Summer Perfume: Guide to Solar, Fresh, and Marine Notes for the Warm Season

How to Choose Your Summer Perfume? (Lightness and Concentration)

Women and men who choose their perfume mainly based on their clothing style will be looking for lightness or exoticism in their summer fragrance, mirroring the light summer outfits announcing the start of the holidays.

While Eau de Parfum might be preferred in winter, summer makes one want to wear the same fragrance but in Eau de Toilette or Eau Fraîche (cf. Eau Fraîche, Eau de Toilette).

Others might want to take a break and completely change their perfume style in summer.
If they used to wear an oriental, chypre, gourmand, or rich floral perfume (fragrances with a lot of presence), they might move towards fresh floral fragrances, thirst-quenching scents, or even Eaux Fraîches or Eaux de Cologne in summer.

Men and women could also be attracted to fragrances symbolizing summer holidays, such as solar perfumes (cf. Solar Facet), marine notes (cf. Marine Facet), and new freshness perfumes for men or fresh woody scents.

Tips for Wearing Perfume in the Summer Sun (Photosensitization)

In summer, it is important to follow certain recommendations regarding how to wear your perfume, as the sun can greatly influence the fragrance.
Indeed, you should not spray perfume directly on the skin, regardless of its concentration, whether it is an eau de parfum, an eau de toilette, an eau fraîche, an eau de Cologne, or a summer water.

You can only do so if the packaging specifies “Can be used in the sun.” Ask for advice at your perfumery.
Furthermore, know that citrus fruits are now treated, especially bergamot, mandarin, lime, or other citrus fruits (cf. Hesperidic facet) to remove photosensitizing particles called furocoumarins. This prevents the fragrance from creating stains.

However, other components, often natural, contained in the formula can also cause stains.

Generally speaking, sun and perfume do not mix well.
The best is therefore to wear perfume in summer only in the evening.
If you absolutely want to wear perfume on a sunny summer day, be sure to spray your fragrances only on your clothes and never on your skin.

Choosing a Summer Signature Scent: The “Air” Profile

Women and men may like to wear bright, sunny, fresh, joyful, or dynamic perfumes all year round. These summer perfumes can then prolong this holiday feeling throughout the year and become their signature scent.

Summer will attract a certain type of personality, which can be associated with the Air category. This season will be particularly appreciated by men or women with the following character traits:

• Personality: Very feminine nature (for women), natural discretion giving a slightly reserved attitude. Maternal, gentle, but also sensitive, modest, and dreamy with an artistic character. However, great strength and determination hide behind this softness. The man in this category will tend to highlight his elegant side, without putting aside his virility.
• Voice: Modulated and mid-range.
• Favorite Scents: Scents of rice powder, talc, beach and sun products, delicate and powdery flowers like iris, violet, mimosa, and peony, as well as faceted and nuanced perfumes.
  Men will appreciate soft woody scents, like sandalwood for example, or even a cedar or vetiver dressed in musks.
• Drinks: Subtle teas with orange blossom, jasmine, or green teas, fresh fruit juices, champagne, gin-based cocktails, and mojitos in the evening, white wine rather than red wine.
• Flavors: Light cuisine, salads, refined and elegant dishes, fish rather than meat, and light desserts. These people like to know the latest trendy restaurant addresses.
• Colors: Pastel tones, or half-tones, shades of blue, pale pink, beige, and pale green. For men, pastel tones, blue or pink, pastel orange, can suit perfectly.
• Fabrics: Silk, taffeta, lace, light cashmere, and all very feminine and cocooning textiles. Men especially appreciate light and soft wool.
• Outdoor Spaces: Beaches at the end of the day, cities where one can discover interesting, enriching, even romantic places.
• Dream Weekend: A walk on the beach at the end of the day, as these people love the sea and the summer atmosphere very much.
• Artists: Monet, Bonnard, Matisse.
• Perfumes: Faceted, subtle perfumes, crafted with nuance, like semi-orientals or solar perfumes.
  Men will be attracted by tender woody perfumes, or even by slightly floral perfumes, or those containing subtle spices. All olfactory families can be suitable but they will be fragrances with a present but not overpowering sillage.

Selection of Perfumes for the Warm Season

Solar Perfumes for Summer

• Mayotte (Mahora) Guerlain (discontinued)
• Quand vient l’été Guerlain (discontinued)
• Ylang vanille Guerlain (discontinued)
• Mimosa Tiaré Aqua Allegoria Guerlain (discontinued)
• Coco Fizz, Aqua Allegoria Guerlain
• Parfum Terracotta Guerlain
• L’Instant Guerlain
• Cruel Gardénia Guerlain
• Dune Dior
• Ombre bleue Jean-Charles Brosseau
• L’eau ensoleillante Clarins
• Beyond Paradise Estée Lauder
• Sable Goutal
• Vanille Galante Hermès
• L Lolita Lempicka
• Eau Moheli Diptyque
• Songes Annick Goutal
• Bronze Goddess Estée Lauder
• Replica (beach walk) Martin Margiela
• Ylang Le Labo
• Sabbia Bianca Profumum Roma
• Soleil Blanc Tom Ford
• Essences insensées Diptyque
• Osiris Delacourte Paris (Solar Orange Blossom)
• Bosca Vanilla Aqua Allegoria Guerlain
• Paris Riviera Chanel
• Nuxe Le parfum
• Sur ma Peau Dries Van Noten
• Ilio Diptyque
• Eden Rock Dior
• Libre L’Eau Nue Saint Laurent

Floral Perfumes for Summer

• Cruel Gardenia, Terracotta Guerlain
• Songes Annick Goutal
• J’adore Dior
• Jasmin des Anges Dior
• Splendida Bulgari
• A la Nuit Serge Lutens
• Le parfum Elie Saab
• Jasmin rouge Tom Ford
• Eau des Sens Diptyque
• La chasse aux papillons L’Artisan Parfumeur
• Mimosa pour moi L’Artisan Parfumeur
• Champs Elysées Guerlain
• Mimosa Pour Moi Indigo Atelier Cologne
• Les infusions mimosa Prada
• Fleurs de Cassie Frédéric Malle
• Après l’ondée Guerlain
• Gardenia Chanel
• Passion Goutal
• No. 5 Chanel
• Joy Patou
• Paris YSL
• Drôle de Rose, and Voleur de Rose L’Artisan Parfumeur
• Lipstick Rose Frédéric Malle
• Géranium Pour Monsieur Frédéric Malle
• L’Air du Temps Nina Ricci
• Bellodgia Caron
• Tabu Dana
• L’Oeillet Prada
• Chance Eaux de Toilette Chanel

Powdery Perfumes for Summer

• Insolence Guerlain
• Misia Chanel
• Comète Chanel
• Iris Pallida L’Artisan Parfumeur
• Infusion d’iris Prada
• Florentina Delacourte Paris (Powdery Iris)
• Iris silver Mist Serge Lutens
• Iris Gris Jacques Fath
• Bas de soie Serge Lutens
• No. 19 Chanel
• Iris Ukiyoé Hermès
• Osiris Delacourte Paris
• Fleurs de citronnier Serge Lutens
• Fleur d’oranger Serge Lutens
• Histoire d’Oranger L’Artisan Parfumeur
• Néroli Goutal
• Mi Fa Reminiscence
• Infusion de Fleur d’Oranger Prada
• Bouquet de la Mariée Guerlain