The fragrance landscape is growing ever more inventive, with new scents designed to whisk you away to warmer climes — think sun-soaked strolls along the French Riviera.
Knee-deep in swathes of green grass, the faint chirping of frothy birdsong flutters through your ears. The rustle of leaves and buzz of bees tickle your cheeks in warm cadences, peppered by the occasional bark of a dog on its morning walk, as the heat of summer’s sun wraps itself around your body. Quite the romantic picture, we know — but there’s nothing quite like the start of summer, when your body subconsciously yelps in celebration at the blessed absence of rain and grey skies. It’s an enigmatic feeling that money can’t buy… or can it? Enter: fragrance. We’ve rounded up the top scents that can bottle up this exact feeling. Just as your boho maxi dresses return to the front of your wardrobe, so too should your signature scents get their summer revival. Scroll on for our favourite sun-kissed fragrances:
The Alchemist Garden Collection, Gucci
Deriving from the alchemical process of transformation, Gucci’s Alchemist Garden collection harks to gender-free perfumes, each of which taking inspiration from a ‘hero ingredient’, designed to be layered together, creating a wholly unique scent. This March, then Creative Director Sabato de Sarno added three new scents to the Alchemist Garden, which took four flowers, and blossomed each petal into the form of its swanky, lacquered bottles. As an exploration of each of the elements: Vanilla Firenze centres around woody notes, Fiori di Neroli blends velvety honeys with a citrus twang, and Osmanthus Nectar becomes a more delicate vision, washed in sandalwood and warm spices. For those of you wanting a more sensual take on floral fragrances, Gucci’s Alchemist Garden is a pretty good place to start.
£265, libertylondon.com
You Fleur, Glossier
Dubbed as a skin-scent enhancer, the Glossier You-verse celebrates our individual bodily chemistry, as it simply (as the name implies), enhances our natural scents. And its got ambrox to thank for that – a powerful ingredient whose musky qualities mimics a skin-like feeling. First introduced to the fragrance market in 2017, the rest is history, really, as it was a smash hit right from the word go. Last year, the beauty brand introduced two new scents to its family, and now the You franchise at last has its floral companion! Enter You Fleur: it’s far from your traditional floral fragrances, celebrating the interplay of fruity nuances. Dominated by the accord of mineral-salt, ylang-ylang, apricot skin, Osmanthus, and ambrox. Housed in a pastel-appropriate lilac bottle, the You Fleur fragrance plays with its frothy, Summery scents, underscored by its unexpectedly dominating salty notes.
£70, Glossier.com
Seymour, Commune
With Summer’s impending group holidays encroaching (if they make it out of the group chat), the anxiety of picking your beloved fragrances which you’ll commit to bringing into the airport, despite the strict liquid restrictions, is also on sight. The feeling of being denied a perfume at airport security is one none of us want to experience, the gutting moment our heart drops as we realise that’s a fat wad of money now down the drain, and there’s nothing we can do about it. The solution? Simple – solid perfumes, duh. With natural formulations and sustainability at its core, Commune’s Seymour solid perfume takes you to the lush fields of Somerset, inspired by the ritualistic elements of nature. The perfume is hand-crafted, with woody notes, complemented by the zesty bite of grapefruit, and floral hum of geranium.
£85, commune.cc
Florum, Unifrom
Through the mingling nooks and crannies of Stockholm’s high-rises, Unifrom was born: a fragrance label aiming to bring these blending scents to life – ones organically created through the simple act of humans living synonymously, punctuated by the intimate identities manifesting within apartment blocks. Founded by Haisam Mohammed, Unifrom challenges how we interact with perfumes, with its alcohol free, euro-centric scents, Mohammed’s perfumes sit themselves in oil form, allowing the natural fibres of the skin to mix with Unifrom’s oils. Now, the Swedish-founded brand has launched its floral perfume oil – Florum. Grounded in a foundation of Amber, Florum converses with romantic notes of pear, peach pulp, jasmine, and tuberose. Once applied to the skin, Florum blossoms into a state of euphoria, emphasised through its oil components, sandalwood and vétiver adds depth to Florum’s story.
£75, unifrom.com
Rio Deos, Sol de Janeiro
Anybody else feeling slightly left out after Sunday’s marathon? No? Just us? Well, if one thing’s for sure, running season is in full swing, and what better way to celebrate the arrival of jogs filling up our morning routine (and a perpetual sweat from the blistering sun), than a new, all natural, deodorant! If this sounds like you, look no further than Sol de Janeiro’s refillable Rio Deos: available in four of the US-founded brand’s iconic scents, the deodorants are 100% vegan, on top of a boastful 98% natural ingredients. Featuring papaya enzymes in its formula, which removes dead skin cells, and fights ingrown hairs, along with mango butter, which strengthens the skin barrier and soothes irritation from shaving. What’s not to love?
£13, boots.com
Words – Freya Goodchild-Bridge
