The Best Summer Fragrances Are an Escape in a Bottle (2024)

I, personally, am in favor of trading out my entire perfume collection for the best summer fragrances year after year. While the warm musks and the zinging spices that line my cabinet fall through spring are delightful, they feel incredibly overbearing once rooftop season and summer Fridays roll around.

Our Top Picks

• The Summer Fragrance for Men: Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne, $115
• The All-Around Pick: Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche Eau de Toilette, $145
• The Caribbean Escape: Brown Girl Jane Carnivale Eau de Parfum, $102
• The Fragrance Oil: Orebella Blooming Fire Parfum, $72
• The European Summer: Tom Ford Costa Azzurra Eau de Parfum, 235

And I’m not the only one; Nordstrom’s beauty director, Autumne West agrees. “When I think of summer, I’m instantly drawn towards a carefree, good mood and I want my fragrance to further enhance that,” she says. “I gravitate towards a scent that is light without feeling weighed down.” Specifically, West continues that summertime scents skew light and airy—from fresh florals scented with jasmine to vanilla and coconut blends that call to mind a tropical destination.

Linda G. Levy, president of The Fragrance Foundation adds that tropical and fruit always seems synonymous with summer. “There have been a lot of fruit forward scents introduced that are just right for summer from bananas and mangoes to pear,” she notes—listing options such as Nette’s Pear Jam, Brown Girl Jane’s Carnivale, and Killian’s Sun Kissed Goddess as aromas soon to take over. Or, stick to classic beach-y scents like Chanel Chance and Maison Francis Kurkdjian Amyris Femme that have proven to never go out of style. Whatever your speed, there is a summer fragrance for you. Ahead, a look at the best 2024 has to offer, with picks from our experts and Vogue editors.

Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche Eau de Toilette

• Why We Love It: Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche is a dazzling eau de toilette that’s vibrant yet lightweight enough to sport all summer long without being overbearing. Inspired by how Gabrielle Chanel energetically took an opportunity by the horns, this is meant to energize you in a single spritz.
• Notes: Citron, jasmine, teak wood

Byredo Sundazed Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: If your idea of summertime calls for as much time outdoors as possible, Byredo’s Sundazed is for you. Through notes of lemon, mandarin, neroli, and jasmine, this fragrances bottles the feeling of frolicking on a warm, sunny day. Surely there’s no better feeling than that?
• Notes: Lemon, mandarin, neroli, jasmin sambac, musks

Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne

• Why We Love It: Easily one of the most sought-after colognes ever, Wood Sage & Sea Salt is is worth stocking up on year after year. Fans of the scent rave about its genderless appeal—not too masculine, nor too feminine, meaning this fresh marine, yet woody blend of ambrette seeds, sea salt, and sage can be delightfully appealing to virtually anyone.
• Notes: Ambrette seeds, sea salt, sage

Nette Pear Jam Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: One of the latest launches on our list, Nette’s Pear Jam is a fruity, floral sure to charm anyone in its presence. In fact, I typically don'’ go for fruit-forward blends at all, but I found this one luring me back in use after use. Perhaps it’s because the sweet Koji pear is balanced by rosewater, and ambrette seed. Frequently out of stock, if you’re one of the lucky ones to get your hands on a bottle—be sure to cherish every single spritz.
• Notes: Koji pear, rose essence, patchouli coeur, ambrette seed

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Amyris Femme Eau De Parfum

• Why We Love It: Topping our list for the best perfumes for women, Amyris Femme becomes especially wearable in the summertime. Here Francis Kurkdjian pairs Jamaican amyris with Florentine iris for a fruity, feminine, yet crisp scent that’s irresistibly fun and undeniably alluring.
• Notes: Pear, sweet pea, amyris, lemon blossom, iris

Parfums de Marly Perseus Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: Perseus, the latest from Parfums de Marly, takes cues from the morning sunrise at the royal residence of Marly—when the sun rays burst into the château, illuminating the space in gilded warmth. Another one of the best summer fragrances for men, the luminous scent leads with a grapefruit citrus accord opposing vetiver, dry woods, and cashmere wood.
• Notes: Grapefruit, bergamot, blackcurrant bud, vetiver, green mandarin, geranium, dry woods, cashmere wood, ambergris accord

Kilian Sun Kissed Goddess

• Why We Love It: Despite its already-impressive fragrance portfolio, Kilian’s newest eau de parfum has quickly become my favorite of the bunch. “It’s the scent of summer, the scent of happiness," is how founder Kilian Hennessy puts it—introducing his take on Polynesian Monoi Oil. Here, perfumer Calice Becker creates a warm, lively, long-lasting aroma that only gets better the more you wear it. Dare we say, like your skin but better?
• Notes: Ylang-ylang essence, tiare flower, coconut, Guaic wood, cistus labdanum

Brown Girl Jane Carnivale Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: If Levy says mango scents are going to be all the rage this summer, that’s your cue to head straight to Sephora to pick up a bottle of Brown Girl Jane’s Carnivale. This smells like taking a bite of the ripest, juiciest, tropical fruits where mouthwatering mango comes alive alongside sweet vanilla, nectar, cream, and sandalwood—inspired by Trinidad's famous Carnival.
• Notes: Caribbean mango, jasmine, nectar, amber, ginger, whipped musks, golden pimento, sandalwood, vanilla

Vacation After Sun Eau de Toilette

• Why We Love It: Vacation has a thing for making hit products and their accompanying aromas. Following the hit Vacation eau de toilette that bottled the brand's signature sunscreen scent, Vacation introduced After Sun—the sent of its acclaimed After Sun Gel. Composed by perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux, this brings together notes of aloe vera essence, green tea verjus, iced cucumber water, and cardamom absolute for a fun take on the just-dipped perfume.
• Notes: Aloe vera essence, green tea verjus, iced cucumber water, cardamom absolute

Orebella Blooming Fire Parfum

• Why We Love It: Of Bella Hadid’s debut trio of fragrances, I can already predict Blooming Fire will be my summer go-to. Described as a “transportive tropical oasis,” this is a great mix of warmness and sweetness, but in a light, skin-like kind of way. And the fact that its 100% alcohol-free and rooted in an essential oil base means it has a rejuvenating quality about it unlike any other parfum.
• Notes: Bergamot, cedarwood, clove leaf, cardamom, Tahitian monoi, jasmine, patchouli

Tom Ford Costa Azzurra Eau de Parfum

• Why We Love It: Everyone’s been gushing online about the appeal of the European summer—which calls to mind Tom Ford’s Costa Azzurra, which is an aromatic take on the waves crashing along the Mediterranean coast. Fresh and crisp, woody and a bit citrus-y, this smells of salt sea air, cypress, and lemon in a way that can instantly transport you across the Atlantic—whether you’re actually traveling this summer or not.
• Notes: Cypress, lemon, oakwood