The Anti-Basic Guide to Summer Fragrances
BY JENNY JUNG
Summer fragrances that deserve a spot in your rotation.
02 FEB - 2025
New year, new fragrance.
One of the best things about living in the southern hemisphere is welcoming the new year in the height of summer. Long, sun-soaked days and balmy nights make it feel like a natural reset, and it’s the perfect time to rethink the scents you reach for when the weather heats up.
Here are the summer fragrances that we have on our radar!
Versace, Dylan Pink Blush, $163 NZD.
Chriselle Lim with Phlur.
Versace Dylan Pink Blush
I first came across this fragrance while browsing a duty free shopping centre, so it may take a little time to land at Farmers and other retailers that typically stock Versace fragrances, but it’s definitely one to keep your eye on. If you’re already a fan of the Dylan family, you’re going to fall hard for Dylan Pink Blush. As a Dylan Purple girl, I can confidently say I was genuinely surprised by the nuance of this scent. It’s undeniably girly yet still feels refined and grown. I’m not usually drawn to marshmallow notes, but layered with soft florals and fruity touches like freesia, apple and strawberry, then grounded with musk and vanilla, it won me over from the very first spritz.
Versace, Dylan Pink Blush, $163 NZD.
Dedcool Mochi Milk
This year, we’re set to see the rise of milky, soft and pillowy fragrances. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the loneliness epidemic, but there’s something about milky scents that feels like a comforting hug, and we could all use one of those every once in a while.
Mochi Milk by Dedcool blends notes of rice, milk, incense, peach and amber to create an edgy yet sweet concoction that still feels true to the brand’s effortless cool-girl identity. If there’s ever a time to wear a sweet scent, it’s summer and winter, but the intention shifts with the season. In warmer months, we gravitate toward brighter, more uplifting sweetness rather than the deep, whiskey-leaning gourmands reserved for winter. Think of that as a visual guide to where Mochi Milk sits on the sweetness spectrum. Perfectly seasonal and very chic to say you’re wearing Dedcool. Trust me.
Dedcool, Mochi Milk, EDP, $176 NZD.
Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 91 Perfume Mist
Surprise, surprise. A Sol de Janeiro Perfume Mist that I actually like. I first came across this one in Sydney. When I saw that MECCA had set up a full in-store moment to promote the launch, I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes. But somehow, my feet still carried me straight to the shelf and my hand reached for the baby coral bottle.
Before I knew it, I’d sprayed myself down in what I can only describe as how I imagine Aphrodite would smell. Passionfruit and pink pepper deliver a bright, juicy opening, leading into a creamy yet fresh heart of magnolia and pistachio cream. There’s a subtle saltiness that balances out the sweeter notes of honey, sugar crystals, amber and sandalwood, keeping it from tipping too saccharine.
Sol de Janeiro, Cheirosa 91, Perfume Mist, $49 NZD.
Phlur Peach Skin Body Mist
Phlur is an interesting brand that MECCA has onboarded in the past six months. I’ve followed the founder, Chriselle Lim, for many years, so finally getting to experience her fragrance creations in person felt oddly full-circle. I’m happy to report I wasn’t disappointed.
Peach Skin, in particular, is everything I wanted from Tom Ford’s Bitter Peach. This is a fruit fragrance with restraint. Too often, fruity scents veer into candy-wrapper territory and I’m simply not here for it. It does a disservice to fruity notes altogether, which is especially tragic for someone who genuinely loves a well-executed fruit-forward fragrance (me).
The key notes in this stunning hair and body mist include milk, skin, peach, vanilla orchid, bergamot, coconut and sandalwood, among others. The result is a silky, peachy, skin-like scent that feels soft, intimate and beautifully balanced. I absolutely love it and it’s perfect for anyone who tends to get headaches from traditional EDP formulas.
Phlur, Peach Skin, Body Mist $49 NZD.
Ouai Ibiza
Ouai Ibiza is grown-up and undeniably sexy. It’s the perfect accessory for a girls’ night out, late-night dancing or a first date where you want to leave an impression. Fragrance is storytelling at its best and from the name alone, you already know this scent is going to be flirty, hot and sticky, exactly what summer calls for.
If you often find yourself obsessing over the scent of hair products but struggling to find a fragrance that hits the same sweet spot, Ouai is the perfect place to start. Originally a haircare brand, its scents exist in that liminal space between elevated hair-product scents and fragrances. They’re soft, familiar and incredibly pleasant on the nose.
With notes of cocoa, vanilla, rum, coffee and cardamom, this mist feels warm, intoxicating and effortlessly seductive. Layer it with your favourite coconut or vanilla body moisturiser for the ultimate sultry body routine. Chef’s kiss.
Ouai Ibiza, $57 NZD.
Maison Matine Arashi No Umi
Maison Matine Arashi No Umi is for fragrance snobs who love wearing scent as a status symbol. It’s perfectly niche yet iconic within the perfume world. Out of the entire Maison Matine collection, Arashi No Umi is summer in a bottle.
This is the ultimate clean girl/clean boy fragrance for summer. Fresh and polished it wears beautifully on everyone and leans veryunisex. Opening with green apple, freesia and peach, it feels crisp and immediately easy on the nose. As it settles, jasmine, rose and ylang ylang emerge alongside cedar, musk and firsantol from the sandalwood family, revealing a deeper, more grounded composition that never tips into overpowering territory.
Maison Matine, Arashi No Umi, EDP, 149 NZD.
Tom Ford Soleil Blanc
Soleil Blanc by Tom Ford is for those looking for a summer appropriate tuberose fragrance. White florals can feel heavy and syrupy in warmer weather, often becoming too intense once the heat kicks in. But this is tuberose done differently.
Instead of overpowering, Soleil Blanc is creamy yet luminous. Notes of bergamot, pistachio and coconut soften the white florals, creating a fragrance that feels like warm skin after a day in the sun. It’s very much giving beach club and salty hair: the perfect summer scent for the white floral lovers without ever feeling too much.
Tom Ford, Soleil Blanc, $146 NZD
This season’s fragrance landscape feels softer, more intimate and more intentional than ever. From milky comfort scents to clean, unisex summer staples, this season is all about fragrances that feel personal and wearable. We hope we’ve inspired your next shopping trip and don’t forget to keep updated on our instagram and TikTok!
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