The best Spring/Summer perfumes have one thing in common — and it’s not flowers

Afika Jadezweni

Edible notes are slowly dominating the season’s most exciting launches. Here are the eleven bottles redefining what a warm-weather signature can smell like. 

Florals may get all the springtime press, but this season’s fragrance wardrobe has a much juicier agenda. Fruit notes are everywhere, bringing hints of sweetness and a little zestiness to perfumes that range from barely-there to full-on sensational. And “fruity” doesn’t mean that syrupy, body-spray way you might remember from your teenage years. Depending on what it’s paired with, a fruit note can feel crisp and green, creamy and gourmand, dark and seductive, or simply epitomise the concept of “smelling like money.”

Whether you’re transitioning to something lighter as you peel back the winter layers or looking for a layering scent to pair with a scented body oil, we’ve found the fruit notes worth picking.

But first…

Your spring fruit guide

Want something juicy? Go cherry, raspberry or lychee.
Want something crisp? Pear and citrus are your friends.
Want something creamy? Try fig, coconut or pistachio.
Want something sexy? Look for darker fruits paired with vanilla, patchouli or woods.
Want something unusual? Blood orange and cassis, surrounded by ozone and hot brick, will take you there.

FOR HER

WBeauty The Collection: CAPER EDP

R599 at Woolworths Beauty

Raspberry and orange give CAPER that bright, juicy hit you get from fruit straight out of the fridge. It has the prettiness of a pink lip without becoming sugary — somewhere between a berry cocktail and a really good Saturday afternoon. Fresh, flirtatious and easy to wear when the weather starts behaving.

The fruit factor: Raspberry and orange
Also look for: Bergamot, orange blossom, marshmallow, musk and sandalwood

Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 Perfume Mist

R610 – R915 ARC Store, Superbalist.com+ Woolworths Beauty

Cheirosa 62 is less about fresh fruit and more about the delicious things that happen around it. Pistachio and almond bring a creamy nuttiness, followed by salted caramel and vanilla. The perfume-mist format makes it perfect for the current layering obsession, too: mist it over moisturised skin, then add perfume where you want more staying power.

The fruit-adjacent factor: Creamy pistachio and almond
Also look for: Heliotrope, jasmine, salted caramel, vanilla and sandalwood

Coach: Cherry Parfum

R1340 – R2550 at ARC Store, Bash.com, Woolworths Beauty

Cherry fragrances have gone decidedly grown-up, and Coach gets the memo. This is dark, ripe cherry rather than a saccharine candy version — glossy and slightly provocative, with a citrusy lift that gives it some bite. Wear this if you love compliments from strangers.

The fruit factor: Dark cherry and mandarin
Also look for: Pink pepper, jasmine sambac, magnolia, rose, tonka, and patchouli

Montblanc: Signature EDP

R1499 – R1799 on Takealot.com, Bash.com, Edgars Beauty

Clementine gives Signature its sunny first impression, but this isn’t a sharp citrus cologne. It is softer, creamier and altogether more cocooning. Think of that particular pleasure of peeling a clementine in a warm room and letting the scent hang in the air. Fresh, but with somewhere cosy to land.

The fruit factor: Clementine
Also look for: Magnolia, peony, ylang-ylang, vanilla, white musk and benzoin

Paco Rabanne: Lady Million EDP

R1570 – R2260 at Edgars Beauty, Bash.com + Takealot.com

Hardly a new entry in the market, Lady Million has secured its spot as a seasonal favourite. This fragrance takes raspberry and lemon and turns the dial all the way up, making it fruity in the way a great pop chorus is catchy – immediate. If you like your fragrance to leave a trail rather than a polite suggestion, this is your girl.

The fruit factor: Raspberry and lemon
Also look for: Neroli, orange blossom, jasmine, gardenia, honey, amber and patchouli

CHANEL Coco Mademoiselle Crush Absolu 

R2840 – R3915 at ARC, CHANEL Fragrance + Beauty boutique, Woolworths Beauty

In this composition signed by Olivier Polge, the COCO MADEMOISELLE identity comes to the fore, faithfully and transformed in a new captivating fragrance. Fruity notes glide toward an enveloping, woody and ambery density, creating a rare balance of modern and voluptuous. This is a fragrance that asserts itself.

The fruit factor: Lychee and grapefruit
Also look for: Rose, jasmine, patchouli, vetiver and vanilla

FOR HIM

David Beckham Collection Botanical Resin Eau de Parfum

R650 – R920 on Bash.com + Edgars Beauty

This starts with the familiar brightness of grapefruit and lemon, then takes a more interesting turn. Spice and woods give the citrus a warmer, deeper quality, like the difference between drinking freshly squeezed juice at breakfast and ordering a zesty cocktail at sunset. If you’re looking for freshness with a little after-hours attitude, this is it.

The fruit factor: Grapefruit and lemon
Also look for: Pink pepper, cardamom, ginger, cypress, cinnamon leaf, vanilla and sandalwood

Bvlgari Man: Wood Neroli EDP 

R1699 – R1805 on Superbalist + Takealot.com

Neroli and orange make this immediately fresh, but the woody base gives it enough gravitas to avoid the usual sporty-citrus territory. Orange blossom softens it, while cedar, woods and musk give the freshness some structure. It’s crisp without being aquatic, and fresh without smelling like shower gel.

The fruit factor: Bergamot and bitter orange
Also look for: Neroli, orange blossom, cedar, cypriol, musk and amber

Jean Paul Gaultier Le Beau Paradise Garden EDP

R2175 – R2870 at ARC Store, Woolworths 

Le Beau Paradise Garden takes fruit somewhere tropical. Coconut and fig create a creamy, green sweetness, while mint and ginger keep things cool and fresh. There’s a salty, watery quality running underneath it all, making the fragrance exude lushness and humidity that is holiday coded.

The fruit factor: Fig and coconut
Also look for: Mint, ginger, salty aquatic notes, tonka bean, and sandalwood

UNISEX

Jo Malone English Pear + Sweet Pea Cologne

R1525 – R3155 at Jo Malone boutiques 

This scent is basically the classic white T-shirt in fragrance form. Pear is the star here, and it’s the crisp kind: it’s delicate without disappearing. If heavy gourmands make you want to open a window, this is your breath of fresh air.

The fruit factor: Williams pear
Also look for: Sweet pea and white musk

Apartment: Mild Regrets |Ozone, Poolside, Hot Brick, Cassis, Blood Orange

R1990 at MERCHANTS

Mild Regrets is the oddball, and that is precisely why it belongs here. Blood orange and cassis bring the fruit, but they’re surrounded by ozone, the smell of a swimming pool and hot brick baking in the sun. The result is less “I am wearing a fruity perfume” and more “I spent the afternoon beside a pool snacking on sweets”. Slightly strange? Yes. Incredibly evocative? Also yes.

The fruit factor: Blood orange and cassis
Also look for: Ozone, poolside and hot brick

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