Consider any of the best summer perfumes and you’ll likely identify a recurring theme—these are scents that smell like a tropical holiday. Sweet vanilla, fragrant coconut and tropical blooms like frangipani and tiare are just some of the sun-kissed notes that bloom in popularity as soon as the weather warms up. And it’s easy to understand why. Evoking salty skin, cocktails by the pool and white sandy beaches, these perfumes are like a holiday destination that you keep coming back too—warm, joyful and familiar. But this summer there’s a more unusual note stepping into the spotlight and it’s already trending. Enter: banana perfumes.
Despite being a huge fragrance fan, when I noticed that banana perfumes were emerging as a summer trend I was surprised that I couldn’t locate a scent in my current collection that contained the note already. “Banana lives on the fringes of fine perfumery. It’s too joyful, too strange…which is what makes it challenging to define and work with in a commercial, mass sense,” says Romy Kowalewski, founder of 27 87. And despite first impressions—I was expecting the note to have a sweet sickliness to it—Kowalewski points out that it’s surprisingly complex.
What do banana perfumes smell like?
Energetic, joyful, yet surprisingly sophisticated, Kowalewski describes banana as a note that isn’t trying to be elegant, but somehow is. “It has a high, volatile top note that quickly gives way to a creamy heart, full of floral nuances: jasmine, clove, even a hint of something animalic. And then it softens, like velvet, like the last spoonful of a dessert,” says Kowalewski. Unlike many summer perfumes which tend to either be a fruity gourmand sugar bomb or a homage to salty sunscreen, this year’s banana-spiked perfumes are a whole lot more nuanced.
“Bananas in perfumery can go wrong so fast and can tip into cartoonish if the note isn’t anchored,” Kowalewski explains. Therefore, you’ll often find that banana is blended with creamy woods, white florals and hints of spice for a vibrant and lively fragrance with a tropical edge. “For our own banana perfume, Hakuna Matata, we worked with perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux and balanced it with honey, abdanum, musks and radiant woods to create tension and sophistication. The banana stays wild, but never loud.”
Ready to switch up your summer scent for something bold, bright and undeniably fun? Ahead, our pick of the 5 best banana perfumes for the season ahead.
1. 27 87 Hakuna Matata
(Image credit: 27 87)
It only took one spritz of this delicious banana perfume from 27 87 for me to declare it my scent of the summer. It’s utterly joyful and uplifting—the ripe banana has an almost nostalgic sweetness to it—yet the supporting cast of florals and more resinous notes means that it has subtle elegance too. Kowalewski describes it as being “soft yet striking, bright but grounded” and I couldn’t agree more. This is a complex, radiant fragrance that I defy anyone not to be warmed by.
2. Ellis Brooklyn Banana Milkshake Mist
(Image credit: Ellis Brooklyn)
Admittedly, this is a body mist and not a perfume, but Ellis Brooklyn are renowned for their delicious fragrances—and this banana mist from their summer milkshake collection is truly mouthwatering. I was expecting something that smelled like a retro foam banana sweet, but this surprisingly manages to just steer clear of being totally saccharine. Instead, it has an undeniable creaminess, with a tropical twist. To me, this is like a grown-up ice cream sundae—yes, there’s banana and fruits, but there’s an almost boozy undertone thanks to rum wood and heady tonka bean too. A delightfully modern summer gourmand.
3. Kayali Maui in a Bottle Sweet Banana | 37 Eau de Parfum
(Image credit: Kayali)
A homage to vacation season in all its tropical glory, this is a bright and sunny fragrance that transports me instantly to a 5-star beach resort complete with white sands and a pina colada in hand. The sweet banana is the undeniable star of the show to start with—lush, fruity and slightly green—but it soon gives way to decadent coconut cream and heady jasmine which give it an unexpectedly expensive-smelling edge. It’s luxurious, sweet, and I’ll be happily dousing myself in it all summer long.
4. Borntostandout Nanatopia Eau de Parfum
(Image credit: Borntostandout)
When I saw that banana bread was the key note in this rather cacophonous gourmand I was expecting a sweet, bakery-inspired scent—but oh how wrong I was. This is like a boozy holiday in a bottle. Imagine an overripe banana that’s been soaking in dark rum with a side of warm skin and vanilla musk. It’s surprisingly sultry, totally unique, and manages to capture a little of that nostalgic familiarity of banana but without it verging into a juvenile scent. Instead, think of this as banana bread meets an underground jazz club. It sounds strange, but it works.
5. Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Banane Eau de Toilette
(Image credit: Comptoir Sud Pacifique)
While this probably doesn’t have quite the depth and complexity of some of the other banana perfumes on the list, if you’re looking for a splashy, fruity, summer scent that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face then this is it. It opens with a blast of ripe banana and sugary vanilla that, when combined, somehow has a creaminess that captures that sun cream accord I love in so many summer fragrances. Then comes an almost powdery coconut with a hint of spice from nutmeg—a nostalgic note that adds an unexpected element of comfort. It’s playful, carefree and an instant mood booster.