The best summer fragrances capture the essence of sun-kissed skin, warm breezes, and dreamy beachside escapes—bottling the very spirit of the season in a single spritz. As we shed spring layers in favor of breezy linens and gauzy dresses, our fragrance wardrobes deserve the same seasonal refresh. Think airy florals, luminous citrus, and marine notes that evoke golden hour walks, rooftop soirées, and summer Fridays. This is the season to embrace perfumes that don’t overwhelm but rather float on the skin, enhancing your natural allure with every warm breeze. Whether chasing sunsets or simply the sun, a well-chosen summer scent can become the invisible accessory that defines your warm-weather aesthetic.

“When I think of summer, I’m instantly drawn towards a carefree, good mood, and I want my fragrance to further enhance that,” Nordstrom’s beauty director Autumne West tells Vogue. “I gravitate towards a light scent without feeling weighed down.”

Vogue’s Favorite Summer Fragrances

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Linda G. Levy, president of The Fragrance Foundation adds that tropical and fruit always seems synonymous with summer. “There have been a lot of fruit forward scents introduced that are just right for summer from bananas and mangoes to pear,” she notes—listing options such as Killian’s Sun Kissed Goddess an exemplary aroma. Or, stick to classic beach-y scents like Chanel Chance and Maison Francis Kurkdjian Amyris Femme that have proven to never go out of style. Whatever your speed, there is a summer fragrance for you—from salty and citrusy, to musky and floral. Ahead, a look at the best 2025 has to offer, with picks from our experts and Vogue editors.

Best Raspberry: Chanel Chance Eau Splendide

• Why We Love It: When Nordstrom’s beauty director, Autumne West, forecasted that Chanel’s latest fragrance would become the summer scent, she wasn’t merely speculating—she was calling it. Now, as temperatures rise, so too does the unmistakable presence of Eau Splendide. From sweeping hand-painted murals in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to endlessly reshared posts on beauty TikTok, the fragrance is fast becoming a seasonal signature. Crafted by master perfumer Olivier Polge, Eau Splendide opens with a radiant burst of raspberry accord—crisp, juicy, and unmistakably playful. As it settles, delicate notes of rose geranium and violet bloom into focus, grounded by a soft whisper of woody musk. The effect? Fresh, flirtatious, and effortlessly modern.
• Key Notes: Raspberry accord, rose geranium, violet, white cedar, musk accord

Best Summer Gourmand: Tom Ford Vanilla Sex

• Why We Love It: Far from a cloyingly sweet scent, Vanilla Sex leans more sensual (as you may have surmised from the name) and is anything but heavy (compared to its wintery counterparts) thanks to anamalis accord. A blend of vanilla absolute and vanilla tincture from India (higher oil concentrations of the scent) mingles for a deeper interpretation of the ground mandarin. Meanwhile, sandalwood blends with a bouquet of white florals to add a layer of freshness.
• Key Notes: Vanilla tincture India, vanilla absolute, sandalwood essence, jasmine absolute, orris accord, animalis accord

Best Sea Salt: Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne

• Why We Love It: Easily one of the most sought-after colognes ever, Wood Sage & Sea Salt is is worth stocking up on year after year. Fans of the scent rave about its genderless appeal—not too masculine, nor too feminine, meaning this fresh marine, yet woody blend of ambrette seeds, sea salt, and sage can be delightfully appealing to virtually anyone.
• Notes: Ambrette seeds, sea salt, sage

Best Citrus: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Amyris Femme Eau De Parfum

• Why We Love It: Topping our list for the best perfumes for women, Amyris Femme becomes especially wearable in the summertime. Here Francis Kurkdjian pairs Jamaican amyris with Florentine iris for a fruity, feminine, yet crisp scent that’s irresistibly fun and undeniably alluring.
• Notes: Pear, sweet pea, amyris, lemon blossom, iris

Best Ethereal: Parfums de Marly Valaya Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: Described as cloud-like, Nwasike describes Valaya as heaven on earth in a bottle. “This floral-fruity composition opens with a sweet, bright burst of peach, aldehydes, and bergamot. Soon after, soft white florals bloom against a backdrop of musk, creating a clean, satin-like sensation on the skin. It’s a versatile fragrance that feels joyful—and signature scent-worthy,” she previously told Vogue.
• Key Notes: Bergamot, mandarin, white peach, orange flower, nymphaea, vetiver, musk

Best Tropical Fruit: Vilhelm Parfumerie Mango Skin Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: If Levy says mango scents will be all the rage in summer, that’s your cue to pick up a bottle of Vilhelm Parfumerie’s Mango Skin. This smells like taking a bite of the ripest, juiciest fruits (cue the blend of mango and blackberry, seasoned with a hit of black pepper) for mouthwatering results. To add to the already delicious assortment, a scent trail of patchouli with a light whiff of florals. “Most of my scent preferences skew more autumnal, but Mango Skin is a summery exception for me,” says Vogue’s beauty shopping writer, Conçetta Ciarlo. “The sweetness in this scent is fresh like sliced fruit rather than saccharin and artificial, and the mix of pepper and patchouli make this perfume feel more grown up.”
• Key Notes: Blackberry, mango, black pepper, wild orris, black lotus, jasmine, patchouli, vanilla, pink sugar

Best White Floral: Kilian Sunkissed Goddess

• Why We Love It: Despite its already-impressive fragrance portfolio, Kilian’s Sunkissed Goddess has quickly become my favorite of the bunch. “It’s the scent of summer, the scent of happiness,” is how founder Kilian Hennessy puts it—introducing his take on Polynesian Monoi Oil. Here, perfumer Calice Becker creates a warm, lively, long-lasting aroma that only gets better the more you wear it. Dare we say, like your skin but better?
• Notes: Ylang-ylang essence, tiare flower, coconut, Guaic wood, cistus labdanum

Best Unisex: Le Labo Neroli 36 Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: Vogue’s senior fashion writer Cortne Bonilla never holds back—especially when asked about her perfume proclivities. Without hesitation, Bonilla’s go-to summer scent for her and her husband is Le Labo’s Neroli 36, for its high-end, luxurious sunscreen reminiscent fragrance. “I make my husband James buy a new bottle every summer, because we both wear it daily throughout the season,” she tells Vogue. A bright citrusy scent, orange blossom and mandarin blend with musky notes for a clean yet beachy scent.
• Notes: Mandarin, calone, orange blossom, salt crystal, watermelon, jasmine, neroli, musk, tonka bean, vanilla

The Editors’ Pick: Merit Retrospect L’Extrait de Parfum

• Why We Love It: Soft, clean, and highly concentrated best describe Merit’s fragrance. Subtle white florals blend with a nuanced base of musk, vanilla, and moss for a second skin sent that boasts up to 12 hours of wear. Ever since launching back in October, many Vogue editors took immediate notice—just play a game of “eye spy” around the office of Vogue HQ, and it won’t be hard to spot several Merit perfume bottles at the ready for spritzing, displayed with pride on desks.
• Key Notes: Bergamot, pear, ambrette, aldehydes, jasmine, rose, rosemary, violet, orris, vanilla, musk, moss

Best Floral Musk: Phlur Solar Power

• Why We Love It: While Phlur’s most popular scents—Vanilla Skin and Heavy Cream—provoke intense debate on BeautyTok, their floral musk remains underrated. Cheekily named Solar Power, the your-skin-but-better fragrance is inspired by a salty, sun-drenched day at the beach. The key notes in question? Orange blossom wrapped in musk and sea salt for a comfortingly warm result.
• Notes: Italian red mandarin, bergamot, jasmine absolute, neroli, orange flower, driftwood, musk, sea salt

Best Aloe Vera: Vacation After Sun Eau de Toilette

• Why We Love It: Vacation has a thing for making hit products and their accompanying aromas. Following the hit Vacation eau de toilette that bottled the brand’s signature sunscreen scent, Vacation introduced After Sun—the sent of its acclaimed After Sun Gel. Composed by perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux, this brings together notes of aloe vera essence, green tea verjus, iced cucumber water, and cardamom absolute for a fun take on the just-dipped perfume.
• Notes: Aloe vera essence, green tea verjus, iced cucumber water, cardamom absolute

Best Tuberose: Diptyque Do Son

• Why We Love It: Vogue’s social media associate manager, Carolina Gonzalez is a born and bred Miami native—needless to say, she knows a thing about summery scents growing up in the sunshine state. Her perfume of choice? Diptyque’s Do Son,
  known for evoking a blend of white florals, gently carried by a salty sea breeze. “It’s so fresh,” Gonzalez tells Vogue. “It’s not one of the notes per se, but it reminds me of biting into a perfectly ripe fig on a hot summer day.”
• Notes: Tuberose, orange blossom, jasmine, amberwood

Best Sexy Floral: Narciso Rodriguez Musc Noir Rose For Her Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: “Musc Noir by Narciso Rodriguez is a fabulous sexy floral,” Levy previously told Vogue, making it the perfect choice to spritz before a date on a summer evening. Opening with a burst of rich plum, the scent is a edgier, more sensual interpretation of the original For Her fragrance by Rodriguez. The perfume dries down to an array of pink pepper, bergamont, and soft rose. It also happens to be a favorite of Vogue’s senior beauty writer Kiana Murden.
• Key Notes: Plum, pink pepper, bergamot, musk, rose, tuberose, vanilla

Best Spicy Citrus: Courrèges Seconde Peau Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: Looking for a perfume that’s fabulous on its own, but also plays well with other scents for layering? Vogue’s beauty editor at large, Arden Fanning Andrews, won’t gatekeep—she’s opting for a spice-forward citrus fragrance from Courrèges. “I’m considering being that chic person who layers for summer. One of my go-tos in rotation for summer is Courrèges’s Seconde Peau (my favorite of the brand’s fragrance line)—it’s a spicy option,” she says.
• Key Notes: Lemon, mint, osmanthus infusion, cyprespins, pine, vetiver

Best Sultry Rose: Matiere Premiere Radical Rose Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: This Matière Premier’s perfume is a spice-forward floral far more unique than a classically sweet, flowery fragrance. “Radical Rose” is a dark, sultry rose featuring rich saffron, patchouli, and pepper notes. It boasts incredible longevity,” says Nwasike, adding that it lasts up to 12 hours and leaves behind an intoxicating scent trail.
• Key Notes: Chili pepper berries, saffron, rose centifolia absolute, patchouli

Best Crisp Citrus: Tom Ford Costa Azzurra Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: Everyone’s been gushing online about the appeal of the European summer—which calls to mind Tom Ford’s Costa Azzurra, which is an aromatic take on the waves crashing along the Mediterranean coast. Fresh and crisp, woody and a bit citrus-y, this smells of salt sea air, cypress, and lemon in a way that can instantly transport you across the Atlantic—whether you’re actually traveling this summer or not.
• Notes: Cypress, lemon, oakwood

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