If there’s one part of the beauty world that follows seasonal trends it has to be perfume and right as those longer days roll around, so does the tendency to opt for fragrances that capture the essence of summer. I am a sucker for a scent that reminds me of holidays so I wanted to round up my edit of the ultimate summer perfume choices. So let’s go.

Products marked with * are PR samples.

Sol De Janeiro Sol Cheirosa ’62 Eau De Parfum*

£78 (50ml) CultBeauty.com (ad – affiliate link)

A new addition but indoubtedly an immediate summer scent classic. I don’t know a single person who has tried the amazing Sol De Janeiro Bum Bum Cream (pronounced ‘boom boom’) and not fallen in love with the fragrance. Well, here it is in eau de perfum form. You can now spritz this on to your bum bum or anywhere else on your body (recommend the pulse points… ) and immediately be transported to the warm sunny scenes of Ipenema beach. The perfume is a perfect capture of the Bum Bum cream scent and I can see this one being hugely popular as a summer perfume.

Perfume breakdown wise this one has top notes of pistachio and almond, mid notes of heliotrope and jasmine petals and base notes of vanilla, salted caramel and sandalwood. All in all it’s like a cross between the smell of creamy suncream and melted ice cream. In a really really good way.

Maison Martin Margiela Paris Replica ‘Beach Walk*

£96 (100ml) JohnLewis.com (ad – affiliate link)

I adore the Maison Margiela fragrances and it was actually a close call between this one and the Under The Lemon Tree one. Both of which capture a feeling of Summer in scent form but in different ways. But it was Beach Walk that won me over. The inspiration for this is openly explained on the label – the Replica fragrances are all about capturing moments and memories – this one is all about sun kissed salty skin. Imagine the moment, you’ve just sat back on your beach towel after messing around in the sea. Skin quickly drying in the warm sun leaving a fragrance mixing all those elements together. Sitting here writing this on a decidedly less dreamy day I can just imagine the sigh of happy tiredness, relaxing and just soaking up the warmth and the waves.

As if I didn’t want a holiday enough as it is right now…

Anyway, back to the perfume. It breaks down into top notes of bergamot, pink pepper and lemon. Mid notes of ylang ylang, heliotrope and coconut milk and base notes of musk, cedar and benzoin. So a little hit of zingy citrus balanced out with some creamy softer base notes.

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Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Azur

£44 (50ml) LookFantastic.com (AD – affiliate link) *NOTE – limited edition

I couldn’t do a round up of summer perfume without a nod to the annual classic that is Bronze Goddess. Every year Estee Lauder launch a gorgeous summer collection that for me is the official start of Summer. The 2020 offering is a twist on the usual signature scent in the form of a turquoise fresh ‘Azur’ version. With notes much like the original, this has been given a bit of a citrus update.

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The top notes are ALL zingy citrus ones with mandarin, bergamot and lemon. The mid notes bring in salt, neroli, fig and orange blossom. Then the base is cedar, musk and coconut milk. You will definitely notice there are a few ‘common denominators’ across the summer fragrance options. Those notes that individually spark warm memories so it’s easy to see why perfume houses lean on them for these scents.

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc

£164 (50ml Eau de Parfum) FeelUnique.com (AD – affiliate link)

Another one that it was a close call between this and another Tom Ford scent I adore – Neroli Portofino – a beautiful sunny citrus one that I have in both perfume and body oil form. Both of which are gorgeous. But decided to go for Tom Ford Soleil Blanc because it really does capture a more universal Summer scent. For starters the white and gold bottle feels like a glam Ibiza bar for sun downers. The perfume itself is very much a ‘suncream on warm beach towel’ moment.

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The top notes for this one are cardamom, bergamot, pink pepper and pistachio. Mid notes of jasmine, tuberose and ylang ylang. Then a base of amber, tonka bean, coconut milk and benzoin – which is a type of resin by the way.

Byredo Sundazed

£103 (50ml) Selfridges.com (AD – affiliate link)

If you want your fragrance with a feeling of ‘cool girl’ about it then Byredo are the one. Their Mohave Ghost scent is officially in my all time favourites but for Summer then Sundazed is the one. It’s got a sweetness to it that is unique alongside the other scents in this post. This is one of the fragrances that on first sniff it had my mind trying to pin point a memory it was sparking. Which for me is always a surefire way to my heart.

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The top notes are Californian lemon and Sicilian mandarin. Mid notes of jasmine sambac and neroli then a base of musk and cotton candy. Where the sweetness comes from. The combination is so hard to describe all together but it works beautifully and the sweetness definitely gives it something extra.

Zara Amalfi Sunray

£25.99 (90ml) Zara.com (other sizes available in store)

Now this is an interesting fragrance. This is one of a range created for Zara by Jo Malone MBE (the woman herself, not the Lauder brand as the two have been separate for many years now). There’s a whole range of scents but this is the one that really won me over. Called Amalfi Sunray and it very much reminds me of Tom Ford Neroli Portofino.

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It’s a relatively simple combination of bergamot, mandarin orange and oraneg blossom. All three notes are key int eh Tom Ford fragrance, but the TF has a selection of others in the mix too. Of course price wise the Zara is an absolute bargain. The 90ml full sized bottle is £25.99 – I think the 10ml rollerball I bought was around £5.99 ish? A bargain and perfect option if you want a fragrance to take on a holiday (when possible) that maybe doesn’t cost a fortune and wouldn’t break your heart/bank if it was lost or damaged? This is perfect for that. Zara Amalfi Sunray is really gorgeous. Light and fresh and very summery. Plus who doesn’t love a total bargain for a scent created by Jo Malone.

Aerin Hibiscus Palm*

£100 (50ml) Net-A-Porter.com (AD – affiliate link)

When it comes to gorgeous bottles, the Aerin signature stone-topped bottles take some beating. If you haven’t tried an Aerin fragrance yet, then I really recommend. They have a gorgeous selection of options – many of which feel very unique and the scents themselves are very high quality and really go the distance lasting on skin rather than fading before you even have your first cup of tea.

Hibiscus Palm is a fragrance that for some reason I associate with Miami. Where the other scents combine citrus with creamy coconut this one brings in more florals, but the tropical kind. It has a floral heavy top notes selection including: hibiscus, ylang ylang, lotus, palm leaf and ginger. Then a mid note selection of white flowers and frangipani. Finished with a base of coconut, vanilla and musk.

This one is the most tropical feeling of the selection. Those warm tropical florals balancing out with the musk and the coconut. All combining to a gorgeous bottle of summer perfume. Truly capturing a holiday in fragrance form.

I’d love to know other’s suggestions for the all time best summer fragrance options. I should give an honourable mention to my teenage classic that is Davidoff Coolwater Woman. I still have a serious soft spot for that one.

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To read more Summer Perfume content on A Beauty Junkie in London: Summer Perfume Posts