Citrus · Natural material · Top notes
Bitter orange
Bitter orange is the citrus Citrus × aurantium, also called sour orange, Seville orange or bigarade. The oil from its peel smells fresh like citrus zest, but more bitter and slightly greener than sweet orange. In perfume, bitter orange usually sits in the top notes and gives a bright opening without sweetness.
· Written by the FRAG team
What does bitter orange smell like?
Bitter orange smells like squeezed citrus peel, with a clear bitterness and a green side like fruit that is not fully ripe. Compared with sweet orange, bitter orange feels drier and less juicy, which gives it a more grown-up character.
On skin, bitter orange is strongest at the start, then the bitterness softens and blends into the heart of the perfume. Because it is not sweet, bitter orange is often used so that an opening does not smell like orange juice.
Where bitter orange comes from, and what its tree gives
Bitter orange comes from Southeast Asia and southern China. It spread through India and Persia to the Islamic world by around 700 AD, and later around the Mediterranean. The fruit is famous for Seville marmalade. Bitter orange oil is pressed from the fresh peel.
The bitter orange tree is also the source of three other perfume materials. Its blossoms are steam distilled into neroli or solvent extracted into orange blossom. Its leaves and twigs are distilled into petitgrain. One tree gives three different scents: peel, flower and leaf.
Bitter orange in perfume
Bitter orange usually sits in the top notes with bergamot or other citrus. Its bitterness balances the opening, especially in perfumes with a sweet base such as amber or vanilla. Its bitter edge evaporates quickly, so what stays on skin afterwards is the spice or amber alongside it.
Bitter orange pairs naturally with neroli, petitgrain and orange blossom from the same tree, and with spices such as cardamom. You find these combinations in citrus perfumes, colognes and amber perfumes that need a fresh start.
When does bitter orange work best?
Bitter orange suits daytime and hot weather because it is dry and not sweet. When it is paired with spice and amber, a perfume that opens with bitter orange also works in the late afternoon or evening in air-conditioned rooms.
