I kept meaning to post this sooner, but I’ve been lazy enjoying summer. If you’re looking for something to compliment summer, here are my suggestions:

Tropical/Beach Scents

The perfumes that smell like the beach or at least make you feel like a glamorous beach bum. 

Arielle Shoshana EDP – This is a passion fruit fragrance so that already comes across as tropical. For me, it reminds me of summer drinking batido de maracuyá. Retails for $125 at Arielle Shoshana. Review here.

Oribe Côte d’Azur EDP – This isn’t the usual beachy scent that’ll smell like a piña colada. But, it does smells beachy with its notes of citrus, jasmine and a fig-like sandalwood. It smells like their haircare products (and I only use the products for their smell!). Retails for $105 on Amazon.

Marc Jacobs for Her – You’ll notice I’ve thrown in some “boring” mainstream perfumes, but I’ve been revisiting designer stuff this year. One that I’ve personally been wearing this summer, is this gardenia. It’s a fresh, clean white floral. It wears really nicely in heat and humidity. Retails for $90 at Sephora. Review here.

 

 

 

Mandatory Citrus

But, for people that usually don’t like citrus perfumes. 

Escentric Molecules Molecule 04 EDT – Javanol is the main player in this fragrance. That’s a synthetic sandalwood that’s sort of steamy and tropical-y. So, why did I include it in the citrus category? Because, there’s a crisp grapefruit that is also a star player in this composition. This has been one of my favorite citrus perfumes for someone that doesn’t usually citrus. Retails for $150 at Osswald.  Review here. 

Art de Parfum Gin & Tonic  – I love this stuff because it actually smells like a G&T: lime and tonic water. Retails for $135 at Indigo Perfumery. Review here.

Comme de Garcones Library Series Soda – They’re back! Could this be one of the best things to have happened in 2017?! Anyway, Soda is a citrus with ginger that has a soda-like effervescence. Retails for $95 at Beautyhabit.

 

 

Cool, Fresh Scents

Summer brings out the grossest smells (especially in NYC with mass transit, garbage,etc.) and I like to counteract this funkiness with aggressively fresh, clean scents. 

Hugo Boss HUGO – I just revisited this men’s “cologne” from the 90’s and was really surprised by it. It’s a cool apple mojito paired with mountain evergreens. It’s a good choice for cool/fresh for those that like fragrances that have been marketed as traditionally masculine. It can be found for dirt cheap at discounters like Perfume.com. Review here.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Celestia – This is a minty fresh fragrance that is bittersweet (forest fruits and mimosa) with an overdose of fancy laundry musk. Retails for $205 at Osswald.

Raw Spirit Mystic Pearl – This is a clean aquatic floral with lots of jasmine. It’s cool and fresh without smelling like minty mouth wash. Retails for $90 on Amazon. Full review. 

 

 

Gourmands for Summer

These are the sort of gourmands that won’t suffocate you even on the days that you’ll melt if you go outside.

Acqua di Parma Mandorlo di Sicilia  – This is root beer float and almond that’s light enough for summer wear. Retails for $105 at Sephora.

Lili Bermuda SunKiss – This is a new perfume by this Bermuda-based perfumery. It smells like a really excellent orange cream pop that opens with bitter citrus and dries down to a modern woodsy, vanilla. Retails for $65 at Lili Bermuda.

Paco Rabanne Olympea – I was so surprised by this perfume. It’s like sea breeze, carnival sweets and old school tanning lotion. I don’t know if it was meant to be this weird, but it’s delightfully weird. Retails for $75 at Sephora. Full review.

Date Night – Feminines

Here are a few special or “evening” scents for those that prefer more “traditionally” feminine scents.¹

Gallivant Tel Aviv  – I really fell for this cool floral because of the realistic freesia. It’s a really pretty, carefree fragrance. Retails for $95 at Indigo Perfumery. Full review.

Amouroud Dark Orchid – I usually don’t include “heavy” scents in my summer guide, but this one works. It’s a little bit of everything: plum, patchouli, creamy white florals. I think of it as a goth beach scent. It’s tropical but it’s dark. Wear this for when you’re feeling the drama. Retails for $200 at Osswald. 

Phlur Hanami – I love how this is a soft, cuddly scent which may sound like too much in summer, but it’s not. It has fig and sandalwood and wears gauze-like. Retails for $85 at Phlur. Full review.

Date Night – Masculines

Here are a few special or “evening” scents for those that prefer more “traditionally” masculine scents.

Mancera Aoud Violet – I think of this as a modern Dior Fahrenheit, so yeah, I think it’s sexy. Retails for $160 on Amazon.

Chanel Platinum Égoïste – I don’t care how basic this makes me, but the other day it was hot and humid and I smelled this on a guy on the train. It really improved my commute. This stuff just knows how to work in the heat. It’s aggressively clean and I love it for this. Retails for $75 at Nordstrom.

Ramón Béjar Sanctum – Raw resins like myrrh smell so amazing in summer heat. Sanctum is a church-y incense that really lifts in the mugginess of a humid (NYC) summer. Retails for $295 at Osswald. Full review.

¹Of course, that’s just marketing and you all know that you can wear whatever you want!

Need more suggestions? Here’s my Summer Picks 2016. 

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