The 12 Best Neroli Perfumes for Low-Key Citrus Lovers

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When you think of citrus perfumes, certain notes come to mind: bright lemon, sweet orange, perhaps fresh yuzu. But there's another sleeper note residing in some of the most complex and popular perfumes out there: neroli.

Cultivated from the bitter orange tree, neroli is "delicate" and "surprising" in fragrance, according to dsm-firmenich perfumer Bérénice Watteau.

“Mainly cultivated in Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt, this tree gives a multitude of essential oils and absolutes which are key in the perfumer’s palette,” says Watteau. Orange blossom scent can be extracted via two methods, she explains: one which produces neroli essential oil, and one producing the orange flower absolute. “The neroli oil is a green, slightly fresher, citrus bergamot with a leafy effect, whereas the orange flower is more petaly, sensual, and intense, like warm honey.”

Neroli goes well with a number of popular fragrance notes. “It pairs really well with citruses like lemon, bergamot, orange and ylang ylang,” says Watteau, adding that “It brings some light and a dewier natural facet when combined with flowers like rose. I love to use it in masculine fragrances because it also pairs well with aromatic ingredients like lavender and it brings a touch of femininity and delicacy without being too opulent.”

In other words, neroli is popular because it's versatile. Below, we rounded up 12 of the best neroli perfumes for every type of fragrance lover.

Neroli Portofino Eau de Parfum

Watteau name-checks Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino as one of the most iconic neroli fragrances. Also featuring notes of Italian bergamot and Sicilian lemon, it's as close to spritzing on the Mediterranean as you can get.

Missing Person Eau de Parfum

Meant to evoke the smell of nude skin, Missing Person is heavy on the white musk. It's far from one-note, though: bergamot, neroli, and nectar add a juiciness, while Australian sandalwood adds warmth.

Paradoxe Eau de Parfum

Paradoxe has citrusy top notes of Calabrian bergamot, tangerine, and pear, middle notes of neroli bud, orange blossom, and jasmine, and a base of masculine amber, bourbon vanilla, and white musk. Housed in a bottle shaped like Prada's iconic triangular logo, it's also refillable.

Neroli 36

True Le Labo fans know that Santal 33 is only the beginning. With notes of rose, musk, mandarin orange, jasmine, and vanilla, Neroli 36 is a layered floral scent that is a warm complement to the unisex favorite.

Golden Neroli

A warm citrus, Golden Neroli is complemented with grassy matcha, a heart of petitgrain, ylang ylang, and jasmin sambac, and a base of sandalwood, vanilla. What's more, Abel goes against the norm by revealing its full ingredient list—a rarity in the industry, as fragrance is considered a trade secret.

Somewhere Extrait de Parfum

Some of us like to leave a trail of scent when we leave the room (in a good way). For those people, there's this heady fragrance from Perfumehead. Citrus-forward top notes include neroli (of course), bergamot, red mandarin, and galbanum, opening to a floral heart of cumin, jasmine, orange flower, and orris, and an earthy base of vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood, musk, and oakmoss.

Histoire d'Orangers

Orange blossom, neroli, and musk are a warm combination in this intentionally spare, best-selling scent from the 40-year-old perfume house.

Taos Blue Eau de Parfum

Inspired by springtime in Taos, New Mexico, this scent is airy and grounding. It features top notes of neroli, bergamot, bitter orange, and ozonic accord, a heart of blue lilac, freesia, pink pepper, and ylang ylang, and base of cedarwood, vetiver, and elemi.

Stoner Eau De Parfum

With notes of neroli, palo santo, leather, and woodsmoke, this warm, herbal fragrance is like a time machine to the Summer of Love—in a chic and elevated way, of course.

Smiley Face Garden Fragrance

All of Dedcool's perfumes are made for layering, so you can spritz Smiley Face Garden on alone or with another scent of your choosing. Leaning into the fresh category, it features a rose top note, wood and neroli heart, and cedarwood, amber, and musk base.

Daydream of a Bingo Queen Fragrance Set

If you're someone who likes to have perfume with you anywhere and everywhere, consider By Far's refillable keychain vessel. The spicy-citrus scent that goes inside it is lovely, too: Top notes of Mandarin and pink pepper essences, a heart of neroli and orange blossom absolute, and a base of amber and cashmere wood.

Purple Noon

A floral that doesn't feel too sweet or garden-y, this layered scent begins with top notes of fresh ginger, neroli, coconut water, sweet orange and bergamot. It opens to a heart of Moroccan orange flower and geranium before settling into a base of orris, ylang ylang, tuberose, musk, and vanilla.

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