Anisha Riggs
The world of perfume is divided into fragrance families, which are used to group and classify perfumes and their ingredients. There are four main scent families: floral, oriental (or amber), woody, and fresh. Each of these families has distinctive characteristics, and individuals will often be drawn to one family over another when choosing a personal fragrance. The fragrance classification system was developed by scent expert Michael Edwards to help retailers suggest perfumes to consumers more efficiently.
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What You'll Learn
Woody fragrances
The woody fragrance family is one of the four main scent families, along with floral, amber/oriental, and fresh. These families are grouped together based on their similarities and differences and are displayed on the Fragrance Wheel, a circular diagram invented by scent expert Michael Edwards. The Fragrance Wheel illustrates the four scent families and their corresponding subfamilies, with families that share common olfactory characteristics placed next to one another. The woody family includes subfamilies such as Woods, Mossy Woods, and Dry Woods, with common notes of patchouli, vetiver, and sandalwood.
When choosing a personal fragrance, individuals often gravitate towards one scent family over another. Woody perfumes, with their rich and elegant character, are a popular choice for those seeking a timeless and captivating scent.
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Floral fragrances
The floral family is the largest and contains the widest variety of ingredients, most of which are, as the name suggests, flowers. Rose and jasmine are two of the most popular floral notes, with other flowers like orange blossom, peony, and gardenia also commonly used. These fragrances capture the essence of flowers with dewy, petal, and luminous notes, creating a delicate and enchanting aroma.
When it comes to creating a signature scent, florals are excellent at being the standout ingredient, while also being versatile enough to bring balance to a fragrance. They can be blended with other notes to create unique and complex perfumes, or they can take centre stage, with a single floral note at the heart of the fragrance formula.
With their ability to evoke the beauty of fresh blossoms and the depth of spicy roses, floral fragrances offer a range of olfactory experiences that celebrate the undeniable allure of flowers.
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Amber/Oriental fragrances
Oriental fragrances can be further divided into three subcategories: soft oriental, oriental, and woody oriental. Soft oriental fragrances combine soft, floral notes with incense and warm spices. The oriental subcategory is characterised by sweet, warm notes such as cinnamon, vanilla, and musk. Woody oriental fragrances blend earthy notes like patchouli and sandalwood with spicy and sweet notes.
Oriental Amber, a fragrance by Pecksniff's, is a popular example of an Oriental/Amber fragrance. It features top notes of saffron, nutmeg, black pepper, and ginger; middle notes of rose and jasmine; and base notes of amber, sandalwood, and musk. Another example is Joop! which combines woody notes with incense-like fragrances such as sandalwood and patchouli, adding drier notes like cedar and fresh scent notes like citrus or floral.
The Fragrance Wheel, invented by scent expert Michael Edwards, aids in understanding the relationships between different fragrance families and subfamilies. The Oriental/Amber family sits alongside the Floral, Woody, and Fresh families on the wheel, with neighbouring families sharing common olfactory characteristics. This classification system helps retailers suggest perfume scents to consumers more efficiently.
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Fresh fragrances
The fresh fragrance family includes several subfamilies, such as aromatic, citrus, green, and water. The aromatic subfamily, also known as Fougere (fern in French), includes scents like the smell of water and air, almost like the smell of nothing. These fragrances are mostly made from synthetic molecules and add lightness and space to a scent. The citrus subfamily includes fragrances with notes of orange, mandarin, bergamot, and grapefruit. These fragrances are zesty, tangy, juicy, and fresh, and are often considered energizing and summery.
The green subfamily includes fragrances with notes of freshly cut grass and leaves, creating a fresh and sharp aroma with crispy and vegetal notes. Green notes are commonly used in summery fragrances as they give a natural, lively, and crisp feeling. The water subfamily includes aquatic, sea, and rain notes. Calone is a famous ingredient in this subfamily, used to create aquatic, sea, and rain notes, and can even be used to create the smell of fog.
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Citrus fragrances
Citrus notes can also be found in perfumes with a more soapy and floral character, such as Orange Sanguine by Atelier Cologne. While some may not consider it a dominant citrus perfume, it showcases the versatility of citrus in perfumery, where it can be used to enhance and complement other scent families.
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Frequently asked questions
There are four main fragrance families: floral, oriental (or amber), woody, and fresh. Each family has a distinctive scent and is further divided into subfamilies.
The floral fragrance family is one of the most common and broadest families. It includes a wide variety of flowers such as roses, jasmine, lilies, orange blossom, peonies, and gardenia.
The oriental fragrance family consists of rich, exotic, and opulent scents. It includes woody oriental, with earthy notes like patchouli and sandalwood mixed with spicy and sweet notes; soft oriental, with soft floral notes mixed with incense and warm spices; and oriental, with sweet, warm notes like cinnamon, vanilla, and musk.
The woody fragrance family includes warm and opulent scents, mixing incense-like fragrances like sandalwood and patchouli with drier notes like cedar. Its subfamilies include woods, mossy woods, and dry woods.
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