Neroli perfumes

From the bitter orange tree

Neroli comes from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree. Steam distillation of the flowers gives neroli oil, while solvent extraction gives the deeper, sweeter orange flower absolute. The same tree supplies a third material, petit grain, distilled from leaves and twigs. A pyramid may say neroli, orange blossom or orange flower. They overlap without being identical: neroli is the fresher, greener, slightly bitter one, and some houses name an origin, such as Tunisian neroli.

Between the peel and the flower

Neroli sits at the seam between top and heart. It has the sparkle of citrus, but its character is floral: clean, a little green, faintly honeyed, bitter at the edge. It is lighter than orange blossom absolute and far less heady than jasmine or tuberose. In a composition it softens citrus, gives white musk a floral face and links bergamot to jasmine, rose or iris. Cologne structures have long relied on this role.

Places to find it

• Amouage Reflection Man puts neroli in the heart with orris, jasmine and ylang-ylang, under rosemary, red pepper berries and bitter orange leaves, over vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood and cedarwood. Amouage files it as fougère, amber.
• Jo Milano Paris Game of Spades Double Bonus names Tunisian neroli beside Guatemalan cardamom and Indonesian nutmeg, under Calabrian bergamot and two oranges, over Java vetiver oil. Jo Milano Paris calls it fresh spicy, citrus, aromatic, sweet, woody.
• Jo Milano Paris Game of Spades Emerald holds orange blossom, neroli and ginger essence in the heart, between bergamot, ginger and grapefruit and a base of musk and ambrette.
• Les Eaux Primordiales Musk Superfluide opens with aldehydes, neroli and ambrette, then rose, iris and violet, then benzoin, white musks and ambroxan. Les Eaux Primordiales calls it icy white musk.
• Stéphane Humbert Lucas Taklamakan pairs neroli with Calabrian bergamot and osmanthus on top, Chinese cedar and Indian patchouli in the heart, and vanilla, cistus, benzoin and musk below.
• Fragrance Du Bois Oud Jaune Intense keeps orange blossom in a heart of jasmine and white flower, under monoi, ylang ylang and pineapple, over vanilla, musk and vintage oud. Fragrance Du Bois calls it Fruity Floral.

Neroli or orange blossom

The position of the word tells you its job. Neroli in the top is an airy, bitter-bright start. Either word in the heart gives a white-floral body that is easy to wear. With aldehydes and white musk it reads clean, with ginger, cardamom or nutmeg it turns dry and spicy, and above woods and vetiver it adds a thin floral light. Look for orange blossom if you like it sweeter and creamier, and for neroli if you want it fresher and greener.