Beauty
12 “Cold” Fragrances To Keep You Smelling Icy-Fresh All Summer
The perfume equivalent of a chilled martini on ice.
When summer reaches peak humidity and our sweat levels are at an all-time high, a scent that leaves a trail of icicles and frosted air can be the ultimate refresher. The power of fragrance is that one whiff can transport you — whether you’re suddenly sitting atop an arctic snow-capped mountain, diving into a Nantucket wave for a moonlit swim, or sipping on a frozen cocktail with crushed ice.
Enter: the buzzy realm of “cold fragrances”, a niche genre celebrated by dedicated #PerfumeTok followers and Reddit threads alike. But what, exactly, does “cold” smell like? Notes like juniper berries, angelica (an earthy-smelling plant), frozen cucumber, lime, gin, sea salt, and coriander are all sparkling notes that hit like a frigid AC blast. While there are some well-known MVPs in the category — like Creed’s mentholated masterpiece, Silver Mountain Water or By Killian’s Roses on Ice — others are new discoveries on the scene, like Charlotte Tilbury’s water fragrance, Calm Bliss, and Maison Francis Kurkdijian’s fizzing gin-like scent, Gentle Fluidity Silver.
If you’re looking for a refreshing new fragrance to keep you cool in the summer heat, look not further. Ahead, we’re sharing 12 fragrances that are perfect antidote to a sticky summer day — chilled martini glass not included.
1. Gin Fizz
If your libation of choice is a gin and tonic, Gentle Fluidity Silver is the olfactory equivalent to a fizzing gin frappé in a glamorous hotel bar. It’s a dressed-up fresh fragrance — juniper berries mix with dry amber woods for a sophisticated scent that will make people do a double-take (or whiff).
2. A Chilly New England Evening Dip
Transport yourself to a moonlit beach with Summer Hours’ New Wave, a fragrance that captures the feeling of a refreshing ocean wave crashing against your skin. Envision a cool Nantucket evening by the water, where notes of zesty lemon, sea salt, jasmine, and oceanic musk intertwine. Just add a striped La Ligne sweater and a woven basket, and you’re good to go.
4. Serenity In a Bottle
Glacial serenity in a bottle, Charlotte Tilbury’s Calm Bliss smells, simply put, clean. But it’s a bougie clean, like you've just cold plunged into neroli blossoms, showered off with fresh lavender, and are on your way out of a fancy hotel spa. Think: newly revived, just showered, eyes wide open, reborn.
5. It’s Giving…Freezing Alpine Air
Inspired by the exhilarating freshness of crisp Swiss alpine air, Creed’s Silver Mountain Water is the epitome of frigid (in a good way). There are sharp citric notes that have an icy, cooling effect, balanced with warmed musk and sandalwood. One spritz, and the compliments will come.
6. Like A Bougie Italian Getaway
As refreshing as the smell of being seaside in the Italian coast, Victoria Beckham’s Portofino ‘97 will take you on a European summer escape, with a dash of romance. First up, there’s the turquoise bottle inspired by the blue waters of the Ligurian Sea. Then the fragrance, infused with notes of vetiver, an essence of the Italian sea breeze, crisp white sheets, and seductive black pepper. You might not have an Italian romance yet, but this scent will make you feel one is right around the corner.
7. After The Rain Smell
A nod to petrichor, the cool scent in the air after the rain, Fine’ry’s Before The Rainbow balances earthy notes of tree moss with marine notes of salty air and driftwood. It’s an olfactory ode to the moments before the sun peeks through in a rainstorm, emerging as a rainbow.
8. A Little Spicy, A Lot Fresh
It’s zing at first spritz — peppery juniper hits the nostrils with a clearing power, like being near an icy wood. With Angeliques Sous La Pluie translating to Angelicas (a spicy green herb) in the rain, the rain essence does eventually blur down the fragrance in the dry down into a lingering dewy, spicy, freshness.
9. Aquatic Potion
An under the radar gem, House Of Bõ’s El Sireno is best described as an aquatic floral symphony. A mermaid-worthy mix of unconventional notes like banana leaf, oak moss, and kelp are brought to a floral land of magnolia and ylang-ylang. One whiff, and you’re set sail to the sweet summer sea.
10. Winter Sun
Tom Ford’s Soleil Neige takes cues from the shimmer of the winter sun hitting snow on glacier — and yes, it’s as epic as it sounds. The cult classic brings together notes that are boldly bright: like bergamot and citrus contrasted with green carrot seed and white floral.
11. Deep Sea Diving, Bottled Up
All aboard! D.S. & Durga’s Let’s Dive is a luxe, musky scent that transports you to a New England whale watch. Crisp and chilly marine-rich waters, seaweed extract (which smells surprisingly sophisticated), and ambergris (delightfully named Big Whale Energy by D.S. & DURGA) all combine for an mesmerizing, oceanic scent.
12. An Ice Filled Cocktail
Like that first sip of a frosty cocktail in a bottle, Kilian’s Vodka on the Rocks has a blend of notes like coriander and bitter rhubarb accord that are described as "frozen steam rising from ice cubes in a crystal tumbler.” Who doesn’t want to smell like a frosty, icy cocktail?
