Rule Your Summer: Sexy Scents

Sexy summer scents may seem like a counterintuitive proposal since olfactory notes that are most often associated with sex appeal — namely amber, musk, and sandalwood — are the opposite of the fresh scents we associate with summer fragrance. Luckily, it doesn't have to be one or the other, here's a look at scents that are both sexy and refreshing.

Tom Ford

Private Blend White Suede 

Eau de Parfum Spray, $205

Hands down my favorite scent, and not just because a cute guy once told me it made me smell like a baby, White Suede includes notes of saffron, thyme, sandalwood, and musk balanced by lighter notes of suede and lily-of-the-valley.

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Roger & Gallet

Ginger Fragrant Water, $30

Formulated to be stimulating, this scent's notes include ginger flowers, neroli, and bergamot.

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Soap & Glory

Original Pink Eau de Parfum, $35

A sweet floral, this affordable fragrance combines bergamot, rose, gardenia blooms, jasmine, musk, and amber with fruity notes including orange leaf, lemon, peach, and strawberries.

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Lancome

Tresor Midnight Rose, $44-$75

A sweet floral scent that combines notes of raspberry, jasmine, peony, pink pepper, rose absolute, musk, and cedar.

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Bond No. 9

Chez Bond, $160-$230

Not for the faint of heart, this aggressive but enticing scent combines citrus, herbal tea, and sandalwood.

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Guerlain

Lys Soleia, $61

The latest addition to Guerlain's famed Aqua Allegoria collection which was launched in 1999, Lys Soleia combines notes of bergamot, lemon zest, lily, ylang ylang, tuberose, vanilla, and musk.

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Gucci

Flora by Gucci 

Gorgeous Gardenia, $70-$100

Part of a collection of five just-launched new Gucci fragrances, Gorgeous Gardenia is formulated with red berries, pear, white gardenia, patchouli, and brown sugar and it's described as a "lushly enticing" scent worn by women who draw men in like "bees to a blossoming flower."

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Hermes

Ambre Narguile, $235

A hearty but very sweet scent, Ambre Narguile is a tempting fruity amber.

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Valentino

Valentina, $80

This scent goes to show that feminine florals don't need to be boring. The floral oriental has a lingering orange flower note along with bergamot, jasmine, tuberose, wild strawberries, amber, and interestingly enough, white truffle.

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Prada

Candy Eau de Parfum, $108

This youthfully sweet scent irresistibly combines caramel and white musk.

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Sharon Feiereisen

Sharon Feiereisen, is a freelance writer based in New York City. Her work has been published in Newsday, AM New York, WHERE New York, Dan's Papers, and on BlackBook.com, among many other print and online outlets. Fluent in French and German, Sharon is a confessed jewelry addict with a particularly strong affinity for nOir and Hermes. Check out her tumblr blog, Random Happenings.

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