Grapefruit

Grapefruit oil is pressed from the peel. The scent is zesty, juicy and tart, with a slightly bitter, green edge and a sunny, clean sparkle. It is more tangy than lemon and less sweet than orange. Perfumers use it to give modern freshness to colognes, aquatic scents and woody fragrances, often with a pinch of pink pepper or mint. It brightens the opening of a perfume at once. Like other citrus notes it is fleeting, so it works best as the first impression.

Grapefruit sits almost entirely in the top notes here, giving the opening a tangy, juicy sparkle before the heart takes over.