Perfume has always been its own form of armchair travel. The powerful connection between scent and memory means that a single spritz can instantly transport you to another time or place.
Whatever you're doing this season, these summer perfumes, made for both men and women, are as good a salve as any for your beachy daydreams. So take a seat, have a spritz, and enjoy the trip.
Tokyo with Le Labo
Gaiac 10 is the fragrence in the Le Labo’s city collection that represents Toyko. It’s central ingrediant, gaiac, is a greenish cedar-like wood that is underscored by four diffrent types of musk and a bit of incense. It is an intoxicating, woody scent that recalls a quiet oasis outside of the city more than the bustling metropolis itself.
Italy with Bvlgari
Bvlgari’s Baciami fragrence takes its name from the Italian word for ‘kiss me.’ It’s a fitting moniker considering the fragrance, designed by Louis Vuitton perfumer Jacques Cavallier, is inspired by iconic Italian romances from history and literature, like Romeo and Juliet (Verona), Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (Rome), Dante and Beatrice (Florence), to name a few.
A 'steamy floral,’ Baciami is characterised by a heavy dose of creamy gardenia flower enriched with warm notes of vanilla. It's a rich, feminine fragrance ideal for those looking for an interesting replacement to more popular rose scents.
Sweden with Colekt
Travel to forests of Sweden's famed summer islands with the La Chambre fragrance by Stockholm based brand Colekt. Featuring notes of oakmoss, pink pepper, and lavender, La Chambre is a delicate, woody fragrance that is ideal for those who prefer musky scents but want something lighter for summer.
The Amazon with Fueguia 1833
The Agua Magnoliana fragrance from Argentinian brand Fueguia 1833 is inspired by the magnolia fragantissima flower, a delicate smelling bloom that comes from a mammoth Amazonian tree.
Agua Magnoliana aquatic floral scent is enriched by notes of jasmine and sandalwood, making it an elegant fragrance that is light enough for hot summer days.
Spain with Perfumer H
The Orange Leaf fragrence from Perfumer H transforms the tangy citrus notes of Valencia oranges into an uplifting summer fragrance.
The orange valencia scent used in the perfume is extracted from the fruit itself, rather than synthetically recreated. This is blended with petitgrain essence extracted from the twigs and leaves of oranges for an extra-zesty scent, and then toned with notes of basil, frankincense and cedar wood.
The French Riviera with Dior
Dior's fragrance, Eden-Roc, is an ode to the luxurious Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes. The hotel is the epitome of French Riviera elegance, inspiring F Scott's Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night and playing host to the likes of Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Marlene Dietrich and the Kennedys.
The fragrance blends sea salt, jasmine, coconut, and pine to evoke ‘a salt crystal placed on the tip of the tongue, bronzed skin warmed by the sun, [and] the protective canopy offered by a pine tree in the south of France’.
California with Louis Vuttion
Pacific Chill is the latest addition to Louis Vuitton’s collection of California-inspired fragrances. In-house perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud was inspired to create this particular fragrance after days drinking green juice (a California staple) and hiking through the Palisades. The result is tasty blend of carrot seed essence, blackcurrant, orange, mint, and basil that is lifted by a sweet hint of apricot.
As for previous fragrances in the California-inspired series, the bottle was designed by LA-based artist (and former Wallpaper* Design Awards judge) Alex Israel.
Gambia with Maya Njie
Swedish-born, London-based perfumer Maya Njie created Tropica as a sensory ode to her childhood trips to West Africa, particularly Gambia and Senegal. ‘For me it’s evocative of these places, as they represent the transition of leaving a very cold and dark Sweden for warmer climates, sticky beaches, salty oceans, late nights and late mornings, where we could really roam free,’ says Njie.
To create the fragrance, she blended uplifting notes of citrus and pineapple with fig, coconut, and musk. It's a lush and bright perfume, more evocative of flourishing jungles than other beach-centric summer scents.
Ibiza with Loewe
Launched seasonally, Paula’s Ibiza is Loewe’s celebration of the Balearic island’s joyful and luscious summers. ‘I wanted to capture that sense of letting go and ecstatic abandon in a fragrance,’ Loewe’s creative director Jonathan Anderson told us last year. ‘Something volatile and fickle, just like a breeze.’
To create this latest edition, perfumer Nuria Cruelles blended floral orange flower absolute and jasmine samba with warm gourmand notes of coconut and vanilla alongside woody Australian sandalwood.
Mumbai with DS & Durga
DS & Durga’s Radio Bombay is ideal among summer scents for those who prefer something slightly richer than the typical citrus or floral.
This medium-bodied fragrance is designed to evoke a day spent under the hot Mumbai sun with a copper-tube radio playing ragas in the background. It's a woody and fruity scent with top notes of copper and cedar, heart notes of sandalwood and iris, and base notes of coconut musk and ambergris.
Mexico with Xinú
Xinú’s Monstera evokes the verdant jungles of the perfume brand’s native Mexico. The freshness of the monstera plant is blended with damp earth accord for a musty depth. It's finished off with a creamy white floral tone and a touch of bitter cocoa and vanilla.
Once finished with, Xinú’s perfume bottles, made from blown glass and wood, are designed to be turned into an elegant, modernist vase.
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Sam Youkilis’ ‘Somewhere’ is an ode to the beauty of everyday life across cultures
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Diptyque Do Son perfume celebrated with new look and short film
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Loewe Earth is your new go-to autumn perfume
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Japanese florist Azuma Makoto creates botanical sculptures for Dior Parfums
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Diptyque’s Eau Rose perfume gets an offbeat revamp
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India Mahdavi redesigns Dior’s iconic J’adore perfume bottle
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Frank Gehry designs Louis Vuitton perfume bottle to make you say ‘Oh!’
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