Forgive us for going all-out Mediterranean lately but it’s that time of the year when the weather finally starts feeling summery at home and also we begin to enjoy more regular weekends away. OK – they might not all be in Palermo or Sorrento but we can get a bit of a Dolce Vita vibe by wearing a fragrance that transports us to that part of the world. Central to some of the best, freshest citrus aromas is bergamot, an inedible bitter type of orange grown in Calabria that has been used in perfumery since the 16th century. It’s the same fruit as is used in Earl Grey tea and has a distinctive, rich and deep fresh smell that evokes springtime in Italy. Here are some of our favourites.
Acqua de Parma – Blu Mediterranio Bergamotto di Calabria
It’s impossible to do a feature on Italian fragrances without including something by Acqua de Parma as they typify just what we expect from the country. This one is super fresh and zingy with lots of bergamot and lemon but also ginger and vetiver. It’s pretty light so is fine for day.
Le Labo – Bergamote 22
Another very citrusy fragrance, this one is as clear and sharp as the typeface on the bottle. There is a hint of grapefruit in there which is particularly bright and breezy and you can easily imagine yourself having a wander around Rimini wearing this one.
Malin + Goetz – Bergamot
Mixing the central citrus element with hints of wood, pepper and mint gives this fragrance a surprisingly complex nature (often citrus fragrances can be rather clean and simple). As always with Malin + Goetz, we love the bottle and packaging too.
Le Galion – Ferveur
This very stylish fragrance uses bergamot in a very different way, mixing it with rose, vanilla and patchouli. The result is rich and deep and somewhat reminiscent of the 80s so it’s probably more suited to wearing in the evening whilst sipping a Negroni. The truly beautiful flacon is a plus on your bathroom shelf too.
Jo Malone – Oud and Bergamot
Another ‘evening’ bergamot fragrance is this unexpectedly masculine one from Jo Malone. Here the citrus notes are mixed with oud and cedar making it smoky and dark and evoking late nights in a Sicilian bar. We like to think this is the one Tom Ripley would have worn.
