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Brace yourself: It’s that time of year when everyone you’ve ever met has somehow simultaneously managed to transport to Italy for vacation. If your passport is missing a limoncello sip on the Amalfi Coast this summer, these luxurious scents—and storied description of the decadent notes that go into them—may help squash the envy.
What Is an “Italian Summer Scent?”
While there may not be a singular definition of a perfect “Italian summer vacation scent,” InterParfums VP of Product Development, Walter Johnsen says that, to him, it’s about finding a fragrance that “plays into the energetic and easy vibe” of the season.
“Choose an uplifting, fresh, light and airy fragrance with fruity or light floral undertones to enhance your summer adventures. Whether you are poolside in Portofino, hiking in Cogne, touring Tuscan wineries, sightseeing in Rome, driving the Amalfi coast, enjoying lunch in Marina di Ragusa, or dancing under the stars, the right scent can make each moment unforgettable.”
Besides being able to articulate the magic of summer in the country, Johnsen says Italy has deeply inspired his fragrance creations. “Notes like Capri lemons, Tuscan grapes, Calabrian bergamot, Puglia clementines, Campania figs, Amarena cherries, the Mediterranean Sea, and Italian desserts such as gelato, tiramisu, and Aperol Spritz evoke this connection.”
“My travels in Italy have led to creations like Ferragamo’s Signorina Libera ($122) with Italian iris flower and Calabrian bergamot, and Ferragamo Signorina Unica ($122), blending a sun-soaked Italian Riviera accord with tiramisu cream. Ferragamo Red Leather ($106) captures the energy of an Italian summer with luxurious Florentine leather in an airy expression. The upcoming GUESS Amore Collection includes body mists named after iconic Italian cities—Venice, Portofino, Rome and Capri—each featuring ingredients from these locations. GUESS Bella Vita ($72) combines Amarena cherries, Calabrian bergamot, and a refreshing sea accord. In the Donna Karan Cashmere Collection, we used Capri neroli in Cashmere and Neroli ($150) and Campania figs in Cashmere and Fig ($150).”
In the end, wherever you go (or don’t go), Johnsen says to remember one thing: “Like music, which can tell the story of our life, the right fragrance can become a memorable part of your summer adventures, capturing the music and the scent of the experience forever.”
Italian Summer Scents
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Master perfumer Jacques Caviller calls his creation “a dazzling floral fragrance of luminous sophistication expressing the brightness of the sea and its reflections chilling the air…a tender souvenir of Italy on the skin.” Neroli combines with fresh notes of citrus, orange blossom accord and petitgrain, culminating in sunny notes of lemon—a true tribute to the Italian-Mediterranean way of living.
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Featuring a very “bright” bergamot from Calabria, this aromatic citrus has a tangy and sparkly feel that just puts you in vacation mode.
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Blending fresh, green notes of mandarin with a heart of Italian citrus, this lively and refreshing fragrance is inspired by Sicily’s sun-drenched landscapes.
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A citrus fragrance that captures the essence of the Italian Riviera, this new addition to the Tom Ford portfolio features a blend of bergamot, lemon, blood orange, neroli, jasmine sambac, clary sage, and amber-musk. Designed to be invigorating and transportive, the lush neroli bud essential oil used in the Parfum is obtained via a process that distills the barely opened flower buds at the earliest stage of the blooming season.
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Like all the selections in the Storie Veneziane fragrance collection, the coveted city of Venice serves as the backdrop and inspiration for this luxurious fragrance, an extract that is delicate and fresh with unexpected effervescence.
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Featuring Sicilian lemon and a beautiful bottle of gradient-colored glass, this fragrance dips into the aura of citruses and fragrant herbs, unexpectedly turning into warm trail notes of oak moss and mysterious citrus.
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Sparkling Italian lemon feels sexy in this seductive balance of skin-like orris mixed with a wildly euphoric musk.
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This summer spritz is your Italian escape in a bottle. Described as a “sultry invitation to a moonlit rendezvous beneath the Tuscan sky,” the cozy-woodsy scent features cedarwood and Madagascar vanilla that’s sophisticated and secretive.
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A scent of seaside chicness, sun-flooded terraces and balmy evenings by the Mediterranean, the salty spice of ginger lilies in this floral fragrance is sweetened by orange blossom for a radiant perfume.
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She may be from the UK, but this global icon knows how to bottle a very solid Italian seaside escape. An ode to the early rendezvous of Victoria and David to the Italian seaside, the citrus-woody scent teases a fresh sea breeze that’s intertwined with a euphoric hit of bergamot, black pepper, incense, amber, patchouli and vetiver.
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The name purposefully doesn’t suggest a specific location, but this perfectly sexy small-batch scent screams Italian summer escapism via bright and light citrus notes of bergamot, neroli and red mandarin.
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Sourced with iris from Florence, this beautiful floral-forward fragrance has a heady aura that is feminine and unforgettable.
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Aiming to capture the “mythical beauty of a Mediterranean paradise” this sun-drenched scent of fig, ocean air and salted sage takes you to a coastal oasis.
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As the brand tees it up, the “citrus palette on this one is wide.” Five coastal Italian fruits—bergamot, Amalfi lemon, red mandarin, sweet red blood orange and bitter orange peel—meet for a carefree and bright fragrance that is lush and long-lasting.
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It may have Brooklyn in the name, but this Italian mandarin–powered mist (you can even use it on your hair!) screams sun-soaked beach vibes.
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Made in Italy using only the highest quality raw materials, the reinvention of these two iconic fragrances is characterized by the majolica print that embellishes the bottles.
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Sweet and intoxicating, this is about as close as you can get to the exact scent of a fresh orange blossom in Sicily.
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Opening with a burst of native Sicilian bergamot and zesty orange, this classic fragrance balances between Italian springtime and a hot summer night through saffron and thyme-infused freshness rooted in a leather accord.
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Inspired by the lemons of Sorrento, this sunny scent screams “cheery” with a coastal paradise of juicy citrus and lemon that settle into lush skin musk and creamy vanilla.
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It may be a French brand, but Roger&Gallet has the Italian fig note down—its version is one that is warm and refreshing, intertwined with a bittersweet note of grapefruit.
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A perfect pick for a day wandering around Lake Como, this elevated fragrance fuses an incredible balance of Italian iris, bergamot and black fig.
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Blackcurrant buds, juicy blackberry, Italian blood orange extract, and nectarine wrap with sensual musks and mineral woods in this Michelle Pfeiffer–approved fragrance.
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Prickly pear, bergamot and jasmine intertwine in this limited-edition, summer-drenched infusion that offers an ode to languid Mediterranean living.
