Having worked with and written on a plethora of perfumes in my career, I’ve always been fascinated with one top note that I see in almost every product — bergamot. Hence, my curiosity motivated me to look for the best bergamot perfumes, be it with or without that being the hero ingredient to understand what makes it better than other citrus notes, like grapefruit, tangerine, or lemon. 

In the process, I fell in love with the complex scent of bergamot, which was crisp, fruity, herbaceous, resinous, and all in all, invigorating. Now let’s face it— bergamot is a seemingly boring and unimpressive-looking fruit that resembles a lime, and no one expects it to smell any different than that. But, as the saying goes — one should judge a book (or a citrus fruit) by its cover, as what’s inside is waiting to amaze you! 

The reason why this goodie gets added in most perfume concoctions is that it blends with absolutely any accord, be it something green and floral like vetiver, patchouli, jasmine, verbena, gardenia, moss, peony, etc. but also intense notes like leather, amber, white woods, cashmere, oriental spices, etc. In fact, as unexpected as it may seem, bergamot and vanilla perfumes are some of the top-selling ones out there! So, no matter what your fragrance preference is, bergamot has something in stock for you all! Without further ado, let’s take a look at my perfume recommendations— 

• 1
  Suitable for Every Nose

  Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker

  BUY ON AMAZON

Every whiff of this bergamot perfume smells like sophistication! And I think this is because its fragrance notes are inoffensive and suitable for every nose, without being underwhelming either. This fragrance opens with citrusy scents that transition to a powdery floral accord. The woody base notes are quite dominant in the concoction, which is probably why the scent lasted for a good 6 to 7 hours when I first applied it. Moreover, the scent is quite the head-turner and perfect to boost your confidence when you step out!

2

Calming And Hypoallergenic

Skylar Coconut Cove Eau de Parfum

BUY ON AMAZON

The selling points of this coconut-bergamot perfume by Skylar are too many to describe. It certainly is a unique concoction that seamlessly blends creamy and lactonic notes with a citrusy zest, which makes the scent smell both fresh and comforting. These sensually addictive notes are further spruced with whiffs of gardenia, cardamom, vanilla orchid, and a neutralizing woody accord. This perfume is inoffensive and versatile, while also being something you’ve never smelled before! For this very reason, I’d recommend you to give it a try.

3

Best Men’s Perfume

Drakkar Intense By Guy Laroche

BUY ON AMAZON

Launched in 2022, this bergamot fragrance gives a modern and metropolitan twist to the Drakkar Noir perfume — and most customers who liked the original one from the 80s have loved this! Its fragrance is fresh, spicy, and calmingly earthy, jazzed up with a hint of citrus to make it more dynamic and balanced. Looking at how the product has been marketed, I expected it to be quite intense and leathery — realizing that it is rather a crisp, masculine fragrance that will suit most people’s personal preferences.

4

Best Cruelty-free Option

(MALIN + GOETZ) bergamot. Eau De Parfum

Buy on Amazon

This vegan eau de parfum from (MALIN + GOETZ) is a burst of sunshine in a bottle! The fragrance draws inspiration from the sun-soaked trees of southern Italy, radiating an effervescent and vibrant citrus aroma that perfectly captures the essence of a carefree stroll through beautiful groves. Beyond its marvelous scent, it is also cruelty-free, allowing you to indulge in ethical and guilt-free beauty. Wear it on your pulse points, neck, and wrists to give yourself a daily dose of a pleasant citrus-infused delight.

5

Best Sophisticated Women’s Perfume

Mugler Alien Goddess Eau de Parfum

BUY ON AMAZON

This bergamot perfume for women opens with a fresh and comforting accord, which is complemented with coconut water to soothe your senses. And, without overwhelming your nose, the scent smoothly dries down to the balsamic notes of bourbon vanilla, and cashmere. I found this fragrance to be a classic blend that transitions from being a summer fragrance to a winter one. Besides, the scent makes your persona radiate and leaves an alluring trail behind.

6

Best Old-fashioned Scent

Mugler Angel Eau de Parfum

BUY ON AMAZON

While opening with the fresh air of bergamot, this alluring perfume by Mugler invites you in for a dynamic, amorous, and irresistible olfactory experience that feels rather angelic! The fragrance encompasses several accords — sweet, green, fruity, warm spicy, woody, powdery, and a tad bit chocolatey — which makes you feel that Christmas came early! I personally think of it as a one-of-a-kind fragrance that uplifts your mood and transports you to a fairyland. And hence, I highly recommend it to wear it when you’re on a honeymoon, a romantic getaway, or a fancy date.

7

Best Organic And Cruelty-free

L'Erbolario Jade Plant

BUY ON AMAZON

Compared to all the perfumes that we discussed above, I recommend this one by L'Erbolario as it has bergamot as the key ingredient and the hero note, whereas all the other infused scents help enhance it without stealing the show. When I first tried it on, the perfume felt fresh and energizing, as it leveraged its citrusy goodness. It also contains other clean, botanical notes such as white tea, jade flower, and lemon verbena, which add a herby touch to it. Feeling lethargic and sloppy? Spritz some of this scent to bring your senses back to life!

8

Best Herbaceous Scent

Atelier Bergamote Soleil Cologne

BUY ON AMAZON

Here’s another clean and fuss-free bergamot scent to the list — Bergamote Soleil by Atelier — which is perfect for both men and women. I find this perfume suitable for people who take the subway or a bus to get to work and would like to freshen their senses during that. The fragrance has a citrusy opening, which gets a mildly sweet and herbaceous persona with the infusion of jasmine, cardamom, oakmoss, and vetiver. Its bright, natural fragrance has never failed to make my day!

9

Best Packaging

philosophy amazing grace bergamot

Buy on Amazon

Treat your senses to the invigorating charm of philosophy's amazing grace bergamot eau de toilette. This liquid wonder effortlessly blends floral notes with the captivating essence of bergamot, giving you the most amazing everyday fragrance. You'll feel bright, confident, and inspired as you spray this pleasant fragrance onto your clean, dry skin. It can be worn for any occasion as the scent encapsulates grace and sophistication, allowing you to embrace a timeless elegance that's both contemporary and chic.

10

Best Women’s Perfume

Nina Ricci Luna Blossom Perfume For Women

BUY ON AMAZON

While you may describe this perfume as “fruity”, I would say that it is not the “cloying” kind of fruity one may think of. Instead, it's a subtler, classier combination of bergamot with nassi pear, which has an energizing effect. What makes this fragrance super-feminine and one of my favorites is that it encompasses a smooth blend of peony, jasmine, and magnolia notes, that are a delight to one’s senses. Moreover, this scent is bright but not as volatile as other citrus fragrances.

11

Mugler Angel Nova Eau de Parfum

BUY ON AMAZON

To women who are bored of simple, aldehydic scents and wish to perk up their mood, I recommend this perfume by Mugler. Personally, I keep craving the fruity aura it adds to the room on spritzing this on, owing to the infused notes of raspberry and litchi. Having tried this on, I believe this perfume is suitable for kids, teenage girls, as well as adults out on a date. The perfume sets the mood right for an indulgent evening!

12

Best Floral Trail

100 BON Jasmine & Ylang Solaire

BUY ON AMAZON

Featuring the heavenly heart notes of ylang-ylang and jasmine, every whiff of this perfume by 100 BON smells like a stroll through an Indian flower garden. While personally, I’m a sucker for these two notes, I truly admire the overall concoction of the perfume, consisting of exhilarating solar notes that bring an air of optimism around in mere seconds. 

The notes of bergamot open the fragrance, in addition to coconut, blood orange, and mint — a blend that is remarkably energizing yet smooth and balsamic. Adding on, the base notes of cedar, vanilla, and benzoin lock in the freshness, with a hint of sweetness. All in all, this perfume is perfect to delight your nose and boost your confidence before you step out.

13

Best Green Scent

100 BON L'Eau Du Parc

BUY ON AMAZON

If you like 100 BON’s ylang and jasmine perfume but prefer something greener, I’d highly recommend this bergamot scent. The hero note is boosted with the freshness of lemon, blood orange, and mint, which I found rather exhilarating. Going further, the lingering base notes of patchouli and vetiver refresh my senses, so I prefer carrying this scent along when I’m traveling a lot or getting in some high-intensity exercise. Plus, this scent is unisex, so it doesn't matter who uses it, it works great with most body chemistries.

14

Marina de Bourbon Monsieur Le Prince Intense

BUY ON AMAZON

While I judged this perfume from its packaging, thinking that it would be a classic aquatic-musky fragrance, I was proved wrong — and for good! This perfume is a lot more than that; it is fruity, woody, fresh, animalic, spicy, and even a tad bit sweet to smell. When you spritz some on, the first thing you smell is bergamot, in addition to the notes of pineapple and pear. Then, the scent takes your nose through a trail of white flowers, leather, musk, amber, and fresh woods, thereby taking a complex turn. Owing to this reason, I’d recommend this scent for men to boost their confidence before they step out.

15

A'ddict Peel the Bergamot Eau de Parfum

BUY ON AMAZON

Of all bergamot perfumes on the list, this EDP would be the quintessential one— after all, the name says it all! I am in love with the simplicity of this concoction — a feature that ensures it won’t overwhelm your nose but will instead have a subtle, calmative effect on your senses. It contains the heart notes of mimosa and the end notes of cedar, which contribute to the citrusy goodness of the scent while adding some extra zing and sweetness to put you at ease.

Now that you’ve seen our recommendations for the best bergamot perfumes, scroll away to read through our buying guide. This guide will help you shop more wisely, especially when you are blind buying your perfume.

These are the parameters that I prioritize when looking for a bergamot perfume.

Supporting Notes: Bergamot, by itself, has a simple fragrance. So, to spruce it up, you should look into the supporting top, middle, and base notes that enhance their freshness and add more character to the scent. 

If you are someone who is drawn to floral scents, you can maybe look for notes of heliotrope, jasmine, lavender, gardenia, etc. For green and aquatic scents, look for vetiver, patchouli, basil, verbena, etc. Apart from these, you may prefer sweet, powdery, warm, or musky fragrances, so always dive deep into the other infused notes to get an idea of which scent works for you. 

Complexity: Another thing you need to look for is complexity. If you’re looking for a sensual, dynamic, and indulgent fragrance that swoons you, look for complex concoctions that contain different notes and accords. And if you like simplicity for want something for everyday use, look for a fragrance with fewer supporting notes. 

Longevity: Having worked with several perfumes and fragrances, I can tell you that you shouldn’t expect a bergamot perfume (or any clean and citrusy perfume for that matter) to last for a very long time. 

Bergamot typically makes for the top note of the perfume and hits your nose for no longer than a few seconds to a few minutes. Other fruity and citrusy top notes, of course, boost its longevity and make the scent last for a longer period, but you shouldn’t expect much if the scent doesn’t have any complex base notes. 

However, with complementary base notes such as white amber, oakwood, vanilla, patchouli, garden leaves, sandalwood, etc. you can expect the scent to last for about 3-4 hours. 

Projection And Sillage:

Like longevity, you cannot expect bergamot notes to leave a trail or make everyone in the room aware of your presence. However, based on the infused supporting notes, you can determine the sillage and projection of the fragrance and invest accordingly. 

Versatility: 

A classic bergamot perfume is usually a layerable one. It not only works for most occasions, but you can also alter the scent by combining it with other fragrances. To determine whether a particular perfume is versatile or not, be sure to avoid strong notes such as caramel, bourbon, oud, tonka beans, chocolate, candy, incense, warm spices, etc. However, if versatility is not your priority, you can skip this step and simply look for notes that have your heart.

I hope this article on the best bergamot perfumes gave you several options to choose from, to get a fragrance that works best for you. Since bergamot is an excellently blendable fragrance note that works with almost all scents, you can see that I’ve curated products of varying fragrance profiles, suitable for different occasions and purposes. Hence, referring to the buying guide and knowing what exactly you’re looking for is pivotal before you make a purchase. Happy shopping!