Hello perfume people and welcome to another session of Mood Scent 4. Each month my fragrant partners and myself team up to share some fragrance love highlighting a specific theme. The Mood Scent 4 team features Portia at A Bottled Rose (Australia), L’Esperessence (Netherlands) and I Scent You A Day (Wales, United Kingdom) and we are your perfume selectors today for zesty citrus fragrances.

I’m not sure about you, but it has taken me a while to really enjoy citrus fragrances. Usually I prefer amber oriented scents. Note that I hesitated to use the term ‘oriental’ as it is falling out of favour, and I think for good reason, but they are the polar opposite of this category of light spritely fragrances.

Citrus scents are sparkling and effervescent, generally faring well in summer for that hit of freshness. Personally in the depths of a dark winter, I find that a spritz of a zesty citrus scent can be just what is needed to rise above the gloom and to refresh the spirit. So really, they work well at all times of the year.

So here is a selection of zesty citrus fragrances that should hit the spot for you.

Mandarine : L’Artisan Parfumeur :  Olivia Giacobetti: 2006

This fragrance is just a joyous hit of mandarin freshness. It’s juicy and really smells divine. Mandarine is freshly squeezed with some sweetness and floral highlights that is a great pick me up scent for any time of the year. It has the Giacobetti ethereal watercolour tones and is well crafted. The downside is the longevity, so you will need to top it up frequently. It is discontinued so if you can track one down, definitely add it to the cart.

Pomelo Riviera : Atelier Des Ors : Marie Salamagne : 2019

This is one of the scents in the Atelier Des Ors Rivera line that mesmerise in the gorgeous azure toned bottles. Pomelo Riviera has a zesty feel with a hit of juicy pomelo and a sea swept vibe. The scent also has delicate brushes of rose, jasmine and orange blossom that add to the allure. I would say that generally speaking grapefruit can be challenging in a fragrance as it has a bitter tone, however this one is easy to wear and very light and bright resulting in an instant mood uplift.

Ray of Light : April Aromatics : Tania Bochnig : 2014

This scent has zesty citrus shades in abundance. Lemon, lime, grapefruit and bergamot feature in Ray of Light, a scent that is bursting with freshness. Imagine drinking a cocktail in a beach side bar (hopefully soon) with a dash of mint and this fragrance will transport you right there. Ray of Light like all of the other scents in the April Aromatics range is natural and I highly recommend this line if you haven’t yet tried them. I’ve written about many of them on this blog, including Vanilicious, Irisistible and Pink Wood.

Eau de Sens : Diptyque : Olivier Pescheux : 2016

Eau de Sens is an absolutely gorgeous orange blossom scent from Diptyque. The wood facets balance out the sweetness that often arises in orange blossom scents. Eau de Sens has a clean feel, which is not what I usually opt for in fragrances, but there is something about this scent that transports me to an Italian fruit grove where freshly laundered garments are blowing in the breeze. There is a soapy aspect but with the slight bitterness from angelica there’s something about this scent that makes it very appealing. It’s definitely less heady and sensual than a scent like Serge Luten’s Fleurs d’Oranger which could be considered too tuberose dominant. Generally speaking, Diptyque make excellent fragrances, so this is another to put on the list.

Citron Boboli : Le Jardin Retrouvé : Yuri Gutsatz : 1977

Now let’s imagine we can travel again and we’re in Florence and the Boboli gardens. The air is warm and there is so much to discover, with maybe a hint of excitement lingering in the darker hours. This fragrance is zesty but also pulls off the unusual trick of being quite sexily spiced and alluring. For this reason, it’s quite an unusual lemon scent, as they typically err so fresh and so clean. This was my favourite in the original relaunch of the scents, with the unusual addition of cloves making it a spicy delight.

So that’s a wrap for this edition of Mood Scent 4. Thank you so much for stopping by and please make sure to read my fellow Mood Scent 4 group writers : Portia at A Bottled Rose, Samantha on I Scent You A Day and Esperanza on L’Esperessence.

Let us know your zesty citrus favourites too. 🍋🍊🍋

Notes : Images from the brand websites.

Disclosure : I provide services to Atelier Des Ors and the perfume was provided by the brand. Citron Boboli and Ray of Light were gratefuly received from the brands.