Orange blossom smells honeyed, creamy and slightly indolic, with a green citrus top and a warm sensual heart. It is the richer, more animalic cousin of neroli and one of the most emotional notes in perfumery.
Both materials come from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree (Citrus aurantium), grown mainly in Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt. Neroli is produced by steam distillation and reads fresh and clean. Orange blossom absolute is produced by solvent extraction, preserving the indolic, almost skin-like animalic facets that distillation strips away. Orange blossom has been a bridal flower in Mediterranean cultures for centuries.
Orange blossom is a heart note. Perfumers use it in classical feminine florals (Guerlain L'Heure Bleue, Serge Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger), to add sensuality to white floral compositions, and to bridge citrus and floral families in modern unisex fragrance. It pairs beautifully with jasmine, neroli, amber and musk.
Orange blossom performs best in spring, summer and warm evenings.
