Citrus · Natural material · Top notes
Mandarin
Mandarin is the citrus Citrus reticulata, known in Indonesia as jeruk keprok or jeruk mandarin. It smells sweet and juicy like freshly peeled mandarin skin, softer and less sour than lemon. In perfume, mandarin usually sits in the top notes and makes the opening bright without being sharp.
· Written by the FRAG team
What does mandarin smell like?
Mandarin smells like the moment you peel one: sweet, juicy and a little floral. Compared with ordinary sweet orange, mandarin is smoother and slightly more floral. Its acidity is low, so it rarely feels sharp in the nose.
On note lists you may also see tangerine or mandarin orange, which belong to the mandarin group and smell close to it. The makeup of mandarin oil changes with the variety and ripeness of the fruit, so mandarin in one perfume can smell slightly different from another.
Where mandarin comes from
Mandarin is one of the original citrus species, and many other citrus fruits came from its crosses with citron and pomelo. Tangerines are varieties within Citrus reticulata. Mandarin oil for perfume is taken from the peel, and the label Italian mandarin on a note list points to mandarins from Italy.
In Indonesia, jeruk keprok grows in several centres, including Batu, Jember and Banyuwangi in East Java, Garut in West Java, South Central Timor in East Nusa Tenggara, and Bali. The sweet smell of the peel as you open one is what the mandarin note captures in perfume.
Mandarin in a perfume
Mandarin usually sits in the top notes. Because it is sweet and soft, it often opens gourmand, amber and floral perfumes without any sharpness. Mandarin also helps link a citrus opening to a heart of flowers or spices.
Common partners are orange and neroli in the opening, cardamom and cinnamon in the heart, then vanilla and amber in the base. Mandarin with vanilla gives an impression of orange cake, and the vanilla in the base is what keeps that citrus impression going after mandarin itself fades.
When to wear a mandarin perfume
Mandarin suits daytime and hot weather, and anyone who likes citrus but not the very sour kind. Paired with vanilla or amber, a mandarin perfume also works in the late afternoon and evening in air-conditioned rooms.
