Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a big lover of perfumes. I pride myself on my expansive collection, and find fragrance launches the most exciting to receive and write about. So to say that any given perfume is in my top five of all time is a pretty big deal. That accolade can, however, go to one of the best salty perfumes of all time—Jo Malone London’s Wood, Sage & Sea Salt. It’s a really nostalgic scent for me, having first received it when moving to London and starting my career as a beauty editor. I love to layer it with other Jo Malone perfumes (Nectarine Blossom & Honey is my go-to combo) or wear it alone. Either way, it’ll always be in my perfume hall of fame.
I was thinking the other day about why I love it so much, and a big part of it is down to how much it reminds me of being by the sea. Thanks to its crisp, fresh undertones, this scent is one of my favourite salty perfumes. However, there are others; from the likes of Creed, Phlur and Charlotte Tilbury, keep reading to discover my all-time favourites.
1. Maison Margiela Replica Sailing Day
(Image credit: Cult Beauty)
This aquatic delight is based on a core feeling and memory, as are all of Maison Margiela’s scents, which attempt to ‘replicate’ something. Sailing Day is supposed to be reminiscent of the feeling you experience when jumping into the cooling ocean from your sailboat— refreshing, exhilarating and full of adrenaline. It’s the perfect unexpected summer scent, with pretty juniper and iris at the heart and cedar and amberwood grounding the base.
2. Ellis Brooklyn Salt
(Image credit: Space NK)
Controversially, Ellis Brooklyn’s Salt scent doesn’t actually contain salty accords, and yet it’s still a great warm weather buy for reminding you of that holiday feeling. With notes of ylang-ylang and iris leaf, it’s pretty but balanced.
3. Lush Salty Body Spray
(Image credit: Lush)
If your budget doesn’t quite extend to a boujee buy from one of the top perfume houses, may I suggest picking up a bottle of Lush’s Salty Body Spray, which is said to smell like “a light burst of seaside breeze.” It’s lightweight and refreshing, making it the perfect option to throw into your gym bag for that post-sweat spritz.
4. Lancôme Idôle Aura
(Image credit: Boots)
With white florals and aged vanilla, the notes of sea salt within Lancôme’s bottle are complemented by something a little sweeter. This is the perfect perfume for those a little apprehensive to try something too salty.
5. Victoria Beckham Beauty Portofino ’97
(Image credit: Victoria Beckham Beauty)
Sometimes, all a perfume really needs to be considered ‘salty’ is that holiday feel. My favourite of the Victoria Beckham Beauty fragrances, Portofino ’97 adds something new and unique to the summer scent category. With sea notes and amber at the heart, the fragrance is given a citrusy twist with Calabrian bergamot and black pepper at the top.
6. Giorgio Armani Privé Bleu Turquoise
(Image credit: Armani)
A luxury scent for sea-lovers, Armani’s marble blue bottle houses the best spicy take on the salty scent trend. It has salt, incense and black pepper as its key top notes, with ylang-ylang and Indian jasmine at the heart for that special twist. One to display proudly on your desk.
7. Phlur Solar Power
(Image credit: Space NK)
Summery in all the best ways, Phlur’s offering smells like sunshine and marine air. Interestingly, it has salt at the base to ground the scent, with citrusy blood mandarin and bergamot, and floral orange blossom and neroli initially making more of an impact until the elixir dries down onto skin.
8. Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt
(Image credit: John Lewis)
Inspired by British beaches, this home-grown scent is said to replicate ‘sea air… mixed with salty and mineral texture of sand and stones.” My absolute favourite in the category, this is light, fresh and freeing to wear. As mentioned, it’s also great for layering, complementing a number of other fragrances.
9. DS & Durga Rockaway Beach
(Image credit: Liberty)
With salt, sea notes and suntan lotion as the listed notes (yes, suntan lotion), you couldn’t get more beachy than DS & Durga’s marine scent. It’s supposed to (and successfully so) smell like your skin after taking a dip, and was inspired by “sunscreen, salt-on-skin, [and] ocean airs on the coast of Queens” in 1970s New York.
10. Charlotte Tilbury Law of Attraction Calm Bliss
(Image credit: Space NK)
My favourite of Charlotte Tilbury’s new perfume collection, Calm Bliss does as it says on the tin (bottle): acts as a calming antidote to a busy day. With water notes, one spritz of this and you’ll feel as though you’re at the coast, despite how far in-land you may be!
11. Creed Virgin Island Water
(Image credit: Creed)
Creed’s warming buy may not directly contain sea salt or ocean notes, but it does have everything that will make you feel like you’re at the beach—and that’s what’s important. From the coconut smell you get from your SPF bottle to the white rum in your piña colada, this is that summer feeling in a bottle.
