summer fragrances

sunlit musks, warm florals, gothic incense, and cedar-spiced woods

hello.

summer is a season that splits me. on one hand, there’s the scent of cold musk on warm skin, peach tea in a glass, salt softened wood. it’s the fantasy of citrus slicing through heat, of sweat made pretty, of late sun caught in your hair. but then there’s the part of me that still wears black to the farmer’s market, that wants my perfume to smell like a chapel built into a cliff or a forest breathing in the dark. i don’t want to smell like a vacation. i want to smell like memory or perhaps the ghost of a lost lover.

this guide is built for both. if you love sunlit musks and warm florals, you’ll find them here. but if you crave shadow and texture, if you want your scent to bloom with incense, hay, damp stone, or ghostly herbs, i’ve gathered those too. woody and gothic fragrances are my home base, always, but summer gives them a new kind of heat. they get weirder. sexier. quieter in some ways, louder in others. and that’s the beauty of scent, it doesn’t flatten in the heat. it transforms.

some of these perfumes smell like a july thunderstorm on a tin roof. others smell like jasmine tea in a monastery. some are tart and youthful, others are soft with rot. each one belongs to a very specific kind of summer, and somewhere in this list, so do you.

(if you’re curious about sampling you can use my link at scent split for a discount on all samples and full size bottles)

summer: sunlit musks & warm florals

this is the heart of the season. the fantasy. bare shoulders, late brunches, salt in your hair. it’s the scent of warm skin and white sheets, of citrus stirred into iced tea, of flowers blooming just a little too hard. these perfumes don’t shout. they glow. some feel like silk in the heat, others like a breeze through linen. there’s musk here, yes, but softened by pear, petals, or powder. there are florals, but never stiff, always sun-warmed, maybe a little sweaty. these are the scents for the girl who’s falling in love with her life again. or trying to.

carnal flower – frederic malle
this is tuberose with a pulse. green, creamy, and indecent in the most luxurious way. eucalyptus flashes through like a cool breath on hot skin, but it’s the coconut-tinged tuberose that owns the stage—lush, narcotic, and almost feral. like sun-warmed skin under moonlight. eucalyptus, melon, coconut, tuberose, jasmine, animalic musks

l’astre – le galion
spicy tuberose with a clean white shirt vibe. it opens with fennel and ginger, which sounds strange but wears like summer breeze over bare skin—then the flowers step in. ylang-ylang and orange blossom are soft and creamy, grounded by amber and suede. this one glows. it smells like well-kept skin, fresh air, and a warm body under silk sheets.
ginger, cardamom, ylang-ylang, tuberose, orange blossom, vanilla, amber, suede

odette – gumamina
a sparkling rose with teeth. grapefruit and fizzy water crackle over dewy petals, rhubarb, and creamy musk. smells like a swan in a sunhat. pretty, strange, and slightly off—like a summer brunch that turns existential.
rose, grapefruit, sparkling water, rhubarb, musk, orris, tonka

lys mediterranée – frederic malle
this is sea lilies in a thunderstorm. white florals are drenched in saltwater and citrus, the air humming with bergamot and ginger before softening into musk and wet cedar. it's windswept and lush—like diving into the ocean in your best dress.
sea water, ginger, bergamot, lemon, lily, lotus, orange blossom, angelica, freesia, tuberose, ylang-ylang, musk, vanilla, cedar, amber

holy hell – universal flowering
like someone dropped a bottle of tanning oil and a beach novel in a pool and called it art. creamy coconut and hot plastic melt into melon, seashells, and neroli. kitschy and aquatic, but weirdly holy—like a communion wafer at the beach.
plastic, suntan lotion, choya nakh, melon, neroli, ambergris

valaya – parfums de marly
white peach and aldehydes sparkle like sunlight off silk. but this isn’t just pretty—it’s structured. the musky backbone gives lift to tender florals and makes them feel modern and clean without ever veering soapy. crisp, sheer, and softly radiant. peach, aldehydes, orange blossom, vetiver, ambroxan

studied – liis
this one is bare-faced brilliance. iris and carrot fold into the subtle sweetness of pear, softened by ambrette and cozy skin musks. it smells like thinking deeply with the windows open. fresh laundry, overripe pear, and a soft sweater falling off the shoulder. pear, ambrette, carrot seed, iris, cashmeran

fleur de peau – diptyque
a musk scent with texture. dusty iris and Turkish rose are softened by ambrette, sandalwood, and leather, but everything feels blurred, like it’s radiating from your own skin. intimate and clean, but with a quiet sensuality, like brushing against someone who smells good without trying. aldehydes, ambrette, iris, rose, sandalwood, ambergris, leather

macanudo – maison d’etto
if fresh-cut hay had a little soul. opens with bergamot and grass before falling into wet dirt, hay, and narcissus. a humid green that smells like the space between the garden and the porch. earthy, alive, a little weird in the best way. bergamot, cut grass, narcissus, hay, damp earth, tonka bean

ethereal wave – liis
tea leaves in breeze. black and white tea glide over citrus and cardamom, soft as skin, cool as linen. this one is lucid and calm, like being underwater and still breathing.
black tea, white tea, bergamot, cardamom, blonde woods

fig leaf – universal flowering
dewy fig leaves and petitgrain with a milky-green edge. it’s green, airy, and slightly creamy, like a fig tree filtered through soft light and open windows.
fig leaf, petitgrain, musk, orange blossom

naked dance – oddity
ceramic and soft spoken. green tea and bergamot wash over clay and rice, giving a porcelain skin feel. there’s iris, lily, and turkish rose too, but everything feels muted, like it’s underwater. incense and guaiac wood linger like a memory. green tea, bergamot, rice, clay, iris, Turkish rose, lily, guaiac wood, incense, vetiver

paradisi – jorum studio
fruit gone strange. guava, cucumber, rhubarb, and pink pepper swirl into moss, dirt, and mushrooms. it’s overripe and alive, like a greenhouse that’s been overtaken. botanical horror meets juicy hedonism. rhubarb, cucumber, guava, honeysuckle, soil tincture, mushroom, moss

ilio – diptyque
prickly pear and bergamot open bright and juicy, but this one wears like skin after a day in the sun. jasmine and iris add a floral warmth that hums just beneath the fruit. soft, creamy, and sunny without being loud. prickly pear, bergamot, jasmine, iris

neroli oranger – matiere premiere
bright neroli lit by Tunisian orange blossom. ylang-ylang adds a hint of tropical creaminess, but the musk keeps it polished and wearable. smells like sun on white linen and orange trees in bloom. neroli, orange blossom, bergamot, ylang-ylang, musk

english promenade 19 – krigler
sunny, citrusy white florals with a touch of old-school glam. think orange blossom and grapefruit wrapped in clean musk. it smells like someone who wears crisp cotton and has impeccable manners, but there’s a secret sparkle in their eye. neroli, ylang-ylang, grapefruit, musk

summer of 84 – kerosene
bright citrus and melon rush out like the opening scene of a coming-of-age movie. it’s juicy, aquatic, a little nostalgic—but grounded with soft white florals and musk that make it feel grown. like diving into a lake with your clothes on, just because. grapefruit, melon, water notes, bergamot, white flowers, musk

osmanthus – to summer
peach and bitter orange give way to a luminous tea note, softened by oily green leaves and the warm, apricot-y fuzz of osmanthus. it’s delicate and golden, like warm tea in a glass cup or the last sunlight hitting your skin. peach, osmanthus, jasmine tea, green leaves, amber

parade – celine
neroli and oakmoss. clean but grown. crisp but grounded. the bergamot sparkles just long enough before vetiver walks in barefoot. it smells like a well-dressed person who secretly wants to live in a cottage. neroli, bergamot, vetiver, oakmoss, musk

acqua viva – profumum roma
amalfi lemon at full blast. zesty, sharp, and sun-bleached. cedar and cypress give it backbone, but the lemon never leaves. this is for the heatwave girlies who want to smell like Italian cliffs and golden light. amalfi lemon, cypress, cedar, laburnum

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gothic summer

for the ones who still wear black in july. who crave the flicker of candlelight even in a heatwave. these scents are sun-drenched but shadowed, cool stone, damp incense, overripe fruit left out too long. they’re devotional, funereal, sometimes a little unhinged. think lilies melting on altars, holy smoke in thick air, tobacco and hay turning sweet under heat. this isn’t the beach. this is the chapel beside it. the forest past it. the story that begins after the sun goes down.

summer goth is where scent turns poetic. where everything soft decays beautifully, and heat doesn’t erase the dark but deepens it. you’ve got the lilies and incense, but also the rot, the beeswax, the milk, the memory. it’s holy girlcore with a fever. and i honestly think it’s the most romantic way to survive the sun.

relique d’amour – oriza legrand
this smells like cracked stone and damp silk. cold incense rising from sun-warmed marble, lilies melting into beeswax and moss. it’s mournful and luminous, like a forgotten chapel touched by summer heat.
church incense, lily, myrrh, moss, beeswax, aged wood

la liturgie des heures – jovoy
this is gothic monasticism in a bottle. cypress and labdanum cloak the opening in green smoke, while incense rises and falls like breath during prayer. it’s resinous, sacred, and slightly unclean in the best way.
incense, cypress, myrrh, labdanum, green notes, musk

baptisma – chapel factory
neroli and jasmine are steeped in milk and verbena, softening the sacred with something bodily and sweet. like incense clinging to skin after baptism. clean but haunted.
verbena, bergamot, ginger, neroli, milk, incense, oakmoss

l’orpheline – serge lutens
this one feels like grief. delicate, dry incense floats over sheer musk. it’s ghostly, quiet, and unresolved—like a girl in mourning who refuses to come in from the rain.
incense, musk

l’âme perdue – le galion
this is vintage floral drama filtered through late-summer light. red lily, plum, and cloves bloom like overripe fruit left on an altar. there’s something mournful in the jasmine and cinnamon, but it’s never dusty. vanilla and rosewood wrap it in warmth. this one feels like secrets and heat. like lipstick smudged on a linen handkerchief. beautiful and barely holding it together.
datura, green mandarin, Sicilian lemon, white pepper, red lily, cloves, plum, mirabelle, egyptian jasmine, jasmine sambac, cinnamon, bulgarian rose, mexican vanilla, madagascar vanilla, amber, honey, benzoin, peru balsam, patchouli, oakmoss, rosewood

un air d’apogée – maison violet
a golden haze of hay, tobacco, and mimosa. warm but slightly decayed. iris and suede drift in like old letters found in a sunlit attic. melancholic, honeyed, and weirdly elegant.
hay, mimosa, tobacco, iris, suede, sage, cashmeran

paradisi – jorum studio
a greenhouse gone feral. guava, cucumber, and rhubarb open bright, almost playful until you realize the floor is moss, the walls are mold, and something is blooming past its prime. it’s lush and spoiled, fruit and fungus holding hands in the heat.
rhubarb, cucumber, guava, honeysuckle, soil tincture, mushroom, moss

la vierge de fer – serge lutens
cold metal and white florals sharpened to a point. lily and jasmine bloom in a cathedral built of steel and ice. it’s sacred and untouchable. like purity with a dagger in its hand.
lily, pear, metallic notes, incense, sandalwood

avignon – comme des garçons series 3
smells like old stone and sacred rituals. dry incense curls around myrrh, olibanum, and cedar. holy, austere, and slightly dusty. a summer spent inside cool cathedrals.
elemi, chamomile, aldehydes, French labdanum, spices, ambrette, incense, myrrh, olibanum, cedar, rosewood, patchouli, oakmoss, vanilla, musk

ormonde woman – ormonde jayne
dark woods under bright sun. black hemlock and violet cut through the summer haze like shadows on green. cool, witchy, and strangely elegant.
grass, cardamom, coriander, black hemlock, violet, jasmine, cedar, sandalwood, vetiver, amber

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summer woody

summer woody is barefoot in the woods, clay under your fingernails, the sound of wind moving through trees. it’s green tea on cedar shelves, fig trees weeping in the sun, salt clinging to bark. this category smells like long walks through overgrown paths and books left open on wooden decks. it’s dry and mineralic, rooty and clean, a balance of sweat and soil. not heavy, not smoky—just sun-dappled forests, gentle spice, and skin-warmed woods. think incense in the breeze, pine needles on damp skin, fig leaves caught in linen. grounded. glowing. alive.

triple tea – to summer
a breeze through a teahouse built of cedar and paper walls. lemongrass, mint, and jasmine tea glow softly, then dry into sweetened papyrus and warm cedar. grounded, green, and quietly elegant. it smells like quiet mornings and pressed linen.
tea, mint, lemongrass, jasmine, papyrus, cedar

orencie – chambre 52
lychee juice on white linen. soft, vegetal, milky, and a little uncanny — warmed by amber, grounded in polished woods. strange and comforting all at once. like being hugged by something alien, but kind.
lychee, fig leaf, iris, ambroxan, tonka, amber, sandalwood

útilykt spray – fischersund x 66°north
mountain air and birch bark, salt-stung skin and windburnt herbs. mineral, green, and quietly wild. like standing barefoot on stone. it smells like the kind of cold that clears your head.
angelica, arctic thyme, seaweed, birch, vetiver, juniper

vibrato – sospiro
an expensive grapefruit. this opens like a citrus explosion. zesty, sparkling, but buttery too. ginger and magnolia swirl in like afternoon breeze, and it all dries into powdery woods, patchouli, and orris. fresh, radiant, and strangely polished.
grapefruit, bergamot, jasmine, magnolia, ginger, herbal notes, powdery notes, musk, cedar, amber, patchouli, orris root

parade – celine
neroli opens the door, but vetiver holds the gaze. citrus and oakmoss make it crisp, but there’s dirt under the cuffs. woody and clean in equal measure. it’s city polish with country soul.
bergamot, neroli, oakmoss, vetiver, musk

jasmine tea – one day
jasmine and oolong, steeped into pale wood and musk. like linen hung in dappled light. earthy but translucent. the kind of scent that whispers instead of speaks.
jasmine, oolong tea, white musk, sandalwood

young hearts – bruno acampora
a forest in high summer. pine, birch, moss, and jasmine all dressed in heat. sun dappled woods and skin-sweet spice. it’s sweaty, sexy wilderness in a bottle.
pine, birch, jasmine, moss, labdanum

botanist – björk and berries
green apple, cassis, and birch bark after rain. this is scandinavian forest air bottled. wet leaves, cold tea, and all. it’s green and tart, like biting into a branch.
apple, cassis, violet, birch bark, vetiver, tea, wood

molecule 01 + mandarin – escentric molecules
sparkling mandarin over iso e super’s woody blur. smells like bare skin and citrus light, intimate and weightless. the olfactory version of turning your face to the sun.
iso e super, mandarin

sueno latino – aedes de venustas
spiced mango and fig steeped in suede and incense. this one smells like a mirage. fruity and radiant at first, but quickly turns smoky, balsamic, and strange. you’re in the jungle, but it’s dressed for the opera.
chili pepper, fig, incense, guaiac wood, suede, patchouli

tenebrae 26 – l’artisan parfumeur
a church swallowed by a forest. resinous, rooty, and deeply green. fir and olibanum crackle over woody incense and damp soil. like holy smoke curling through pine needles. meditative, grounding, and a little feral.
fir, olibanum, coniferous resin, earth, wood

no. iii swim – gabar
fig and cedar sunbathing by a stream. green tea and galbanum keep it bright and sheer, while the fig adds a soft, fruity glow — never sweet, just tender. orris brings a subtle powderiness, and the drydown is cedar and musk with a little patchouli and tonka for depth. it smells like a morning swim, sun-dried linen, and slipping into a shirt that still smells like trees.
fig, cedar, galbanum, orris, patchouli, tonka bean, green tea, musk

a grove by the sea – arquiste
fig leaves and saltwater drift through olive groves and pine needles. it smells like summer in the mediterranean — but not the tourist version. this is earthy, herbal, and sun-warmed. the fig is fresh and fleshy, the salt mineralic and dry. rosemary, balsam fir, and cypress anchor it in green, coastal wood. like reading in the shade, knees dusted with clay.
fig leaf, rosemary, sea salt, cypress, pine needles, balsam fir, olive wood

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summer gourmand

summer gourmand, while not my favorite, is dessert with a secret. it’s frosting at golden hour, vanilla with sunburn, matcha in a sweaty palm. this category isn’t just sweet. it’s strange. a little nostalgic, a little unhinged. think girlhood with bite, coconut skin kissed with salt, lemon tart left out in the heat. these aren’t your cozy winter gourmands. they’re sunlit, flirtatious, and a bit deranged. sugar with a smirk. cake with a memory. warm, edible, and unforgettable.

annabel’s birthday cake – marissa zappas
literal frosting in a bottle. whipped cream, tuberose, and lemon sugar swirl into latex and honeycomb, giving it a weirdly erotic nostalgia. smells like childhood and girlhood and a little bit of kink. sweet, plastic, tender, and slightly deranged.
latex, sugar, lemon, heliotrope, whipped cream, cupcake, rose petals, tuberose, honeycomb, cacao pod, tonka bean

happy dust – narcotica
like a matcha milkshake on vacation. mango and coconut water swirl into brown sugar, jasmine, and amber, but a bitter green tea pulse keeps it balanced. sugary but complex.
mango, coconut water, brown sugar, jasmine, amber, green tea

gioiosa – profumum roma
tropical skin scent. coconut, jasmine, and vanilla drift through orange blossom and moss. creamy, citrusy, and quietly lush.
coconut, jasmine, vanilla, orange blossom, moss

vanilla haze – fugazzi
hazelnut, almond, and solar vanilla melt into coconut milk and caramel. sweet but not sticky, this is vanilla sunburnt and bronzed.
hazelnut, almond, vanilla, coconut milk, caramel, solar notes

princess – by kilian
marshmallow, matcha, and ginger. fluffy but grounded, sweet but sharp. the tea note makes it cerebral, but it still smells like lip gloss in the sun.
matcha tea, ginger, marshmallow, green tea, vanilla

lemon tart – theodoros kalotinis
literal pastry. lemon zest, sugar crust, and warm vanilla custard. it’s airy and rich, like eating dessert in a summer kitchen with the windows open.
lemon zest, sugar, vanilla custard, pastry, cream

summer is often sold to us as brightness and ease. but the truth is, it’s a season of contradiction. light and shadow, sugar and sweat, memory and desire. fragrance captures that better than anything. it doesn’t ask you to choose between moods, it lets you layer them. you can smell like sunlit peaches and cold stone. like tea on skin or incense in bloom. this guide isn’t about trends or even taste. it’s about the kind of summer you want to live in. and the version of you who already does.

okay, that’s all for today.

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bye.

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