Our Editors’ Favorite Nostalgic Summer Perfumes Just Went on Sale at Sephora
Score your new signature scent for up to 50% off.
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Some things are simply worth the wait: the right relationship, ice cream lines on a hot summer day, and Memorial Weekend perfume sales, which finally dropped on Sephora this morning. As a fragrance-obsessed editor who’s always looking for discounts on my favorite scents, I just about jumped for joy when I spotted up to 50% (yes, really) on iconic perfume brands like Jo Malone London, Ellis Brooklyn, and Maison Margiela.
Shop Sephora’s Memorial Day deals
There’s currently about 200 perfume deals live at Sephora, but I’m here to narrow it down with a handful of tried-and-true, Cosmo editor-approved scents that are basically guaranteed compliment magnets. That includes a recent Holy Grail Award winner (Maison Margiela Replica Never-Ending Summer), our favorite clean coconut perfume (7 Virtues Coconut Sun), and a long-lasting fruity body mist (Phlur Dragon Fruit). But personally, I’m the most excited to see a rare deal on Glossier You Fleur—it’s one of my all-time favorite summer perfumes, and it’s under $60 right now.
Best Deal
One Cosmo editor says: “I have to be so honest here—I’ve never been a fan of Glossier’s You line until I smelled Fleur. It strikes the perfect balance of approachable and interesting: playful from apricot skin, sophisticated from osmanthus and ylang-ylang, and a little sultry from the mineral salt accord. It reminds me of eating saltwater taffy by the beach when I was a kid. Now, I literally count down the days until it’s warm enough to start wearing it again.”—LAUREN GRUBER, COMMERCE EDITOR
| Key notes | Mineral salt, ylang-ylang, osmanthus, apricot skin, cashmeran, ambrox |
| Scent family | Fresh floral |
One Cosmo editor says: "The first time I smelled this, it immediately took me back to tanning on my best friends' trampoline in June of 2008. We probably played Radio Disney and talked about which Jonas Brother we had a crush on. It's a super nostalgic scent that obviously feels summery and beachy, but also warm and cozy."—BETH GILLETTE, BEAUTY EDITOR
| Key notes | Green mandarin, pineapple, coconut, frangipani, orange blossom, musk |
| Scent family | Solar |
One Cosmo editor says: “Dragon Fruit literally smells like the color pink: it's flirty and bright, with a melange of juicy watermelon, ripe pineapple, and delicate peony. Plus, it's impressively long-lasting and reminds me of body sprays from our teen years. Seriously: one whiff of this mist and I'm immediately transported to the shopping mall in my hometown. Call it nostalgia in a bottle.”—LG
| Key notes | Pineapple, watermelon, dragonfruit, peony, plum blossom |
| Scent family | Fruity |
One Cosmo editor says: "This smells like eternal summer. When I get kinda sad about the dwindling days of warm weather and salty air, I just spritz on this watery, fresh perfume. It evokes the feeling of spending all day in the ocean and coming home and taking the best everything shower of your life. IDK where Jake's house is, but I want an invite."—BG
| Key notes | Neroli, watery notes, musk, honey |
| Scent family | Aquatic |
One Cosmo editor says: “Citrus perfumes notoriously fade quickly, yet Never-Ending Summer lasted much longer than all the perfumes I tried in this category. The fresh citrusy aroma feels unique, probably because the spritz accord and cardamom add a vibrant element. I can’t wait to douse myself in this as the weather heats up.” —DANIELLE COLIN-THOME, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL OPERATIONS
| Key notes | Italian spritz accord, vetiver, bitter orange, cardamom, musk, cedar |
| Scent family | Citrus |
One Cosmo editor says: “Forget everything you heard about tea fragrances being ‘barely there’ or blending into the background. This solar-floral gourmand combines the velvety spices of pink chai with the airy femininity of orange blossom, leaving a long-lasting scent that’s as sensual and romantic as it is comforting and clean. I can’t wear this out without at least one person asking me, “‘What are you wearing?’”—ARIEL WODARCYK, FREELANCE WRITER
| Key notes | Madeleine, pink chai, orange blossom, freesia, sandalwood, amber |
| Scent family | Floral gourmand |
One Cosmo editor says: “While I typically don't favor coconut as a standalone note, this one blends perfectly with my skin and body chemistry. It’s sweet, but not overly so. I also gotta mention, I love the story behind this woman-owned brand. Following her friend's injury in the army, founder Barb Stegemann vowed to carry forward his mission of peace, leading to the creation of The 7 Virtues and their motto: "Make Perfume Not War."—DANA PARRA, ASSOCIATE SALES DIRECTOR
| Key notes | Coconut water, frangipani, citrus, sea salt, jasmine, vanilla |
| Scent family | Solar |
One Cosmo editor says: “Some of the best summer scents don’t overtly smell like a basket of tropical fruit or coconut sunscreen. Ellis Brooklyn’s Salt is beachy in an understated way—it’s got solar floral notes like ylang-ylang and tiare flower, all grounded by an ambergris accord that smells like salty skin after a dip in the ocean.”—LG
| Key notes | Ylang-ylang, violet leavees, tiare, sandalwood, ambergris, musk |
| Scent family | Musky floral |
Jo Malone London Mini Raspberry Ripple & Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne Set Duo
Jo Malone London Mini Raspberry Ripple & Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne Set Duo
One Cosmo editor says: “If you can’t commit to just one scent, I highly recommend picking up this travel-sized duo. It comes with Wood Sage & Sea Salt, an aromatic woody scent that smells like driving over the coast with your windows down, and Raspberry Ripple, a fruity berry scent inspired by a popular British ice cream flavor. It’s the perfect way to try old and new favorites from Jo Malone London.”—LG
| Key notes | Ambrette, sea salt, sage, driftwood (Wood Sage & Sea Salt); red currant, raspberry, white musk (Raspberry Ripple) |
| Scent family | Woody (Wood Sage & Sea Salt); fruity (Raspberry Ripple) |
Lauren Gruber is a shopping editor at Hearst Magazines with more than five years of professional writing experience. She specializes in fragrance, beauty, fashion, and lifestyle content for Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, and more. Before her time at Hearst, Lauren graduated from New York University and wrote for Shop TODAY, Entertainment Tonight, Self, V Magazine, L’Officiel, and more. When she’s not researching Prime Day deals or testing the latest perfume launches, you can find Lauren hanging out with her cat Serafina or flexing her AMC A-List membership at the movie theater.
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