Fragrance Rotation - Summer (2025)

Seasonal Rituals

Jun 08, 2025

“He possessed the power to conjure up whole worlds out of nothing but scent.” - Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

There’s something undeniably elegant about rotating your fragrances with the season. Like switching to linen sheets or rotating your wardrobe for lighter days, it’s a quiet act of self-renewal. A signal that something is shifting- light, air, mood. And summer, in particular, calls for scent that’s brighter, cleaner, more alive.

My summer rotation leans toward crisp citruses, sun-warmed florals, and fruit notes with bite. These are fragrances that lift, the kind that cling to skin like saltwater and sun. I return to a few staples year after year, but I also make a ritual of the search. A trip to ULTA or the department store isn’t just a shopping errand, it’s an intuitive hunt. If a scent evokes a place, a memory, or a forgotten feeling? It’s mine.

One of the most special experiences for me is helping my friends find their signature scent. There’s a certain thrill to it, watching someone light up the moment a fragrance mirrors them. With Amanda, it was effortless. She’s luminous, poised, quietly effervescent. I thought of pear, clean, elegant, with just enough sweetness. We tried a handful, but when she found Burberry Brit for Her, it was obvious. Her face said everything. The perfume didn’t just suit her, it became her.

As for me, I gravitate toward Tom Ford. There’s a decadence to it. Control, edge, sensuality, always intentional. But I have scents for every version of myself: for dinners that matter, for difficult days, for perfect weather. Scent, like clothing, is never random. It’s mood. It’s architecture. It’s memory.

This season’s rotation includes fragrances that transport me: to the Amalfi Coast at golden hour, to Monet’s garden where green breathes softly, to a countryside I’ve never actually visited- lavender fields, sun-warmed apricots, linen on the line. These perfumes are not accessories. They’re atmosphere.

The Linen Hour

Clean, tailored, sun-filtered. A breeze through white curtains.

Tom Ford – Neroli Portofino Eau de Parfum
Italian Riviera elegance. Sharp neroli, luminous citrus. Crisp, sparkling, sun-drenched, and impossibly glamours.
Where it transports me: A private villa in Portofino, mid-afternoon, overlooking the sea.
Where to wear: Seaside gateways, Al Fresco Brunch, summer evenings on the terrace.
Matière Première – Cologne Cédrat
Intelligent citrus with depth. Think lemon groves at dawn, steeped in maté and sunlight. Surprisingly addictive.
Where it transports me: A villa perched above the Mediterranean, somewhere between Menton and Cassis.
Where to wear: For early mornings, even if you’re just heading to the farmers market.
Glossier – You Ofleur
Skin, but better. Floral and intimate, like scent left behind on linen worn all day.
Where it transports me: A small bristo table tucked between potted citrus trees and blooming jasmine.
Where to wear: Quiet days at home. It becomes part of you.

Green Garden

Lush, romantic, tender. Where memory blooms in layers.

This contains: Maison Crivelli Lys Sølaberg : mon avis !

Maison Crivelli – Lys Sølaberg
A lily at the edge of wild terrain. Fresh pear, cool air, and mineral warmth.
Where it transports me: A cliffside in coastal Norway at dusk, overlooking a silver fjord.
Where to wear: Strolling through a botanical garden.
Candle pairing: Diptyque Lys or P.F. Candle Co. Golden Hour.
Jo Malone – Peony & Blush Suede
Petals and polish. A garden party with restraint and red apple on the breeze. Feminine in the most intelligent sense- graceful, self-aware, and precise.
Where it transports me: A powder room in a historic English manor, just before a garden party. Very Bridgerton.
Where to wear: An afternoon tea, even if it’s just for yourself.
Candle pairing: Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede Candle.
Burberry – Hawthorn Bloom
Modern floral softness. Delicate, English, touched with rain. It’s what you’d imagine the English countryside would wear on it’s best-behaved days.
Where it transports me: A windswept field at golden hour in the English countryside.
Where to wear: Springtime picnics, countryside gateways, creative afternoons, a slow morning. Perfect for romanticizing the everyday.
Candle pairing: Boy Smells Cameo.

Fruit & Flesh

Juicy, radiant, intimate. The heat of stone fruit warmed by sun.

Tom Ford – Bitter Peach
Lust dressed in peach skin. Ripe, spiced, and unapologetically decadent. Provocative, yes.
Where it transports me: A sultry, late summer evening in a dimly lit villa, deep in the Italian countryside.
Where to wear: On your neck at golden hour, or after dark.
Candle pairing: Overose Nudesse or DS & Durga Bistro Waters.
Parfums de Marly – Cassili
Fruity florals with powdered finesse. Peach, vanilla, and a trace of powdered gold. Sweet, yes, but grounded.
Where it transports me: A rose garden tucked behind a château in the South of France, just before sunset.
Where to wear: Summer parties, or slow afternoons with chilled wine.
Creed – Virgin Island Water
Coconut, lime, salt. Effortless sensuality, like being barefoot somewhere beautiful
Where it transports me: A sailboat anchored in a Caribbean cove, just past midday. Stretched out on the deck with a rum cocktail in hand.
Where to wear: Before, after, during the beach, before dinner.
Candle pairing: Maison Louis Marie No.04.

Evening Silhouettes

Cooler skin, warmer light. The scent of presence, poise, and intent.

Tom Ford – Neroli Portofino or Soleil Blanc
For golden hour and beyond. Light-soaked citrus or creamy sun-warmed florals with polish and precision.
Where it transports me: A luxury resort late afternoon. Reclining under a white canopy, the sun is turning everything gold. Just living the moment.
Where to wear: Rooftop dinners. Silk blouses. Quiet confidence.

The Archive (subscriber exclusive)

Rare finds, quiet luxuries, and the niche scents I return to for depth and intimacy.

Coming soon- a peek into my personal collection: the perfumes that don’t live on counters but on memory. Plus, a curated summer candle rotation to perfume your home like a dream you haven’t woken from.

If scent is the soul of a space, let’s make it unforgettable.

Have you read Perfume: The Story of a Murderer? I would love to have discussion about it. What’s in your fragrance summer rotation?

Help me name the series!

I am thinking of turning this into a seasonal series, fragrance, mood, memory, and everything that lingers. But I need your help: What should I name it?

I’ve narrowed it down to four contenders, but I’m torn. Which speaks to you the most?

The Fragrance Edit
Notes on Scent
What Lingers
The Fragrance Rotation

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About me:
I’m Lily Hawthorne — a writer, cook, and gardener creating a life shaped by flavor, fragrance, and feeling. I share citrus-glazed recipes, seasonal rituals, and reflections from the kitchen, garden, and home. This space is still growing, just like me — and I’m so glad you’re here to see it unfold.

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