3 Summer Fragrance Notes I Have Been Loving Recently

I have been a lifelong perfume lover, and always love trying new scents and bath and body items. But as I have mentioned several times before on La Petite Rose, I frequently struggle with finding scents appropriate for the warmer months. I am not always adherent to prescriptive, seasonal scent rules, but quite often my taste for woodsy or patchouli dominant perfumes can read a bit much for the humid weather, So for both my comfort and for those around me, I have always endeavored to find lighter additions to my fragrance wardrobe, and recently I have discovered a theme of three Summer-friendly notes that I have come to adore and just have to recommend.

Orange Blossom and Petitgrain: My newest love in fragrance has become orange blossom when paired with petiitgrain, the stems and wood of orange trees. Originally, I was not a fan of the orange flower and some times struggle with it when in too high concentrations or when wearing it in cooler months. But for Spring and Summer, I have come to appreciate its inherent powderiness (compared to other florals I'm drawn too) for the fresh, airy, and "just washed" quality the note gives juxtaposed by it's deeper, earthy sundrenched nature that ripens beautifully on warm skin without being at all heavy. And when the blossom is paired with the sheer, lightweight and sparkly woodiness of the petitgrain, the combination is even more balanced and on another level. My favorite products that utilize this scent are Ellis Brooklyn's perfume in Fable ($100 USD, 3.4 oz bottle)), which also features a lovely crisp note petitgrain (the wood from the orange tree) and the signature perfume of the sustainable French fashion brand Sezane ($90 USD, 4 oz bottle) , which carries a pure orange blossom scent on slight whiffs of a salty sea breeze-esque note.

Jasmine: Many of my latest scent obsessions center around jasmine. Jasmine flower is really a chameleon note, smelling fresh and white flowery (but in this case not at all powdery) in some fragrances, and really leathery, juicy, and balmy in others, depending on what other notes it is paired with. But in either character, I find jasmine a particularly lovely choice for hot weather, and most especially in the evenings. It is a very memorable and sensual fragrance. I find that it particularly lingers well in the hair, so I use a lot of my sprayable jasmine products in my hair as well, and if you find any haircare or styling products that include jasmine, the properties of the oil have been shown to really help with hair growth and general scalp health. But back to the scented side of things, some products I love featuring jasmine include the online exclusive classic Bath and Body Works scent Nightblooming Jasmine ($12.50-$14.50 USD, depending on the product). This scent captures the lighter, sweeter side of jasmine accompanied by a blushy note of apple blossom. The combination is just delightful and pretty, and I love using the shower gel in this range in the morning. As for jasmine's sultrier facets, I quite like fragrances that combine jasmine and peach, which combines the skin-sweetness with a musky taste of floral to perfection. Two perfumes that do this superbly are L'histoire de Parfums 1969 (read my full review here; $29- $105 USD 0.5- 3.4 oz bottles) and Pacifica's Flower Moon ($21 USD, 1.7 oz bottle). But one perfume on the upscale niche luxury end I want to for sure highlight is Ourside's new release called Nostalgia. Ourside is a small-batch Green Beauty fragrance brand from the Bronx, and Nostalgia is their third release. A cooling, fresh melange of mint and jasmine and airy, aromatic frankincense this fragrance succeeds in providing relief in the summer heat while being grounded by a warmer but sheer does of amber, peru balsam, ylang ylang, vanilla, and cedarwood. Though on the expensive side (0.3 oz $79 and 1.7 oz for $196), this perfume while fresh and cooling, lasts quite long on the skin, even when worn outside in the warm weather, and is just beautiful. I highly recommend sampling in a Credo if you are near one or trying the one included their Spring Sampler fragrance pack currently available in the 2023 Spring Season at Credobeauty.com.

Honey: Often combined with the previous two notes mentioned but also lovely on it's own, honey is also a great choice for summer. If you are someone who likes more gourmand, sweeter, more food-based scents like vanilla, chocolate, or spices, honey might prove to be a great summery variation. It is sweet but not as dense or heavy as some other more gourmand fragrance notes and offers a botanical, tangy, and almost floral quality without smelling at all like flowers. This is a very unique note in fragrance that I am still learning about, but I am quite loving this journey. A classic perfume that features honey super well for summer wear is Jo Malone's Nectarine Blossom and Honey $70- $150 USD, 1- 3.4 oz bottles) is a particularly great option enhanced further with the fresh fruitiness of peach and nectarine.

The turn of the seasons always gets me in the mood to try new things, and inviting the new season with new or new types of scent is always one of my favorite pastimes. What scents are inspiring you this summer? Tell me about them in the comments section below the article.