The holy grail of zest, lime is an energizing top note with a sharp, bitterly refreshing bite. It is unwaveringly bright, offering a fragrant scent that is lighter and sweeter than lemon.

Mint’s bracing, fresh, and sweet spice energizes perfume with its healthy, palate-cleansing bite. It’s snowy cool edge sharpens sweeter citrus notes, and provides an excellent contrast for heated spices like cardamom, pepper, and coriander. Mint is similar to lavender’s fresh, breathtakingly clean scent, but stays very cool and isn’t as soapy or herbal as lavender can be. It’s sharp, green, mentholated energy is a perfect accent to winter’s chill, and offers sweet relief from heavy and humid summers.

An intensely aromatic ingredient, the bitter orange is an icon of the perfume industry. With deliciously sweet and zesty notes of citrus, bitter orange is an exceptionally versatile note—adding an unmatched freshness to floral fragrances, and most commonly used in Eau de Colognes and Chypres. The bitter orange tree provides an array of sensual possibilities: the neroli/orange blossom and petitgrain extracts derive from the one singular tree but add a sweet freshness to endless accords.

Playing the leading role in mysterious, sensual fragrances, mandarin orange commands attention with its subtly sweet, fruity, and citrusy scent that has a lingering floral undertone. Mandarin orange opens the compositions to announce a seductive gourmand fragrance or a vivacious citrus-led, aromatic-tinged cologne. When it comes to spicy fragrances, you’ll often find it in the company of nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove.