It’s summer 2023, and what better way to celebrate the season than by finding a new signature scent? The summer months are full of exciting activities, from lounging at the beach and swimming in the sea to dancing at festivals and enjoying picnics. Regardless of your summer plans, you should finish off your outfit and fun days with a spritz of perfume.
During the summer, the best notes to look for are fresh, citrusy and aquatic. Think sun, sea and fruit trees! Compared to the darker autumn/winter months, summer scents should be uplifting and refreshing, and with one of these new fragrances in your collection, you’ll have memories flooding back to you of summer 2023 with each spray.
Whether you’re looking for the best women’s perfume or the best men’s cologne, I’ve found the best fragrances for summer 2023, including new releases from Elizabeth Arden, Tom Ford and Dolce & Gabbana and old classics from Diptyque, Hugo Boss and Marc Jacobs.
Best Summer Fragrances for Women
The new limited edition Blue Mediterraneo Arancia La Spugnatura from Acqua Di Parma is citrus captured in a bottle. This uplifting fragrance has notes of lemon, mandarin, bitter almond, black pepper and cedarwood, making it a sunny fruity perfume for summer 2023. The porcelain blue bottle is eye-catching with white, orange and gold citrus motifs.
Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo is available to buy at John Lewis for £157.
The latest scent from Dolce & Gabbana is the Light Blue Summer Vibes Eau de Toilette Spray. Designed to capture the atmosphere of Capri, this new fragrance is full of sweet fruits, Calabrian Bergamot and woody notes to finish it off. Another stylish bottle, the spray has a fun blue and white majolica print that’s fun to display.
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Summer Vibes is available to buy at Boots for £74.
Part of the Private Blend collection, the Tom Ford Bitter Peach is vibrant and packed full of fruit. The perfume has hints of Pêche de Vigne, blood orange, cardamom and cognac oils, vanilla, tonka bean and sandalwood. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and spice.
Tom Ford Bitter Peach is available to buy at Selfridges for £280.
If you’re on a budget but don’t want to compromise on quality, the Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers Sunrise should be top of your list. This luminous fragrance is warming, crisp and sweet, with notes of honeysuckle, citrus, daffodil and other floral bouquets. It’s a lovely accent for a summer day and Elizabeth Arden also offers a perfumed body lotion option along with the fragrance in a 2-piece set.
Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers Sunrise is available to buy at Elizabeth Arden for £31.
The Replica Beach Walk from Maison Margiela is designed to evoke the memories of warm summer days and sandy beaches. This ultra feminine scent has notes of bergamot, lemon, coconut milk and pink pepper. Fresh and floral, it’s a good choice for spring and summer.
Maison Margiela Replica Beach Walk is available to buy at John Lewis for £55.
Who doesn’t want to be a bronze goddess in the summer? Part of the Luminous Amber Floral fragrance family, this sensual warm perfume is scented with bergamot, ylang ylang, salted coconut, jasmine, orchid and dark tonka. Giving strong sea vibes, the bottle also looks like it’s part of the ocean.
Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Nuit is available to buy at The Fragrance Shop for £60.
The limited edition Ilio from Diptyque is a tribute to the Mediterranean and comes in a bottle with summer-inspired illustrations from artist, Erik Winkowski. The main note at the heart scent is prickly pear and is balanced with bergamot, white jasmine and iris.
Diptyque Ilio is available to buy at John Lewis for £125.
Displayed in an insanely bright yellow bottle, the Sun Fruit Eau de Parfum from Ellis Brooklyn is rich, warm and fruity. Sun Fruit has a blend of fig, jasmine, bergamot, vanilla and cyclamen which is both floral and creamy.
Ellis Brooklyn Sun Fruit is available to buy at Harvey Nichols for £110.
When all else fails, pick Marc Jacobs. The newest addition to its extensive range, Perfect has layers of pink pepper, white daffodil and cedarwood. The bottle is topped off with a fun cap that features dice, stars, banana and unusual charms.
Marc Jacobs Perfect is available to buy at The Perfume Shop for £67.
Best Summer Fragrances for Men
The BOSS Bottled Pacific adds a fresh burst of energy to the BOSS Bottled family of fragrances. This aromatic, woody and refreshing scent has layers of lemon, salt and coconut, reminiscent of the ocean. With its bright blue bottle, the BOSS Bottled Pacific is the ideal scent for summer but you’ll need to be quick as it’s limited edition.
Hugo Boss BOSS Bottled Pacific is available to buy at The Perfume Shop for £56.
The male version of the new Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Summer Vibes cologne smells great and looks good, too. Fruity and woody, the Pour Homme version is a fresh blend of Mediterranean inspiration and comes in a blue and white mosaic-style printed bottle.
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Summer Vibes Pour Homme is available to buy at Boots for £72.
Described as woody marine freshness, the Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Homme has notes of bergamot, neroli, tangerine, persimmon, musk and patchouli. Ozonic marine notes are at the heart of the bottle, making it super fresh and aquatic.
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Homme is available to buy at Boots for £89.
Blends of citrus, florals and amber make up the Tom Ford Soleil Blanc Eau de Toilette. Bergamot, orange bitter, ylang ylang, pistachio and Coco de Mer makes this cologne an excellent choice for the bright summer months.
Tom Ford Soleil Blanc is available to buy at Boots for £100.
Acqua Di Parma should be your go-to for any summer fragrance and the Colonia Eau de Cologne Spray is unique, natural and unisex. It has layers of grapefruit, blood mandarin, cinnamon, spice, leather, mint, amber and wood, so it’s deep and spicy, yet uplifting and sweet.
Acqua Di Parma Colonia is available to buy at John Lewis for £87.
Herbal and citrusy, the Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Media is a unique scent that comes in a fun green bottle. Verbena accord, bergamot, fennel and wood makes this fragrance musky, sweet and zingy.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Media is available to buy at Selfridges for £175.
Winner of the Best Boutique Fragrance at the Vogue Beauty Awards 2023, the Wood Sage & Sea Salt cologne from Jo Malone is inspired by wind, waves and fresh air. This mineral scent has notes of earthy sage, ambrette seeds and sea salt for texture and a sense of freshness.
Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt is available to buy at Jo Malone for £78.
The Givenchy Gentleman Society Eau de Parfum is a unique fragrance, filled with blossom notes and musky wood. It features the essence of sage, cardamom, vetiver, cedarwood, sandalwood and vanilla which all come together in a dramatic-looking black and silver bottle.
Givenchy Gentleman Society is available to buy at Boots for £101.50.
A soft and breezy scent, the Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet smells like lemon, black pepper and pine. First created for the Duke of Marlborough, this cologne is sensual, refreshing and woodsy, plus it comes in a fun and iconic bottle.
Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet is available to buy at Penhaligon’s for £125.
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