Summertime is a lovely time. The temperatures are rising and most likely, you’ll have your summer break. During this wonderful time, you can wear a great quality niche fragrance, but what are the best summer niche fragrances for women?
What Are Niche Fragrances And What To Look For In A Summer Niche Fragrance
Officially, a niche fragrance is a fragrance that isn’t sold everywhere. However, most people see a niche fragrance as a high-quality, more expensive fragrance. And that’s the description we’re going with.
When you’re looking for a great summer niche fragrance, you should look for a fresh fragrance. During the summer, the temperatures are higher, and there’s a good chance the humidity is too. Therefore, you wouldn’t want to wear a sweet, gourmand fragrance, as high temperatures make those sweet fragrances appear even stronger. And you most certainly don’t want to stand out like that.
Instead, you should go for a fresh fragrance. There are many different types of fresh fragrances, but the most popular ones are citrusy fragrances, floral fragrances, or fruity fragrances. These types of fragrances usually have a refreshing and inoffensive scent, perfect for the summer.
Below are some of the nicest summer niche fragrances for women, in no particular order. These fragrances range from fruity to citrusy, to floral, so there should be something for everyone!
1. Tom Ford Eau De Soleil Blanc
Scent: Tom Ford Eau De Soleil Blanc is a fantastic fragrance with a creamy, sweet, and floral scent. This fragrance opens with a blast of white florals, supported by citrusy notes. In the background, you can notice a hint of creamy, sweet coconut. This coconut note adds a tropical-like vibe to the fragrance, blending in perfectly with the white florals. The dry down of this fragrance adds a sweet note of vanilla, which leaves you with a tropical floral fragrance with a slight resemblance to the best-smelling suntan lotion.
Notes: The top notes of Tom Ford Eau De Soleil Blanc are pink pepper, neroli, caraway, citron, petitgrain, cardamom, bergamot, pistachio, and bitter orange. The middle notes are galbanum, ylang ylang, tuberose, jasmine, and orange blossom. The base notes are benzoin, tonka bean, amber, vanilla, and coconut.
Best for: Tom Ford Eau De Soleil Blanc has a beautiful, tropical scent, which works perfectly with those warm summer days. The florals, combined with the coconut, create such a pleasant and inoffensive scent, that you can honestly wear this whenever you’d like. It’s great as a casual fragrance, but it also works nicely as a formal fragrance as well. This would also be a great fragrance to wear to an outdoor party. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
2. Xerjoff Erba Pura
Scent: Xerjoff Erba Pura is a truly stunning fragrance with a smooth, fruity, and citrusy scent. This fragrance opens with a fruity, citrusy scent of lemon and oranges. Quickly after, you can start to notice more fruity notes, creating a tropical-like vibe. When this fragrance starts to dry down, notes of amber and vanilla come forth, providing the fragrance with a warm and sweet undertone. Overall, you get a truly stunning fragrance with an absolutely gorgeous, fresh, and fruity scent.
Notes: The top notes of Xerjoff Erba Pura are lemon, bergamot, and orange. The middle notes are fruits and the base notes are amber, vanilla, and white musk.
Best for: Xerjoff Erba Pura is a beautiful fragrance with a fresh, fruity scent, perfect for the summer. This fragrance is a fantastic fragrance that you can wear whenever you’d like. With such a masterpiece, it’s hard to go wrong. This fragrance is great for casual wear, and it’s luxurious enough for formal wear. It works wonders during the day, and it works wonders during the night. And, it should be noted, that this fragrance comes in what could be the most beautiful bottle on the market. It has a blue velvet cover and beautiful shape and cap. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
3. Parfums De Marly Delina
Scent: Parfums De Marly Delina is a beautiful fragrance with a fruity scent of rose. This fragrance opens with a fruity, sweet scent with some floral notes in the background. The sweetness in this fragrance is done in a very refreshing way, making it inoffensive. After a little while, the note of rose makes itself known, blending in perfectly with the sweet and tropical fruits. Nearing the dry down, this fragrance becomes a little sweeter, leaving you with a warm scent of rose.
Notes: The top notes of Parfums De Marly Delina are nutmeg, litchi, bergamot, and rhubarb. The middle notes are musk, vanilla, petalia, peony, and Turkish rose. The base notes are incense, cedar, vetiver, and cashmeran.
Best for: Parfums De Marly Delina is a fantastic fragrance to wear all throughout the summer. This fragrance would make for a fantastic signature summer fragrance, as it works in pretty much every occasion. It is playful enough for everyday casual wear, but also luxurious enough for formal wear. You could even wear this fragrance when you’re working out as well. There really is no going wrong with this fragrance. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
4. Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge
Scent: Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge is a gorgeous fragrance with a fresh scent of white florals. This fragrance opens with a strong scent of jasmine, supported by some citrusy notes and some spices. This creates a very interesting and fresh scent with a somewhat powdery feel. After a little while, you can notice the yellow floral note of ylang ylang, which adds a new layer of depth to the fragrance. When this fragrance dries down, it becomes a little creamier, leaving you with a slightly sweet, musky scent of jasmine.
Notes: The top notes of Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge are orange, bergamot, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, and ginger. The middle notes are clary sage, broom, jasmine, neroli, and ylang ylang. The base notes are woody notes, leather, amber, labdanum, and vanilla.
Best for: Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge is a fantastic fragrance that you can wear all year long. The creamier dry down makes it work with the colder seasons, and the overall floral scent makes it perfect for the warmer seasons. During the warm summer days, this fragrance makes for a fantastic casual fragrance, during both the day and the night. However, there’s also this luxuriousness to this fragrance, making it a fantastic formal fragrance as well. In short, you can’t really go wrong with this one. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
5. Byredo Bal d’Afrique
Scent: Byredo Bal d’Afrique is a beautiful fragrance with a very happy scent of fruits. This fragrance opens with a wonderful scent of sweet fruits, done in a very airy manner. After a little while, some floral notes make themselves known. The base of this fragrance has a warm, slightly woody scent to it, making for an overall fruity, sweet, and warm summer fragrance. Earlier I mentioned an airiness in this fragrance. This is present all throughout the fragrance, so even though it has a sweet scent, it is done in a very light way.
Notes: The top notes of Byredo Bal d’Afrique are blackcurrant, tagetes, African orange flowers, lemon, and bergamot. The middle notes are cyclamen, jasmine, and violet. The base notes are cedar, vetiver, musk, and amber.
Best for: Byredo Bal d’Afrique is such a fantastic fragrance to wear during the summer. This fragrance has such a lovely vibe around it that it instantly takes you to happy times. Such a scent, combined with the fruity scent makes for a fantastic summer fragrance. During the summer, this fragrance works perfectly as a casual daytime fragrance. It also works great when you’re going to some type of outdoor party as well. If you’re interested in this happy-smelling fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
6. Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Forte
Scent: Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Forte is a great fragrance with a very fresh, citrusy scent. This fragrance opens with an incredibly nice scent of neroli, which has a citrusy, slightly floral scent. This fresh scent will stay there for the remainder of the fragrance, only to be accompanied by some fresh spices and florals. These spices and florals only add to the freshness, leaving you with what some consider to be the best neroli-based fragrance. This is a true masterpiece!
Notes: The notes of Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Forte are bergamot, orange blossom, neroli, galbanum, basil, musk, woody notes, lavender, blood orange, and leather.
Best for: Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Forte has such a fantastic, fresh scent that perfectly fits in with the warm summer days. The fresh citruses, combined with the florals create a scent that’s perfect for everyday casual wear. This is also a fragrance that works perfectly in the office as well, as it has a luxurious and refreshing scent. In short, this fragrance is perfect for the warm summer days and will work wonders in any situation. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
7. Escentric Molecules Molecule 01
Scent: Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 is an incredibly unique fragrance, as it doesn’t really have a particular scent. This fragrance is made up of one listed note, Iso E Super, which, when worn, creates a very fresh, musky, woody scent. This fragrance is very subtle, yet also strong, which gives it a very refreshing and overall clean scent. The word clean is probably the best way to describe this fragrance. Clean, neutral, and inoffensive. A truly unique fragrance and also a great compliment getter.
Notes: The only listed note of Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 is Iso E Super.
Best for: Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warm summer days. This fragrance is clean and inoffensive, while also providing you with a gorgeous scent. This creates for a very interesting dynamic, as you can’t really smell this fragrance, but you do get the occasional whiff of it. The clean and inoffensive nature of this fragrance allows it to be worn whenever you’d like, both casually, as well as formally. This is a fantastic fragrance for a woman who herself is unique as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
8. Creed Virgin Island Water
Scent: Creed Virgin Island Water is a gorgeous fragrance with a boozy, cocktail-like scent. This fragrance opens with a citrusy scent, supported by the note of coconut. Added to this is the note of white rum, providing the fragrance with a fresh booziness and giving it the scent of a fresh mojito. Over time, other fresh notes are added, such as floral notes and ginger. This leaves you with a tropical, boozy, and overall fresh fragrance with a crowd-pleasing and refreshing scent.
Notes: The top notes of Creed Virgin Island Water are bergamot, mandarin, coconut, and lime. The middle notes are hibiscus, ylang ylang, jasmine, and ginger. The base notes are sugar cane, musk, and white rum.
Best for: Creed Virgin Island Water is a fantastic fragrance to wear during those warm summer days. This fragrance has such a fresh and laid-back scent that it’s perfect for casual everyday wear. Whether you’re going to the beach, or just hanging out with friends, this fragrance will make sure you smell the best. However, there’s also a luxuriousness to this fragrance, making it work nicely in a formal setting as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
9. Zoologist Perfumes Chameleon
Scent: Zoologist Perfumes Chameleon is a fantastic fragrance with a unique, tropical, beachy scent. This fragrance opens with a very fruity, but also warm scent. This immediately creates a tropical feeling and sets the perfect tone for this fragrance. Over time, you can start to notice some floral notes, as well as the note of sea salt, which adds a refreshing ‘breeze’ to the fragrance. The house of Zoologist Perfumes creates fragrances modeled after habitats of certain animals, and with this fragrance, they’ve done a fantastic job!
Notes: The top notes of Zoologist Perfumes Chameleon are pink pepper, mango, violet leaves, ylang ylang, star fruit, lemon, and bergamot. The middle notes are jasmine, sea notes, frangipani, skin, coconut, sea salt, clove, saffron, and cashmeran. The base notes are patchouli, vetiver, opoponax, vanilla, musk, sandalwood, amber, and woody notes.
Best for: Zoologist Perfumes Chameleon is a fantastic fragrance with a unique and very interesting scent. Zoologist Perfumes fragrances are modeled after habitats of animals, but they’re made in such a way that they’re also wearable. With this fragrance, you get a stunning, tropical scent, perfect for those warm, summer days. This fragrance works best in a casual setting, however, you can pull it off formally as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on the official Zoologist website!
10. l’Artisan Parfumeur Bana Banana
Scent: l’Artisan Parfumeur Bana Banana is an incredibly interesting fragrance, as it’s one of the few fragrances with a scent of banana. This fragrance opens with a strong, powdery scent of banana. This banana scent will stay there for a while, only to be supported by some floral notes. Nearing the dry down, the banana scent starts to fade away, making room for a warm, ambery scent. This ambery dry down is supported by the note of tonka bean, making for a warm, slightly creamy finish.
Notes: The top notes of l’Artisan Parfumeur Bana Banana are violet leaves, mace, and pepper. The middle notes are banana flower, iris, and jasmine. The base notes are amber, musk, and tonka bean.
Best for: l’Artisan Parfumeur Bana Banana is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer months. This fragrance has a tropical scent of banana, which fits in perfectly with the warmer days. During these warmer days, this fragrance is best worn as a casual daytime fragrance. Although it most certainly can work in the office, it does feel a bit out of place. However, if you’re confident enough, you can wear this wherever you’d like. Overall, this is a fantastic fragrance for a daring woman who wants to smell different, but still great. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
11. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540
Scent: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 is a beautiful fragrance with a cotton candy-like scent. This fragrance opens with a very sweet, yet still breathable scent. Added to this is the note of saffron, blending in perfectly with the sugary sweet scent. This sweet scent will continue on for a long while. Only nearing the dry-down will it take a more woody posture. Although this fragrance is described as very sweet, it is actually very inoffensive and easy to wear!
Notes: The top notes of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 are saffron and jasmine. The middle notes are ambergris and amberwood. The base notes are cedar and fir resin.
Best for: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 is a fantastic fragrance with a luxurious, breathable scent. This fragrance is unlike most other summer niche fragrances, as it has a sweet, woody scent with a luxurious and successful scent. Therefore, this fragrance works perfectly in a formal situation, however, you can also wear this to any casual event as well. When you wear this fragrance, you’ll come across as confident and sure of yourself, so how can you go wrong with this one? If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
12. Nasomatto Narcotic Venus
Scent: Nasomatto Narcotic Venus is a fantastic fragrance with a very strong floral scent. This fragrance opens immediately with a blast of white florals. This scent is supported by some spices, which creates a somewhat mysterious scent. When you smell this fragrance, you’d find that it has a very fitting name, as it has a somewhat intoxicating scent. Overall, you get a very strong and deep scent of white florals with a mysterious and truly feminine scent.
Notes: The notes of Nasomatto Narcotic Venus are lily, jasmine, tuberose, and spices.
Best for: Nasomatto Narcotic Venus is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer months. The strong floral scent of this fragrance fits in perfectly with those lively, warm seasons. Despite the floral scent being quite thick, it actually smells very refreshing and is definitely inoffensive. This allows this fragrance to be worn both casually, as well as formally. With this fragrance, however, you do need to watch your sprays, as too many sprays of this one can become offensive. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
How Many Summer Fragrances Do You Need
In theory, owning one summer fragrance is enough. However, smelling the same all summer long can become a bit boring. So although one is enough, it is recommended you own multiple summer fragrances.
How many you want to own is up to you, but the more you have, the more you can switch things up. And, of course, not every summer fragrance has to be a niche fragrance. I wrote another article all about the best summer fragrances for women, both niche and designer, which you can find here!
However, a summer niche fragrance will certainly be the star in your summer fragrance collection. With their high-quality and gorgeous scents, you truly have a masterpiece. However, a niche fragrance is quite expensive. Instead of purchasing a full bottle, you can opt for a fragrance decant. A decant is basically a smaller bottle, filled up with the original fragrance. This way, you can try out a small amount of the fragrance without having to pay for a full bottle. If you’d like to learn more about fragrance decants, where to purchase them, and how they’ll save you money, you can read this article I wrote here!
In the end, it’s up to you how many summer fragrances you want. It is recommended to own multiple, and not every one of them has to be a niche fragrance. However, a niche fragrance will be noticeably nicer. I’d recommend you take a look at the summer niche fragrances above and decide which one would work best on you!