Bergamot fragrances

Bergamot is the most used opening note in perfumery, and once you learn it you will smell it everywhere. It is a bitter citrus from Calabria, the same fruit that flavors Earl Grey tea, and it smells like lemon that went to finishing school: bright but rounded, zesty but faintly floral. Perfumers reach for it because it lifts everything underneath without stealing the show, which is why it opens scents as different as Creed Aventus, Coco Mademoiselle and Le Male. On skin it burns off within the first hour, so never judge a bergamot-led scent by the opening alone. To learn the note properly, smell a fresh pot of Earl Grey, then spray Coco Mademoiselle: that sparkle up top is the bergamot.

Designer fragrances built with Bergamot. 50 perfumes that feature the note, from top to dry-down.

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