8 best summer perfumes for spritzing this sunny season

If you really want to find the best perfume this summer, you can’t just leave it to a last-minute airport job and with 2024’s newest launches hitting shelves, it’s time you did your research.

When we think of summer scents, we typically think of citrus and aqua notes, but there’s a fine line between smelling like the Algarve and smelling like the bathroom.

If you want your summer perfume to transport you, look no further than Jo Love’s new scent: with love from Positano. Not going abroad this summer? Jo Malone’s wood, sage and sea salt will blow the cobwebs off you in the same way those Cornish cliffs will.

As well as new places, these summer scents can also convey nostalgia and nothing is more nostalgic than the smell of Nivea sun cream , which has been bottled up into a perfume.

Alongside your favourites, I’ve also included some brands you won’t find in duty-free. DS & Durga’s Debaser has a cult following for a reason and DedCool’s red Dakota proves why they are the perfume brand to watch.

Keep reading for the summer scents to spritz this season.

How I tested the best summer perfumes

As fresh scents aren’t known for their lasting power, I wore each of these perfumes for an entire day. Spraying both my skin and my clothes to see how many hours they lasted. Some, such as Nivea sun and Jo Malone, I’ve worn for years, but still repeated the same process to see how they compared to newer launches.

The best summer perfumes of 2024 are:

• Best summer perfume overall – DS & Durga debaser: £155, Spacenk.com
• Best budget summer perfume – Nivea sun eau de toilette: £36.21, Amazon.co.uk
• Best gender-neutral summer perfume – Jo Malone wood sage and sea salt: £118, Lookfantastic.com
• Best daytime scent – Aerin Mediterranean honeysuckle: £78.75, Lookfantastic.com
• Best evening scent – Vyrao sun rae: £135, Spacenk.com

DS & Durga debaser

Nivea sun eau de toilette

Jo Malone wood sage & sea salt

Bvlgari allegra chill and sole eau de perfume

Dedcool red Dakota

By Kilian sunkissed goddess

Aerin mediterranean honeysuckle

Vyrao sun rae

The verdict: Summer perfumes