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Solar Scents Are The Summer-Rich Fragrances You Need to Try

I want to smell like sunshine, please.

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side-by-side image of PHLUR Solar Power and Vacation scent
PHLUR / VACATION

Summer is here, and according to experts, we're looking to smell like sunshine. Surges in searches for solar scents have revived this trend and put it front and center this summer. It seems like all anyone is talking about is how to smell just like summer or get sunshine into a bottle.

  • Romy Kowalewski is the creative director and founder of 27 87
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What is a Solar Scent?

It's not a fragrance family in its own right, but solar scents are fast becoming their own category in perfumery. It's a buzzy scent note that evokes hot summers, poolside afternoons and blooming gardens, and it's fast taking over the world of PerfumeTok. But as the world of scent evolves and grows, we're left wondering, what exactly does the sun smell like?

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"A solar scent evokes positivity and warmth, it's reminiscent of sea and sand, and sun-kissed skin," explains creative director and founder of 27 87, Romy Kowalewski. "Our solar scents are Hamaca, which is inspired by the Caribbean and ingredients that create comfort and pleasant calm, and Sónar which encapsulates the essence of open-air music festivals during summer."

For Skylar Clean Beauty and their latest launch, Citrus Reverie, the goal was to get summer into a bottle. "Our goal with Citrus Reverie was to capture the spirit and essence of an endless summer in a singular scent,” said Alex Alston, VP Marketing for Skylar Clean Beauty. “Our focus was on creating a fragrance that appeals to the trendsetters, the girls who influence their generation, energizing them to live their best lives all summer...and beyond.”

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The Smell of Summer

As solar scents trend, it's important to point out the many directions a fragrance can go. Perfumers are responsible for inspiring memory and emotion, and what summer smells like is a little different for everyone.

Vacation, for instance, is the viral hit that brings you right to the poolside, and chlorine- and lycra-esque scent has the beating sun baked right into it. Citrus tends to dominate solar scents in part due to their popularity during the summer months, but also because we tend to connect them with things that are bright and effervescent. Others still, like Sun Kissed Goddess, are more focused on the interplay between the light florals that shine in summer with the beachy smell of coconut.

Soak Up These Solar Scents

Solar Scents Are The Summer-Rich Fragrances You Need to Try

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27 87 Hamaca Eau de Parfum ($175)

Inspired by the Caribbean, scents of marine accord and coconut bring you right to the sun-soaked sands of island life.

BUY ON NICHE BEAUTY - $175

27 87 Hamaca Eau de Parfum ($175)
2 / 11

Kilian Paris Sunkissed Goddess Perfume ($295)

A reinterpretation of a traditional Polynesian elixir, this scent has a warm halo of sunlight borne from the loving mixture of white tiare flowers, ylang-ylang and coconut.

BUY ON SEPHORA - $295

BUY ON NORDSTROM - $295

Kilian Paris Sunkissed Goddess Perfume ($295)
3 / 11

SKYLAR Citrus Reverie Eau de Parfum ($90)

A tribute to golden hour, the citrus-forward top notes of this scent will have you soaking up the sun. In line with the bright and fresh feeling that solar scents provide, this one forwards delicate orange blossom, mandarin and pineapple.

BUY ON SEPHORA - $90

BUY ON SKYLAR - $90

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4 / 11

PHLUR Solar Power ($99)

A golden floral musk, Solar Power opens with bursting citrus before warming into a comforting sandalwood that brings the feeling of the end of a long summer day.

BUY ON PHLUR - $99

BUY ON NORDSTROM - $99

PHLUR Solar Power ($99)
5 / 11

Future Society Solar Canopy Fragrance ($98)

Inspired by the DNA of extinct flowers, this sun-baked scent is rich with fruity florals and intoxicating vetiver and magnolia. Reviving the extinct Hibiscadelphus wilderianus, this kinetic scent is complemented by bergamot and sweet Turkish rose.

BUY ON FUTURE SOCIETY - $98

BUY ON NORDSTROM - $98

Future Society Solar Canopy Fragrance ($98)
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6 / 11

Antica Farmacista Sun Kissed Eau de Parfum ($86)

Driving top-down, with good weather on an open road helped inspire this zesty and sparkling sun-kissed perfume. Light honeysuckle and sweet morning dew scents fill you with effervescent energy; the road can go anywhere.

BUY NOW - $86

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7 / 11

Fragrance Du Bois Solstis Parfum ($385)

It's midsummer, it's night, it's a dream. This solar-inspired scent takes you through a summer day and into the evening, where the romance dials up and the inhibitions are dialed down. The citrus opening feels like sunshine, while the pepper notes lend a romantic nuance.

BUY NOW - $385

Fragrance Du Bois Solstis Parfum ($385)
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CLEAN RESERVE Solar Bloom ($110)

A radiant scent that blooms into a floral heart of jasmine and orange blossom, this fragrance perfectly encapsulates a warm sunny day.

BUY ON SEPHORA - $110

BUY ON AMAZON - $110

CLEAN RESERVE Solar Bloom ($110)
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The Harmonist Sunforce Parfum ($350)

Citrus meets exotic wood and earthy spices in this vibrant scent. Made in France, this energizing, bright scent energizes the wearer and embodies the afternoon sun.

BUY ON SAKS FIFTH AVE - $350

BUY ON BLUEMERCURY - $350

The Harmonist Sunforce Parfum ($350)
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Vacation "Vacation" Eau de Toilette ($60)

This viral sunshine scent perfectly embodies those sunscreen-soaked pool days. Get the intoxicating scents of summer and sunshine with the nostalgia-boosting hint of swimsuit lycra to bring you right back to those sunny summers.

BUY ON AMAZON - $60

BUY ON VACATION - $60

Vacation "Vacation" Eau de Toilette ($60)
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Elysian Parfum Island Muse ($145)

A summer getaway in a bottle, this island-inspired scent is the perfect solar fragrance to bring you to clear skies and crystal seas. Bright citrus dries down into a woody musk that brings the beach right to you.

BUY NOW - $ 145

Elysian Parfum Island Muse ($145)

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