Citrus fragrances

Focus on the Citrus Olfactory Family

The citrus family, more commonly known as the "citrus" family, is the oldest olfactory category. Used in both cooking and perfumery, citrus fruits have a timeless character: they continue to be just as successful over the years and are essential in natural perfumery, thanks to their freshness and their tangy, light tone. A hesperidic fragrance is a sparkling, fresh, and light fragrance.

The family of hesperidic perfumes includes citrus fruits, whose essential oil is obtained by cold pressing: an extraction method by pressure during which the peel is separated from the fruit and then pierced to obtain the zest. Only the peel is used because it is the only part of the citrus fruit rich and fragrant enough in the form of essential oil. After obtaining the zest, it is decanted and filtered. This process allows to obtain a fresh and invigorating smell and, above all, is the simplest of all those used in perfumery because it does not alter the basic product in any way.

Ingredients of Citrus Fragrances

Citrus notes are by definition top notes because they do not last more than an hour. Their note is very volatile and ephemeral. They provide lift and a sparkling opening at the top of a composition: they constitute the first impression a perfume gives off. Among the most well-known notes of a hesperidic perfume, one will find natural ingredients such as bergamot, citron, lemon, orange, grapefruit, mandarin... Some are sweeter while others are more bitter, as citrus fruits oscillate between bitterness, acidity, and sweetness.

Hesperidic perfumes often combine more than one citrus fruit, like Un je ne sais quoi where the top notes combine lemon and bergamot. Citrus notes have also found their place in men's perfumes, such as Dandy Chic or Monsieur French.

Citrus notes blend wonderfully with other olfactory families. For a fresh and gourmet combination, fall for the perfume set Petit Caprice & Un je ne sais quoi. And to discover all possible Mix&Match options, go directly to our dedicated page: all our Mix&Match perfume sets.