Summer 2022 Perfume Series: 10 Best Summer Vanilla Perfumes

You guys already know how much I love my vanilla perfumes! But what’s a girl (or guy, for that matter!) to do in the summer when most cozy vanilla fragrances feel too heavy, thick, or cloying? Not to fear! I have pulled together here a guide for vanilla lovers who want to wear something that has their beloved cozy vanilla feel but that won’t be overbearing, sickly, or just too much during the warm summer months.

My feeling has always been anyone should wear whatever they want, whenever they want but I also know that when it gets really hot, sometimes a favorite vanilla or gourmand can just be toooo much. Luckily, there are some great alternatives to those heavier scents. There are plenty of summer-friendly vanillas out there that pair this favorite note with sea salt, solar accords, or other beachy-type notes that are perfect for a warm summer day.

Here are my picks for the 10 best beachy vanilla perfumes for warm weather. These fragrances are all cozy, beachy, salty, vanillic, and/or solar and perfect picks for a hot sunny day!

Juliette Has a Gun Vanilla Vibes

• Top Note: fleur de sel (sea salt)
• Middle Notes: natural vanilla absolute, orchid absolute
• Base Notes: absolute brown musk, benzoin absolute, sandalwood, tonka bean

Though this is called Vanilla Vibes, the star of the show here is really the salty, beachy tropical florals. I immediately get those beachy florals along with a kiss of salt and vanilla. This fragrance always reminds me of getting off an airplane in Hawaii and having someone put a tropically-scented flower lei around my neck, lol As it further dries down, I get mostly salty, woodsy notes with just a touch of the tropical white flowers lingering. The vanilla eventually fades out as the deeper and woodsy base notes take over.

Projection is lightly moderate. I get a good two hours of full-on scent before it fades to a more subtle skin scent for a few hours more. This scent has always reminded me of Capri Blue’s Aloha Orchid or Lollia’s Wander (which, sadly, Margot Elena no longer makes). Read my review of many of JHAG’s fragrances here.

Find it here:

Vanilla Vibes 1ml decants, 100ml (at ZGO Perfumery)

Vanilla Vibes 1ml, 2ml, 5ml, 9ml decants & 100ml full bottle (at Scent Split)

Vanilla Vibes 7.5ml travel-spray (at Anthropologie)

Vanilla Vibes 50ml (at Anthropologie)

Nest New York Madagascar Vanilla (perfume oil)

• Top Note: vanilla bean
• Middle Note: vanilla orchid
• Base Note: coconut

Speaking of tropical floral vanillas, this summery fragrance from Nest is so, so yummy. It’s a tropical and rich vanilla with a very small hint of musk. This sweet, sugary vanilla has lots of delicious-smelling coconut in, as well. The combination of vanilla, coconut, and tropical flowers is irresistible! The perfect fragrance to pack on your next tropical getaway, this is a winner for warm days.

This particular fragrance comes in a perfume oil concentration so you’ll want to break the normal perfume rules and go ahead and rub it in to your skin a bit (or you might end up with oily residue on your sleeves!) The projection is decent for this type of fragrance; I get a soft little scent bubble around me for about 2 hours before it fades to a lighter impression for another couple of hours. It lasts decently well for a vanilla-coconut scent, they can be a bit fleeting when there’s no heavier base note, such as patchouli or sandalwood, anchoring them. Read my review of most of the Nest line here.

Find it here:

Madagascar Vanilla 6ml rollerball (at Anthropologie)

Madagascar Vanilla 30ml perfume oil (at Anthropologie)

Madagascar Vanilla 30ml perfume oil (at Nordstrom)

Lancôme Idôle Aura

• Top Notes: centifolia rose, Isparta rose
• Middle Notes: jasmine, bergamot
• Base Note: salted vanilla

If you like the idea of salted vanilla taffy, this flanker from Lancôme’s popular Idôle line is definitely one for you to try! It opens with a citrusy bergamot that reads orangey to me. And then I get a big dose of salty vanilla sweetness with lots of jasmine. It’s so sweet and cozy and yummy and reminds me so much of the popular boardwalk staple, vanilla/orange saltwater taffy! I would loosely place this in a similar family with Lancôme’s other popular line, La Vie Est Belle, but without the patchouli and powdery iris. It has a touch of the rose from the original Idôle but it’s much more focused on the salted vanilla and not what I would call a rosy fragrance.

This would be a beautiful fragrance to wear to a more casual beach wedding or other outdoor event. It’s pretty, while being playful at the same time. It has the typical great Lancôme performance and projects and lasts well.

Find it here:

Idôle Aura 10ml travel-spray, 25ml, 50ml, 100ml (at Lancôme)

Idôle Aura 25ml, 50ml, 100ml (at Macy’s)

Idôle Aura 50ml, 100ml (at Nordstrom)

Reveal (for Women) Calvin Klein

• Top Notes: salt, black pepper, white pepper, pink pepper
• Middle Notes: ambergris, iris
• Base Notes: cashmeran, sandalwood, musk, vetiver

This next fragrance gives a bit of a different spin to the beachy/solar genre. It opens with tons of salt and three types of pepper, which might sound a bit unusual but it works! The magic really happens in the dry down, though. It becomes absolutely gorgeous when it combines with your own personal chemistry. It has a ‘your skin but better’ type of feel with a super cozy, solar, cashmeran feel. Though vanilla is not a listed note here, this does go in a slightly vanillic direction for me. But it’s not a sweet or sugary vanilla; it’s like vanilla + suede + a solar note. It almost has a suntan lotion vibe to it but in the best way possible, like sun warming your skin or something. It’s so cozy and addictive, I can’t stop smelling my arm!

Released back in 2014, this hidden gem is super under the radar and underrated. I had never heard of it until a dear friend introduced it to me and I was immediately hooked and knew I needed a full bottle! This fragrance is also an absolute bargain, you can currently find a large 50ml bottle for under $25 at FragranceNet!! It doesn’t project a ton but I can smell a lovely little scent bubble all around me for a few hours. It lasts well, too, I get at least a good 3-4 hours before it fades to a skin scent. You can certainly wear this year-round, it’s a great everyday scent and definitely office-appropriate, but the way it feels like warm sunshine on the skin instantly gives me summertime vibes. There is also a men’s version of this fragrance that sounds quite good for summer wear; I’ve seen it described as fresh, fruity, and lightly aquatic.

Find it here:

Reveal 10ml travel rollerball, 100ml (at FragranceNet)

Sol de Janeiro SOL Cheirosa ’62

• Top Notes: pistachio, almond
• Middle Notes: heliotrope, jasmine petals
• Base Notes: vanilla, salted caramel, sandalwood

If you love Sol de Janeiro’s popular Bum-Bum cream in the original yellow container, this is THE perfume for you! YUM! This delicious fragrance focuses heavily on sweet salted caramel, pistachio, almond, and vanilla and smells like a decadent dessert! Supporting notes of heliotrope and jasmine add to the gourmandy yumminess. There’s a very beachy/solar feel as well. Every note listed is on my favorites list so I personally love everything about this one.

The performance for this fragrance is fantastic. The projection is great and it lasts at least 5 hours for me and doesn’t even begin to fade until around the three-hour mark. Layer with their famous Bum Bum cream and/or shower cream-gel to keep this yummy fragrance with you all day. They even have deodorant! Read my detailed review of Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream here.

Find it here:

SOL Cheirosa ’62 EDP 8ml travel-spray, 50ml (at Sol de Janeiro)

SOL Cheirosa ’62 perfume mist 90ml, 240ml (at Sol de Janeiro)

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Sun (Limited Edition)

• Top Notes: coconut nectar, lemon, ozonic notes, Granny Smith apple
• Middle Notes: frangipani, jasmine, white rose
• Base Notes: bourbon vanilla, white musk, cedar, ambergris

Dolce & Gabbana’s popular Light Blue line releases a limited edition summer fragrance every year and one of my favorites is this one from 2019, Light Blue Sun. It has the usual Light Blue formula of lemon plus clean musk but they’ve added in a summery coconut note to the mix. The combo makes for a winning summer fragrance! To me, the musk they use here smells like the same kind of cetalox/ambroxan as in Not a Perfume. The lemon is the most dominant note for me with that ambroxany musk as the second most prominent. The coconut is a lighter impression but definitely there. I can also lightly pick out the tart granny smith apple and the florals.

I feel like everything I’ve tried from the Light Blue line is definitely unisex and this is no exception (note: they do make each fragrance in a male-targeted version, as well). I get pretty good performance from this fragrance with a solid projection for the first couple of hours before it fades to a skin scent that lasts another 3+ hours. This uplifting fragrance is a cheerful sunny day captured in a bottle!

One thing to note is these Light Blue summer flankers are limited run so can be trickier to find as time goes by. I’ve linked to Amazon and FragranceNet below, as I’ve had pretty decent luck finding it at both. You can also look for reputable sellers who may have it on Mercari or eBay, as well.

Find it here (maybe?):

Light Blue Sun 100ml (at Amazon)

Light Blue Sun 8ml decant, 50ml, 100ml (at FragranceNet)

Ellis Brooklyn Fawn

• Top Notes: neroli, Sicilian bergamot, magnolia oil
• Middle Notes: Damask rose, lily of the valley, coconut milk
• Base Notes: amber, vanilla, musk

This pretty scent falls into the ‘sophisticated sunscreen’ category to me. It leads off with a salty, solar-ish neroli and bergamot combo. It has a light sweetness but I wouldn’t classify it as all that gourmand. It’s slightly powdery, too; it’s a pretty, vanillic powder. It all combines beautifully with the coconut milk, light florals, and amber to give this a more sophisticated feel than some of the typical beachy fare.

This pretty, clean, feminine scent is great for everyday wear but could also easily be worn out on a date or to a nice dinner on a summer night. The projection is lightly moderate and it lasts pretty well, at least 3+ hours. Read my review of the Ellis Brooklyn line here.

Find it here:

Fawn 10ml travel-spray, 50ml bottle (at Ellis Brooklyn)

Jil Sander Sun Delight

• Top Notes: passionfruit, mignonette (a very sweet-smelling and pleasant Mediterranean flower with violet-like and fruity nuances), Sicilian bergamot
• Middle Notes: vanilla, frangipani, dark chocolate, vanilla orchid
• Base Notes: musk, woodsy notes, cedar

My first reaction to this fragrance was “YUM YUM YUM, OMIGOODNESS, YUM!” The opening is SO GOOD! It’s vanillic and almondy and YUMMY! It’s not a listed note but I get a ton of sweet, almondy heliotrope impressions. It might be from the mignonette – ? I’m not very familiar with that note but it sounds divine and I definitely want to explore it further. As the fragrance dries down, I get a heavy dose of a solar accord that drives this into a sunscreeny direction. This fragrance is so sweet, almondy, solar, and cozy. It’s tropical and warm at the same time.

Jil Sander’s popular summertime staple, Sun, has been around since 1989. There’s been a score of flankers, including this one which was released in 2006, that largely seem to fly under the radar. There’s even a men’s version. Another fabulous bargain, this fragrance sells for even less if you’re ok with buying a tester, which is what I did!

Find it here:

Sun Delight 100ml (at Amazon)

Mugler Alien Goddess

• Top Notes: Italian bergamot, coconut water accord
• Middle Notes: jasmine grandiflorum, heliotrope accord
• Base Notes: Madagascar bourbon vanilla, cashmeran wood

This newer fragrance (released just last year) from Mugler’s popular Alien line, is a tropical vanilla dream! I get a hint of the jasmine from the original Alien but it’s definitely not the star here. This fragrance really focuses more on the coconut, vanilla, and my beloved heliotrope. There’s also a nice cleanness present, most likely from the woodsy cashmeran.

The performance is of typical strong Mugler quality. In fact, their fragrances can be QUITE strong and go sickly for some so I caution to go easy on the sprays; start out with one spray and see how that works for you before adding more. I feel like this has elements of both La Vie Est Belle Soleil Cristal and Dior’s almondy Hypnotic Poison so it’s a strong like for me. A cool thing to note about this fragrance is the larger bottles are refillable!

Find it here:

Alien Goddess 10ml, 30ml, 60ml, 90ml, 100ml refill (at Mugler)

Alien Goddess 30ml, 60ml, 90ml, 100ml refill (at Macy’s)

Alien Goddess 10ml travel-spray, 30ml, 90ml, 100ml refill (at Nordstrom)

Bobbi Brown Beach

• Top Notes: sand, jasmine
• Middle Note: sea spray
• Base Note: mandarin

My final fragrance today is makeup artist guru Bobbi Brown’s Beach. It opens with a beachy floral impression including lots of jasmine and orange, which gives it a very fresh and citrusy vibe. There’s also definitely an aquatic impression here. It’s reminiscent of walking on a beach with both wild tropical flowers and the sea breeze lingering in the air. It’s pretty and floral but not extremely ‘girly.’ I also get a cozy solar note, I’m thinking this is what they have dubbed ‘sand.’ This is very clean and feels like a fragrance that someone outdoorsy would like.

It has lighter performance with an intimate projection and lasts pretty decently, at least 3+ hours. Slightly sunscreeny but not in a coconutty direction. Many people compare it to the 1980’s version of Coppertone ‘Water Babies’ sunscreen. It has the same kind of vibe as the Jil Sanders Sun Delight mentioned above, I would definitely put the two in a similar family. This is a fun, nostalgic scent for many that will recall carefree days at the beach. It is well-named, it feels just like a sunshiny day involving water sports.

Find it here:

Beach 50ml (at Macy’s)

Shower Gels to Pair With These Fragrances

If the fragrances listed here sound like your jam, may I also recommend layering them with these two Bath & Body Works shower gels & body washes that pair perfectly with them:

• Sunkissed, with notes of sun-drenched orange blossom, sparkling sea salt, and vanilla breeze
• Sunset Glow, with notes of cherry seltzer, coconut, and moonflower

Both of these cleansers have that same cozy, warm, vanillic, solar vibe and match fabulously with the beachy fragrances in this list. They are definitely two of my favorite summer shower gel staples.

So there you have my list for some cozy, warm, vanillic, but still summer and warm weather appropriate fragrances! Do you have any that you would add to the list? Let me know in the comments section, I love to hear your thoughts! 🏖🌞

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