Mandarin Orange

Mandarin orange is one of perfumery's most useful citrus notes. Pressed from the peel of Citrus reticulata, it is sweeter, rounder and less sharp than orange or lemon, with a soft, almost candied brightness and none of the bitterness of bitter orange or grapefruit. Green mandarin, picked unripe, is tarter; ripe red mandarin is warmer and sweeter.

Because citrus oils are volatile, mandarin sits mainly in the top notes, where it does the job of making a fragrance feel immediately fresh and inviting. It fades within the first half hour on skin, but it shapes the first impression and sets up whatever follows. Perfumers use it to soften spices, lift heavy ambers and resins, and add juiciness to florals without turning them sugary.

It pairs naturally with bergamot and neroli from its own family, with cardamom, ginger and pink pepper for a fresh-spicy opening, and with vanilla, tonka bean and benzoin, where the contrast between bright peel and warm base is the whole idea.

At Redolia Perfumery this page gathers every fragrance in our catalogue that features mandarin orange, currently 26 bottles, including Ormonde Jayne Levant, Creed Millésime Impérial, Creed Aventus Cologne, Sospiro Dolce Melodia and several Clive Christian perfumes. If you like citrus openings but find lemon too sharp, mandarin is the note to look for.