We’re officially over the hump: less of 2026 is left than has already passed. And for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is definitely in full swing. So, by now, I would expect we’ve all figured out our summer wardrobes, both clothes- and perfume-wise.
Sunday Question #302:
What’s in Your Perfume Rotation This Summer (or Winter, for Portia)?
Which perfumes are you wearing these days? Has the weather where you live influenced your choices? What’s the weather like where you are?
My Answer
So far, our summer is great: we haven’t had particularly hot weather (yet). It’s unmistakably summer, but it’s a pleasantly mellow one that doesn’t make you wish it to be over. A good testament to how cool (both literally and figuratively) it was is that I am still wearing Amouage perfumes, which previously were predominantly reserved to the Fall/Winter season.
On a lighter side, I finished my sample of Phaedon Oriental Mint. I thought it was such a great Summer perfume that I decided that I needed it in my collection. I found what I think were the last two bottles of that discontinued beauty – one in Canada (scentrique.com) and one in France. The Canadian site didn’t ship to the US (and their US site didn’t have that perfume), so I went with the French one, undeterred by the understandably high S&H. Unfortunately, several days later, they refunded my money because they didn’t have that perfume anymore. I shouldn’t have waited that long!
How about you?
Undina's Looking Glass 
I try to use all of my “mostly summer only” perfumes. The Nicolaï Eaux (Corail, Mixte, Chic) and Victoria; Lolita Lempicka Elle L’Aime and Fleur de Corail; Atelier Pacific Lime; Eau de Hadrien; Fragonard Verveine; Jo Malone Rhubarb Cologne are the most often selected. It has been quite hot here, and we just had a few days of Canadian wildfire smoke that were pretty awful.
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Atelier’s Pacific Lime, along with Pomelo Paradis and Clementine California have gotten some use this summer
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I wore Clementine California last year, and it was just a perfect summer scent!
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Jo Malone Rhubarb – is this Tangy Rhubarb or White Lilac & Rhubarb? I don’t think I tried the former, and I should find my bottle of the latter and wear it because I don’t remember when I even saw it the last time, let alone wore.
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the Tangy Rhubarb Cologne in the white bottle. I have always loved rhubarb!
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Hey there Undina,
We have been having a very mild winter here in Sydney. Today was 8-20°C or 46-68°f.
Shalimar, Coromandel, Vanilla Absolument, Velours and Cabochard have been getting lots of wear.
Tonight I opened and spritzed Issey Miyake Le Sel d’Issey. It’s a fabulous briny seaspray scent with loads of wind whipped greenery and sand. Perfect for summery wears but leaning into the cool night air here.
Portia xx
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I’ve also been wearing an Amouage, Opus XII Rose Incense, along with Heeley Note de Yuzu and an old sample of JHAG Not A Perfume. Mostly because I’m trying to finish them and they all seem to do well in the heat. I was also wearing 4160Tuesdays The Big Smoke for a while but realized that it’s much more enjoyable in cooler weather, when the labdanum and frankincense glow rather than turn sour quickly, so I’m saving it for autumn.
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It has been so very hot and humid here that I have been wearing mostly cool and light perfumes, with some heavier ones at night for sleeping. My summer faves have been my 2 Danner and Fleming iris extraits, Iris Trousseau and Iris Altesse, along with Vilhelm Parfumerie’s Room Service, a bright, crisp blackcurrant scent. Fragonard’s Eau de Citronnier is delightful in the heat, too. I wear something more substantial at night, like Guerlain’s Extrait de Iris and Frassai Blondine. I recently bought Blondine and I’m loving it, a retro type floral with woods and a soupcon of animalic. It’s delightful and will work in all seasons.
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I’m sticking with my citrus retro loves. O de Lancôme, Eau d’Hadrien, Agua de Colonia & 4711.
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Funny enough, I don’t have a specific summer routine. Since Chicago’s summer is so unpredictable, with cool days followed by scorching heat, I make my choices based on the weather. Checking the weather forecast helps me plan accordingly.
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