Much like our sartorial wardrobes and grooming arsenals, a shift in temperature calls for a sensorial rethink. With heatwaves now commonplace, it’s time to swap your heady woods and ouds for something lighter. After all, you wouldn’t want to step out into the heat and humidity wearing the olfactory equivalent of a bulky fisherman’s sweater, would you?
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Uplifting and more refreshing than their winter counterparts, the best summer scents are evocative and transportive; working to bottle up sunshine or act as a sensorial plane ticket to a far flung land.
Herewith, Albert Review’s curated picks of the best summer fragrances to spritz this season.
1. Jo Malone London Rose & Magnolia
A rose that’s anything but predictable, Jo Malone London Rose & Magnolia sees the quintessential romantic flower take on a sensual tone. Magnolia lends its soft white floral notes to the scent, while sweet rose de mai and opulent Damask rose are tempered with sultry patchouli.
Brand: Jo Malone London
Scent notes: magnolia, rose de mai, rose damascena, patchouli, amber
2. Officine Buly Eau Triple Scandinavian Redcurrant & Peruvian Tomato
The time is rife to smell like a sexy vegetable and this water-based scent by French fragrance house Officine Buly is the ideal way to do it. An olfactory encapsulation of tomato girl (or boy!) summer, it features an unexpected yet wholly welcome blend of golden tomato (yes, technically a fruit, but it’s the vibes that count), tangy currents, hardy rosemary, and bright bergamot.
Brand: Officine Buly
Scent notes: inca fruit, boreal currant, fresh plant stems, rosemary, bergamot
3. Byredo Blanche
When it’s hot and muggy outside, sometimes you simply want to smell clean. An olfactory ode to the colour white, Byredo Blanche emulates the scent of freshly washed laundry; with white florals, rose, and aldehydes making for a pure and refreshing yet cosy skin scent.
Brand: Byredo
Scent notes: aldehydes, rose, peony, violet, musks, sandalwood
4. Hermès Eau de Basilic Pourpre
Another fragrance that taps into the appeal of vegetal and herbal notes, Hermès Eau de Basilic Pourpre is a fresh, verdant scent that sees peppery purple basil further enlivened by bright bergamot and geranium.
Brand: Hermès
Scent notes: bergamot, purple basil, geranium, patchouli
5. Goldfield & Banks Pacific Rock Moss
The strong aquatic and marine notes in Goldfield & Banks Pacific Rock Moss make it the quintessential Australian summer scent. Redolent of hot days spent cliff jumping into the cool water, it sees a marine accord meet moss, sage, lemon, and cedarwood to create a patently refreshing scent.
Brand: Goldfield & Banks
Scent notes: coastal moss, lemon, sage, geranium, cedarwood
6. Diptyque L’Eau Papier
While not a traditional summer scent, the soft white musks, blonde woods, powdery mimosa, and rice steam accord present within Diptyque L’Eau Papier make for a delicate skin scent that’s perfect when you don’t want something too overpowering. Designed to reflect the creative liberation of ink on paper, it’s a gentle, intimate scent that soothes the senses and calms the nerves.
Brand: Diptyque
Scent notes: white musks, rice steam, mimosa, blonde woods
7. Mülhens 4711
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The oldest perfume still in production, Mülhens 4711 has retained the same formula for over two centuries. A zesty blend of bergamot, lemon, orange, petitgrain and neroli with hints of lavender and rosemary, it has formed the blueprint for many of the most popular contemporary eau de colognes of today. Light and watery, it stays on the skin for a mere couple of hours and is designed to be liberally reapplied; something made easy by its generously sized bottle and almost laughably inexpensive price point. Oh, and it’s kinda a dupe for Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino. The more you know.
Brand: Mülhens
Scent notes: lemon, bergamot, orange, lavender, rosemary neroli, petitgrain
8. Santa Maria Novella Gelsomino
Vibrant notes of bergamot and pink pepper are laced with seductive Goan jasmine and underscored by cedarwood and musk in this olfactory interpretation of a royal greenhouse. Pure, romantic, sensual, and just a little animalic, this is a celebration of jasmine in its truest sense.
Brand: Santa Maria Novella
Scent notes: bergamot, tangerine, pink pepper, jasmine, cedarwood, musk.
9. Maison Margiela Replica Under The Lemon Tree
Take an olfactory journey to the Mediterranean with Maison Margiela Replica Under The Lemon Tree. An alluring fresh verdant citrus scent, it pairs lime, coriander, and tea leaves with cedarwood and a touch of must. Just like dozing off under a lemon tree on a summer afternoon.
Brand: Maison Margiela Replica
Scent notes: lime accord, petitgrain, cardamom, coriander, mate, green tea, cedarwood essence, cistus, white musk
10. Tom Ford Vanilla Sex
Tom Ford Vanilla Sex is a vanilla scent that’s sexy, not sex that’s vanilla. Just to clarify. Perfect for hot summer nights, Vanilla Sex features vanilla tincture and vanilla absolute, which intermingle with marzipan, tonka, and sandalwood. A positively delectable scent.
Brand: Tom Ford
Scent notes: vanilla absolute, vanilla tincture, tonka bean, ultravanil, sandalwood
11. Penhaligon’s Solaris
The olfactory equivalent of quiet luxury, Penhaligon’s Solaris is a delicate, elegant white floral scent. Mature and refined without feeling staid, it features an uplifting blend of blackcurrant, neroli and jasmine flowers, lemon, vanilla, and sandalwood. White florals and a touch of citrus are strongest here, resulting in an optimistic fragrance well-suited to the warmer months.
Brand: Penhaligon’s
Scent notes: neroli, lemon, blackcurrant, jasmine, ylang ylang, vanilla, sandalwood
Words by Theo Rosen
