This Floral-Citrus Note Evokes an Expensive Italian Villa, and It's in All of My Favorite Perfumes

Woman lounging in Italian villa next to GIF of bergamot perfumes
(Image credit: @isabellecoheen)

I've always been fascinated by fragrances—both conceptually (the way they can evoke memories, places, and people) and literally (the chic glass bottles are a sight to behold). I started collecting them when I was a teenager. Back then, I'd trade my hard-earned babysitting money for the odd body mist or semi-affordable department-store scent.

Now that I'm a beauty editor, I test hundreds of fragrances each year, and my collection has grown to include no fewer than 50 perfumes. (I counted.) While they vary in size, shape, and scent profile, I noticed a theme. Some of my most beloved fragrances contain the same fragrance note—bergamot.

Bergamot is a citrus fruit found throughout the Mediterranean. Roughly the size of an orange, the sour fruit has a distinct scent that's led it to become one of the most popular fragrance notes in perfumery. Take it from DSM-Firmenich perfumer Erwan Raguenes. "Bergamot is a bright citrus note with a floral facet, known for its sparkling quality and subtle green undertone, which gives it more nuance than other citrus ingredients. Bergamot adds brightness and freshness to a composition while remaining soft and balanced, never overpowering other notes. It’s been a staple in perfumery for centuries, first gaining fame as the hero note in the original Eau de Cologne launched by Farina in 1709. Since then, its popularity has only grown, and it’s now considered a foundational ingredient in both classic and modern fragrances."

Raguenes says bergamot is unique in that it plays exceptionally well with other fragrance notes. "It has a unique ability to enhance and elevate other ingredients while acting as a natural bridge between the top and heart notes, creating a smooth, cohesive transition within the scent." Classic bergamot pairings include notes like lavender, cedarwood, vetiver, patchouli, and sandalwood. However, if you want a fresh, energizing effect, Raguenes recommends looking for a perfume that pairs bergamot with green tea, mint, or aquatic notes. "Bergamot adds nice contrast to warm and cold spices, while naturally blending with florals like neroli or orange blossom, jasmine, rose, or ylang-ylang," he says. So, in other words, the sky's the limit.

To me, bergamot is elevated yet energizing, approachable yet expensive-smelling. Personally, I equate it with summer. Not just any summer, though. It evokes a summer spent lounging in an expensive Italian villa. Ahead, see 13 of the best bergamot perfumes to add to your collection.

Bergamot

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The 10 Best Bergamot Perfumes

Best Overall: Le Labo Bergamote 22 Eau de Parfum

Best Hair/Body Mist: Salt & Stone Bergamot & Hinoki Body and Hair Mist

Best Fresh Scent: Henry Rose Windows Down Eau de Parfum

Best Citrus: YSL Libre l'Eau Nue Eau de Parfum

Best Sweet Scent: Prada Infusion de Vanille Eau de Parfum

Best Warm: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Bergamote Calabria Eau de Toilette

Best Woody Scent: Parfums de Marly Perseus Eau de Parfum

Best Floral Scent: Armani Beauty My Way Eau de Parfum

Best Green Scent: Malin+Goetz Bergamot Eau de Parfum

Best Oud Scent: Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot Cologne Intense

3 More Editor-Approved Bergamot Perfumes

Kaitlyn McLintock
Beauty Editor

Kaitlyn McLintock is a Beauty Editor at Who What Wear. She has 10 years of experience in the editorial industry, having previously written for other industry-leading publications, like Byrdie, InStyle, The Zoe Report, Bustle, and others. She covers all things beauty and wellness-related, but she has a special passion for creating skincare content (whether that's writing about an innovative in-office treatment, researching the benefits of a certain ingredient, or testing the latest and greatest at-home skin device). Having lived in Los Angeles, California, and Austin, Texas, she has since relocated back to her home state, Michigan. When she's not writing, researching, or testing beauty products, she's working through an ever-growing book collection or swimming in the Great Lakes.