Is bergamot always a top note? Any other info anyone could give me?

TIA, Ellen

You called? :)

I think bergamot is always a top note; it's extracted from citrus rind. Citrus oils are particularly volatile and are dispersed quickly by the heat of your body-- I would think a scent that's so fleeting is hard to use other than as a top note, at least until you get into synthetics.

The fruit is available out here very briefly during the citrus season. (Someone in the central valley grows specialty citrus-- bergamot orange, various kinds of blood orange, kalamansi-- in addition to the usual fruit.) You wouldn't want to eat the fruit, though. There's more pith than flesh, and what flesh there is doesn't taste particularly good. If you do come across one, just zest it thoroughly into a plastic bag and put that in your freezer until you need some aromatic, tangy, bright, slightly green-smelling peel. It's a nice addition to shortbread.

In isolation (sniffing my little bottle of EO here), it's a scent that's extremely friendly with greens and other citrus (think of its role in Earl Grey tea), which is probably why it became the canonical top note in chypre fragrances as well as in traditional Eaux de Cologne.

(There's an herb that is called bergamot because of its similarity in smell, but I believe that "bergamot" in perfumery always refers to the citrus.)

Thank you for the info! At it did occur to me that you might see the posting ;)

I also love Earl Grey tea - that's the herb, right? or is that the citrus?

I have never heard of an herb called bergamot, not to say there isn't.
Bergamot is the same citrus that flavors Earl Grey tea.

It is a favorite opening note for me and seems to be consistant in all my favorites.
Even Anne Pliska.

Victoria, I think the herb is more commonly referred to as "bee balm" in the U.S. It's supposed to be a good plant to draw butterflies to your garden.

http://www.ageless.co.za/bergamot.htm

I, too, am consistently drawn to fragrances with this as a top note.

Ellen - who is that man in your avatar?

ahhh yes, I have heard of that. :O)

That's my babydaddy - Gerard Butler. Ain't he fine?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_Butler

Thanks, all, for the info and opinions on bergamot. To quote Borat, "I liiiiike. Is Niiiiiice!"

I thought Zino had that bergamot note going for it! I finally found a site that listed the notes.
This is a man's fragrance but I adore it.
It is on my "to buy" list.

http://www.100perfumes.com/Items/item_1333.htm

Karen

I use it in a lot of scents I make. It's one of the top classical perfumery top notes used most. I love it.

I'm definitly a bergamot fan! Brings life and brightness to a fragrance.

SPARKLE!

Thanks, Ellen. He is quite fetching. I've never seen or heard of him. I must find out more. . .;-)

He's in "300" right now. Google yourself some pics. His body in that film is UNREAL.

Another bergamot fan here. It's so uplifting and fresh smelling.
SMN Eau de Catherine Medici is a lovely interpretation of it.

Why, yes, it most certainly is.:-) Okay, back to your regularly scheduled thread. . .

Every time I see this topic, I think, "Bergamot? Nice girl, good swapper, stellar cook, what do you wanna know?"

Aw, shucks, Red! :)