Bergamot at a glance
The Bergamot note appears across 2,723 published fragrances in our catalog. Use this page to compare how different brands work with Bergamot within the citrus family.
- Note family
- Citrus
- Published fragrances
- 2,723
- Frequent brands on this page
- Chanel, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, Acqua di Parma
- Common concentrations
- Eau De Toilette, Eau De Parfum, Parfum
Notable Bergamot Fragrances
- 1
Sauvage Eau de Toilette puts Calabrian bergamot against pepper and an ambery woody background. It is a citrus-to-wood interpretation rather than a sheer cologne style.
- 2
Bergamote 22 combines bergamot with grapefruit, orange blossom
- 3
Nice Bergamote places bergamot beside rose, jasmine and ylang-ylang
- 4
Bergamotto di Calabria Eau de Toilette pairs bergamot and citron with ginger
- 5
Eau Sauvage Eau de Toilette combines bergamot with the jasmine-like floral character of Hedione
- 6
Aventus combines bergamot with fruit and a woody background of birch and patchouli
- 7
Pairs With
- Lavender
Lavender extends bergamot’s aromatic freshness.
- Jasmine
Jasmine connects the citrus opening with a floral heart.
- Neroli
Neroli adds a bitter-green orange-flower accent.
- Vetiver
Vetiver places a dry, grassy wood contrast beneath the citrus.
- Sandalwood
Sandalwood gives the bright peel impression a smoother woody setting.
Forms of Bergamot
About Bergamot
+−
Bergamot is a citrus fruit whose fragrant peel oil has a fresh, slightly bitter character with floral and aromatic facets. It is the familiar citrus scent associated with Earl Grey tea. In perfume, it can lead a citrus composition or add brightness to flowers, woods and amber.
Bergamot is more than a brief sharp opening. A perfumer can connect its citrus character to orange blossom and jasmine, or set it against lavender, spice and dry woods. Bergamote 22 and Nice Bergamote keep citrus central; Naxos uses it as a fresh contrast to honey, tobacco and vanilla.
Expressed bergamot oil can contain phototoxic furocoumarins, and perfumery also uses processed grades with reduced furocoumarin content. IFRA’s scientific update explains why concentration and UVA exposure matter. A bergamot note on a finished perfume does not reveal the oil grade or amount, so it cannot by itself establish a product’s sun-exposure risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does bergamot smell like Earl Grey tea?+−
Bergamot supplies the recognizable citrus scent associated with Earl Grey. A bergamot perfume may recall it, but the rest of the formula can take the scent in a floral, woody or ambery direction.
Is bergamot the same as lemon?+−
No. They are different citrus fruits. Bergamot commonly combines a bitter peel edge with floral and aromatic facets, while lemon often gives a sharper citrus impression.
Does a bergamot note mean the perfume contains bergamot oil?+−
It may contain the oil, a reconstructed effect or a combination. The note list alone does not identify the ingredients or proportions.
Can bergamot oil be phototoxic?+−
Expressed oil can contain furocoumarins that cause phototoxic effects with sufficient UVA exposure. The oil grade and concentration matter. A finished perfume’s bergamot note does not provide enough information to assess that risk.
