Summertime is a lovely time. Its warm outside and there are endless things to do with your friends. While you’re out having fun, you should wear a nice summer fragrance to enhance the nice summer vibe even more. But what are the best summer fragrances for women?
What To Look For In A Summer Fragrance
For most people, summer means warm weather. The temperatures are higher, and with that, the humidity is higher as well. The higher temperatures, as well as the higher humidity, both restrict the types of fragrances you should wear. You wouldn’t want to wear a strong, sweet fragrance, as those can come off as quite offensive.
Instead, you should be looking for the fresher fragrances. Fragrances based around aquatic notes or citrusy notes are perfect for the warm summery days. However, floral notes and fruity notes are also great. It really comes down to the end-product these notes produce. As long as the fragrance smells fresh and inoffensive, you have a nice summer fragrance.
Below are some of the nicest summer fragrances for women, in no particular order. These fragrances include cheap summer fragrances and niche summer fragrances with fruity, floral, aquatic, and even sweet scents, all perfect for the summer!
1. Parfums De Marly Delina
Scent: Parfums De Marly Delina is a gorgeous summer fragrance with a fresh, fruity, and floral scent. This fragrance opens with a rather strong scent, however, this strong opening quickly settles into a beautiful scent of sweet fruits. Added to this are some fresh notes, creating an almost soapy-like effect. After a little while, you can start to notice the floral notes, mainly the note of rose. This creates an overall gorgeous scent of fresh fruits and florals, which smells absolutely gorgeous.
Notes: The top notes of Parfums De Marly Delina are litchi, rhubarb, nutmeg, and bergamot. The middle notes are musk, vanilla, peony, Turkish rose, and petalia. The base notes are incense, cedar, vetiver, and cashmeran.
Best for: Parfums De Marly Delina is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer months. This fragrance has an incredible scent of fresh fruits and florals, which goes perfectly with those warm, summery days. During those warmer days, this makes for a fantastic casual fragrance, however, you can also wear this fragrance formally. Besides daytime wear, this fragrance is also a lovely one to wear when you’re going out at night. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
2. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense
Scent: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense is a gorgeous fragrance with a citrusy, green, and overall fresh fragrance. This fragrance opens with a very fresh and fruity scent. Added to this is a very subtle touch of florals, which gradually become stronger. Despite not being listed as notes, there’s also a very nice aquatic scent to this fragrance, adding a bright and refreshing layer. This leaves you with an overall gorgeous fragrance with a fresh scent of aquatics, fruits, and some florals. This is truly a gorgeous fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense are lemon and granny smith apple. The middle notes are jasmine and marigold. The base notes are musk and amberwood.
Best for: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense is an absolutely gorgeous fragrance to wear during the summer. This fragrance has such a bright and refreshing scent that just fits in perfectly with those warm, summery days. This fragrance is perfect for casual daytime wear, but it also works wonders when worn formally to the office. There really is no going wrong with this fragrance at all. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
3. Creed Virgin Island Water
Scent: Creed Virgin Island Water is a beautiful fragrance with a fresh, citrusy, and boozy scent. This fragrance opens with a gorgeous scent of lime and coconut. Added to this is a note of white rum, creating a truly magnificent scent of a tropical cocktail. Over time, you can notice some other notes, mainly floral notes, however, the boozy, cocktail-like scent is the main star here. Especially when you consider that this fragrance includes all ingredients of a mojito, you can start to get the tropical picture this fragrance paints.
Notes: The top notes of Creed Virgin Island Water are bergamot, mandarin, coconut, and lime. The middle notes are ylang ylang, hibiscus, jasmine, and ginger. The base notes are white rum, sugar cane, and musk.
Best for: Creed Virgin Island Water is an incredibly nice fragrance with a bright and refreshing scent. Such a scent works perfectly with the summer days, and, considering the added note of white rum, you also get something more unique. Besides being unique and gorgeous-smelling, this fragrance is also extremely versatile. It’s great for casual wear, its great for formal wear, and it even works great when you’re going out at night. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
4. Guerlain Eau De Shalimar
Scent: Guerlain Eau De Shalimar is a fantastic fragrance with a fresh, citrusy scent. This fragrance opens with an immediate blast of citruses, along with a subtle sweetness. This creates a light, but refreshing scent. After a little while, a soft influence of florals can be detected, however, the florals stay relatively subdued. The base of this fragrance adds a slight powdery touch, as well as a subtle sweetness, coming from the note of vanilla. Overall, you get a fresh, citrusy scent, supported by a sweet, powdery base.
Notes: The top notes of Guerlain Eau De Shalimar are lime, bergamot, and orange. The middle notes are jasmine and rose. The base notes are resin, iris, and vanilla.
Best for: Guerlain Eau De Shalimar is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the summer. This fragrance has a sweet, citrusy scent, almost reminiscent of a lemon creamsicle. The freshness in this fragrance makes it work perfectly as a casual everyday fragrance. The sweetness in there also allows this fragrance to be worn during the night as well. This could be a great all-round summer fragrance for any woman. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
5. Maison Margiela Replica Beach Walk
Scent: Maison Margiela Replica Beach Walk is a stunning fragrance with a nice scent of yellow florals and coconut. This fragrance opens with a nice scent of yellow florals, along with some citrusy notes. Quickly after this opening, though, the note of coconut comes forth, adding a creamy, sweet scent to the fragrance. This creamy sweetness, in combination with the yellow florals, creates a scent that bears resemblance to suntan lotion. However, this fragrance is not to be compared with suntan lotion, as this is a piece of art in and of itself.
Notes: The top notes of Maison Margiela Replica Beach Walk are lemon, bergamot, and pink pepper. The middle notes are heliotrope, coconut, and ylang ylang. The base notes are benzoin, cedar, and musk.
Best for: Maison Margiela Replica Beach Walk is a fantastic summer fragrance due to its sweet, yet fruity, fresh scent. The name of this fragrance also indicates that this is more of a warm-weather fragrance as well. And it most definitely is. This fragrance is a versatile summer fragrance. It’s fresh and inoffensive enough for casual daytime wear and it’s sweet and playful enough to wear it at night as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
6. Chloe Nomade
Scent: Chloe Nomade is a fantastic fragrance with a fruity, woody scent. This fragrance opens with quite a sweet scent, however, this sweetness is not overpowering in any way. It is more of a fruity sweetness, which has a nice freshness to it as well. After a little while, the note of patchouli hits you, adding an interesting layer of depth to the fragrance. The base adds a nice layer of woods, blending perfectly with the patchouli and fruits from the opening.
Notes: The top notes of Chloe Nomade are orange, lemon, bergamot, and Mirabelle. The middle notes are rose, peach, jasmine, and freesia. The base notes are sandalwood, white musk, patchouli, amberwood, and oakmoss.
Best for: Chloe Nomade is a fantastic fragrance for the cooler summer days. This fragrance, despite being fresh, also has a somewhat heavy feel to it. The sweetness, as well as the woods, attribute to this heavy feel. However, this is not a bad thing. It’s actually a fantastic summer fragrance with lots of versatility. The freshness in there makes it great for casual everyday wear, whereas the sweetness makes this a great fragrance to wear during the summer nights as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
7. Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gioia
Scent: Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gioia is a fantastic fragrance with a fresh, citrusy, and slightly minty scent. This fragrance opens with a bright scent of citruses and mint, along with a sugary sweet scent, which perfectly balances out the initial fresh opening. After a little while, some floral notes make themselves known, as well as a few spices. This creates an overall playful fragrance with a fresh and bright scent of citruses and florals, truly reminiscent of a warm, summer day.
Notes: The top notes of Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gioia are mint and lemon. The middle notes are peony, pink pepper, and jasmine. The base notes are cedar, brown sugar, and labdanum.
Best for: Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gioia is a beautiful fragrance with a fresh and playful scent. This makes it work perfectly during those warm summer days, as the freshness of this fragrance is not overpowering in any way. You’ll smell great and inoffensive at the same time, which is perfect for a summer fragrance. The inoffensiveness of this fragrance also allows it to be worn to pretty much every occasion, both casual as well as formal. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
8. Issey Miyake l’Eau d’Issey Pure
Scent: Issey Miyake l’Eau d’Issey Pure is a fantastic white floral fragrance with a nice undertone of aquatic notes. This fragrance opens with a fresh and crisp scent of florals, supported by a beautiful undertone of salty seawater. This opening has a very strong scent, but it also very light, creating an interesting effect. Overall, this floral, aquatic scent is what you’ll get for the most part of this fragrance. Luckily, it smells absolutely gorgeous.
Notes: The top notes of Issey Miyake l’Eau d’Issey Pure are sea notes. The middle notes are lily, Damask rose, jasmine, and orange blossom. The base notes are ambergris and cashmere woods.
Best for: Issey Miyake l’Eau d’Issey Pure is a very fresh and powerful fragrance, perfect for the summer. Although the opening is described as strong, the scent itself is actually quite soft, making it perfect for many occasions. For example, this fragrance is a great one to wear if you’re working out. Of course, its also a fantastic fragrance for everyday casual wear, and, you can even wear it to the office as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
9. Frederic Malle Carnal Flower
Scent: Frederic Malle Carnal Flower is a great summer fragrance with a nice scent of white florals and coconut. This fragrance opens with a rich scent of tuberose, supported by a few other white floral notes. After a little while, some tropical fruits make themselves known. Notes such as melon and coconut add a truly stunning tropical vibe to the fragrance, as well as a creamy effect. In the end, though, you still have a fresh fragrance, despite the sweet, creamy hints of the fruits.
Notes: The notes of Frederic Malle Carnal Flower are coconut, white musk, melon, bergamot, orange blossom, ylang ylang, tuberose, jasmine, and eucalyptus.
Best for: Frederic Malle Carnal Flower is a fantastic fragrance with a tropical vibe, and tropical fragrances are just perfect for the summer. The scent of a tropical fragrance immediately takes you back to the warm, summery days, and, despite being on the sweeter side, is not offensive. A fragrance like Frederic Malle Carnal Flower would be perfect for casual wear, during both the day and night. If you’re interested in this versatile summer fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
10. Giorgio Armani Sun Di Gioia
Scent: Giorgio Armani Sun Di Gioia is a beautiful fragrance with an aquatic, warm scent, based around the beach. This fragrance opens with a warm scent of citruses. Added to this are some floral notes, as well as a creamy scent. This creamy scent truly adds to the overall beachy vibe this fragrance tries to capture. The base of this fragrance adds a subtle touch of vanilla, adding to the initial warmth of this fragrance. Overall, you get a fresh, creamy fragrance that smells just like a warm day at the beach.
Notes: The top notes of Giorgio Armani Sun Di Gioia are freesia and bergamot. The middle notes are jasmine, ylang ylang, and frangipani. The base notes are benzoin, iris, vanilla, and ambroxan.
Best for: Giorgio Armani Sun Di Gioia is a fantastic summer fragrance due to its overall vibe. The inspiration behind this fragrance is a warm day at the beach, and this fragrance truly captures that summer feeling. Besides smelling like summer in a bottle, this fragrance is also versatile. The freshness, combined with the creamy sweetness makes for a fragrance that excels both during the day and night. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
11. Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt
Scent: Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt is a great fragrance with a light, airy marine scent. This fragrance opens with a salty, airy, and overall fresh scent, reminiscent of a cold, salty breeze near a rough ocean. This is also the overall theme of this fragrance. After a little while, a slight hint of wood appears, as well as a subtle hint of seaweed. Again this adds to the overall vibe of standing on a rocky cliff near a rough ocean, which, ultimately, is the best way of describing this fragrance.
Notes: The notes of Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt are grapefruit, seaweed, sage, sea salt, and ambrette.
Best for: Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt is quite a unique summer fragrance. This fragrance smells like a cold, windy day on a cliff, near a rough ocean. However, this provides you with an extremely nice and interesting scent, perfect for those warm summer days. This fragrance is inoffensive and refreshing, making it a fantastic summer fragrance for any occasion. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
12. Byredo Sundazed
Scent: Byredo Sundazed is an extremely nice fragrance with a cotton candy-like, but very fresh scent. This fragrance opens with a very pleasant scent of fresh citruses. After a little while, you can start to notice some floral notes, as well as some sweeter fruits. However, at this point, the note of cotton candy makes itself known, adding an intense sweetness. Still, though, the fragrance manages to be a fresher, more easy to wear fragrance, despite the sweetness of the cotton candy.
Notes: The top notes of Byredo Sundazed are mandarin and lemon. The middle notes are jasmine and neroli. The base notes are white musk and cotton candy.
Best for: Byredo Sundazed is an extremely nice fragrance with a very clean, fresh, and sweet scent. Due to the cleanness and freshness, this fragrance works perfectly as a warm-weather fragrance. During those warmer days, this fragrance is perfect for casual wear, during both the day and night. The cleanness and almost airy feel of this fragrance also allows it to be worn to a formal occasion as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
13. Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic
Scent: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic is a gorgeous fresh fragrance with a strong scent of citruses. This fragrance opens with a burst of citruses and oranges, creating a fresh and fruity sweet scent. This scent stays like this for a while, only to be accompanied by a green and spicy fresh scent of basil. The combination of the citruses and fresh, spicy basil creates a scent that’s truly reminiscent of the Mediterranean coast.
Notes: The top notes of Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic are bitter orange, green tea, ivy, orange blossom, and clementine. The middle notes are peony, chamomile, basil, and mandarin. The base notes are amber and sandalwood.
Best for: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic is a fantastic summer fragrance, thanks to its citrusy, fresh scent. The perfectly blended combination of basil and mandarin creates such an invigorating and interesting scent, while also being refreshing at the same time. This allows this fragrance to be worn both casually, as well as formally. Besides the great scent and its versatility, this fragrance is also extremely affordable. If you’re interested, you can check out the current price over here on Amazon!
14. Diptyque Philosykos
Scent: Diptyque Philosykos is a fantastic fragrance with a gorgeous scent of fig and coconut. This fragrance opens with a very realistic, green scent, however, quickly after, the notes of coconut and fig come through. These two notes add a creamy, sweet, and fruity scent, and, when combined with the green opening, provide you with a scent reminiscent of a luscious garden. Overall, you get a very realistic, green scent, along with sweet, creamy, fruity accords.
Notes: The top notes of Diptyque Philosykos are fig and fig leaves. The middle notes are coconut and green notes. The base notes are fig tree, cedar, and woody notes.
Best for: Diptyque Philosykos is a fantastic summer fragrance with a scent that’s a little different from the other summer fragrances on this list. This fragrance is based around green notes, which provide you with a very fresh, and even somewhat luxurious scent. Therefore, this fragrance is perfect for casual daytime wear, but also great for formal wear, making it not only smell amazing but also versatile. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
15. Hermes Un Jardin Sur La Lagune
Scent: Hermes Un Jardin Sur La Lagune is a gorgeous fragrance with an aquatic, floral scent. This fragrance opens with an extremely fresh, aquatic scent. Added to this are some subtle floral notes, however, as this fragrance starts to dry down, the florals become more prominent. This fragrance also has a salty touch to it, coming from the sea notes in this fragrance. Overall, this fragrance smells like a beautiful garden of flowers near a somewhat wild sea. Truly magnificent.
Notes: The notes of Hermes Un Jardin Sur La Lagune are lily, pittosporum, magnolia, sea notes, and woody notes.
Best for: Hermes Un Jardin Sur La Lagune is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the summer, but it can also be easily worn during the spring as well. The thing that makes this fragrance work so well with the warmer months is the fresh, salty, and floral scent, making it a refreshing, yet inoffensive fragrance. This inoffensiveness also allows this fragrance to be worn to pretty much every occasion as well. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
16. Tom Ford Soleil Blanc
Scent: Tom Ford Soleil Blanc is a fantastic fragrance with a creamy, sweet scent of coconut and suntan lotion. This fragrance opens with an immediate blast of creamy sweetness and coconut. Added to this is the note of pistachio, adding to the overall summery, beachy vibe of this fragrance. After a little while, some floral notes make themselves known, adding to the beauty of this fragrance. In the end, you’ll be left with a creamy, sweet, fruity, and slightly floral scent that smells absolutely gorgeous.
Notes: The top notes of Tom Ford Soleil Blanc are pistachio, pink pepper, cardamom, and bergamot. The middle notes are jasmine, tuberose, and ylang ylang. The base notes are coconut, benzoin, tonka bean, and amber.
Best for: Tom Ford Soleil Blanc has a very tropical smelling scent. This tropical vibe, along with the fruity, suntan lotion scent makes this fragrance work perfectly during the warmer days. During those warmer days, Tom Ford Soleil Blanc is great for casual everyday wear, but it also works nicely as a formal, office fragrance. The sweetness in here also allows this fragrance to be worn at night as well. Overall, you’ll have a versatile summer fragrance with a lovely scent of sweet coconut. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
17. Gucci Bloom Gocce Di Fiori
Scent: Gucci Bloom Gocce Di Fiori is a flanker of the already gorgeous Gucci Bloom. This time, it has a much softer, lighter take on the original scent, leaving you with a beautiful fragrance based around white florals. This fragrance opens with a very light scent of tuberose and jasmine, creating an almost mist-like haze around you. This soft scent of white florals will stay like this for the remainder of the fragrance, however, it does become a little more aquatic over time.
Notes: The notes of Gucci Bloom Gocce Di Fiori are honeysuckle, tuberose, and jasmine.
Best for: Gucci Bloom Gocce Di Fiori is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the summer, as this fragrance has such a light scent, you won’t offend anyone near you. Added to that is that this fragrance smells absolutely gorgeous and has an overall summery vibe. Due to the lightness of this fragrance, you can also wear it pretty much whenever you’d like. However, if you’re going somewhere that’s a bit crowded, you might want to go with a different summer fragrance. Nevertheless, this is a stunning summer fragrance from the house of Gucci. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
18. Byredo Bal d’Afrique
Scent: Byredo Bal d’Afrique is an incredibly nice fragrance with a very happy smelling scent. This fragrance opens with a sunrise-like scent of fruits and citruses, creating a warm and uplifting scent. After a little while, some soft floral notes make themselves known, but you still mainly get the sunrise, orangy scent from the opening. The base of this fragrance adds some woods, musk, and amber, providing the fragrance with a nice base, while also adding a sweet, warm layer to the overall scent.
Notes: The top notes of Byredo Bal d’Afrique are blackcurrant, tagetes, African orange flower, 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 summer fragrance due to its happy and fruity scent. The brightness and playfulness of this fragrance just fit in perfectly with those warm, summery days. That being said, it also works great during the summer nights as well. Byredo Bal d’Afrique is an overall very versatile fragrance, as you can easily wear it casually, as well as formally. There’s just no going wrong with this one. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
19. Versace Dylan Blue Pour Femme
Scent: Versace Dylan Blue Pour Femme is a very youthful fragrance with a floral, fruity scent. This fragrance opens with a fruity scent of apple and blackcurrant, supported by some light floral notes. Over time, the floral notes become a bit stronger, creating the fruity floral scent this fragrance is known for. The base of this fragrance adds a subtle touch of woods, providing the fragrance with a nice edge. Overall, you get a great fragrance with a fruity, floral, and youthful scent.
Notes: The top notes of Versace Dylan Blue Pour Femme are shiso, forget me not, clover, apple, and blackcurrant. The middle notes are petalia, peach, jasmine, rose, and rose hip. The base notes are patchouli, musk, white woods, and styrax.
Best for: Versace Dylan Blue Pour Femme is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer months, like the spring and summer. The fruits and florals of this fragrance just fit in perfectly with those warmer days. During those warm days, this is a fantastic fragrance to just wear casually. since there’s this youthfulness to this fragrance, it wouldn’t really work that well during a formal occasion. However, the youthfulness makes this fragrance work even better when you wear it to a festive occasion, something like a beach party. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
20. Davidoff Cool Water
Scent: Davidoff Cool Water is a great summer fragrance with a fruity, floral, and overall aquatic scent. This fragrance opens with a very nice scent of fruits, ranging from sweet fruits to the more citrusy fruits. After a little while, some floral notes make themselves known, but they stay quite subtle. The base adds a slightly sweet scent, however, the sweetness is kept in check. All the while, from the opening to the dry down, there’s this nice, airy, slightly salty background, creating the overall aquatic vibe of this fragrance.
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 raspberry, musk, vetiver, sandalwood, peach, violet root, vanilla, and blackberry.
Best for: Davidoff Cool Water is the quintessential summer fragrance. It’s fresh, its fruity, it’s aquatic, it’s perfect for the warm summer days. This fragrance is a true jack of all trades, as it works in pretty much every occasion. It’s playful enough for casual wear, it’s safe enough for formal wear, and it’s even a good option to go for when you’re attending something like a beach party. Davidoff Cool Water is a proven summer classic. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
Should You Have A Summer Fragrance
Owning a summer fragrance is part of the foundation of any fragrance collection. Having a warm-weather fragrance and a cold-weather fragrance are the first two fragrances anyone should own. These two make sure you’re covered in pretty much every season.
However, owning just one summer fragrance can become a bit boring. Wearing the same summer fragrance, every day, everywhere you go can become quite stale. Instead, you can own multiple different summer fragrances. Owning multiple summer fragrances also doesn’t have to break your bank. You could settle for one high-quality niche fragrance, something like Parfums De Marly Delina, and then add some cheaper ones, like Davidoff Cool Water or Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic.
Or, you could also purchase multiple decants of the more expensive fragrances. A decant is basically a smaller bottle, filled up with the original fragrance. This way, you can try out a certain 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 check out this article I wrote here!
In the end, owning a summer fragrance is probably a good idea. A warm-weather fragrance is part of a solid foundation, and, if you don’t want to, you can settle with just one. But, in any case, owning at least one is the preferred way to go. I’d recommend you take a good look at the fragrances above and see which one you’d be most interested in!
Also make sure to check the lists for the other seasons; Best Spring Fragrances, Best Fall Fragrances, and Best Winter Fragrances!