The new summer fragrances to spritz this season are as inventive as they are uplifting. While some are inspired by the freshest of bouquets and sun-drenched landscapes, other perfumers have looked further afield, putting their own unique twist on the scent of pistachio, ginger and even paper. Here’s our edit of this season’s standout new fragrances.
New Summer Fragrances to Spritz
Guerlain
Nerolia Vetiver Forte
Eau de Parfum, 125ml, £135
The French beauty brand adds to its Aqua Allegoria Forte eaux de parfum with Nerolia Vetiver, that’s certainly one of the most joyful new fragrances to spritz this summer. The woody fragrance looks to Calabria in southern Italy, where orange trees flourish on the Ionian coast. Perfumer Delphine Jelk combines the warmth of vetiver and tonka bean with a heart of neroli, rose and a creamy fig accord, finishing it off with top notes of fresh, green fig leaves and sparkling bergamot for a burst of sunshine.
Diptyque
L’Eau Papier
Eau de Toilette 100ml, £125
Celebrating the previously unsung perfume of paper, Fabrice Pellegrin evokes a literary world of spilt ink and well-thumbed pages with his latest composition L’Eau Papier. Taking grain as the top note in the form of roasted sesame seeds, he adds white musk, floral mimosa and blonde woods to create a soft woody, yet paper-fresh, scent that is something to write home about.
Loewe
Aire Anthesis
Eau de Parfum, 50ml, £118
Aire Anthesis is the first in Loewe’s Botanical Rainbow family to feature the ‘Loewe Accord’, a new note crafted by perfumer Nuria Cruelles and based around the ambery scent of the rockrose, a wildflower native to Spain. Additional notes of pear, peony, sandalwood and rhubarb round off this woody fruity floral scent, its name deriving from the Latin for the moment a flower’s bud bursts into bloom.
Louis Vuitton
Pacific Chill
Eau de Parfum, 100ml, £235
Designed to reference California’s health and wellness culture, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud’s Pacific Chill is the latest in the Los Angeles-inspired fragrance line from Louis Vuitton. Notes of blackcurrant, mint, cedrat and lemon bring a fresh, sunny energy to this, one of the most joyful new summer fragrances to spritz this season; while coriander, ambrette seeds and peppermint capture the cool breeze of the Pacific coast, and fig, jujube and apricot create a fruity depth.
Armani Privé
Santal Dan Sha
Eau de Toilette 100ml, £150
Armani Privé’s nature-inspired Les Deux haute couture fragrance line now includes Santal Dān Shā, inspired by the aromatic woodland and serene lakes of East Asia. Sandalwood is the star of the show, infused both at its base and also as a top note blended with sparkling bergamot and the aromatic spiciness of cardamom for a balmy, sensual finish to encapsulate an exotic breeze at dusk.
Hermès
Un Jardin a Cythere
Eau de Toilette, 50ml, £78
The latest Hermès’ Parfums-Jardins scent, a collection inspired by both a sense of place and the inspiration the perfumer draws from it, looks to Kythira. Christine Nagel does neither green nor floral; instead, this citrusy-woody scent envelopes notes of yellow grasses, olive wood and fresh pistachio to echo the warm, sensual landscape of the sun-drenched Greek island.
Veronique Gabai
Oud Elixir
Eau de Parfum 85ml, £290
A rich, sensual fragrance that has saffron at its heart. Veronique Gabai, the nose behind some of the world’s most famous perfumes, combines its dark, leathery, spicy notes with myrrh, while other natural, ethically-sourced ingredients include a combination of oud, patchouli and amber, and top notes of rose and mate absolute, to create a woody, ambery scent that’s at once rich and mysterious.
Aerin
Mediterranean Honeysuckle Clementina
Eau de Parfum, 50ml, £100
A spritz of Clementina will transport you to warmer climes as Aerin Lauder looks to the glittering Amalfi coast for inspiration behind her latest scent. Top notes of Corsican clementine, orange bigarade and Italian bergamot set the tone, followed by jasmine sambac, cassis and honeysuckle and rounded off with warming ambrox and creamy musk for a fresh, vibrant take on an endless Italian summer.
D.S. & Durga
Pistachio
Eau de Parfum, 50ml, £148
This new fragrance was made on a whim as a Studio Juice, one of 100 limited edition batches hand-mixed by self-taught perfumer David Seth Moltz. But the scent proved so popular last year, it is now available in the D.S. & Durga collection. Designed to evoke the fun of pistachio and reminiscent of desserts, the nut features throughout, underpinned by cardamon, roasted almond, patchouli and vanilla crème for a joyfully sweet, nutty scent from a brand that doesn’t normally do sweet.
Escentric Molecules
Molecule 01 + Ginger
Eau de Toilette, 100ml, £115
Escentric Molecules adds to its cult Molecule 01 + collection, in which founder Geza Schoen matches just one ingredient with his abstract synthetic Iso E Super wonder molecule. This season, it’s Ginger (the other new plus-ones are Guaiac Wood and Black Tea). In contrast to the warm, cocooning cedarwood tonality of the Iso E Super, the ginger brings a crisp zestiness and peppery spiciness for a fresh, sharp finish.
Memoize
Abundantia
Extrait de Parfum, 100ml, £177
London-based perfume house Memoize introduces another interesting scent to its collection, Abundantia. Designed to be uplifting and exuberant, punchy top notes of citrusy mandarin, bergamot and rhubarb set the tone, with a heart of geranium and osmanthus given a kick by spicy ginger. A rich, creamy base of caramel, vanilla and sandalwood completes this invigorating fragrance.
Sunspel
Sea Moss
Eau de Parfum, 100ml, £115
The British heritage clothing brand has joined forces once again with leading London perfumer Lyn Harris to develop their third fragrance, Sunspel. A woody hit of cedar combines with the light romance of rose and lavender and the earthy, freshness of moss to create a crisp, clean and calming scent that embodies salty, sunny walks along the coast – one of the most interesting summer fragrances for the season ahead.
Maison Margiela
On A Date
Eau de Toilette, 100ml, £110
Maison Margiela’s Replica fragrances are designed to prompt forgotten emotions and personal memories, transporting its wearer with a single spritz. On A Date has been formulated by master perfumer Carlos Benaïm to recreate a date on a late summer’s evening in Provence. At its heart is Isparta rose petal, while the sweetness of blackcurrant rounded off by sensual vetiver and musk add to the romance.
