I've Tested Hundreds of Summer Perfumes—These 17 Will Earn You Compliments
While there's something lovely about having a signature scent that you wear year-round, I prefer to think of fragrance in the same way that I would my wardrobe. Sure, I have some staple perfumes that I come back to time and time again—my fragrance basics, if you will—but I like to layer in seasonal scents in the same way that you might try a trending style of shorts or a new dress silhouette when the seasons change. And there's one season in particular when this concept really comes into its own: summer.
I adore summer perfumes. They tend to be fresh, fruity and delicious, and wearing one always makes me think of sunny beaches and tropical cocktails, even if my reality is more of a drizzly walk around the park. While I have some travels planned, until I take off I like to change up my scent and allow my holiday perfume to transport myself from garden sunbathing to far-flung beaches before I've even caught a flight.
Ahead, keep scrolling for the 17 best summer perfumes that truly smell like a luxury holiday.
The Best Summer Perfumes, Listed:
1. Ouai Dean Street, £54
2. Loewe Agua, £107
3. Dior Eden-Roc, £245
4. Commodity Mimosa, £130
5. Zara Fashionably London, £26
6. Maison Margiela Replica Matcha Meditation, £120
7. Diptyque Eau Rihla, £215
8. Penhaligon's Quercus, £135
9. Miller Harris Rêverie de Bergamote, £100
10. Prada Les Infusions de Prada Iris, £135
11. Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt, £118
12. Parfums de Marly Greenley, £195
13. Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess, £58
14. Ellis Brooklyn Bee, £125
15. Aesop Gloam, £145
16. & Other Stories Havana Blues Eau De Toilette, £28
17. Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 + Mandarin, £215
17 of the Best Summer Perfumes:
1. Ouai Dean Street
Key notes: Citrus, apricot, rose, magnolia, blossom and musk
Soho is vibrant all year round, but it really comes to life in the summer, so it makes sense that one of its most iconic streets is the namesake for Ouai's seasonal offering. This is a truly delicious perfume that features a mouthwatering array of notes. At first sniff, it's like a chic fruit cocktail of apricot, grapefruit and mandarin before a floral sweep of rose, magnolia and violet settles in. It all sounds very sweet, but once it's dried down, you'll notice it has a warm, musky finish that keeps it feeling grown-up. I absolutely adore it.
2. Loewe Agua
Key notes: Bergamot, yuzu and Ceylon tea
This Loewe perfume was the fragrance of summer last year, with the fashion set sharing it all over Instagram. This year, I've fallen back in love with it, and see this being a staple scent for years to come. This is a universal summer scent that I truly think anyone would adore. It combines notes of bergamot, yuzu and Ceylon tea to make for a lively and refreshing spritz that smells great without being overpowering.
3. Dior Eden-Roc
Key notes: Sea salt, citrus, jasmine, pine tree and labdanum
Forget coconuts, pineapples and all of those other sweet accords that often creep their way into summer perfumes. This offering from Dior is fresh, woodsy and decidedly more sophisticated than that. It smells like warm, salty skin at the end of a long day at the beach with a welcome hit of greenery from sun-dappled trees.
4. Commodity Mimosa
Key notes: Lemon, bergamot, blood orange, mandarin, orange blossom, black pepper, jasmine, orris and musk
Picture this. You've just met your friends for that first summer brunch, you sit outside and chat while drinking mimosas all morning in the sparkling sunshine. That's exactly what this scent smells like. It's a bright, fresh, citrusy fragrance with hints of lemon, blood orange, mandarin and orange blossom.
5. Zara Fashionably London
Key notes: Bergamot, rose and musk
There couldn't be a perfume more suited to the British summertime than this London-inspired drop from Zara. Created by Jo Malone CBE, Vibrant Cities is a collection of eight fragrances inspired by the scents of Europe's most fashionable capitals. Fashionably London is a love letter to summer in the city: a juicy blend of bergamot, rose and musk.
6. Maison Margiela Replica Matcha Meditation
Key notes: Green tea accord, bergamot, orange blossom, jasmine, benzoin and moss
I'm a big fan of Maison Margiela's Replica collection and the way that all of the fragrances evoke memories of specific times and places, but I wasn't hugely excited to see that this scent was inspired by matcha—a scent that, traditionally, I'm no lover of. How wrong I was. This is a fresh summer scent that, yes, definitely smells of green tea but has so much more going on. It contains ripe bergamot and mandarin, lush jasmine and orange flower and even a hint of sweet white chocolate. To me, it smells like enjoying a matcha latte in the garden on a sunny Sunday morning—both comforting and uplifting and a real joy.
7. Diptyque Eau Rihla
Key notes: Leather, iris, cedar and raspberry
While I'm yet to get my hands on the classic Diptyque summer collection, I have been lucky enough to try this unexpected scent from the French fragrance house, and I'm head over heels for it. Since it's inspired by journeys through the Middle East, I was expecting this to be a heady fragrance more suited to autumn or winter. In fact, when I read leather, saffron and cedar, I was anticipating an oud-inspired perfume that wouldn't really be up my street. Instead, this is a balmy, vibrant fragrance that smells like strolling through a Moroccan market in the height of summer. If you like your perfumes to have a little spice and a lot of warmth, then you'll adore it.
8. Penhaligon's Quercus
Key notes: Basil, lemon, jasmine and moss
A homage to the humble lemon, this is a bright, zesty perfume that smells like sunshine in a bottle. And while many lemon fragrances that I've tried in the past can veer into cleaning-product territory, this one transcends its citrus notes with touches of musk and a jasmine and lily floral bouquet.
9. Miller Harris Rêverie de Bergamote
Key notes: Bergamot, orange, basil, lavender, rosemary, geranium, leather, sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver and moss
Despite this scent being unashamedly citrus with its punchy bergamot and tangerine notes, it's delightfully herbal, too—almost like a fancy cocktail. As well as fruitiness, it has aromatic hints of rosemary and vetivert, which lends it an almost earthy feel. It's unexpected and absolutely delightful.
10. Prada Les Infusions de Prada Iris
Key notes: Iris, mandarin, neroli and benzoin
Floral lovers will adore this elegant iris scent. Honestly, I couldn't really tell you what iris smells like before stumbling across this perfume, but it's this: soft, powdery and subtle. Sure, it's flowery, but the modern mix of mandarin and neroli means that I think this summer perfume will have widespread appeal.
11. Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt
Key notes: Ambrette seeds, sea salt and sage
Inspired by the great British seaside, the Jo Malone summer collection is cottagecore vibes in a bottle. Take in the scent of the coastline with the sea salt notes, whilst the sage notes add a woodiness to balance out the fragrance. This scent almost has you hearing crashing waves.
12. Parfums de Marly Greenley
Key notes: Sicilian bergamot, mandarin, green apple, cedarwood, violet, oakmoss, musk and amberwood accord
In my opinion, all perfumes are unisex, but this fragrance from Parfums de Marly definitely goes out of its way to avoid any notes traditionally coined as masculine or feminine. Instead, it's a riotous concoction of tangy green apple, sun-soaked mandarin and Sicilian bergamot with a musky base of oak moss, amber and cashmere wood. I think it's the perfect scent to spray on during a balmy summer afternoon as you transition from day to night.
13. Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess
Key notes: Bergamot, mandarin, jasmine sambac absolute, amber, tiare flower, vanilla and coconut
Genuinely, what would a roundup of best summer perfumes be without the iconic Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess? When most people think of summer fragrances, it's this one that springs to mind, and it definitely delivers on seasonal spirit. It's a tropical tirade of vanilla and coconut, sweet tiare flower and sunny bergamot—but it's that amber base that provides its trademark warmth. I come back to it every year, despite smelling it on so many people because it truly reminds me of summer.
14. Ellis Brooklyn Bee
Key notes: Dark rum, davana, honey, cinnamon, sandalwood, vanilla bean and cocoa absolute
For me, this is a summer perfume that's made for when the sun goes down—in fact, it kind of smells like enjoying a dark and stormy at a beachside cocktail bar. It combines dark rum and deep berries with hints of honey and cinnamon for a sweet-yet-spicy warmth. It's delectable, and it comes in a travel-friendly size that is perfect for taking abroad, or popping into a handbag for on the go spritzing.
15. Aesop Gloam
Key notes: Saffron, jasmine sambac and mimosa
Warm and spicy, this fragrance evokes the heat of summer with a scent blend that includes notes of pepper, saffron, and cardamom alongside crowd pleasers like jasmine and mimosa.
16. & Other Stories Perle de Coco
Key notes: Wild fig, lemon, black pomegranate, jasmine petals
This has been my go-to affordable summer fragrance for years. Wild fig, jasmine and pomegranate mixed with dry tobacco leaves and lemon results in a truly intoxicating finish.
17. Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 + Mandarin
Mica Ricketts is a freelance beauty editor, copywriter and regular contributor to Who What Wear UK. She also writes for titles including Marie Claire Refinery 29 and Cosmopolitan, and previously worked at Who What Wear UK as Beauty Editor. With experience in both editorial and content management, she also works with beauty brands and small businesses on brand messaging and content strategy. As a busy mum of two, she is passionate about finding efficacious beauty products that can disguise all signs of tiredness with minimal effort.
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