Fragrance Families

Connection Parfumerie  

Fragrance families are a classification system used in the perfume industry, to place individual perfumes into scent groups, based on their dominant characteristics. The Fragrance Wheel is a tool invented in 1992 by Michael Edwards. It is a circular diagram that shows how different groups of scents are related to each other. 

The Fagrance Wheel comprises four main families: Fresh, Floral, Woods, and Amber. Each family has subgroups called subfamilies. Subfamilies are smaller groups of scents that share similar smells.

 

 

So, here's the scoop on the families:

  1. Fresh Family: These are scents that smell clean and bright. They've got subfamilies like Citrus (think zesty fruits; for example: Natural Insolente, Isle of Man), Water (like ocean vibes; for example: Dragonfly, Pacific Rock Moss), and Green (herbal and fresh; for example: Queen of the Night, Flaneur). 
  2. Floral Family: Meet the flower lovers! They've got subfamilies named Floral (flowers galore; for example: Southern Bloom, Rosa Nigra), Soft Floral (gentle flowers with a hint of spice; for example: Warni Warni, Jasmin et Cigarette), and Floral Amber (flowery with a touch of warmth; for example: Civet, Carnal Cacao).
  3. Woods Family: These are scents that have earthy and woody vibes. They've got subfamilies like Woods (resin notes; such as: Wood Infusion), Mossy Woods (earthy and forest-like; for example: Saskia), and Dry Woods (smoky and leathery; for example: a city on fire).
  4. Amber Family: Warm and intense scents live here, with subfamilies like Soft Amber, Amber, and Woody Amber. They've got sweet, spicy, and earthy notes such as Sel_Vanille or I_Ristretto.

However, there are a couple of subfamilies who stand on their own: Fruity (a mix of sweet and fruity; Scusami - UNUM and Arashi no Umi - Maison Matine are good examples of fruity scents) and Aromatic (a bridge between woody and citrusy; Bois Blanc is a classic aromatic).