Summer is a lovely time with lots of fun activities. One easy way to enhance the overall summer vibe, even more, is to wear a beautiful, summer-appropriate, niche fragrance. But what are the best summer niche fragrances for men?
What To Look For In A Summer Niche Fragrance
Fragrances are wonderful accessories to spice up your appearance. However, not every fragrance is created equally. Some fragrances are best worn during the cold, wintery days, whereas others are created for the warm, summer days. Here’s what you should look for in a summer fragrance.
During the summer, the temperatures are high and there’s a good chance the humidity is high as well. Therefore, you shouldn’t wear a strong, sweet fragrance. Those would be offensive and out of place. Instead, go for a fresh fragrance with a citrusy, aquatic, or green scent. These fit in perfectly with the season and won’t be offensive.
A fresh, citrusy scent, for example, can give you and the people around you a refreshing boost without you coming off as ‘that guy’. However, there is one downside to these fresh fragrances. Usually, a fresh fragrance doesn’t last too long. Luckily, we’re discussing niche summer fragrances, meaning they’re of higher quality. Most of the fragrances on this list do last quite a while, while also having a fresh and inoffensive scent.
Deciding which fragrance works well in the summer isn’t the hardest part. There are thousands of different summer fragrances. Below are some of the best summer niche fragrances for men, in no particular order!
1. Le Labo Bergamote 22
Scent: Le Labo Bergamote 22 is a gorgeous bergamot fragrance with a fresh and slightly woody scent. This fragrance opens with an extremely realistic scent of citruses, and this scent will continue throughout the fragrance. It’s fresh, it’s zesty, and overall fantastic smelling. After a little while, you can start to notice a very subtle touch of woods, however, you’ll mainly get this bergamot scent from the opening. This fragrance is known for being one of the best bergamot fragrances and with good reason.
Notes: The notes of Le Labo Bergamote 22 are petitgrain, grapefruit, amber, musk, vetiver, and bergamot.
Best for: Le Labo Bergamote 22 is one of the finest bergamot fragrances on the market. With its fresh and inoffensive scent, you have a fantastic niche fragrance for the summer. This fragrance can be worn all throughout the day, in both casual and formal occasions. It’s simple, it’s elegant, and it smells luxurious, all while being a bergamot-based fragrance. Overall, this is a true masterpiece.
2. Roja Dove Elysium
Scent: Roja Dove Elysium is a fantastic fragrance with a citrusy, woody scent. This fragrance opens with a fresh scent of grapefruit and other citruses. There’s also a soft hint of florals detectable here as well. The citrusy scent will stay for the remainder of this fragrance, but it does change a bit over time. In the dry down, you can get hints of woods, as well as vetiver. These provide the fragrance with a woody and green scent, adding to the overall freshness. In the end, you have a gorgeous smelling fragrance with a luxurious and fresh scent.
Notes: The top notes of Roja Dove Elysium are lemon, bergamot, grapefruit, lime, lavender, thyme, artemisia, and musk. The middle notes are lily of the valley, may rose, jasmine, apple, and blackcurrant. The base notes are galbanum, pink pepper, cypriol, vetiver, cedarwood, juniper berry, benzoin, vanilla, labdanum, leather, ambergris, and musk.
Best for: Roja Dove Elysium is an incredible fragrance with a fresh and elegant scent, perfect for the summer. This fragrance is always a fantastic one to go for when its warm outside. It works great when worn casual, but it is quite expensive. Therefore, you might want to wear this on special occasions. This fragrance is elegant, luxurious and likable, making it fit in any situation possible. It’s the perfect fragrance for the established gentleman.
3. Tom Ford Costa Azzurra
Scent: Tom Ford Costa Azzurra is a beautiful fragrance with an aromatic, woody scent. This fragrance opens with a slightly warm and salty scent. This is quite a unique scent combination, but it really works nicely. After a little while, you can start to notice some citruses, providing the fragrance with a fresh scent. The base of this fragrance adds some woods, as well as a slightly sweet scent. This makes for a unique fragrance with a warm and fresh scent at the same time. Truly a stunning release from Tom Ford.
Notes: The top notes of Tom Ford Costa Azzurra are celery seeds, ambrette, oud, cardamom, driftwood, and seaweed. The middle notes are mandarin, lemon, lavender, artemisia, myrtle, and juniper. The base notes are vetiver, vanilla, incense, oak, olibanum, and mastic.
Best for: Tom Ford Costa Azzurra is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the colder summer days. Although this fragrance is also very fresh, there’s a warm, woody accord to it which makes it better for those cooler summer days. The warmth also makes this fragrance work perfectly at night as well. Overall, this is a very versatile fragrance and you can honestly wear this fragrance whenever you’d like.
4. Xerjoff Nio
Scent: Xerjoff Nio is a gorgeous citrus fragrance with some green nuances. This fragrance opens with a wonderful scent of bergamot and neroli, providing you with a fresh, orange-like scent. Added to this is a really nice, green scent. This citrusy, green scent will stay like that for a while, only to be accompanied by some spicy notes. The dry down mainly keeps the citrusy, green scent, but the spices are a nice addition, along with the note of amber, giving the fragrance an ever so slight warmth.
Notes: The top notes of Xerjoff Nio are neroli and bergamot. The middle notes are cardamom, nutmeg, pink pepper, green leaves, cedar, and guaiac woods. The base notes are vetiver, patchouli, and amber.
Best for: Xerjoff Nio is a fantastic citrusy fragrance with a gorgeous and likable scent. Although it smells incredible, it does smell a bit subdued, making it come across as more of a skin scent. This can be quite intriguing, as only the people close to you get the true, wonderful scent of this fragrance. This softness also makes this fragrance more versatile, as it becomes way less offensive. Overall, this is an incredibly nice and versatile summer fragrance.
5. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Celestia Forte
Scent: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Celestia Forte is a gorgeous, citrusy, and fresh scent. This fragrance opens with a sweet, yet very bright and fresh scent. After a little while, you can start to notice a green scent, however, this is done in such a way that it doesn’t smell overly green. Along with the green scent are some sweet fruity notes, as well as a musky base. Overall, you’re left with an incredible fragrance with a gorgeous, fresh, and overall likable scent.
Notes: The top notes of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Celestia Forte are lemon, petitgrain, mint, and lime. The middle notes are hedione, lily of the valley, jasmine, mimosa, and blackcurrant blossom. The base note is musk.
Best for: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Celestia Forte is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the very warm summery days. This fragrance has such a refreshing scent that fits in perfectly with those warm, high humidity days. During those warmer days, this fragrance is great for both casual, as well as formal wear. One of my personal favorite times to wear this fragrance is when I’m out on a boat or somewhere near water. It really works for me there.
6. Creed Silver Mountain Water
Scent: Creed Silver Mountain Water is a very soothing fragrance with a green and citrusy scent. This fragrance opens with a slightly citrusy scent, but you mainly get a nice scent of tea and blackcurrant. The combination of tea en blackcurrant creates a fruity, slightly sweet, and calming, soothing scent. The note of tea is known to add such an effect to fragrances, and this is no exception. The base of this fragrance adds a musky, woody scent, however, this is mainly perceived as a lightly cold-feeling scent. This leaves you with a fresh, cold, and soothing fragrance that smells incredible.
Notes: The top notes of Creed Silver Mountain Water are bergamot and mandarin. The middle notes are green tea and blackcurrant. The base notes are galbanum, musk, sandalwood, and petitgrain.
Best for: Creed Silver Mountain Water is quite a unique fragrance, but that doesn’t hinder it from being worn whenever you’d like. This fragrance has such a likable scent, you just can’t really go wrong with it. It’s great for casual wear, its great for formal wear, and so on. Due to the cold scent, this fragrance excels in the warmer temperatures, so even on an extremely hot day, this fragrance will work fine for you.
7. Atelier Cologne Pomelo Paradis
Scent: Atelier Cologne Pomelo Paradis is a gorgeous, citrusy grapefruit fragrance. This fragrance opens with a bright, citrusy scent, consisting of a slightly sweet mandarin and a bitter, fresh grapefruit. This citrusy scent is the main star in this fragrance and will continue on all throughout the scent. After a little while, though, you can start to notice some floral notes, which mainly give off a green smelling scent. This green scent is also enhanced by the base note of vetiver, but ultimately, the citruses are the strongest in this fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Atelier Cologne Pomelo Paradis are blackcurrant, mandarin, and pink grapefruit. The middle notes are mint, orange blossom, and Bulgarian rose. The base notes are iris, vetiver, and amber.
Best for: Atelier Cologne Pomelo Paradis is a true, crowd-pleasing fragrance with an easy to wear scent. This fragrance works wonders when worn during the day, during pretty much every occasion. It’s great for casual wear and safe enough for formal wear. However, there’s something to this fragrance that makes it work really nicely during the summer nights as well. In the end, you have an extremely versatile summer fragrance with a huge compliment factor.
8. By Kilian Vodka On The Rocks
Scent: By Kilian Vodka On The Rocks is a fantastic fragrance with a crisp, fresh, and slightly boozy scent. This fragrance opens with a crisp, cold, and fresh scent. Because vodka doesn’t really have a scent, this fragrance mainly focusses on the freshness of the ice, as it’s supposed to be a vodka on the rocks. This icy, cold scent, combined with some fresh spices creates a great representation of vodka on the rocks, all the while smelling incredibly nice and appropriate. Overall, this is a refreshing and slightly boozy fragrance that just smells incredible.
Notes: The top notes of By Kilian Vodka On The Rocks are aldehydes, cardamom, and coriander. The middle notes are lily of the valley, rhubarb, and pink rose. The base notes are sandalwood, ambroxan, and oakmoss.
Best for: By Kilian Vodka On The Rocks is a great daytime fragrance to wear all throughout the summer. With its likable and approachable scent, you can easily wear this all throughout the summer days. However, the boozy, crisp scent also works great during the summer nights. Imagine wearing this fragrance during a casual beach party. It will work wonders. Overall, this fragrance is extremely versatile and with its unique scent, you truly have something special.
9. Creed Millesime Imperial
Scent: Creed Millesime Imperial is a rich fragrance with a fruity, salty scent. This fragrance immediately opens with this fruity, salty scent. You can get a nice scent of melon mixed with some sea salt, creating this aquatic, marine-like scent. After a little while, some citruses make themselves known, adding to the freshness. The base of this fragrance adds a slaty scent of musk, as well as some oceanic notes. This only enhances the gorgeous scent of fruits and salt. There’s also a hint of woods in the dry down, which mainly serves as a nice base.
Notes: The top notes of Creed Millesime Imperial are sea salt and fruity notes. The middle notes are bergamot, lemon, mandarin, and iris. The base notes are musk, woody notes, and sea notes.
Best for: Creed Millesime Imperial is an extremely elegant, rich, and overall fresh fragrance. This makes this fragrance not only perfect for daytime wear, but it also makes it work great for any formal occasion. This fragrance screams class but is also playful. These two factors add so much versatility to this fragrance that it almost makes it a must-have. The only downside is that there are mixed reviews about the longevity of this fragrance. Nevertheless, it smells absolutely gorgeous.
10. Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Forte
Scent: Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Forte is a fantastic fragrance with a refreshing, citrusy scent. This fragrance opens with an extremely fresh scent, consisting mainly of a citrusy, neroli scent. With notes of bergamot, orange blossom, and neroli, you get such a refreshing, almost soapy scent which only becomes better once more notes are added. Notes like basil, leather, and musk really add another layer of depth while retaining the freshness. Overall, this is a true masterpiece, and, for a neroli fragrance, it actually smells somewhat unique.
Notes: The notes of Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Forte are bergamot, orange blossom, neroli, galbanum, musk, basil, lavender, leather, blood orange, and woody notes.
Best for: Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Forte is a fantastic daytime fragrance to wear during the summer. With its refreshing and inoffensive scent, there really is no going wrong with this fragrance. Not only does this fragrance smell gorgeous, but it also lasts for quite a long while, which is rare for citrusy fragrances. Overall, this fragrance smells great and is really versatile. It can be worn all summer long.
11. Byredo Bal d’Afrique
Scent: Byredo Bal d’Afrique is an incredibly nice fragrance with an overall happy scent. This fragrance opens with a fruity, fresh scent with some sweet nuances. After a little while, you can start to notice some florals, as well as some woods. These florals blend perfectly with the fruits in the opening, providing you with this scent that is both fresh and sweet. The base of this fragrance has the note of black amber, which adds a warm and long-lasting base. Overall, this fragrance smells gorgeous. If a bright orange sunset had a scent, this would be it.
Notes: The top notes of Byredo Bal d’Aqrifue are bergamot, lemon, neroli, African marigold, and bucchu. The middle notes are violet, jasmine, and cyclamen. The base notes are black amber, musk, vetiver, and Moroccan cedarwood.
Best for: Byredo Bal d’Afrique is a fantastic summer fragrance that is perfect for daytime wear. This fragrance is inoffensive and really likable, making it a great choice to throw on on a normal, casual day. This fragrance is also quite playful, making it work great on any daytime party. Overall, you get a very versatile and happy smelling fragrance that you just can’t go wrong with.
12. Creed Erolfa
Scent: Creed Erolfa is a fantastic aquatic fragrance with a fresh and likable scent. This fragrance opens with an explosion of watery fruits, along with some florals. This creates a very interesting scent, consisting of many different notes. After a little while, you can start to notice some fresh spices, ones you’d find in a summery cocktail. And that’s the perfect way to describe this fragrance. It smells like a warm, summery day on the beach, with a tasty cocktail next to you, while still being classy.
Notes: The top notes of Creed Erolfa are bergamot, lemon, orange, violet, cumin, basil, rosemary, and melon. The middle notes are cyclamen, jasmine, ginger, coriander, and pepper. The base notes are cedarwood, sandalwood, moss, amber, and musk.
Best for: Creed Erolfa is such a great summer fragrance due to its aquatic and likable scent. This fragrance isn’t really overpowering, but it does its job just right. It makes you smell fantastic while still being classy. That’s also the reason why this fragrance is so nice for any formal occasion, as it provides you with this luxurious aura. However, it also works wonderfully for casual daytime wear as well.
Should You Purchase A Summer Niche Fragrance
Owning a nice summer fragrance is definitely an essential for every man. A summer fragrance should be fresh and inoffensive, and luckily, there are many that fit that description. However, to make things even more interesting, you could go for a summer niche fragrance.
Niche fragrances are known to be of higher quality, with more intriguing and unique scents. This uniqueness especially comes into play for summer fragrances, as most summer fragrances can be quite similar. With a summer niche fragrance, you will stand out from the rest.
On the other hand, a niche fragrance can be quite expensive. This is something that can deter many people away from these amazing creations. Luckily, there is a way to get your hands on these fragrances for a little cheaper. The way to do this is to purchase fragrance decants. A decant is basically a smaller bottle, usually 5ml or 10ml, filled up with the original fragrance. This way, you can purchase just a little amount and see how you like it before committing to a full-sized bottle. If you’d like to learn more about decants, where to purchase them, and how they’ll save you money, you can read this article I wrote here!
Overall, niche fragrances are fantastic to have. They’re of high quality, have unique scents, and smell great. You do pay a higher price, but you also get a much better product. I’d recommend you take a look at your current collection and see which of these summer niche fragrances would fit in perfectly!