Citrus Amber is subfamily F3 (Ambré Hespéridé) of the Amber family in the SFP table. It places a broad citrus layer, mainly bergamot, lemon, orange and mandarin, over an amber base of vanilla, tonka, opopanax and labdanum. The top is fresh and bright, the base sweet and warm.
The contrast between citrus and vanilla was already present in Shalimar (1925): bergamot at the top, vanilla and balsams in the base. In F3 the citrus layer is larger and lasts longer, becoming half of the structure rather than only the opening note.
In 1965 Guerlain released Habit Rouge, composed by Jean-Paul Guerlain. Descriptions usually list bergamot and citrus at the top, spices and flowers in the heart, and opopanax, woods and amber in the base. Habit Rouge is often cited as the first amber for men; Thierry Wasser, Guerlain's current perfumer, called it a grandson of Shalimar in an interview with Nez.
In structure, the top holds bergamot, lemon, sweet orange and mandarin, sometimes petitgrain; the heart is orange flower, neroli, lavender or a little rose; the base is vanilla, tonka, opopanax, benzoin and labdanum. Limonene makes up most of citrus peel oil and evaporates quickly, so the vanilla base keeps the warmth after the freshness has faded.
Cold-pressed citrus oils contain furocoumarins such as bergapten, which can cause phototoxic reactions on skin exposed to sunlight. IFRA restricts these oils in leave-on products; FCF bergamot is a grade with the furocoumarins removed. Limonene, linalool and citral are among the 26 labelled substances in the EU. Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 adds bergamot peel oil, lemon peel oil, bitter orange peel oil, linalyl acetate and vanillin.
The SFP website publishes only subfamily names; perfume lists per subfamily are in the printed Classification officielle des parfums. Perfumes named here are commonly cited examples, not official SFP placements.
F3 borders family A Citrus. The difference lies in the base: a classic citrus scent has a thin base of musks or light woods, while F3 has a full amber base of vanilla and balsams that lasts much longer than the citrus part.
| Layer | Materials |
|---|---|
| Top | Bergamot, Chanh (lemon), Sweet orange, Mandarin, Orange leaf, Limonene |
| Middle | Neroli, Orange flower absolute, Lavender, Damask rose, Linalyl acetate |
| Base | Vanilla, Tonka bean, Opopanax, Benzoin, Labdanum, Vanillin, Coumarin |
F3 is easy to build with natural materials: FCF bergamot, distilled lemon, sweet orange and mandarin at the top; neroli and petitgrain in the heart; vanilla absolute or CO2, tonka, opopanax and benzoin in the base. Distilled lemon and FCF bergamot contain far less furocoumarin than the pressed grades.
The difficulty is keeping the freshness: citrus peel oils evaporate fast and oxidise easily, so they must be stored sealed, dark and cool. When pressed oils are used, the IFRA furocoumarin limits must be checked. This page gives no formula percentages.
| Name | House | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Habit Rouge | Guerlain | 1965 | Jean-Paul Guerlain. Bergamot and citrus over opopanax and amber; often cited as the first amber for men. |
| Citrus constituents · Limonene · Linalool · Linalyl acetate · Citral | Limonene, linalool, citral; EU labelling. |
| Vanillin, coumarin · Vanillin · Coumarin | The sweet base of F3. |
| Citrus layer · Bergamot · Bergamot fcf · Lemon distilled · Orange sweet · Mandarin | Bergamot, lemon, orange, mandarin. |
| Bitter orange tree · Neroli · Orange leaf · Orange flower | Flower and leaf link the citrus to the florals. |
| Amber base · Vanilla · Tonka · Opopanax · Benzoin · Labdanum | Vanilla, coumarin, balsamic resins. |
Updated 09/2026. Figures follow the year stated in each source.
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