21 Sun-Drenched Perfumes Who What Wear Editors Swear Are Second Only to a Vacation

Key Notes: Dragon fruit, orange blossom, tuberose, musk

Location: I feel like this one goes without saying—the beaches of Saint Bart's! 

"Ouai St. Barts is a bit polarizing—people either love the dragon fruit–, orange blossom–, and musk-infused scent or find it a bit too tropical for their tastes. I personally can't get enough and practically bathe in it year-round. I adore it so much I even snagged the St. Barts Leave In Conditioner so my strands will forever faintly smell like a luxurious beach club." — Kaitlyn McLintock, Beauty Editor

Key Notes: Green mandarin, coconut, pineapple, frangipani

Location: An impromptu picnic in Central Park with fresh fruit slices, matcha, and an engrossing mystery novel.

There are a lot of unique scent notes I'm inexplicably drawn to, but of all the ones I've had the chance to experience, green mandarin has to be the best. This perfume uses the note to perfection by balancing its zesty, bright profile with the addition of milky coconut, energizing pineapple, and a whisper of frangipani. It smells exactly like spending a slow afternoon in Central Park soaking up the sun with a good book.

Key Notes: Orange blossom, white florals, ylang-ylang, salty vanilla, benzoin

Location: Flipping through a magazine while relaxing poolside at a country club after playing tennis doubles.

I love a fragrance that gives sunny and sporty at the same time without having sunscreen (or anything remotely pool-like) as a scent note. Sunlit Blooms by DedCool radiates warmth with orange blossoms balanced by sun-drenched white florals. The fragrance finishes with salty vanilla and benzoin. Not only is this one of my favorite mood-boosting fragrances to wear, but it's also housed in a versatile glass bottle that the brand describes as "intentionally utilitarian."

Key Notes: White florals, frangipani, orange blossom, golden amber

Location: Relaxing on a tropical beach in Tahiti with an oversize sun hat and lemonade in hand for good measure.

While I haven't booked my dream vacation to visit the sun-soaked, sandy shores of Tahiti, I have the ability to transport myself there with the help of Nest New York's Sunkissed Hibiscus. It brings all the right tropical vibes while capturing the sun in a bottle with layers of classic white florals, frangipani (which has a creamy coconut accord), and golden amber that are beyond enchanting.

Key Notes: Coconut, frangipani, sea salt, orange flower, vanilla

Location: Reclining beneath sun-dappled palm fronds in Tulum.

"If I had to describe this scent in one word, it would be sun-drenched. The nostalgia-inducing combination of coconut, frangipani, and vanilla reminds me of old-school sunscreen in the best way. It's totally transportive. I can almost feel the warm sun on my shoulders, hear the seagulls, and sense the salty bite of the ocean in the air. It just might be my all-time favorite solar fragrance ever." — McLintock

Key Notes: Violet, camellia, citrus, muget, velvet woods, vanilla, sandalwood, musk, amber

Location: The Mediterranean coast at golden hour with a Campari spritz in hand.

"I'm of the belief that Moroccanoil has the best-smelling haircare products in the game—period—so I had sky-high hopes for the brand's first fine fragrance. I'm happy to report that this 'Mediterranean-inspired adventure' of a scent lives up to the hype. The warm floral evokes images of basking in the soft light at golden hour, ideally after a day spent beach-hopping." — Jamie Schneider, Senior Beauty Editor

Key Notes: Italian red mandarin, bergamot, jasmine absolute, neroli, orange flower, driftwood, solar musk, sea salt

Location: Exploring a historical lighthouse in coastal Maine as the sky darkens with an impending storm on the horizon.

Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of solar perfumes that lean too heavily coconut since the note has a tendency to be bold and milky. Instead, I like to opt for mandarin and citrus scents like this one, which combines them with heady florals and aquatic notes (most notably driftwood and sea salt) to provide a dreamy seaside scent. There's also something undeniably skin-like and familiar about this one, which makes the scent ideal for year-round wear.

Key Notes: coconut, tiare blossom, salted musk

Location: The palm-shaded, private massage table where Victoria Ratliff (Parker Posey) receives her spa treatments. 

"This is the perfume I reach for the most when I head on vacation—not just because it's one of the only scents I own a travel size of(whatever!) but because of it's an island-appropriate fragrance that smells of rich coconut, salted musk, and tropical tiare blossom. Though the name depicts a sun-soaked beach vacation in Bali, this perfume oil smells exactly how I'd envision a trip to The White Lotus's fictional wellness-inspired location in Thailand to smell on a normal, non–season three vacation, I suppose." — Alyssa Brascia, Associate Beauty Editor

Key Notes: Bergamot, green mandarin, freesia, orange blossom, jasmine petals, charcoal, ambrox, cedarwood, musk, coconut water, vetiver

Location: The windswept outer banks of North Carolina at sunrise.

"Fresh and breezy with an emphasis on bergamot, Clean Reserve's Solar Bloom Eau de Parfum is my ideal daytime scent. It's slightly citrusy with an aquatic lean thanks to orange blossom and coconut water. This subtle, sweet, and 'my skin but better" scent makes me want to move to the coast and fix up a wind-battered house on the beach. It's giving Nights in Rodanthe in the best way." — McLintock

Key Notes: Guava juice, banana, bergamot, tropical water lily, Cavaillon melon, coconut palm, mango blossom, vanilla, sandalwood, almond milk

Location: Sitting poolside at the Palm Springs Country Club enjoying a guava granita. 

"Ellis Brooklyn's Salt and Miami Nectar Eau de Parfums have been mainstays in my summer fragrance wardrobe, but they're taking a back seat to this new, fruit-forward scent. Juicy notes of guava, banana, bergamot, melon, coconut, and mango blossom are underpinned by warm vanilla, sandalwood, and almond milk. It's bright, fun, and elevated—like a 1980s country club." — McLintock

Key Notes: Pink pineapple, palm leaves, coconut water, wild jasmine, plumeria, lily of the valley, tree moss, salted woods, sweet amber woods, vanilla

Location: Shopping in Brickell, Miami, in May before a dip in the pool.

"This fragrance is plain fun. Its lighthearted scent carries notes of coconut water and pink pineapple at the forefront before mellowing out with an amber base, making it a great choice for daytime activities in Miami, Florida—shopping, sightseeing, sunbathing. Plus, it oddly smells great with sunscreen and transitions smoothly into night, wearing like a breath of fresh, sweet air before a beachside dinner or indulging in the city's colorful nightlife." — McLintock

Key Notes: Frangipani, ylang-ylang, gardenia, coconut, salt water, skin musks, ambrox, sandalwood

Location: Laying in white linen sheets in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora.

"LoveShackFancy's Love on the Beach Eau de Parfum is so damn good. With notes of frangipani, island coconut, salt water, and skin musk, it's definitely the sexiest solar fragrance I own. It evokes the sea, sun, and, most of all, sun-kissed skin. Just like Bora Bora's turquoise-blue waters and overwater bungalows, the unapologetically romantic, bow-topped bottle is original and aesthetically pleasing." — McLintock

Key Notes: Ylang-ylang essence, Damascus rose essence, jasmine grandiflorum, jasmine sambac

Locations: Strolling the Palace of Versailles's gardens and the lobby of The Peninsula Beverly Hills.

"Opulent, airy, and refined—Dior's J'adore Eau de Perfume is simply elegance, bottled. It's at once fruity and fresh, and solar ylang-ylang adds a delicious creaminess to the blend. With each spritz, I channel my inner fancy French woman and imagine taking a leisurely stroll through the expansive, immaculately manicured gardens at Versailles. A girl can dream!" — Schneider

"I'm cosigning this solar scent. Fruity and sweet with a touch of soapy cleanliness, this perfume evokes a memory of my first brush with the upper echelon. I was 16 when I stayed at this revered California hotel and became enamored with the chic women who graced the halls. Pulled-together, tweed-clad, and impossibly sophisticated, these women left trails of clean, slightly sweet fragrances in their wake as they strolled the lobby of this sunlit, flower-adorned hotel. One spritz makes me feel like I'm stepping into the shoes of those women who inspired me so long ago." — Brascia

Key Notes: Bergamot essence, pink pepper essence, lemon essence, ylang-ylang essence, heliotrope accord, coconut milk accord, cedarwood essence, white musks

Location: An afternoon spent beach-hopping and haunting seaside cafés along California's central coast.

I'm proud to have grown up in the Pacific Northwest (I'm loud about being from the Seattle area), but I've fallen in love with California's central coast over the past few months. Maybe I've seen one too many movies by Nancy Meyers, but when I smell Maison Margiela's Replica Beach Walk, I'm brought right back to the scenic shorelines, aesthetically pleasing beach cottages, and a growing collection of sea glass.

Key Notes: Lime, coconut water, mint, vanilla, tonka bean

Location: A hidden beach in Seychelles.

"As soon as I got my hands on this just-launched Jo Malone number, I gave myself an in-office spritz and immediately received a 'You smell so good' compliment from a fellow beauty editor. (Hi, Alyssa!) Imagine the most elevated beachy scent you own—now, multiply those gorgeous, sun-drenched notes by 10. Yes, this blend of lime, mint, coconut water, cedarwood, and vanilla is really that divine." — Schneider

Key Notes: Jasmine petals, frangipani, lemon, ylang-ylang, sandalwood

Location: The sun-soaked balcony of a suite in Villa Serbelloni, Lake Como.

"I don't make this statement lightly: This perfume is the best summer scent to ever grace my senses. Citrusy floral with a touch of grounding sandalwood, this lemon-based fragrance is limoncello tangled in a summer breeze. The first spritz of this scent immediately transported me to my favorite Lake Como hotel, Villa Serbelloni, where its solar tendrils of ylang-ylang and frangipani painted a scene of the lush coastline and lemon trees that will forever be seared into my memory." — Brascia

Key Notes: White incense, ambrox, musks, Guatemalan cardamom, cedarwood, ambrette, pink pepper

Location: A luxurious Nile River cruise along desert sand–strewn shores.

"Maybe it's the white incense or musky undertones that make me dream of my bucket-list cruise along the Nile River, but there's something so warm yet beautifully floral about this fragrance—like a desert flower amid the golden sand. With notes of Guatemalan cardamom, cedarwood, and ambrette that smell like they were plucked from the sun itself, this devastatingly beautiful scent gets me stopped every time I wear it. You can bet your bottom dollar that I'm packing this beautiful bottle with me when I eventually make my way to Egypt." — Brascia

Key Notes: Black currant, neroli, lemon oil, ylang-ylang, jasmine, tiare flower, cedarwood, sandalwood, vanilla

Location: A late summer stroll through the gardens of a vineyard just outside of Florence.

One thing I hear most frequently from consumers about solar scents is that they're youthful and lack the timeless elegance that other popular fragrances. However, I believe Penhaligon's Solaris offers the perfect option for anyone in the market. Designed as an ode to the sun, it couples black currant with creamy ylang-ylang before shifting into a warm blend of sandalwood and vanilla. If I could describe this perfume as a feeling, I would say it's the one when sun kisses your skin for the first time after a long winter.

Key Notes: Ylang-ylang essence, coconut, vanilla, guaiac wood, cistus labdanum

Location: Sunbathing on a sailboat during a July escape to the Hamptons.

When I think of what fragrance I would wear on a weekend trip to the Hamptons, this scent comes to mind. Luminous and warm, it combines ylang-ylang essence with a hint of coconut and vanilla and is rounded out by warm woods. I found this one after searching for a scent that could be worn year-round and give any outfit an extra touch of elegance. It's also an instant compliment magnet!

Key Notes: Turkish and Bulgarian red roses, raspberry accord

Location: A sunset cruise along the colorful coast of Portofino.

"When I first got my hands on this scent around a year ago, I impulsively posted to my Instagram story that this perfume smelled like a sunset excursion on the shimmering waters of Portofino. It leads with a bouquet of fresh roses and raspberries but leans into its summery side with a sophisticated musk as warm as waning sunlight. One whiff of this perfume makes me want to slip into a breezy shirtdress and nonna headscarf, grab an Aperol spritz, and fly on the breeze of a sailboat." — Brascia

Key Notes: Lemon, mandarin, neroli, jasmine sambac, musks

Location: A luxurious hotel room in Lagos, where you'll take the best nap of your life following a trip to the beach.

Do you know that wave of happiness you get after sunbathing for hours without and plans to leave your state of peak relaxation? I found it in a Byredo bottle. It opens with sunny notes of mandarin and lemon (one of my top combos) on top of blooming neroli and Arabian jasmine. From there, wearers are met with cotton candy and musk to round it out. Now, I'm not usually one to look for cotton candy as a note in my scents, but this one is way too good to go unnoticed. Fair warning: It's so yummy it's borderline intoxicating.