Fragrance Experts Say the Biggest Summer Perfume Trend Is Smelling Like a Hot, Sweaty Vacation

Yahoo

6 days ago

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
Brat summer this, hot girl summer that—IDK what type of summer we're about to have, but I do have an idea of what summer 2025 will smell like. 'It'll be all about lightness but with an undercurrent of intimacy and nostalgia,' says Cherry Cheng, perfumery student and founder and creative director of Jouissance Parfums. 'Expect familiarity reimagined in quieter, more personal ways.' Cheng pictures 'sensual minimalism—dreamy yet grounded, where clarity and emotion coexist.' What exactly does that mean for summer fragrance trends though?
'There's a clear shift away from overly engineered, hyper-clean compositions and more of a focus on something poetic and subtle: fragrances that feel like whispered stories rather than bold statements,' Cheng says. Sure, you could always opt for your go-to vanilla perfume or whatever classic summer fragrance you always wear. But where's the fun in that? Ahead, experts told me what this summer's new crop of perfumes will smell like and how we'll be wearing them.
Summer without tropical scents just doesn't feel right. But we're gearing up for something a bit more refined than the white florals and plasticy pool-float vibes of the past. 'While sunscreen-adjacent scents will always evoke summer nostalgia, this season marks a shift toward the fresh and savory,' says Tanya Gonzalez, cofounder and CEO of Eauso Vert. 'Think water, not milk: coconut water, sea salt, aquatic notes, and mineral-marine accords that deliver summer's essence through a lens of renewal.'
In 2025, creating a quintessential summer scent is 'less about obvious coconut sunscreen vibes and more about creating that authentic neurochemical response we get from actual sunshine,' Gonzalez adds. Citrus notes—bergamot, lemon, orange, grapefruit—perform super well in heat (ever notice how a perfume can smell quite different on a hot summer day?). Another way perfumers inject that fresh, sun-kissed-skin vibe is by adding a pinch of saltiness (usually with ambergris and ambrox, which both create that musky, sweaty, salty air-like scent). 'These notes give that tropical, beachy vibe and help mimic the natural serotonin boost you get from increased sun exposure,' Gonzalez explains.$38.00 at sephora.com$150.00 at bergdorfgoodman.com
'I'm also predicting that tea notes (i.e., matcha, green tea, milk tea) will be popular this summer,' says Susan Wai Hnin, cofounder and COO of Gabar. Spritzing on a perfume that smells like a glass of tea naturally cools you down because it's also usually combined with notes like eucalyptus, sage, jasmine, or neroli. 'They're light and refreshing, perfect for the summer,' Wai Hnin adds.$54.00 at revolve.com$164.00 at nordstrom.com
Move over, vanilla—there's a new It Girl. People are still really craving comfort, but Fino's seeing a rise in 'warm, creamy fig-forward fragrances that offer a more nuanced sweetness.' These perfumes smell 'fresh and luminous, yet softened by intimate skin musks or a faint trace of resin,' says Cheng. They tend to have a brighter opening than a standard sweet scent, making them feel a bit lighter for summertime. 'Fig brings a soft, skin-like quality that feels both modern and grounding,' Fino says.$26.00 at sephora.com$65.00 at ulta.com
As we've reached peak yummy gourmand, things are starting to move in a more savory direction. 'I predict we'll see more summer-adjacent notes represented within fragrance….Think herb gardens, aperitivo hour, and homemade preserves,' says Gonzalez. It's all the things we 'know and love about summer that don't always show up in your perfume bottle,' she adds. Fragrance creator and expert Paul Fino agrees. 'We're moving beyond just sweet and edible aromas—now it's about transportive, borderline surreal scents,' he says.
A key note we'll see here is tomato—it adds a juicy freshness to a scent that can be played up with more green notes or brought down with other spices and soft skin musks. Fino and I have both seen Bath and Body Works' Off the Vine all over our FYPs. 'This one caught me off guard in the best way,' he says. 'With heirloom tomato, geranium, and Mediterranean moss, it's earthy, zesty, and so unexpected for summer.'$17.95 at $165.00 at sephora.com
B-A-N-A-N—sorry, my millennial is showing. But it's hard not to burst into 'Hollaback Girl' these days, when my inbox is filled with new banana perfume launches. 'They're playful, nostalgic, and surprisingly versatile,' says Fino, who declares we're in a huge banana moment right now. It's sweet but in a fun, tropical way. A lot of these scents feel like a vacation in a bottle, evoking the vibes of old-school sunscreen and piña coladas by the pool.$35.00 at ellisbrooklyn.com$100.00 at sephora.com
New age gourmands will feature more unexpected notes for a complex scent that feels hot to the nose, says Wai Hnin. 'Gourmands have been all the rage in the industry for the past few years, and the trend's not going away anytime soon,' she reassures. But we'll start seeing an influx of fragrances that utilize spices, like chili and Szechuanpeppers, to push the boundary and heat things up. They're often mixed with floral and woody notes that act as the base of the scent, but the teensy bit of spice makes the concoction smell so unique.$170.00 at obviousparfums.us$380.00 at saksfifthavenue.com
'People are also embracing scent layering with contrasted yet complementary combinations,' says Gonzalez. 'Though minimalist 'clean girl' fragrances haven't disappeared, we're witnessing the rise of olfactory maximalism as the playfulness seen in fashion and makeup extends to personal scent.' We don't really have to settle for a single signature scent that everyone else is already wearing anymore. Instead, you can craft your own with a mix of shower gels, body oils, body sprays, eau de parfums, and hair perfumes.$20.00 at ulta.com$32.00 at sephora.com
Cherry Cheng is a perfumery student in London and also the founder and creative director of Jouissance Parfums, a line that mixes erotic literature with scent.
Tanya Gonzalez is the cofounder and CEO of Eauso Vert, a brand that's focused on creating unique scents in sustainable packaging.
is a fragrance creator and expert. He's known for his perfume reviews to his over 2.2 million TikTok followers on his @paulreactss account.
Susan Wai Hnin is the cofounder and COO at Gabar, a Southeast Asian fragrance brand rooted in slow softness.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan and has seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing skincare stories that range from reviewing Glossier perfumes to Le Labo Santal 33 dupes. She regularly tests and analyzes perfumes while working with the industry's top fragrance experts to assess new formulas, brands, and trends.
You Might Also Like
Here's What NOT to Wear to a Wedding
Meet the Laziest, Easiest Acne Routine You'll Ever Try