How Much Do You Know About The Fragrance Families?
Posted: Sep 23 2019
When starting your journey into perfume, you will start to hear/read fragrances referred to as being “Woody”, ”Oriental”, “Fruity-Floral”, ect. These terms are called Fragrance Families. A Fragrance Family is a term used to denote particular groupings of scent notes. Notes that are either similar or complementary are grouped into a Fragrance Family which can then be used to easily label a particular perfume.
The most common Fragrance Families are:
Floral
Can be either single floral notes (called Soliflores) or floral bouquets. Floral scents range from delicate Spring-like floral combinations like Orange Blossom and Lilac, to strong heady florals like Gardenia and Rose.
These fragrances can be quite girly and feminine but also can be quite mature, regal, and beautiful. Floral fragrances usually smell very romantic and pretty.
Florals can also be combined with citrus notes to make lighter fresher florals called Citrus Florals. Or they can be combined with spicy oriental notes to make Oriental Florals.
An example of a classic Floral bouquet scent is Chloe by Chloe.
Oriental
Evokes rich and spicy scents. Usually including warm spices, resins, and rich opulent florals. Notes of Cinnamon, Cloves, Amber, Resin, and Incense evoke candlelit moments of deep inspiration or carnal seduction.
Included in this family are Oriental-Florals that involve combinations of more heady flower notes and spices making for a more easy wearing oriental fragrance without being overpowering as Orientals are alone.
In addition, Woody-Orientals are common, combining woods/moss notes with spices and resins for a deep earthy scent. Oriental fragrances are sultry, mysterious, and seductive. A fragrance you’d wear at night, perhaps draped in velvet at a masquerade ball. One of the best known Oriental fragrances is one by Guerlain by Shalimar.
Fresh
Used to describe Green, Herbal, Citrus, Aqua, and Fruity families. Fresh fragrances are said to smell uplifting, clean, crisp, zingy and effervescent. Notes of Grass and stem are common Green notes evoking the smell of your Dad mowing the lawn on a dewy summer morning. Hermes’ Un Jardin Sur Le Toit is an excellent example of a Green fragrance.
Fruity
Fruity scents can either involve tart berries or lush tropical fruit. These smell like beach holidays, fruity cocktails, and juicy fruit. A fragrance you’d put on for a girl’s night out, on vacation, or simply when you feel in a fun mood.
One thing that is becoming increasingly popular in the perfume industry are Fruity-Florals, where juicy fruit notes are combined with pretty florals creating a very flirty and young scent.
A perfect example of a fruity-floral fragrance is Lanvin Eclat de Nuit
Woody fragrances are considered to be earthy scents including notes of wood, Moss, dirt and damp leaves. The smell of a dense forest or the smell of a roaring fire at the cabin. These notes evoke a very confident, serious, and grounded scent experience. The kind of scent you’d wear to an important board meeting. Estee Lauder Sensuous makes a great Woody fragrance.
From: The Perfume Expert
