I’m a bit of a fragrance snob. I keep a tight edit comprised of a few favorite brands—Guerlain, Dior, Victoria Beckham Beauty—and typically stick to the woody, gourmand family. But the second summer hits (it’s going to be 85 degrees in NYC this weekend), my preference for cozy, warm scents vanishes into the humid, heavy air, and it’s fruity fragrance from there on out.
Good news: fruity perfumes are the moment for summer 2025. For years, the main players were syrupy berries or sunscreen-like mangos and pineapples. Candidly, neither of which tickled my fancy and smelled way too sickly sweet on my skin. But within the past few months, the fragrance world has opened its doors to a few new characters. There’s been a rise in cherry perfumes, banana fragrances (these are some of my go-tos), and peach scents. Traditional background notes, like fig and lychee, have also come to the forefront, offering a light and fresh twist to the category.
