8 best summer perfumes for spritzing this sunny season

By far the most unique summer perfume on this list and one that will make you want to explore the rest of the DS & Durga line. Described as “hot, humid and sexy”, the debaser perfume was inspired by nostalgic road trip summers around the New England Coast while listening to the Pixies on the car stereo. While my summers in Croydon recreation grounds can’t relate, they can appreciate this fig scent. On first spritz, the debaser perfume immediately takes you outside with its freshness – in a green, not citrus way. It’s weird to say, I know, but it almost smells wet. The sexiness comes when the fig takes over, followed by soft blonde woods and musk.

It evokes that endless summer feeling. Warm nights that mean you can stay outside for hours, slightly sweaty skin (in a hot way) and maybe even the hope of a cliched fling. This deserves five stars for taking a completely different approach, but still capturing all the summer feels. Not to mention is a fresh scent that lasts on the skin to the point I could still smell it on my T-shirt the next day.

Nivea sun may be the cheapest on the list by far, but it’s the one that truly does capture the real essence of summer. To me, it’s as much a perfume, as it is a mood enhancer and come summer, I spray it with the same enthusiasm as I do my nephew’s Nerf super soaker water gun.

The smell is literally Nivea’s signature sun cream, which is as much the scent of summer as it is a nostalgia weapon. For me, visceral memories of carefree childhood holidays come flooding back, along with images of my nan in her apartment in Malaga.

To me, this perfume does get five out of five, but to you, I can’t score it that way because the simple fact is, it does not last. There is zero staying power here beyond an hour’s wear, which for any other £40 perfume, would be a complete fail. Thankfully, for Nivea however, the joy of spritzing this never gets old.

This is somewhat of a rediscovery for me this summer and now we’re reacquainted, I’m telling you, this should be a staple for everyone having a UK staycation.

Perfume descriptions are often ridiculous, but Jo Malone perfectly captured wood sage and sea salt: “Breathe in the bracing air of the British coast”. This is the ice bath of summer scents and I love to liberally spray it on those mornings when the sun is streaming in and you’re eager to get out into the great outdoors.

In my opinion, this is the most gender-neutral scent on this list. It holds up a good few hours – I don’t mind losing a few for that freshness. I do, however, hate that it makes me rage for failing (once again) to book a summer Cornwall break.

If the sparkle of the sun shining on the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean had a smell, this perfume would surely be it. Newly released in 2024, Bvlgari’s allegra chill and sole is so fresh that one spray makes you instantly feel lighter, brighter and airer. Even better, it’s a crispness that lingers, which is rare for summer scents.

The blend of neroli, lemon, orange blossom and petitgrain makes it smell as pretty as the pink and blue bottle looks and for such a fresh scent, it’s fairly strong (two squirts maximum for me). Like all summer perfumes, it does lack lasting power, but it will see you through the day before requiring a top-up for your evening activities.

Before SpaceNK got its hands on it and we could finally buy the brand in the UK, I walked the streets of New York and Los Angeles, desperately hunting down DedCool’s iconic xtra milk skin scent. On one of my failed attempts, I found the hand wash in red Dakota instead and honestly, I don’t ever want to buy another brand again. Thankfully, red Dakota also comes in perfume form, so I no longer have to sniff my hands to get my fix.

Out of all the scents on this list, this, to me, is the warmest and most comforting. That’s because of the middle woody, amber notes, with the hit of summer coming before thanks to clementine and gardenia. I don’t want a summer of adventure when I spray this, I want a summer of all the best parts, with none of the scariness of change that September brings. I’m talking about the holiday with your best friends where you barely leave the villa, the nights where you stay up in the garden talking till the early hours and the days where every dinner is an impromptu barbecue.

By Kilian is the brand best known for being Rihanna’s favourite perfume, and I think you won’t be disappointed with sunkissed goddess. It’s exactly how I imagine a very sexy, beautifully dressed woman (with a lot of disposable income) would smell. Picture Amal Clooney getting ready for dinner in her Lake Como villa.

This is a more grown-up summer scent than Bvlgari’s chill and sole perfume, despite the creamy coconut and vanilla. That’s because it dries down to an almost powdery finish, which cuts through the sweetness. To me, this is a real neck nuzzler of a scent. Whether you’re wearing it or someone else, you keep wanting to go back for a whiff. Luckily then, this is another one on the list that has good staying power.

Another scent inspired by the Mediterranean, but somehow smells completely different. I don’t actually get that vibe from it, not that I’m complaining because I haven’t stopped thinking about this perfume since I first sprayed it.

It’s described as a floral citrus, but it’s the latter part I’m missing. Instead, to me, it smells like a bright, clean, fresh summer scent. Think washing that’s dried on the line for once.

While the grapefruit, bergamot and orange don’t really come through, the honeysuckle, lily of the valley and gardenia do and that’s coming from someone who is not a fan of floral scents. There is one downside, like many of these fresh scents, it only lingers for a few hours.

If you like a little more zing in your summer scent, and by zing I mean spice, this is the one to pick. I’d describe Vyrao’s sun rae by saying it’s the perfume I can picture Phoebe from Friends wearing when New York hits that summer heat. Lemon gives it an initial fresh summery scent, but there’s also turmeric root, ginger, black pepper and cardamom. It’s different from other citrus scents, in a spicy way.

As the spiciness wears away, you’re left with sandalwood, amber and musk, all giving an enveloping, beautiful warm skin smell. If you’re tired of generic summer scents or want a twist on the classic citrus, this is one to add to your list.