I’ll admit, I’m pretty finicky with my fragrances. I like floral…but not too floral. Musky…but not too heavy. Citrus…but…you know, too citrusy. And in the winter, I feel I can get away with something heavier, spicier, and bold, but if in the summer I want my fragrance to be a little fresher and light.
Fragrances are incredibly personal, see above. And I believe finding scents that work for you are hard–I know it is for me. So when I find fragrances I love, I hold onto them tightly. While I wear the three of these fragrances year-round, I’ve had them at the ready since the weather’s gotten warmer.
Chloé Eau de Parfum
I’d say this is my ‘signature scent.’ I got a sample from a Sephora purchase or something along those lines, and I just felt there was something special about this fragrance. Since I consider it my absolute favorite, it’s no question I’m reaching for this for summer.
Chloe Eau de Parfum falls into the floral family, powdery floral scent type with key the key notes being peony, rose, honey, and cedarwood. This scent takes the rose which can be flirty and sweet and ingeniously turns it into something intimate, sophisticated, and sensual. The delicate rose scent is accompanied by magnolia and lily of the valley and deepened by hints of warm amber and cedarwood.
Chloe’s brand was founded on the principles of freedom, lightness, and femininity. That’s exactly what I get from this fragrance. It’s fresh and feminine, but instead of making me feel cute and girly, it makes me feel confident and independent, and chic.
Even the packaging makes me feel sleek. It looks modern and delicate in its pleated bottle with hand tied ribbon.
$105, 1.7 oz. , sephora.com
Elizabeth and James Nirvana Amethyst
I’ve sampled every single fragrance from Elizabeth and James, and I’ve yet to be disappointed. I have some I favor over others, but I get enjoyment from all of them. I received the full size of Amethyst for Christmas, and I’m so happy. Not only is the packaging a gorgeous aubergine embossed bottle, but the scent is spectacular.
Amethyst falls into the warm + spicy scent family, cool spices scent type, and has notes of tobacco, honeysuckle, and cedar. While this scent is the heaviest on this list, there’s an enchanting airiness I can’t get over. I grab for this when I want to feel a little more seductive and rebellious.
The concept of Elizabeth and James fragrances is great to me. In celebration of a sort of ‘new nostalgia,’ each launch consists of two fragrances that complement each other–so they can be worn alone or layered. They’re all timeless and contemporary that combine with a lovely sophisticated edge.
$85, 1.7 oz. , sephora.com
Ralph Lauren Romance
Ralph Lauren’s Romance is a classic. When I want to feel ultra feminine, I wear this. I generally limit this to summer, because it’s an extremely light floral. With notes of sungoddess rose, marigold, ginger, chamomile oil, yellow freesia, white violet, lotus flower, day lily, patchouli, oakmoss, and must, you’re going to smell like the most fabulous garden out there.
$76, 1.7 oz. , sephora.com
Now that you know what I smell like all summer (minus the SPF), what are you going to smell like? In less creepy terms, what are your favorite fragrances for summer?
Do you have a signature summer fragrance?
Next Up: My Favorite Summer Lip Colors
