The Hesperidia or Citrus facet

Each fragrance is made up of various components that form an accord. The main accord will define the essence of the perfume, its soul, and will classify the fragrances by olfactory families (according to the Comité Français du Parfum - CFP): 

The accord, or main theme, can be dressed in several facets (the more facets there are, the greater the complexity of the perfume is), including the citrus facet.

The olfactory pyramid and the citrus facet

Although perfumes tend to evoke dreams and emotions, it is important to know that they are nevertheless based on advanced scientific and physical notions. Indeed, a perfume is complex, refined and delicate. Above all, it represents a set of notes chosen for their ephemeral or, on the contrary, tenacious side. 

A fragrance is very often represented in the form of an olfactory pyramid, where top notes are on the top, the heart notes are in the middle and the base notes are on the bottom of the pyramid. This scheme seems simple and educational, but in reality it is much more complex than it appears. Indeed, the notes interlock with each other, respond and sublimate each other. 

The citrus family

The citrus family also known as the hesperide family, is the oldest family in perfumery. The citrus facet is present in almost all perfumes. It dresses the perfume in top notes. It is volatile, therefore not very tenacious and gives a smile to the perfume. 

The citrus facet dresses fragrances for both men and women and is found in greater quantities in eaux de Cologne or eaux fraîches. The citrus facet becomes the main theme and thus determines the family to which the perfume belongs.

Citrus, such as lemon, bergamot, orange or grapefruit, give the first impression of the perfume, also called the smile or the flight, it provides fresh and invigorating scents. The citrus notes are composed of citrus fruits and should not be confused with the fruity notes (peach, apple, pear, and red fruits, among others). The fruity notes give a different olfactory effect to the fragrance.

 

 

Origin of the name hesperide

The hesperides take their name from the three nymphs, daughters of atlases and Hesperis, who were charged with watching over the garden of the gods. This fabulous orchard hid in its bosom golden apples (oranges) representing immortality and fecundity, fiercely guarded by the dragon with a hundred heads, the hesperides that Heracles then stole.

This Greek legend gave the name to the citrus facet. The latter brings together all the citrus notes that are so characteristic of their freshness and dynamism. This facet can also be called citrus facet in other classifications. The citrus notes are all produced from the essential oils contained in the zest of the fruit.

The citrus facet and its citrus fruits 

Here are the main citrus fruits belonging to the citrus facet used in perfumes: 

  • Bergamot 

The name bergamot comes from the Turkish "beg-armûdi" meaning "lord's pear". It is also said that the bergamot takes its name from the city of Bergamo where it was originally grown.

This citrus fruit comes from the bergamot tree, a tree that has been cultivated for 600 years in Calabria (in the region of Reggio di Calabria), in the south of Italy. It produces bergamots, a fruit with a greenish almost yellow skin. The pulp is not eaten because it is too bitter, only the bergamot peel is used in perfumery. This fruit is the result of a natural cross between the lemon tree and the bitter orange tree.

The zest of fresh, almost ripe bergamot is extracted cold, using huge presses. The juice of the bergamots, called essence or essential oil, is then rejected from these presses (called machina). The final product is dark green, with a delicious and very facetted smell (cf. The expression).

This essence is then processed and its colour changes from dark green to pale yellow. Phototoxic components, such as bergaptens, tended to cause numerous spots on the skin (especially when the essence had been incorporated into sunscreen products such as Bergasol). These bergaptens are now removed from bergamot essence and all other citrus fruits. To produce one kilo of essence or essential oil, 1,500 kg of fruit are needed.

The bergamot is called the fine flower of the citrus family. It has an extremely elegant, faceted and fruity note. Its note is also green, slightly floral and acidic, even bitter, but also sweet and round. 

It is the Mediterranean citrus fruit par excellence, a symbol of freshness, with a fruity, floral, acidic, sweet and explosive scent. Bergamot is the perfumer's favourite note and its scent is a perfume itself. However, as in any natural product, its quality depends on how it has been cultivated, processed and assembled. 

It is also possible to isolate the main constituents of bergamot (synthetic molecules) in its fragrance (lynalyl acetate and linalool), which give it a very fresh note, common to lavender.

Bergamot is also used in other products: bergamot sweets are the speciality of Nancy and some Earl Grey tea scents benefit from its delicious aromas. The peel of this citrus fruit was also widely used in the 18th century to make sumptuous decorated boxes that can be admired in the International Perfumery Museum in Grasse.

  • Communelle

Communelle is a judicious blend of different batches of a natural essence, creating a "standard" with a very precise smell. First of all, this makes it possible to obtain a strong identity, to give an olfactory seal to the fragrances and also to ensure, from one year to the next, a constant and homogeneous quality.

The buyer of raw materials and the perfumer can select green or ripe citrus fruits from these commonalities. The scent of the blend will therefore be very different depending on the selection made. In addition, many communelles come from fruit purchased from various growers who own plots of land in Reggio di Calabria. 

Guerlain's Shalimar, the "grand oriental", contains in its formula 30% of bergamot, contrasted with oriental scents and sensual notes of vanilla, resins, incensea and opoponax (cf. Balms). 

  • Sweet orange 

Sweet orange, originally from China, now comes from Florida and Brazil. Its scent is exactly similar to that of orange juice. It is the most widely grown citrus fruit in the world and 60% of the production of orange juice and orange essence is carried out in Brazil in the province of San Paolo. It is a booster that awakens the nostrils. Sweet oranges can be used on different supports. 

  • Bitter orange 

Bitter orange is more faceted than the sweet orange, it comes from a tree, the bitter orange tree, found in Tunisia or Italy. Its scent has more to do with its skin than with its pulp. Three other products are born from this magical tree: petit grain (often from Paraguay) and in the floral notes, neroli and orange blossom absolute. 

  • Mandarin

Mandarin is a very sunny citrus note. This citrus fruit has more character than bergamot. It is also bitter and green. This note is more striking because its scent is impregnated by the skin of the citrus fruit. Finally, the mandarin brings a big smile to the fragrance. It possesses a characteristic medicinal nuance, and thus is a true sign of a composition.

There are different varieties of mandarins: the first essence is green, then yellow and finally red. This citrus fruit native to China, its name comes from the colour of the robes worn by mandarins. Another story tells that the name "mandarin" comes from the time when the fruit was offered as a gift to the Mandarins during the holidays. It was introduced in Europe much later than the orange tree. The mandarin is mainly found in Italy and Brazil. The name Tangerine given to the USA comes from the city of Tangier, in Morocco, where cultivation is intensive.

Mandarin essence is obtained in the same way as bergamot, by expression: the skin is crushed by machines that harvest the precious nectar it contains.

The mandarin is a note very present in the perfume L'Instant by Guerlain, developed with the perfumer Maurice Roucel and created in collaboration with Sylvaine Delacourte. This feminine fragrance with exotic white flowers is composed of jasmine, tuberose, magnolia, with a sensual and oriental base of vanilla notes (created with benzoin resin) and sandalwood.

Mandarin blends particularly well with white flowers, especially orange blossom (cf. Sylvaine Delacourte's Orange Blossom Collection).

  • Clementine 

This citrus fruit used in citrus fragrances has a scent very close to that of mandarin. Brother Clément, a white father from Algeria, had succeeded in creating a seedless type of mandarin, hence the name clementine. The scent of the clementine is also juicier than that of the mandarin. It is a cross between mandarin and orange. Juicy and sparkling, it goes well with certain fruity notes. 

  • Yuzu 

Yuzu is a small Japanese yellow lemon that is very expensive, even when bought locally. There is little production of yuzu and only a few confidential brands can use natural yuzu in their fragrances. Indeed, Japanese yuzu production could not support a major international launch. Consequently, some brands can only use a "reproduction" of the citrus fruit.

Yuzu is an exquisite and complex citrus fruit. They have a multi-faceted scent, like a mixture of several citrus fruits, with a dominant mandarin note. This is a racy scent.

In Japan, yuzu is also used in teas, fingerrinses and sorbets, to enhance sashimi, or to relax in a hot bath.

  • Lime 

Lime is a small lemon with a smooth green skin, yet its fragrance evokes a yellow-orange colour. It has the particularity of reminiscent of the taste of Coca-Cola. You have probably already tasted it in some dishes or in the famous caipirinha drink.

This citrus fruit has relief and character. Once its detergent facet has been tamed, it subtly dresses the freshness of citrus compositions. 

The Mexican lime, known as key lime, is the most cultivated fruit in Mexico. There are several kinds of lime trees, and the main lime producing countries outside Mexico are Brazil, Peru and Haiti.

The lime is the only citrus fruit whose essence is created by distillation, but it is also possible to obtain it by expression. Finally, it is a citrus fruit that is particularly suitable for fragrances for men. In the Guerlain Homme fragrance with its Mojito accord, lime goes very well with vetiver (cf. The woody facet).

Lime also goes particularly well with mint, blackcurrant, a vibrant wood like patchouli. It acts "like a ray of sunshine" on the composition.

  • Lemon 

The origin of the lemon lies somewhere between the south of China and India, it was introduced into the Mediterranean basin during the Arab invasions in the 10th century. It gives a very acidic and fusing citric note. The lemon note is also rising, tonic and lively. The lemon is celebrated every year during the Carnival of Menton in February. It comes mainly from Argentina but also from Spain, USA and Italy. Lemon is present in the perfume Helicriss from Sylvaine Delacourte's Musk Collection.

  • Cedrat

The cedrat comes from a tree called the cedar tree. Very similar to the lemon, this citrus fruit has a thick skin and a marked acidity, but finer than the scent of a lemon. The citron comes from Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, Corsica and China. Moreover, this citrus fruit is more often used in cosmetics than in perfumery.

  • Verbena 

Verbena is a plant and not a citrus fruit, yet it gives a charming note, both lemony and airy. A note in the same register: the Litsea cubeba. 

In perfumes, citrus scents can be brought by other natural materials, this is the case of verbena, (see above) ginger (fresh spice), they can reinforce the tonic and fresh start of a lemon. Lemongrass can reinforce the tonic side of an eau de Cologne, lavender can also support bergamot in the heart notes.

  • Grapefruit 

This citrus fruit is the result of a hybridisation between pomelo and sweet orange. Florida is the largest producer of grapefruit. Little used as a natural product, it is often associated with blackcurrant (there is a base called Citroasis, used in Pamplelune de Guerlain). Perfumers also like to associate grapefruit with vetiver, whose "mootkatone" has a molecule common to the smell of grapefruit zest. Grapefruit goes particularly well with the rhubarb and white flowers notes.

Fragrances with citrus facet

There are a large number of fragrances with a citrus facet. These include many classic and modern Eaux de Cologne, mixed eaux fraîches, and many fragrances for women.

Classic Eaux de Cologne 

Citrus notes were very often used along with aromatic notes and neroli in the first perfumed compositions, which were the eaux de Cologne. There is no official version on the exact origin of the name eau de Cologne, for some, the first eau de Cologne would have been marketed by Paolo Féminis who would have brought it back from Cologne (recipe of Aqua Mirabilis) and bequeathed it to his nephew Johann Anton Farina. For others, the real eau de Cologne was created by Giovanni Maria Farina and Feminis, would have been only a myth. Difficult to draw a conclusion, both these are plausible.

Here are a few references of classic Eaux de Cologne with citrus facet: 

  • Eau Impériale Guerlain
  • Eau du Coq Guerlain
  • Eau de cédrat Guerlain
  • Eau de Cologne Roger Gallet
  • Eau de Cologne 4711
  • Eau de Cologne Chanel 
  • Eau de Cologne Dior
  • Blenheim Bouquet Penhaligon’s
  • Colonia Acqua Di Parma
  • Agua Lavenda Puig

Modern eau de Cologne 

Concerning modern eaux de Cologne, more tenacious are Mugler's Eaux de Cologne: Come Together as well as L'Eau de Cologne du Parfumeur by Guerlain, Cologne Bigarade and Cologne Indélébile by Frédéric Malle.

Unisex eaux fraîches 

In their classical style, eaux fraîches are often dressed in the base notes of warmer compositions such as chypre, woody, ferns, or patchouli, oak moss, tonka bean.

Here are a few references of unisex eaux fraîches with citrus facet: 

  • Eau sauvage Dior
  • Eau pour Homme Armani 
  • 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
  • Paris Venise Chanel
  • Paris Biarritz Chanel
  • Paris Deauville Chanel
  • 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
  • Citron Noir Hermès
  • Yuzu man Caron
  • Dimanche à la Campagne Guerlain
  • Bronze Goddess Estée Lauder

Perfumes, eaux de toilette and classic eaux de parfum

Here are a few classic perfumes, eaux de toilette and eaux de parfum, with a very important citrus facet: 

  • Chance Eau vive Chanel 
  • Chance Eau fraîche Chanel
  • Shalimar Souffle de Lumière Guerlain
  • Eau fraîche Addict Dior 

Conclusion 

The citrus facet can be qualified by its sparkle, smile, cheerfulness, vibration, but also by the energy and dynamism it brings to fragrances. Citrus fruits sublimate floral, oriental and aromatic notes at the same time. In perfumery, citrus fruits are present in all olfactory themes.

The citrus facet in Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances

In Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances, the citrus facet is favoured because it brings sunshine and a big smile to the scents. The only fragrance in the citrus family is Oranzo from Orange Blossom Collection. You can find

Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musks 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.