LuxuryStyle7 best fragrance families you need to know aboutFrom amber to florals, here’s everything you need to know about fragrance families and how to pick yoursWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
LuxuryStyle7 best fragrance families you need to know aboutFrom amber to florals, here’s everything you need to know about fragrance families and how to pick yoursWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
From amber to florals, here’s everything you need to know about fragrance families and how to pick yours
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Cottonbro Studio / Pexels)
(Image credit: Cottonbro Studio / Pexels)
When shopping for a new fragrance in store or online, you’ll often see the phrase ‘fragrance family’ come up as a way of describing what it smells like. But what does this actually mean? And does it actually help you find the right fragrance for you?
To help you find the perfect scent for yourself, partner, family member or friend, here are the seven fragrance families you need to know about, including our top picks from each category.
What is a fragrance family?
Fragrance families help describe to shoppers what a certain scent will smell like and helps them determine what perfumes they enjoy wearing. Both men and women can dive into all the different fragrance families, although thebest men’s fragrances and cologneswill typically involve wood and amber more prominently, whereas thebest women’s perfumes and fragrancesfeature more floral and fresh notes.
What are the four main fragrance families?
There are four main fragrance families to choose from: amber, floral, fresh and woody. These are the families that are displayed on the Fragrance Wheel. The families that sit next to each other are known as ‘subfamilies’ to display how the different scents differ and overlap with one another.
Within the Fragrance Wheel, each family will have subsections, as not all amber perfumes will be the same as each other. For example, amber is broken up into woody amber, amber and soft amber – more on this below.
Amber
(Image credit: Mographe / Pexels)
(Image credit: Mographe / Pexels)
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Choose Amber if:You want a long lasting fragrance that’s rich and warm.
Top picks for amber fragrances for men:Tom Ford Noir, Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male, Prada L’Homme
Top picks for amber fragrances for women:Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, Mugler Angel, Gucci Guilty Intense
Floral
(Image credit: Annie Spratt / Unsplash)
(Image credit: Annie Spratt / Unsplash)
Choose Floral if:You love the idea of smelling like a meadow or a freshly cut bouquet of flowers.
Top picks for floral fragrances for men:Diptyque Do Son, Louis Vuitton Fleur Du Désert, Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Mandorlo di Sicilia
Top picks for floral fragrances for women:Lancome La Vie est Belle, Paco Rabanne Lady Million, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle
Fresh
(Image credit: Samara Doole / Unsplash)
(Image credit: Samara Doole / Unsplash)
Another aptly named fragrance family, the fresh family is extremely light and ‘clean’, making it ideal for daily wear, particularly in the office. Fresh fragrances are extremely versatile, so you may find citrus, fruit or woody scents that fall under the fresh category. But essentially, if it smells quite refreshing and bright, it’s a fresh fragrance.
Choose Fresh if:You want to smell bright and clean, and typically prefer daytime perfumes to evening fragrances.
Top picks for fresh fragrances for men:Boss Bottled, Creed Aventus, Calvin Klein CK One
Top picks for fresh fragrances for women:Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Giorgio Armani Si, Dior Miss Dior
Woody
(Image credit: Jude Infantini / Unsplash)
(Image credit: Jude Infantini / Unsplash)
Similar to amber, the woody fragrance family is rich, warm and earthy. As a more natural scent, wood is the most common category that moves across genders, so you’ll see lots of unisex wood scents. Notes you can expect to find include cedarwood, sandalwood, musk, oak and rosewood.
Top picks for woody fragrances for men:Chanel Bleu de Chanel, Paco Rabanne 1 Million, Diesel Only The Brave
Top picks for woody fragrances for women:Marc Jacobs Decadence, La Labo Santal 33, Tom Ford Oud Wood
Additional fragrance families
While amber, floral, fresh and woody are the four main fragrance families, others have emerged from them. Although these next three don’t feature on the Fragrance Wheel, many believe they do deserve their own category.
Chypre
Chypre is a scent all of its own, but it’s best described as a mixture of amber, floral and woody. It’s named after Cyprus, as the notes are based on the aromatics that are grown there. Expect notes of wood, moss, citrus and florals with a hint of spice and warmth.
Choose Chypre if:You like a blend of woody and floral notes, and lend toward more aromatic scents.
Top picks for chypre fragrances for men:Tom Ford Rose Prick, Givenchy Gentleman, Dsquared2 Green Wood
Top picks for chypre fragrances for women:Givenchy Ysatis, Diptyque Olene, Elie Saab Le Parfum
Citrus
Choose Citrus if:You want something in between floral and fruity, and you’re drawn to lemon, orange and grapefruit scents.
Top picks for citrus fragrances for men:Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, Missoni Wave, Clinique Happy For Men
Top picks for citrus fragrances for women:Givenchy Eau De Givenchy, Acqua di Parma Yuzu, Jo Malone London Lime Basil & Mandarin
Fougère
Fougère is another category that links to the amber fragrance family, although it tends to be a little sweeter, spicier and more herbal. The word fougère translates to fern, and the scents found under the name have notes like hay, wood, oakmoss and lavender.
Choose Fougère if:You want something strong and spicy that falls in between amber and woody.
Top picks for fougère fragrances for men:Emporio Armani Stronger With You Intensely Mens, Dior Sauvage, Moncler Pour Homme
Top picks for fougère fragrances for women:Hèrmes Elixir Des Merveilles, Creed Royal Oud, Valentino Born In Roma Uomo Green Stravaganza
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