Citrus familyTop note
Bergamot
Bergamot is a top note from the citrus family: the bittersweet Calabrian citrus that anchors most colognes.
- 01Family
- Citrus
- 02Pyramid
- Top
- 03Best seasons
- Spring, Summer
- 04Type
- Note
What does bergamot smell like?
Bergamot: the bittersweet Calabrian citrus that anchors most colognes.
From our page: Citrus fragrance familyBergamot is a small bitter citrus fruit grown mainly in Calabria, Italy, that produces one of the most-used top notes in perfumery.
From our page: Fragnatique glossary
Is bergamot a top, heart or base note?
Bergamot is a top note.
- Top15 minutes to 2 hours
- HeartHour 1 to hour 5
- Base4 to 12+ hours
Bergamot is the most common opener in modern perfumery, one of the citrus oils that make up most top notes.
From our page: Top, Middle, Base: How the Notes Pyramid Actually WorksTop notes are the first impression: you smell them in the air before the perfume even touches skin, and they fade within an hour or two.
From our page: Top, Middle, Base: How the Notes Pyramid Actually WorksWhat does bergamot pair with?
Citrus top notes are frequently rounded by neroli or petitgrain from the bitter orange tree, and longevity improves when the scent is built on a woody or musky base.
Named partners
Also in the citrus family
The citrus family bridges to
Read more about bergamot
HistoryWhat Is Eau de Cologne? Farina, 1709, and Napoleon's CologneEau de Cologne is a light perfume named after Cologne, where Farina first made it from citrus; Germany's patent office dates the firm to 13 July 1709.
HistoryGuerlain's Eau de Cologne Impériale and the Empress's Bee BottleGuerlain created Eau de Cologne Impériale for Empress Eugénie's 1853 marriage to Napoleon III, LVMH says, and still sells the cologne and its bee bottle.
ScienceWhat Is Ambroxan? The Molecule Behind Dior SauvageAmbroxan is the lab-made form of ambroxide, the molecule that gives ambergris its scent. What it smells like, what it is made of and why Sauvage uses it.
Find the perfumes built around bergamot.
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