All about the Fragrance Families!
A standard full-size piano has 88 keys, which span just over seven octaves. This number is made up of 52 white keys and 36 black keys. Think about Music and the 8 notes in the octave that have produced sonatas and concertos and the brilliance of the 3 B’s Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, as well as the Beatles! and of course all composers too numerous to mention here.
In Art, the 3 primary colors (red, yellow, blue) when combined get secondary colors and then the tertiary colors, and those have created magnificent works of art and applied in a variety of ways from Rembrandt, to Manet, Monet, Picasso, Pollack, Rauschenberg and thousands of others to produce truly remarkable pieces of art.
And what about Fragrance? Over the centuries many different natutal and more recently synthetic ingredients are used in perfumery giving us 8 different fragrance families which are the framework for glorious perfumes.
They are : Citrus, Floral, Fruity, Oriental or Spicy, Chypre (Cypress), Woodsy, Fougères and Animalic.
Here is a simplified version of the very complex art of perfumery, as this will help you identify which fragrance families most appeal to you.
The Fragrance Wheel is a classification method that is widely used in retail and in the fragrance industry. This method was created in 1983 by Michael Edwards, who designed this fragrance classification to simplify fragrance families as well as to show the relationships between each individual family.
The four standard families consist of Fresh, Floral, Woody, Oriental and they can be intertwined. These represent the four main olfactory groups with each having distinct characteristics. More often than not, a person will gravitate toward one scent family over another and look for this collection of scents in their fragrances.
What family or families appeal to you?
FRESH FAMILY
This consists of light bright, citrusy ingredients eg, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Tangerine, Grapefruit, Bergamot and all the invigorating light, energetic notes. For this family, I also include the breezy watery ozonic scents which have a ‘marine’ note as well as ‘green’ notes such as fresh-cut grass and luscious fruity noes including watermelon, berries etc. These are considered ‘TOP NOTES’ and loved by men and women and last the shortest time on the skin - for about 15-20 minutes on the skin and are fleeting. But they ‘draw’ you in with their vibrant and spirited and refreshing notes and are like a lovely Spring Day.
FLORAL FAMILY
As its name implies it includes all the magnificent florals e.g. Rose, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Cyclamen, Violet Leaf, and can be soft and subtle or bold. In addition, it can also expand to include fresh floral, light floral, fruity floral and flora-oriental fragrances which we call floriental. There is no such thing as a masculine or feminine ingredients. It is how the fragrance is marketed that categorizes them as ‘For Women’ and ‘For Men’. Floral Notes are mostly the main theme, middle notes or the ‘heart’ of the fragrance and may last about 3-4 hours on the skin, depending on concentration.
WOODSY FAMILY
This family includes all the sensual ingredients from the great outdoors and forests. Notes of Cedar wood, Sandalwood, Birchwood. I also include the herbaceous notes such as Lavender,Rosemary, Thyme and the deep, dark, sensuous Chypre notes of Patchouli, Leather, Oakmoss which are sophisticated and comforting. These are considered the Base Notes which are the longest lasting and may last as long as 5-6 hours on the skin.
ORIENTAL - SPICY FAMILY
A shy retiring person would not wear this family of fragrances. It is all about sensuality, excitement and a flair for the exotic. Incense, Vanilla and Musk are used in this category as well as delicious food notes of chocolate, caramel and all the ingredients in your spice cabinet - Ginger, Cinnamon, Black Pepper. These ingredients can also be formulated with florals for the Theme or Middle Notes as florientals, or with the Woodsy family to make the fragrance base notes exotic and bold. This family also can last about 5-6 hours depending on the concentration.
So, what fragrance family will you explore first?
The Fragrance Wheel is a great tool to help you discover your personal scent preferences. By understanding the different families and their characteristics, you can embark on a journey to find a fragrance that reflects your unique personality and style.
At Sue Phillips Fragrance, we don't just sell perfumes, we create bespoke olfactory experiences. We'll guide you on a journey to discover your Olfactive Palette, a unique blend of scents that reflects who you truly are.
Ready to ditch the generic and embrace the extraordinary?
Contact Sue Phillips Fragrance today and embark on a delightful adventure. Let's create a bespoke scent that speaks volumes about you, a true reflection of your inner world.
Happy Summer!
Scentfully,
Sue Phillips