Neroli in perfumery
ADELE FADILI
Today, a little "culture" lesson! Let's talk about neroli, the star raw material in our Extrait de parfum Sea, Sud & Sun. We hope you find this article useful and enjoy it!
Neroli: a classic raw material in perfumery
Let's talk about neroli in perfumery! It's like a little cloud of flowers and lemon dancing on your skin. It's such a popular material that if you've never smelled it, you're probably the only person on Earth. A spring party in a bottle: fresh, light and joyful.
And at Versatile, we love taking the classics and making them bold.
Nero-what? The story of neroli
Once upon a time, there was a princess, Anne-Marie de La Trémoille, Princess of Nerola, who loved to scent her gloves and her bath with orange blossom essential oil. And guess what? The oil became so popular that it was named "neroli" in her honor (OK, this was back in the 17th century).
It quickly became one of the most beloved ingredients in perfumery for its soft, floral scent with a hint of lemon.
A typical Mediterranean ingredient that evokes long summer evenings, neroli is an essential oil widely used for its delicate, floral and fresh scent. The bitter orange tree is native to Asia and is now grown in several Mediterranean countries: Italy, Morocco, Tunisia…
Neroli or orange blossom: what's the difference?
Both come from the same flower, that of the bigarade (the bitter orange tree), but not from the same process: steam distillation gives neroli essential oil, while volatile solvent extraction gives orange blossom absolute. The two are similar, with some variations: neroli is fresher, greener and more citrusy, while orange blossom is more honeyed and heady.
Orange blossom absolute is extracted from the flowers of the bitter orange tree, often hand-picked in early spring.
Neroli essential oil (Citrus aurantium) is considered one of the most precious ingredients in perfumery: its price generally ranges from €5,000 to €15,000 per kilo, or even more, depending on quality and origin.
Iconic neroli perfumes
- Neroli Portofino by Tom Ford
- Colonia by Acqua di Parma
- Neroli 36 by Le Labo
- Orange Blossom by Jo Malone London
- Eau de Néroli Doré by Hermès
How volatile is it?
Neroli is often used as a heart note (the notes that reveal themselves after 30 minutes and last around 1 to 2 hours), for a light, subtle touch. Some brands still manage to make it last much longer (hi, Versatile).
Our take: Sea, Sud & Sun
Sea, Sud & Sun is our "neo-neroli." Fair warning: don't expect a fresh summer splash that smells of monoi. Classicism? Not our thing.
It's an Extrait de parfum concentrated at 33% (small but powerful, as always). It's refreshing (but not sticky) and pays tribute to the South of France, apéro-style. It gets a twist from a tropézienne accord (the iconic cake of the South: round, creamy, indulgent) and a green fig.
Together with the @flair.paris studio, we worked neroli into a bewitching, unexpected form. In the very humble words of our super perfumer Anne-Sophie Behaghel: "This perfume is the perfect accord between neroli, fig and musks." There you go, now you know (almost) everything!
(Re)discover our portrait of this remarkable nose, and our articles on floral notes and citrus notes.
Yes, neroli is a versatile note. It isn't easy to give it a truly original twist when so many perfumes feature it, but we hope we've risen to the challenge!
P.S.: neroli is widely used in genderless perfumes for its soft, refreshing scent.
