6 subtle summer perfumes that don't overwhelm the senses
Summer perfumes can feel more impactful than their seasonal counterparts, probably due to the fact that the sunniest time of the year is also marked by a lack of clothing, makeup and fuss.
The scent we choose in summer has to emphatically express the unspoken, palpable magic of three months bathed in sunshine. They can be nostalgic echoes of a distinctly Australian experience, but they can also transport us to distant shores abroad.
BEAUTYcrew spoke to Who Is Elijah founder Raquel Bouris about the transformative powers of summer scent, no doubt influenced by her own childhood spent on the beaches of Cronulla.
"The European summer experience is distinct from the Australian summer," she tells BEAUTYcrew.
"European summers draw inspiration from a rich tapestry of cultures, leading to a diverse range of fragrance formulations. When you think of European summer, it conjures up a plethora of scents and experiences," she explains. "In contrast, Australian summers have a more singular association, which makes our expression of summer fragrance unique and evocative of our sun-kissed, beach-oriented lifestyle."
Regardless of whether you want your perfume to remind you of home or to take you on a trip to sunny locales yet undiscovered, BEAUTYcrew has found a selection of subtle summer perfumes that perfectly celebrate the season in all its glory without overwhelming the senses.
The top 3 summer perfumes of 2025/2026
- Who Is Elijah Chemical Addiction, $134.25, Adore Beauty
- By Rosie Jane Remi, $164, Sephora
- Commodity Milk Orchid, $239, Sephora
Who Is Elijah Chemical Addiction
from $134.25 at Adore Beauty
"This is the fragrance that gets noticed. This is the fragrance that people will stop to ask you what you're wearing. It's such an unforgettable smell, it's so unique. I do not know another perfume on the market that smells like this. If you do please tell me, but I promise you it won't be as good as this," Bouris dished on the subtle summer skin scent. "This is what everyone needs in their fragrance wardrobe. It's soft, it's magnetic, it feels like a second skin, and smells incredible."
Key features:
Top notes: Mandarin, Lemon, and Bergamot
Heart notes: Blackcurrant and White Florals
Base notes: Pink Musk and Blonde Woods
Available at:
- $134.25 from Adore Beauty
- $179 from Sephora
- $179 from Who Is Elijah
By Rosie Jane Remi
from $164 at Sephora
Inspired by California citrus groves, By Rosie Jane's Remi is the fresh, subdued and elevated citrus scent we've been waiting patiently to wear all year. It's nostalgic and comforting, and yet it feels like a hopeful morning too. The perfect fragrance to gently lead you into the warmer months, Remi is green, bright, and skin-reminiscent.
Key features:
Top notes: Mandarin, Bergamot Leaf and Cardamom
Heart notes: Verbena, Petitgrain, Cannabis, Gardenia and Indian Jasmine
Base notes: Cedar Leaves, White Musk and White Amber
Available at:
- $164 from Sephora
Commodity Milk Orchid
from $239 at Sephora
Airy and luminous, this collaboration between Commodity and Perfumerism is like wandering through lines of clean sheets drying in the sun with a fig in one hand a cold glass of milk in the other. It's naturalistic, youthful, and relaxed. If you're looking for a unique fragrance to be the olfactory soundtrack to a summer well spent, Milk Orchid is one for the books.
Key features:
Top notes: Coconut, Fig Milk and Almond Blossom
Heart notes: Vanilla Orchid and Magnolia
Base notes: Milk, Sandalwood and Macadamia
Available at:
- $239 from Sephora
Goldfield & Banks Tales of Amber Extrait
from $416 at Adore Beauty
A love letter to the distinctive southern hemisphere summer and Australia's most remote landscapes, Tales Of Amber Extrait blends rare New Zealand ambergris with sun-warmed resins and Australian agarwood. Elevated with soft florals and deeply rooted with a rich gourmand base, this extrait is salty, spicy and animalic.
Key features:
Top notes: Orange Blossom and Moss
Heart notes: Orris, Cinnamon, Musk and Labdanum
Base notes: Agarwood, Oud, Ambergris, Labdanum and Vanillin
Available at:
- $416 from Adore Beauty
- $416 from Sephora
- $416 from MYER
Juliette Has A Gun Powder Love
from $235 at Sephora
Like your fragrances on the sweeter side? Juliette Has A Gun's Powder Love takes the brand's iconic skin-inspired musk and ambroxan base notes and layers cotton candy, marshmallow, candied almond, tonka bean and orange blossom as the proverbial cherry on top of this delicious dessert of a scent.
Key features:
Top notes: Cotton Candy and Marshmallow
Heart notes: Orange Blossom and Candied Almond
Base notes: Musk, Ambroxan and Tonka Bean
Available at:
- $235 from Sephora
- $235 from MYER
- $235 from David Jones
d'Annam Pomelo Oolong
from $240 at d'Annam
Addicted to fruity iced tea during summer? Each spritz of d'Annam's Pomelo Oolong is like a fresh sip of Pomelo infused Oolong iced tea on a sunny day minus the calories. Escape to the calming surrounds of a traditional Chinese tea house without having to book a flight.
Key features:
Top notes: Oolong Tea and Pomelo
Heart notes: Osmanthus and Porcelain
Base notes: White Musk
Available at:
- $240 from d'Annam
Prefer to pick a perfume from a specific olfactory family? These are the gourmand and spicy fragrances we can't get enough of.
Main image credit: @lauraharrier
Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
