If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

15 Summer Scents You'll Want to Wear All Year Long

We'd take them if we had one wish.

collage of popular summer fragrances

Byrdie / Kristin Kempa

While I change my fragrance almost every day and rarely let the time of year dictate my decision, during the summer I tend to give in to seasonality. We wait for these warmer months all year, and I love nothing more than a sweet, milky fragrance with a hint of salt or earth to complete the summer fantasy.

Of course, even though summer scents tend to favor fresh, sweet, green, or beachy notes, there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to fragrance. The best perfume for summer will be whatever you decide it is. But if you're looking for some inspiration, I've rounded up some of my favorite summer fragrance picks. Keep scrolling for 15 summer scents so good you'll want to wear them all year. 

01 of 15

If you're looking for an overdose of nectar, you have to try Apricot Privée. PHLUR has been doing a lot lately, but they've got something with this one. It blends juicy apricot, plum (so good in perfume), and cardamom with a few florals and woods for a tangy, surprisingly spicy summer scent. Think Tom Ford Bitter Peach, but more fun and a lot less expensive. It captures every part of a peach—the fuzzy skin, the meat, the juice—and finishes with some spice.

02 of 15

From the bottles to the scents, Hermès does fragrance unbelievably well. Sometimes luxury brands create scents that leave something to be desired, but with Hermès, desire runs through the collection like a crush you can't get out of your head.

This fragrance is bright, fresh, and green—perfect for summer. Notes of purple basil, bergamot, and geranium come together for a scent made for long summer days, whether hanging out ocean-side, hitting up patio brunches, or hanging in the park. The fragrance feels faceted, jewel-toned, and emerald green, just like the bottle that houses it. 

03 of 15

Jennifer Fisher has been my favorite jewelry designer for nearly ten years. When she announced her debut scent, I was eager to see how she would translate her designs and brand into fine fragrance.

Lucky for me, it's precisely the type of fragrance that I love. It's warm, beachy, sweet, and a little fuzzy, like your skin after a day spent in the ocean. Fisher mixed different scents and products for years to achieve this same warm, summery scent, and now, she has recreated it into a perfume oil. With notes of vanilla, coconut, sandalwood, pear, and tonka bean, it's gorgeous, perfect for summer, and feels like a day at the beach no matter where you find yourself. 

04 of 15

This fragrance was inspired by the founder's time in the service industry, which speaks to me as a former bartender. It's a fresh, green, almost vegetal scent, with notes of lime flower water, pear, bell pepper, basil, moss water, and more. 

It's familiar, unique, sweet, spicy, and aquatic. It smells different on everyone's skin—which I know all fragrances do, but it's especially true for this one. I've gone back to this a few times, and I like it more with each wear. 

Byrdie Tip

When temperatures climb, sweat may cause your fragrance to wear off sooner. So to help prolong your perfume's sillage, consider spritzing a bit onto your clothing, too (as long as the material's not too delicate since it can stain).

05 of 15

This fragrance is aptly named: It's a light, airy scent that reminds you of sunlight through gauzy curtains and a cool nighttime breeze. Orchids, woods, peach, and bergamot all work together to lift the hero note, crisp linen. It smells like fresh laundry that wafts through the air as you first make your bed with linens just out of the dryer. It wears closely to the skin but not so close that you can't smell it a few hours later. 

It's a fragrance that feels like it should be light, but the wear is consistent, never fading as many scents like this can. It paints a picture that's calm, bright, and clean. If you like a white floral that's a little sudsy, this one will win you over. 

06 of 15

When Armani gets something right, they double down. Or, in this case, triple down: This is the second flanker of My Way, taking an already floral scent and making it lighter. Mandarin, tuberose, and neroli sit on top of vanilla and musk for a bright take on a classic floral scent. My Way is a hit with those who enjoy flowers and classic, nostalgic scents, and this new interpretation will get you through summer garden parties and help you smell the part.

07 of 15

Let's get one thing straight: Nothing is better than Flowerbomb. It's one of my all-time favorites, and I get so excited when they put out a flanker, which is rare. (Because why mess with perfection?)

What I like about Ruby Orchid is that it's familiar enough to be in the Flowerbomb family but not so similar that you can't distinguish it from the original. What sets it apart from its predecessor is the prominent note of peach right up top. I always want to see more peach in fragrance, and this one is an excellent example of why it works so well. Vines, orchids, and vanilla give the sweet, sticky scent something to ground it to and add longevity, so it wears beautifully for hours. 

08 of 15

Say what you want, but celebrity scents can be great, and this is a good example of what happens when they get it right. Amethyst blends citrus and orchid at the top, florals in the middle, with amber, vanilla, and patchouli at the base for another spicy floral reminiscent of Flowerbomb but with more room to breathe.

I didn't know what to expect from Maluma's scents, but this was the first one I tried, and it's my favorite from his collection. At $45, it's a gorgeous fragrance at a price point you can't beat. 

09 of 15

Elorea is a newer brand with a collection of four signature scents inspired by the elements. They're all great, but Heaven is breathtaking. With notes of pepper, citrus, green tea, passionfruit, florals, and vanilla, it's equally bright, green, spicy, and sweet. It's mysterious but engaging and almost hypnotizing. Every time I wear it, I spend a good chunk of the day smelling myself. 

Like all of my favorite fragrances, it's hard to pin down. If Heaven symbolizes air, then there's a good bit of fire from the spiciness of the pepper, earth from the green notes, water from the florals, and tea which can sometimes feel aquatic. This has been one of the most surprising fragrance launches of the year so far. If Elorea's initial launch is this good, I can't wait to see what's next for the brand.

10 of 15

I love any fragrance that emulates rain. This one perfectly captures how the earth smells so alive after the rain—not so much in the city, but in a rural backyard where you can smell the grass, trees, and crisp air purified by the storm. 

An aquatic note is a front and center, expanded with pine, rose, patchouli, and moss notes. Those notes can sometimes wear heavily, but in this fragrance, they sit on top of the beads from the aquatic note for a sleek, slightly sporty scent that feels as fresh as the air after a storm.

11 of 15

A scent called Tears, can you stand it? It's inspired by the phrase, "Beauty moves the soul to tears." In this case, we're talking about tears of joy.

Tears is blisteringly green and strikingly spicy, with notes of lilac, frankincense, green cognac oil, rosewater, pink pepper, and ambergris, to name a few. It's as interesting as it is unexpected. It's not floral, per se, but it is earthy and beautifully executed. 

12 of 15

This is right up your alley if you like patchouli, musk, and wood. Aroma is a strong fragrance that you can't miss. The Brazilian rainforest inspires it, but to me, it's more like the rainforest at its most humid.

Of all the fragrances on this list, this one has the most linear wear, so instead of evolving on your skin throughout the day, it smells the same the entire time. While I typically avoid scents like this in the hotter months, I find that this one is accentuated by the heat, and smells better in climates similar to the one it was inspired by.

13 of 15

A fragrance favorite gets a summery twist. The concept around this is fire and ice, and it's cold from a base of metallic notes and fiery from the pepper and wood. The note that takes center stage is citron, similar to yuzu (which we see often in fragrances lately). The citron makes the hot and cold aspects of this scent come to life on your skin, brightening but not taking away from the duality of the notes. It's not my usual choice, but this one is truly timeless.

14 of 15

One of the OGs of summer fragrances, Jo Malone's Lime Basil & Mandarin cologne is at once fresh, citrusy, and peppery. The brand's signature scent features top notes of mandarin, heart notes of basil, and base notes of amberwood that work together to evoke a "Caribbean breeze."

Byrdie Tip

To create a unique scent, Jo Malone is a big believer in fragrance layering—but you can also layer your cologne with other products. For instance, applying perfume after moisturizer will produce a more powerful scent.

15 of 15

'Replica' Beach Walk might be among the most popular Margiela fragrances, but don't let the ubiquity fool you: This summer scent is far from basic. The fruity bergamot and lemon essence top notes are grounded by a white musk base note, while the middle notes of transluzone, heliotrope accord, and coconut milk accord round out the fragrance (and put the "beach" in beach walk). The result? A fragrance that understands that warmth is as integral to a summer fragrance as fruit and freshness.

Related Stories