The Bright & Fresh Perfume Trends That Will Define Your Summer 2024 Signature Scent

The scent trends of summer 2024 are all about setting a scene. We've moved on from the woodsy, spicy scents that defined the winter, and have found ourselves in a new domain of fresh, lively nosegays bottled to perfection. We're seeing sun-soaked scents create a story around time outside. With that, there's been a rise in ashy notes that bring to mind evenings spent around the campfire. Gourmand scents also continue to be a summer fragrance favorite, with notes of basil, sun-blistered tomatoes, and nutty olive oil working their way into this year's scents to capture the essence of dining al Fresca in the Mediterranean. On the sweeter side of things, we've seen the continued rise of milk perfumes, thanks to leche and heavy crème brûlée tones. 

While we're tempted to eat our way through some of these perfumed hits, we must resist, relegating them instead to pulse points. After all, fragrance lasts the longest when applied to areas of the body that produce the most heat. So if you're on the hunt for a new signature scent for the season that's guaranteed to be memorable, you're in luck. Whatever your proclivity for summer 2024's scent trends, get ready for a rich narrative of outdoor, summer freshness. 

Summer 2024 is all about the sun, and this applies to fragrances as well. The sun saturation scent trend is evocative of days spent on the beach, and basking in the warmth of daylight. Think of time spent in the garden, an afternoon working on a tan, or a bike ride under the radiant beams of the summer's sun. The tones of these solar-powered perfumes tend to be citrusy, but often have a buttery warmth to them, differentiating the fragrances from the classical citrus family of scents. It's this combination of citrus top notes with rich, creamy base notes that makes the solar scents so distinct. 

To capture this essence, we love Phlur's Solar Power Eau de Parfum from Sephora for $99. The amber-toned bottle features key notes of sunny bergamot, orange blossom, and musk to add the depth that's so signature to this scent trend. Another gorgeous iteration of the sun-soaked fragrance fad is Juliette Has a Gun's Sunny Side Up Eau de Parfum for $115. In a burst of brightness, the fragrance relies on sandalwood as its top note, with Vanilla Absolute and Ambrette to create the creamy, rich base notes. 

It's no secret that cherries have had a serious impact on our beauty over the past few years, with cherry-red hair and cherry-mocha makeup being hot trends in 2023. The beloved stone fruit is bringing all of its power to our favorite perfumes in a range of tart to sweet. Cherries add a particularly seductive tone to fragrances, while remaining bright enough to suit the freshness of summer. They bring to mind compotes, pies, jammy sweetness, and the juicy first bite of fruit. 

Tom Ford's Electric Cherry Eau de Parfum Fragrance is perhaps the most famous and decadent iteration of this trend. The perfume, which retails for $250 from Sephora, uses Morello cherries to give it a distinct aura. The cherries are famously bitter and sour, making the scent notably bright. Ambrettolide and jasmine deepen and enrich the notes, while spicy pink peppercorn drives it into a more complex portfolio.

Another stellar iteration of the cherry fragrance is snif's tart deco for $65. The fragrance doesn't hold back from juicy, cherry notes, but enlivens the burst with rose, birchwood, vetvier, and vanilla, making it richer and creamier than expected. Last but not least, we can't forget about The 7 Virtues' Cherry Ambition Eau de Parfum for $88 from Sephora. This iteration of cherry scent is spicy, with tones of saffron and vanilla. 

While we typically expect citrus and florals in the warmer months, summer 2024 is all about rich, earthy attars. The notes are deep and organic, redolent of volcanic ash and burning wood that add depth and sumptuousness to our auras throughout the season. To nail this unexpected scent trend, lean into more robust perfumes. 

Boy Smells' Violet Ends, which retails from Sephora for $98, is a perfect rendition of the ashy, woody personality that's dominating fragrances. The best selling perfume gives notes of violets surrounded by burning papyrus and smouldering tobacco, so it's a delightful balance of light florals and rich complexity. Another fan favorite to achieve this trend is snif's sweet ash, for $65. This conundrum of a scent carries light notes of vanilla, making it delectable, along with the botanical allure of cedarwood, fir balsam, and juniper. We're drawn to this complex scent palate because it's difficult to pinpoint. In one moment, it's sugary and delicious; in another instance, it's secretive and complex, creating a moody world of aromas that we don't want to escape from. 

Milk has already been dominating in beauty trends for a while now. Milk bath nails turn summer manicures into works of art, while blueberry milk bath nails brought a soft, cream base to the beloved berry tone. Now, teh dairy product  is now entering the perfume conversation, and milk fragrances are trending all over TikTok's beauty and grooming spaces as the scent of the season. It's no wonder that this aroma is highly sought-after; it's sweet and refreshing, rather than overpowering. For those who love a lightweight fragrance, the milk trend is worth exploring. 

Perhaps the most famous of all the milk perfumes is Commodity's Milk Expressive Eau de Parfum for $145 from Sephora. Since it has roots in what's edible, the fragrance is considered a sweet gourmand; it smells like cold milk, campfire wood, and marshmallows, so you'll literally be salivating as you scent test this cult classic. The brand Mykonos created a fragrance called Milk Drops for $30, that is all about innocence, childhood memories, and nostalgia. The scent has a creamy milkiness to it, with soft, floral top notes. 

The Mediterranean diet is dominating another scent trend that's all about foodie-perfumes. Olive oil has earned its place as a sought-after note in decadent perfumes, perfect for this summer. Also trending hard is basil, which adds a rich, herbaceous tone to any fragrance. But don't worry. You're not about to smell like a salad. The Mediterranean bouquets are complex enough that the scents blend with other top and base notes to tell the perfect story. 

Bella Hadid's Orebella's Salted Muse Parfum, available at Ulta, combines olive tree notes with lavender and pink pepper. The olive notes create an organic softness to the scent. Thymes' Olive Leaf Cologne for $49 is another gourmand favorite. The scent uses olive leaves along with the Mediterranean herb Sardinian Laurel Leaf, as well as lavender and balsam. For basil tones, check out Boy Smells' Italian Kush for $98, which has voluptuous top notes of basil, black peppercorn, and limoncello. Jo Malone's Basil and Neroli Cologne is another way to enjoy this beloved herb. The scent is fresh and lively, all the while giving notes that are green and verdant.