The citrus family
The citrus family or citrus perfumes is one of the 6 olfactory families, that are used to classify perfumes, according to the classification of the Comité Français du Parfum (CFP). Here are the 6 olfactory families that exist :
- The citrus family
- The floral family
- The amber or oriental family
- The chypre family
- The woodland family
- The fougère family
The architecture of a perfume
Before defining the citrus family, it is important to understand the orchestration of a fragrance. All fragrances consist of an architecture of 5-10 components, which together form an "accord". The main theme of a perfume will be given by this main accord, which can be assimilated to the "soul" of the fragrance, and which will allow the perfume to be classified in its olfactory family. Each theme (such as woody, floral, citrus) can be dressed with one or more facets by the creator of the fragrance, in order to make the architecture of his fragrance more complex.
The definition of a citrus fragrance is that the main accord is made mainly of citrus fruits, they are found in large quantities in eaux de Cologne and in eaux fraîches. It is a fairly unisex note.
It is a family that is present in the classification of perfumes for women, for men, for children and teenagers. The difficulty for the perfumer to work with citrus notes is to give them tenacity in a composition or a perfume. Working with citrus fruits notes for candles is even more difficult.
What is the citrus family?
A fragrance belongs to the citrus family when the citrus facet is presented in large quantities in the fragrance, thus defining the main accord, or "theme" of the fragrance.
In addition, the very fresh and dynamic citrus notes give the fragrance a "smile", meaning that they will be felt as soon as the first notes take flight, they are highly volatile.
The citrus family and its citrus fruits
Here are the main citrus fruits used in perfumery belonging to the citrus family:
- Bergamot
A perfumer's favorite note, bergamot has a unique scent: it is also described as the "fine flower" of citrus.
The citrus fruit offers an extremely refined, highly faceted note. Its scent is also green, slightly floral and acidic, even bitter, but also sweet and round. However, the quality of the bergamot in a fragrance will depend on the way it is grown, processed and assembled, like in case of any natural raw material. Only bergamot zest is used in perfumery (the pulp is too bitter to be used). The latter must be processed by cold extraction, using large presses, which will release the essential oil of bergamot.
- Communelle
In perfumery, a communelle is a harmonious composition of several batches of a natural essence that creates a "standard" with a specific scent. This blend gives an olfactory signature to the fragrances to guarantee the same quality from one year to the next. In the citrus family, communelle can be composed of green citrus fruits, or other more or less ripe citrus fruits. Communelle is also made for jasmine.
- Sweet orange
The scent of sweet orange is exactly the same as that of orange juice. Nowadays this citrus fruit comes from Florida and Brazil, but is originally from China.
- Orange Bigarade
Very bitter, the scent of this citrus fruit is mostly soaked by its skin rather than the pulp. Bitter orange comes from the bitter orange tree, native to Tunisia and Italy (which also produces the petit grain, the neroli and the orange blossom absolute) (see The floral facet).
- Mandarin
This citrus fruit offers a big smile to the citrus fragrances: its scent is very sunny, green, and somehow bitter, as it is impregnated with the skin of the citrus fruit. The essence of mandarin is used in perfumes. It is obtained by expression method: the skin is crushed by the machines that harvest the nectar.
- Clementine
Clementine offers to fragrances from the citrus family a scent close to that of mandarin (it is actually a seedless mandarin, whose scent is juicier).
- Yuzu
This small Japanese lemon has a delicious and very complex scent, as it is very faceted, like if it was composed of several citrus fruits. However, this product is very expensive, even locally, because its production is very small. Often it has to be reproduced or reconstituted from other raw materials by the perfumer-creator. Natural yuzy is present in the Sylvaine Delacourte’s Smeraldo perfume, a particularly unisex scent.
- Lime
A small green lemon that delicately and very abstractly dresses the fragrances of the citrus family. It also gives a lot of character and relief to the fragrances. Its scent is somehow similar to the taste of Coca-Cola.
To be used in perfumery, lime must be processed by distillation (the only citrus fruit that can be extracted in this way), or by expression. Very suitable for men's fragrances, it also goes very well with vetiver, as it does in Guerlain Homme.
Lime is present in Lilylang by Sylvaine Delacourte, it helps soothe the scent of solar white flowers (jasmine, ylang-ylang, frangipani).
- Lemon
Lemon offers a very dynamic, acidic and uplifting note. It is presented in Helicriss from Sylvaine Delacourte's Muscs Collection. This fragrance is based on an aromatic note that is very difficult to work with called the immortal flower.
- Citron
Coming from a tree called "cedar tree", this citrus fruit similar to lemon is very acidic. However, its scent is more delicate. It comes mainly from Mediterranean countries and China, and is more often used in cosmetics than in perfumes.
- Verbena
With a lemony, light and delicate scent, vervain is used in perfumes of the citrus family. Yet it is not a citrus fruit, but an aromatic plant.
- Grapefruit
A citrus hybrid, crossed between pomelo and sweet orange, grapefruit is rarely used as a natural product in citrus fragrances. Perfumers often associate grapefruit with vetiver or black currant. Grapefruit is present as a smile in Sylvaine Delacourte’s fragrance Vanori.
Fragrances from the citrus family
Many fragrances belong to the citrus family, such as classic and modern eaux de Cologne, eaux fraîches, perfumes for women or for men.
Citrus Eaux de Cologne
Here are a few references of classic Eaux de Cologne from the citrus family that are not very tenacious:
- Eau Impériale, Eau du Coq, Eau de cédrat de Guerlain, Eau de Cologne Roger Gallet.
- Eau de Cologne 4711, Eau de Cologne Chanel, Eau de Cologne Dior.
As for modern, Eaux de Cologne Mugler as well as L'Eau de Cologne du Parfumeur are more tenacious.
Unisex citrus Eaux Fraîches
Here are a few references of eaux fraîches from the citrus family:
- Eau sauvage Dior
- Eau Guerlain
- O Lancôme
- Eau Hermès
- Eau d’Orange Verte Hermès
- Eau Cartier
- Eau Givenchy
- Les Eaux Fraîches Roger Gallet
- Les Eaux de Politesse Serge Lutens
- Ck One Calvin Klein
- Light Blue Dolce Gabbana
- Les Aqua Allegoria Guerlain
- Chance Chanel
- Eau de Soleil Blanc Tom Ford
- Neroli Portofino Tom Ford
- Les Escales Dior
- Les Jardins Hermès
- Les Eaux de Cologne Atelier Cologne
- Orange sanguine Atelier Cologne
- Citron Noir Hermès
- Yuzu man Caron
- Dimanche à la Campagne Guerlain
- Bronze Goddess Estée Lauder
Citrus fragrances derived from a classic perfume
- Chance Eau Vive Chanel
- Chance Eau Fraîche Chanel
- Shalimar Souffle de Lumière Guerlain
- Eau fraîche Addict Dior
Conclusion
The fragrances of the citrus family are very tonic, sparkling and sunny. In addition, citrus enhances many other olfactory families, such as floral, oriental and aromatic ones. In perfumery, citrus can be found in all olfactory themes.
Citrus fragrances by Sylvaine Delacourte
Sylvaine Delacourte's compositions include many citrus notes. Indeed, they illuminate the perfume and bring it a lot of sunshine. In the citrus family, you will find Oranzo from the Orange Blossom Collection.
If you are a fan of citrus fragrances, you should also discover :
- Vahina with clementine
- Smeraldo with yuzu
- Lilylang and Valkyrie with lime notes
- Helicriss with lemon notes
- Vanori with grapefruit notes
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.
More articles
The floral family
There are 6 different olfactory families in perfumery, which allow to classify the perfumes (citrus, floral, amber or oriental, chypre, woody and aromatic). The feminine floral family is certainly the richest and broadest family that exist. Floral fragrances are also highly appreciated and popular all over the world.Floral notes, which can be described as "figurative" or "abstract" notes, are numerous and differ a lot from each other. Thus, it is impossible to love all the floral fragrances, as their scents are varied and specific, it often happens to appreciate a particular category of flowers.In perfumery, there are also "soliflores" or "floral bouquets". These floral notes can be found in all olfactory families and are more likely to be found as heart notes in a perfume. Here are the different categories of flowers in floral fragrances: Green / spring or vegetal flowers White or sensual flowers / solar flowers Powdery flowers Spicy flowers Roses Atypical flowers
The woody family
The woody family is one of the six olfactory families used to classify perfumes into categories according to the classification of the Comité Français du Parfum (CFP). Here are the six olfactory families that exist : Citrus family Floral family Amber or oriental family Chypre family Woody family Ferns family Each fragrance is composed of an architecture of 5 to 10 components that fit together. As in music, this is called an "accord". The main theme of a perfume will be given by this main accord, which in a way represents the soul of the fragrance. Each main theme (such as woody, floral, or citrus) can be dressed in one or more facets by the perfumer-creator, in order to make the architecture of his fragrance more complex (the more faceted a fragrance is, the more complex it will be).
The fougère family
A perfume has an architecture, it is built around an assembly of 5 to 10 components. This is called "a chord", just like in music. The main chord gives the theme of a perfume. In a way it is its soul. The olfactory families make it possible to classify the perfumes according to the French Committee of the Perfume (CFP). Each main theme, such as woody, floral or citrus, for example, can be dressed in one or more facets. The fragrances of the fougère family, also known as the fern family, do not have the scent of the plant called "fern”.
The oriental family
Before defining the oriental family, it is important to understand the orchestration of a fragrance. All fragrances consist of an architecture of 5 to 10 components, which together form an "accord". The main accord will give the fragrance its full personality. This precise orchestration has made it possible to distribute fragrances according to a rigorous classification (defined by the Comité Français du Parfum - CFP), distinguishing them into olfactory families. There are 6 different olfactory families: The citrus family The floral family The amber or oriental family The chypre family The woody family The fougère (or ferns) family Each family can then be complexified and dressed with several olfactory facets.
The chypre family
The classic Chypre note is a mix of bergamot, jasmine, rose, patchouli, tree moss, labdanum and some animal notes. This olfactive family can be associated with different facets, but a chypre fragrance is by definition always woody.