These 17 Coastal Fragrances Make Me Feel Like I'm on the Set of The Summer I Turned Pretty

Scent Type: fresh solar

Notes: bergamot, sea salt, seaweed, cotton blossom, water lily, cyclamen, driftwood, vanilla, musk

When I imagine the perfect coastal-inspired scent, I like to lean away from tropical, aromatic options and toward fresh and solar alternatives. Salt Air Eau de Parfum by Skylar combines notes of bright bergamot with sea salt, cotton blossom, driftwood, and musk to evoke endless summers spent strolling along a picturesque seascape.

Customer Review: "I have been searching for so long for a beach-y scent that is fresh and not too sweet. This is my new favorite perfume, it does not smell fake and lasts for so long. The beach is my favorite place to be, and now I can have it with me in a bottle. I also like that it's hypoallergenic. Can't wait to try more."

Scent Type: fresh aquatic

Notes: water accord, hyacinth, bergamot, dewy greens, lotus blossom, orris, jasmine sambac, neroli, blue amber, oakmoss, patchouli, musk

There are a number of fresh, aquatic fragrances that keep me dreaming of escapes to the coast, but Lake & Skye's 11 11 Azure Eau de Parfum stands apart from the others. It counters the classic water accord with aromatic notes of dewy greens, lotus blossom, orris, and blue amber. The end result is a scent that's light and fresh and lingers on the skin.

Customer Review: "I get more compliments on this fragrance than anything other fragrance I've ever worn. I love the fact that it's unisex, designed to smell good on everyone. Though the description had amber and florals, it reminds me of sitting on the rocks down the Cape on a summer day. It's the perfect scent."

Scent Type: fresh aquatic

Notes: primofiore lemon, water jasmine, cedarwood, labdanum

Whether you have access to a family sailboat named after a loved one or not, Armani Beauty's Acqua di Gioia will certainly make you feel like you've spent many a day at sea learning everything from tying intricate boating knots to effortlessly shucking oysters. It has a blend of freshwater jasmine, primofiore, lemon, and a grounding note of cedarwood that smells exactly like driftwood just after it's washed onshore.

Customer Review: "I love aquatic and fresh perfumes and this is such a light fresh scent. The hint of jasmine is floral without being overwhelming. It's got a hint of citrus to keep it fresh and a little cedar wood to make it warm. The perfect spring and summer blend."

Scent Type: marine citrus

Notes: fresh marine, honeyed neroli, peony, jasmine, ambroxan, musk

I like to think of this fragrance as the epitome of the timeless "girl (or boy) next door" aesthetic. It's fresh, fruity, and floral with an undeniable watery freshness finished off with honeyed neroli and warm musk. It makes me think of lazy summer days spent lounging at the neighborhood pool with a refreshing glass of lemonade in one hand and a lighthearted poolside read in the other. Cheers to that!

Customer Review: "A daytime swim, a neroli fantasy. This is my every day go-to for an uplifting experience. Although nostalgic and refreshing, it's refined and sophisticated. I love pairing it with a rich fragrance like Dark Is Night to is lighten its mood. This is easily in my top two of the Henry Rose fine fragrances."

Scent Type: fresh florals

Notes: lemon, bergamot, white flower accord, light musks

Hundreds of glowing reviews dedicated to this luxurious Maison Francis Kurkdjian perfume praise its versatility, effortless elegance, and ability to perfectly evoke summer evenings spent seaside. While I've never met a light, fresh fragrance I haven't loved, this one absolutely takes the cake for the one perfume that can be worn by anyone anywhere.

Customer Review: "A bright sparkly lemon scent with a little undertone of blonde wood, but mainly lemon. The white florals add a bit of weight or sense of depth to it but not that much floralness. Super fresh and clean and energetic and achieves that without a strong smell of soap which is pretty rare these days in a clean scent and something I appreciate. It has sillage for about about four hours but lasts more than ten hours close to the skin and is totally unisex."

Scent Type: fresh aquatic

Notes: aquatic accord, coriander, red seaweed, ambergris

My dream summer afternoon? Hours spent setting sail on the Atlantic with a classic Ralph Lauren–inspired outfit, tortoiseshell sunnies, and a camera at the ready. Until I can make it out on the waves, I'll be spritzing Replica Sailing Day by Maison Margiela for a fresh breeze and salty seawater lapping at the sides of a weathered boat.

Customer Review: "I've owned Sailing Day for about two years now and I adore it! It's my go to summer scent. The aquatic notes almost play off an ozone note in the fragrance that makes it read very fresh and clean on the skin. It's a delicious wet, salty and fresh scent that can easily be layered in the spring and summertime. Smells strong and has great longevity on my skin chemistry. I got the big bottle and I wear it daily 90+ days out of the year, the dent hasn't even reached the label. Love it!"

Scent Type: aquatic citrus

Notes: bergamot, coriander, ocean waves, jasmine sambac, sandalwood, vetiver, ambrette musk

As much as I love my East Coast summers, Thin Wild Mercury's Zuma, 1975 Eau de Parfum reminds me of those spent in Southern California. For me, summer days there were marked by churning ocean waves, a sandy beach, powdery fresh florals, and the smell of sunscreen on the skin. The scent has a nostalgic blend of notes that brings these memories right back with everything from bergamot and coriander to ocean waves and sandalwood.

Customer Review: "Soft jasmine on the breeze, golden skin warmed by the sun. It's the drive down PCH after the beach, hair tousled, music low, the day fading into honey light. Skin kissed by the warmth of a sun that never overstays. Familiar but never basic. Not your typical fruity splash this one lingers. And best of all? No trace of sunscreen. Just pure summer memory."

Scent Type: mineral woods

Notes: ambrette seeds, sea salt, sage

Offering airy notes of sea salt, ambrette, and earthy sage, this best-selling Jo Malone London fragrance is immediately what comes to mind when I think about an afternoon spent on the water. There's also something a little mineral about this one that makes it perfect for wearing alone or layering with any of the other aquatic-leaning perfumes on this list. It's like the Atlantic Ocean in a bottle.

Customer Review: "This is a staple fragrance of mine. You can wear year round, though I tend to gravitate to it during the spring/summer months. I prefer warm and woody scents, and I feel Wood Sage & Sea Salt perfectly combines a warm scent with the lightness and freshness needed to make it appropriate for daytime wear during spring and summer."

Scent Type: aromatic fruits

Notes: black currant bud, galbanum, wild fig, green tea, orris, jasmine, cedarwood, patchouli, tonka, amber, musk

Inspired by the rich greens of the jungle region of Hpa-An, Myanmar, Gabar's No. 111 Swim Eau de Parfum skillfully combines aromatic, earthy notes with sticky, sweet fruits, all while a whisper of the deep blue sea lies in the background. While I wouldn't pin this as a traditional coastal scent, it's mysterious and sensual and makes me think of taking a dip under the milky, white light of the moon.

Customer Review: "Swim is the ultimate fig scent for me. It feels like sitting outside in the jungle enjoying a good wellness day at a fancy spa—all while it's raining. The scent is fresh and green but also juicy from the black current. 10/10!"

Scent Type: fruity floral

Notes: prickly, pear, bergamot, jasmine, iris

Speaking of sticky, sweet scents, why not try a coastal scent that features a note of energizing prickly pear set against bergamot and a bouquet of soft florals? Reviewers tout this Diptyque find as a fragrance that transitions seamlessly between the last few weeks of summer and the beginning of fall with its heart of watery iris. It's elegant and understated but lasts as long as you want it to. It's an ode to a never-ending summer, if you will.

Customer Review: "Green and a little bit soapy and definitely a little bit of iris, but like a water iris where you pick up a little bit of that freshwater smell. Deeply purple. It smells just like my mom in a way I could never wear. But to be fair, she spent a lot of time growing irises and putting the blossoms in the house. This perfume smells to me like an amethyst necklace in a way that is purple and feminine and black tie."

Scent Type: aquatic chypre

Notes: mandarin, bergamot, cedar, aquatic accord, muscatel, cypress essence, amber woods, oakmoss, patchouli, vetiver

Our first chypre fragrance on the list, this Armani perfume combines the fresh and uplifting scent of aquatic accord with the grounding, earthy notes of cypress essence, muscatel (savory wine), and oakmoss. Plus, the amber woods and vetiver add warmth to its base. In other words, it smells like a cozy, worn-in sweater that's seen a few roaring waves.

Customer Review: "Beautiful woody green cypress with a sharp bitterness supported by classic fougère-style herbs, has a subtle naturally sweet citrus on its base that gives it a nice contrast. Love how it pulls off the aquatic vibe without relying on a metallic accord. Good performance."

Scent Type: aquatic florals

Notes: pomelo, lemon zest, magnolia, dragon fruit, water lily, crisp amber, sea salt, ambergris

This is one of those scents that can be new to you but will smell amazingly familiar yet unique to anyone who crosses your path. It offers an elegant and bright mixture of pomelo and lemon, giving a citrus punch to a tropical floral arrangement at the heart of Liis's Lucienne Eau de Parfum. It unfurls more to reveal a bottom layer of crisp amber, sea salt, and ambergris that sets the entire scent off.

Customer Review: "This scent conjures the image of having just showered in a luxurious hotel bathroom and now I'm in a flow-y dress on my way to eat brunch overlooking the beach on a sunny and perfectly warm but breezy morning. Moderate sillage is not super long lasting, but after about four hours I'm still enjoying an intimate scent bubble from the two spritzes on the back of my neck."

Scent Type: aromatic marine

Notes: juniper, pink pepper, bergamot, rosemary, sage, cumin, vetiver, sandalwood, cedar

Okay, I'll admit it—I've searched far and wide for an aromatic marine scent like Aesop's Karst that doesn't lean too woodsy or salty but have yet to find anything that can compare to the instant euphoria I experience with every spray. The perfume opens with a grounding botanical blend of juniper, pink pepper, and bergamot that shifts into herbaceous touches of rosemary and sage. It finishes with sandalwood and cedar, which transport its wearer to the likes of a seaside garden.

Customer Review: "Despite having lots of fragrances, I am always on the hunt for a different one when I go near the perfume counters. After trying all the fragrances from Aesop, this one Karst is my favorite. I do love a green and woody fragrance but it is also its uniqueness that attracts me—it is fresh with sophistication. I feel I could smell breeze from the sea and mint leaves from my garden at the same time. It is such a lovely scent that I wear every day now in the summer."

Scent Type: marine floral

Notes: bergamot, petals, lemon oil, linden, rose accord, dune grass, muscone, salt water, white moss

Have you ever noticed that dry, grassy smell of the coastal flora just before you hit the sand? Now, imagine that combined with soft rose petals, juicy bergamot, the scent of the ocean, and something a little dry and earthy, like dry white moss. D.S. & Durga's Rose Atlantic has all the above, and I honestly can't get enough of it.

Customer Review: "This fragrance is divine and it's exactly what it suggests from the name. The smell of a salty rose, a bush growing by the sea so you get floral but also marine tones and a hint of salt which just lifts the whole fragrance. It's not cloying at all, great sillage and good longevity."

Scent Type: marine floral

Notes: neroli water, salty mist, neon petals, ginger lily, transparent citrus, hedione, smoked seashells, ambroxan

If I had to guess what a mermaid would smell like, it just might have to be Régime des Fleurs' Nitesurf Neroli Eau de Parfum (and not just because of its memorable name). Alia Raza, perfumer and founder of the brand, drew inspiration for this one from her perception of Southern California as she grew up on the East Coast: surfers in Day-Glo swimsuits sitting on their surfboards in the water beneath the moon. The fragrance is just as enchanting with notes of neroli water, ginger lily, and transparent citrus.

Customer Review: "As a SoCal native who lives by the coast, this smells like a summer beach day. This is artistic and really beautiful. It's not sunscreeny at all…it's a bright white floral, aquatic, a bit oceanic, and a tad smoky. To me, it's accurately represented by the notes listed and it's a fun wear. This is a moderate projector with great longevity and it lasts forever on clothes."

Scent Type: marine floral

Notes: orange blossom, magnolia, jasmine, tuberose, pink pepper, cedarwood

Veronique Gabai's Sur La Plage Eau de Parfum boasts a memorable blend of bright orange blossoms, soft jasmine, and powdery-fresh magnolia with a marine accord and warm, woodsy notes to create an olfactory experience that screams, "I may own a summer home in the Hamptons I can hide out in but prefer to spend all my time combing for seashells on the beach in a chic linen set."

Customer Review: "Sur La Plage has become my favorite fragrance and my husband loves it on me also, always compliments me! It's such a vibrant, uplifting, and yes sexy scent. I first bought the travel size as it was blind buy for me, I'm so glad I gave it a try! It truly is sunshine/summer in a bottle! Thank you Veronique."

Scent Type: gourmand marine

Notes: jasmine, pink pepper, seawater, gardenia, tuberose, Shimoga ginger, coconut, almond milk, sambrani tears

This was the first milky, marine fragrance I fell head over heels for, and I still can't stop recommending it to anyone who asks for a perfume that turns everything you would expects of a coastal fragrance on its head. A House of Bō cult favorite, La Mar opens up with fresh, gourmand notes that border on solar with notes of pink pepper, seawater, Shimoga ginger, and tuberose in the mix.

Customer Review: "This is a light, creamy white floral that smells so realistic. It smells how I imagine the lobby of an expensive island resort smelling. Or a rich woman standing near the seaside with the wind blowing her hair. Jasmine and gardenia can both turn on me but this one has stayed smelling fresh."