10 Best Summer Fragrances for Gentlemen

During the summer months, we turn to lighter and more comfortable fabrics–and in a similar fashion, our fragrance rotations should also feature light, fresh and comfortable summer scents. Today, we’ve rounded up 10 great colognes to wear during the warmer months, along with our customary scent analysis for each!

Many traditional fragrances for men, (such as those we’ve covered previously) are quite heavy and intense. These are not ideal for the summer months. So, what makes a cologne ideal for summer? As you might have guessed, it starts with the notes that make it up.

Popular Scent Notes for Summer Fragrances

Bergamot

There are many notes that define a summer scent — the first one being Bergamot. This comes from the Bergamot orange, a citrus fruit from whose rind essential oils are derived. This scent is described as a lightly floral, sweet orange peel. You might be familiar with this scent, as it is often used to flavor Earl Grey tea.

Neroli

Neroli is an essential oil gathered from the blossoms of a bitter orange tree. The blossoms are hand-picked and the oil is steamed and distilled. It’s spicy with sweet flowery notes which make it excellent for summer.

Herbs

Many of the popular herbs used as notes in great summer scents include rosemary, coriander, patchouli, and mint. These green plants are highly aromatic and fresh, and provide lightness. 

Citrus (and Other) Fruits

This will include lemon, pineapple, mandarin orange, and bitter orange. Citrus tends to be a top note in a fragrance. It’s bright in the beginning, but the scent will quickly fade.

Florals

Last but not least, we have florals. Though floral scents aren’t usually considered “manly,” they can be layered with other scents to create more masculine aromas. Many popular floral notes include lavender, orange blossom, violet, jasmine, geranium, and rose. These scent profiles generally correlate with fragrances that are great for daytime wear. This means that these fragrances can easily transition into being fragrances that can be worn all year round.

Our Top 10 Summer Fragrances

1. Montblanc Individuel

This scent was created in 2003 and is a longtime favorite of both Raphael and Teresa. This brand isn’t necessarily known as being a cologne house, but this fragrance is great nonetheless. It’s an oriental, woody fragrance and it’s one of the heavier scents on this list. The wonderful thing is that it can be worn all year round, and although it’s usually listed for $75, it can often be found for as low as $35.

Top fragrance notes include pineapple, coriander, rosemary, cinnamon, lavender, juniper berries, mint, bergamot, and cardamom. Middle notes include orange blossom, violet, jasmine, and geranium. Base notes include sandalwood, amber, patchouli, musk, raspberry, vanilla, dark chocolate, oakmoss, and vetiver.

2. Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo

In particular, we’re looking at the Bergamotto di Calabria. This scent was launched in 2008, but its Italian parent company is over 100 years old. The Blu Mediterraneo is in a line of five scents; each bears the name of a destination within the Mediterranean, and the bottles themselves immediately speak to cool ocean breezes on the Italian coast. This smells light, fresh, and incredibly summery. The scent is restrained yet also quite elegant. You can often find this being sold for $120 for 74 milliliters. 

Top notes include bergamot and citron; heart notes include red ginger, cedar, and flowers; and base notes include vetiver, benzoin, and musk. 

3. Creed Aventus

You’ve probably already heard of Creed Aventus, as it’s one of the most popular fragrances that’s been released in the last decade. This scent was released in 2010, and it’s become one of the brand‘s best sellers. It is inspired by Emperor Napoleon’s dramatic life. Some reviewers have even claimed that Aventus is the best fragrance ever made! 

Interestingly, Aventus is made in batches, so each batch is subtly different from the last. That being said, it retails for $435 for 100 milliliters (making it the most expensive scent on this list). Top notes include black currant, bergamot, apple, and pineapple. Heart notes include rose, dry birch, jasmine, and patchouli. Base notes include oakmoss, musk, ambergris, and vanilla.

4. Tom Ford Neroli Portofino

If you search online for summery scents, it’s quite likely that you will come across Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino–and at $325 for 100 milliliters, we really wanted to see if it lived up to both the hype of the scent and the price tag! To us, it seems quite unique compared to other scents, but in a good way. Aventus, for example, is a bit more mainstream in its fragrance profile. This is a bit different; it comes in heavy on citrus, but ultimately becomes more well balanced with the herbs and floral scents.

The scent is technically unisex, though we do find it still smells quite masculine (even though it doesn’t carry a lot of the more traditionally masculine scents, like woods). This scent would easily transition well into fall, because it’s also quite warm. Given the price, we highly recommend you start out with a sample first, but if you really love the fragrance profile, it will be a worthwhile investment. Top notes include bergamot, mandarin, orange, lemon, lavender, myrtle, rosemary, and bitter orange. Middle notes include African orange flower, jasmine, neroli, and pittosporum and base notes include amber, ambrette, and angelica.

5. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme

This scent is one of the lightest that we tested in this lineup of fragrances. It’s great for men who are big fans of aquatic fragrances. This scent was launched in 2007, and it’s well known for its marketing campaigns. It typically sells at $75 for 75 milliliters.

Its top notes include Sicilian mandarin, juniper, grapefruit, and bergamot. Middle notes include rosemary, Brazilian rosewood, and pepper. Base notes include musk, oakmoss, and incense.

6. Floris London Bergamotto Di Positano

This is described as a “classic citrus marine fragrance” from this long-standing British perfume house. Like many summer fragrances, it was inspired by the Italian coastline and sea breezes, conjuring images that are ideal for summer. Bergamot oranges are grown in Calabria, so this scent combination does make sense. This fragrance was introduced in 2015. It is sold for $180 for 100 milliliters.

Top notes include bergamot, marine, and mandarin. Heart notes include green tea, orange blossom, ginger, and vanilla. Base notes include amber spice, ambrette, woods, and vanilla. 

7. Atelier Cologne Clementine California

This fragrance was launched in 2016 by its Paris-based perfume house, and is considered unisex. Top notes include mandarin orange, clementine, and juniper berry. Middle notes include basil, pepper, and star anise. Base notes include sandalwood, cypress, and Haitian vetiver.

8. Nishane Colognise Extrait de Cologne

Now, let’s take a look at Nishane Cologne. Nishane is a niche perfumery out of Turkey that was launched in 2013. This scent typically sells for $150 for 100 milliliters, but keep in mind it has a higher concentration of essence than many other fragrances on our list, so a little will go a long way. The fragrance is rooted in the tradition of Turkish baths offering a lemon cologne to guests.

This is a lemon-based fragrance that is still complex and unique. Top notes include bergamot, lemon, green tea, and jasmine. Middle notes include grapefruit and Muguet. Base notes include vetiver, neroli, and musk.

9. Versace Man Eau Fraiche

You might be surprised to hear us mention the flashy Italian brand Versace here, but this fragrance matches the scent profile for a summer fragrance perfectly. The scent is described as fresh and aquatic; top notes include lemon, bergamot, rosewood, and rose. Middle notes include cedar, tarragon, sage, and pepper. Base notes include amber, musk, saffron, and woods.

10. Bulgari Aqua Pour Homme

This fragrance was launched in 2005 and already has quite a loyal following. It was a first in a line of similar scents from Bulgari, so if this one isn’t quite your speed, feel free to take a look at some of their other offerings, as well. This is another scent that’s fresh and aquatic but still quite masculine, due to the amber and woody notes. It is great for summer during the day, because it is also very light; however, it does lack some of the deeper, richer notes that would make it ideal to be worn in the evening.

This scent is distinctly salty and beachy, which is going to be great for some, while others might find it to be a little bit too intense; overall, this scent is actually known to be quite polarizing. It’s also got a unique rounded bottle that’s going to look great on your counter. Top notes include mandarin orange and petitgrain. Middle notes include Santolina lavender, cotton, and Posidonia seaweed. Base notes include mineral amber, woody notes, and clary sage.

Kyle’s Personal Favorites

1. Nishane Cologne

It’s a smooth and assertive scent that’s not too overpowering. It’s quite mature as well. The scent is very unique, and is able to be worn in the day or night.

2. Atelier Cologne Clementine California

The strong clementine fragrance is phenomenal for summer, and I love how it commands attention. Try wearing the scent out with friends or with colleagues.

Bonus: Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling

In addition to these great summer scents, I’ve recently been enjoying Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling. It has truly become one of my personal newfound favorites. Juniper Sling is a light and spicy scent that was released in 2011. It is a part of Penhaligon’s “Signature Collection.” This scent retails for around $200 for 100 milliliters.

Top notes include angelica, cinnamon, orange, and juniper berries. Middle notes include cardamom, orris root, leather, and pepper. Base notes include vetiver, cherry, sugar, and amber.

Conclusion

Any of these choices are fantastic for summer, and incorporating any of them into your morning routine will serve you well!

What are your favorite summer scents, and what do you love about them? Share with us in the comments!

Outfit Rundown

Today I’m wearing a navy jacket with a blue and white check long sleeve dress shirt. I’m accenting that with a really unique green-based pocket square from Fort Belvedere and I’m accenting that pocket square against my green trousers. They’re some green stretch chinos; they’re really, really comfortable and then I’m also wearing a pair of brown dress shoes and a brown belt. To finish everything off, I’ve got some really cool Fort Belvedere socks.