The Perfume World Is Hearing the Mermaids' Call

Collage featuring a perfume bottle figures in water a seashell a swimming figure underwater a person lying on sand and a closeup of an object — Ellis Brooklyn / Glossier/ Main Rose / Getty Images / Byrdie

Wanna play mermaids? I’m going to be a mermaid princess with long pink hair and a turquoise tail, and you can have purple hair and a green tail, okay? We live in a castle and all the fish love us because we are so kind and beautiful, but an evil sea witch is trying to kidnap us to take over the ocean kingdom!

Even if you’re “grown up,” there’s a pool-hopping little kid in all of us who wants nothing more than to dive into those bright blue waters and pretend to be a sea siren with their friends.

But alas, adult life calls, and those blissful days spent swimming and splashing often feel like a distant, nostalgic memory of sweet, enchanted youth. However, your fairytale days don’t need to vanish altogether; you can always hop in the pool with your pals and play mermaids when the spirit moves you, or you can splash on a perfume that feels like something the mischievous mermaids in Peter Pan, Aquamarine from Aquamarine, or Madison from Splash would wear.

When browsing for a mermaid-worthy fragrance, look for notes reminiscent of their home habitat: ocean water, sea salt, island flowers like tiare and plumeria, and solar accords crafted to smell like the sun shimmering on the water. Ahead, we've rounded up some of the most delightful mermaid-inspired perfumes to help you play the role of sea siren even on land.

01 of 10

Ellis Brooklyn Isla Sirena

Elllis Brooklun Isla Sirena Eau de Parfum — Ellis Brooklyn

$115 at Ellisbrooklyn.com

As its name suggests, Isla Sirena—or Mermaid Island—is basically the ultimate mermaid perfume, and the brand even says it feels like "discovering your inner mermaid." Isla Sirena is a fresh aquatic fragrance with notes of coconut water and lime blended with rich, sweet papaya, vanilla, and banana, equal parts tropical vacation and kingdom under the waves.

02 of 10

Lore Sublimity

$92 at Sephora

Solar fragrances, or those created to mimic the warm, golden feel of sunlight, are perfect for aspiring mermaids, and Lore's Sublimity feels like a day on the water: jumping in and feeling the bracing cold of the ocean on your skin, floating on your back and gazing up at the clouds, drying off under a hot summer sun. Coconut and musk notes evoke that hot-skin scent, with heady ylang and earthy sandalwood playing backup.

03 of 10

Bath & Body Works Coastal Dreaming

Bath and Body Works Coastal Dreaming perfume — Bath & Body Works

$70 at Bathandbodyworks.com

If you can't let go of your beloved vanilla fragrances but crave something that feels more summery, this light and airy fragrance might do the trick. It blends warm vanilla with woody notes and a sprinkle of sea salt for an East Coast mermaid vibe, like a magical siren hanging out on Martha's Vineyard.

04 of 10

Phlur Island Swim

$39 at Sephora

Mermaids can live all over the world, and Island Swim is definitely a Southern Hemisphere scent, with tropical notes of plumeria and creamy coconut swimming alongside lavender, bergamot, and ocean mist. It fades into a base of sandalwood, amber, and skin musk for a come-hither trail that would easily enchant any sailor.

05 of 10

Orboils Harper

$90 at Orboils.com

A fragrance oil like this one from Orboils feels like something Ariel would tuck away in her stash of human treasures and apply secretly before Sebastian took notice. Harper is a clean and crisp blend of lemon, amber, and salt—perfectly suited to mermaids who swim around the Hamptons when the tourists are gone during the week.

06 of 10

House of Bō El Sireno

$365 at Houseofbo.co

In the eternal film Zoolander, the titular model Derek Zoolander appears in a TV commercial as a merman, speaking about how water is the essence of moisture and moisture is the essence of beauty. Had that commercial been set in 2026, he’d be wearing this aquatic floral fragrance with notes of lavender, banana leaf, white florals, and sandalwood for sure.

07 of 10

Glossier You Soie

$82 at Sephora

It's You... but a mermaid. This beachier take on Glossier's bestselling You scent features notes of tiare flower, jasmine, and ambrox for a warm, sensual skin scent those glam mermaids in Peter Pan would definitely try to swipe from Wendy. (The ocean-blue bottle is so pretty!)

08 of 10

Ascent to Inspire Imbued in Amazonite by Ascention Parfums

perfume bottle with a crystal — Ascention

$135 at Ulta

Speaking of pretty bottles, this "eau de parfum elixir" is infused with amazonite to help promote feelings of creativity and joy—so it's basically made for a grown-up game of mermaids! Note-wise, Ascent to Inspire is a "fresh gourmand" with notes of sweet coconut, rich incense, and spicy cardamom brightened up with sea salt and bergamot.

09 of 10

The Original Mermaid Perfume

Mermaid Perfume bottle and packaging labeled No 1

$40 at Mermaidperfume.com

Every mermaid has this in her rotation; it's not called the Original Mermaid Perfume for nothing! It's a sweet, simple orange flower scent with a delicate sillage, like a mermaid princess washed her hair with flowers and is now swimming gracefully through the ocean, scent wafting behind her as she floats. (Wait, can mermaids wash their hair?)

10 of 10

Ex Nihilo Lust in Paradise

Ex Nihlo Lust in Paradise perfume — Ex Nihlo

$385 at Ex-nihilo-paris.com

Ex Nihilo describes the scent profile of its pink-hued Lust in Paradise as a "floral waterfall," which simply couldn't be a more beautiful—and mermaid-adjacent—descriptor. Whereas other scents on this list land in the "aquatic" camp, this luscious floral puts the "siren" in "sea siren." Pink pepper, peony, and lychee are flirty with an edge, much like the Neverland mermaids, warmed by a musk and ambrox base.