Searching for the perfect fragrance that will make heads turn and strangers take notice is not easy. In fact, it can be quite overwhelming, especially if you have no idea what fragrance notes you prefer. After all, there are hundreds of scents, each with their own unique qualities.

To make the process of choosing a favorite fragrance for yourself and your loved one less daunting, it is helpful to learn about the fragrance wheel and scent families.

Understanding the Fragrance Wheel

Although the phrase, "fragrance families," is commonly used within the fragrance industry, it is not well understood among those who purchase fragrances. Scents are categorized into olfactory groups based on a set of core characteristics. This classification is part of the language of scent. However, it can feel complicated at first, especially when you love a scent but don't know which family the fragrance belongs to. Next time you go fragrance shopping you will be able to identify which fragrance families you prefer to make your selection simpler.

Common fragrance families are:

Fruity Fragrance

If you are drawn to scents that are sweet, ripe, and fresh, you will love scents from the fruity category. Complex fragrances may fall into more than one fragrance family, but scents such as Embrace, with currant top notes will appeal to someone who is attracted to the fruity fragrance family. Jasmine OUD is another great choice, as its top notes include dark fruits.

Citrus Fragrance

Tangy, fresh, and sweet are all descriptors to explain scents that fall within the citrus scent family. Fragrances containing grapefruit, lemon, orange, and mandarin are considered to be part of the citrus fragrance family. Sage & Citrus is an OUD that belongs to this family with invigorating top notes of lemon and orange. Spiced Bergamot & Orris is another delightful fragrance for those who have an affinity for citrus fragrance. 

Fresh Fragrance

Fresh scents are vibrant, lively, and refreshing. They feature oceanic and herby notes that add extra freshness and a bit of earthiness. Fresh scents also commonly include mandarin, lemon, orange, and bergamot. You will find that fresh scents smell clean and are usually found in cologne and eau de toilette versions.

Most people prefer to wear these scents in the spring or summer months. If you prefer scents that are clean, airy, bright, sunny, and uplifting, explore scents that fall into this family. White Moroccan Leather is an intoxicatingly fresh scent to try.

Gourmand Fragrance

Gourmand is the newest scent in the fragrance world that uses edible notes. These have become increasingly popular, especially notes of candy, coffee, bubblegum, almonds, caramel, vanilla, chocolate, toffee, honey, and cognac. Many spices like amber are included in this fragrance group, merging together to make the perfect warm scent for colder months that will make you want to snuggle. Honeyed Tobacco & OUD and Velvet Royale are among the favorite fragrances in this scent family. 

Floral Fragrance

Floral is the world’s most popular fragrance family. Not only is it ultra-feminine, but floral scents are unmistakably recognizable. The scent family may remind you of garden parties, a bouquet of freshly cut flowers, summer weddings, and spring blossoms. Floral fragrances usually include notes of gardenia, peony, jasmine, mimosa, and tuberose. 

The most-adored floral notes are rose and jasmine, both of which have been found at the heart of most every floral fragrance. Try Rose Amor or Jasmine OUD Absolute as your introduction to this scent family. Florals can be made to be more complex with spicy and warm notes. In fact, there are many sub-categories present in the floral family that provide a wonderful, rejuvenating blend of notes that are easy to fall in love with.

Spicy Oriental Fragrance

Spicy Oriental is a new take on a classic family fragrance that goes back centuries and includes notes like gum resins, orris, sandalwood, amber, and vanilla. Most of these ingredients are present in high end perfume houses due to how popular they are. The spicy part includes pink peppercorn, cardamom, and nutmeg. 

These fragrances are usually described as voluptuous, musky, seductive, and elegant, as they ooze sophistication and maturity. Many fragrances that use these notes are heavy, warm, and rich, and are perfect to wear at night. Moreover, they are heavy on the base notes, allowing the scent to last lounger. Urban OUD Elixir and Desert OUD are two must-have spicy oriental fragrances to add to your collection. 

Woody Fragrance

Woody fragrances ffeel like they are linked to the chypre family. However, it is common for them to be merged with blends of floral as well. Perfumers have come up with endless variations of woody notes to match their creations, such vetiver, patchouli, cedar, agarwood (oud), and guiaiac wood. 

Usually, blends of woody fragrances include fruity and spicy notes that lighten the scent and add a burst of freshness to the scent. You will find loads of masculine, unisex, and women's scents that fall into this fragrance category. Santal Journey is our top seller in this fragrance family, and we recently released Rare Woods Elixir to join it.

The Truth about Fragrance Families

When fragrance shopping, it can be helpful to know your preferred fragrance families. If you don't understand which family a scent falls into, don't worry, it will take some time and practice to figure this out. If you ever feel unsure, you can purchase a discovery set and enjoy the samples you get. These will help you understand what scents you are drawn to before you purchase a full-size bottle. 

It is important to remember that high quality and luxury fragrances are complex scents. They usually do not fall into a single family but instead, are made with blends of multiple families. This is what makes each brand's fragrance unique and different from another.