A Step-By-Step Guide to Choosing Your Signature Summer Scent

What does it do Heat What do you smell? Salty sea air? Fresh, farmer’s market produce? SunscreenTo me, it’s a blend of all the nostalgic, warm weather scents. If you close your eyes, you can probably transport yourself back to a past summer with just one whiff.

This is because the part of your brain that processes memory is right next to the part that processes smell. If you take it a step further, you can hack this cognitive process by intentionally creating scent cues for yourself. For example, wearing a specific perfume at work will signal to your brain that it’s time to gear up. Productivity (Hack the hustle-culture that the bros won’t tell you.)

How to Find Your Favorite Summer Scent

As a self-proclaimed individual Obsessive ResetI do everything in my power to make every season (or era, if you prefer) feel brand new. That means changing up my daily routine, such as my wardrobe, Care of skinAnd my scent. When I sense a new season or vibe coming on, I find a scent that matches it. And there’s nothing I love more than summer scents. I gravitate toward vanilla, and because I’m a summer baby, all the best summer scents connect with me.

But with new boutique fragrance brands emerging every day—vibrating with the classics for a place in my summer scent tapestry—I have a wealth of options. To sort out the best scent mists, I contacted Ines Guen, VP of Operations at fileSo that helps us choose the best summer fragrances.

Guinan’s final piece of guidance? “Don’t be afraid to experiment!” Fragrance should be fun—just like summer!

Ines Nguyen

Ines Nguyen is the Vice President of Global Operations at Dossier Perfumes. Previously, Nguyen was the Business Development Coordinator at Le Labo Fragrances.

What is the best scent for summer?

“I think everyone wants to be a more playful, lighter version of themselves during the summer months,” says Guinan. The best summer fragrances reflect this more carefree version—one whose mind is more about spending time at the beach, not managing it Mental Lists,

From fun, girly florals to sweet summer scents, there’s a special fragrance for everyone. Even if you’re drawn to the earthier, heavier fragrance profiles that thrive in winter, Guyon confirms: There’s a fragrance for you. “If you love deeper ‘winter’ scents, there’s nothing that says you can’t wear them year-round!”

Understanding the Meaning of Fragrance Notes

It all starts with understanding the notes of a fragrance. “Top notes are the first scent you smell when you first apply it. Middle notes, or heart notes, appear after the top notes have evaporated and tend to linger for several hours. Finally, base notes are the last scent you smell and they tend to last the longest. Base notes provide depth and richness and help stabilize the top and middle notes.”

For a summer fragrance, balance lighter top notes with earthy or rich base notes. “Once you understand these notes, you can choose fragrances that complement each other.” This will also help you experiment with layers of fragrance.

Summer 2024 Fragrance Trends

Some tried-and-true notes are common to many of the best summer fragrances, says Guinan. “Most people prefer fragrances that are light, fruity and sunny, appropriate for the summer season,” she says. “They are also drawn to fragrances with prominent notes of vanilla during the summer months. We’ve also seen a resurgence in the popularity of fruity and gourmand fragrances.”

Key fragrance trends influencing summer fragrances for summer 2024. “Over the past two years, we’ve seen a surge in the popularity of genderless fragrances. Consumers no longer want to be tied down to gendered scents when it comes to their perfumes.”

Tips for finding your summer scent

Summer fragrances should be personal. They should reflect your own intentions for the season. And you should be excited to spray them on your skin in the morning. To find out which scent works best for you, check out the common ingredients in your favorite fragrance. My ideal situation is to smell like bonfires and s’mores. That’s why all of my summer fragrances include vanilla, brown sugar, caramel, and something woody.

Experiment with layering

Another way to create a fresh summer scent is to layer fragrances. “Layering fragrances is a great way to create a scent that’s unique to you,” says Nguyen. “The easiest way to layer fragrances is to combine complementary notes. For example, combine a floral scent with a fruity scent or a woody scent with a spicy scent to create a complex and interesting scent.”

Pro-tip: Just like with skincare, proceed from lightest to heaviest. “Apply your fragrance from lightest to strongest to ensure the scent blends well and lasts all day.”

Read the Labels

“No matter what your budget or fragrance preference, always choose a fragrance that is made with quality ingredients and follows strict guidelines,” says Guienne. “At Dossier, we make all of our perfumes in Grasse, France, from only the highest quality ingredients. We also follow strict US and UE guidelines to ensure our products are ethical, sustainable, and most importantly, non-toxic.”

Best Summer Fragrances for 2024

The main fragrance families include amber, aquatic, aromatic, citrus, floral, fougere, fruity, gourmand, green, musky, powdery, spicy and woody, Ahead, discover the best summer fragrances for every scent type—and let’s find your signature summer scent.

Sky

This alluring fragrance family is rich and spicy. Are you looking for a sensual, warm scent? Look for notes of amber, spices, resins and wood. For summer, these are often combined with vanilla and bright fruit extracts

Aquatic

Dive into this immersive fragrance family. Just because aquatic scents are watery and fresh, don’t mistake them for boring. They’re refreshing and intense – perfect for summer days at the beach, pool or boat (seemingly).

aromatic

Herbal and fresh, the scent family this plant comes from includes basil, chamomile, lavender, mint, mugwort, peppermint, rosemary, sage, star anise, and thyme. They tend to be grassy and earthy, and in summer, often sweet and romantic.

Citrus

Summer is the season for citrus fruits. Immerse yourself in the scent of these invigorating citrus fruits all summer long and feel fun, fresh, and bubbly.

Flowers

Floral trends never go away. For summer, think light flowers like jasmine, tuberose, orange blossom and white roses. Get ready to bloom.

Fougere (fresh)

Fougeres or fresh perfumes are rarely used, but they make a huge difference. Perfect for summer, they are clean and fresh, leaving your skin smelling bright and energetic.

Fruit

Peak season fruits in a bottle. These naturally derived sweet scents are never cloyingly sweet – they’re always juicy and alluring.

Gourmand (sweet)

Gourmand comes from the French word for “glutton.” Enjoy these rich, sweet, food-inspired scents. Pro tip: I like to balance these with something earthy or spicy.

Green

Waking up to the sound of a lawnmower? No. But the smell? Tell me. Pungent and vegetal, they’re fresh, light, and cool like cucumbers.

Musky

A subset of the amber family, musk is a warm and rich scent inspired by our natural scent. They add a layer of personalization and sophistication to any fragrance you pair it with.

churmura

Like clean linen and baby powder or immersive scents like musk and iris, powdery fragrances are more about influence than any specific note. It’s an all-encompassing fragrance family that often combines intense floral notes with unexpected hints of musk, vanilla and amber. When paired with an amber, spicy or woody scent, they make a heady combination.

spicy

Bright, exciting and warm, spicy scents are great for summer – in light doses. I especially love these for adventures like city days and spontaneous nights out. Find a scent that blends spice with sweetness and fresh, natural notes.

Woody

Bonfires are best lit in the summer. So, of course, wood scents can pervade the warmer months, too. Instead of reminding you of a fireplace, they feel more like sitting by a fire pit or basking in the fresh air of a forest. Instead of winter woods like santal and hinoki, gravitate toward matcha and blonde woods for summer.