Finding Your Fragrance Family
Choosing a new fragrance can sometimes feel a little overwhelming, particularly when there are so many to choose from. One of the easiest ways to narrow things down is to think about the type of fragrances you're naturally drawn to.
Most fragrances can be grouped into families, although you'll often find that they overlap. A fragrance might be floral and woody, citrus and herbal, or warm and ambery – and that's often what makes it interesting.
Here are a few of the families you'll come across most often.
Floral
Probably the easiest family to recognise, floral fragrances can range from soft and delicate to rich, heady and romantic.
Rose, jasmine and neroli are familiar examples, while lavender can bring a more aromatic character. Florals also blend beautifully with fruits, woods, citrus notes and warmer ingredients, so don't assume a floral fragrance necessarily means something traditionally sweet or feminine.
Citrus
If you love fragrances that smell bright, clean and fresh, this may be your family.
Think lemon, orange, bergamot, mandarin and grapefruit. Citrus notes are wonderfully versatile and work particularly well with herbs, florals and woods.
They're often the notes you notice first when you smell a fragrance, that lovely burst of freshness when you first lift the lid.
Herbal & Aromatic
This family is fresh, green and wonderfully botanical.
Lavender, rosemary and mint are good examples, and you'll often find aromatic notes combined with citrus, woods and florals.
Depending on what they're paired with, they can feel crisp and invigorating or soft and relaxing.
Woody
Woody fragrances tend to have warmth, depth and character.
Cedarwood, sandalwood and vetiver are familiar examples, while notes such as patchouli and oakmoss are often used alongside woods to create that deeper, earthy character.
If you're drawn to fragrances that feel warm, sophisticated or slightly mysterious, there's a good chance you'll find plenty to love here.
Amber
Amber isn't one particular ingredient or scent. It's a style of fragrance that's usually warm, rich and enveloping.
Amber fragrances often combine notes such as resins, vanilla, woods, spices and florals to create something beautifully warm and rounded.
They're particularly lovely if you enjoy those cosy, comforting fragrances that really come into their own as the evenings get darker.
How do you find your fragrance family?
Here's a really simple way to start.
Think of three fragrances you absolutely love and look at their fragrance notes. You'll probably start to spot a pattern.
Perhaps bergamot or citrus appears again and again. Maybe there's always sandalwood or patchouli hiding in the base. Or perhaps you continually choose fragrances built around rose or jasmine.
And don't worry if you don't fit neatly into one family, most of us don't.
You might love fresh citrus fragrances in summer and reach for warm woods and amber as soon as autumn arrives. Fragrance is incredibly personal, and that's part of the fun.
Understanding the families simply gives you a useful starting point and might even help you discover something you wouldn't normally have thought to try.
