Summer perfumes to suit all styles

By Deborah Fulsang

Summer’s sun-loving, go-with-the-flow attitude warrants a scent switch-up. Of course, serious sunshine and warmth also call for strappy sandals, short shorts, messy-good hair and icy cocktails. It goes without saying that your perfume should suit this laid-back mindset.
Not that summer perfumes shouldn’t be full of character. Say hello to our Fragrance Buying Guide, where we offer up a range of perfume recommendations chosen to suit your style.
So keep reading. Locate the fragrance family you typically gravitate to from our nine perfume categories—from gourmand to floral, fresh to aromatic—and consider a new warm-weather spritz.

IF YOU LOVE AROMATIC PERFUMES, TRY…Byredo X Oliver Peoples.
This scent almost defies classification: It’s green, warm, fresh and rich. We rather love that about Byredo scents though: They’re inspired and original. This one greets us brightly with gin-like juniper and lemon, then segues into richness—orris butter and patchouli—then moves into a warm base of musk, a sand accord and Helichrysum. That last ingredient derives from a flower of the daisy family, so smells of dry hay, honey and fruit. If you love men’s fragrances—plus green, herbs and warmth in your perfume—give this one a try. Byredo X Oliver Peoples, $210 (100 ml), www.holtrenfrew.com

IF YOU LOVE CITRUS PERFUMES, TRY…Frederic Malle Cologne Indeleble.
This citrus fragrance smells expensive. It’s round and lush and sexy with citrus notes that are the signature of all classic colognes. But here, neroli, lemon and bergamot mix with orange flower. And there’s a shot of narcissus absolute swirling with wonderful sultry musks in here too. This is the work of the great perfumer Dominique Ropion, maker of other standout Malle perfumes such as Portrait of A Lady and Géranium Pour Monsieur, and we’re happy to add it to our list of favourites. Frederic Malle Cologne Indeleble, $305 (100 ml), www.holtrenfrew.com

IF YOU LOVE FRESH PERFUMES, TRY…Burberry Brit Splash.
Breezy and beachy, this toilette (created by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian with Burberry’s Chief Creative and Chief Executive Officer, Christopher Bailey) celebrates the lighthearted essence of summer. We smell pepperiness—the result of rosemary and galbanum in the top notes, and vetiver in the base; a warm earthiness via moss and musk; and fruitiness, which we ID as a melon note layered with an aquatic accord. There’s also a hint of flowers in this spritz, though the effect is more aromatic than straight-ahead blooms thanks to the choice of cyclamen and violet.
This is a perfect switch-out scent for wearing with linen shirts, chill-out chinos or a summer suit. Burberry Brit Splash, $84 (100 ml), www.burberry.com

IF YOU LOVE FRUITY PERFUMES, TRY…Nina Ricci Les Délices de Nina.
This perfume is a cheeky sweet scent flush with a strawberry-flavoured candy heart and feminine roses. The upbeat swirl of citrus, gardenia, caramel and musk notes mix with warm musks. The sum of the olfactory parts smells almost good enough to eat. Ideal for bikini-wearing, chilled-out days. Nina Ricci Les Delices de Nina, $86 (75 ml), www.thebay.com
Want to learn more about Nina Ricci? Click here.

IF YOU LOVE GOURMAND PERFUMES, TRY…Lancôme La Nuit Trésor.
This spritz melds together edible notes of vanilla with flowers and incense. Delicious and warm without being too heavy, we image it worn with a slinky jersey halter sundress for night with strappy sandals and glowing gams.
Lancôme La Nuit Tresor, $114 (100 ml), www.thebay.com

Wear gourmands to spark up date night.

IF YOU LOVE GREEN PERFUMES, TRY…The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea.
This scent refreshes with a burst of citrus (bergamot, lemon and mandarin) and its signature green tea notes, then glows with the softness of camellia, violet and jasmine. It smells like a classic; energetic yet earthy; an easy-to-wear, eau de cologne perfectly in sync with a sunshiny day. The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea, $20 (100 ml), www.thebodyshop.ca

Can’t get enough green? This is one of our top trends this year. Read more.

IF YOU LOVE ORIENTAL PERFUMES, TRY…Guerlain Shalimar Cologne.
If you count the iconic Shalimar perfume—and scents inspired by it—among your regular fragrance rotation, we think this latest cologne is worth test-driving. We can’t quite peg the scent family here—it’s reminiscent of an oriental but there is a fresh citrus greeting with this new edition (thanks to bergamot, lemon and lime and mandarin) as well as a floral heart (freesia, rose and jasmine). That’s all layered with a vanilla, iris and white musk base. The effect is soft and glowing with a sparkling, feminine spirit. You can tell that we’re related to the Guerlain original here, but this offshoot is different though still elegant, and a very sound option for days when the mercury climbs. Guerlain Shalimar Cologne, $120 (90 ml), www.guerlain.com

IF YOU LOVE WOODY PERFUMES, TRY…Bottega Veneta Pour Homme Extreme.
Elegant, aromatic, sexy: Bottega Veneta Pour Homme Extreme is one sultry scent, but in a quiet way. Warm, rich, spicy, soft. Its refined combination of woods and leather, labdanum and pimento, leaves us smitten. Bottega Veneta Pour Homme Extreme, $120 (90 ml), www.thebay.com

See our full review of Bottega Veneta Pour Homme Extreme here.

IF YOU LOVE FLORAL PERFUMES, TRY…L’Occitane En Provence Iris Bleu & Iris Blanc.
This perfume manages to be both crisp and powdery, though neither too bracing the former or too old-fashioned the latter. It opens with fruit (blackcurrant with refreshing citrus) before arriving at a heart of iris, ylang-ylang and peach; and drying to a warm iris, cedar and musk trail. Aromatic and floral, this is a great spritz to don when you want to smell just-laundered even on muggy days. L’Occitane en Provence Iris Bleu & Iris Blanc, $75 (75 ml), www.loccitane.com