Buying guide for best summer perfumes for women
Written by Ariel Lynch
Updated May 2024
With each season, nature brings a new array of aromas, such as the bright florals of spring or warm spices of autumn. Women have an endless number of perfumes to choose from to suit all four seasons, and once May hits, so do the newest women’s summer perfumes.
Because of the warm weather during the season, most people associate summertime with crisp, natural scents that fondly remind us of long summer days spent outdoors. Women’s summer perfumes celebrate a wide range of natural elements, from citrus fruits to refreshing herbs, and the variance in aromas gives you endless scent combinations.
It’s helpful to understand the various components of women’s summer perfumes, like fragrance notes, ingredients, and how to make your perfume last. This knowledge can simplify and enhance your buying experience, getting you one step closer to choosing your next favorite women’s summer perfume.
How to buy the best summer perfume for women
Ingredients
It’s critical to understand what types of ingredients are going into your women’s summer perfume. The main ingredient of perfumes is ethanol, which makes up 80% to 90% of the perfume mixture. This is then mixed with oil extracts from various fruits, flowers, plants, herbs, and spices. The perfume is finished with a small amount of water, which makes the concoction less astringent and comfortable to wear on the skin.
When looking at the ingredients of your summer perfume, always double check that it doesn’t contain anything you may be allergic to. Allergies to various flowers, herbs, and fruits are common, and you want to avoid buying a summer perfume that may aggravate your skin or sinuses.
Perfume vs. cologne
When considering your summer perfume, it’s important to understand the distinction between perfume and cologne. The difference is the ratio of the ingredients, which affects the strength and potency of their smells. Perfumes are stronger and more fragrant, while colognes are milder and have shorter-lasting aromas.
Perfumes and colognes contain roughly the same amount of ethanol or alcohol, with different ratios of water and oil extracts. Colognes contain about 10% water and 3% to 5% oils, which is what makes them weaker in smell potency.
If you want a stronger, more noticeable, and longer-lasting fragrance, then a summer perfume is for you. If you prefer a milder, subtler scent that fades more quickly, then a summer cologne is probably more your style.
Personal preferences
When choosing your women’s summer perfume, take into account your own likes and dislikes, and how you want your smell to communicate your personality. Do you like sweet, floral scents and crisp, refreshing citrus? Do you prefer the smell of berries or cucumbers?
What’s fun about summer perfume is how you can use it to style your persona. Keep in mind that at the end of the day, you want to choose a smell you love. Your perfume stays with you for the majority of the day, so having a fragrance you genuinely enjoy is one of the most important parts of choosing.
Summer perfume notes
Women’s summer perfumes embody fun, fresh, sweet, and feminine elements. They incorporate floral, fruity, and herbal scents, as well as mimicking smells found in the outdoors. Here are some of the most popular notes in women’s summer perfumes:
Floral:
- Lily
- Iris
- Peony
- Jasmine
- Orange blossom
Spices and herbs:
- Vanilla
- Mint
- Lavender
- Basil
- Lemongrass
- Ginger
Fruit and citrus:
- Lemon and lime
- Orange, mandarin, and bergamot
- Pineapple
- Green and red apple
- Coconut
- Berries
- Cucumber
Fresh and natural:
- Fresh grass
- Aquatic scents/ocean breeze
- Sandalwood
DID YOU KNOW?
If you want to remove the smell of perfume from your skin, dab a cotton ball in some white vinegar and swab the skin area. The vinegar helps cleanse the pores that have absorbed the perfume and should do a thorough job removing it.
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Features of women’s summer perfumes
Applying women’s summer perfume
Perfumes are most frequently contained in atomizer spray bottles. These are typically made with glass because it’s transparent and suitable for preservation. Perfume bottles can also be made of plastic, ceramic, or metal. Plastic bottles are less common and are generally used for temporary storage of perfumes, such as for travel. Plastic is more porous and causes the perfume to disintegrate faster.
Perfume spray bottles are equipped with an atomizer nozzle attached to a long tube. The tube feeds the perfume liquid into the nozzle, and the nozzle produces a contained mist spray. The atomizer is designed to reduce waste and spillage and produces a small, controlled amount of perfume that’s released in each spritz.
Here’s how to properly apply your perfume using an atomizer spray bottle:
- Your skin should be clean and slightly damp — applying perfume soon after showering is ideal.
- Position your perfume bottle two to four inches away from your desired area, such as the insides of your wrists or the sides of your neck.
- Place your finger on the atomizer nozzle and firmly press down once, until a mist is produced.
- Do not wipe or rub the perfume into your skin after spraying.
- Add additional sprays until desired fragrance strength is achieved.
Your summer perfume may also be stored in a small vial. These vials are made from glass, plastic, or metal, and are equipped with atomizer nozzles, caps with dabbers attached, or roller ball heads. These are convenient for travel and make thoughtful sample-size gifts.
Decanting summer perfume
“Decanting” is the act of transferring your summer perfume from one container to another. Often, users decant their perfumes into small vials for travel, since the full perfume bottle is unnecessary and takes up more space. Decanting can also be useful when your perfume supply gets low. A small amount of perfume held in a large container is more likely to evaporate, so decanting it into a smaller vessel extends its life.
Another perk of decanting is that it gives users the opportunity to add other essential oils or fragrances for a more customized perfume. Say you love your fresh citrus perfume but miss that note of cinnamon from autumn. Add a drop of cinnamon oil to your summer perfume and see how you like it.
Spray a small amount of perfume into your hairbrush for extra scent in your hair. Lightly brush through your hair starting at the roots. The natural oils from your scalp will help to distribute the perfume through your hair.
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How much do women’s summer perfumes cost?
The cost of women’s perfumes is largely based on the volume size and brand name. Perfumes made from lower-quality ingredients are cheaper, while perfumes with better-quality, highly coveted ingredients are more costly. Prestigious brand name perfumes are the most expensive.
Inexpensive
The most affordable women’s summer perfumes range from $10 to $40. These are small vials, bottles from common brand names, or small quantities from more reputable brands.
Mid-range
Mid-range women’s summer perfumes cost between $50 to $90. Choices in this price range are either standard spray bottle sizes of common brand names or small containers of higher-quality perfume from better brands.
Expensive
The most expensive women’s summer perfumes are found for $100 to $150. These are high-quality perfumes that may be quite popular and ones that are made by renowned brands. Perfumes in this range are likely to last longer due to their quality.
DID YOU KNOW?
You can use a mixture of baking soda and warm water to create a cleansing paste to remove perfume from the skin. Rub the paste onto the area, allow it to sit for a few minutes, then wipe dry with a clean, damp washcloth.
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Tips
- Store your perfume in a cool environment. Keep your perfume in a cool, dark place like in a drawer or cabinet. The appropriate temperature range for storage is between 60°F and 70°F, which prevents any heat from evaporating it over time.
- Don’t rub your wrists together after applying. While many people think this is an effective way to spread their perfume, this movement actually breaks down the molecules of the perfume and causes the aroma to fade more quickly.
- Apply a small layer of moisturizer or petroleum jelly for a longer-lasting scent. These materials help to hold your perfume on your skin for an all-day fragrance.
FAQ
Q. Where shouldn’t I apply summer perfume?
A. Places to avoid spraying are the eyes, armpits, hands, and any sensitive areas or open wounds. Most perfumes’ main ingredient is alcohol, and sensitive body parts can be easily irritated by the application of perfume.
Q. How long does the scent of perfume last?
A. Perfume aromas typically last four to six hours at a time, and sometimes all day. This varies depending on the strength of your perfume, the climate, and where you apply it on your body.
Q. Does perfume expire?
A. Many perfumes claim a shelf life of two to five years, but realistically, your perfume may last for years past this or until your bottle runs out.
