Best summer perfumes for women that last all day

Summer perfumes in 2025 are leaning into skin-like intimacy, feel-good nostalgia, and bold scent pairings that somehow just work in the heat. This season, expect an uptick in citrus-forward compositions (think bergamot, neroli, petitgrain) paired with grounding woods like cedar and sandalwood — ingredients that stay crisp, not cloying, in humidity. Plus, aldehydes and transparent notes are making a comeback to keep things light but lasting, cutting through humidity without going ghost.

Why are some perfumes not good for summer?

Summer, or a regular Tuesday in Singapore, tends to be hot with high humidity levels. Lighter scents such as citrus, floral, aquatic, and fruity notes tend to evaporate faster, which prevents them from being too overpowering, in contrast to heavy and complex scents. Some might even turn unpleasant and cloying.

What kind of perfumes are best for summer?

The key to working around this, especially if you’re a perfume girlie, is to opt for lighter and fresher scents, such as perfumes with citrus notes like bergamot, grapefruit and orange. But if you wouldn’t mind a gourmand scent, try perfumes with notes of vanilla, cacao and honey

Whether you’re after a vacation-in-a-bottle or a signature spritz for sweaty city days, here are the launches fragrance insiders (and your most olfactorily obsessed friend) are already talking about.

Best summer fragrance overall: Chance Eau Splendide Eau de Parfum, Chanel

Features notes of: Raspberry, rose, violet, rose geranium, cedar, white musk, iris

It smells like: The newest launch for Chanel’s Chance range, the Eau Splendide is a sun-drenched game of chance; all sparkle, mischief, and elegance in a single spritz. Bright raspberry opens the fragrance with a juicy burst of energy, softened by powdery violet and a sophisticated rose heart. There’s a fresh hint of rose geranium (partly grown in Chanel’s own fields in Grasse), giving the Eau Splendide a green floral zing that keeps things luminous rather than syrupy. As it settles, warm cedarwood and white musk ground the scent, while a whisper of iris adds that powdery Chanel signature.

Price: $208 for 50ml, $298 for 100ml

Available at: Chanel Fragrance & Beauty boutiques and counters islandwide, and on the brand’s website

Best crisp summer fragrance: Iris Bleu Eau De Toilette, Armani Prive

Features notes of: Iris butter, jasmine grandiflorum, Calabrian bergamot, lemon, galbanum, white musk, cedarwood, guaiac wood

It smells like: A crisp, clean summer scent that feels more grown-up than girly. Inspired by the endless blue horizon of the Mediterranean, Iris Bleu is about subtle freshness and understated elegance rather than showy florals or sweet tropicals.

It opens with citrusy brightness (hi bergamot and lemon), alongside the sharpness of galbanum, which gives it a breezy, botanical lift. The star is the iris: powdery, soft, slightly woody, and not too sweet. Jasmine adds floral dimension without overwhelming, giving the heart a sunlit, blooming feel.The dry down is all about balance. White musk lends a skin-like smoothness, while cedar and guaiac wood ground the fragrance with a woody dryness that keeps it from floating away. It’s serene but dimensional—a great option if you want to smell fresh, polished, and a little mysterious without veering into overly floral or citrus territory.

Price: $290 for 100ml

Available at: Armani Beauty boutiques and Sephora

Best citrus summer fragragance: Libre L’Eau Nue Eau De Parfum, YSL Beauty

Features notes of: Green mandarin, Calabrian bergamot, orange blossom, neroli

It smells like: Sunshine on bare skin. This alcohol-free take on the brand’s signature Libre fragrance dials down the intensity for something more radiant, silky, and sensuous—like the golden hour bottled. You get the burst of citrus at the start—zesty mandarin and bergamot—followed by that familiar hit of orange blossom, which feels fuller and fresher here thanks to a unique oil-in-water formula. Designed to be used on both skin and hair, L’Eau Nue feels like a body mist—but way more elevated. It’s a sensual skin scent with all-day wear, and its non-sticky texture means you can reapply on the go without feeling weighed down in the heat. Plus, the alcohol-free formula is gentle and hydrating—a rare feat in perfumery.

Price: $185 for 50ml, $252 for 90ml

Available at: YSL Beauty boutiques and counters islandwide

Best vanilla sumer fragrance: Un Ete Francais Eau De Parfum, Celine

Features notes of: Bergamot, petitgrain, neroli, gorse, vanilla

It smells like: Celine’s thirteenth fragrance in its haute parfumerie line is a love letter to adolescent summers on the Cote d’Azur. Think Saint-Tropez in the late afternoon: the scent of the sea still on your skin, the trace of after-sun lotion softening into something sweet and creamy. Neroli and petitgrain open with a light, citrusy breeze, but it’s the gorse—a tiny yellow flower that smells uncannily like coconut—that gives this perfume its addictive nostalgia. Powdered vanilla settles in like a golden hour filter, blurring everything in warmth and memory.

Price: $450 for 100ml, $680 for 200ml

Available at: Celine boutiques

Available only in-store

Best floral summer fragrance eLVes Eau De Parfum, Louis Vuitton

Features notes of: Bulgarian rose, Centifolia rose, lily of the valley, blackcurrant, peach, coconut milk, cinnamon, ginger, Ambroxan, patchouli

It smells like: A rich yet wearable floral with a warm, summer-ready edge. The rose takes centre stage—full-bodied and elegant—balanced by the dewy freshness of lily of the valley, made possible through a new extraction process that finally captures the elusive scent of the bloom. There’s fruit here too: juicy blackcurrant and soft peach round it out, with a hint of creamy coconut that gives it a smooth, sun-warmed finish. A dash of ginger and cinnamon adds just enough heat, anchored by Ambroxan and patchouli for a clean but lasting trail.

Price: $480 for 100ml, $705 for 200ml

Available at: Louis Vuitton boutiques at ION Orchard and Marina Bay Sands

Best earthy summer fragrance: Fiori Di Neroli Eau De Parfum, Gucci

Features notes of: Italian neroli, petitgrain, green mandarin, cedarwood

It smells like: This one’s for the neroli lovers. Part of Gucci’s top-end The Alchemist’s Garden collection, Fiori di Neroli is a tribute to Italy’s perfume heritage—specifically Liguria, where its neroli is sourced from the region’s last traditional distiller. The fragrance opens with a sparkling trio of bergamot, petitgrain and green mandarin before settling into a bright, honeyed neroli heart laced with jasmine and orange blossom. Cedarwood and cereal notes round out the base, adding a soft earthiness that keeps things grounded. It’s basically a floral-citrus with a modern, sun-warmed twist—think fresh linen, salt-kissed skin, and a bouquet in hand.

Price: $575 for 100ml

Available at: Gucci Beauty boutiques and counters

From TFrom The Garden Eau De Toilett, Maison Margiela

Features notes of: Tomato leaf, green mandarin, geranium, patchouli

It smells like: From the Garden is all about that tactile joy. Crisp tomato leaf leads the charge — green, juicy, and unapologetically vegetal — softened by geranium’s floral sharpness and a citrus zing from green mandarin. A bit of patchouli brings in the earthy, slightly damp whiff of fresh-turned soil. It’s vibrant and outdoorsy but not overpowering. Perfect for those who want something fresh and green that doesn’t lean into typical citrus tropes. Imagine the morning sun on your back, dirt under your nails, and the smell of ripe tomatoes still on the vine.

Price: $220 for 100ml

Available at: Maison Margiela boutiques and Sephora

Best spicy summer fragrance: Fortuitous Finley Eau de Parfum, Penhaligon’s

Features notes of: Cardamom, black pepper, salted pistachio, matcha, violet, orris, patchouli, suede

It smells like: A wild card in a three-piece suit. Fortuitous Finley opens with a confident hit of spice — cardamom and black pepper — before veering into unexpected territory: creamy salted pistachio, smooth matcha, and violet bring a soft, almost flirtatious twist. But don’t be fooled — the dry-down of suede and patchouli reveals a bolder, more seductive edge. Light enough to wear in the heat, complex enough to keep things interesting, this one is for anyone bored of breezy florals or marine cliches — a sophisticated, slightly spicy scent that turns heads without shouting.

Price: $450 for 75ml

Available at: Escentials, Tangs Orchard, Penhaligon’s Marina Bay Sands and Penhaligon’s Raffles City.

Best musky summer fragrance: Kurky Eau de Parfum, Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Features notes of: White musks, fruity accord, vanilla, sandalwood

It smells like: A carefree sugar rush for grown-ups. Kurky is a plush, musky gourmand that opens with a fizzy tutti-frutti note before melting into a creamy swirl of white musks, vanilla, and soft woods. Despite the gourmand label, Kurky skips the syrupy heaviness and leans into airy white musks, making it surprisingly light and wearable in heat. Originally designed to smell like a burst of laughter or a hug from your inner child, it’s comforting and nostalgic; think the joy of biting into a fruit-flavoured popsicle on a hot afternoon.

Price: $343 for 70ml

Available at: Maison Francis Kurkdjian boutiques and Tangs Orchard

Most calming summer fragrance: Narciso Eau de Parfum Radiante, Narciso Rodriguez

Features notes of: Lily of the valley, cotton flower, clove blossom, orange flower absolute, white vetiver, Virginian cedar, amber, musks

It smells like: Radiante by Narciso Rodriguez is like a soft-focus filter in fragrance form—fresh lily of the valley and cotton flower open into airy white musks, warm woods, and creamy amber, evoking the feel of slipping into white cashmere. Created by Aurelien Guichard, this new scent reimagines the brand’s 2000s-defining musky base with a luminous, tender vibe that’s calm, intimate, and quietly magnetic. Perfect for the ultra-warm days we’ve been subjected to lately, Radiante’s fresh aldehydic top notes and transparent florals blend with soft musks and cedar to deliver a clean, comforting scent that elevates your mood without overpowering it.

Price: $113 for 30ml, $169 for 50ml and $211 for 90ml

Available at: Sephora

This article was originally published in Female.