Move over, cherry! There’s a new berry in Perfume Town. Though the cherry still reigns supreme as the go-to berry note in perfumery, given the massive success of fragrances like Tom Ford’s Lost Cherry, the strawberry has been growing—pun intended—in popularity, popping up to lend its signature juicy deliciousness to florals, gourmands, and more.
When you think strawberry fragrance, you probably think of the candy-sweet body sprays and lip glosses of your youth, like Victoria’s Secret’s Strawberries & Champagne and Lip Smackers. However, the berry doesn’t always have to be loaded down with sugar to be worth sniffing. There are many facets to the humble strawberry, and they’re never better than during the summer, when the fruit itself is ripe and glistening, beckoning you from a farmer’s market stall.
The strawberry is having its well-deserved moment outside of the typical “berries” accord, and it could not be sweeter—it can be lushly jammy or green and vegetal like a freshly-picked berry. Ahead, all the best strawberry perfumes to try this summer.
The Mall Staple: Burberry Her Eau de Parfum
Sephora
Though strawberry hasn’t made a huge breakthrough in what we consider “mainstream” perfumery, or the scents you can purchase at department stores, Sephora, or Ulta, it’s starting to! Case in point is Burberry’s Her Eau de Parfum, formulated by Francis Kurkdjian. Her opens with a bright burst of strawberry, raspberry, and black currant that melts into a jasmine and violet heart. The Elixir version is even sweeter and stronger.
The Mixed Berry One: Commodity Juice
Sephora
Commodity’s Juice is a bright, juicy (sorry) blend of three fruits: raspberries, strawberries, and rhubarb, which adds a welcome tartness. The fragrance comes in three different intensity levels: Personal, a more lightweight skin scent with added violet leaf; Expressive, a “louder” take on the scent that really emphasizes the raspberry notes; and Juice+ Bold, a jammy, vibrant berry over a generous dollop of patchouli and vetiver. If you’re looking for something very berry, Juice should definitely be your pick.
The Fresh One: Phlur Strawberry Letter
Phlur
If you’re craving something light and sweet but not at all cloying on a 90-degree July day, spritz on Phlur’s Strawberry Letter, which opens with juicy plum and strawberry and develops into a warm, flirty base of amber and tonka bean. Malin + Goetz’s Strawberry, a simple, easygoing interpretation of the berry, also deserves an honorable mention as a breezy take on berry.
The Floral One: Snif Rose Era
Snif
Snif’s new Rose Era is a pretty floral with soft strawberry notes layered with a fresh, springy rose and a “clean laundry” accord, both elegant and playful. (Their fragrance Strawberry Moon does not actually feature a strawberry note; it’s a leathery floral.)
The Nostalgic One: Marissa Zappas Pink Bedroom Oil
Marissa Zappas
For something more coquettish—and more niche!—try Marissa Zappas’ Pink Bedroom Oil, a sweet, powdery roll-on oil built around rose, strawberry, and musk. It literally smells like the Strawberry Shortcake doll heads in the ‘80s, making it a blast of nostalgia for anyone who came of age in that era.
The Niche One: Hilde Solani Fraaagola Saaalaaata
Luckyscent
Hilde Solani’s Fraaagola Saalaaata Eau de Parfum is reminiscent of the lip glosses of yore, with a fun mix of sweet strawberry and salt that instantly reminded me of my favorite junior high Bonne Bell. (Or maybe Glossier’s Strawberry Balm Dotcom?) Berry delicious indeed!