SUMMER IS NOT the season for heavy hitters. Those smoky, leathery power scents you loved in winter? They’ve got no place here. Once the mercury rises, those notes turn suffocating, like wearing a cashmere jumper to the beach. Summer demands something lighter, fresher and more forgiving.
But here’s the thing: fresh doesn’t have to mean boring. The best summer scents aren’t just lemony body sprays or basic blue colognes. A great warm-weather fragrance balances cleanliness with character. A splash of citrus, a hint of sea salt, a whisper of something floral or woody underneath. It’s about the illusion of effortlessness; you should smell expensive without smelling like you’re trying too.
So as the days stretch longer and the shirts get shorter, it’s time to swap out the amber and oud for something that won’t choke out your fellow commuters. Whether you want to smell like an Amalfi coast breeze or just a cooler version of yourself, these are the summer fragrances worth investing in.
The best summer fragrances for men in 2025
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino
Like it’s name suggests, Tom Ford Neroli Portofino smells of the Italian riviera. It’s bursting with citrus and sparkling aquatic notes that will transport you to the Mediterranean.
Bleu de Chanel
Bleu de Chanel strikes a tricky balance between citrus and wood. Top notes are a luxurious blend of grapefruit, lemon, mint and pink pepper, which lead into ginger, jasmine, cedar, sandalwood and patchouli.
Jimmy Choo Man Extreme
The latest evolution in Jimmy Choo’s men’s line, Man Extreme, dials up the fougère to eleven. Man Extreme opens with the fiery freshness of red thyme and black pepper before moving into the aromatic heart of geranium and clary sage. The clary sage facilitates the perfect transition to the vetiver in the drown, sweetened by a touch of tonka bean.
Montblanc Legend Blue
If woodier notes are your comfort zone, finding scents that are mixed with lighter, crisper layers is a good way of branching out when looking for something for summer. Legend Blue has those profiles in lavender and mint in the top notes, while backed with sandalwood and moss that grounds it.
Coach For Men
The latest addition to Coach’s expanding fragrance family opens with a bright, peppery lift of bergamot and cardamom before moving into a warm heart of geranium and cedarwood. As it settles, the house’s signature Saffiano leather note comes through. Smoky, tactile and unmistakably masculine, layered with smooth vetiver. The result is confident and polished but never overbearing; a modern nod to New York energy bottled in black
lacquer and gold.
YSL Myslf
Modern masculinity in a bottle, Myslf from YSL creates sensual textures from its woody and floral notes. The vibrant profile is bolstered by Tunisian orange blossom, but YSL believes it’s contrasts that make the modern man, seen here in the bergamot and patchouli.
Hermès H24 Herbes Vives
The smell of a city after rain is a specific, ephemeral scent to bottle, but Hermès has done it. The third instalment to their H24 perfume line, Herbes Vives, is botanical and herbaceous. It’s an olfactory departure from woodier spring scents.
Ralph Lauren Polo 67
No top note goes better with summer than a fruit that’s in season during summer. In this case, that fruit is pineapple, the dominant note of Polo 67. It also features Calabrian bergamot, lemon, patchouli and juniper.
