The best summer fragrances that will guarantee compliments

Nothing will manifest bright, sunshiney days quite like a new fragrance. Beach-baked salty skin, freshly cut grass, delicate lavender fields, or ice-cold lemonade – there’s no faster way to evoke summery smells than with a hypnotising seasonal scent. 

How? Smell is the only one of our five senses that has a direct connection to our brain’s memory centre – just a whiff of a nostalgic summer scent will allow you to hack your sense of smell (aka your ‘olfactory memory’), instantly transporting you to another place, time or mood. 

Go one better: splash out on the perfume (or gift set) that perfectly captures your summer 2025 mood, then wear it 24/7 until late September as you create new, fragrance-filled memories. From TOM FORD to Jo Malone, it’s time to scent your summer. 

The best floral fragrances reminiscent of a quintessential country garden are fresh, light and airy. Lift your mood with soft, romantic notes of rose, patchouli, jasmine or neroli and welcome long, lazy, sun-soaked days.

Nothing beats citrus for adding a jolt of joy, whether you’re Amalfi-bound, or simply in need of a Monday morning mood-maker. From zesty Italian lemon to juicy mandarin, these scents will transport you to sun-drenched settings in an instant.

If your dream summer is laced with luxury log cabins, glamping at Glastonbury or wild swimming retreats – then spruce up your scent wardrobe with decadent fig, woody notes of pine needle and sandalwood, creamy vanilla or a sensual amber musk. These summer scents are deceptively light and promise to please all the way through the season.

Inviting, intoxicating and quietly confident – these scents are The One for a last-minute getaway, be it a long-overdue staycation or a Barcelona beach retreat. Take your pick from fruity, fresh and floral, and soak your skin (and your linen shirt) in summer’s most freeing, fun scents.

• Switch your eau de parfum for lighter eau de toilettes and eau de colognes
• Layer perfume over a body cream to boost its staying power (fragrance doesn’t last as long on dry skin)
• Hot out? Lightly mist perfume on to your hairbrush and/or clothing – either the inside of your pockets (more subtle) or your entire outfit – as fibres will grip on to scent better
• Treat perfume as part of your outfit. Wearing colour? Think florals. Off to a wedding? Try a joyful, citrussy scent
• Want your bottle of perfume to last longer? Store it in your fridge so it doesn’t oxidise