The scents of summer are in the air, and they should be reflected in your men’s cologne choices, too. Summer’s a great time to go lighter when select your fragrance of choice, and it’s an excellent time to experiment, too. If you’ve ever wanted to want to think out of the box, scent-wise, summer’s the right time to do it. With that in mind, we asked a couple of men’s cologne and fragrance experts to weigh in, give us their thoughts, and provide us some selections for summer.
Harry Slatkin
The phrase “industry legend” often gets bandied about with sketchy justification, but that’s definitely not the case with Harry Slatkin. His nickname within the industry is “The Nose,” so we had him select several men’s colognes, as well as a new scent he revealed several months ago under the brand name Dwell212.
“Picking just three of my ‘favorites’ for summer is not an easy task, as there are so many,” Slatkin said. “Dwell212 Citrus is at the top of my list as its combination of bright citrus blend is instant sunshine, either in the shower using the body wash or for yourself as you spritz the body mist.”
Slatkin’s other selections are just as intriguing:
Ocean Pacific Driftwood. The idea behind this fragrance is to instantly transport you to a beach oasis. The top notes include mandarin, tangerine and lemon, which should give you the general idea, with balance coming from cardamom, blonde woods, tobacco and musks.
Neroli Coastline. This fragrance is also all about the coastal concept, but it has more of a floral scent with white florals like neroli and frangipani. It’s anchored by amber undertones to provide contrast to the citrus oils.
Limoncello cupcake. “This is my absolute favorite,” Slatkin says. “Nothing says ‘hello summer’ like the scent of Limoncello Cupcake.” It’s easy to see why he likes it, given that it’s based on infused lemon liqueur combined with the notes of freshly-baked vanilla cupcake.
Lori Simmons Zelenko
Zelenko is a fragrance marketing communications expert who is the founder of LSZ COMMUNICATIONS, a dedicated resource for entrepreneurs in the lifestyle arena. Her recommendations have been featured extensively in the beauty and grooming community.
Acqua di Positano. This fragrance is formulated to invoke a sparkling summer afternoon, and it even comes in a 10 ML/$60 travel size you can throw in your “go bag,” for impromptu summer getaways.
This Eau de Parfum from the family behind Le Sirenuse Positano, the iconic Amalfi Coast hotel, is also a celebrity hotspot, so there’s a history here. The fragrance blend includes salt grains and orange flower absolute, with top notes of citron and petitgrain (bitter orange). The anchor scent is the woodsy, crispness of driftwood on the beach, but this fragrance still feels like summer sunshine.
For fans of rock history, the bonus behind this fragrance is that this hotel is where Mick and Keith wrote Midnight Rambler here back in 1969, a song Keith calls their “dark blues opera.” The song itself isn’t exactly a summery title, but it’s easy enough to imagine Mick and Keith hanging out and making music in this vertical village to get away from the paparazzi, with the feel of the summer breeze captured in a bottle of Acqua Di Positano.
VETIVER Eau de Parfum from Ligne St. Barth. This one’s ideally suited to the occasions of summer — think poolside cocktails, galas under the stars, or even a “meet the parents” agenda for younger couples seeking to impress the folks.
The scent is green, fresh and light, but there is a sensuality to this scent that makes this fragrance a timeless classic. It invokes the casual summer timeline of the Caribbean, but it goes perfectly with summer evening wear as well. This fragrance offers an array of classic summer scents, including bitter orange, lime and mandarin, with deeper, spicier notes of ginger and coriander. Haitian vetiver closes as the ultimate bottom note to give this summer special an earthier appeal.
WOO(E)D. Looking for a fragrance that invokes bonfires on the beach or camping out in the pines? This classic comes from the Italian fragrance house ALTAIA, which stands for A Long Time Ago In Argentina. It’s a warm, woodsy fragrance designed to spark romance, and WOO(E)D is also a perfect change of pace for summer.
The Atlas cedarwood is balanced by the smoky allure of Guaiac wood, with a leathery accent combined with the sweetness of cardamom. Historically, this fragrance is grounded in the romantic love story of the founders, who met over a century ago in Argentina.
Some other fragrances and scents we love for summer
Rite of Way. This fragrance from Outer Realm features a combination of citron and sea salt, so it’s perfect for the summer experience. But there are also deeper fragrances at work here, specifically saffron and incense tears, with amber and cedarwood embers providing the anchor combination.
Legend Leather. What speaks to summer more than a fragrance from Mizensir Geneve inspired by the idea of driving a dream car through Madrid? We all know leather never goes out of season, and the summer notes include hearts of raspberry and saffron-infused iris. Truly a unique ride through the summer experience.
