Citrus familyTop note
Mandarin
Mandarin is a top note from the citrus family: with orange, one of the sweeter, rounder citrus notes.
- 01Family
- Citrus
- 02Pyramid
- Top
- 03Best seasons
- Spring, Summer
- 04Type
- Note
What does mandarin smell like?
Mandarin: with orange, one of the sweeter, rounder citrus notes.
From our page: Citrus fragrance familyIs mandarin a top, heart or base note?
Mandarin 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 mandarin 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 mandarin
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.
Discovery20 Best Winter Perfumes for Women (2026)The best winter perfumes for women: 20 amber, gourmand, smoky and warm floral picks, from Baccarat Rouge 540 to Mon Guerlain, with notes from each house.
Find the perfumes built around mandarin.
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.