Fragrance
Families: How They Are Categorized
- by KissMeGoodnight.com
Ever wonder
how fragrances are categorized? Traditionally all
fragrances are a part of a specific family or group. Although
their names vary somewhat, there are basically six categories
or olfactive families of perfume. They are floral or sweet,
sporty or clean, green or natural, musk/oils, chypre/woody
and finally, oriental/spicy. Some people like to find one
fragrance and stick with it while others enjoy changing fragrances
according to the occasion, their mood, even the season of
the year. As well, age has an effect on fragrance choice.
As a female grows from a girl to a woman, often her fragrance
matures right along with her.
The
floral/sweet family of fragrances is considered the most
popular category and they are ruled by the scent of either
one or a variety of different flowers. When only one type of
flower is used it is referred to as a “soliflore.” This family
of perfume ranges from sweet to subtle and everything in between.
This is a youthful fragrance family and is ideal for the woman
who enjoys being girlish and playful whenever she wishes. Examples
of classic fragrances in this family include Chanel No. 22,
Curious Britney Spears, Estee Lauders Pleasures and White Linen,
Joy by Jean Patou, L’Air Du Temps by Nina Ricci, and Safari
for Women by Ralph Lauren.
The
second fragrance family is sporty/clean. This scent has
a very clean, fresh out of the shower smell and is comparable
to the scent of soap. Sporty/clean fragrances are often considered
“freshening” and are commonly found in eau de colognes. This
is considered the fragrance family for the athletic set. Some
examples of classic scents in this family include Cashmere
Mist by Donna Karan, Estee Lauder Alliage, Lily Chic by Escada,
Ralph Lauren Polo for Women and Tommy Girl by Tommy Hilfiger.
Tommy Girl is particularly popular among teenaged girls.
The
green/natural fragrance family provides a fresh and very
down-to-earth kind of scent to all who wear it. It is for the
woman who likes to be as real and natural as can be. Some examples
of green/natural scents are Burberry London, Calvin Klein Escape
for Women, Calvin Klein Truth for Women, Chanel No. 5, Elizabeth
Taylor White Diamonds, L’Instant de Guerlain by Guerlain, Poison
by Christian Dior, Romance by Ralph Lauren and True Star by
Tommy Hilfiger.
Musk/oils, the fourth fragrance family is scents
that leave little to the imagination. They are strong, suggestive
and
very sexy. This is above all a sultry scent that speaks volumes
between lovers. In other words, it speaks for you when you
are without words. Musk gives off the most powerful scent of
all of the perfume oils and most commonly is taken from the
male musk deer from the Himalayas. Musk is also derived from
the muskrat and musk ox. Examples of popular musk/oils are
Caleche by Hermes, Dolce & Gabbana for Women, Lagerfeld
Sun * Moon & Stars, L’Aminant by Coty, O Oui by Lancôme
and Shalimar by Guerlain.
The fifth fragrance family is woody/chypre (pronounced Shee-pra)
or is sometimes referred to as earthy. This fragrance group
is composed of the ingredients bergamot, jasmine and oakmoss.
The chypre family of fragrances is named after a perfume by
a person of the same name, that of Francois Coty and is also
believed to be named after the Island of Cypress in the Mediterranean.
Chypre means “cypress” in French. This family of fragrances
is a mixture of floral and earth scents and is very similar
to the flavors of custard and apricot combined together. It
is the woman who enjoys the outdoors and the beauty of nature
who often wears the chypre fragrance. Examples of popular chypre/woody
fragrances on the market include Chanel No. 19, Miss Dior by
Christian Dior, and Envy Me by Gucci, Michael Kors, Paloma
Picasso Perfume and Romance by Ralph Lauren.
The sixth fragrance family is the oriental/spicy
family. Sometimes referred to as ambers, this popular fragrance
is animal scents
and vanilla combined with flowers and woods. The mixture of
incense resins and camphorous oils enhances the oriental fragrances
even more. This fragrance family is both spicy as well as exotic
and is ideal for the self-confident woman who is strong and
enjoys being bold and radiant in everything she does. The oriental
family conjures up images of the Victorian era in both the
Far East and Middle East. Examples of the oriental/spicy family
include Calvin Klein Obsession, Emeraude by Coty, Estee Lauder
Youth Dew, Lancôme’s Magic Noir and Tresor, Organza and
Organza Indecence by Givenchy, Still by Jennifer Lopez, Ysatis
by Givenchy and Opium by Yves Saint Laurent.
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KissMeGoodnight.com
: 2006
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