Scents for Sunny Afternoons – The Perfume Society

There is a unique alchemy to the light of a sunny afternoon: golden, languid, and full of possibility. Unlike the hopeful hush of sunrise, the afternoon sun is confident and embracing, casting everything in a warm, honeyed glow. For perfumers, capturing this time of day is to distil the very essence of leisure and joy-balancing the gentle heat with a breeze that cools the skin, evoking memories of holidays, garden parties, and strolls through leafy parks.

This week, as we continue our ‘scenting your day’ series (which began with Good Morning Sunshine and will soon drift into evening), we revel in fragrances that bottle the bliss of a sunlit afternoon.

To create a fragrance for the afternoon, the perfumer must conjure both warmth and airiness. The brief is to capture the sensation of sunlight filtered through leaves, mingling the scent of sun-warmed skin with the coolness of shade. Such scents are never heavy; instead, they shimmer with citrus, blossom with florals, and are grounded by the softest of woods or musks.

Sunny afternoon fragrances are designed to transport us-whether we’re desk-bound, garden-lounging, or wandering city parks-offering moments of pure, light-filled bliss. With a single spritz, we are carried to treasured memories: a picnic on the grass, the hush of a summer siesta, the endless possibility of a day that seems to stretch on forever.

They are the olfactory equivalent of a mellow sea breeze, a glass of something cold and fizzy, mellifluous laughter echoing across a lawn.

The true joy of these afternoon-inspired, radiant scents is that even if the weather’s not exactly playing ball and the sun is hiding, we can conjure the feeling of those lazy, hazy hays whenever we wish.

Let’s dive in…

Granado Bossa

“Rio’s golden hour bottled: vibrant, joyful, utterly carefree”

Bossa is the scent of a Rio afternoon, where the sun hangs low and the air pulses with music and laughter. Granado has crafted a fragrance that radiates energy and warmth, yet never overwhelms. Imagine the tang of bergamot and mandarin-zesty, sparkling, like the first sip of a citrus cocktail-blending seamlessly with the lush, tropical heart of gardenia and jasmine. There’s a creamy, languid quality here, as if the petals themselves are basking in the sun.

As Bossa settles, a gentle base of sandalwood and musk emerges, grounding the exuberance with a whisper of softness-like the shade of a palm tree after a swim in the sea. This is a fragrance for those who chase the sun, who find happiness in the heat and the laughter of friends. It is, quite simply, summer in a bottle.

£70 for 100ml eau de toilette libertylondon.co.uk

Marc-Antoine Barrois Tilia

“A luminous walk beneath linden trees; the scent of everlasting summer”

Tilia is the perfume of happy days-an ode to the simplicity and optimism of an endless summer. Perfumer Quentin Bisch has woven together honeyed broom and the tender powder of heliotrope, creating a fragrance that feels like sunlight on skin. Jasmine sambac adds a velvety richness, while the smoky earthiness of vetiver grounds the composition, much like the cool shade beneath a tree amplifies the afternoon’s golden glare.

Wearing Tilia is like drifting through a bucolic landscape, the air thick with the scent of linden blossom and the promise of leisure. It is solar, smiling, and soothing: a gentle reminder that happiness can be found in the quietest, sunniest moments-a walk in the park, a nap in the garden, a long, lazy lunch with friends.

£110 for 30ml eau de parfum harrods.com

Atkinsons Scilly Neroli

“A sunlit breeze from the Isles: citrus, sea spray, and the promise of escape”

Scilly Neroli captures the dazzling contrast of a Mediterranean heart transported to the misty, sun-warmed Scilly Isles. The fragrance opens with a burst of Sicilian lemon and petitgrain, as bright and invigorating as sunlight glinting on the sea. At its heart, neroli and orange blossom unfurl, their white petals shimmering in the breeze, evoking the lushness of an English garden at its peak.

What truly sets the scented scene for Scilly Neroli is its marine character: a salty, mineral accord that conjures the tang of sea air and the coolness of an Atlantic breeze. As the afternoon wanes, the scent deepens into ambergris and patchouli, leaving a soft, lingering warmth on the skin-like the memory of sun and salt long after the day is done.

£170 for 100ml eau de parfum harveynichols.com

Sunny afternoon fragrances are invitations to pause, breathe, and savour the light in scented form – no matter what the actual weather’s doing, or where you happen to be while wearing them. What joy!

Whether you’re basking in the glow of Bossa, strolling under the linden trees with Tilia, or letting Scilly Neroli whisk you away on a sea breeze, each offers a pocket of happiness-a sunbeam you can carry with you, whatever the weather.

Next, we’ll slip into the golden haze of sunset and the mysteries of evening. But for now, let’s linger in the sun, hearts light and spirits lifted, scenting our afternoons with joy…

Written by Suzy Nightingale