For those of us who live in four-season climates, summertime has come to mean far more than just warm weather and sunshine-filled days. Perhaps its the extra hit of vitamin D that inspires a lightness in our step, or the longer days that make us feel like anything is possible because, finally, we have time do all the many things that winter’s early dusk would contest. One thing is for sure: the fleeting spirit of summer is worth savouring, capturing, and even bottling if we can—after all, what captures the spirit of a moment better than scent? This summer’s best new fragrances are particularly inspiring. Here, you’ll find our latest favourites paired with our own interpretation of the moments captured in each eau.
1. Saturday Shopping and Sunday Brunch:
Prada Candy Kiss, $128 for 80 ml.
Key notes: musk, vanilla, orange blossoms
Moment: It’s a sunny Saturday morning, and in a white lace dress and bright pink lips, you’ve joined the ranks of shoppers on the city’s busy sidewalk. The air is sweet with hints of vanilla ice cream from a vendor down the street, and a cool breeze carries the scent of orange blossoms from a flower-lined patio nearby.
2. A Hot Summer Night on the Town:
YSL Black Opium Nuit Blanche, $125 for 100 ml.
Key notes: rice, bourbon pepper, coffee, orange blossom, vanilla, sandalwood
Moment: The city lights are glittering, and so is your party dress. A date night or ladies’ night is about to begin, with music, dancing, and adventure in store. Notes of coffee keep the energy-levels high, while bourbon pepper, musk and sandalwood signal mystery, excitement, and even a little mischief.
3. Afternoon Tea in a Garden:
NEST Citrine, $78 for 50 ml.
Key notes: lotus, lemon blossom, freesia, precious woods
Moment: Lady Grey tea and arrowroot cookies at 3 p.m., enjoyed on a garden patio among family, friends, and an abundance of flowers. It’s sunny, but the breeze is cool and refreshing. An energy in the air signals that once tea-time is over, a glass of bubbly might just hit the spot.
4. Curled up with your Sweetheart at Sunset:
Valentina Poudre by Valentino, $125 for 80 ml.
Notes: powder, iris, tuberose, vanilla, sandalwood
Moment: At the end of a long day full of sights and excursions on a Mediterranean vacation, you’re curled up with your special someone to watch the sunset from a private balcony. Top notes of terracotta powder set the evening’s romantic mood, while fresh iris and sandalwood perfectly suit the cool creamy feel of your (requisite in this scenario) silk pyjamas.
5. A Seaside Picnic:
Paco Rabanne Olympea, $85 for 50 ml.
Notes: green mandarin, water jasmine, ginger lily, salted vanilla
Moment: Soaking up sunshine and nibbling juicy fresh fruit from an oversized picnic blanket by the sea. Hot sand, vanilla candy and water flowers scent the air, while the sea’s salty breeze cools, refreshes—and makes your hair look incredible for the evening’s events.
6. Morning in the Tropics
Giorgio Armani, Sun di Gioia, $95 for 50 ml.
Notes: bergamot, freesia, Sambac jasmine, marine accord, iris, ambrox, coconut milk
Moment: Waking up in a tangle of crisp cotton sheets to the billowing curtains, salty air, and stunning ocean view of your private tropical-island villa. Notes of coconut milk and marine accord capture the white sands, clear waters, and freshly-fallen coconuts of this island paradise.
7. Champagne in an Orchard
Givenchy Live Irrésistible, $106 for 75 ml.
Notes: musk, rose, pineapple, pear, praline, green apple, raspberry
Moment: Sips of champagne among friends on an apple-, pear-, and berry-picking orchard excursion. The air is sweet, but not sticky, in that freshly-cut-fruit way, and when the wind blows, you can smell the line-drying linens and fresh roses from the next field over.