When temperatures rise, what does your scent say about you?.

Fragrance requires heat – from humid skin, the summer sun or, better still, rapturous clinches – in order to become perceptible. The hotter it is, the larger a scent appears, an unfortunate fact of life that’s made all too obvious when travelling on the Tube in August.

As you can imagine, the risk of asphyxiating your fellow man with your new eau de parfum runs rather high during the summer months. And so there are some hard and fast rules when it comes to selecting a summer fragrance, most notably the one that reads “less is more”.

Average men are also encouraged to go for colognes (which contain less perfume oil) that are green or citrusy because they feel cooler and lighter in the heat. And while these types of fragrance are all wise choices for summer, they can be a little restrictive, not to mention generic, for the discerning nose who prefers a more creative statement.

Rather than think about fragrance in terms of olfactory families, we’ve selected seven essential summer scents by the sort of personality they embody – a fragrance enneagram, if you will. Read on to find the right one for you.

Bayolea by Penhaligon’s

A contemporary spin on an old-fashioned bay rum formula from the Penhaligon’s archives, Bayolea is clean, green, spicy and heavy on lemongrass instead of traditional citrus notes. Depending on where you stand on Thai cuisine, you will either love or hate this unusual twist. There is a faint barbershop smell about the scent that is reminiscent of the lavender-heavy fragrances of yesteryear but, despite its retro influences, Bayolea is anything but stuffy and old fashioned.

Molecule 01 (2006) by Escentric Molecules

Where most fragrances depend on the complex harmonics of individual notes, Molecule 01, as its name suggests, is made of one single ingredient, an aromachemical called Iso E Super®. Smelled in isolation, Iso E Super® isn’t a scent so much as a texture or a feeling. Finely tuned sniffers may pick out a subtle velvety-woody quality that comes and goes, but it is Iso’s ability to smell/feel different on each person that makes it so popular (something to do with the aromachemical reacting with skin heat). This unique ability has earned Molecule 01 a reputation as the pheromone of the fragrance world.

Petrana by Odin

It takes a real man to wear a sweet floral of this calibre. Centre stage is Petrana, the black-blossomed iris that’s native to the Jordanian desert, with orris root, spicy pepper, vetiver and heliotrope playing supporting roles. This dark “desert floral” is best suited to summer nights; a couple of sprays will last until dawn, should you be the type who often finds evenings getting lost in revelry.

Sicilian Wood by Tom Daxon

Described by its creator as a “citrus grove warming in the sun”, Sicilian Wood opens with a rush of lemon, tangerine and bergamot that contrasts with the heavy heat of cedar and sandalwood lingering in the base. The zesty lemon opening makes quite a statement on a summer’s day, but the woody and spicy notes come to the fore over time. Far more intriguing than a by-the-numbers citrus cologne, this is a cool and very considered choice.

APOM Pour Homme by Maison Francis Kurkjian

The acronym APOM stands for A Part of Me, with “me” being lauded perfumer Mr Francis Kurkdjian (of Jean-Paul Gaultier Le Mâle fame), not you. Mr Kurkdjian has hinted that the piece he’s leaving behind is the scent of post-coital bliss in the form of orange blossom (lots of it), cedar and an intoxicating hit of amber. There is a honeyed, vanilla quality to APOM, but nothing that detracts from its masculinity. Sensual but elegant and clean at the same time.

No 89 by Floris

This traditional cologne may belong to a certain era, but its appeal hasn’t waned in the 64 years since its release. The formula has been copied countless times, but modern imitations pale in comparison to this smooth combination of citrus notes, a floral heart and a woody-mossy base. Author Mr Ian Fleming favoured 89 so much that he name-checked Floris in Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever and Dr No, references that ensured the house would be associated with British sophistication for decades to come.

Gypsy Water by Byredo

When lemon makes an appearance in a summer scent, it’s usually to champion the fruit’s biting citrus quality. In the case of Gypsy Water, however, the lemon is soft and sweet, with a hint of vanilla, a juxtaposition that gives the scent a creamy, almost edible (drinkable?) quality for the first 15 minutes. Then the gypsy-ness appears: incense, pine, orris and sandalwood create a forest-campfire vibe. More the seductive male protagonist in Mr DH Lawrence’s The Virgin and the Gypsy than the toothless old-timer who hangs around caravan parks.

**Not to be forgotten **

“A man should wear his fragrance where he wants to be kissed,” says Ms Émilie Coppermann, the nose behind niche creations for The Different Company as well as Lalique, Paco Rabanne and Ferrari. Alternatively, spritzing on a shirt or scarf will do. “Something a man can ‘forget’ somewhere so that he won’t be forgotten,” she adds.

Scent to suit

“A lovely way to wear fragrance is to apply it to the lining of your jacket,” says Ms Lyn Harris, founder of London perfume house Miller Harris. “When a gentleman takes his jacket off at a restaurant, you get a wonderful waft of something tasteful and chic.”

Get experimental

“A few drops on your chest, behind your neck or your ears are enough. But, if you’re more adventurous and want to try other parts of your body, then there’s the back of your knees, the bottom of your back... they’re fine, too,” says Ms Camille Goutal, the in-house perfumer for (and daughter of) Annick Goutal.

Spray it like you mean it

“Apply fragrance after a shower, when the skin is still warm and slightly damp – the perfume will settle beautifully,” says Ms Linda Pilkington, founder of London perfumery Ormonde Jayne. “Spray over the neck and chest area and get ready to walk the walk.”

Something in the hair

“Hair holds fragrance well so if a man has a lot of hair, he should spray it,” says Ms Azzi Glasser, the perfume designer famed for her creations for Agent Provocateur and Alexander McQueen, among others. “But the main thing is not to spray too much, underplay it rather than overdo it,” adds Ms Ruth Mastenbrœk, the perfumer behind scents for Jo Malone and Kenneth Turner, as well as her own line of fragrances.