It’s a fact that the perfect scent can be as powerful as any accessory when it comes to expressing your identity, but finding your signature scent can feel like a difficult task if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Knowing what the different types of fragrances are can really help you to understand perfumes and find one that works for you.
If you're ready to explore the world of notes, accords, and aromatic fragrances, keep reading as we discuss what you need to know about the fragrance families and how they’re used to describe perfumes.
What are the fragrance families?
Most perfumeries would agree that there are four main fragrance types: floral, oriental, woody, and fresh. You may sometimes see perfumes described as ‘fougere’, ‘chypre’, or ‘gourmand’ - but these are not widely regarded as fragrance families, rather they fall under the canonical four categories.
Understanding what the four categories mean and what notes perfumes within these categories would have will help you to decipher perfume descriptions. So, here’s a breakdown of the four families.
Floral
The floral family is the easiest to pin down because, as the name suggests, these fragrances are built around the scent of flowers. Typical notes include rose, jasmine, peony, lily, and orange blossom. They often evoke feelings of romance, softness, and elegance which is why they’re popular as everyday fragrances.
Oriental / Amber
The oriental / amber (both terms are used to mean the same scent type) fragrance family is known for its warmth, depth, and sensuality. These perfumes are typically rich, long-lasting, and more intense than other families. They are built around notes like vanilla, amber, spices, resins and incense. The result is a scent profile that feels luxurious, exotic and slightly mysterious.
Woody
The woody family is inspired by natural scents, like trees and earthy aromas. These fragrances are often warm, dry and grounding. Common notes include sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver and patchouli. Woody perfumes can be smooth and creamy or smoky and dry depending on the formulation.
Fresh
The fresh fragrance family is light, clean, and invigorating. They typically feature citrus notes like lemon and bergamot, along with green, aquatic or herbal elements. They are easy to wear and rarely overpowering, making them ideal for casual settings or warm weather.
What are fragrance accords and notes?
In perfumery, many ingredients must come together to form a singular unique aroma, this is known as the accord. The accord may take notes from various fragrance families, but this may be divided into what is known as top, middle (or heart), and base notes.
In the fragrance pyramid, top notes evaporate the quickest, and middle notes last a little longer, but the base notes are going to linger for several hours, sometimes even days. That’s why you should pick a perfume with base notes in the fragrance family that appeals most to you.
For example, if you want a long-lasting vanilla scent, make sure this is the perfume's base note and not the top note. Or, if you like the smell of a floral perfume but aren't keen on jasmine as a single scent, make sure that jasmine isn't the base note of your perfume.
How do you describe fragrance?
A fragrance can easily be described by linking it to fragrance families. For example, it might be floral if it smells like fresh flowers, woody if it feels warm and earthy, fresh if it’s clean and light like citrus or sea breeze, or oriental if it’s rich, sweet and a bit spicy.
You can then add simple impressions like whether it feels soft, creamy, elegant or energetic. The easiest way to describe it is to combine the family with how it makes you think or feel, like “a fresh, citrusy scent that feels refreshing” or “a woody fragrance that feels calm and comforting.”
What are the different types of perfume?
There’s one other point to consider when picking a fragrance, and that is how long it lasts. It is just as important to choose the right type of perfume as it is to choose a scent that you like.
There are six main types of perfume, here they are listed in order of essential oil concentration and affordability to help you decide which type is right for you:
- Parfum - the most expensive type which contains the most amount of essential oils (20-30%) and the least amount of alcohol, will last for 12-24 hours.
- Eau de parfum - contains 15-20% essential oils and will last for 8-12 hours.
- Eau de toilette - the most common type, contains 5-15% of essential oils and will last between 2-4 hours.
- Eau de cologne - contains 2-4% of essential oils and will last up to 2 hours.
- Eau fraiche - contains 1-3% of essential oils and will last up to an hour.
- Perfume oils - a newer creation, perfume oils often contain 20% fragrant essential oils but also use oils like jojoba oil as a carrier in place of water or alcohol and can last up to 12 hours.
Skin sensitivity, how long you'd like the scent to last, and what occasion you're wearing your perfume to can all play a part in choosing the right type.
For example, if your skin is irritated by alcohol, a parfum could be a better choice because they contain less alcohol than an eau de toilette. For a light fresh spritz for a casual event, try an eau fraiche.
Need more help in finding your signature scent?
At Hogies, we have an impressive range of fragrances available at incredible prices and clearance fragrances for even better savings. No matter if you’re looking for something woody and grounded or fresh and energising, there’s something for everyone and every budget in our collection.
If you find yourself at a crossroads when it comes to choosing, why not check out our ‘how to find your signature scent’ blog, which has plenty of hints and tips to help you figure out what works for you.
You can also learn more about how to pick a perfume online without smelling it first for added confidence when choosing a new fragrance.