Your guide to the 5 fragrance families

08 November 2019 | By Anna-Bet Stemmet

A concise introduction to the art of shopping for a signature scent based on the five main fragrance families.

Finding a signature fragrance can be a tricky business. Our olfactory systems are closely linked to memory, which is why you’ll find that a certain smell can transport you back to a particular time of your life just as quickly as a song might. As such, your go-to scent could very well fall by the wayside when it starts to remind you of a negative memory.

Happily, there is a whole world of gorgeous perfumes out there, so you can explore to your heart’s content to find a new one. Next time you head out to sample scents, try a new tactic – sample according to fragrance family. Local perfumer Tammy Frazer, founder of Frazer Parfum, says that there are five main families to consider when shopping for a signature scent.

Meet the families

“The main fragrance families are green, citrus, floral, woods and spice,” says Tammy. “Most fragrances will combine notes from various families. Heart notes are normally flowers, while ground notes are mostly woods.”

Green notes include components such as oakmoss and galbanum, while the citrus family is made up of delicious scents like lemon, orange, tangerine and grapefruit.

Floral scents are easy to recognise – think lily of the valley, rose and jasmine.

Woods are warm, in the lines of cedar, amber and sandalwood; while spice denotes tones like cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.

Here’s a look at the top, heart and root notes of a few well-known fragrances to give you an idea of how the fragrance families integrate and overlap:

Elizabeth Arden Provocative Woman EDP

Elizabeth Arden Provocative Woman is made up of:

•   Top notes: Quince, water lotus, ginger lily
•   Heart notes: Midnight orchid, papaya blossom, pink freesia
•   Base notes: Red amber, Hinoki wood

Clinique Happy for Men EDT

Clinique Happy for Men is made up of:

•   Top notes: Lime, mandarin orange, lemon
•   Heart notes: Freesia, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, rose
•   Base notes: Cypress, musk, cedar, guaiac wood