The heat is officially on meaning the island escape you’ve been longing for is only a spritz away. In the warmer months, we ought to reach for more lighter-bodied scents that combine well with heat, such as bright citrus, aquatic or tropical notes so that you too can become a walking embodiment of summer amid the crisp ocean air and warm golden sands.
So relax and read along in true summer style as I’ve got you covered with this list of uplifting,
high-performance fragrances for you to fiercely parade in this summer
Byredo – Sundazed
If you’ve ever wanted the perfume equivalent of pink lemonade or pink summer skies, then look no further. Sundazed opens with an intense, juicy blend of mandarin orange and Californian lemon, followed by middle notes of honeyed neroli and rich Arabian jasmine. A musky, cotton candy base completes the fragrance for that sugary sweet drydown. Inspired by the joy of an endless summer, Byredo has done an excellent job at capturing the essence of carefree summers and youthful energy in the simplest of bottles. It’s a deliciously fresh and well-balanced floral-citrus that instantly lifts my mood and is sure to brighten your summer.
Kilian – Good Girl Gone Bad Eau Fraîche
When Rihanna’s a huge fan of your perfume house, just know that you’ve won at life. Kilian’s Good Girl Gone Bad Eau Fraîche is an aquatic play on the original and much-loved Good Girl Gone Bad. The newer ‘Eau Fraîche’ variant features top notes of water jasmine, Tunisian orange blossom along with roses from both Turkey and Morocco. It then leads into the signature heart of Egyptian jasmine sambac and fresh tuberose before landing on a sensual musk base. This is a creamy yet airy white-floral lover’s fantasy, who dreams of being engulfed in an embrace of sweet summer serenity by the deep blue sea. The middle blend of jasmine and tuberose is perfect for summer as white-floral notes particularly bloom in heat, increasing the perfume’s longevity. Good Girl Gone Bad Eau Fraîche is the OG’s cooler, younger sister and I’m beyond happy to introduce you to each other.
REPLICA Beach Walk – Maison Martin Margiela
Life’s literally a beach when it comes to this fragrance. Besides being named ‘Beach Walk’, its notes of bright citrus and creamy coconut scream summer in a bottle. Beach Walk has a beautiful fragrance story, much like all the other perfumes in the Replica collection, which are designed to reflect particular memories or moments in life. Inspired by the allure of a holiday oasis, the perfume masterfully conjures images of your toes sinking into warm sands, the taste of ocean water as you lick your lips and the smell of suntan oil in the air. The Eau De Toilette transports you to a place of pure summertime bliss with its invigorating top notes of lemon, bergamot and pink pepper, followed by the creamy, tropical heart of coconut milk, ylang ylang and heliotrope, before finishing with woody cedar and clean musk. Beach Walk is comforting, sentimental and absolutely scrumptious, so don’t be shy to bask in all its tropical-floral glory.
Chanel – Chance Eau Tendre
No matter the season, you know you can’t go wrong with a Chanel fragrance. Chance Eau Tendre is a delicate, floral-fruity concoction that’s both youthful and sophisticated. The tartness of the quince and grapefruit opening mingles seamlessly with the soft yet dominant middle notes of hyacinth and jasmine to create a refreshingly bright and unapologetically feminine statement for summer. The beautiful scent profile is completed by base notes of tender musk, powdery iris, Virginia cedar and earthy amber to balance out the underlying sweetness. The resulting perfume is classy, chic and refined – fit for everyday use at the office or on a dinner date. This is the confidence booster missing from your summer collection, so take a chance with Chance Eau Tendre.
Tom Ford – Mandarino di Amalfi
Despite the presence of citrus notes in many summer fragrances, sometimes you just can’t get enough! Mandarino di Amalfi is essentially a citrus bouquet reminiscent of a warm breeze drifting through Mediterranean cliffside villas, perfect for when you just want to feel clean and energised. The summery scent consists of zesty lemon and grapefruit as well as refreshing mint and aromatic basil as its top notes. Orange blossom oil and velvety jasmine saturate the heart before ending the journey with a drydown of soft musks, earthy vetiver, warm amber along with animalic labdanum and civet. Mandarino di Amalfi is lovely and bright, composing an accurate impression of a juicy, freshly peeled Italian mandarin. Fellow citrus scent lovers, I’ll be seeing you on the Amalfi Coast this summer.
