What are your favorite summer scents?
The ones that you would take on a vacation?
The ones that help you through the worst heat?
The ones that contain your memories of summers past?
My Answer:
My favorite summer scents are refreshing and exuberant cologne-style citrus scents that bring energy and a boost of wakefulness into the heat of the day. I like Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine or Hermès Eau de Pamplemousse Rose.
I also enjoy “salt water” scents, perfumes that evoke salty skin and hot sand like Hermés Eau de Merveilles or Parfumerie Gènèrale Bois Naufragè.
The third category I love in summer, are light, tropical florals with a hint of coconut. The forerunner in this category is of course Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess, lovely are Honorè des Pres Love Coco, Yves Rocher Monoï de Tahiti body oil or a good fig scent.
The one summer scent that holds many memories of my youth is Jil Sander Sun, almost a classic that is still available. I wore this a lot in the summer after finishing high school, a summer spent in Greece, enough said. 😉
Let’s hear about your current and past summer favorites!
Stay tuned for summer scent mini-reviews this week.
Olfactoria's Travels 
My fragrant summer staples are Eau d’Hadrien and Rose Ikebana. I can wear those in the most intense heat. Also, even though I am not a fan of aquatics, Ferré Bergamotto Marino is pleasant to my nose.
On days when I crave something drier and less citrusy, Eau des Merveilles or Perles de Lalique will do.
I have recently been given Millesime Imperial and I can picture myself wearing it a lot next Summer and taking it with me on holidays as I find it quite versatile.
I love Rose Ikebana, it is beautiful, but sadly so short lived, if I had a big bottle, I wouldn’t mind reallying, but with a 15ml bottle, I am stingy. 😉
I love the Monday Questions!!!
What are your favorite summer scents?
I tend to reach for attars, roses, and dense middle-eastern styled compositions (my favorite attar, Saat Safa, didn’t get worn this winter even once!). However, this summer I see myself wearing Bronze Goddess, OJ Champaca, and Bois des Iles…
The ones that you would take on a vacation?
On vacation, I take the whole damned closet. My husband thinks this is hilarious, but I take a selection from every genre, no matter where we go. A gal likes to have options! 🙂
The ones that help you through the worst heat?
Last summer: Montale Aoud Queen Roses/Al-Rehab Saat Safa. Since then I’ve added a few colognes, and brighter scents, to my collection, so I’ll test those out in the coming warmer days.
The ones that contain your memories of summers past?
Hmmm… so many fragrances tell a story, and bring back memories, it’s hard to pinpoint one that speaks specifically of summers past. I’ll have to think some more about this one! 🙂
That is so interesting – you wearing Attars in the heat, it makes a lot of sense actually, but it is hard to grasp for western sensibilities.
I am at the point of wanting Bois des Iles myself, since every time I hear it mentioned by you, I get more interested. 🙂
Oh I always take a selection from every genre, especially as the place we go for holidays has very changeable weather, even in summer. In these days of samples and decants, it’s easy to travel light.
Bronze Goddess will be my new summer fragrance this year.
My previous year’s summer favorites: elle by YSL, French Lime Blossom and Orange Blossom by Jo Malone and Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal.
But, if to think about it, an AC in the office makes almost any of my perfumes wearable all year round.
That is true, AC is a life saver! I wear what i want and what I feel like as well, AC makes that possible.
Okay, let’s see here!
My favorite summer scents: lavender, dry incense or woods, herbal/citrus combos, leather and other animalics (for some reason it smells even better on my skin in the heat), vetiver, green fragrances, patchouli
Ones I would take on vacation: Ormonde Jayne Woman, Vero Profumo Kiki, Oscar de la Renta Esprit d’Oscar, Le Labo Patchouli 24 (I think that covers a lot of bases)
The ones that help me through the worst heat: orange, like Tauer Orange Star or Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine, Etat Libre d’Orange Tom of Finland
Ones that contain memories of summers past: Guerlain L’Heure Bleue, Jean Nate splash (I don’t wear it anymore, but I did when I was a kid), Love’s Baby Soft, and a grassy perfume my mother wore as I was growing up, I wish I could remember what it was called. The glass bottle had enamel paint of blades of grass on it.
Love’s Baby Soft is an American reference I sorely miss in my olfactory library. It is referenced so often, and seems to be part of the American history for our generation. I’d love to smell it some time. Is it still being produced?
You summer scent choices are unusual, that’s why I love them (and you!). 🙂
Yes, you can still get Love’s Baby Soft at drugstores, I should pick some up for the heck of it, and send you and any other European folks who are interested a sample. 🙂
Does it smell like the name suggests? I imagine a soft, baby-powdery fragrance, cuddly and cozy…
Yes, it does smell a bit powdery, but it’s more than that. It’s kind of hard for me to explain, especially since I haven’t smelled it in so long!
I would wear both home and away : Reflections by Amouage , Bois de Vergers ( a Paris flanker) , Marc Jacobs Lemon , 4711, Molinard’s Eau Fraiche ,Idylle by Guerlain and Eau Imperiale by Guerlain.
Lovely summer choices, Angie!
How is the tenacity of the Marc Jacobs splashes, are the gone in a flash (or rather splash) or do they stick around for a while?
Bronze Goddess is my top summer scent! I always take it with me (and I get the oil too for summer). 🙂
Others include refreshing figs (this changes depending on what decants I currently have) and I also love AA Pamplemousse and Eau de Cartier.
I like colognes in the summer but can’t say I have a favourite, there are many out there that are pretty good and well, as they are colognes, quite interchangeable in my opinion.
You are right, Ines. Many are indeed similar. Do you know Cologne du 68? If not, I’ll send you some, it is lovely!
Yes, I do know 68. 🙂
I actually think it was you who sent it in the very first package I got from you.
I’ll wear it one of these days but we’re headed for some rainy weather now…
ooops, that’s right, sent you some already. I try to convert people to 68 all the time. 😉
I try to convert people to tuberose all the time. 😉
I like to wear Bronze Goddess in arid heat, but now that I’m on the equator and by the sea, wearing it makes me feel like I’ve just spent all day on a freighter transporting copra.
Besides BG, I brought L.Mercier Neroli with me, which works well. But most of the time I prefer to simply wear an aromatic fresh flower. Frangipani for day, Gardenia for night.
How lovely! Your surroundings sound like paradise. 🙂
Oh, so many summer favorites here! Eau d’Hadrien, Eau d’Orange Verte or Chanel Pour Monsieur for super, super hot days. Then there’s Bigarade Concentrée, Eau de Guerlain, Un Jardin sur le Nil, Eau Illuminée… (J-C Ellena definitely knows how to refresh in the heat, Pamplemousse Rose is great too as you mentioned Birgit).
Another one that works wonders on me in the summer is L’Homme de Coeur (Divine) – beautiful aromatic juniper berries & iris. I’m ready for more sun! 😉
You seem to be the summer type! 🙂
JCE knows how to make a great light, yet substantial perfume, I am totally with you there.
L’Homme de Coeur sounds good, will check it out.
Favorite summer scents for me are MPG Sanguine Muskissime, Bahiana, Mugler Cologne, Prada Infusion d’Homme, Angel Schlesser Homme (that one contains somehow brings up all my summer childhood memories, Divine L’Homme de Coeur ( I second this excellent perfume, very unisex and highly recommended), Parfum d’Emprire Fougere Bengale for the summer nights as well as Annick Goutale Sables when I am feeling a bit more adventurous. Annick Goutale Vetiver is extremely evocative too.
Glad to see you love L’Homme de Coeur as well, memoryofscent!
Ah, many great scents in your summer wardrobe too, Christos. The MPG has been on my to-try list for too long, now I’ll have to get to it finally.
My favorite for summer has been Estee Lauder Pure White Linen Light Breeze for the past 2 summers. It’s a citrus fragrance with bergamot, ostmanthus, freesia, white grapefruit a bit of wood a.o. Wears very well in humid weather and also right into fall. Good, classy drydown. Another staple has been Biotherm Eau D’Energi, a pretty banal orange scent, I don’t love it, but it’s good for when it’s *really* hot and humid. I’d like to find another orange fragrance with a bit more – well, I’ll just go right ahead and say it – class. This summer I’m curious to find out hos Dior Escale a Portofino will work out when temperatures rise. I bought it last month, and I’ve liked it so far in rainy and cold May weather. I hope that I wouldn’t find the herbal notes cloying when it gets warmer.
I’ll probably also be wearing le Nil a lot 🙂 And then I’m going to experiment with a light amber for summer – Prada L’eau Ambree and see how that goes. I wouldn’t mind owning Bronze Goddess for a tropical variation on my typical summer scents – but who wouldn’t? 😉
Escale a Portofino is very nice, also when it is hot, but I still like it better on a summer evening.
Regarding BG – exactly, who wouldn’t? 😉
Favorite summer scents:
Eau de Sisley 3 (YUM!)
Annick Goutal Mandragore
Bobbi Brown Beach
Institut Très Bien Cologne à la Francaise
Atelier Cologne Trèfle Pur
Chanel No 19 EDT
Kelly Caleche EDP
Guerlain Vetiver Pour Elle
L’Artisan Vanilia
L’Artisan Premier Figuier
I’ve been wanting to try a monoi oil! They sound heavenly. Also recently received a sample of Love Coco, and am looking forward to trying it. I love HdP’s Sexy Angelic.
I knew I’d forget a favorite summer scent – Hermès un Jardin après la Mousson!
Lovely summer choices, Karin!
Monoi oil is great! There is also a body oil from the Bronze Goddess line, it is amazing as well.
I find myself reaching for Eau des Merveilles, AG Folavril and Carillon pour un Ange these days. I’ve been thinking of looking for a sample of Bobbi Brown Beach to try before the Summer really hits.
I liked BB Beach ten years ago, now after massive niche exposure, I can’t help but find it a bit thin and synthetic.
Your choices are great, Alice!
Jean-Claude Ellena scents do seem great for summer, myself I only wear Un jardin après la Mousson on really hot days.
I also think Voyage d’Hermès, Guerlain Vetivier and Rose Ikebana will be summer choices for me this year.
And I’m waiting for my newly orded Andy Tauer Zeta to arrive any day!
Hello Eva!
Almost everything Hermes is a sure bet for the hot season. 😉
Let us know how you find Zeta!
What are your favorite summer scents?
Citrus scents are always a huge hit. Anything containing bergamot comes with a built-in AC for me! And for rainy summer days – this is Europe, after all – Jicky EdC goes with anything! If it’s a chilly rainy day, Encens et Lavande.
The ones that you would take on a vacation?
I’d be the one they held back in an airport as a possible threat…’What, you think I’m going to expedite the plane with Ambre Sultan? Trust me, with that one the plane is the last thing you should worry about…’ Bronze Goddess, because it’s a no-brainer. (Dee’s fault!) Atelier anything. And Escale á Portofino, when I want to feel impossibly chic in (faux) Pucci and Versace (real) shades…Or OJ Osmanthus. And Champaca.
The ones that help you through the worst heat?
Galbanum. Just the name drops my temperature by at least a few degrees. So…Silences, of course, Bvlgari’s Thè Verte Extrème, and I suspect L’Artisan’s (my very first ever! Instant love!) Coeur de Vetiver Sacré. Atelier’s Trefle Pur, too! DSH’s Vert Pour Madame is…may I say it…amazing. I’ll take one of each! Believe it or not (it’s seriously reviled, and I don’t know why), SL L’Eau that everyone hates is great in the heat!
The ones that contain your memories of summers past?
Oh, dear, dangerous question..Bvlgari’s Thè Vert is virtually every summer in the Nineties, just as YSL Rive Gauche was every summer in the ’80’s, Coppertone as it used to be (sign me up for CBIHP’s At the Beach 1966, pronto!), Le Labo’s Bergamotte 22, for not a few in the Noughties. If only they were! This summer, I’m single again. And I will be…;-)
What can I say? I like everything you mention. 🙂
I am so tempted by the CBIHP as well, it would be a really indulgent pleasure. 😉
I love L de Lolita Lempicka in the heat (counterintuitive, but it totally works, the combination of citrus and vanilla is so yummy in the sunshine), Moschino Funny (bright juicy grapefruit and currant), green scents like L’Ombre dans L’Eau, coconutty scents like Beyond Love and Philosykos.
I’ve been testing vetivers lately, and I know they’re supposed to be great in the heat, but vetiver just doesn’t do it for me. Give me florals and fruit when it’s hot!
I am no great vetiver fan either, it ends up being to dry and masculine on me most of the time.
I like the counterintuitive approach, some heavy scents are lovely in the sun, I wore Epic yesterday and it was perfect.
OK I officially have to get over myself and try Bronze Goddess, coconut or not. Plus it’ll only take a trip to any department store to try it, so no excuse. I can be waaay too closed minded when a note I don’t like is mentioned, but you never know for sure till you try.
In recent years I’ve just worn Diorella all summer but I mostly intend on wearing refreshing tea scents this summer. I love, love, love Oolong Infini (thanks to you, B) and can’t wait to give it proper wear. Also want to check out L’Artisan’s The Pour Une Ete which sounds lovely and Escale a Pondicherry which I only tried briefly on paper.
Love the Monday Question, B, I didn’t want to miss out even though it’s Tuesday!
A Monday Question without you wouldn’t be complete! 🙂
I am glad you love Oolang Infini, it is so calming. Pondicherry excells on paper, but on skin…well, let’s say it is no danger for the Atelier.
I really cannot imagine you disliking BG, for the sake of the experiment alone, you MUST try it! 😀