Ace your hot girl summer with these holiday scents

Even by Singapore’s standards, the weather has been extra-searing in recent weeks, and with that in mind, we’re on the hunt for summer fragrances. In summer, people tend to gravitate towards lighter and more refreshing scents that typically contain fruity and/or aquatic facets – these tend to wear well, project better in hotter temperatures and well, make us imagine we’re on a (Roman?) holiday. Here, a round-up of the latest fragrances that you’ll want to take with you on your next vacation:

Bvlgari Allegra Chill & Sole Eau de Parfum, $396 for 100ml

It smells like: You’re out in nature, perhaps on a hike on the Amalfi coast or spending the day out on a pristine beach by the Mediterranean Sea – either way this crispy-fizzy, Neroli-centric addition to Bvlgari’s Allegra family is meant to conjure a picture-perfect Italian summer you’ll dream about forever.

Notes: Neroli, Italian lemon, orange blossom and petitgrain

Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild Eau de Parfum, $50 for 10ml, $180 for 50ml, $215 for 100ml

It smells like: Green, summer-y catnip for flowercore girlies, or more specifically, wildflowers. Daisy Wild is meant to invoke a sense of reconnecting to the great outdoors and alongside classic mainstays like vetiver and jasmine, there’s also the top notes of banana blossom, an ingredient the brand says has never been used before in prestige perfumery.

Notes: Banana Blossom, jasmine, macademia, sandalwood, and vetiver des sables

Mugler Alien Hypersense, $138 for 30ml, $180 for 60ml, $230 for 90ml

It smells like: The original Alien blockbuster that came out in 2005 became beloved by Y2K kids everywhere for its sensual blend of jasmine and white amber – as well as the iconic bottle design. 19 years later, Alien has become a major franchise for Mugler and the 2024 Hypersense goes even heavier on the white flower notes, layered with a cashmeran, woody signature underneath.

Notes: Green mandarin, jasmine sambac, cashmeran and pear

Maison Margiela From the Garden Eau de Toilette, $50 for 10ml, $110 for 30ml, $220 for 100ml

It smells like: A green and earthy concoction, this unisex perfume evokes an idyllic, sunny afternoon spent in the garden; there’s the hum of bees buzzing around, and you’re in the soil, in the midst of harvesting ripe, succulent tomatoes.

Notes: Green mandarin, tomato leaf, geranium bourbon heart madagascar, Indonesian patchouli

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Tiger Lily Eau de Parfum, $175 for 50ml, $240 for 100ml

It smells like: A tropical take on Viktor & Rolf’s Y2K icon Flowerbomb. The latter was a floral masterpiece that some would say was key to ushering in the gourmand trend a few years later – its 2024 flanker is packed with ingredients redolent of a beach getaway; coconut milk and mango, centered around an exotic tiger lily accord.

Notes: Coconut milk, tigerlily, mango, and benzoin

Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Solar Violet Eau de Toilette, $140 for 50ml, $195 for 100ml

It smells like: A sweet, powdery interpretation of Issey Miyake’s groundbreaking L’Eau d’Issey. The latter was launched in 1992 and in bottling the “essence of water on a woman’s skin”, became one of the first aquatic women’s perfume; the new Solar Violet is more akin to a dainty, pear-y floral than the aquatic freshness of the original

Notes: Pear, violet leaves absolute, and iris

Narciso Rodriguez for Her Musc Nude Eau de Parfum, $109 for 30ml, $162 for 50ml, $214 for 100ml

It smells like: Your skin, but better. Narciso Rodriguez’s beloved, musk-centric For Her collection has remained a hit since it launched in the early ’00s – the newest flanker builds on that range’s signature musk heart with delicately sun-kissed, floral layers.

Notes: Pink peppercorn, white jasmine blossom, damask rose, Indonesian patchouli, and tonka bean absolute, and musk

Lancome Idole L’Eau De Toilette, $92 for 25ml, $155 for 50ml, $210 for 100ml

It smells like: A citrus-sy bouquet of roses, accompanied by a distinctive green tea undertone. Lancome says this new EDT flanker to their popular Idole perfume contains a molecule exclusive to Givaudan (the Swiss fragrance giant): Teadione, which smells of tea leaves and matcha tea. The other major player in this perfume is green bergamot, to which Lancome has applied a new molecular distillation process to bring out more facets of this ingredient than traditionally possible.

Notes: Teadione, rose, green bergamot, cedarwood, patchouli, musk, and a vanilla bourbon infusion

This article was originally published in Female.