Citrus
Fragrances built on the essential oils of citrus peel: bergamot, lemon, orange, mandarin, grapefruit.
Citrus on top, often herbs or orange blossom in the heart, light woods or musk at the end.
Also known as: hespéridés / citrus
The French term hespéridés refers to the Garden of the Hesperides in Greek mythology, where the golden apples grew. Citrus oils are obtained mainly by cold-pressing the peel, not by distillation.
Citrus materials are highly volatile. That is why a classic eau de cologne is bright but brief – and why modern citrus fragrances need a firmer base of woods or musk.
On a cosmetics label, citrus often shows up as limonene, citral or linalool – components of the oils that the EU requires to be listed above a set threshold.