From BBQs to rooftop bars, you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors this summer, despite the sauna-esque humidity. Which is why GQ‘s Best Stuff found the colognes that won’t crumple in the heat.
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As the mercury rises, so does a man’s need to find the best summer colognes he can. Whether it be an aromatic finishing touch to an on-point summer outfit or a way to subtly disguise the fact that your schvitzing like a sinner in church, a go-to cologne is a warm-weather must. Traditionally lighter, herbal, and floral fragrances have been favored during the summer months (with musks and ouds reigning during the cooler seasons) but nowadays those sorts of old fashion rules have fallen by the wayside. We’re in a time of sartorial freedom—also maybe insanity—and men should approach their colognes with a similar sense of anything goes.
Afterall, summer evokes something different in us all: It’s the fresh sea breeze off the Pacific Coast Highway, a woodsy hiking path in Colorado, Midwestern lakeside bliss, sailboats tracing the shores of Cape Cod. This is exactly what summer fragrances do, too: A fougere blend sends you to the forests of Maine, and a citrus blend takes you to the Everglades—or to Aunt Mary’s cactus garden in dry-heat Tucson.
Our favorite warm weather-friendly colognes of 2019 showcase the many sides of summer. Some are new this year, some aren’t new but are new favorites, and one on this list is making its long-overdue return to the scene. Surf through this roster for the one that best bottles your idea of summer.
Zegna Strength
Strength is particularly intoxicating and exotic, thanks to its foundation of tobacco and honey, which give it a tangy sweet-and-smokey tension. Adding to this balancing act is the use of pine needles and apricot, which blends the ambrosial with a sort of leaves-crunching-underfoot earthiness. While there’s an undeniable bulging-biceps masculinity to this fragrance, there’s also a warmth and vulnerability, a surprise considering the cologne’s name. Zegna seems to be making an appeal to broaden the definition of “strength,” proving that there’s nothing more compelling than the element of surprise.
There’s no denying the brightness and tanginess that lies at the heart of Le Labo’s Bergamote 22—which, of course, makes sense. Orange blossom, grapefruit and vetiver notes all make for a delectable fruity scent, while amber and musk give it a darker edge and some much-needed complexity and gravitas. And a little vanilla adds a hint of mouthwatering sweetness that really holds everything else together. Consider this the aromatic version of an aperol spritz—fruity, refreshing, and ready made for summer.
Gardenias have gotten a bad wrap over the years: for being mawkish or for old ladies, but Fueguia 1883 disproves that idea with its Agua de Gardenia. While the base is undeniably floral—like a clean, crisp early morning bloom—lime blossom and jasmine give it a sharp, piquant richness. Still, this isn’t a creamy or heavy scent, it has an almost acrid edge, something that would be the perfect olfactory compliment to a summer outfit of all white or a great thing to add when you need to freshen up after a day at the beach but don’t have time for a full-on shower.
A longtime go-to, Hermès has has a certain arid minerality that pairs perfectly with warm, dry days (or humid ones, for that matter). It’s like the wonders of a desert landscape in a bottle.
The latest riff on Dolce & Gabbana’s popular “Light Blue” family, it has the spicy brightness of citrus which translates into something zingy and mouth-puckeringly fresh.
Is there anything more summery than smoking a little weed? Short answer: no. However this won’t smell like your college dorm room. With its mix of spicy black pepper, patchouli and sandalwood, consider the ultimate scent for a haute hippie (hi John Mayer!).
Meant to conjure the streets of gay Paris, this scent has a certain silky, creamy richness thanks to hints of lemon, concrete, tuberose, leather, and white musk. Pairs well with a croque madame and cigarette (the non-electronic kind).
In a single year, Louis Vuitton went from having no men’s fragrances to having nine of the very best. Their summer unisex trio Les Colognes launched in April, and all of them are five-star concoctions from LV’s nose Jacques Cavallier Belletrud. If you’ve got to pick one, our gut says it’s the orange-blossom Sun Song, which is the olfactory equivalent of driving a convertible down Highway 1. However, all three fragrances in Les Colognes fill out the podium on any summer scent showdown. We also highly recommend the tea-tippled Cactus Garden, which refreshes like a Sonoran sunrise, or the citrusy Afternoon Swim, which is as carefree as a poolside mimosa or four.
Mandarin, lemon, neroli, jasmine, and musk: Byredo named it Sundazed for its hypnotic powers, like you’ve been seduced by the sun. Wearing it feels like a park picnic bask, with a cotton-candy finish that lingers sweetly all day.
If you aren’t shy to wear floral notes—and you shouldn’t be—then grab Lust in Paradise from the women’s shelf. Pink pepper opens the scent, while white peonies and lychee give it a fresh and fruity pulse.
Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Cipresso di Toscana
Back by popular demand, the scent that paved the way for the brand’s fresh and aromatic Blu Mediterraneo lineup still evokes a weekend of spoils in Livorno or Pisa: sage and lavender at its heart, cypress and pine at its base, with crisp orange and fresh petitgrain leading all else.
Aesop took the straight and narrow route when formulating Tacit: It’s a blend of classic ingredients—yuzu lemon, basil, and vetiver—strong enough to make an impression, but subtle enough to never make a polarizing one. By wearing this clean, citrus scent, you imply to others that you’ve got refined taste.
Eau de Minthé is Diptyque’s latest launch, with notes of mint, patchouli, geranium, and a dash of nutmeg. It has that barbershop-aftershave essence, and manages to smell both fresh and traditionally masculine, making it the perfect fragrance for Cool Dads everywhere.
Yeah, you read that right. Tommy Bahama, on this best fragrances roundup. And for good reason: The legendary uncle-on-a-beach-vacation brand has pulled together a layered blend of crisp apple, cardamom, cilantro, orchid, moss, and cedarwood. The result is a fresh, aromatic, and floral summer-by-the-sea-and-sand-in-your-Sperrys vibe.
