The note of bergamot is the most often used fragrance note in the world. And, as it’s the most used fragrance note, there’s an abundance of different bergamot fragrances. But what are the best bergamot fragrances for men?
What Is The Note Of Bergamot And How Does It Smell
The note of bergamot is the most often used fragrance note. But, what is the note of bergamot, and how does it smell? As shown in the image above, bergamot is a small, rough-shaped, citrus fruit. This fruit is mostly produced in Southern Italy, in a region called Calabria.
But the scent that this fruit produces is what makes it so popular. The scent of bergamot is quite fresh and bitter, but it also has a fruity sweetness to it. This creates a complex fragrance note and it can really add a lot to a fragrance. After all, there’s a good reason why this is the most used fragrance note. If it didn’t smell nice, it wouldn’t be in the position it’s in right now.
With its fresh, fruity, and bitter scent, it should come as no surprise that most bergamot fragrances are just that, fresh and fruity. That true, for the most part. The large majority of bergamot fragrances are, as you’d expect, fresh and perfect for the warmer months. However, there are also a few fragrances that use the note of bergamot in a supporting role. This way, there’s bergamot detectable, but it isn’t the main focus.
In any case, a bergamot fragrance is fantastic. Below are some of the best bergamot fragrances for men, in no particular order!
1. Atelier Cologne Bergamote Soleil
Scent: Atelier Cologne Bergamote Soleil is a beautiful bergamot-based fragrance with an aromatic scent. This fragrance opens with quite a simple, yet very pleasant scent of bergamot. The bergamot makes for a tart, sparkling opening scent, which sets the tone for the remainder of this fragrance. When this fragrance starts to dry down, you get an aromatic scent of warm lavender and moss, mixed in with the initial opening of bergamot. Overall, this is a very fresh and pleasant bergamot fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Atelier Cologne Bergamote Soleil are bergamot, bitter orange, and ambrette. The middle notes are jasmine, cardamom, and lavender. The base notes are white amber, vetiver, and oakmoss.
Best for: Atelier Cologne Bergamote Soleil is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the summer. The overall refreshing nature of this fragrance just makes it work perfectly with those warm, high humidity, summer days. During those summer days, this fragrance is great for casual wear, although there is a slight mature vibe to it. This makes it great for formal occasions and allows it to be worn by a man of any age. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
2. Le Labo Bergamote 22
Scent: Le Labo Bergamote 22 is a beautiful bergamot fragrance with a nice undertone of woods. This fragrance opens with a very fresh and vibrant scent of bergamot. This scent is the main line of this fragrance and it’s only accompanied by some woody notes every now and then. But in the end, you really only get this realistic, vibrant scent of bergamot. Luckily, this scent is incredibly pleasant and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Le Labo Bergamote 22 is regarded as one of, if not the best bergamot fragrance on the market.
Notes: The notes of Le Labo Bergamote 22 are petitgrain, cedar, vetiver, orange blossom, grapefruit, vanilla, musk, bergamot, and amber.
Best for: Le Labo Bergamote 22 is an incredible fragrance to wear during the summer. With its realistic, vibrant, and almost sparkling scent of bergamot, you just can’t go wrong with this fragrance during the warmer months. The natural smelling scent of this fragrance makes it so versatile and inoffensive, which makes it great as a casual scent, but it works just as nicely formally. However, with such a masterpiece, comes a high price. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check out the current price over here on Amazon!
3. Dior Homme Cologne
Scent: Dior Homme Cologne is a very fresh fragrance with a cold, citrusy scent. This fragrance opens with a fruity scent of bergamot. This has a fresh, citrusy scent with a natural sweetness coming from it. Along with this comes a cold vibe, giving the impression of frozen citrus. After a little while, this citrusy scent is accompanied by a very soft scent of florals. The base of this fragrance adds a musky undertone. Overall, you get a refreshing, cold, and citrusy fragrance with a very clean scent to it.
Notes: The top note of Dior Homme Cologne is bergamot. The middle note is grapefruit blossom and the base note is musk.
Best for: Dior Homme Cologne is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warm summer days. The citrusy scent, combined with the cold vibe makes for such a refreshing fragrance that you just can’t go wrong with during a warm day. This fragrance is also extremely inoffensive and easy to wear, making it a viable choice for pretty much every occasion, both formal and casual, as well as for a sporty event. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
4. Xerjoff Nio
Scent: Xerjoff Nio is a gorgeous fragrance with a beautiful scent of citruses and greens. This fragrance was modeled after a stroll through the Italian countryside, and it did it perfectly. With an opening of bergamot and neroli, you get a very fresh and natural scent. After a little while, this scent is accompanied by green notes, as well as a spicy undertone. The dry down of this fragrance attributes to the initial fresh and green scent with notes of vetiver and woods. Overall, this is a stunning fragrance and is often referred to as one of the best, fresh fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Xerjoff Nio are neroli, bergamot, and green notes. The middle notes are jasmine, pink pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg. The base notes are amber, cedar, guaiac woods, patchouli, and vetiver.
Best for: Xerjoff Nio is a beautiful fragrance to wear during the summer, or basically any warm day. Usually, citrus-based fragrances can be quite linear and dull, however, Xerjoff Nio is nothing like that. Its scent will constantly be intriguing and always has a feeling of class tied to it. This makes this fragrance incredibly nice for any formal situation. Of course, you can also wear this fragrance casually as well. But, with such a luxurious fragrance comes a high price. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check out the current price over here on Amazon!
5. Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot
Scent: Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot is a very light fragrance with an interesting combination of oud and bergamot. This fragrance opens with a zesty scent of citruses, mainly the scent of bergamot. This citrusy, zest scent stays there for the remainder of the fragrance, only to be accompanied by the rich scent of oud. Overall, this is a very nice fragrance, however, it isn’t the strongest. It sits quite close to the skin, but, considering it’s a citrus-based fragrance, it’s somewhat expected.
Notes: The notes of Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot are orange, oud, lemon, bergamot, and cedar.
Best for: Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the summer. Due to its light and soft scent, this fragrance wouldn’t really work in any other season. However, this fragrance does work great as a gym fragrance, due to it being very light. You can also wear this fragrance casually during the summer as well. Overall, it makes for a great fragrance for if you want to wear something without being loud or offensive. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
6. Yves Saint Laurent l’Homme Sport
Scent: Yves Saint Lauren l’Homme Sport is a fresh, sporty fragrance with a citrusy, woody scent. This fragrance opens with a crisp scent of citruses, as well as a very subtle touch of aldehydes. This scent stays like this for quite a while, only near the end can you start to notice some woody influences. Overall, with Yves Saint Laurent l’Homme Sport, you get a very safe, clean, and easy to wear fragrance but it might be a bit too ‘normal’ for some people. Nevertheless, its still a fantastic bergamot fragrance!
Notes: The top notes of Yves Saint Laurent l’Homme Sport are verbena, aldehydes, and bergamot. The middle notes are coriander and woody notes. The base notes are amber and cedar.
Best for: Yves Saint Laurent l’Homme Sport is a great warm-weather fragrance. During the warmer days, this fragrance works great as a casual scent. However, this fragrance truly shines when you wear it to the office or to the gym. The cleanness and safeness of this fragrance make it really nice for those places where you can’t wear anything too strong or polarizing. Therefore, this makes for a perfect sporting or office fragrance. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
7. Byredo Palermo
Scent: Byredo Palermo is a beautiful fragrance with a very fresh and slightly spicy scent. This fragrance opens with a very bright scent of citruses. The note of bergamot is a prominent player in this opening, but there’s also the slightly sweet scent of petitgrain. After a little while, you can start to notice a hint of musk, as well as a spicy base. This leaves you with a beautiful, fresh scent. The only downside to this fragrance is that it doesn’t last too long, although, that could also be because of the mist-like quality that is often found in Byredo fragrances.
Notes: The top notes of Byredo Palermo are bergamot, citruses, and petitgrain. The middle notes are rose and musk, and the base note is ambrette.
Best for: Byredo Palermo is an extremely nice fragrance to wear during the summer. With it’s refreshing, mist-like scent, you have a fragrance that is inoffensive, yet smells incredibly pleasant. Byredo Palermo also has a very natural smelling scent, which is another plus for a summer scent. During the summer, this fragrance makes for a great everyday fragrance, however, it also works great for a formal setting. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
8. Dior Sauvage
Scent: Dior Sauvage is one of the most popular men’s fragrances, and it actually uses the note of bergamot quite nicely. This fragrance opens with a strong scent of bergamot, mixed with pepper. This, in addition to the overall strong scent of ambroxan, creates the classic Dior Sauvage DNA that everybody loves. With it’s fresh, peppery, and synthetic ambroxan scent, you have a fragrance that is known for getting a bunch of compliments. Overall, this is a huge crowd-pleaser that you just can’t go wrong with.
Notes: The top notes of Dior Sauvage are bergamot and pepper. The middle notes are geranium, lavender, patchouli, benzoin, and vetiver. The base notes are ambroxan, musk, and labdanum.
Best for: Dior Sauvage is a fantastic fragrance that you can actually wear all year long. This is one of the few fragrances that works great in every season, as well as pretty much every occasion. Like I mentioned before, this is a huge compliment getter and it has a crowd-pleasing scent. This just makes this fragrance work for any man who wants to smell great. The only real downside to this fragrance is that many people own it already, so it isn’t the most unique fragrance anymore. Nevertheless, this is a true masterpiece. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
9. Versace Man Eau Fraiche
Scent: Versace Man Eau Fraiche is a very fresh fragrance with a citrusy, aquatic scent. This fragrance opens up with a fresh, yet somewhat spicy scent. This creates an interesting dynamic and sets the tone for this fragrance. When this fragrance starts to dry down, you can start to get some woody notes, but, in the end, you mainly get a fresh, citrusy, aquatic scent with a spicy undertone. Overall, this is a very likable fragrance and it will make sure you get a lot of compliments.
Notes: The top notes of Versace Man Eau Fraiche are cardamom, starfruit, lemon, rosewood, and bergamot. The middle notes are pepper, cedar, sage, and tarragon. The base notes are sycamore, woody notes, musk, saffron, and amber.
Best for: Versace Man Eau Fraiche is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer weather. Unlike most other bergamot fragrances, this one isn’t really the best for formal settings. Instead, wear Versace Man Eau Fraiche casually, or, even better, to an outdoors party. Maybe a beach party, or something like that, and you’ll be set. This is a great fragrance to wear when you don’t need to take anything seriously. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
10. Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Bergamotto Di Calabria
Scent: Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Bergamotto Di Calabria is a very fresh and beautiful bergamot-based fragrance. The opening of this fragrance immediately introduces you to this bergamot scent. However, there’s also a fresh, spicy scent of ginger detectable. This creates an interesting scent, and, as it dries down, it goes more into a soft, woody direction. But in the end, the bergamot is the main star in this fragrance, and with this beautiful fragrance, you won’t miss out on it.
Notes: The top notes of Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Bergamotto Di Calabria are citron and bergamot. The middle notes are cedar, ginger, and flowers. The base notes are musk, benzoin, and vetiver.
Best for: Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Bergamotto Di Calabria is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer days. The overall freshness in this fragrance is unparalleled and it will supply you with a very likable scent. Like most bergamot-based fragrances, this one is very clean and safe to wear, which makes it a fantastic casual fragrance. The only downside to this fragrance is that it doesn’t last too long. But that shouldn’t take too much away from the beauty that this fragrance is. If you’re interested, you can check out the current price over here on Amazon!
11. Tom Ford Venetian Bergamot
Scent: Tom Ford Venetian Bergamot is a slightly warmer take on the usual bergamot DNA. This fragrance opens with a scent of bergamot, mixed with pepper. After a little while, this scent is accompanied by some floral notes, which add a subtle sweetness to the fragrance. The base of this fragrance adds a new layer of spices, as well as warmth, in the form of amber, tonka bean, and woody notes. In the end, you’re left with a fresh, yet warm fragrance that smells absolutely gorgeous.
Notes: The top notes of Tom Ford Venetian Bergamot are ginger, pink pepper, bergamot, and black pepper. The middle notes are magnolia, pepperwood, cedar, gardenia, and ylang ylang. The base notes are cashmeran, amber, tonka bean, and sandalwood.
Best for: Tom Ford Venetian Bergamot is a fantastic fragrance that you can wear during the warmer months, as well as during the slightly cooler months. The added warmth and sweetness in this fragrance makes it great for the slightly cooler months, whereas the citrusy opening makes it great for the warmer months. During these months, you can’t really go wrong with this fragrance, as it works both casually, as well as formally. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
12. Roja Dove Elysium
Scent: Roja Dove Elysium is a beautiful citrus fragrance with a nice, woody background. This fragrance opens with a bright scent of citruses, including lime, lemon, and bergamot. This citrusy fragrance stays around for quite a while, only to be accompanied by some soft spices. The dry down of this fragrance becomes a little more woody, but there are also notes of vanilla and ambergris. In the end, you’re left with a classy, luxurious scent of citruses and woods.
Notes: The top notes of Roja Dove Elysium are lime, galbanum, thyme, grapefruit, artemisia, bergamot, and lemon. The middle notes are apple, juniper berries, blackcurrant, cedar, jasmine, vetiver, rose, cypriol oil, lily of the valley, and pink pepper. The base notes are ambergris, leather, labdanum, vanilla, and benzoin.
Best for: Roja Dove Elysium is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the summer. This fragrance has an extremely nice and bright scent of citruses, which goes perfectly with the higher temperatures of the summer. This fragrance is great for casual wear, but it also works great for any formal occasion. This fragrance portrays class and luxury, so make sure you wear it correctly. The price of this fragrance is quite high as well, adding to the luxurious vibe. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
13. Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Bergamot
Scent: Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Bergamot is a fresh bergamot fragrance with a subtle, sweet undertone. This fragrance opens with a scent of bergamot, which is quite soft when compared to most others on this list. This bergamot is a little more subtle and on the sweeter side. Added to this is a subtle touch of orange, which adds a natural, sweet-smelling scent. Overall, with this fragrance, you get a more serious take on the note of bergamot, which adds class to the scent and makes sure it lives up to its name ‘Velvet Bergamot’.
Notes: The top notes of Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Bergamot are bergamot, orange blossom, and petitgrain. The middle note is clary sage. The base notes are ambrette and vetiver.
Best for: Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Bergamot is a fantastic warm weather fragrance. Although this fragrance has a more subtle bergamot scent, it’s still very fresh and pleasant. However, this subtle nature adds a layer of class to this fragrance, which makes it work better in formal occasions. You could also wear this fragrance casually, just make sure you’re dressed up a bit nicer than usual. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
14. Ermenegildo Zegna Italian Bergamot
Scent: Ermenegildo Zegna Italian Bergamot is an aromatic fragrance with a very strong scent of citruses. This fragrance opens with a recognizable scent of neroli and bergamot, which has a classic Southern Italy scent. This scent will stay like this for the remainder of this fragrance. However, there are a few additions of fresh spices, which give this fragrance an herbal and unique edge. In the end, you’re left with a classic, citrus-based scent, made better with the addition of herbal notes.
Notes: The notes of Ermenegildo Zegna Italian Bergamot are vetiver, rosemary, bergamot, and neroli.
Best for: Ermenegildo Zegna Italian Bergamot is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer months. This fragrance has a very fresh scent that is reminiscent of Italy. This makes this fragrance great for not only casual wear during the warmer months, but it’s also a great fragrance to take with you on a trip to a warm country. Overall, this fragrance is fantastic. However, the price of this fragrance is quite high. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check out the current price over here on Amazon!
15. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis
Scent: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis is a very clean and fresh fragrance. This fragrance opens up with a sparkly scent of citruses, which creates a refreshing and uplifting scent. This scent will stay like this for a long while, only to be accompanied by a floral note every now and then. Nearing the dry down, the sparkly vibe also fades away, leaving you with a citrusy fresh and clean fragrance that pretty much everyone around you will like.
Notes: The notes of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis are lily of the valley, woody notes, musk, orange, lemon, orange blossom, and bergamot.
Best for: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the warmer months. This fragrance has an extremely safe and clean scent, which makes it great for pretty much everyone, as well as for pretty much every occasion. Overall, you get a well-balanced fragrance with huge crowd-appeal. The only downside is that Maison Francis Kurkdjian fragrances are quite pricey. But, if you ask me, it’s more than worth it. If you’re interested in this fragrance, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
Should You Have A Bergamot Fragrance
There’s a good chance you already own a bergamot fragrance. As I mentioned before, the note of bergamot is the most often used fragrance note. Countless fragrances use this note, however, not all of them are centered around this note. The ones that do usually have a very fresh and pleasant scent.
Owning a pleasant scent is never a bad thing, and seeing as bergamot fragrances are on the fresher side, they always make for some of the best warm-weather fragrances. Therefore, owning a bergamot fragrance is definitely a good idea.
A bergamot fragrance also makes you stand apart a bit. The current trend is that most men wear an aquatic fragrance during the warmer months. Although an aquatic fragrance is great, it isn’t really that unique anymore. You can shake things up a bit by wearing a fragrance based around citruses, like the note of bergamot.
Bergamot fragrances can also differ a lot in scent. The fragrances above all have their own unique quality and they will allow you to shake things up a bit. Not only do they differ in scent, but they also differ in price. Some of the fragrances on this list can be quite pricey. Luckily, there is a way to try them out for a little cheaper. The best way to do this is to purchase a fragrance decant. This is a smaller bottle filled up with the original fragrance. This allows you to try out a smaller amount before committing to a full bottle. If you’d like to learn more about fragrance decants, where to purchase them, and how they’ll help you save money, you can read this article I wrote over here!
To put in shortly, a bergamot fragrance is definitely worth owning. I’d recommend you take a look at your current collection and see which bergamot fragrance would fit in perfectly!