The tropics conjure up images of exotic fruits, beaches, and salty days spent at the beach. A sort of, never-ending summer, and the freedom of vacation. It’s no wonder why so many ladies want to wear perfumes with a tropical bent. In this post, I am going to put forth what I feel are the best fragrance options in this category, and provide choices which capture different aspects of the tropic sensibility.

9 Tropical Fragrances for Her

Celebrity Tropical Scent

Britney Spears Sunset Fantasy EDT Spray, 3.3 Ounce– Sunset Fantasy takes the Fantasy moniker in a fruity direction. It opens up with a zesty citrus combo of mandarin orange and grapefruit. These notes are supported by apple and peach. It feels summery and much more tropical, than you’d think.

As it dries down, Sunset Fantasy has a much more creamy aroma with milk froth and the peach note becomes much stronger. It’s juicy, smooth, creamy, and a bit warm with amber. This Britney perfume exudes a beachy summer vibe and has elements of a tropical drink. Good projection and performance. A very nice new addition to the lineup. Full Sunset Fantasy Review

Clean Aquatic

Davidoff Cool Water Eau De Toilette Spray for Women, 3.4 Ounce–  Cool Water for Women gives you initial blast of citrus notes, mainly lemon, with its aquatic undertones. Then, the floral ingredients come in and give Cool Water a different tone, along with sandalwood for its soapiness.

It’s overall vibe is very clean, breezy, and definitely evokes memories of life at the beach. Nice performance and extremely affordable. This one has stuck around for a long time and delivers a lot for a low price.

Island Party Vibes

Escada 100 Ml EDT Spray, Rockin Rio, 3.3 Fl Oz– Citrus and floral notes that give Rockin’ Rio a very tropical feel as the name would indicate. Pineapple, pina coloda, sugar cane, tangerine, and papaya are the highlights. Rockin’ Rio is a fantastically delicious summertime scent, with an upbeat and sunny aroma.

This is the kind of Escada perfume that you would wear casually to a party or outdoor event, not an office or close quartered environment. Rockin’ Rio has a very large sillage with plenty of pineapple, papaya, and a sugar note running throughout. Probably best for younger ladies, who want a fun and flirty scent.

High End Designer Perfume

Tom Ford Eau de Soleil Blanc Spray, 3.4 Ounce, Eau de Toilette Spray– Soleil Blanc gets compared to the unisex, Virgin Island Water, a lot. Yes, there are similarities, but I think that this Tom Ford is actually the better scent. First, Soleil Blanc doesn’t have the boozy elements or as much citrus, as VIW does.

What it does feature, is floral notes: jasmine, ylang-ylang, and tuberose. Also, a unique pistachio, and enough amber to make it inviting.  Soleil opens with that coconut note, and a very juicy bergamot, with an underlying tuberose floral note.

These ingredients pair well and add the sweet creaminess of the perfume, but this is made spicier by the cardamom and just a hint of warm pink pepper.

The dry down becomes more floral and creamier with the coconut. The cardamom sticks around, but this is ultimately a white flower bouquet and coconut experience with a sunny personality. It has really good performance and delivers that day at the beach vibe to perfection. The sillage isn’t super strong, but Soleil Blanc will last for 10+ hours.  Soleil Blanc Full Review

Unique Blend

Acqua Di Parma Blue Mediterraneo Fico Di Amalfi Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 5 Ounce– This one gives you that familiar Blue Mediterraneo burst of citrus notes, including grapefruit and bergamot. Then, the outstanding fig note comes along as the dominant force, to create a sweet and unique experience.

The grapefruit and lemon are strongest at the top, but it leans more grapefruit, than the other perfumes on this list. Once the citrus settles down, it plays very well off of the fig, and light cedar base. I don’t always like fig in fragrances, but this has to be one of the best examples, of how to do it right.

Tropical Coconut Floral

Comptoir Sud Pacifique ALOHA TIARA EDT, 1 fl. oz.– Here is another option for those who want a tropical floral perfume. Aloha Tiara utilizes both frangipani and tiare flowers. The tiare flower dominates the composition, including over the ylang-ylang and vanilla notes. However, it does take on a further sweet creamy/milky quality with the coconut.

The coconut, is very present during the drydown, and even overtakes the tiare note with its power, at times. The performance is great and you do ultimately get a more floral experience, versus just a coconut bomb, or some other fruity notes.

Oceanic Perfume

Comptoir Sud Pacifique Eau de Toilette Spray, Aqua Motu, 3.3 fl. Oz.– Another entry from Comptoir Sud Pacifique, because this one presents a different and more oceanic, kind of take on this category. In fact, this is one that I can say, won’t be appealing to everyone.

It’s the beach in a bottle. A stroll along the shore. Dry sand with hints of driftwood, sitting in a salty aquatic environment, with a helping a seaweed. Reminds me of a more feminine take on the Bvlgari Aqva series. Again, this is a unique tropical scent, but one which might find a home for a certain percentage of women.

A Boozy Cocktail

Bond No. 9 Coney Island Eau De Parfums Spray, 3.4 Ounce– An interesting, aquatic, and somewhat boozy summertime wear from Bond No. 9. Coney Island kicks off with a burst of citrus, melon, and a really nice oceanic note.

A few minutes in, it feels like a cold tequila based cocktail, that is full of melon, guava, and strong citrus. The oceanic note, does feel salty, and actually comes across as being quite breezy. That is certainly helpful in adding to the cocktail effect, of this scent. That’s pretty much what you’re going to get from Coney Island, with some light woods in the latter stages.

This one, isn’t a daily wear, but can be a fun wear for casual days during the summertime. Sort of niche and limited, while having its positive qualities.

Simple and Unique Tropics

JO MALONE LONDON Tropical Cherimoya Cologne 100 ml. Limited Edition– A fruity fragrance from Jo Malone, led by cherimoya, that gives it a magnificent tropics vibe. I didn’t know what that fruit was, but I enjoy the vibe that it puts out, and the use of pear along side of the cherimoya.

This one is super sweet, beachy, with a freshness that permeates the entire thing. Underneath all of that, there is a tonka bean creaminess, and a floral influence.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.