Olfactory Families : The guide to choose your perfume
Olfactory families : the guide to choose your perfume
If you are a perfume lover, you have probably heard of olfactory families. These families allow to classify perfumes in a category according to the primary ingredients which compose it. They are distinguished by their scents that recall the materials from which they are extracted.
In this article we reveal the 7 olfactory families of perfumes to guide you in your choice and learn a little more about the wonderful world of perfumery.
The Aromatic family
These are perfumes created from the extraction of plant materials, aromatic herbs. This family includes mentholated, lemon, anise, lavender notes...
The aromatics that compose it are thyme, tea, tarragon, star anise, chamomile, mugwort, basil, sage, lavender, rosemary, peppermint...
The aromatic perfume is generally a perfume with original and assumed notes, made to stand out.
At Miller et Bertaux, we are very committed to our values, and we wanted to stand out and create mixed fragrances from this olfactory family (usually for men).
If you like these aromatic scents you will wear our Menta y Menta eau de parfum.
The Woody Family
As its name indicates, these are scents coming from trees. The extraction of essences is done on the wood or on the moss of the latter. This family includes all types of tree such as cedar, cypress, mahogany, guaiac wood, beech, sandalwood, birch... but two plants belonging to this olfactive family stand out especially because they do not come from the wood. They are patchouli and vetiver which are plants but whose very marked smell makes us think of wood fragrance. Patchouli is a tropical plant from Asia whose only smes like its "absolute" (liquid obtained during extraction). For vetiver, a perennial plant from southern India, it is the root that is used because it has a woody aroma.
By their origins and the climate in which they grow, each tree has a particular aroma. For example, sandalwood will give persistent and sweet notes while cedar will bring a more raw, noble scent.
A woody fragrance is usually created not with a single essence but by the work of blends bringing sophistication, warmth and character to this family of fragrances.
At Miller et Bertaux you will find woody notes in the eaux de parfums Indian Study and Oh oooh Oh.
The Chypre family
Chypre is a base of perfume formerly obtained through the extraction of lichen, a moss found on oak trees. The lichen having a strong allergenic potential, has been replaced by chemical components called Evernyl and Orcinyl 3. Bergamot, patchouli, rose, jasmine are relatively present in this family, which is itself classified into different categories: aromatic chypre, leather chypre, floral chypre ...
You will have understood it, a chypre perfume is necessarly a woody perfume but comprising specific agreements.
Chypre scents are used for their power and persistence and are ideal for people who want to assert their originality and charisma.
The Floral Family
This category we find all types of flowers: lily of the valley, rose, orange blossom .... There is an extraordinary palette of flowers and each of them has a specific scent. Floral fragrances open up many possibilities and the resulting fragrances are often considered sensual and romantic. A floral fragrance may highlight a particular flower or offer a mixture called soliflore composition.
Contrary to popular belief, floral perfume, often intended for women, may also be suitable for men. Miller and Bertaux have succeeded with their mixed fragrance Shanti Shanti!
The Fern Family
It is a rather particular family which is created around an assembly of 5 to 10 components. Contrary to what one might think, this family has nothing to do with the fern plant. It includes a top note of bergamot married to aromatic nuances. Its heart is floral, based on geranium essence of it is associated with a coumarin background, oak moss or tonka bean.
These scents are often associated with "clean" smells and are very popular in cosmetics.
The Citrus Family
Fresh and tangy, this family brings the sun thanks to its citrus notes. Orange, lemon, tangerine, clementine, bergamot, yuzu, citron, grapefruit... are the stars of this category. The citrus family is the oldest, its scents are very popular but often volatile. For this reason, perfumers tend to associate citrus with other olfactory families to obtain fragrance that last and hold on the skin.
Our favorite perfume in this category? It is certainly New study!
The Oriental or Amber Family
This olfactory family gathers fragrances whose base was built exclusively on ingredients of animal origin more than a century ago: ambergris which is often used as a fixative in the base note. In fact, it improves the persistence of a fragrance.
Today, synthesis allows us to faithfully recreate these notes, and oriental fragrances are enriched with ingredients with sweet, powdery and spicy notes such as ciste-labdanum, cinnamon, or fragrant and precious woods like oud.
The oriental family, also called amber family, is sensual. Composed of ingredients such as vanilla, incense and tonka bean, it is composed of powerful and warm fragrances.
And there you have it, you know everything (or almost) about the different olfactory families!
