Selecting a new perfume can be a daunting task; perfume stores carry huge numbers of different brands and scents and if you don't have an idea of what you are looking for it is easy to become confused. Deciding on a new fragrance becomes considerably easier once you are aware that although all of these perfumes offer distinct scents they can be split into six main olfactory groups (or families). When selecting a perfume it is a good idea to consider which of the olfactory families match the fragrance you are looking for as this will allow you to be far more focussed when it comes to looking at, and sampling, fragrances.

Floral

The first olfactory group to look at is probably the most obvious: Floral. Floral perfumes are light, sweet and have long been the most popular to use in feminine fragrances. They can be based on a strong individual flower note (often referred to as soliflore) or a carefully selected blend of flowers (commonly known as a bouquet).

Citrus

Citrus scents are typically gentle yet fresh. Generally their dominant notes will be based on sharp citrus fruits such as lemons, tangerines, grapefruits and peaches. These base notes are often combined with herbs and/or spices such as mint, rosemary and thyme to create a slightly more aromatic scent.

Chypre

Chypre is a term that is less instantly recognisable to most people. The groups name comes from the influential perfume by Francois Coty of the same name. Chypre perfumes are typically strong and woody, yet slightly floral, taking their base scents from oak moss, sandalwood and patchouli.

Woody

Woody perfumes are earthy and rich making them most popular in masculine fragrances. Generally based on scents such as cedar, agar and amber these perfumes are often combination with fresh spices or aquatic notes to give the fragrance some energy and freshness.

Oriental

These fragrances are rich and sweet and they are usually based on exotic or spicy aromas such as vanilla, musk and amber. The oriental group are often combined with other olfactory groups in order to create rich spicy combinations.

Aromatic

The final key family is the aromatics. These fragrances are typically fresh and spicy using scents like cinnamon and cloves to create an interesting and modern scent.

Hopefully having an understanding of the different olfactory families common in perfume will help to understand how perfumes vary and find the one that perfectly fits your needs. Many popular designers now focus on fragrances alongside their fashion lines.