The 15 Best Summer Perfumes, Vetted by Our Editors

I don’t think there’s a citrus fragrance more iconic than Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue. Launched in 2001, Light Blue was the brand’s very first fragrance, and it’s been garnering women from all over the world compliments ever since. Boasting notes of apple, Sicilian lemon and cedarwood, this Amalfi Coast-in-a-bottle eau de toilette recently earned Beauty and Cultures Editor Chelsea Candelario’s stamp of approval: “I've been hearing so much about the Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue that I had to get a bottle for myself—and the reviews don't lie. It's literally like summer whipped into a luxury perfume. It has fruity and floral notes that are fresh, long-lasting and makes me want to book a flight to the Mediterranean,” she says. Candelario’s in-depth review of the beloved fragrance—with some handy layering tips—can be found here.

Fast Facts

• Top Notes: Sicilian lemon
• Middle Notes: granny smith apple
• Base Notes: cedarwood
• Fragrance Family: citrus
• Sizes: 0.33 oz, 1 oz, 1.7 oz, 3.3 oz, 5 oz (refill), 6.7 oz

This fragrance needs no introduction, and if you love Sol de Janiero’s Bum Bum cream and mist as much as we do, then you’ll love this concentrated, eau de parfum. The yellow-gold, disco ball-capped bottle is currently shining bright on my vanity, and its aroma and aesthetic make it worth buying. But I will also say, if you want an upgrade from the mist to something with more lasting power, this is where you’ll find it. A sweet gourmand meant to invoke the feeling of summer, it has the same notes of pistachio, salted caramel, golden sandalwood and warm vanilla.

Fast Facts

• Top Notes: pistachio, almond
• Middle Notes: heliotrope, jasmine petals
• Base Notes: vanilla, salted caramel, sandalwood
• Fragrance Family: gourmand
• Sizes: 0.27 oz, 1.7 oz

I’ve never had a perfume surprise me quite like this one. As someone who doesn’t gravitate to floral perfumes, I can’t stop spraying this one—and that’s the point. This is a unique take on a floral scent and might not be for the devout floral lover. Glossier’s You Fleur is floral but fruity, salty yet sweet and currently my favorite fragrance to spritz on everyday. It never feels too aggressive on my skin or clothes, despite its many floral notes, like Osmanthus and Ylang-Ylang. The apricot skin adds a touch of sweetness, and the Cashmeran softens it out in the best way possible. Honestly, I think it's the perfect summer scent.

Fast Facts

• Key Notes: ylang-ylang, apricot skin, ambrox, osmanthus, mineral salt accord, cashmeran
• Fragrance Family: floral
• Sizes: o.27 oz, 1.7 oz

SEO Editor—and resident rose perfume enthusiast—Marissa Wu, swears by Diptyque’s Eau Rose and it’s been her signature fragrance for years. “As soon as I smelled Eau Rose, I knew it was the one. It’s a fresh, bright floral that’s a tad sweet—the top note is very green, and the artichoke notes come through.” Described as an “infusion of the loveliest roses,” Wu reports that Eau Rose is fresh, green and light, but also has good staying power. She continues, “The former has a citrus profile, while the latter is known for its green, honeyed notes. As the day wears on, the perfume settles into more of a sweet lychee scent.” Wu ranks the French perfume house’s best fragrances here, and shared that the brand’s fig-derived Philosykos, musky Fleur de Peau and woody Tam Dao are great summer picks as well.

Fast Facts

• Key Notes: roses damascena & centifolia, chamomille, litchi, artichoke
• Fragrance Family: floral
• Sizes: 2.5 oz

“I’m obsessed with the new Tom Ford Eau de Soleil Blanc, which smells like the tropical island getaway I'm not taking this summer,” slacks Senior Editor Dana Dickey. She notes that the eau de toilette is nice and light, which she likes because she’s not fond of heavy fragrances in the heat (same). Dickey adds, “This one smells like the beach, thanks to a coconut smell—which I usually find cloying, but here it's gorgeously balanced with a bit of spice, a bit of florals and bergamot and bitter orange. It's really sexy and relaxing.”

Fast Facts

• Key Notes: vert de bergamot, orange bitter, petitgrain bigarade, ylang-ylang, pistachio accord, coco de mer accord
• Fragrance Family: fresh
• Sizes: 0.33 oz, 1 oz, 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz

True to its name, this parfum is the perfect fragrance to stow away in your suitcase (or carry on because it is under 3.4 ounces) for your summer vacay. This pick is right on the nose for those who love to smell like sunscreen all season long, especially the classic Vacation SPF. Candelario is a fan, and suggests both Vacation and After Sun as optimal summer perfumes. “Whether you reach for ‘Vacation’ or ‘After Sun,’ [both] will transport you to a sandy beach. It smells just like their sunscreen, so expect fruity notes (like coconut and pineapple), and yes, a hint of pool water.” You don’t want to leave this one—or the SPF 50—out of your beach bag.

Fast Facts

• Top Notes: coconut water, coconut milk, petitgrain essence
• Middle Notes: bergamot, solar musk, banana, pineapple
• Base Notes: pool water, swimsuit lycra, sea salt
• Fragrance Family: fresh
• Sizes: 1 oz

Parfums de Marly’s best-selling Valaya comes highly recommended from Candelario and Wu, even with its luxe price tag. “Parfum de Marly’s Valaya is really good. If you're looking to splurge, consider this floral-musky combo. It has notes of bergamot, mandarin and sweet white peach, along with white flowers, musk, vanilla and vetiver. Plus, the bottle is stunning on my vanity,” says Candelario.

Wu recently put this musky perfume to the test alongside Delina, another popular fragrance from the brand. She writes, “What I most appreciate about Valaya is that it’s not overly sweet. The sugary notes are inherently fruity, derived from the white peach, and it plays well with the musks and other white flowers. Overall, it’s an elegant scent I want to spritz when I don my all-white summer outfits for sunset cocktail hours and evenings at the theater.” Valaya was her personal choice out of the two, and had a lot to say about its longevity, noting it even outperformed her signature Eau Rose. “Valaya, in particular, lasted an incredible 14 hours—which included a lingering on my skin after I had gotten out of the shower.” Talk about staying power.

Fast Facts

• Top Notes: bergamot, mandarin, white peach
• Middle Notes: orange flower, nympheal, vetiver
• Base Notes: akigalawood, ambrofix, musk
• Fragrance Family: fresh
• Sizes: 1 oz, 2.5 oz

If you hadn’t heard, it’s guava season this summer, and not just at the farmer’s market. The pinky tropical fruit has been taking over recent fashion and beauty trends. While I haven’t adopted any vivid pink hues in my wardrobe, I have snagged a few beauty items, including this fruity-floral goodness in a bottle from Ellis Brooklyn. Surprisingly, it’s not too overpowering, just a faint fruity aroma (with a hint of those florals, like waterlily and mango blossom). It has notes of guava, vanilla and banana, and if I want that guava note to really stand out, I’ll layer with a bit of Fenty Skin’s Butta Drop cream in ‘Guava Get Away’ before spritzing it on. It’s the perfect pairing, if you ask me.

Fast Facts

• Top Notes: guava juice, banana, bergamot, tropical waterlily
• Middle Notes: cavaillon melon, coconut palm, mango blossom
• Base Notes: vanilla, sandalwood, almond milk
• Fragrance Family: fruity
• Sizes: 0.34 oz, 1.7 oz

The trending scent note this summer? Tomatoes. While our team is still divided on scents inspired by the garden fruit, Candelario was pleasantly surprised by the Off the Vine collection from Bath & Body Works. “It reminds me of frolicking through a garden, with notes of heirloom tomato, geranium and moss.” If you’re into earthy, green-y and herby scent profiles, I think you’ve just met your match.

Fast Facts

• Key Notes: heirloom tomato, garden geranium, Mediterranean moss
• Fragrance Family: earthy
• Sizes: 1.7 oz

My heart yearns for a vacation in the Caribbean during carnival season, but until then, I’ll just mist myself with this fruity fragrance from Brown Girl Jane to get my fix. Inspired by Trinidad’s lively carnival celebration, Carnivale is a creamy coupling of Caribbean mango, whipped musk and vanilla, making it a delicious pick up for the season. I discovered this one last May and wore it every day until the start of September—no exaggeration. You’d think it’d be tooth-achingly sweet, but it’s the opposite. To me, it smells like biting into a soft, ripe mango on a hot summer day, while the juices flow down your chin and onto your clean shirt. Which, between you and me, is how I spend my summer days anyway. To my dismay, there aren’t many mango perfumes on the market, but this one does the vibrant fruit justice.

Fast Facts

• Top Notes: Caribbean mango, jasmine, nectar
• Middle Notes: amber, ginger, whipped musks
• Base Notes: golden pimento, creamy sandalwood, vanilla
• Fragrance Family: fruity
• Sizes: 0.34 oz, 1.7 oz

You can never have too many coconut scents during the summer. Can you? Our in-house shopping expert and Associate Editor Natalie LaBarbera is a fan of this one from By/Rosie Jane. “[Missy] is light enough that I can wear it all day and the coconut scent is subtle but definitely summery!” A fresh solar with notes of green mandarin, pineapple and coconut, Sephora shoppers can’t stop gushing about the tropical vibes radiating from this perfume. It’s a must-have summer item in their eyes, and I’m not arguing.

Fast Facts

• Top Notes: ocean mist, green mandarin, pineapple
• Middle Notes: orange blossom, frangipani petals
• Base Notes: toasted coconut, whipped musk, sandalwood
• Fragrance Family: fresh
• Sizes: 0.33 oz, 1.7 oz

Still searching for a summer-appropriate gourmand? Look no further than this sweet treat from Juliette Has a Gun, which is a standout favorite of one of our staffers. “It's the perfect combo of gourmand sweetness yet still light,” says Assistant Editor of Branded Content, Madeline Merinuk. “It really does live up to the name and smells like a strawberry shake, but isn't too in-your-face or artificial-smelling. A perfect graduation for vanilla girlies who want something a little more sophisticated.” Not saccharine or excessively in your face, its scent notes include wild strawberry, whipped cream, vanilla and creamy musk. I’ve also given this one a sniff and can attest to that light sweetness that still draws your attention. Give it a try, and you can thank us later.

Fast Facts

• Top Notes: wild strawberry
• Middle Notes: whipped cream, ice cream cone, orange blossom
• Base Notes: vanilla absolute, creamy musk
• Fragrance Family: gourmand
• Sizes: 0.25 oz, 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz

From Rihanna’s seductively sweet staple to Beyoncé’s warm-and-spicy signature scent, Kilian Paris has a range of top-shelf fragrances loved by many—including the stars. But to me, their most underrated pick of the litter is their line of reimagined Eau Fraiche’s crafted to be worn during warmer seasons. Two summers ago, I stumbled across Princess Eau Fraiche during my usual browsing through Sephora’s new arrivals. Truthfully, it felt like I’d hit the summer fragrance jackpot.

The original Princess, a dreamy blend of green tea, marshmallow and ginger—which smells like an edible cloud—has been my go-to for years with several empty bottles to prove it. But it’s not exactly something you’d want to wear in 90-degree heat. Princess Eau Fraiche, however, isn’t too far off from the skin-enhancing scents we’ve been seeing popping up recently. It still has that faint sweetness like the original, but the ginger note is swapped out for a lemon-tinged bergamot, making it fresh and light, rather than sweet and spicy. TBVH, it almost smells sweat-like, but in a good way (if there is one). Trust me, this one deserves all the praise and more.

Fast Facts

• Key Notes: bergamot, green tea, marshmallow
• Fragrance Family: gourmand
• Sizes: 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz (refill)

Noteworthy has a long list of summer-approved scents, but Crescendo is a personal favorite of LaBarbera, even for year-round wear. “It's so unique and doesn't feel artificial at all (something that bothers me with a lot of perfumes). It's a bit floral but the sandalwood really stands out too!” Citrusy, flowery and woody to boot, Crescendo will have you singing its praises of elegance and freshness as you sport it during even the worst summer days.

Fast Facts

• Top Notes: bergamot oil, mandarin oil
• Middle Notes: pear blossom, peony, jasmine sambac
• Base Notes: sandalwood oil, vanilla
• Fragrance Family: floral
• Sizes: 0.27 oz, 0.54 oz, 3.30 oz

Fresh, radiant and reminiscent of frolicking through a poppy field is this sheer floral eau de parfum from Glasshouse Fragrances. “It's super bright and has that languid summer smell of flowers in the heat,” reports Wu. Satisfied shoppers also spoke to the fragrance’s lasting power, claiming it lasts in the summer heat for hours without being too strong or sweet. With notes of blackcurrant, fig, hydrangea and wild poppy, you’ll want to spritz the sunny floral scent all summer long.

Fast Facts

• Top Notes: blackcurrant, fig, lemon verbena
• Middle Notes: wild poppy, violet, lavender, hydrangea
• Base Notes: white musk, sheer powder
• Fragrance Family: floral
• Sizes: 1 oz