Introducing Your Warm-Weather Fragrance Wardrobe, From Airy Spring Florals to Sparkling Summer Fruits
Prepare for compliments.
There’s something about a seasonal fragrance wardrobe that just feels so right. Some may see it as a bit ostentatious to have designated perfumes for different clumps of months, but I strongly disagree. We have cutoff tees and breezy linen pants for the summer—which we surely wouldn’t wear in the winter!—and warm wool coats for the colder months. While I agree that a cozy pine scent isn’t as necessary to December as a parka is, I do believe that the finishing touch for every outfit is a signature, seasonal scent. And in this limbo period between spring and summer, you get the best of both warm-weather scent worlds.
Orange blossom perfumes and salty aquatic elixirs are undoubtedly summery, and ultra-green scents and fresh florals have cemented themselves as spring fragrances. But you don’t have to limit yourself to one season’s aromatic universe when picking a scent that feels right for May and June’s indecisive weather patterns. Who What Wear beauty editors have been editing down their fragrance wardrobes for quite some time and are taking these warm-weather-coded scents—spanning from citrusy to earthy and gourmand—into the sweltering summer ahead. Keep reading to discover which fragrances completed our S/S 26 wardrobes.
11 Spring-to-Summer Fragrances to Try Right Now
Key notes: Peony, lychee, flowering grass, soft musk
There may not be a more perfect spring-to-summer scent than D.S. & Durga's Cowgirl Grass. Something about the way the earthy, grassy middle notes mingle with peony and pink geranium makes me envision a wildflower-strewn clearing caught between spring showers and summer sun. Bright lychee and jasmine water act like the first step of a rhinestoned Tecovas shoe into the sprawling grasses. In short, this complex floral is the main character this season.
Key notes: Beetroot, blackcurrant, patchouli
Another interesting floral catching tastemakers' eyes this season is Jo Malone's brand-new Scarlet Beetroot Cologne. This alt-fruity floral spotlights the earthy sweetness of beets and blackcurrant, painting a picture of an abundant veggie patch instead of your typical springtime bouquet. It's interesting, it's inviting, and entirely down-to-earth. If you favor seasonal scents that are a little out of the box, you'll love this vegetable-inspired spritz.
Key notes: Fig, black pepper, jasmine, musk
A recent bout of beauty spring cleaning inspired me to purge a large chunk of my fragrance collection, but one that stayed was a new addition: London 1983 from Henry Rose, Michelle Pfeiffer's brand. One of the most recent launches from the quietly celeb-owned perfume brand, London 1983 is a sheer skin scent spiked with fig, black pepper, and blonde woods, splashed with water lily and jasmine. Barely-there and sweet in a clean sort of way, this scent is the perfect base or top layer for your more complex scents, though it stands beautifully on its own, too. I've been living in it all spring, and I assume that will only continue this summer.
Key notes: Honeysuckle, peach, amber
Body and hair mists are having major moments this year, and WWW beauty editor Kaitlyn McLintock is taking this spray from Ouai into the sweltering summer months. This light, refreshing mist douses you in a wash of bright, sweet, and fruity notes thanks to key notes of peach, amber, and honeysuckle—eliciting images of Grecian white-sand beaches bathed in the warm glow of a sunset.
Key notes: Italian citrus, Sri Lankan black tea
I've been unable to keep myself away from this lemony tea scent since I received it earlier this spring, and I'm not stopping anytime soon. It bathes the skin in a bright wash of lemon from the jump, but once settled, the sparkling Italian citrus gives way to the intoxicating aromas of honeyed, musky black tea. It's clean, bright, and sensual all at once.
Key notes: Candied pistachio, mandarin, geranium, vanilla musk
Lore’s beautiful, complex perfumes have been on my mind for all of 2026. I’ve oscillated between Sublimity—a serene, coconutty scent—and smoky Disfruta, but Lore’s Lovely and a Little Twisted feels right on theme for the transitional months. It’s a chic, candied floral that gives the gourmand category an elegant lift. Blame it on the gorgeous packaging and chic matte finish, but my eye (and nose) can’t stop trailing back to this lemon-yellow bottle these days.
Key notes: Neroli, orange flower absolute, tonka bean absolute
McLintock has been spritzing Parfums de Marly’s Athenais all spring long, and she doesn’t plan to stop this summer. A vibrant mixture of neroli essence and orange flower absolute sets things off on a sparkling note before mellowing out with an ambery-vanilla and tonka bean blend, cutting the spring sweetness with the brightness of summery citrus.
Key notes: Aldehydes, cashmeran, musk, transparent white flowers
I’m not sure what it is about clean-smelling perfumes, but I especially love them during the warmer months. As my skin gets sweaty during the wait for the subway, there’s no other scent I yearn for than that of fresh laundry—making Dossier’s new Airy Linens fragrance a recent go-to (and future summer staple). A fresh blend of lavender, rose, and transparent white flowers twist with clean-smelling aldehydes and musky moss to emulate the scent of freshly laundered fabric on soft skin.
Key notes: Bergamot, blackcurrant, silk, chestnut
Dries Van Noten's delectable assortment of fragrances is an extension of the fashion house's identity: striking, layered, and entirely unique. Soie Malaquais is the perfume I'll continue to use long into the summer months thanks to its elegant balance of bergamot, chestnut, and juicy blackcurrant. Never too sweet nor floral, this fluid fragrance glides along the skin like silk.
Key notes: Jasmine, blue lotus, crystallized moss, cedarwood
Orebella continues to impress us editors, and founder Bella Hadid's latest perfume launch—this jasmine-forward scent for spring—is no exception. The tiny white flowers happen to be my favorite note in a fair-weather fragrance, especially when combined with earthy elements, which are slowly becoming a signature of the brand. Blue lotus, crystallized moss, and cedarwood deepen this lilting, light scent into even more of a somatic experience.
Key notes: Pink pepper, iris, jasmine, cashmeran
If you could bottle the warm-weather transition months, this sleek, fresh, and slightly sensual scent would be the result. Clean and a little crunchy (thanks, pink pepper), this scent makes me feel like I've slipped into the skin of someone far more sophisticated. She was practically made for summer work commutes, happy hour drinks, and al fresco date nights.
