Thread by @kalravkapadia

Pls RT, it's a big thread

PerfumeAddicts Knowledge Share:

I have got many requests from my friends and clients to make them understand different categories of perfumes. They always wear perfumes but are not aware which category or notes they are wearing.

So I have prepared a comprehensive note on the different oflactive groups of perfumes and I have tried my level best to make it more simpler to understand, both to the novice as well as the Perfume Connoisseurs.

So the first thing is that I have divided the group into two main categories,

1. Fresh

2. Warm

These 2 are then divided into 8 families of the oflactive group. These eight will form the core group and then again will be divided into small subgroups or subfamilies.

The 8 major families that fall under our radar are mentioned below,

1. The Aromatic Family
2. The Chypre Family
3. The Citrus Family
4. The Floral Family
5. The Fougere Family
6. The Leather Family
7. The Oriental Family
8. The Woody Family

Each family is then dissected and again sub divided into more categories. Let's learn and understand each of the 8 families in detail. Yes some may find it boring as there lots of sub categories but then that's how a perfume classification wheel is drawn and explained.

1. THE AROMATIC FAMILY

Most of the Fragrances for men belong to this family. They comprise of fresh green herbs like Rosemary, thyme, sage and lavender. Aromatics are always blended with other notes to give a lasting impression and adds to the masculinity of a Fragrance.

Let's see the sub categories of Aromatic family,

a) Aromatic Aquatic - Seawater Notes + Aromatic Notes

Perfumes Under This Family:

Bvlgari Aqva Pour Homme, Bvlgari Aqva Marine Pour Homme, Davidoff Coolwater Men, Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio, Rasasi Hawas Men

b) Aromatic Fruity - Fresh Exotic Fruity Accords + Aromatic Notes

Perfumes Under This Family:

Chrome Azzaro Legend, Christian Dior Terra Bella, Creed Aventus Cologne, Jimmy Choo Men

c) Aromatic Green - Fresh Essence of Green Cut Grass, Crushed leaves + Aromatic Notes

Perfumes Under This Family:

Alfred Dunhill Desire Blue, CK escape Men, Ferrari Noble Fig, Hugo Man by Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren Polo Sport

d) Aromatic Spicy - Herbs, Spices ( Fresh) + Aromatic Notes

Perfumes Under This Family:

Armaf Tres Nuit Men, Boss the Scent by Hugo Boss, Xerjoff Fiero, Kenneth Cole for Him, John Varvatos Artisan Acqua

2. THE CHYPRE FAMILY

The word 'Chypre' means Cyprus. This is one of the oldest families and also an unique one. Bergamot followed by Oakmoss plus Labdanum gives you this Classic classification called Chypre.

Let's see the sub categories of Chypre family,

a) Chypre Aromatic - Chypre Ingredients which are dominant + Aromatic Notes

Perfumes Under This Family:

Amouage Fate Women, L'Atelier Chypre Caresse, Lalique Perles De Parfum

b) Chypre Floral Aldehydes - Strong Floral Aldehydes + Aromatic Notes

Perfumes Under This Family:

Nina Ricci L'Air De Temps, Miss Dior by Dior, Madame Rochas by Rochas

c) Chypre Floral - A floral Note in the heart + Aromatic Accords

Perfumes Under This Family:

Amouage Interlude Women, Bottega Veneta Women by Bottega Veneta, Tudor Rose by Burberry, Cartier La Panthere, Chanel Chance EDP

d) Chypre Green - A perfect crisp green top which included fresh grass, leaves + Aromatic Notes in the base

Perfumes Under This Family:

Juliett Has A Gun Mad Madame, Angela Flanders Breath of Hope, Kingdom Scotland Portal

e) Chypre Leather - Burnt Smoky Leather, Musk + Aromatic Notes

Perfumes Under This Family:

Amouage Memoir Women, St Giles The Mechanic EDP, Allen Ginsberg Ginsberg is God

3. THE CITRUS FAMILY

One of the oldest families among all is the citrus family. The main components are Lime, Bergamot, Mandarin Oranges, Lemon, Grapefruit. These are crushed and they produce zesty, fresh, clean accords which are ideal for hot climates.

Let's see the sub categories of Citrus family,

a) Citrus Aromatic - Pure Citrus accords + Aromatic Notes

Perfumes Under This Family:

CK One, Chrome Azzaro Men, Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue Men, Clinique Happy Men, Prada Luna Rossa Men

b) Citrus Chypre - Fresh notes with florals + Mossy Chypre Base

Perfumes Under This Family:

Miller Harris Citron Citron, Jo Malone Vetiver Cologne, Sisley Soir De Lune

c) Citrus Gourmand - Citrus which is sweet + Vanilla, Chocolate, Caramel and Sweet Florals

Perfumes Under This Family:

Beyonce Pulse Women, Burberry Baby Touch Women, Paco Rabanne UltraRed

d) Citrus Musky - Musky head notes + Citrus, Floral Accords

Perfumes Under This Family:

Chanel No 19 EDP, Clinique Aromatics Elixir, Guerlain Mitsouko

e) Citrus Spicy - Spicy Notes of Cloves, Cardamom, Cinnamon + Fresh Citrusy Accords

Perfumes Under This Family:

Palm Beach Michael Kors, Lanvin L'Homme Lanvin, Moschino Forever by Moschino

f) Citrus Woody - Citrus Accords + Woody Dominant Base

Perfumes Under This Family:

Xerjoff Kobe, Givenchy Monsieur De Givenchy, Green Jeans Versace

4. THE FLORAL FAMILY

This is the largest family of all the families and the most sold family across the globe. Majority of the Perfumes for women mostly have floral accords and this makes it the largest as well as the most selling family.

All types of flowers right from rose, magnolia, Jasmine, lotus, sunflowers, white florals et all are used in this family.

Let's see the sub categories of the Floral family

a) Soliflore - It has a single floral note and the complete accord depends on that single floral note

Perfumes Under This Family
Paul Smith Rose by Paul Smith, Jo Malone French Lime Blossom, Montale Jasmine Full, Chanel Gardenia

b) Floral Bouquet - As the name suggest, it's a marriage of different florals to create a exotic perfume

Perfumes Under This Family:

Marc Jacobs Decadence, Atelier Bloem Extraordinary Tulip, Opus X Amouage Women

c) Floral Aldehydes - Powdery, Woody Animalic Notes + Florals in the base and heart

Perfumes Under This Family:

Chanel No 5, Estee Lauder Pure White Linen, Arpege Lanvin, Byredo Blanche, Azzaro Now Women

d) Floral Aquatic - Cool Fresh Sea Breeze Notes + Florals

Perfumes Under This Family:

L'eau D'Issey Issey Miyake Pour Femme, Davidoff Coolwater Women, CK Escape Women, L'eau Par Kenzo Women, Bvlgari Aqva Divina

e) Floral Fruity - Fruity, Juicy Accords + Floral Heart/Base

Perfumes Under This Family:

Jimmy Choo Women, Paco Rabanne Lady Million, Juicy Couture By Juicy Couture, Hugo Boss Deep Red Women

f) Floral Musk - Heavy Musky accords + Florals
Perfumes Under This Family:

Amouage Gold Pour Femme, Armaf Hunter Pour Homme, Bvlgari Pour Homme Soir, Christian Dior Homme By Dior, 212 Men by Carolina Herrera

g) Floral Green - Green Fresh Notes of crushed leaves, pine tree + Florals

Perfumes Under This Family:

Burberry Touch Women, Byredo Green, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Mimosa, Aqua Celestia by Maison Francis Kurkdijan, Perry Women by Perry Ellis

5. THE FOUGERE CATEGORY

The perfumes which fall under this category have blends which consists of Lavender, Oakmoss, Fern and Woods at the top of the notes pyramid.

These are ideal for cool climates which perform beautifully.

Let's see the sub categories of the Fougere family

a) Amber Oriental Fougere - Warm Spicy Notes + Amber Base

Perfumes Under This Family:

YSL Opium Men, Jaipur By Boucheron, Guerlain Heritage Men

b) Aquatic Fougere - Strong Citrus + Spicy Aromatic Fougere

Perfumes Under This Family:

Kenzo Pour Homme by Kenzo, Salvatore Ferragamo Acqua Ezzenziale, Aramis New West Men

c) Aromatic Fougere - Heavy Musk and Florals + Woodsy Accords and Aldehydes

Perfumes Under This Family:

Agua Fresca by Adolfo Dominquez, Armaf Voyage Men, Azzaro Pour Homme, 212 VIP Black Men by Carolina Herrera, Montblanc Legend, Dylan Blue Versace Men

d) Fruity Fougere - Fruity accords + Floral Undertones accompanied with Fougere Accords

Perfumes Under This Family:

Ed Pinaud Fougere Fruite, Republic of Men by Banana Republic, That Guy by Gallaghar

e) Spicy Fougere - Classic Spices + Fougere Accords

Perfumes Under This Family:

Christian Dior Sauvage, Diesel Fuel for life Men by Diesel, Narciso by Narciso Rodriguez Men, Amouage Memoir Men

6. THE LEATHER FAMILY

This is a very different family as compared to other families. It has raw, refined leather plus it also has Birchwood , Juniper Berries to add to the Fragrance. The smells that are created from smoke, leather, resins and honey mostly fall under this family.

Let's see the sub categories of the Fougere family,

a) Floral Leather - Leather + Floral Notes

Perfumes Under This Family:

Estee Lauder Azuree Pure, Robert Piguet Bandit, Bvlgari Black, Kelly Caleche by Hermes

b) Tobacco Leather - Leather tempered with Honey, Hay and Woods + Tobacco

Perfumes Under This Family:

Bvlgari Man In Black, Spice Bomb by Victor and Rolf, Tom Ford Tuscan Leather, Burberry London Men, Versace Dreamer, Acqua Di Parma Colonia Leather

c) Woody Spicy Leather - Bitter Spices + Leather Aldehydes

Perfumes Under This Family:

Byredo Accord Oud, Tom Ford Oud Wood, Comme Des Garcons Wonderwood, Lalique Encre Noir Pour Homme

7. THE ORIENTAL FAMILY

Some of the best rich accords belong or fall under this family. They are exotic too!!

Tantalizing notes like Resins, Warm Spices, Woods, Amber, Warm Vanilla makes the composition of this group.

Some of the best winter perfumes belong to this family.

Let's see the sub categories of the Oriental family,

a) Citrus Amber - Fresh Citrus + Warm Amber

Perfumes Under This Family:

Dune by Christian Dior, Bal D' Afrique by Byredo, Jesus De Pozo Amber, Trouble by Boucheron

b) Oriental Amber - Spices and exotic notes + Soft Amber

Perfumes Under This Family:

Floris Honey Oud Women, Bella Freud Signature, Oriental Amber Women by Pecksniffs

c) Floriental - Name says it all, Florals + Oriental accords

Perfumes Under This Family:

Comme Des Garcons Floriental, Versace Pour Femme Oud Oriental, Miller Harris Lost in the City

d) Floral Hep Amber - Floral Heads + Fruity Heart + Amber Base

Perfumes Under This Family:

Fendi Fan Di Fendi Femme, Sarah Horowitz Perfect Weil, Tom Ford White Patchouli

e) Spicy Oriental Amber - Hot Spices like Cloves and Cinnamon + Amber, Woods and Resins

Perfumes Under This Family:

Coco Parfum by Chanel, Bentley Intense men, Davidoff Amber Blend, Giorgio Armani Armani Code Men, Prada Luna Rossa Extreme

f) Oriental Gourmand - Warm Oriental accords + Vanilla, Coffee, Honey

Perfumes Under This Family:

CK Euphoria Gold Women, Agonist Parfums Vanilla Marble, Jo Malone Nutmeg and Ginger, Marc Jacobs Honey, Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille

g) Woody Oriental Amber - Warm Oriental accords + Dry Woods

Perfumes Under This Family:

Midnight Saffron by Tom Daxon, Floral Street Wild Vanilla Orchid, Afnan Perfumes Majestic Oud

8. THE WOODY FAMILY

This family is the most widely used family for men. It has accords of woods, Vetiver, Oak, Cedar and Pine. We also add opulent blends like Sandalwood, Patchouli and Musk to enhance the accords.

Let's see the sub categories of the Woody family,

a) Woody Coniferous Citrus - Pine Notes Dominant Accords + Fresh Citruses

Perfumes Under This Family:

Issey Miyake Leau Bleue Issey Miyake Pour Homme, Amouage Epic Men, Laura Biogiotti Roma Uomo

b) Woody Aquatic - Woods + Aquatic Fresh Sea Notes

Perfumes Under This Family:

Azzaro Chrome Sport Men, Bvlgari Aqva Atlantique Men, Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Essenza Men, L'eau D'Issey Pour Homme Issey Miyake, Paco Rabanne Invictus Men

c) Woody Aromatic - Woody Heart and Base Notes + Aromatic Head Notes

Perfumes Under This Family:

Lalique Encre Noir L'Extreme Pour Homme, Christian Dior Homme Intense men, Hugo Boss Bottled Night men, Chanel Bleu De Chanel Pour Homme

d) Woody Chypre - Dominant Woody notes + Traditional Chypre accords

Perfumes Under This Family:

Gucci by Gucci Pour Homme, Aramis Men Aramis, John Varvatos Vintage Pour Homme, Midnight Poison by Christian Dior Women, Prada L'Homme Prada

e) Woody Floral Musk - Woody Notes + Heavy Musk alongwith Florals

Perfumes Under This Family:

Acqua Di Parma Iris Noble, Bvlgari Pour Homme, Christian Dior Fahrenheit Men, Green Irish Tweed by Aventus, Mediterranean by Elizabeth Arden Women

f) Woody Fruity Musk - Spices and Fruits+ Woods and Musk

Perfumes Under This Family:

Midnight London by Moresque, Chanel Les Exclusif's No 18 EDT, Invisible Ben by Tuesdays London

g) Woody Spicy - Bitter, Warm Spices + Woods

Perfumes Under This Family:

Guerlain L'HOMME Ideal Intense, Amouage Honor Men, Gucci Pour Homme II

Phew, its quiet an exhaustive list but then it covers majority of what's on plate when it comes to perfumes and it's categories. I hope this helps you in guiding you all for buying and knowing the perfumes you buy and wear.

Thanks and Regards,
Kalrav R Kapadia