Summertime is a lovely time. The weather is nice, nature is alive again, and you probably have your summer break. Pair this with a great fragrance, and you’re set for an unforgettable summer. Luckily, a summer fragrance doesn’t have to break the bank. But what are the best cheap summer fragrances for women?
What To Look For In A Summer Fragrance
During the summer, the weather has gone back to being nice and warm again. With warmer weather also comes higher humidity. These are two important factors when looking for a great summer fragrance.
During the summer, you don’t want to wear a very sweet fragrance, as the warmth will make them appear stronger and offensive. Instead, you should look for a fresh and clean fragrance. The best types of summer fragrances usually are citrusy, aquatic, or even soapy. These types of fragrances have refreshing and inoffensive scents, which work wonderfully during the summer.
A great summer fragrance also doesn’t have to be expensive. There are so many fantastic fragrances out there, and some are priced very low while still smelling great. Below are some of the best cheap summer fragrances for women, in no particular order.
1. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue
Scent: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue is one of the best-known summer fragrances for women, and with good reason. This fragrance has a beautiful scent of sparkling fruits and florals. This fragrance opens with a happy scent of fruits, supported by an aquatic undertone. After a little while, you can start to notice some floral notes, adding a clean vibe to the fragrance. The base adds a salty scent of musk, as well as a woody scent. This leaves you with an aquatic, fruity, floral fragrance with some woody nuances.
Notes: The top notes of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue are lemon, cedar, apple, and bellflower. The middle notes are jasmine, white rose, and bamboo. The base notes are cedar, musk, and amber.
Best for: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue is one of the best summer fragrances to own. This fragrance has a clean and safe scent, while not being boring. This allows this fragrance to be worn in a casual setting, but also allows it to be worn in the gym or even in the office. Whenever you decide to wear this fragrance, you’ll be sure to smell fantastic and appropriate. Besides its versatility, this fragrance has an overall happy and uplifting vibe to it. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
2. Philosophy Pure Grace
Scent: Philosophy Pure Grace is a fantastic fragrance with a fresh, clean, and soapy scent. This fragrance opens with a very clean scent of soapy lavender. You can also notice a citrusy undertone, giving the impression of Ivory soap. After a little while, you can notice a hint of florals, as well as a musky base. Although this fragrance doesn’t change much over time, it smells incredible. It’s clean and fresh and very appealing. This fragrance smells like how you want your skin to smell all the time.
Notes: The notes of Philosophy Pure Grace are bergamot, water lily, jasmine, musk, and lavender.
Best for: Philosophy Pure Grace is an incredibly nice fragrance with a clean and soapy scent. This scent is very inoffensive, making it perfect for every single occasion out there. It’s great for a casual daytime fragrance, but it also works wonders in the office or even when you’re working out. This fragrance smells like a beautiful soap, which won’t ever be offensive. Instead, this fragrance will get you a bunch of compliments. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
3. Davidoff Cool Water
Scent: Davidoff Cool Water is a true classic with a beautiful scent of fruits and florals, backed by an aquatic undertone. This fragrance opens with a strong aquatic scent, along with a bunch of fresh fruits. After a little while, you can start to notice many different floral notes, as well as a subtle sweetness. The dry down of this fragrance is a bit warmer, but you still mainly get an aquatic scent of fruits and florals. This is a true classic, loved by many.
Notes: The top notes of Davidoff Cool Water are melon, lily, calone, blackcurrant, lotus, quince, lemon, and pineapple. The middle notes are lily of the valley, water lily, rose, jasmine, lotus, hawthorn, and honey. The base notes are vetiver, musk, raspberry, peach, sandalwood, vanilla, violet root, and blackberry.
Best for: Davidoff Cool Water is a staple in many summer fragrance collections. This fragrance does everything right when it comes to a warm-weather fragrance. It’s fresh, it’s noticeable, it’s clean, and it’s inoffensive. This allows this fragrance to be worn pretty much all of the time. It works great casually, but it also works great in a formal setting, and you can even wear it when you’re working out. There really is no going wrong with this one. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
4. Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic
Scent: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic is a beautiful fragrance with a fresh and herbal scent of mandarin. This fragrance immediately opens with s sweet scent of mandarin, supported by green and herbal notes. The opening also has a note of green tea, which has a soothing effect on a fragrance. When this fragrance starts to dry down, you can notice a nice scent of basil, as well as a few florals. The base of this fragrance adds a nice touch of warm woods, strengthening the overall scent.
Notes: The top notes of Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic are bitter orange, green tea, ivy, orange blossom, and clementine. The middle notes are basil, mandarin, peony, and chamomile. The base notes are amber and sandalwood.
Best for: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic is a fantastic warm-weather fragrance, as it’s fresh, as well as inoffensive. This fragrance would work great in any casual setting. Something like an outdoor gathering or just a walk in the city would be a great time to wear this fragrance. It also works nicely in a formal setting as well, so you can wear this to the last few weeks in the office. This fragrance also has a luxuriousness to it, despite it being fairly affordable. If you’re interested, you can check out the current price over here on Amazon!
5. Calvin Klein Eternity Aqua
Scent: Calvin Klein Eternity Aqua is a fantastic fragrance with an aquatic scent of fruits and cucumber. This unusual scent of cucumber can immediately be noticed in the opening. Alongside the note of cucumber is a note of apple, which works really nice with the aquatic opening. When this fragrance starts to dry down, you can notice some floral notes. In the base, you can find some woody notes, but these mainly serve as a strengthening factor, as you won’t really notice a woody scent.
Notes: The top notes of Calvin Klein Eternity Aqua are apricot, peony, red apple, and cucumber. The middle notes are Tiare flower, magnolia, gardenia, and jasmine. The base notes are musk, cedar, and woody notes.
Best for: Calvin Klein Eternity Aqua is a gorgeous warm-weather fragrance with quite an unusual scent. Not many fragrances utilize the note of cucumber, so when you’re wearing this, you’ll smell unique and great. And luckily, there are many occasions where you can wear this fragrance. It works great as a casual daytime fragrance, but also as a formal fragrance or even one to wear when you’re working out. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
6. Jil Sander Sun
Scent: Jil Sander Sun is a beautiful fragrance with a sweet and creamy scent. This fragrance opens with a sweet, suntan lotion-like scent. At first, this can be a bit strong, but it quickly settles down. When it has settled down a bit, you can notice some floral notes, as well as some fruity notes. However, you mainly get a beautiful, sweet scent with a very creamy nature. This creates an almost tropical-smelling scent that, although sweet, smells very summery.
Notes: The top notes of Jil Sander Sun are cassis, lemon, bergamot, rosewood, African orange flower, and fruity notes. The middle notes are rose, orris root, heliotrope, lily of the valley, carnation, and ylang ylang. The base notes are styrax, tobacco leaves, amber, vanilla, benzoin, patchouli, sandalwood, and musk.
Best for: Jil Sander Sun is a fantastic summer fragrance for women who don’t want to wear the usual fresh, aquatic scents. Instead, this fragrance has a sweet and creamy scent that works perfectly in a casual setting, during both the day and during the warm evenings. This fragrance has a sweetness to it which allows it to be worn in those cool evenings. Besides casual daytime wear, you can also wear this to a semi-formal event as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
7. Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina
Scent: Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina is a beautiful fragrance with a sweet and creamy scent of rose. This fragrance opens with a very noticeable scent of pepper, supported by a fruity, sweet scent of berries. After a little while, you can start to notice many different floral notes, where the note of rose stands out above the rest. The base of this fragrance is where the creaminess comes forth. With notes of pannacotta and patchouli, you get a sweet, creamy dry down, which blends in great with the florals.
Notes: The top notes of Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina are redcurrant and pink pepper. The middle notes are peony, rose, and jasmine. The base notes are pannacotta, patchouli, and musk.
Best for: Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina is a great warm-weather fragrance, even though it is on the sweeter side. This fragrance works great as a casual daytime fragrance, but the sweetness also makes it work great during the night as well. You could even wear this to a date if you’d like. One thing to know about this fragrance is that it does smell pretty youthful, so it might work better with younger women. In any case, it’s a fantastic fragrance and if you’re interested, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
8. Alfred Sung Shi
Scent: Alfred Sung Shi is a beautiful fragrance with a soothing, aquatic scent. This fragrance opens with a watery, fresh scent, supported by the soothing note of rice. This rice note provides the fragrance with a unique and different scent. When this fragrance starts to dry down, you can notice some citruses, as well as a floral touch. Nearing the base, you can notice a very soft, green scent, but mostly, you’ll have a beautiful, soothing, aquatic scent. It even has a soapy vibe to it as well.
Notes: The top notes of Alfred Sung Shi are mandarin, rice leaves, and water lily. The middle notes are orange blossom and frangipani and the base notes are musk and birch leaves.
Best for: Alfred Sung Shi is a fantastic fragrance with an interesting scent. This fragrance takes the aquatic genre and gives it a unique twist, providing you with a versatile, great-smelling summer fragrance. This fragrance can easily be worn as an everyday casual fragrance and it works especially well when you’re going to the beach. Something about this fragrance just resonates with the beach. Besides casual wear, you can also wear it formally as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
9. Paul Smith Rose
Scent: Paul Smith Rose is a beautiful fragrance with a fresh scent of rose. This fragrance opens with a very fresh scent of rose, supported by a soothing note of tea. There’s also the note of violet, which provides the fragrance with a powdery touch. Still, though, the scent of rose is by far the most prominent note in this fragrance. Although supported by other notes, the best way to describe this fragrance is to call it a fresh, herbal scent of a beautiful rose.
Notes: The top notes of Paul Smith Rose are rose, green tea, and violet. The middle notes are magnolia and Turkish rose. The base notes are cedar and musk.
Best for: Paul Smith Rose is a fantastic fragrance to wear all summer long. This fragrance has a lovely scent of fresh rose, which works great in pretty much every situation imaginable. It’s a perfect fragrance to just wear casually on a relaxed Sunday morning, but it also works great in the office. This fragrance is just a fantastic one to wear when you’re feeling great and relaxed, as it perfectly fits those feelings. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
10. Elizabeth Arden Green Tea
Scent: Elizabeth Arden Green Tea is a fantastic fragrance with a scent of green tea and citruses. This fragrance opens with a strong scent of lemon, supported bu some other citruses, as well as mint. This lemon scent will fade away over time, revealing the scent of green tea. Over time, you can also notice a few florals here and there, as well as some green notes. But, overall, you mainly get a scent of lemon, mixed with green tea, which was to be expected, considering the name of this fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Elizabeth Arden Green Tea are lemon, bergamot, orange peel, mint, and rhubarb. The middle notes are white amber, oakmoss, jasmine, fennel, musk, and carnation. The base notes are celery seeds, jasmine, green tea, musk, oakmoss, cloves, amber, and caraway.
Best for: Elizabeth Arden Green Tea is a fantastic fragrance with a fresh, soothing scent. This makes it work great with those warm, summery days. During these warm days, this fragrance works perfectly as a casual daytime fragrance. Its scent is refreshing and inoffensive, perfect for pretty much every occasion. You could also wear this to the office as well if you’d like. There really is no going wrong with this one, as long as you watch your sprays. The lemon in the opening can be quite strong sometimes. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
11. Calvin Klein CK One
Scent: Calvin Klein CK One is a true classic with a clean and fresh scent. This fragrance opens with a very clean scent without any outstanding notes. Still, you get a beautiful scent that leans neither too masculine nor too feminine. You can actually notice some fruity notes, as well as some floral notes, all of which work together to create a wonderful, clean, and safe scent. And that might be the best way to describe this fragrance. Nothing over the top, but just a great, easy to wear fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Calvin Klein CK One are bergamot, papaya, lemon, mandarin, cardamom, pineapple, and green notes. The middle notes are nutmeg, violet, orris root, jasmine, lily of the valley, rose, and freesia. The base notes are sandalwood, amber, musk, cedar, oakmoss, green tea, and green accords.
Best for: Calvin Klein CK One is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer months. This fragrance has a clean and inoffensive scent that just works perfectly every time you wear it. In all honesty, this fragrance is nothing too special, nor will it get you many compliments, but it just makes you smell great and inoffensive. This would be the perfect lazy morning fragrance that you throw on to smell great, but not too ‘out there’. If you’re interested in this clean and safe fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
12. Versace Bright Crystal
Scent: Versace Bright Crystal is a fantastic fragrance with a floral and aquatic scent. This fragrance opens with a fresh scent of fruits, along with an aquatic undertone. This aquatic undertone will stay there for the remainder of the fragrance, but the fruits disappear quite quickly. Instead, you get a beautiful scent of soft and clean florals, creating a fresh and inoffensive scent. The base of this fragrance adds a subtle sweetness, in the form of amber, but nothing too overpowering.
Notes: The top notes of Versace Bright Crystal are yuzu, pomegranate, and watery notes. The middle notes are peony, lotus, and magnolia. The base notes are amber, musk, and mahogany.
Best for: Versace Bright Crystal is a fantastic warm weather fragrance, as it’s clean, inoffensive, and fresh. The aquatic and floral scent makes this fragrance work great as a casual daytime fragrance. However, the clean and inoffensive nature of this fragrance also allows it to be worn in the office as well. Overall, you get a great-smelling fragrance with a clean, inoffensive, and overall safe scent of florals and aquatics. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
13. Salvador Dali Laguna
Scent: Salvador Dali Laguna is a great fragrance with a bright, sweet, and somewhat fresh scent. This fragrance opens up really sharp with a bunch of different fruits. Luckily, this quickly settles down to a more balanced scent of fruits, supported by some floral notes. This fragrance utilizes many different fruity notes, which all come together to create a very sweet scent. This sweetness is later on supported by notes such as vanilla and amber. Still, though, there is a freshness to this fragrance as well.
Notes: The top notes of Salvador Dali Laguna are mandarin, raspberry, galbanum, plum, grapefruit, peach, lemon, and pineapple. The middle notes are rosewood, lily of the valley, jasmine, rose, and iris. The base notes are musk, coconut, sandalwood, cedar, patchouli, vanilla, amber, and tonka bean.
Best for: Salvador Dali Laguna is a great fragrance to wear during the cooler summers. This fragrance is on the sweeter side, so it might be a little too strong for the very warm days. However, when it’s a little cooler, this fragrance works great. You could also wear this fragrance during the night as well, as it fits in great with the cool evening temperatures. Overall, this is a very nice fragrance that is best worn casually. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
14. Jil Sander Sun Delight
Scent: Jil Sander Sun Delight is a great fragrance with a summer gourmand scent. This fragrance opens with a citrusy and fruity scent with a nice touch of woods in the background. After a little while, you can start to notice some sweet notes, such as vanilla and dark chocolate. These provide the fragrance with a warm and interesting scent. The base of this fragrance adds a touch of musk, providing you with an overall warm, tropical, and somewhat sensual fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Jil Sander Sun Delight are bergamot, passionfruit, and mignonette. The middle notes are vanilla orchid, frangipani, vanilla, and dark chocolate. The base notes are cedar, musk, and woody notes.
Best for: Jil Sander Sun Delight is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the summer. This fragrance has such an unusual scent that really shouldn’t work in the warmer weather, yet it does. It has a playful, tropical scent, perfect for casual wear, during both the day and the night. This fragrance also has a classy, successful vibe to it, which makes it work great in the office as well. If you’re interested in this unusual, yet beautiful summer fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
15. Burberry Sport For Women
Scent: Burberry Sport For Women is a fantastic fragrance with a fresh, woody, and slightly salty scent. This fragrance immediately opens with this fresh, salty scent and is supported by a very subtle hint of mandarin. Over time, you can start to notice some white floral notes, as well as a citrusy freshness. The base of this fragrance adds a woody, green touch, creating an overall very interesting scent. In the end, you have a fragrance that’s fresh, salty, and floral.
Notes: The top notes of Burberry Sport For Women are ginger, salt, and mandarin. The middle notes are magnolia, solar notes, honeysuckle, and petitgrain. The base notes are vetiver, sand, cedar, and musk.
Best for: Burberry Sport For Women is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer days. This fragrance has a refreshing and somewhat unique scent that works perfectly as a casual daytime fragrance. You can honestly wear this pretty much whenever you’d like, as it’s safe and inoffensive. This also allows it to be worn in the office or even in the gym. Some say it has a resemblance to Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt, which definitely has some truth to it. Only this one is much less expensive. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
How Many Summer Fragrances Do You Need
Owning a great summer fragrance is definitely a must for every woman. However, owning only one fragrance can become a little boring over time. When there are so many great fragrances in the market, why only limit yourself to one?
Instead, you should own multiple summer fragrances. This way, you can spice things up by wearing different fragrances on different occasions. And this doesn’t necessarily have to cost you a lot of money. Of course, there are absolutely gorgeous summer niche fragrances that cost a little more, but there are also these less expensive, yet still great-smelling fragrances.
Owning multiple summer fragrances can look something like this. You have one expensive niche fragrance, one average costing designer fragrance, and two cheap summer fragrances. This way, you can wear an expensive one when you’re going somewhere fancy and you have three others to switch up for the remainder of the summer. You can find the best summer niche fragrances for women here, and the best overall summer fragrances for women here!
In the end, it is up to you how many summer fragrances you own. In any case, having an affordable, great-smelling fragrance can never be a bad thing. I’d recommend you take a look at the fragrances above and see which one of them fits you the best!