Fragrance Families

Think about your favourite perfume. Is the fragrance fruity or floral? Or does it have an earthy smell? The smell is an indication of the fragrance family to which your perfume belongs and knowing the fragrance family you are drawn to makes perfume shopping much easier.

The five families of fragrance are Floral, Woody, Fresh, Oriental and Fougère.

The Floral Family is characterized by notes of freshly cut flowers. Lavender, Jasmine and Japanese Cherry Blossom are examples of flowers used in perfumes belonging to this family. Floral fragrances are mostly enjoyed by women of all ages.

Woody Fragrances infuse earthy notes like tree bark, cedar and sandal wood. These fragrances are richer and are mostly found in male fragrances, although the fragrance is unisex.

Perfumes of the Fresh Family are primarily composed of citrus scents. The most popular citrus scents come from citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit, tangerine and lemon, which give the perfume a light, fresh smell.

Oriental scents are unique because they have a “warm” smell. Vanilla and spices like cinnamon and clove can be found in these fragrances.

Fougère is the largest of the fragrance families. It includes fragrances which contain elements from each of the other four families. An example of this would be a perfume that is a combination of Cedar (Woody) and Vanilla (Oriental).