Personally, I think it’s a good idea to exchange my entire collection of perfumes with the best summer scents each year. Even while I love the spicy spices and pleasant musks that fill my cabinet from fall to spring, when rooftop season and summer Fridays arrive, they start to seem really oppressive.
Autumne West, Nordstrom’s beauty director, concurs, so I’m not alone. “I want my Summer Fragrance to further enhance that carefree, good mood I instantly associate with summer,” she explains. “I like scents that are light and don’t make me feel heavy.” In particular, West says that summer fragrances tend to be light and airy, ranging from combinations of coconut and vanilla that evoke a tropical getaway to fresh blossoms infused with jasmine.
Tropical and fruity flavors are always associated with summer, says Linda G. Levy, president of The Summer Fragrance Foundation. “Many fruity scents have been released, perfect for summer, from mangoes and bananas to pears,” she says, citing scents that are sure to become favorites as Nette’s Pear Jam, Brown Girl Jane’s Carnivale, and Killian’s Sun Kissed Goddess. Choose timeless beach-inspired Summer Fragrances like Chanel Chance and Maison Francis Kurkdjian Amyris Femme instead, as these perfumes are always in vogue. There is a summer smell for everyone, regardless of their pace. Featuring recommendations from Vogue editors and our experts, here’s a glimpse at everything 2024 has to offer.
Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche Eau de Toilette
Our Adoration for It: Chanel Chance The brilliant eau de toilette Eau Fraîche is vivid and light enough to wear all summer long without being overpowering. This is designed to give you energy in just one spritz and was inspired by Gabrielle Chanel’s bold approach to seizing an opportunity by the horns.
Notes: Teak wood, jasmine, and citron
Byredo Sundazed Eau de Parfum Summer Fragrance
Why We Love It: Byredo’s Sundazed is perfect for those who envision summertime as spending as much time outside as possible. This scent captures the joy of playing in the sun on a warm day with notes of lemon, mandarin, neroli, and jasmine. Is there a more satisfying feeling than that?
Remarks: Mandarin, lemon, neroli, jasmine sambac, and musks
Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne
The Reasons We Adore It: Wood Sage & Sea Salt is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after colognes ever, thus it’s worth investing in every year. Admirers of the Summer Fragrance gush about its genderless appeal—it’s neither overtly feminine nor masculine, so almost anybody can enjoy its woodsy, fresh marine blend of sage, sea salt, and ambrette seeds.
Notes: Sea salt, sage, and amberette seeds
Nette Pear Jam Eau de Parfum
Why We Adore It: Nette’s Pear Jam is a fruity, floral scent that is sure to enchant everyone in its presence. It is one of the newest additions to our catalog. Well, I don’t usually like fruit-forward blends at all, but this one kept drawing me back in. Maybe it is because the ambrette seed and rosewater offset the sweetness of the Koji pear. If you’re fortunate enough to obtain a bottle (which is sometimes out of stock), make sure to treasure each and every spritz.
Koji pear, patchouli coeur, rose essence, and ambrette seed are the notes.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Amyris Femme Eau De Parfum
Why We Love It: Amyris Femme, the top Summer Fragrance on our list of the finest for ladies, is especially wearable in the summer. Here, Francis Kurkdjian combines Florentine iris with Jamaican amyris to create a delicious, crisp, feminine smell that is both enticing and irresistibly enjoyable.
Notes: Iris, lemon blossom, pears, sweet peas, and amyris
Parfums de Marly Perseus Eau de Parfum
Why We Love It: Perseus, the newest Summer Fragrance from Parfums de Marly, draws inspiration from the early dawn at Marly’s palace, when sunlight streams through the château, bathing the area in a golden warmth. Among the top summer perfumes for men, this bright scent starts off with a grapefruit citrus component that contrasts with dry woods, cashmere wood, and vetiver.
Notes: Dry woods, cashmere wood, ambergris accord, green mandarin, geranium, vetiver, grapefruit, bergamot, blackcurrant bud.
Kilian Sun Kissed Goddess
The Reasons We Adore It: Even with its already impressive collection of Summer Fragrance, Kilian’s most recent eau de parfum has swiftly emerged as my favorite. In describing his interpretation of Polynesian Monoi Oil, inventor Kilian Hennessy said, “It’s the scent of summer, the scent of happiness.” Here, perfumer Calice Becker crafts a scent that is hearty, vivacious, and enduring—one that grows better with each wear. Better than your skin, dare we say?
Notes: Coconut, Guaic wood, cistus labdanum, tiare flower, and ylang-ylang essence
Brown Girl Jane Carnivale Eau de Parfum
Why We Love It: You should definitely grab a bottle of Brown Girl Jane’s Carnivale from Sephora if Levy predicts that mango smells will be huge this summer. Inspired by Trinidad’s renowned Carnival, this scent is equivalent to biting into the ripest, juiciest tropical fruits, where succulent mangoes coexist with sweet vanilla, nectar, cream, and sandalwood.
Notes: golden pimento, sandalwood, vanilla, whipped musks, amber, ginger, Caribbean mango, and jasmine.
Vacation After Sun Eau de Toilette
The reason we adore it is that vacations tend to produce popular things and their corresponding Summer FragranceVacation released its highly regarded After Sun Gel after the success of its popular Vacation eau de toilette, which captured the essence of the brand’s characteristic sunscreen aroma. Designer Rodrigo Flores-Roux’s creation is a blend of cardamom absolute, cooled cucumber water, green tea verjus, and aloe vera essence for a playful spin on the recently dipped fragrance.
A few notes: cooled cucumber water, cardamom absolute, green tea verjus, and aloe vera essence.
Orebella Blooming Fire Parfum
Why We Love It: Out of Bella Hadid’s first three scents, Blooming Fire is already my summertime fave. This is a wonderful blend of warmth and sweetness, yet in a delicate, skin-like way. It has been called a “transportive tropical oasis.” It also has a revitalizing aspect that sets it apart from other parfums because it is entirely alcohol-free and has an essential oil base.
Notable ingredients include Tahitian monoi, jasmine, patchouli, clove leaf, cardamom, and bergamot.
Tom Ford Costa Azzurra Eau de Parfum
Why We Love It: The appeal of the European summer has been widely discussed online, evoking Tom Ford’s Costa Azzurra, a fragrant interpretation of the waves breaking along the Mediterranean coast. This smells fresh and crisp, woodsy and somewhat citrusy, with a blend of lemon, cypress, and salt sea air that instantly transports you across the Atlantic, whether or not you’re actually going anywhere this summer.
Remarks: Oakwood, lemon, and cypress.
