Summer is here, and according to experts, we’re looking to smell like sunshine. Surges in searches for solar scents have revived this trend and put it front and center this summer. It seems like all anyone is talking about is how to smell just like summer or get sunshine into a bottle.
Featured Experts
- Romy Kowalewski is the creative director and founder of 27 87
- Alex Alston is the VP Marketing for Skylar Clean Beauty
What is a Solar Scent?
It’s not a fragrance family in its own right, but solar scents are fast becoming their own category in perfumery. It’s a buzzy scent note that evokes hot summers, poolside afternoons and blooming gardens, and it’s fast taking over the world of PerfumeTok. But as the world of scent evolves and grows, we’re left wondering, what exactly does the sun smell like?
“A solar scent evokes positivity and warmth, it’s reminiscent of sea and sand, and sun-kissed skin,” explains creative director and founder of 27 87, Romy Kowalewski. “Our solar scents are Hamaca, which is inspired by the Caribbean and ingredients that create comfort and pleasant calm, and Sónar which encapsulates the essence of open-air music festivals during summer.”
For Skylar Clean Beauty and their latest launch, Citrus Reverie, the goal was to get summer into a bottle. “Our goal with Citrus Reverie was to capture the spirit and essence of an endless summer in a singular scent,” said Alex Alston, VP Marketing for Skylar Clean Beauty. “Our focus was on creating a fragrance that appeals to the trendsetters, the girls who influence their generation, energizing them to live their best lives all summer…and beyond.”
The Smell of Summer
As solar scents trend, it’s important to point out the many directions a fragrance can go. Perfumers are responsible for inspiring memory and emotion, and what summer smells like is a little different for everyone.
Vacation, for instance, is the viral hit that brings you right to the poolside, and chlorine- and lycra-esque scent has the beating sun baked right into it. Citrus tends to dominate solar scents in part due to their popularity during the summer months, but also because we tend to connect them with things that are bright and effervescent. Others still, like Sun Kissed Goddess, are more focused on the interplay between the light florals that shine in summer with the beachy smell of coconut.
Soak Up These Solar Scents
Top notes
Marine accord
Heart Notes
Sandalwood, coconut
Base Notes
Tonka bean, vanilla
Top Notes
Ylang-ylang essence
Heart Notes
Tiare flower
Base Notes
Coconut
Top Notes
Rangpur Mandarin, blood orange, pink pineapple
Heart Notes
Rose Water, orange flower, freesia
Base Notes
Amber, cedarwood, musk
TOP NOTES
Italian red mandarin, sun-drenched bergamot, jasmine absolute
Heart Notes
Neroli, orange flower
Base Notes
Driftwood, solar musk, sea salt
Top Notes
Heart Notes
Base Notes
V
TOP NOTES
Neroli, honeysuckle, jasmine sambac
HEART NOTES
Verbena clementine, meyer lemon
BASE NOTES
Green leaves, morning dew, champaca
Top Notes
Apple, mandarin, bergamot, pink pepper
Heart Notes
Nutmeg, neroli, pepper, cardamom
Base Notes
Sandalwood, vanilla, vetiver
Top Notes
Bergamot, green mandarin, freesia
Heart Notes
Orange blossom, jasmine petals
Base Notes
Charcoal, ambrox, cedarwood, sensual musk, coconut water, vetiver
Top Notes
Hawaiian Pomelo, Bulgarian rose, saffron
Heart Notes
Cardamom, incense, organic honey
Base Notes
Sandalwood, benzoin, musks
TOP NOTES
Petitgrain essence, coconut water, coconut milk
Heart Notes
Bergamot, solar musk, banana, pineapple
Base Notes
Pool water, swimsuit lycra, sea salt
Top Notes
Coconut, lime, mandarin
Heart Notes
Indian jasmine, rosy hibiscus, sugar cane
Base Notes
Vanilla musk, wood, pepper
