Citrus familyTop note
Lemon
Lemon is a top note from the citrus family: sharp and clean, often in Sicilian or Amalfi varieties.
- 01Family
- Citrus
- 02Pyramid
- Top
- 03Best seasons
- Spring, Summer
- 04Type
- Note
What does lemon smell like?
Lemon: sharp and clean, often in Sicilian or Amalfi varieties.
From our page: Citrus fragrance familyIs lemon a top, heart or base note?
Lemon is a top note.
- Top15 minutes to 2 hours
- HeartHour 1 to hour 5
- Base4 to 12+ hours
Because the molecules are so light, the citrus family lives almost entirely in the top notes, so the base from a supporting family determines whether the scent lasts an hour or all afternoon.
From our page: Citrus fragrance familyTop 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 lemon 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 lemon
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.
ScienceTop, Middle, Base: How the Notes Pyramid Actually WorksThe fragrance notes pyramid explained: what top, middle and base notes are, why perfume opens bright and dries down warm, and how to read a pyramid.
Find the perfumes built around lemon.
Fragnatique reads every perfume down to its notes and scores it against your own taste, with the reason behind each match written out. Start from a note you love and let the app do the narrowing.