Fancy A Spritz? These Are The Fragrances Scenting Our Summer

Call it a seasonal identity crisis, but summer has a tendency to make you embrace sides of yourself that sit dormant at other times of the year. Suddenly you’re ordering citrus spritzes, wearing linen you’ve ignored for eleven months and convincing yourself you’re destined to frolic along the Amalfi Coast. Whether or not that fantasy turns into reality (or is reserved for your FOMO-inducing FYP), fragrance lets the fun live on. From zesty orange aromas to velvety vanilla scents, there’s always a wondrous potion for you to play with. So, we’ve done the honours and rounded up the best bottles to keep you smelling delicious till the first autumn leaves fall. Let’s find your summer signature. Sheraz Zingraff

DIPTYQUE – EAU DES SENS

Sweltering in the city’s summer heat can be a glamourless experience. Luckily, Diptyque’s latest perfume puts you one spritz away from a sensory escape to a shimmering water garden. Blossoming orange trees meet the fresh tones of juniper berry and patchouli in Eau des Sens. The bottle comes adorned in a limited-edition, mosaic-inspired design featuring Venetian enamels, ceramic tiles and petals drifting above tranquil water. With a scent so transformative and a bottle to treasure, it’s a necessary indulgence for the sun dappled months. Discover more here. SZ

LOUIS VUITTON – AFTERNOON SWIM

Vitals check! We’re deep into mimosa and tanning season, so anyone lacking in Vitamin C deficiency needs an urgent, juicy rescue. Louis Vuitton’s zesty new concoction gives just that kick of energy to do the job, with an added twist of bergamot and mandarin. A whiff of its vibrant punch will send waves washing over your skin and plunge you into an ocean of the senses. Notes of ginger and orange accompany the citrus mist, grounded by a rich, creamy layer of ambergris. A California-inspired cocktail of zingy bliss, this cologne is the olfactory equivalent of a spontaneous sun-drenched surf followed by a refreshing beach-side cocktail. Cop yours here. SZ

GUCCI – FLORA GORGEOUS ORCHID

Florals shouldn’t just be reserved for spring when they’re just as radiant in summer. Creamy vanilla orchid blends with a velvety dark cocoa, embraced in salty ozonic heart notes, creating a gourmand scent in Gucci’s Flora Gorgeous Orchid Eau de Parfum Intense. The richest concentration of scent across the Flora collection to date, the harmonious blend uplifts and inspires, mirrored by a campaign that features Miley Cyrus bathing in a pool of petals. Delicate blooms magnify the woody trail of vanilla orchid, creating the perfect balance of rounded sweetness and salty kick. Miley buys herself flowers, so why can’t you? Discover more here. SZ

CHANEL – COCO MADEMOISELLE CRUSH ABSOLU 

If femininity had an olfactory poster child, Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle would be it. Blending a bouquet of fruity notes with a warm, amber depth, the house explores a new facet of the fragrance’s spirit with Coco Mademoiselle Crush Absolu. The rich composition invites the wearer to be confident, enhanced with the sensuality of vetiver and vanilla. Pops of grapefruit and lychee sweeten the scent before melting into the softness of rose and jasmine. This captivating aroma will turn heads and leave a lasting impression. Released on August 19, check out this bottle of irresistible allure here. SZ

VYRAO – EVER 11

Science geeks, this one is for you. Marking the world’s first wellbeing brand that blends energetic healing with master perfumery, Vyrao’s newest scent, Ever 11, combines 40 years of mood-mapping and scent-emotion research with modern neuroscience. In turn, this magical potion is a proven shortcut to boosting confidence by 97 per cent, and will turn too-good-to-be-true sceptics into enduring believers. In terms of what is smells like Ever 11 is a fruity, floral essence that stirs together black cherry, pink pepper, rose and peony before melting into a warm base of leather, vanilla, tonka bean and patchouli. It’s a gender-neutral fragrance that reveals your most unapologetic self – consider this your daily dose of bottled bravado. Shop yours here. SZ

MATIÈRE PREMIÈRE – VANILLA POWDER 

Deliciously moreish, Matière Première’s Vanilla Powder is rooted in sumptuous notes of Madagascan vanilla absolute. The creamy blend contrasts with Palo Santo wood and is enveloped in white musk. Playing its signature game, the French perfume house has harnessed a single natural ingredient (vanilla, in this case) and amped it up its dosage to reveal its deepest, full-bodied textures. It’s perfumery in its most considered form. Delve a little deeper here. SZ

AMOUAGE – ELSEWHERE

Penning a mythical story, Amouage’s recent release recalls the story of Sindbad, a sailor who embarked on a treacherous quest to rescue a Princess. On his voyage, Sindbad finds the Fragrance of Life, a magical substance with the power to cast away evil. When the Oman Royal Opera opened its doors with the same story, they requested Amouage create a scent to echo this tale. Now, the fragrance goes by another name – Elsewhere. Possessing an enveloping glow of soothing honey, it wraps cardamom in a swirl of apricot and mango with a zesty hit of ginger and tangerine. Black tea, davana and a cappuccino accord infuses a distinct musk, whilst a delectable sweetness takes over with, paved with notes of vanilla. A spellbinding blend that speaks to a story of love and heroism, discover more here. SZ

LOEWE – AIRE SUTILEZA ELIXIR  

Loewe has just launched Aire Sutileza Elixir as part of its Botanical Rainbow Elixir collection. A more concentrated version of the original Aire Sutileza, it reinterprets the rejuvenating scent with a denser composition of essential oils. Equal parts fruity and musky, it pops with notes of pear, bergamot and lemon before blossoming into a bouquet of orange flower, jasmine sambac and magnolia. Loewe unifies its collection of six Elixirs with a resonant Spanish Rockrose note, amplifying the perfume’s underlying musk of vetiver and sandalwood. This artisanal spritz feels like a breath of fresh air. Take a deep breath in here. SZ

ROJA LONDON – ISOLA COLLECTION

A summer haze is a feeling we would love to bottle up. Luckily, Roja London’s newest fragrance collection has done just that, keeping the holiday alive by looking to various sun-drenched destinations for inspiration. Featuring a quartet of scents, each is designed to transport you to a different island getaway, peppered with blue horizons and lush tropical landscapes. Named Isola Blu, Oceania, Isola Sol and Isola Verde, each perfume bottles up different summery scents including sparkling citrus, creamy coconut and sugary notes of guava, melon and mandarin. Transport yourself to paradise here. SZ

PERFUMER H – BERGAMOT

Bergamot, otherwise coined the jewel of all citruses, is getting its time in the spotlight with this new zesty Perfumer H fragrance. The limited edition release is fused with Sicilian lemon and frankincense, whilst warm clove widens the rich profile alongside juniper wood and Venezuelan tonka bean. Lively and bright, a sprinkle of lavender brings in an extra touch of romance to the sophisticated aroma. Discover more here. SZ

DIOR – JASMIN DES ANGES

Don’t want summer to end? Don’t fret because Dior have it bottled up and ready to spritz. Mirroring that wonderful experience of feeling the warm rays on your skin, the house’s Jasmin des Anges fragrance (directly translated to Jasmine of the Angels) feels like a gift from from the heavens. Concocted by renowned French perfumer and perfume creative director at Parfums Christian Dior, Francis Kurkdjian, the fragrance harnesses seasonal blooms like jasmine flora and mixes them with notes of sweet strawberry and juicy peach. Good enough to eat, discover more here. Alice Lana Turnbull 

HERMES – UN JARDIN SOUS LA MER

In late spring, I was sent a bottle of Hermès‘ Un Jardin sous la Mer (which translates as ‘a garden under the sea’) and have been happily spritzing it every day since. Naturally, therefore, it needed a place on this list. I gravitate to woody fragrances so didn’t expect to like it quite as much as I did but Christine Nagel, Hermès’ in-house perfumer has created a scent, (built on mineral notes and Tiare the national flower of French Polynesia), that gets inside your head. Lightly salty, delicately floral and fresh, it also has a warmth that reminds one of drying off in the sun after a refreshing swim in the sea. One spray and you’ll be instantly transported. It’s like a mini break in a bottle. Claudia Croft

LE LABO – SHUI 25 BEIJING

No holidays? No problem. Why not add to your parfum passport instead and transport yourself to Beijing with Le Labo’s Shui 25. Part of the brand’s programme where it will drop a scent in one city first before making it available globally, the scent is inspired by Shui, the Ho tree known for its elemental offerings of balance and inner peace. Shui 25 is an homage to the time-honoured practices and spaces of Beijing. Patinaed wooden floors and hidden gardens inspire a scent of meditative iris and olibanum, resting over heady roots of earthy woods. Take a deep breath in and find inner peace here. ALT 

Balenciaga – Cristóbal

Top image: photography courtesy of Gucci.

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