Floral fragrances are one of the most popular families, and one of the broadest. Any fragrance that has a sweet and flowery scent will belong under this family, using notes such as roses, jasmine, lilies and peonies.

Floral fragrances can range from being light and delicate, to more complex and intense.Floral notes are an essential part of almost every perfume. Jasmine and Rose are the most used ones.

Oriental fragrances are warm, sweet and even a little spicy. A more luxurious fragrance family, oriental fragrances vary from floral oriental, soft oriental and woody oriental.

Perfumes and aftershaves in this family are rich and sensual, often made with interesting notes of cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla alongside the likes of jasmine, orchid and orange blossom.

Woody fragrances are another warm family, with a mysterious and captivating scent that is often favoured amongst aftershaves in particular. Using wood-based smells like cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver and amber, it’s a great choice for wearing in the evening.

Woody fragrances are split into mossy woods with an earthy, sweet undertone, and dry woods which often have a smoky, leathery smell to them.Precious few of the woody notes can serve as a top note or middle note, namely rosewood.

Fresh fragrances usually comprise of citrus, water and green notes. This means they have refreshing, zesty and vibrant smells. Citrus-based fragrances are usually created with lemon, mandarin and bergamot, while water fragrances are made with aquatic notes like sea spray.

Fresh green fragrances are often reminiscent of herbal and leafy scents for a crisp, uplifting smell. They can sometimes be referred to as aromatic fougère fragrances, created with notes of lavender, rosemary, tea, crumpled leaf or basil.