Words by Nasreen Osman
The best summer perfumes should do more than just smell fresh – they should shift your mood, spark a memory or capture the heat of a moment. From sun-drenched citrus to cool coastal florals, the season’s best perfumes offer escapism in a single spritz. Whether you’re drawn to luminous neroli, salted skin accords or creamy woods, consider this your definitive guide to the best summer fragrance launches.
Kurky – named after perfumer Francis Kurkdjian’s childhood moniker – is a summer gourmand reimagined for grown ups. A juicy burst of tutti-frutti adds a touch of nostalgia, conjuring sun-soaked holidays and carefree afternoons. White musks soften the edges, lending an airy, skin-like finish, while vanilla and sandalwood settle in for the long haul. It’s playful, polished and quietly addictive – a scent that lingers like a sweet secret.
Pacific Rock Flower is a fresh take on coastal elegance. It starts with punchy lemon and eucalyptus, then gives way to a heart of delicate notes of coral flower and mimosa. As it settles, a base of moss and sandalwood provides an earthy finish. When you want to counter the intense heat of summer, count on this scent to bring some serenity.
Tom Ford’s Eau de Soleil Blanc is summer without restraint – vibrant, warm and undeniably indulgent. Bright bergamot leads the way before melting into a rich floral heart of tuberose, ylang ylang and orange blossom, made to sink into skin and deepen with every hour you pass splayed on the beach.
Newly launched at Harrods, Victoria Beckham Beauty’s debut into fragrance is confident, sensual – and surprisingly nostalgic. Portofino ’97 is a sun-drenched memory rendered in scent: neroli and bergamot sparkle upfront, grounded by vetiver and patchouli with a trace of salty skin. It’s polished, personal and like the summer it recalls, over far too soon.
Isola Verde is freshness, dialled up. Punchy citrus and cool mint hit first – bracing and bright – before easing into aromatic herbs and soft woods. It’s clean, confident and impeccably composed. Think tailored linen, sun-warmed skin and a welcomed breeze as you lounge at the beach.
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Impadia captures Paris at golden hour: luminous, romantic and slightly impulsive. Opening with a bright hit of mandarin, pear and ginger, it fizzes with energy before melting into a velvety heart of rose with sandalwood and vanilla in the dry-down, bringing creamy depth, anchoring the fragrance with understated elegance. It’s radiant, refined and if the flacon alone is anything to go by, very hard to forget.
A cult classic that wears like silk on a balmy night, Eau du Soir is a sophisticated outlier among summer perfumes. Citrus and chypre might suggest freshness, but its floral heart – jasmine, rose and a touch of sensual patchouli – roots it firmly in the earth. There’s a quiet confidence here; it doesn’t shout, it simply lingers, turning heads long after you’ve walked away.
Fragrance du Bois’ Tropiques is pure tropical hedonism. Opening with a breeze of fruits and creamy florals, it’s slightly extravagant but is never too much’ The dry-down of soft woods and musk keeps things grounded, evoking balmy evenings and golden-hour glamour. Vacation mode: on.
Do Son is tuberose reimagined: light, airy and touched by sea breeze. Inspired by childhood summers in Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, it pairs the headiness of white florals with sheer marine notes for a nostalgic, dreamlike effect. This is a summer fragrance at its most poetic.
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