scent. We therefore believe that the same audience will be ecstatic about Sol de Janeiro’s intriguing fragrance, which—you got it—is reminiscent of the brand’s well-known Bum Bum Cream. You won’t smell like a candy store melting in the sun; it’s summer in a bottle.
Customer review: “You’re probably going to love this if you’re a fan of traditional SDJ scents.” This smells like a classy take on the traditional Bum Bum fragrance, with notes of creamy almond, vanilla bean, and salted caramel. I adore it so much. It doesn’t smell like I had a woodland bath in a Claire’s jewelry store, and it’s neither very strong nor overly maternal.”
If you love: Kilian Good Girl Gone Bad Eau de Parfum
Kilian
Good Girl Gone Bad Eau de Parfum
$295
Family of fragrances: flowery
Important notes: jasmine, rose, and tuberose
Customer review: “Kilian fragrances are not cheap, but I think they are well worth the investment, and Good Girl Gone Bad is one of my favorite brands. It’s definitely worth a sniff if you enjoy fruity flowers. The primary note is tuberose, which is supported by orange blossom, jasmine, and narcissus. It also has a distinct osmanthus note that gives it a peachy flavor. It’s fruity without being young and floral without being outdated.
Try: Kilian Good Girl Gone Bad Eau Fraîche
Kilian
Good Girl Gone Bad Eau Fraîche
$240
Family of fragrances: fresh
Important notes: tuberose, orange blossom, and jasmine sambac
Kilian presents a somewhat fresher and less flowery version of the brand’s cult beloved smell, Good Girl Gone Bad, just in time for summer, paying homage to Grecian villas and the nearby Aegean Sea. Luminous orange is the main focus of this summer scent, although the rose and jasmine sambac ingredients from the original are still there.
Customer review: “What a lovely, watery, clean rendition of the original. In the heat, this is really cooling. I will now wear the OG in the spring and fall, the extreme in the winter, and this in the summer’s intense heat. I’m so happy I took a gamble and purchased all three. As always, the quality is excellent.
If you love: Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum
Viktor&Rolf
Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum
$145
Warm, spicy fragrance family
Important notes: patchouli, vanilla, rose, freesia, jasmine, and cattleya
Customer review: “Purchase this fragrance. Whether you adore or detest flowers is irrelevant. With a sweet touch that makes it flirty and feminine, this fragrance is floral enough for people who enjoy floral scents. On the other hand, those of us who usually prefer more gourmand or oriental scents would love this one because it is sweet enough to counterbalance the floral notes and has an edge of patchouli and jasmine that makes it just stylishly exotic. However, neither aspect of this scent is overbearing, and the combination is simply amazing.”
Try: Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb Tiger Lily Eau de Parfum
Viktor&Rolf
Flowerbomb Tiger Lily Eau De Parfum
$145
Family of fragrances: solar
Important points: mango, tiger lily, and coconut milk
The fact that Viktor&Rolf’s original Flowerbomb perfume appeals to both flowery and spicy/sweet scent enthusiasts is one of the reasons it is so well-liked. This sun-drenched fragrance, which is rich in tropical coconut, floral tiger lily, and delicious mango, gives the brand a beachy twist for summer. A week-long vacation trapped in a glass vial is what each spritz smells like.
Customer review: “I’ve been wearing the original Flowerbomb for more than ten years, and even though I’ve tried the other variations, I still think the original is my favorite. But Tiger Lily might agree to a draw with it. Every time I wear it, people complement me on how fresh the aroma is. I adore it.
If you love: Diptyque Fleur de Peau Eau de Parfum
Diptyque
Fleur de Peau Eau de Parfum
$240
Family of fragrances: flowery
Important notes: pink peppercorn, musk, iris, and ambrettolide
Customer review: “I felt like using perfume again after smelling Fleur de Peau. I adore the clean, fresh aroma that isn’t overpowering for my delicate nose. I don’t need to apply much to enjoy it, and it blends very nicely with my body’s natural scent. Other folks have complimented me. Strangers have even stopped me on the sidewalk and inquired about my perfume.
Try: Diptyque Eau Capitale Eau de Parfum
Diptyque Paris
Eau Capitale Eau de Parfum
$240
Family of fragrances: chypre
Important notes: pink peppercorns, patchouli, bergamot, and rose
One of Diptyque’s best-selling scents is Fleur de Peau, a musky-floral tribute to the legendary love between Psyche and Eros. However, we suggest using the brand’s highly acclaimed Parisian improv, Eau Capitale, for the summer. It is vivid, rich, and full-bodied. Imagine a café allongé with a side of crusty baguettes with Spritz.
Review from a customer: “This fragrance really smells like Paris!”
If you love: Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau de Parfum
Yves Saint Laurent
Libre Eau De Parfum
$140
Family of fragrances: flowery
Key notes: musk accord, orange blossom, and lavender essence
Customer review: “I followed this perfume to the test counter while I was in the store! The scent is very lovely. incredibly light and not overbearing. I get headaches from most odors because I’m so sensitive to them. For me, this one was the winner.
Try: Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris Intensement Eau de Parfum
Yves Saint Laurent
Mon Paris Intensement Eau de Parfum
$145
Family of fragrances: flowery
Key notes: rose, white musk, and black currant
Although there are various versions of YSL Mon Paris, we challenge you to try this one in particular if you enjoy Libre as much as we do. Rich musk serves as the foundation for both fragrances, but they also add distinct components from fruits and flowers to produce a comparable but distinct olfactory experience. Rose and black currant are used in place of Libre’s lavender and orange blossom in this YSL summer scent. Juicy, crispy, and lovely.
Customer review: “I think Intensement is much more wearable and more of a day perfume rather than an evening perfume because the rose notes really shine.” It still has a luring quality, but it’s also light and fresh.
If you love: D.S. & Durga Italian Citrus Eau de Parfum
D.S. & Durga
Italian Citrus Eau de Parfum
$300
Family of fragrances: fresh
Pressed lemon, chinotto, blood orange, green mandarin, musk, incense, copaiba balsam, ambrette, and oakmoss are some of the key notes.
Customer review: “I haven’t purchased a new perfume in years. I wanted one that I could wear day or night and that wasn’t too hefty. This was ideal for the situation.
Try: D.S. & Durga Crystal Pistil Eau de Parfum
D.S. & Durga
Debaser Eau De Parfum
$210
Citrus fragrance family
Bergamot, green leaf, pear stem, fig, coconut milk, iris, blond woods, tonka bean, and moss are some of the key notes.
Alright, so I really like this summery scent. It’s a scent designed to evoke recollections of August’s humidity. Any summer day will be enhanced with notes like fig, green foliage, and coconut milk.
Review from a customer: “I adore this. opens green and flowery before settling into rich, woodsy, yet fresh. It is really distinctive.
If you love: Acqua di Parma Fico di Amalfi Eau de Parfum
Acqua Di Parma
Fico Di Amalfi Eau De Toilette
$285
Family of fragrances: flowery
Important notes: fig, cedarwood, and bergamot
Customer review: “I still adore the scent of Fico de Amalfi even after wearing it for fifteen years. It takes me back to an Italian holiday along the Amalfi coast. I never feel like it overwhelms a space since it is light.”
