6 Best Scents For Summer According To My Brother

When it comes to perfume I can be a bit uppity. Like most I rate perfume based on strength, longevity and color of bottle. I've worn different types of perfume and so far my favorites are the subtly floral, zero musk, slightly herbal scents. A few days ago I went to my local Boots to try out their summer scents. Now this was a good and bad idea. I didn't know that if you inhale perfume, especially different kinds, for too long you can get lightheaded and lose your sense of smell for a few minutes (at least that's what happened to me). I implore you, if you want to try out different perfumes stick to at least three, that way they don't all blend into one. Anyway I endured and came up with five of my favorites. These included men perfume which was a task in it self because I detest men perfume. Its always too strong and makes me sneeze and the bottles tend to be uninteresting. I feel like all of the scents marketed to men smell the same and is overloaded with musk and sandalwood. I wonder who told parfumiers that men like to smell like grass and dirt (sorry guys).

I had to consult my personal cologne guru (my brother) for this one because I have no idea what perfume for men was actually good since I avoided smelling them. He gave me a few suggestions as to what to look for according to what I like and below are his suggestions. Anyway, here are mine and my brother's top picks of best summer scents for men and women (or the ones that didn't make me sneeze as much).

First up L'Eau Di Issey. This perfume is pretty OK. It made the list because it wasn't overbearing and have a light cool scent. It smells slightly fruity which was a plus for me and it lasted a LONG time on my wrist even after I washed it later. The bottle is cute and summery although this doesn't exactly smell like summer to me but its nice and I only sneezed twice (Did not mean to rhyme).

Lovely, lovely scent, I love Far Away Bella by Avon! I've been wearing Avon products all my life and they usually have the most amazing perfumes. Far Away Bella have been around for quite a while for Avon and it was the only one my mother used to buy for me. Its really fruity with a nice powdery after scent. What I love most about this is the perfume smells exactly the way the bottle looks: light, airy, soft, sensual..etc. If you're looking for a perfume that's long-lasting and smells heavenly you need to try this one!

I wouldn't actually be in the perfume section of any store if they didn't stock anything by Marc Jacobs. I am biased yes, but probably because I've been coveting the Lola since forever and a day. Marc Jacobs has the best designer perfume according to my nose. Its always fun and feminine and it makes me think about flower filled meadows. I've never actually smell a flower filled meadow but I imagine it would smell like a Marc Jacob perfume. This one to be exact. I would have chosen the Lola but I am on about summer scents and Lola is a bit fall-ish. This bottle is pretty huh? This brings me to a point I forgot to make in the beginning. I also choose perfume based on the color of the bottle. I always go with purple, red and pink color bottles because I know I will like the scent. This  Daisy Sorbet is soooo nice! Its fruity and a little woodsy with some musk but the fruity and floral notes overpower the musky scents. It really does smell like sorbet! Its also really perfect for summer seduction.

Is it me or does all men perfume come in a blue bottle? Well, any how this was better than the Issey one. Where Issey was kinda fruity Paul Smith Sunshine is more fresh. Now 'fresh' is not a scent I really like because when I think fresh I think straight-outta-the-shower fresh not overbearing alcohol disguised as freshness. But still this was better and it is making me rethink the whole I-don't-like-men-perfume thing. I would consider wearing this even though it doesn't exactly pass my elite perfume selection nostrils' process. I would encourage men to give it a go, or women if you like the scent. I say its nice so, trust me it is.

This Prada perfume was one of the top selections from my brother. He convinced me that this was good and that I would like the fruity almost floral scent. I was quite surprised at the scent it wasn't as fruity as I expected but it was quite pleasant for a musky perfume. It was very strong and took a long while to wash away. This have my vote though.

Lastly I had to include a nice little hidden gem I would have overlooked because she didn't appeal to me. Classic judging a book by its cover or in this case judging a perfume by its ombre bottle. Lovely gem I say. Nice and long-lasting and perfect for a summer barbecue. One thing though wear a little because this is hella strong in my opinion. I originally thought it was going to be musky but Escada Turquoise Summer is anything but. Its very floral and fruity and it smells like a mango and cherry smoothie (again did not mean to rhyme). I am sad to say that I actually like this over *gulps* Daisy Sorbet. I'm sorry, Marc! You'll always be my favorite!

Top tip: According to my brother do not wear spray perfume to the beach. Its best to use oil or oil based ones so it can last longer.