It’s getting warm out! Looking to incorporate a summer scent into your day-to-day? From bringing breezy vibes to your home to finding a summery cologne, here’s what you need to know!
Summer scents are a fun way to curate your daily experiences. Of course, at the end of the day, you can always burn your favorite candle all year long, provided you don’t get sick of it. But I think of scents like food.
A light salad made with seasonal vegetables, paired with a nice white wine, is preferable on a sweltering afternoon.
Meanwhile, a hearty beef stew and a strong whiskey neat warms the bones on a cold winter night. You can eat either at any time of the year, but isn’t it more comforting when you go seasonal?
With fragrances, this is especially important when it comes to colognes. Certain winter aromas get too strong on your skin when it’s hot out.
So, from home sprays to personal fragrances, let’s dive into the world of summer scents.
Summer Scents: What Makes Them Summery?
Summer scents are defined by lighter, fresher aromas. Compare this to the muskier and darker tones of winter and fall scents that focus on notes like leather, tobacco, and wood.
Not to say that you can’t have woody and warm notes in summer scents. In fact, they’re a great way to provide a masculine touch to an otherwise floral and citrusy scent category.
For example, some might say sandalwood is best for the winter. However, I think it has a natural neutrality. How rich or how breezy the overall fragrance is depends on the formula as a whole.
Meanwhile, a warm weather cologne may incorporate white musk, which is fresher and lighter compared to the deeper, more intense smell of black musk.
Zesty notes like citrus, including lemon or the more complex yuzu, as well as bergamot, add a light spiciness. Floral notes like jasmine, lilac, and rose add a sweet softness.
Many male-centric fragrances temper floral notes with earthiness and spiciness to create a bouquet effect.
Lemongrass is also popular since it has the sweetness of a floral without the more romantic, feminine undertones.
And, of course, spices are popular in summer fragrances, too. Some examples include coriander, ginger, and pink pepper. Pink pepper is spicy but light enough so it doesn’t block airy, citrusy elements that it may be mixed with.
Are Summer Scents Different Than Spring Scents?
Summer scents are technically different from spring scents.
Essentially, you want spring scents to feel like you’re having a nice afternoon in the garden, while summer scents exude a breezy, light warmth or a beachy vibe.
However, there’s so much overlap that it wouldn’t make that huge of a difference if you wore one or the other in both seasons. This is especially so with masculine fragrances. Ladies’ spring scents are heavily floral, while their summer scents are heavily citrusy and slightly dryer.
With men’s colognes, for example, they’re never heavy-handed with the lilac and rose in spring scents to begin with. The biggest differentiator is that summer colognes include marine flavors, and spring scents don’t — again, technically.
Marine fragrances are those that are reminiscent of the ocean. So perhaps there’s citrus in there, but it’s balanced out with driftwood, earthy sand, and coastal trees.
Moreover, while both spring and summer fragrances incorporate fruit, summer fragrances use more tropical flavors than their spring counterparts do.
Best Summer Scents for Men: Home Fragrance vs Cologne
A cologne and a home fragrance system, a candle, for example, are similarly designed.
They each have top notes, which is the lightest part of the formula. It’s the one that dissipates quickest, making room for the middle note. The middle notes connect the top with the base notes but also act as the nucleus of the scent. The base is constantly there and grounds the flavor.
Comparing it to a pop song, the top note is the treble, the base is the bass, and the middle is the vocals.
However, home scents are designed to fill a room, while colognes are meant to emanate from you and then dissipate.
If you’re filling a room with your cologne, you’ve put too much on. This is especially so with summer colognes, which are meant to be airy and effervescent.
All that to say, don’t use room sprays as cologne. In addition to containing less oil, making them drying and short-lasting, they may also contain ingredients that aren’t great for your skin.
Even more, the best men’s summer scents are designed to react to your body heat, which room sprays won’t do.
Home Scents: Sprays vs Candles vs Air Fresheners
First of all, make sure to check out our round-up of the best candles for men.
I want to highlight the Diptyque Feu de bois Candle. It’s the perfect scent if you’re insecure about the lightness of summer scents in general. It’s smoky and technically for winter, but its woodiness is more akin to a summer bonfire.
You can also go for a coastal tone, which is my favorite. I like how the summer lightness is grounded by beachy and salt scents.
And if you aren’t scared of gender associations, go for a highly tropical, sweet, citrusy fragrance. They’re the most energizing.
I highly recommend going for a soy candle because it’s non-toxic and it can incorporate natural ingredients. And I’m not just being overly conscientious here. Natural ingredients result in natural smells. You’ll really feel like you’re on the beach.
Sprays and air fresheners are a great quick fix, though.
I also think essential oil pillow mists are perfect for the bedroom. Just go all-natural, and choose less bright scents. Earthy driftwood and summer grass flavors will help you get to sleep more easily than a vivid lemon will.
Colognes in Summery Scents
Fortunately, we have a whole round-up of summery scents right here.
But here are some cheat code best practices I can provide you when you’re choosing a summer scent for your body. This applies to soaps and lotions if you’d rather get your fragrance that way.
First off, if you’re not sure about light, sweet scents but want to give one a try, consider the context. If you’re on the beach, a light spritz of something lemony and floral won’t be as loud as it would be when you’re indoors.
Second, feel free to go for a scent with a darker base as long as the top and middle notes are both lighter flavors.
And finally, I know that finding a formal evening wear scent in the summer can be tricky. Most of them are darker and spicier. Go for something that’s sweet but dry. I’ve always recommended Blenheim Bouquet for both spring and summer.
Formal fragrances can’t be too bright. Going for a fresh scent that tempers sweetness without fully canceling it is the way to go. It should be like a perfectly executed martini.
Conclusion: Choose the Right Summer Scent for You
What I want you to take away from this is that there are light summer colognes available to you, even if you prefer traditionally masculine ones. Even more, don’t be afraid of bright florals if you’re curious.
Are you a fan of summer scents? How do you like your home to smell compared to the cologne you use? Let us know in the comments!
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