When it comes to perfumes, something is enchanting about having a signature scent that defines your presence year-round. However, I like to think of fragrance in the same way I consider my wardrobe. While I have staple perfumes that I return to time and time again—my fragrance basics—I enjoy layering in seasonal scents, much like trying a trending style of shorts or a new dress silhouette when the seasons change. And no season exemplifies this concept more than summer.

I adore summer perfumes. They are typically fresh, fruity, and delicious, evoking images of sunny beaches and tropical cocktails, even if my reality is more of a drizzly walk around the park. Although I have some travel plans, until I take off, I like to change up my scent and let my holiday perfume transport me from garden sunbathing to far-flung beaches before I’ve even caught a flight.

17 of the Best Summer Perfumes

1. Ouai Dean Street

Keynotes: Citrus, apricot, rose, magnolia, blossom, and musk

Soho is vibrant all year round, but it truly 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 delicious perfume featuring 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 dries down, you’ll notice a warm, musky finish that keeps it feeling grown-up. I 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

Keynotes: Sea salt, citrus, jasmine, pine tree, and labdanum

Forget coconuts, pineapples, and all those other sweet accords that often creep their way into summer perfumes. This offering from Dior is fresh, woodsy, and decidedly more sophisticated. 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

Keynotes: 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, sitting outside and chatting 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

Keynotes: 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 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 flowers, 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

Keynotes: 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. When I read leather, saffron, and cedar, I was anticipating an oud-inspired perfume that wouldn’t 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

Keynotes: Basil, lemon, jasmine, and moss

A homage to the humble lemon, this is a bright, zesty perfume that smells like sunshine in a bottle. While many lemon fragrances that I’ve tried in the past can veer into the 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 its fruitiness, it has aromatic hints of rosemary and vetiver, which lends it an almost earthy feel. It’s unexpected and delightful.

10. Prada Les Infusions de Prada Iris

Keynotes: Iris, mandarin, neroli, and benzoin

Floral lovers will adore this elegant iris scent. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you what Iris smelled 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

Keynotes: 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

Keynotes: Sicilian bergamot, mandarin, green apple, cedarwood, violet, oakmoss, musk, and amber wood accord

In my opinion, all perfumes are unisex, but this fragrance from Parfums de Marly 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 oakmoss, 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 the 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 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

Keynotes: Dark rum, Havana, 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

Keynotes: 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 result in a truly intoxicating finish.

17. Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 + Mandarin

Keynotes: Cedarwood + Mandarin

This fragrance always transports me to a tropical destination. It has a zesty and fresh citrus tone but is also aromatic, velvety, and smooth.

18. Chanel Nº 5 Eau Première Feminino

Keynotes: Ylang-ylang, neroli, jasmine, and vanilla

An iconic classic reimagined, Chanel Nº 5 Eau Première is a lighter, fresher take on the timeless original. Perfect for summer, this perfume combines the elegance of ylang-ylang and neroli with the floral sophistication of jasmine. The base notes of vanilla add a touch of warmth, making it a versatile fragrance that can be worn from day to night. Its delicate balance of floral and creamy notes ensures that it remains a staple in any best perfumes for women’s collections, embodying the essence of summer scents.

19. Kayali Vanilla 28

Keynotes: Vanilla orchid, tonka absolute, amber woods, musk, and brown sugar

Kayali Vanilla 28 is a delightful summer perfume that envelops you in a warm, sweet embrace. With a rich blend of vanilla orchid and tonka absolute, this fragrance is both comforting and intoxicating. The addition of amber woods and musk gives it a sultry depth, while the hint of brown sugar adds a delectable sweetness. Perfect for those who love gourmand scents, Kayali Vanilla 28 is versatile enough to be worn day or night, making it a standout in any collection of the best perfumes for women. This scent is ideal for evoking the cosy, sweet moments of summer.