Cherry Perfumes Are the Official Fragrance of Summer: 6 Trending Picks

Last year's fragrance trends told us to go big or go home: Gourmands were huge, but mellow skin scents became a fragrance wardrobe staple. So it's no surprise that cherry is this season's trendiest note. While cherry scents often open with a juicy punch, the stone fruit pairs beautifully with more delicate, long-wearing bases like amber, vanilla, smoke, and almond.

And cherry scents aren't just easy to wear—they're also versatile. Ahead, we've picked some of our favorites. Whether you're looking for the most iconic bottle for your vanity (that'd be Tom Ford's Lost Cherry, basically the cherry-perfumes prototype) or want to discover your next favorite niche, you're sure to find your pick.

The Iconic One: Tom Ford Lost Cherry

We can't talk about cherry fragrance without talking about Tom Ford's Lost Cherry. Housed in an iconic glossy red flacon, Lost Cherry opens with a burst of juicy black cherry and almond frangipane, drying down to a vanilla, ambery base. Wisps of rose and jasmine add a bit of romance. It's sweet, moody, and addictive. While often imitated, Lost Cherry's nuance and balance set it apart from other big cherry scents.

The Gourmand One: DS & Durga Gateau Blackout

Inspired by the German confection Black Forest Gateau, D.S. & Durga's Gateau Blackout is a rich, wearable cherry scent that adds a bit of spice, forest, vanilla, and, of course, chocolate to the mix. Last year's fragrance trends saw a boom in both skin scents and gourmands, and Gateau Blackout traffics in both—creamy cocoa and vanilla make this surprisingly wearable, while pine and black cherry add depth and sillage. Despite evoking a snowy forest, I wore this on one of the hottest days of summer and it was a perfect going-out scent; the jasmine and smoke added nighttime moodiness.

The Experimental One: Clue With the Candlestick

Clue is, hands down, the most exciting niche perfumery right now. The Candlestick, one of the house's debut trio of scents, is an intense but cheeky cherry fragrance. Burning wax, hot metal, smoky cherry, cinnamon, and incense make for a moody interpretation of cherry that will carry you out of farmer's market season and into the fall or winter.

The Subtle One: Stora Skuggan Thumbsucker

Instead of opening with bright cherry, Stora Skuggan's Thumbsucker places the stone fruit at the heart of the fragrance. Including buttery violets and honey, Thumbsucker is a solid start for anyone who wants to try something cherry without smelling like a fruit stand. Plus, you'll get major points from perfume lovers when they see this on your vanity.

The One You Can Wear to Work: Nest Black Tulip

Nest's Black Tulip is a highly wearable fruit-forward bottle that adds plum and patchouli to the mix. Black Tulip is unchallenging, but that doesn't make it uninteresting. If you want to try something cherry you can take from work to the weekend, Black Tulip is a safe bet.

The One That'll Take You Back to the Mall: Snif Tart Deco

For a more fruit-forward, nostalgic take on cherry, try Snif's Tart Deco. With a raspberry-boosted red fruit juiciness and a vanilla drydown, Tart Deco is one of the most straightforwardly fun cherry scents available.