As a beauty editor and perfume lover, I see many perfume trends come and go. And as the autumn perfume trends begin to emerge amongst the new perfume launches and on my social feeds, an unexpected theme has emerged in the forecast: rain perfumes.
“As Brits, we have a rather particular relationship with rain. We’re used to it shaping so much of the year; we talk about it, plan around it, dress for it, complain about it and, secretly, I think, rather love it,” says Sarah Reason, founder of Soliflore. “It’s part of our landscape and, in a way, part of us. Rain is woven into so many of our memories: muddy walks, wet pavements, the sound of rain against the window, coming home and putting the kettle on. It’s familiar, comforting and uniquely British.”
Curiously, Google searches for rain perfumes are up 5,000% this week. And after a long summer of heatwaves, it could well be why we’re gravitating towards the scent as we welcome in a new season. However, the notes associated with downpours may be speaking to us on a deeper level, allowing us to connect with nature and all its elements. In many ways, rain perfumes allow us to touch grass in a quick spritz.
“Nature has always offered us a sense of escape from the noise of everyday life, and scent is one of the quickest ways to get there; few smells are quite as evocative as rain. The heady smell of rain on earth just after a downpour, the smell of wet leaves and moss in the woods, rain hitting a warm pavement, or that cool, almost metallic freshness in the air just before a storm,” says Reason. “Perhaps that’s why rain has become such an interesting theme in fragrance. We’re not necessarily looking for a perfume that smells like standing in a downpour. We’re looking for that feeling, the sense of being surrounded by nature, of taking a deep breath of cool, fresh air, of the world being briefly quiet and washed clean,” she says.
What Is the Scent of Rain?
“Rain, or petrichor, isn’t actually one smell, but a combination of tiny molecules being released into the air when raindrops hit the ground, akin to a cocktail of whatever’s happening in the air and on the ground around you,” explains Reason.
“One of these is geosmin, a compound made by microbes in the soil, responsible for the unmistakable earthy scent we associate with rain. Plants, leaves and fungi add to the mix, which is why rain in a forest can smell woody, green and slightly mushroomy, whereas rain hitting a warm pavement can pick up all sorts of dust, oils and other compounds that have been sitting there, giving it a sharper, more mineral-like smell,” she says. “And if you’ve ever noticed that fresh, almost metallic scent before a thunderstorm, that can be down to ozone, which is produced during electrical activity in the atmosphere.”
If you’re ready to embrace rain perfumes, scroll on for the most refreshing fragrances to spritz, come rain or shine.
Best Rain Perfumes
- Best Overall: Perfumer H Steam
- Best Fresh Rain Perfume: Clean Reserve Rain Reserve Blend
- Best Rainy Floral Perfume: Gallivant London
- Best Woody Rain Perfume: Maison Margiela Replica When the Rain Stops
1. Perfumer H Steam
Best Overall
Key notes: Green tea, mandarin, plum, white flowers, black pepper, cedar wood, juniper wood, sandalwood
“I am mad about Steam from Perfumer H, a beautiful, hypnotic, early morning mist fragrance,” says Reason. Perfumer Lyn Harris drew inspiration from the lingering mist in the remote mountains and ancient forests of Jingai, China. It’s dewy, bright and woody, making it both grounding and sense-clearing. Rain Wood (£145) is another rain-inspired scent, capturing the calm tranquillity after a downpour in the Scottish Highlands.
2. Clean Reserve Rain Reserve Blend
Key notes: Bergamot, cucumber, waterlily, white flowers, cyclamen, lily-of-the-valley, patchouli, vetiver, musk
This splashy, fresh scent makes me feel the nostalgic joy of jumping in spring puddles as the rain clouds part to make way for a burst of sunshine. It’s fresh and dewy, and really captures the freshness of the air after rainfall with cucumber and sparkling bergamot.
3. Gallivant London
Best Rainy Floral Perfume
Key notes: Cucumber, violet leaf absolute, rose, orris root, suede, sandalwood, patchouli, cedarwood
“I am also a big fan of London, by Gallivant, which has a refreshing wet cucumber accord to represent the rainy London streets,” says Reason. This one captures the feeling of getting caught in the rain in your brown suede jacket after picking up freshly cut roses from the Columbia Road flower market.
4. Nancy Meiland Rosier
Best Rainy Rose Perfume
Key notes: Bergamot, tangerine, blackcurrant, pink pepper, galbanum, rose, geranium, white pear, jasmine, peony, violet, mimosa, tobacco, hay, angelica seed
“I also love Rosier from Nancy Meiland, which has a delicious dewy petals-on-rose vibe,” says Reason. Coupled with the soft spiciness of pink pepper and the greenness of geranium, it captures the petals, thorns and buds of the entire flower, doused in dewy droplets of rainwater.
5. D.S. & Durga Steamed Rainbow
Best Rainy Forest Perfume
Key notes: Red mandarin, orange and yellow elemi resin, green cedar, blue almond flower, indigo grass, violet, vapour accord, vetiver
To me, this one feels like stepping into a vapourous rainforest, with the scent of colourful flowers and the crunchy greenness of vines seeping into the humid air. As you can see from the notes, it draws from notes from all colours of the rainbow, and feels technicolour to your nose. It’s dewy and brimming with colour. If a rainbow has a scent, this would be it.
6. Maison Margiela Replica When the Rain Stops
Best Woody Rain Perfume
Key notes: Bergamot, vegetal accord, pink pepper, aquatic accord, rose petals, jasmine grandiflorum superinfusion, pine needle oil, patchouli essence, moss accord
Maison Margeila’s Replica perfumes are inspired by nostalgic moments that we can all relate to—and When the Rain Stops captures the feeling of throwing open your windows as the rain begins to ease. Carrying in a soft, refreshing breeze, it perfectly captures the petrichor scent after a drizzly morning, with a woody, mossy base that feels comforting and grounding.
7. Loewe Smoky Rain
Best Smoky Rain Perfume
Key notes: Pink pepper, bergamot, benzoin, cedarwood, incense, amber, patchouli, white musk
This new launch draws inspiration from rain, but with a smoky incense twist that carries the heady atmosphere of a late-summer storm, with thunderstruck woods and sparkling citrus that sizzle on the skin. A great perfume to take you into the autumn season that will cling beautifully to your knitwear.
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