What does Clementine smell like?
Peel a clementine in December and smell your fingers. The zest gives off a juicy, sugary scent with a petal-like touch and almost no bitterness. It is the friendliest of the citrus notes. It also brings back after-school snacks and the fruit bowl on the Christmas table. Like all citrus, it burns off fast: twenty to thirty minutes on skin. What it leaves is the glow it lent to the flowers below.
Origin and production
The clementine (Citrus clementina) appeared in Algeria in the early 20th century. Its discovery is credited to Brother Clément, a monk working at an orphanage near Oran. It is thought to be a cross between mandarin and sweet orange. Spain, Morocco and Corsica now grow plenty of it. The oil is cold-pressed from the peel, just like mandarin. The two oils are close, clementine being a little sweeter.
How perfumers use it
Clementine gives a bright, rounded start. It supports mandarin, orange blossom, basil and ginger. Atelier Cologne built Clementine California (2016) around it, with juniper and basil. Guerlain sets it at the top of Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic (2007) beside green tea. In Yves Saint Laurent Cinéma (2004) it walks with almond before an amber base. Montblanc Signature (2020) uses it as its only top note, ahead of magnolia.
How to wear it
Clementine is an April to September daytime note. Spray freely, since four sprays won't bother anyone. To make it last, pick a perfume that sets it on an amber base, like Cinéma.