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4 Types of Perfume Scents — And How to Pick One

Last Updated on: Tuesday, 21 September 2021

If you’re searching for a signature scent but don’t know much about perfume, it can be difficult to know where to begin. With our guide to fragrance families and choosing a perfume, you’ll be armed with all the knowledge you need to find your new favourite fragrance.

When shopping for perfume, there are seemingly endless scents to choose from. Some smell light and fresh, others have an alluring depth, and some fragrances are so sweet they smell like candy.

Everyone has their preferences and will eventually find certain scents best suited to them, but where do you start if you’re a total beginner?

Firstly, it’ll help to understand the fragrance families and learn what to expect from different perfume notes. Read on to learn more about the four principal types of perfume scents and how to choose a fragrance tailored to you.

Looking for a fragrance that smells great and boosts your mood? Read about the scents that are scientifically proven to make you happy.

What Are the Main Types of Perfume Scents?

Fragrances are categorised by different families, each shown on the modern fragrance wheel created by British perfume expert Michael Edwards. There are four primary fragrance families — floral, oriental, woody and fresh — and these are each broken down into several subcategories.

When you find a coco chanel fragrance you like, a great way to improve your perfume knowledge is to look at which fragrance families the scent belongs to. This will help you get to know the types of perfume scents you like best and make it easier to find similar fragrances in future.

Let’s take a look at the four main fragrance families and the qualities found in each.

Floral

Floral scents are among the most popular fragrance families used in perfumes throughout history to create sweet, romantic fragrances that vary in intensity. Floral perfumes for women may include notes such as rose, lily, jasmine and peony, while men’s floral fragrances often feature orange blossom or lavender.

Floral Subfamilies

Fruity — Scents made with delicious notes of fruit and berries such as apple, peach, pear, mandarin and fig.
Floral — Romantic fragrances that smell like freshly cut flowers.
Soft Floral — Soft, powdery scents with a warm base that softens the intensity of a floral bouquet.
Floral Oriental — Floral fragrances with subtle spice notes for an exotic twist.

Perfumes to Try

Chanel Allure
A La Rose by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Oriental

Oriental perfumes are warm and exotic, made with spices such as pepper, cloves and vanilla with hints of sandalwood, amber and musk. These fragrances are rich and sensual, with a certain depth and earthiness that makes them one of the more opulent fragrance families.

Oriental Subfamilies

Soft Oriental — Oriental fragrances with less intensity. Typically a mixture of delicate, floral notes and warm spices.
Oriental — Sweet, rich and warm scents, characterised by spicy notes such as cinnamon, musk, vanilla and jasmine.
Woody Oriental — These fragrances combine traditional oriental spicy notes and earthy notes such as sandalwood, rosewood and patchouli for added depth.

Perfumes to Try

Amber Musk by Montale
Amouage Myths by Amouage

Woody

Woody scents are often used within fragrances for men or evening perfumes for women, boasting light top notes and musky middle notes. Woody perfumes are made from ingredients such as sandalwood, oakmoss, patchouli, cedarwood and amber to create soothing, earthy scents with warmth at their heart.

Woody Subfamilies

Dry Woody — Fragrances containing crisp, dry woody notes for a smoky, leathery scent.
Mossy Woody — Scents featuring smooth, earthy notes such as oakmoss and amber.
Woody — Perfumes containing deep, aromatic notes such as cedarwood, sandalwood and vetiver. Some woody fragrances may also feature citrus or florals to tone down the warmth of woody notes.

Perfumes to Try

Burning Barbershop by D.S. And Durga
CK One Gold by Calvin Klein

Fresh

The fresh fragrance family comprises green, water and citrus scents, with perfumes characterised by their refreshing, zesty and uplifting qualities. Fresh perfumes often combine citrus notes such as lemon, orange and bergamot with herbal notes such as rosemary, sage and thyme.

Fresh Subfamilies

Green — Green fragrances have a uniquely crisp, fresh feel, evoking herbal and leafy scents such as freshly cut grass. These lively perfumes may include notes of moss, foliage, green leaves, green tea and aquatic plants.
Water — Perfumes composed of aquatic notes create a light, subtle and refreshing scent.
Citrus — Fragrances characterised by their zesty, tangy notes such as lemon, orange, bergamot, mandarin and grapefruit.
Aromatic — These scents contain clean, herbal notes such as sage, rosemary, cumin and lavender, often mixed with woody notes in men’s fragrances. Of all the perfume scents, aromatic scents are perhaps the oldest, with herbal notes having been used in perfumes for over 4000 years.

Perfumes to Try

Silver Mountain Water by Creed
Aqua Allegoria Limon Verde

How to Choose the Right Perfume

So, you’ve studied the fragrance wheel and think you have a good understanding of fragrance families. How do you now put this knowledge into practice and find your dream perfume? Here are some practical tips.

Think About the Scents You Already Like

You don’t have to be a fragrance expert to figure out the types of perfume scents you’ll love. Take the time to get to know the kind of scents you like, starting with the smells you’re drawn to in other products. Think about your go-to american crew shampoo, your favourite smelling flowers or that scented candle you can’t get enough of. Try starting with a perfume containing similar notes.

Consider Your Body Chemistry

Perfume and skin chemistry are intertwined, with the essence of a scent fully revealing itself only after it’s been in contact with the skin for a significant period of time. Personal body chemistry, diet and hormone levels can all impact how a perfume will smell on an individual’s skin, as can the wearer’s environment and skin type. If you’re unsure about a new fragrance, it’s worth sampling it first, giving it a few hours to see how the scent develops on your skin throughout the day.

Sample Fragrances Correctly

When trying a new perfume, sample it in the right way by spraying it on a pulse point, where your skin’s natural heat will help the fragrance develop to its full potential. Don’t rub your wrists together when spraying perfume, as this will cause the scent to fade more quickly.

Follow Your Instincts

Looking at popular perfumes is a great way to explore potential options, but don’t let trends get in the way of finding a scent you really love. Perfume purchases should be based on your taste and style, not someone else’s.

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