Last Updated on March 28, 2026 by omgbart
Seasonal rules? Toss them. These cold weather perfumes are unexpectedly some of the best summer fragrances I’ve worn this year.
Wearing winter fragrances in summer sounds counterintuitive. But seasonal fragrance rules are more flexible than you think. Scents were divided into daytime or evening, office-appropriate or nightlife-ready, summer or winter. But what if the only constant is you? Shouldn’t your fragrance reflect your vibe—not the weather forecast?
Having recently moved to Madrid, I’ve been surprised to find that three perfumes I normally reserved for the colder months are absolutely thriving in the dry, searing heat of June. And not only that—each has sparked compliments from complete strangers (a rare win for someone who swears by subtle silage).
If sweating through linen means rethinking fragrance, I’ve found my loophole. Let me explain.
My usual scent preferences lean toward crisp, light, and green. I gravitate toward Neroli, citrus peels (Pomelo, especially), dry musks, and anything that smells like an iced spritz on a breezy terrace. These are the kinds of perfumes I wear year-round, much like I used to drink rosé no matter the season.
The three below? Nothing like that. And yet… here we are.
Aesop — Gloam
While I adore Aesop’s hand soap and body scrub lineup, Gloam is the only fragrance from the brand I genuinely enjoy—and I enjoy it a lot. This is my second bottle, and it made the cut for our move to Spain, which says a lot. Aesop scents tend to open bold and brooding, but Gloam is quieter. It wears like skin and soft fabric, built around powdery Iris, warm Mimosa, and a thread of Saffron that gives it depth without heaviness.
Yes, it’s technically woody, but it doesn’t scream for attention. In fact, I can barely detect the incense that typically dominates Aesop’s olfactory signature—and I’m grateful. Somehow, it wears beautifully in 100-degree heat. Think cashmere-weight comfort without the sweat.
$200 (50ml) at aesop.com, dermstore.com, neimanmarcus.com, ssense.com or libertylondon.com
Vyrao — I Am Verdant
When Vyrao sent me I Am Verdant, I expected summer in a bottle. Something leafy and sheer. Instead, I got a rich, mossy garden scent—not quite dark, but certainly moody. Imagine sharp green stems, roots tugged from damp earth, an herbal edge, and a haze of smoke rising in the distance. It’s a complex green floral for those who think traditional florals are a bit too polite.
Despite its weight, I Am Verdant holds its own in the Madrid sun. It’s one of those scents that makes people lean in—and yes, a stranger at a crosswalk once did, just to say something nice. I may never recover.
$190 (50ml) at violetgrey.com, sense.com or 135€ at vyrao.com and libertylondon.com
The Maker — Lover
Lover doesn’t whisper—it settles in and makes itself at home. The most tenacious in The Maker lineup, it clings to skin and fabric like it has no intention of leaving. It’s sexy, sure—but in that quietly smug way, like it knows you’ll be thinking about it later.
What stands out is the balance: earthy suede, sandalwood, and vetiver softened by a green fig note that keeps things from skewing sweet. There’s pepper, too, threading it all together with a gentle heat. My initial impression? A fall scent. But somehow, Lover behaves in the summer heat—never overwhelming, never cloying, and honestly, a little bit addictive.
$175 (50ml) at sephora.com or bluemercury.com
Frequently asked questions
Can you wear winter fragrances in summer?
Yes — and the results can surprise you. Seasonal fragrance rules are a marketing construct more than a hard science. Richer, woodier scents behave differently in heat and humidity, often blooming in ways they never do in cold weather. The key is application — less product, pulse points only, and ideally on well-moisturized skin which slows the diffusion. A scent that felt overwhelming in January can feel perfectly calibrated in July.
What makes a fragrance feel like a winter scent?
Typically it comes down to the base notes. Fragrances that lean on woods, resins, musks, smoke, leather, or spice tend to read as cold-weather appropriate because those notes feel warm and enveloping. They're also the most tenacious — they cling to skin and fabric which in cold dry air feels cozy rather than suffocating. Heat changes that equation entirely.
Do fragrances smell different in heat?
Significantly. Warmth accelerates the evaporation of top notes — the first thing you smell when you spray — which means a fragrance in summer can feel like it skips straight to the heart and base. This is why a rich fragrance can actually work better in heat than you'd expect. The top notes that might otherwise feel heavy burn off quickly, leaving the more interesting middle and base to develop on skin.
How do you wear heavy fragrances in warm weather without overdoing it?
Apply less than you think you need — one spray maximum on a pulse point rather than two or three. Wrists, the inside of the elbow, or the base of the throat work well. Avoid spraying directly on clothes with heavier fragrances as the concentration is harder to control. Let the heat do the diffusion work for you. The same fragrance that needs three sprays in winter may only need one in summer.
What is sillage and why does it matter in summer?
Sillage — pronounced “see-yazh” — is the trail a fragrance leaves in the air as you move. High sillage means the scent announces itself before you arrive and lingers after you leave. In summer, heat amplifies sillage naturally, which means a fragrance with already strong projection can become genuinely overwhelming. This is one reason lighter, aquatic, or citrus-forward fragrances are traditionally recommended for warm weather — their sillage is naturally more restrained. If you're wearing a heavier scent in summer, choosing one with moderate rather than powerhouse sillage is the safer move.
