Lime in perfumery
Lime is a small green lemon with a strong character, it blends with all olfactory families. Perhaps because it reminds one of a Caipirinha or a Mojito. It is a citrus fruit that gives the perfume an exotic accent, a boost, it is joyful and danceable.
Lime is part of the citrus notes (cf. Citrus facet), i.e. citrus notes such as bergamot, lemon, orange, grapefruit,mandarin and yuzu. These notes contribute to the top notes.
The botanical family of the lime is the Rutaceae family.
Lime varieties
There are two varieties of lime, fruit similar to lemon, but smaller and rounder, with a green skin.
- Aurantifolia lime, an equivalent to the key lime, is smaller and rounder than the latifolia lime. It is used for cocktails in syrup or lemon juice for its strong and refreshing flavours and aromas. It is also used in pastry and in perfumery.
- Latifolia lime, this variety looks like a dark green lemon and is only used in perfumery.
The main producers of lime are Mexico, Peru, Haiti and Brazil.
Olfactive description of lime in perfumery
Lime is a fresh, lively, green (cf. Green facet), tonic and uplifting note. It has a natural coca-cola note as well as a sour candy smell. It is a very striking scent in a composition, more than a lemon for example.
Processing and manufacturing of lime raw material
The essential oil of lime is obtained by cold expression: expressed lime, as well as by the steam distillation. It is the only citrus fruit that is processed in both ways.
Virtues of lime
Lime has antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and sedative properties.
Lime in perfumes
The essence of lime is most often associated with fresh perfumes: eau fraîche and eau de Cologne. It brings freshness and sparkle to a fragrance. It is perfect in a citrus accord, associated with other citrus fruits in top notes such as bergamot, lemon, orange, mandarin and yuzu.
It can also be used to refresh the top notes of an oriental fragrance, to bring it a smile.
Finally, it can be used to create a breath of fresh air in exotic floral notes. It goes particularly well with flowers such as ylang-ylang or frangipani, as well as with coconut (cf. Fruity facet).
It is present in the mojito accord (mint, rum and lime) which was the basis of the Guerlain Homme fragrance, a fragrance developed by Sylvaine Delacourte.
Perfumes containing lime
Here is the list of the main perfumes that contain lime:
- Guerlain Homme by Guerlain
- Eau de Shalimar by Guerlain
- Habit Rouge by Guerlain
- Light Blue by Dolce&Gabanna
- Coconut Fizz by Guerlain
- Limette 37 San Francisco by Le Labo
- Pacific Lime by Atelier Cologne
Lime in Sylvaine Delacourte perfumes
Lime is present in Smeraldo and Lilylang from the Musk Collection, in Valkyrie from the Vanilla Collection and in Oscarine from the Orange Blossom Collection.
Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musk and Vanilla Collections. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.