Fragrance Families Buying Guide

Did you know that fragrances  are divided into families too? Understanding fragrance families can prevent tons of bad fragrance choices and help you understand what kind of scent you prefer. It can also be extremely helpful when looking to buy someone a gift. If your boyfriend is always drenching himself in Old Spice, then buying a cologne from that fragrance family will make it more likely that he'll adore your gift. Check out the basic fragrance families below, as well as a few popular scents that fall into each category.

Aldehydic Chanel No. 5 was the first and is perhaps the best example of this family. Women's fragrances are usually found in this family, but there are a few scents for men that fall into it as well. The scent is typically floral in nature, often with strong powdery and woody accents. Recommended Products: Chanel No. 5  Estée Lauder White Linen  Old Spice  Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds  Gendarme Seven Sinful Scents: Greed	Aquatic/Marine This family contains plenty of scents for both men and women. Want a perfect fragrance for summer? Look no further. It may be blended with notes of citrus and greens for an energetic and youthful scent to wear by day. Recommended Products: Cool Water by Davidoff  Blvgari Blv Notte  Calvin Klein Escape  L'Eau d'Issey  Ralph Lauren Polo Sport	Citrus This type of scent works well on both men and women. Citrus fragrances for men are often blended with wood and spices. For the ladies, it is blended with florals or fruits. This type of fragrance is often sporty, fresh, and perfect for work or summer. Recommended Products: Eau de Cartier  Fresh Sugar  Azzaro Chrome	Chypre This fragrance family focuses on a blend of a bergamot, labdanum, and oakmoss base for men and women. This combination of woods, moss, and flowers can be fruity and leathery or dry and exotic. Recommended Products: Serge Lutens Chypre Rouge  Miss Dior  Guerlain Mitsouko  Guerlain Sous le Vent  Cartier Baiser du Dragon

Floral This fragrance family focuses mainly on scents for ladies. Jasmine, peony, rose, gardenia, and tuberose make these scents perfect for the romantic lady. This family makes up the majority of the women's fragrance market. Recommended Products: Dior J'Adore  Kenzo Parfum d'Ete  Vera Wang The Fragrance  Marc Jacobs Perfume  Stila Jade Blossom	Fougère/Aromatic This masculine fragrance family is composed mainly of lavender, oakmoss, rosemary, sage, anis, geranium and coumarin. Perfect for men looking for a sharp, refined scent that is energetic and exotic. A great nighttime fragrance for men! Recommended Products: Kenneth Cole Black  Hugo Boss In Motion  Burberry Classic for Men  Guess Man	Fruity This has become a major trend in women's fragrances. It is usually light and perfect for summer. They are usually a blend of red berries and non-citrus fruits over flowers or spice, but they can also be oriental. Recommended Products: Guerlain Insolence  Délices de Cartier  Allure Sensuelle  Givenchy Amarige  Donna Karan Be Delicious  Bvlgari Pour Homme  Gendarme Gendarme	Green/Vetiver Though there are some women's fragrances that fall into this category, it is mostly masculine. It is often combined with citrus and water scents, as well as woody orientals. Perfect for work and summertime! Recommended Products: Chanel No. 19  Youth Dew Amber Nude  Herrera for Men Sensual Vetiver  CK Eternity for Men Summer  Escada Sentiment for Men  Emporio Armani He

Leather This family is full of rich, masculine scents. It is  often found in warm woody colognes and spicy orientals. Perfect for winter and autumn, these scents are rugged and attractive. Recommended Products: English Leather by Dana  Escada Magnetism for Men  Gendarme Sandalwood Cologne  Hummer  Perry Ellis America for Men	Oriental This category contains fragrances for both men and women. They consist of warm, spicy notes of amber, musk, and vanilla. Grab an oriental fragrance for winter and autumn to make your look more exotic, sexy, and sensual. Recommended Products: Yves Saint Laurent Opium  Guerlain Shalimar  Dior Addict  Burberry Classic  Giorgio Armani Sensi	Tobacco Refined gentlemen will love the classic fragrances found in this category. It is often combined with woods, moss, flowers, and leather notes to create a scent perfect for autumn and winter. Recommended Products: Burberry London for Men  Michael Kors MIchael for Men  Versace Man  Perry Ellis Portfolio Green for Men  Gammon Cool Passion by Beiersdorf	Woody This category has scents for both men and women. These scents are filled with sandalwood, patchouli, and mossy woods. Some of the common notes found in woody fragrances are nuts, spice, honey, oakmoss, cedar, vetiver, and amber. These scents usually work well for any season. Recommended Products: Carolina Herrera 212 for Men  Dior Farenheit  John Varvatos Vintage  Donna Karan Cashmere Mist  Ralph Lauren Pure Turquoise  Gucci Rush

External Links

• Basenotes: Learn more about basenotes in fragrances.
• Beauty Buzz: Everything you need to know about fragrance families.
• House of Versailles: Learn about the Chypre fragrance family and more!
• OsMoz: All about the different types of fragrances.
• Parfums Raffy: Your guide to everything fragrances.

Related Guides

Fragrances	Fragrance Gifts	Fragrances for Children	Cologne	Perfume