How to Make Your Perfume Last in the Summer

In summertime, the dew point makes the day. 80 degrees and sunny is wasted with high humidity. This summer has been particularly scorched and soaked, with high temps and humidity from coast to coast and something called “corn sweat” strangling the Midwest.

Why all this talk about the weather? It can have a surprising effect on fragrance and perfume. With a better understanding of the atmosphere’s effect on your favorite scents, you might find yourself reaching for different bottles or switching up your fragrance routine.

The Science of Heat and Fragrance

Perfume is made by suspending fragrance compounds and molecules in a blend of alcohol and water. Once the perfume oils have diluted in the water, the fragrance is aged, tested for strength, and bottled. When perfume hits the skin, it reacts to the wearer’s unique chemistry, affecting its sillage (that’s the trail left behind by your scent; in French, it translates to the “wake”), projection (or how far the fragrance travels from your wrist), and even the smell itself. Ever wondered why people put perfume on their wrists and neck? Those pulse points hold more heat, helping with both projection and sillage. When the heat of your pulse points is amplified by the heat and humidity outside, it can doubly impact how your scent wears.

“Aroma molecules evaporate a bit more swiftly in the heat,” explains perfumer Alexandra Balahoutis, founder of Strange Invisible Perfumes. “They project more in warm climates, but they also fade faster.”

This can create a perfume-wearer’s paradox: The scent smells stronger to the nose, but it fades faster. For Balahoutis, the solution is to carry a mini bottle for afternoon and evening spritzes as the scent dries down. 

As for humidity: While unpleasant, the moisture in the air can actually help with the longevity of each spritz. The hydration acts like a grip, helping scents last on the skin. Hannah Black, a fragrance specialist at Chicago’s Merz Apothecary, recommends mimicking humidity’s efforts by keeping your skin moisturized. “Prepping skin with a humectant like glycerin or hyaluronic acid followed by an occlusive lotion goes a long way to extend the life of a fragrance,” says Black. “And don’t be afraid to reapply!”

Black also encourages perfume-wearers to read the bottle label a bit more closely. “Investing in extraits is a great option if you’re looking for something long-wearing,” she advises. Where eau de perfums contain 15-20% fragrance oils, extraits de perfums can carry a whopping 20-40% fragrance oil.

She also recommends mindfulness around how and where you apply your favorite scent. “We tell customers not to rub their wrists together when applying fragrance. That action causes friction and burns off the top notes,” she says. “I also always spray my clothing as fabric fibers trap fragrance more effectively than skin alone, and hair perfume is another great addition to a long-lasting scent combo.”

Here are some of the best fragrances and supporting products to make the most of your summertime scents.

Refreshing and Salty

Just like how your favorite electrolyte mix cools you down with fruit, citrus, and salt, fragrances with bitter juiciness and aquatic salty notes have been big hits during this summer’s dog days.

For an uber-realistic take on the concrete beach, it’s tough to beat D.S. & Durga’s rare Rockaway Beach. Asphalt, ocean air, and seaweed funk might trick you into thinking you’re on a sunbaked A train even when you’re stuck at your desk. If you can’t track down that hard-to-find bottle, the D.S.D. classic I Don’t Know What makes an excellent enhancer for Noyz’s Salty Hair + Body Fragrance Mist. The pineapple and coconut in Noyz’s mist make for a juicy opening, which mellows into a highly wearable woody base. Plus, its light concentration makes it perfectly safe to spray in your hair. 

For an under-the-radar citrus spin on the summer scent, Black recommends a handful of niche bestsellers. “We’ve been selling a lot of Kerosene’s Summer of ’84, Casamorati Mefisto, and BDK’s Citrus Riviera, which are all refreshing, bright, slightly aromatic, citrus-forward scents,” she says.

Floral and Soapy

Since its 2023 launch, Juliette Has A Gun’s Lust for Sun has become a modern classic. After a sweet coconut top note fades, the wearer is left with musky white florals and a lingering sense of sunscreen.

White flowers, many of which bloom and droop in the summertime heat, make for romantic and sexy summer scents. “Warm weather makes me gravitate towards solar florals that pull either creamy and sweet or musky yet soapy,” says Black. “Infiniment Coty Paris Soleil D’ikosim, Juliet Has A Gun Lust For Sun, Marissa Zappas The Sun Card, and Ormaie Paris 28 Degrees have all been in my summer rotation.”

For Balahoutis, summer is also all about bright, juicy florals. “I wear Epic Gardenia [from Strange Invisible] in the summer,” she tells us. “It has such an electric, live-floral sillage, and it sparks a feeling of happiness and good things to come for me—just like the summer.”

Lotions for Prepping Skin

Don’t forget to take the experts’ advice and prep your skin with plenty of moisture. Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream is a Japanese cult classic, a non-greasy, plant-based glycerin lotion perfect for keeping your signature scent locked in. The quick-absorbing glycerin lotion Glysolid is perfect for storing in your bag for when it’s time to respritz midday. If you’re looking for a workhorse drugstore option, Eucerin Advanced Repair Unscented Body Lotion is the perfect occlusive for anyone, especially those with sensitive or severely dry skin.