Scents for Your Spring 2022 Mood

The arrival of spring and its holidays are always nice to celebrate with a beautiful new fragrance. If ever there was a season for fragrance-philes, spring is the time. The very backbone of most scents: blooms and blossoms, sprouts and tendrils are all born in spring. Not to mention, most fashion houses choose to launch their most exciting offerings during this verdant season. Of course, there is no set definition of spring scents for that matter. Since what smells good to you, and what qualifies as a vernal victory, is all in the nose of the beholder. Still, here are a few pointers.

So what makes a spring fragrance?

Spring fragrances are about continuity. After a long, dark winter, spring will always arrive knowing nothing of the blizzards or the cold. Spring arrives with optimism despite it all, with persistent growth, cheerful springs, and a covenant of what’s to come.

Most of the fragrances mentioned below are floral. There is no getting around it. But rather than the kind of heady bouquets you might encounter in August during the end-of-summer flower glut, spring fragrances are lighter. They’re also more tentative and slightly greener. White flowers reign supreme during spring, as do traditional first-bloomers like lilacs, lily of the valley, and hyacinth.

Often, you’ll find a citrus counterpoint in spring scents. Something zingy and exciting that encapsulates the promise of spring. Bringing warmer weather of bikes with baskets and lemonade with honey too. This year, novel citrus scents such as Italian lemons, pomelos, blood red oranges snuck in for an unexpected experience.

Below are our choices for the 5 best spring scents. One or more of which can become your faithful companion during this time of the year.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau Fresh Spring Eau de Toilette Spray

The latest in the Marc Jacobs Daisy family is the springiest and most verdant. Green tea blossom, matcha and zippy pink pepper combine for an invigorating but not overpowering blend. Also? As always with the Daisy offerings, the blossom-bedecked bottle works as an evergreen bouquet on your dresser or vanity.

Gucci Flora Lavender Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Toilette

The more I learn about fragrance, the more I learn that the white gardenia flower is one of the most foundational scents in all of the olfactory world. And for good reason: It’s floral but not heady or strong, and articulates beautifully against other scents. Here, it’s paired with red berries and pear for a fantastically fruity but eminently sophisticated overture. 

Chloé Rose Tangerine Eau de Toilette

The first fragrance from Chloé launched in 1975, and in the years since, they’ve consistently delivered on that experience but paired it with offerings brimming with modernity. (Hello, pleated glass bottle and hand-tied ribbon.) This year’s version combines tangerine, rose, and black currant for a scent that’s not unlike wandering through an orchard with a Polaroid camera and someone beloved. Cue the sound of buzzing bees and rustling leaves.

Parfums de Marly Delina LA Rosee Fragrance

If you’re after a spring fragrance—which is floral first and laced with fruit—but still crave something earthy and perhaps a little musky, Parfums de Marly is your answer. Turkish rose is balanced against lychee and pear, plush sandalwood, and soothing bergamot. A comforting reach reminiscent of sunny afternoons.

Valentino Donna Born in Roma Yellow Dream Eau de Parfum

Contained within the walls of this rock-studded, prismatic bottle is a study in contrasts: Upfront, the rarified white musk and Damascus rose. Not to be ignored: Italian lemon, which is just a touch more flowery and a bit less astringent than the ubiquitous Florida variety. The idea is to evoke the sweeping ancient architecture of Rome, twinkling with neon lights and the culture of today. The result is pleasing and evocative, especially in a moment when travel is either a memory or a dream.