CaFleureBon: The Orange Tree, Neroli, Orange Blossom and Citrus in Perfumery + Nature’s Xanax Draw

 Painting: Winslow Homer

Thick, velvety white petals of the bitter orange tree breathe out one of the most important and ancient scents in perfumery.  The fragrance floats on the night air and perfumes the dawn in countries around the world. Neroli is the floral essence distilled from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree.  The scent of neroli is powerful, floral, light and refreshing with green and spice notes. (Editor's Note: Throughout history, aromatherapists  and herbalists  have long known that the flowers of bitter orange – both spicy and sweet-smelling —alleviate insomnia, anxiety and depression. In effect, it is the Xanax of perfumery).

Princess Marie Anne of Nerola

The name derives from Princess Marie-Anne de la Tremoille of Nerola in Italy who popularized the fragrance by using it as a perfume and as a scent for her gloves. (Editor's Note: The Princess may have used neroli for more than ts beautiful aroma. Widowed twice, she was shuttled back and forth between France, Italy, and Spain, where she where she became the Camarera Mayor, serving Spain’s young princess but in actuality Marie-Anne was a true power behind the Spanish throne. How did she remain calm during all the princely battles, political plays for power and live to see her 80th year? It was her perfume! ) 

After the orange blossoms are distilled, quite a bit of the fragrance remains in the water and is used as orange flower water or orange blossom water which has the fresh scent of orange blossoms and oranges. Another product of bitter orange blossoms is the absolute, made by solvent extraction and called orange blossom absolute.  Orange blossom absolute is more intensely floral, richer and warmer than neroli but also fresh and delicate. Blending neroli with orange blossom absolute gives a lovely, rich and full-bodied representation of the orange blossom.

 

The fruit of the bitter orange tree is, true to the name, bitter and very sour. The peel of the fruit provides bitter orange oil, a complex, tart, slightly floral orange peel oil. The oil from the bitter orange fruit is much more complex and slightly floral compared with that of sweet oranges and is actually quite similar to one of its ancestors, the pommelo, a large, grapefruit-like citrus.  The leaves, twigs and sometimes tiny unripe fruits of the bitter orange tree are distilled to produce petitgrain, sometimes called petitgrain bigarade, which is green, citrusy and fresh.  The peel is used to make marmalade, the wonderful tart jam with bits of peel.  It is also used to fragrance Grand Marnier and Curacao liqueurs. There is a variety of bitter orange tree called daidai or taitai grown in Japan and China and the flower buds are dried and mixed with tea for their scent. Orange flower water is quite popular as a facial toner and is often used in cooking, for example in the French pastry madeleines, in Mexican wedding cakes, and in much of Middle Eastern cuisine.

 

Painting:The Magic Orange Tree by A M Maurice

The bitter orange tree has several names and is also called bigarade orange, Seville orange, sour orange and marmalade orange.  Another variety is also called Bouquetier, thought to produce the best quality fragrance. Although named after Seville, the sour orange originated, like most citruses, in Asia. It was transported from there to the South Sea Islands in prehistoric times, followed by Arabia, Sicily and Seville and then to the New World finally in the 1500s.  The Spaniards introduced it to St. Augustine, Florida and from there it naturalized and began growing wild.  Early settlers and Native Americans appreciated the sturdy citrus tree and planted it in dooryards throughout Florida. It grows well in the wild and re-seeds itself, allowing it to spread from Florida up through southern Georgia and through Central and South America to Argentina.  Although it thrives scattered in wild areas, where it is used commercially it is grown in groves.  The city of Seville, Spain is well known for the more than 14,000 bitter orange trees that decorate its streets. 

Young Woman Picking Oranges by Berthe Morisot

For as long as anyone can remember the evergreen trees have provided shade year round and the beautiful smell of orange blossoms during the spring.  Fruits will lie on the ground waiting for residents to pick them up and use them.  Like most citruses, the tree has thorns but they are flexible. If you pick the leaf you can see pale ovals that are the oil glands. The peel of the fruit is aromatic, slightly floral and also has concentrated oil glands. The variety grown for neroli oil in France has large, concentrated clusters of flowers. Some trees growing in the wild may be over 600 years old and one tree planted at Versailles is said to have been growing since 1421.

 

Sandro Botticelli: La Primervera "an Allegory of Spring" (features Venus in the center surrounded by Primevera, Flora, the three muses, Mars and Cupid)

A symbol of purity and virginity, orange blossoms have been used throughout history to represent fertility and good fortune at a wedding. In Greek mythology when the goddess Hera married Zeus she was given orange blossoms by Gaea, the goddess of earth and fertility. Similarly, in Roman mythology Juno received orange blossoms when she married Jupiter. The pure white of the blossoms signify pure love and the evergreen nature of the tree stands for the everlasting nature of that love. (Editor's Note:The Orange Grove was the symbol of the Medici family who comissioned the painting above).

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at their  Royal Wedding

Young and madly in love, Queen Victoria no doubt had a closet full of elaborate jeweled tiaras, but chose a wreath of lovely orange blossoms instead.  In Victorian times when orange blossoms were too costly or in short supply brides would have wax replicas made as a substitute. They would even throw the wax blooms away after a month in keeping with the lifetime of a real orange blossom. 

Modern brides can sometimes find these treasures and incorporate them into a beautiful headpiece or wreath. Orange blossoms may also represent fertility because of the fecundity of the tree which can produce many fruits and will often have blooms and fruits on the tree at the same time. Orange blossoms are so identified with brides that the phrase “gathering orange blossoms” has come to mean “searching for a bride.”

 The citrus family produces a wide variety of aromatic oils in addition to those from the bitter orange tree. They come mainly from the leaves and stems (petitgrains) or from the peel (cold-pressed essential oils). The peel oils are used to provide fresh, sparkling notes to perfumes and are nearly always used as topnotes. Bergamot is closely related to the bitter orange and is small and round or pear-shaped with sweetly fragrant flowers and fruits with highly aromatic peels that are expressed to produce bergamot essential oil. Bergamot is an important perfumery ingredient, is generally more floral than most citruses, and is central to many colognes. Tangerines, lemons, mandarins, grapefruits and limes are all cold-pressed to produce essential oils.  Although most citrus blossoms are fragrant, it is highly unusual to find essential oils derived from any besides the bitter orange tree

 –Elise Pearlstine, Contributor

Michelyn Camen, Art Director

 For our draw:

Courtesy of  Fragrance & Arts 50ml  Azamour les Orangers by Parfum D'Empire contains orange,clementine, tangerine, orange blossom, neroli, and grapefruit. (If you read our interview with Marc-Antoine Corticchiato this fragrance is a tribute to his childhood to Morocco).

Courtesy of Honoré des Prés Paris 50ml of the eco-certified Organic Honoré's Trip composed by Olivia Giacobetti. (Now available at Be-glowing.com and Founder Christian David's personal scent). Tangerines from Morroco, Oranges from Florida, yellow & green lemons.

 

Courtesy of Sylvie Ganter and the team at Atelier Cologne  30 ml  of Grand Neroli  Cologne Absolue by Cecile Krakower. This is my personal favorite from the debut line.  The Roman godesses painted by Botticelli in La Primevera evoke this exquisite and feminine fragrance. It is also the perfect wedding scent. Moroccan Neroli, lemon, Sicilian bergamot and petitgrain. 

Courtesy of Tony Perez and Meredith Wagner-Perez of Belle Fleur New York  Orange Blossom Pomegrante candle with a 45 hr burn time. The perfume of this candle was inspired by the idea of "orginal sin", as it was likely the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was a pomegrante not an apple. Seville Orange and orange blossom.

Courtesy of Xerjoff 15ml of Kobe, a  gender bending Shooting Star fragrances. Neroli from the South of Italy, Petit Grain from Paraguay, Calabrese Bergamot and  Florida Orange. For a complete list of notes,  you can check the composition on this link to MinNewYork

 

Elise Pearlstine of Bellyflowers Perfumes www.bellyflowers.com – 10 ml Spiral EdT with Moroccan Neroli.

JoAnne Bassett (http://joannebassett.com) (now sold at MinNewYork ) Petit Trianon Eau de Parfum 1 oz spray bottle. Neroli and Orange Blossom Absolute from Tunisia

 

Christi Meshell, House of Matriarch www.matriarch.biz – uses all parts of the bitter orange tree orange blossom/neroli, petitgrain, hydrosol. This is a mystery perfume,  and the winner gets a 3 ml, pre-release sample in a Murano glass bottle.

Charna Ethier, of Providence Perfume Co. www.providenceperfume.com  – Divine 1/2 ounce atomizer EdP.  Divine is a Moroccan orange blossom based perfume and is also sold at Beauty Habit

There are nine fabulous fragrant prizes.To be eligible, please follow these instructions CAREFULLY… Leave  a comment about something interesting you learned from this article, name the prize you would like to win AND a non citrus notes in its composition (Except for House of Matriarch since it is a mystery fragrance, so just  name one of the notes that is listed).  The prizes will be awarded randomly, but we will try to take your request into consideration.

Draw ends April 16, 2012

We announce draw winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilt perfume

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99 comments

  • Great article!
    Now I know the difference between “neroli” and “fleur d’orange” 🙂
    My choice is Azemour by Pd’E. Its non-citrus notes are rose, moss, seaweed, cypresse and many more
    Thanx for the draw!

  • What a great read! I would like to win the Xerjoff Kobe.The 2 non-citrus notes are Petit Grain & Calabrese Bergamot. I learned Orange Blossoms have been used to represent fertility. Thanks for the draw!

  • I would choose the Xerjoff, particularly for blending the citrus with oud and palisander. Sounds interesting!

    I was interested to learn that orange and neroli are reputed to have calming properties. I should try that out! It was also nice to learn what petitgrain means.

  • This is beautifully written. I would love to go to Seville and smell the 14,000 bitter orange trees planted along the streets. I hate to admit that I have never tried a pomelo…nice to know that it is grapefruit-like. I will have to pick one up to try this summer.
    I would love the PdE Azemour but so many sound appealing. If I recall it also has notes of hay absolute and oakmoss. No wonder I love it so!

  • Farawayspices says:

    I enjoyed leering about queen Victoria ‘s bridal wrath of orange blossoms. I would love to win Grqnd neroli, which features the non citrus notes of galbanum and vanilla.

  • I did not know that orange flowers were a traditional wedding blossom, what a fascinating history lesson this post has been! I would love to try the Honore des Pres Scent to try the blend of orange blossoms, citrus and Philippine pepper!

  • I did not know the origin of the name neroli, or if I did, I’d forgotten it. I also didn’t know about the custom of throwing away artificial orange blossoms a month after the wedding.

    I would like to win Xerjoff Kobe. In addition to the citrus notes, it contains oud and palisander wood.

  • I didn’t know at all that the flowers of bitter orange “alleviate insomnia, anxiety and depression.” It’s always interesting to learn this type of thing.

    My top choice is a tie between three fragrances, so I’ll follow the rules for each of them and let fate decide the rest! I’m particularly interested in *Azemour les Orangers* (notes of blackcurrant and rose), *Honoré’s Trip* (pepper and tree resin, at least according to the French-language notes list, since in English only pepper is a non-citrus note!), and *Atelier Cologne Grand Néroli* (musks and vanilla).

    Thanks for the draw!!

  • I knew didn’t know that the tree originated in China or that women in power like Queen Victoria and The Princess of Nerola favored it
    Very well written and informative and the art as always is superb
    I would choose Honores Trip with spicy pepper note

  • I didn’t realize that the bitter orange flowers were used homeopathically to alleviate insomnia and reduce anxiety, although that makes sense. Also, the City of Seville sounds like a fragrant place to be!

    My choice would be the Azamour les Orangers by Parfum D’Empire. Azamour is spicy too with coriander and black and pink pepper in its top notes.

    Nicely written and very interesting article!

  • To be eligible, please follow these instructions CAREFULLY… Leave a comment about something interesting you learned from this article, name the prize you would like to win AND a non citrus notes in its composition (Except for House of Matriarch since it is a mystery fragrance, so just name one of the notes that is listed). The prizes will be awarded randomly, but we will try to take your request into consideration.

    1. Something I found interesting about this article is that neroli is made from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree and that in aromatherapy, neroli oil is used to relieve anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

    2. The prize I would like to win would be Atelier Cologne 100 ml of Grand Neroli

    3. The non citrus notes in Atelier’s Grand Neroli composition are according to Atelier’s website, clean herbal notes, warm musks and addictive vanilla

    Thanks for the article and for the draw.

  • I loved learning how how brides would have wax orange blossoms made of wax if real blossoms were prohibitively expensive, and they would discard them after a month to keep to how it would be with the real thing.

    I would love to win Azemour les Orangers by Parfum D’Empire. A non-citrus note in this fragrance is rose.

  • 1) I learned that aromatic oils can be made from the leaves and stems.
    2) I would most like to win the Atelier Cologne Grand Neroli. I am fascinated by the Atelier Cologne range.
    3) Grand Neroli also has notes of musk and vanilla.

    Thanks for the great article and the draw!

  • Fascinating article! I had no idea that one tree can be used for marmalade, perfume, aromatherapy, and liqueurs. I never saw a bitter orange tree in the wild in Georgia, but maybe I lived at too high and elevation. I’m tempted to try growing one in a pot now that I’m in a more citrus friendly climate.

    The prize I’d like to win would be Azemour les Orangers by Parfum d’Empire. I love chypres, so the hay and moss in the drydown must be great.

  • I learned that orange blossoms represented fertility and good fortune at weddings.
    I would love to win Grand Neroli it contains vanilla from Madagascar. Yum!

  • I’ve recently come to love orange blossom since discovering Tom Ford’s Private Collection Neroli Portofino only this year. I wanted a fresh, summery floral for the warmer months, and this fragrance turned out to be everything I was looking for and more.

    I enjoyed reading this article, as often I have a hard time distinguishing between neroli, orange blossom and the natural citric essence. It has cleared up a lot of confusion. I liked this quote:
    “Orange blossom absolute is more intensely floral, richer and warmer than neroli but also fresh and delicate. Blending neroli with orange blossom absolute gives a lovely, rich and full-bodied representation of the orange blossom”.

    I would love to win Joanne Bassett Petit Trianon EDP. I love the sound of orange blossom blended with lavender and ambrette.

  • I had no idea that the term neroli derived from a woman’s name-though the whole article was fascinating and extraordinarily informative for this perfume newbie!! I would love to win Azamour les Orangers by Parfum d’Empire–the geranium and hay notes, combined with the citrus, sound incredible!!

  • Very interesting article.I didn’t know the bride is indentified with the orange blossoms and gathering ornage blossoms could be eqaul to searching a bride.
    The spring and summer are comming and it’s the time when I start using perfumes containing neroli.From the list I would love to pick Kobe it’s one of my favourite ever.Beside the neroli and petit grain the oud in it is something I love.

  • this was a wonderful article. I love all manner of citrus scents.

    I did not know that petitgrain was made from the leaves and stems of the trees. I guess that I never thought about exactly where it came from.
    The prize that I would most love is the Azamour les Orangers by Parfum D’Empire. That sounds like an amazingly lovely scent.
    Some of it’s non-citrus notes are hay and grass and geranium.
    Thanks so much.

  • GREAT article! Thank you for clearing up neroii vs. orange blossom absolute. I knew what petitgrain was but the other two were confusing.

    I would LOVE to win Atelier Cologne Grand Neroli – Sicilian bergamot note will be lovely, I’m such a sucker for Earl Grey tea. 🙂

  • Thanks for this article I love neroli fragrances,but I didn’t know that it is used to scent also Grand Marnier and Curacao liqueurs.I learnd it has been used in aromatherapy as a perfume substitute for Xanax 🙂
    I would love Xerjoff Kobe as prize.
    The list of the non neroli notes according to MinNewYork are rose wood, resins, oud wood, palisander, tonka, amber.

  • it’s interesting that orange blossoms were used throughout history to represent fertility and good fortune for weddings. I would love to win Grand Neroli. Some non-citrus notes in its composition is vanilla, clean musk, white amber, Persian galbanum, moss and birch leaves.

  • “the flowers of bitter orange – both spicy and sweet-smelling —alleviate insomnia, anxiety and depression. In effect, it is the Xanax of perfumer”…………this is very surprising finding! I would choose Azamour les Orangeur with non-citrus note referring to cumin (among others). Many thanks!

  • I had no idea that the Sour Orange Tree originated in Asia, or that it started growing in the South Sea Islands in prehistoric times (I’m assuming that was the work of birds). Although it’s a tough choice, I’d be interested in the Atelier Grand Neroli, and according to the website, some non-citrus notes are galbanum, moss, birch leaves, musk, amber and Madagascar vanilla.
    Thanks for the generous draw!

  • Strangeways says:

    Great article!
    I learned about the origin of the term neroli and that orange blossoms are a symbol of purity and virginity.
    I would like to win the Grand Neroli by Atelier Cologne. It has notes of vanilla from Madagascar, white amber and musk, among others.

  • marcopietro says:

    I read with great interest the whole article learning news about the symbolism of the orange blossoms in the wedding ceremony and ancient eras.
    My choice is Azamour les Orangeur by Parfume d’Empire and my favorite non citrus notes in its composition is geranium. Many thanks!

  • One of the many interesting things in this interesting article is that Orange flower water is often used in Mexican Wedding cakes. I would love to win Kobe by Xerjoff and a non-citrusi note from it is oud.

  • I did not know that orange blossoms have been used to represent fertility and fortune at a wedding.
    I would like to win Orange Blossom Pomegrante. It has geranium as a non-citrus element.
    Thanks!

  • I am surprised to find out that orange blossom is used in cooking. Wow! I think that with each visit I pay to this blog, I learn something new and unusual.
    If I am lucky, I would like to win Kobe. It has oud wood, which is a non-citrus note.
    Thank you very much!

  • What a wonderful article. Hesperides are my most loved fragrance family.
    I didnt know Seville had that many bitter orange trees!
    Must be beautiful to see… and smell.

    I’d love to win any of these, for my choice I’d list Grand Neroli – orange blossom paired with vanilla.. yum.

  • I found it interesting to know that Princess Marie-Anne de la Tremoille used her olfactive influence to collect power, as in a good historical thriller. I know neroli can open quite a few subconscious doors! I choose Azemour Les Orangers, which I know I’m going to love with its added spices such as coriander, cumin and black & pink pepper.

  • TimeaZsofia says:

    It was very interesting to learn, what is the difference between neroli and orange blossom!

    I would like to win Parfum de Empire Azemour, and it has caraway for a non-citrus notes. 🙂

    Thank you for this fantastic draw!

  • I didn’t know that twigs,leaves and tiny unripe fruits of the bitter orange tree are used to produce petitgrain,and the story of marie anne of nerola is fascinating!
    I would love to try Honore’s Trip with its spicy phillipine pepper,thanks for this lovely article,I adore the first painting!

  • noetic owl says:

    This was such a fantastic read! I love bitter orange, neroil, petigrain and orange blossom water absolute and have worn these essential oils individually as well as combined. What I learned is that orange blossoms represent fertility. Since I am crazy about Atelier’s Orange Sanguine I would love to try Grand Neroil with non-citrus notes of Musk and vanilla.
    thanks for this generous draw!

  • Thanks for a splendid lecture on the variety in the citrus family! I certainly have a clear picture now what exactly bigarade, petitgrain are.
    I would love to win the Xerjoff Kobe, which sounds fantastic with its additional notes such as rose wood, resins and palisander. That was a great mornng read – thanks again!

  • I’m eyeing that bottle of Azamour — the non-citrus notes it contains are black pepper and moss. I found this article super interesting and, although over the years I’ve learned a lot about the citrus distillation technique, I never did know about the origin of neroli’s name. That was really cool.
    Thanks for your generous draws, Cafleurebon!

  • Queen Cupcake says:

    Great article! I am so revved up to try an orange blossom perfume this spring! I learned the difference between petitgrain and bergamot, something I have wondered about. I would like to win Azemour les Orangers, which has the non-citrus notes of coriander and henna. Lovely to read this one today; thanks!

  • First off, I enjoy the art featured on this blog as much as the reviews; this article has particularly wonderful art, so thanks so much for that. I knew little abt orange blossom & had no idea it’s considered nature’s Xanax. I also didn’t know why it’s such an integral part of wedding ceremonies. Azamour has been on my wishlist since I first tried it; it contains coriander, hay and moss. Thanks for the generous draw opportunity!

  • Lovely article!! So many new things I learned! It is true orange blossom is nature’s xanax I always find it very relaxing to smell them. Now that they are in full bloom our streets here in Athens are filled with bloming trees and when I drive by I always have an open window so I can smell them. Another thing I found interestin was that the blending of neroli with orange blossom absolute gives a lovely, rich and full-bodied representation of the orange blossom. I would love to win Atelier colognes’ grand neroli as it also has vanilla and musk in its composition, but all of them are welcome !!!!! Thank you!!

  • Didn’t know that the bitter orange tree could bear fruit and flower as the same time. Truly a very fertile plant.

    I would like to win the Grand Neroli; which has moss, vanilla, musks as the non-citrus notes. Thanks!

  • I learned many things from this article – thanks! Love orange blossom – it smells heavenly.

    Didn’t know that they were used to represent fertility and good fortune. White = love, evergreen = everlasting. I can see why brides would wear them, too. They smell sooooo good!

    I’d like to win Xerjoff Kobe.

    Non-citrus note in its composition: rosewood

  • My choice would be Providence Perfume by Charna…2 ingredients that are not citrus are lush vanilla and natural musk.. I learned that after the orange blossoms are distilled, quite a bit of the fragrance remains in the water and is used as orange flower water or orange blossom water which has the fresh scent of orange blossoms and oranges.

  • I learned that Spain must smell really wonderful when all those bitter orange steet trees are in bloom. Would love to go there then.

    I would love to win Honore’s Trip by Honoré des Prés Paris. It has tangerine, one of my favorite notes.

  • I learned that bitter orange is considered the Xanax of perfume.

    Honore’s Trip appeals to me, especially the addition of pepper!

  • I had no idea “Some trees growing in the wild may be over 600 years old and one tree planted at Versailles is said to have been growing since 1421.”

    Grand Neroli is so much fun. Galbanum and amber in the base notes.

    Thank you.

  • Paul Matem. says:

    Thanks for this article! I learnet from where, or more exactly from who, the name of neroli came from. Really interesting.
    I would like to win Honore’s Trip which, besides all those wonderful citrus notes, has some spicy pepper too.

  • I always knew that my orange blossom scents put an instant smile on my face, but now I know that neroli is the “xanex” of perfumery, so I understand why!

    I would love any of these prizes but I am going to name Joanne’s Petit Trianon because I’ve smelled it and loved it, maybe because it also contains lavender vera. Azamour sounds very interesting too, but as orange blossom (tied with tuberose!) is my favorite scent, any of these prizes would be fantastic to smell.

  • d3m0lici0n says:

    I learned the aromatherapy uses of Neroli, it can help with anxiety, depression and imsomnia, that is awesome, another reason to win this awesome draw.
    My pick is PdE Azemour and the non citrus notes are: black and pink pepper, hay, moss, cumin, rose and cypres. Thanks for this cool post, I learned a lot from it.

  • interesting thing I learned: The Orange Grove was the symbol of the Medici family

    I’d love to win Azamour les Orangers by Parfum D’Empire, which has hay as a non-citrus note

  • Elise wrote a wonderful account around all things orange blossom, some I knew some I didn’t. Like that tree said to be from 1421 at Versaille, I’m definitely going to have a look out for that the next time I’m in Paris, as well as grabbing a madeleine or two.

    Of all these wonderful fragrances it’s too dificult to pick one so – hard pressed -two are a tie; there is the beautiful JoAnne Bassett Petit Trianon, (which would be perfect for that trip to Versaille) which has notes of lavender and spruce. And (I know predictable…) the Xerjoff, because it’s notes of rose wood, resins, tonka and amber sounds like just my kind of orange blossom.

    Thank you for this amazing draw, and the very informative article.

  • I love neroli. My grandmother wore it all the time in various forms, and I’ve owned the essential oil, but I don’t think I knew it had properties to reduce anxiety and insomnia and depression!

    I would love to try XJ Shooting Stars, which includes rose and oud as non-citrus notes.

    Thanks for the draw!

  • Courtney Solomine says:

    I had no idea that Orange flower water is quite popular as a facial toner. I will absolutely try. I would LOVE the Atelier Grand Neroli. It contains Vanilla from Madagascar, Warm amber, moss and birch leaves

  • “One tree planted at Versailles is said to have been growing since 1421”, interesting fact, 600 years are a lot of years, I didn’t know that.

    I would love to try Belle Fleur’s Orange Blossom Pomegrante candle, which includes cassis, rose and pomegranate as non-citrus notes.
    Thank you for the draw!

  • I didn’t know orange blossoms were a symbol of purity and virginity, nor that they represented good fortune at a wedding. I learned a lot from the article, but since I am getting married this september it really stood out. Also my name is Katie, which means pure/virginal…so I’m pretty sure it is meant to be 🙂 I would love to win the Atelier Grand Neroli to wear on my wedding day! The Sicilian Bergamot note sounds particularly lovely. Please oh please draw me 🙂 There isn’t a happier scent in the world, than that of orange.
    Thank you!
    Katie

  • 1. Something interesting I learned from this article: I had no idea that the phrase “gathering orange blossoms” could mean “searching for a bride”. Funny. And I love mythology but I did not know that Hera was given orange blossoms by Gaea.

    2. The prize I’d like to win is Azemour les Oranges and some non-citrus notes are pink pepper, cypress, rose, geranium, hay, coriander…

    Thank you!

  • What a super generous draw! I learned the definition of petitgrain, how cool. All of the prizes are great, but if I had a choice I’d opt for the Xerjoff, since winning it is about the only way I’ll ever get to try it, short of hitting the lottery! A non-citrus note featured in the composition is oud.

  • Very interesting, I learned a lot of thing today, I like history, so I like to learn about Queen Victoria and her orange blossoms ¨jeweleries¨ instead of diamonds.
    I would like to win Atelier Cologne Grand Neroli Cologne, because I like this fragrance with herbal notes, warm musks and vanilla among others :)!

  • Rowena Clarke says:

    I had no idea that orange trees could live for so long – they seem so slender and a little delicate, not at all the image of a tree that can weather 600 years! Fascinating.

    I would love to win the Atelier Cologne -Grand Neroli; I’ve been lusting after it for a little while and would be overjoyed to be able to wear it to my September wedding.

    A non-citrus not from that perfume is: moss

  • Ooo! I always look forward to these articles centering around a single note!
    I learned many things! The not so deep thing that really stood out to me, was that Grand Marnier and Curacao are flavored with bitter orange. Grand Marnier has always been something I enjoy using in the kitchen, but never quite placed what I was tasting.
    The more poetic thing I learned was how connected orange blossoms and matrimony are. I saw it recommended for weddings several times, but never realized it had such a rich history! “Gathering orange blossoms” made me giggle, and I am tempted to start throwing around that phrase randomly to see if anyone gets it.

    I would love to win Divine by Providence Perfume. After all the mentions of her on your blog I have been very curious to try some of her work. The non citrus notes there are vanilla and natural musk.

  • orange trees can live to 6oo YEARS???
    good grief!
    *that* has to be one of the most interesting things i’ve heard in a long time
    (the other being that monkeys can actually read — ha!)

    also really interesting (if that’s the word) to me was the bartolomeo bimbi painting — love it.

    i would most like to try the mystery scent from house of matriarch, and yes, for the reason that it uses all the parts of the bitter ornage tree, bolssoms, leaves, and all.

  • I’m also very surprised that orange trees could be so old!!!

    I would very much like to try the Xerjoff Kobe, that also, apart from citruses contains oud. But I love neroli so I’d be very happy with any of the prizes 🙂

    THanks for this draw!

  • I was surprised that Seville has more than 14,000 bitter orange trees on its streets, I’ve been there, but it surprised me a lot! I would like to win Azamour les Orangers, some notes that it has are coriander, cummin, black and pink pepper, blackcurrant, galbanum.

  • I didn’t know about orange blossoms link to weddings before!
    I would like to win Azemour that contains moss and henna!

  • I would love the Azemour les Oranges – I like Hay notes, and also geranium, and it sounds wonderfully bright. I have also not tried any Parfum d’Empire scents.

    I never knew orange blossom was used for insomnia – I will need to start wearing it to bed more often!

    I am also impressed with the longevity of the trees!

  • this was a lovely article and i read it top to bottom. i didn’t know that orange blossoms are a symbol of purity and that they bring good fortune to young brides.also the article opened my eyes to the culinary possibilities of orange blossoms floral water . i’ve been spritzing it on my face for ages but i might start spritzing my pastries with it as well from now on.
    I would love to win Azemours les orangers from parfums d’empire and some of the non citrus notes it includes are black and pink pepper, coriander, cumin, galbanum, hay, moss, henna,rose
    thank you very much for this generous draw!

  • Throughout history, aromatherapists and herbalists have long known that the flowers of bitter orange – both spicy and sweet-smelling —alleviate insomnia, anxiety and depression. In effect, it is the Xanax of perfumery.

    House of Matriarch – neroli

  • I didn’t realize that the use of (bitter orange) blossoms extended into the wedding industry/dress scene, nor that there was a Greek Mythology anecdote…I love that! I’m really interested in smelling how the hay and moss work with the (various orange oils/etc.) in Azamour les Orangers…

  • Scentual healing says:

    Very informative and well researched as well as entertaining
    This is a great way to learn about flower power without all the jargon
    There is so much here but what really is new to me was that orange trees have thorns and the background on the Princess of Nerola
    I would be happy with any prize but the two I would wish for is Grand Neroli with notes of musk and vanilla or Azamour les oranger with notes of geranium and cumin
    Thank you for this lovely draw and article

  • I like greek mythology so for me it was interesting to know that goddess Hera married Zeus was given orange blossoms by Gaea. I woulf like to win Petit Trianon Eau de Parfum. I would like to win Xerjoff. it has oud among its ingredientes!

  • Orange blossom is my #1 favorite perfume ingredient, so I’m practically salivating over here at all these amazing options.

    As a Northerner, I had no idea bitter orange was 1) an evergreen plant 2) a prolific self-seeder 3) covered in “flexible” thorns.

    My pick is the House of Matriarch mystery perfume, which I can’t list any notes from because they’re a secret so I’ll just say “hydrosol” and look forward to a surprise (smelling the mystery scent) within a surprise (winning the draw).

  • I learned that “gathering orange blossoms” = “searching for a bride”. News to me!

    My selection would be Honoré’s trip, which appears to contain pepper…

  • Finally! I found out I’m not the only one who’s trying to cure insomnia/anxiety/depression with some orange blossom ‘fumes!

    Great article, and I really hope to see volume two soon, as there are so many fabulous orange-prominent scents that didn’t get a chance to be mentioned here.

    As for the game, these all sound equally delicious to me. I already have a sample of Kobe, but I can’t detect any oud in it, no matter what they say. Do I need some more for a more generous sparying maybe?

  • I did not know that Queen Victoria wore an orange blossom wreath on her wedding veil, nor that it was in Victorian times that brides began to have wax replicas of orange blossoms made. I do know that my mother wore a spray of wax replica orange blossoms on her bridal veil in 1932. She did not throw them away after one month.

    I’d be delighted to win any of these wonderful orange blossom scents, but my number one choice would be the chypre — Parfum D’Empire’s Azemour les Oranger with the geranium in its heart notes. I’m also intrigued by the dry grass in its base.

    Just in case I need to pick a second choice, I’d love the Atelier Grand Neroli with the persian galbanum in its heart notes. I’ve read that it has Madagascar vanilla in its base and I am a fan of that line’s Vanilla Insensee.

    Thanks for the draw opportunity and the chance to win any of these potential alleviators of insomnia, anxiety and depression.

  • I didn’t know that petitgrain ALSO came from the bitter orange tree, using the stems and leaves instead of the blossoms. I so want the Grand Neroli from Atelier Cologne, I just love that they’ve mixed the citrus neroli with white amber and vanilla. I’m already a fan of the Orange Sanguine and Oolong Infinity, the neroli sounds perfect!

    Thank you for the opportunity to win the draw!

  • I really enjoyed this article :). Something new I learned from it is that petitgrain came from the leaves and stem of orange trees, I never knew that.

    The perfume I’d like to win is Azemour les Orangers, by Parfum d’Empire and one non-citrus note in it is oakmoss. 🙂

    Thank you Cafleurebon!

  • What a lovely article and great pictures. I especially enjoyed the information about Queen Victoria choosing to wear orange blossoms on her wedding day and that ‘gathering orange blossoms’ means to search for a bride.

    I am a great fan of Tuinisian Neroli and food, where Orange blossoms have been part of their culture for centuries. There the harvesting of the blossoms and distillation provides a livelihood for thousands of people. They use the essence of orange blossom extensively in their cooking and for prevention from heat stroke, as well as for making sweets.

    All the perfumes sounds wonderful!

    Sophia

  • Oops, I forgot to mention which perfume in particular, I will like. Since Tunisian Orange blossom is my favourite, I will love to smell JoAnne Bassett’s Petit Trianon with Tunisian Neroli and Orange Blossom Absolute, and Amberette seed, Lavender and Black Spruce. It sounds just like the kind of perfume I like.

    Sophia

  • I thought the part about Gaea giving Hera orange blossoms when she married Zeus was interesting. And also Juno w/Jupiter.

    I’d love to win Grand Neroli & a non citrus note in it: Vanilla.

  • hotlanta linda says:

    WHOA – orange trees live many!!! human generations! Such beautiful!! artwork too 🙂 Would like to win Divine from Providence, which also features vanilla and musk. Thank you for the contest!!

  • Great article, Elise!

    1) I learned that cirus is, in fact, NOT indigenous to the New World; but was brought here in the early 1500’s by the Spanish…and has since spread from Georgia to Argentina!! Also, that there is a 700 year old citrus tree growing in Versailles (how cool is that?!) 😉

    2) HARD CHOICE!! Most likely Xerjoff’s Kobe (as I have never smelled any Xerjoffs ,but have been drooling over them forever! *giggles*)

    3)NOW I want to try Kobe even more; as the citruses and citric blossoms rest on a base of oudh and Brazilian rosewood!!! *sighs*

    Thanks for the great draw and a very informative read!

  • I didn´t know the historical fact that Princess Marie Anne oF Nerola popularized Neroli by using its fragrance to perfume her gloves.

    I´d really like to win House of Matriarch mistery fragrance as I absolutely cherish Neroli.

    Thanks for this informative read and fantastic draw! 🙂

  • I hadn’t a clue that was what petitgrain was! I just kinda vaguely assumed it was some kind of citrus fruit I had never seen or heard of before perfume.

    I would love to try Atelier Cologne’s Grand Neroli, which as well as the citrus notes also contains vanilla and amber, two of my favourite notes!

  • What I learned is the use of orange blossom water in french pastry. Many times I find the scent of flowers good enough to eat. Now I can! Azemour appeals most to me with its hay, coriander and pepper and also oceanic notes. I have been meaning to try this a long time.

  • I thought it was interesting that Victorian women would actually throw away WAX flowers!

    I’d love to win Azemour les Orangers, which has, among many other interesting notes, henna.

  • A lot of informations about neroli are new to me. I didn’t know that it has calming properties and I find interesting that it’s name derives from Princess Marie-Anne de la Tremoille of Nerola who popularized the fragrance.
    I would love to try Azemour les Orangers, with hay and henna.

  • New to this site and have never tried any. They sound wonderful! I wear fragrance daily & would love to win some and also receive samples.

  • One of the most important things I learned from this article is that “the flowers of bitter orange – both spicy and sweet-smelling —alleviate insomnia, anxiety and depression.” I can use this information! I would love to have the chance to try Divine by Providence Perfume Co. Vanilla, and also musk, are non-citrus notes in this lovely composition. Thanks for the draw!

  • It was interesting to learn how long some of the wild trees can live and about the tree in Versailles that could have been around since 1421.

    I would lovee to win the Atelier Cologne Grand Neroli Cologne Absolue. Non-citrus notes in it are vanilla from Madagascar and white amber.

  • taffynfontana says:

    I learned that it has a colorful and fragrant past and that it has been enjoyed by powerful and famous people. I would love to win Kobe by Xerjoff.

  • I liked the bit about the wax orange blossoms from Victorian times. My favourite, if I win, would be Xerjoff Kobe, due to the Oud at its heart.

  • Your article tought me that the name of Neroli comes from the name of an Italian princess. Thank you for that! I would like to win Gran Neroli by Atelier Cologne. Non citrus notes is in – birch, galbanum.

  • I learned that some trees growing in the wild may be over 600 years old, and that one tree planted at Versailles is said to have been growing since 1421. That’s pretty cool.

    I’d like to win the Xerjoff Kobe which contains Oud as an ingredient (and also contains rose wood).

  • I never knew anything about the long history of associating orange blossoms with brides, purity, and fertility. I thought the part about Queen Victoria popularizing them, and brides using wax blossoms and then throwing them away, was particularly fascinating. Also, that neroli and orange blossom absolute smell very different but are two extracts of the same thing.

    I know Petit Trianon is amazing but I am allergic to something in the Royal Collection samples and don’t know which because I sampled in close succession.

    So, I would choose….

    kobe, which also has oud rosewood amber tonka

    also very tempted by that mystery perfume! and atelier’s grand neroli (which has vanilla) and
    divine, also with vanilla and musk…really any of these would be amazing!

  • Great Article, Elise. I learned we have the Spainards to be grateful in our country for the introduction of this! I would love to try the House of Matriarch Mystery Perfume..I admire Christi’s work, of course this does not mean I don’t admire the work of all perfumers 😉

  • I didn’t know that neroli was traditionally used by brides and as a symbol of love. I would like to be entered for Grand Neroli, which includes vanilla along with citrus notes.

  • I really enjoyed the article. I learned that orange blossoms are associated with young brides. I would love Petit Trianon Eau de Parfum which includes notes of black spruce and lavender.

  • I would love to try the Grand Neroli by Atelier Cologne, neroli with vanilla & white amber… Yummy!

  • I knew orange water was used in cooking but I didn’t know it was used as a facial toner. I will be trying that for sure! I would love to try Atelier Cologne’s Grand Neroli. Neroli with vanilla & white amber…. Yummy!

  • I learned about how amazing citrus fragrances are. I would like to win the Belle Fleur New York Orange Blossom Pomegrante candle. The non citrus notes are: Pomegranate and orange blossom. I live in Poland, EU.