Here in my part of the world, we’ve reached the turning point in summer when I’ve decided that I’m mentally ready for cooler weather. The humidity is too high, the sun is too strong, and I’ve pared my wardrobe down to five lightweight dresses that can be machine-washed and worn on heavy rotation for the next two-plus months.

The same goes for my fragrance selections: I’ve pulled together a tray of very sheer rose perfumes, mint and/or green tea-inspired compositions, a couple of beach-y scents. And yet…sometimes I want to wear something sweet, especially if I’m lucky enough to be spending most of the day in an air-conditioned interior.

I remember a decant of Les Néréides Douceur de Vanille being one of my first hot-weather gourmand favorites, back when I was wearing lots of vanilla-intense perfumes (Jean-Paul Gaultier Classique, Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum!) but realized I needed something a little lighter for summer. Douceur de Vanille has been discontinued, alas, but there are still other choices in the “delicate dessert” subcategory.

I just wrote a review of three gourmand-lite fragrances for Now Smell This: Dries Van Noten Camomille Satin, Jordan Samuel Cortile Dolce and Bienaimé Fleurs d’Été. (Click to read!) Two of these fragrances made me really happy, like scoops of ice cream on a warm day; one felt a little disappointing, but it might be just what someone else is craving, so I kept it in the review.

Do you have any dessert-inspired or otherwise sweet-ish perfumes that feel just right to you in summertime? Feel free to tell us!

Image: detail of a vintage (1960s?) Dairy Queen advertisement