The Perfect Fragrance for Every Summer Mood

A new scent for a new you

You’ve heard it so often it almost seems cliché: Scent is the sense most closely tied to memory. So powerful, a mere whiff can uncover a long-forgotten experience, skip over the logical part of your brain and hit right at the heart of your deepest emotions.

It’s why some fragrance experts recommend letting go of any smell that conjures negative feelings like, say, the perfume you sprayed during lockdown. It’s a new dawn now and that calls for a new scent, too. One that’s free of any associations to the past and ready to accompany you as you make a bunch of new, happy memories.

women perfume summer
Maison Martin MargielaMaison Martin Margiela Matcha Meditation Eau de Toilette, $166 (100 ml), sephora.ca

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It’s only chill vibes from here on out

Old you used to rush down the subway steps every morning, Starbucks spilling all over, lunch bag and laptop weighing you down. Always running, never still. But not anymore. New you has swapped a stressful commute for daily meditation, given up coffee for green tea. That harried, frenzied person you used to be? She doesn’t live here anymore. Keep cultivating that calmness and take a moment to breathe in this soothing mix of matcha, moss and bergamot.

 

women perfume summer
HermèsHermès Twilly Eau Ginger Eau de Parfum, $114 (50 ml), sephora.ca

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Patio drinks, anyone?

You and your clothes patiently waited for months, dreaming of the moment you’d be able to come out and play again. Now, you’ll take any excuse to slip on your finery for a night on the town. That’s what this newcomer from Hermès smells like. A vibrant swirl of peony, cedar and zingy ginger, it begs to be paired with fabulous plans and a smashing ensemble.

 

women perfume summer
GuerlainGuerlain Aqua Allegoria Flora Salvaggia Eau de Toilette, $99 (75 ml), sephora.ca

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Want some tomatoes? I have so many this year!

Your outdoor space has become your oasis. You grow cucumbers from seed, precede every flower name with “my” (my roses, my geraniums, …) and sprinkle all your meals with herbs from your garden. Celebrate the joy that comes from putting your hands in the soil, tending to something and watching it grow with this floral medley from Guerlain. With its powdery notes of iris and violet, it’s like bringing in a bouquet of freshly picked blooms.

 

women perfume summer
MuglerMugler Les Exceptions Fantasquatic Eau de Parfum, $220 (80 ml), thebay.com

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I’m a total water baby

It doesn’t matter if it’s a pool, a lake or the sea, you’re jumping in and not coming out until sundown. For all the water lovers out there, Mugler pays homage to the magic of the aquatic. The latest addition to the Les Exceptions range unfurls like a wave of freshness, intense minerality recalling the saltiness of skin after a day at the beach. It’ll make you feel like a real-life mermaid.

 

women perfume summer
ChanelChanel Les Eaux de Chanel Paris-Édimbourg Eau de Toilette, $169 (125 ml), thebay.com

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Can’t this weekend, I’m going camping

You’ve mastered camp stove cooking, own multiple pairs of hiking boots and love nothing more than pitching a tent somewhere far away and forgetting all about the world for a few days. Coco Chanel feels you. The designer may not be known for her outdoorsy ways, but she did harbour a fondness for crystal-clear lakes and green expanses, particularly those of the Scottish moors. That’s the inspiration behind Paris-Édimbourg, a woodsy blend of juniper berry, cypress and dry cedar.

 

women perfume summer
Marc JacobsMarc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Intense Eau de Parfum, $115 (50 ml), sephora.ca

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Let’s go strawberry picking

You love yourself a seasonal activity! Carving pumpkins in the fall, decorating gingerbread houses in December. Right now, you’re itching to make your way to a field of berries, a straw basket swinging from your forearm, jams and pies ready to be whipped up. Marc Jacobs has the scent for you. In this latest Daisy flanker, sweet notes of pear, honey and strawberry meet the green lushness of moss. It’s like biting into a juicy berry on a sunny day. 

 

women perfume summer
Dolce&GabbanaDolce&Gabbana Light Blue Forever Eau de Parfum, $152 (100 ml), thebay.com

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We’re thinking Italy in September

Oh, how you long to travel again! You even miss the heart-pounding dashes to the gate as your name is being called and the bland bites of airplane pasta. In the meantime, you’re keeping yourself busy fantasizing about what your first post-pandemic trip will be. If a jaunt on the Italian coast is at the top of your list, consider this a little preview. Tangy Calabrian lemon, sun-soaked orange blossom and a sensual heart of white musk—it’s la dolce vita bottled up.

 

women perfume summer
Tom FordTom Ford Soleil Brûlant Eau de Parfum, $435 (50 ml), sephora.ca

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I really don’t mind the heat

You’re like a cat or a lizard: happiest in a warm patch of sun. While everyone complains about the soaring temps and high humidity, you relish every second of a heat wave. Not having to wear a jacket, watching your once-dry skin get all plump and dewy again; you’d take that any day over “sweater weather.” Tom Ford gets you. A gift to all the summer people, the spicy citrus is pure heat and golden sunshine. (P.S. Yes, it’s pricey but you can get the travel size for a (slightly) more affordable $95.)

 

women perfume summer
CleanClean Classic Pure Soap Eau de Parfum, $98 (60 ml), sephora.ca

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New beginnings

Emerging from lockdown means getting a chance to start all over. What better time to rid yourself of the things (and people) who don’t serve you and focus on what truly brings you joy? Capturing the smell of just showered skin, this soapy fragrance is the olfactory equivalent of a fresh start. Call it a clean scent for a clean slate.

 

women perfume summer
Jean Paul GaultierJean Paul Gaultier La Belle Eau de Parfum, $110 (50 ml), thebay.com

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I’m so ready to date again

Your Tinder, Bumble and Hinge profiles are updated and ready to go. You can’t wait to get back in the swing of things: the banter, the butterflies, the “Will we kiss, will we not?” This, my friend, will be your summer of love! Get into seductress mode with a little push from Jean Paul Gaultier. The legendary couturier’s latest scent, La Belle, is all about temptation and attraction: sparkling bergamot, gourmand vanilla and warm leather. What could be better?

 

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