ByteBoop

I’m a summer girl through and through. I feel most myself in a sundress, crave days at the beach, and regain my will to live once Daylight Savings hits each year. Unfortunately, I live in New York, which means summer weather doesn’t really get going until around the Fourth of July. (On the flip side, it basically lasts through Halloween).

In the meantime, I’ve turned to fashion and beauty to transport me to summer—even when it’s still 40 degrees and rainy. I’ve been obsessed with tracking down the perfect little dresses and bikinis, and I’ve exclusively switched over to fragrances that make me feel like I’m drinking an Aperol spritz on a patio somewhere. The latest in my collection? Beautycounter’s just-launched Sun Spill Eau de Parfum ($96).

Sun Spill is one of five fragrances in Beautycounter’s new Clean Eau de Parfum line. The collection marks the brand’s first-ever fragrances, which they’ve formulated using a blend of natural and synthetic ingredients. The brand is also including a full ingredient list on the fragrance’s packaging—a rarity in the fragrance industry—in line with its mission of transparency.

The collection ranges from the sophisticated Hyper Rose and the oceanic Pacific Dreams, but my favorite of the bunch is Sun Spill. As the name implies, this is a bright, warm fragrance that bottles a gorgeous summer day. The fragrance has top notes of fresh grapefruit and neroli, which together smell like pure sunshine. The middle is all about lush florals, with notes of rose petals, jasmine, and coriander. Holding it all down is a base of up-cycled cedarwood oil and vetiver for a fresh-cut-grass moment.

I generally gravitate towards light, sunny fragrances that smell like fancy sunscreen or laundry drying in the sun, so Sun Spill fits right in my comfort zone. However, it’s not identical to anything else in my collection. Most of my warm weather perfumes are heavy on the neroli and have a breezier feel, but because of the earthy base, this one is more grounded and sophisticated than what I usually go for. I like to describe my ideal fragrance as “rich baby,” but this is definitely more of a grown woman’s fragrance. That being said, it’s still uplifting and sunny thanks to the delicious fruity notes. It never fails to transport me to the feeling of being ever-so-slightly slightly sunburnt in a sundress.

I’ll for sure be wearing it all summer long, and until then, I’ll be pairing it with sweaters all spring.