Unlock Summer’s Secret: 9 Non-Citrus Colognes That Crush Heat and Boost Confidence Instantly!

Oud gets a reputation as a fall and winter scent because of its rich, warm, and smoky qualities. But in Oud Minérale, the deep woodiness of oud is balanced out by salty, fresh marine notes, which actually make it a nice, unique choice for summer. So if you like a rich, smoky scent but want to lighten it up for the heat, this will be your new go-to fragrance.

Another cologne that beautifully blends woody and aquatic notes for a fresh summer scent is Jo Malone’s Wood Sage & Sea Salt. Relying on just three scent notes—ambrette seeds, sea salt, and sage—it opens with a light musk followed by fresh sea salt, and sage provides a woody, earthy base that lingers.

Debaser is one of our absolute favorite colognes from D.S. & Durga, the Brooklyn-based niche fragrance house that makes some of the most unique scents out there. Inspired by indie rock music and summer heat, Debaser runs the gamut of olfactory families. It starts off woody and earthy with notes of green leaf and pear stem (and a touch of bergamot); then becomes fruity and floral with creamy fig, coconut milk, soft iris, and blond woods; and finally reveals a smooth base of tonka bean and moss.

Spicy colognes aren’t just for winter. While most spicy fragrances are warm and cozy, some can actually be cool and fresh, like Dior’s Sauvage Eau Forte. It’s fresh, breezy, and slightly aquatic, with cool spices and rich elemi resin up top, fresh lavender at the heart, and light musks and woods at the base.

Sweet coconut, tropical banana and pineapple, and notes of literal pool water and swimsuit Lycra make this fragrance from world-famous sunscreen brand Vacation smell about as much like summer as you can get from an EDT. You hit the ground running with creamy coconut milk and fresh coconut water up top, and the fruity and aquatic notes that come next give it the distinct smell of wearing sunscreen by the pool. Ahhh.

We’ve been obsessed with this fresh and floral fragrance for about six years now. If you want something that smells undeniably clean, like you just stepped out of the shower (or bath), it doesn’t get better than Bubble Bath from Maison Margiela’s Replica collection. With literal soap bubble scent notes at the top, a heart of light rose, and a base of white musks and creamy coconut milk, it’s simple and refreshing. (And don’t let the rose scare you off; it’s still very much a unisex fragrance.)

Not to brag, but back in early June, we called banana as the scent of the summer, and we were right on the money. Lots of new banana fragrances have been popping up recently, but our favorite is Granado’s banana EDP. It’s a fun, floral take on the natural (not artificial candy-like) scent of the banana fruit and its leaves and also features peach blossom, creamy fig, soft iris, and smooth woods.