I Want to Smell Like a Banana This Summer

Ellis Brooklyn’s Banana Milkshake launched in May 2025 and quickly became a runaway hit on TikTok, selling out after a month. It’s true to its name: very sweet, very creamy, and very indulgent, a blend of banana milk, tonka beans, and rum woods topped with a hefty swirl of frothy whipped cream. I enjoy a milky quality when it’s paired with something muskier or more skin-forward, but combined with so much tooth-aching vanilla sweetness in Banana Milkshake, it was too saccharine for me. It’s also available only as a body mist, not as an EDP or even an EDT, so it didn’t last very long. But I could see it being an effective bridge betweenBath & Body Works scentsand more grown-up perfumes (as its virality with TikTok teens basically confirms).

Perhaps to capitalize on the popularity of Banana Milkshake, Ellis released another banana-y scent, Isla Sirena, this past March. This one goes in a more tropical direction with notes of coconut water and lime balanced with Blue Java banana and papaya. And though it’s not listed in the official notes, I also caught a strong whiff of mango. I preferred the lighter, breezier vibe of Isla Sirena over Banana Milkshake’s sweetness, though I’d probably wear it only in the warmer months. Isla Sirena also didn’t last very long, as is usually the case for light, summery scents. Still, I could definitely see myself spritzing this one for a day of lounging and drinking daiquiris by the pool.

Kayali’s banana fragrance, Maui in a Bottle, launched around the same time as Banana Milkshake and contains notes of banana, coconut, jasmine, and vanilla. The banana is not a very strong presence; instead, it’s the floral element that stands out. I could pick up hints of tropical fruit here and there, but they were largely overwhelmed by a lush, dense jasmine. I also caught some funkiness that really wasn’t for me. Both Isla Sirena and Maui in a Bottle are meant to be worn in a warm, beachy locale, but if I were packing a suitcase and had to choose between the two, I’d probably go with Isla Sirena.

Juliette Has a Gun’s Banana Rush, launched last month, is definitely inspired by the bananas foster: a decadent dessert made of flambéed bananas poached in caramelized brown sugar, rum, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The perfume combines banana and maple-syrup top notes with a vanilla and sandalwood base. Though it’s still sweet, it’s darker and more complex than Banana Milkshake, thanks to the caramel nuttiness, with a slightly charred note. I found it a little too strong for the time being — I’d likely save it for chillier weather — but it could be your banana-infused fragrance if you’re someone who likes rich, deep, woody scents.

The fact that Zara has a fragrance line was not previously on my radar, but once I smelled Sun Kissed Banana, launched last year in August, I didn’t feel like I’d missed much. Despite the scent description mentioning notes of meringue, almond, and banana flower, as soon as I spritzed it I was smacked in the face with banana-flavored Laffy Taffy — just pure, uncut artificial banana. And while I wouldn’t turn down a banana Laffy Taffy if I was offered one, it’s not exactly how I’d want to go around smelling unless, say, I was cheekily going as a banana for Halloween.

Le Monde Gourmand just released its new fragrance Banane Délice, with notes of banana milk, pineapple, orange, and coconut — a concoction that immediately evokedsunscreenfor me. It smells just like the Hawaiian Tropic I used to pack in my Disneyland go bag to reapply while waiting in line for Splash Mountain. It’s not unpleasant, but it’s quite strong and, well, not particularly sophisticated. With that said, it could make sense to wear during a fun day in the sun as long as it doesn’t clash with your actual SPF.

I’m quite fond of Marc Jacobs’s iconic Daisy scent, so I had a feeling I would enjoy this flanker, and I was right. Daisy Wild helped kick off the banana-fragrance boom all the way back in January 2024; it’s a fruity-floral scent that blends banana blossom, chocolate daisy, pear, and vanilla, and it turned out to be my favorite of the bunch. The opening is bright and juicy, somewhat reminiscent of walking into a candy store, before settling down in floral territory. I appreciated that while it’s definitely a sweet scent, it doesn’t go full gourmand — the banana blossom gives it a springy freshness that keeps it from being too cloying. It’s a banana perfume that’s not too on the nose and one I’ll definitely be wearing frequently as summer kicks off.

Of all the banana-inflected perfumes I sniffed, this one is the most artful and intriguing. It’s inspired by the blue bananas that grew in Nette founder Carol Han Pyle’s backyard in Hawaii, which have a creamy texture and vanillalike taste. It’s sweet but also soft and powdery, with rice milk and mochi notes accented by floral white hibiscus and grounded by a heavy sandalwood base. Even the packaging feels more elevated: a geometric square bottle in an unexpected Yves Klein blue. If you want to hop on the banana-perfume trend without smelling obvious or overly youthful, this one’s for you.