With the days getting warmer, now’s the perfect time to swap your regular fragrance for something lighter, fresher and more summery. There are sound reasons for this.

For starters, heat tends to intensify fragrance, turning the average weapon of mass seduction sitting on your dressing table into a weapon of mass destruction (fans of potent perfumes like Thierry Mugler’s Angel and Paco Rabanne’s 1 Million take note). Secondly, summer tends to be a time of year when you want to smell clean rather than warm, woody or, given the trend for ‘gourmand’ fragrances in the last few years, like a walking cake shop.

Tones to go for in spring/summer

That’s where the citrus notes found in many summer-friendly colognes like Jo Malone’s Basil & Neroli come in. Molecularly lighter and more volatile than musky or vanillary notes, they zing off the skin. Studies have also shown them to have energising, mood-lifting effects. Some, like Dior’s legendary men’s fragrance, Eau Sauvage, contain an ingredient called hedione which, according to scientists at Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany, stimulates the part of women’s brains responsible for releasing sex hormones. Now you know why it’s been adored as much by women as men, since it launched in the Sixties.

Luckily, the bulk of fragrances that lend themselves to summer use are gender-neutral, meaning you can buy one bottle for your travels to share with your partner.

Fans of Tom Ford will love Sole di Positano – the latest addition in his acclaimed Neroli Portofino collection. While Dolce & Gabbana’s brand new unisex Velvet Cypress takes its cues from the Mediterranean by blending bergamot and lemon with warm cedarwood.

Timeless tastes

As well as new fragrances, it’s worth looking to the classics: Acqua di Parma Colonia – whose fans have included everyone, including Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn – it’s the nearest thing to bottled sunshine.

Cool, crisp and refreshing, these fragrances reflect the joy, spirit and energy of summer – wear them and you will, too.

6 best unisex fragrances to share with your gf/bf

1. Dior Eau Sauvage, £49.50 for 50ml, John Lewis
2. Tom Ford Sole di Positano, £155 for 50ml, House Of Fraser
3. Acqua Di Parma, £69.39 for 50ml, Amazon
4. Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Cypress, £165 for 50ml, Harrods
5. Jo Malone Basil & Neroli, £88 for 100ml, Jo Malone
6. Dermot O’Leary Bergamot & Basil, £22, Marks & Spencer

Read more: 6 unisex beauty products to share with your girlfriend/boyfriend