It’s no secret that California is a magical place. The state’s beaches, mountains, and deserts are home to a wide variety of plants and animals, many of which inspire fragrances used in perfumes, candles, and home sprays. These scents can be light and floral or have a heavy masculine undertone. The right combinations of scents help to evoke feelings of being on the beach, walking through the hot desert, or even hiking through the mountains after a soft rain. Here are the top picks for perfume blends inspired by the state’s natural beauty.

Birds of Paradise

The smell is exotic and intoxicating, which is why it’s perfect for the California coast. A Birds of Paradise fragrance is a floral perfume that comes from tropical flowers like orchids and gardenias, and it melts into your skin as you wear it. Whether you’re walking the streets of Los Angeles or enjoying an evening out by the coast, these floral scents are the perfect combination when you want something that smells good, but doesn’t overpower.

Desert Rose

Most people only think about the heat and the sand when they think of the desert, but most Californians know that the desert beholds so much more beauty than that. A desert rose scent can be used in a body perfume or mist, a linen spray, or even as an air freshener. You might find the sweet rose smell combined with something earthy and exotic like sandalwood, bergamot, and musk.

Golden Sand

Golden Sand is a beachy scent that blends things like sandalwood, water lily, and musk. You can find fragrances like this available in a luxe candle, a silky body lotion, or a body spray. While the water lily adds a bit of feminine sweetness, this more masculine scent is good for men too. It’s the perfect scent for those who love traveling to the coast—the fragrance evokes memories of sunsets on the beach, sand between your toes, and saltwater in your hair.

Pacific Sun

Pacific Sun is a light, fresh blend of sun-drenched beach florals and warm, creamy sandalwood. This fragrance is inspired by the California coast, but it’s sure to appeal to people all over the world. It’s also very unisex and is perfect for men or women who like clean, fresh scents that aren’t too heavy or sweet. It’s similar to Golden Sand, but it incorporates more floral notes in its scent.

Sandalwood Temple

For those who love the earthy and warm smell of sandalwood, you will love something like this. Sandalwood is a fragrant wood used in incense and perfumes. Sandalwood comes from trees of the genus Santalum, which are native to India, Sri Lanka, and Australia. The essential oil is extracted from the roots and heartwood of these trees and has been used as an ingredient in incense since ancient times. Today it’s one of the most popular ingredients in perfume making around the world.

Sunrise Over Sea

Have you ever watched a morning sunrise from the ocean? Or watched the sunset over the water in the evening? The fragrance is a blend of citrus, floral and woody notes. The notes are orange, lemon, bergamot, lavender, cedar, and patchouli. This fragrance is certainly inspired by the California coast. It transports you to a beautiful beach where you can feel the warmth of the sun on your skin while sitting next to an ocean that sparkles like diamonds in the morning or evening light.

Summer Rain

Have you ever just sat and inhaled the smell of the earth after a warm summer rain and wished you could bottle it up? What does Summer Rain smell like? What does it remind you of? The air after a rainstorm has passed through your town or city has an earthy and clean smell much like this fragrance. People say that this fragrance smells like what it feels like when you step outside after an hour or so of rain has fallen, fresh and clean with just a hint of humidity underneath it all. The smell of summer rain can help you relax and is great in a body or room spray.

Finding a fragrance that’s inspired by the California coast means looking for a scent that blends earthy and warm smells with soft and subtle florals. It means looking at the contrasts between the hot and the cool, the ocean and the sand, the earth and the rain. These types of smells are the perfect way to help you remember the smell of the California coast.