7 best fragrance families you need to know about

When shopping for a new fragrance in store or online, you’ll often see the phrase ‘fragrance family’ come up as a way of describing what it smells like. But what does this actually mean? And does it actually help you find the right fragrance for you?

To help you find the perfect scent for yourself, partner, family member or friend, here are the seven fragrance families you need to know about, including our top picks from each category.

What is a fragrance family?

A fragrance family is a classification system which places different scents into olfactory groups. Each fragrance family has a different set of identifying factors and notes that sets it apart from the other groups, and the four main fragrance families sit on a ‘Fragrance Wheel’, a circular diagram that was invented by fragrance expert, Michael Edwards in 1984.

Fragrance families help describe to shoppers what a certain scent will smell like and helps them determine what perfumes they enjoy wearing. Both men and women can dive into all the different fragrance families, although the best men’s fragrances and colognes will typically involve wood and amber more prominently, whereas the best women’s perfumes and fragrances feature more floral and fresh notes.

What are the four main fragrance families?

There are four main fragrance families to choose from: amber, floral, fresh and woody. These are the families that are displayed on the Fragrance Wheel. The families that sit next to each other are known as ‘subfamilies’ to display how the different scents differ and overlap with one another.

Within the Fragrance Wheel, each family will have subsections, as not all amber perfumes will be the same as each other. For example, amber is broken up into woody amber, amber and soft amber – more on this below.

Amber

The amber fragrance family is best described as rich and warm, and it can have a multitude of different notes that shift it from spicy to herby. Typically, amber is most associated with spice or oriental-inspired smells, so expect notes of tobacco, patchouli, vanilla and musk. Because of its richness, amber fragrances are extremely long lasting and best worn during the evening.

Choose Amber if: You want a long lasting fragrance that’s rich and warm.

Top picks for amber fragrances for men: Tom Ford Noir, Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male, Prada L’Homme

Top picks for amber fragrances for women: Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, Mugler Angel, Gucci Guilty Intense

Floral

The floral fragrance family is pretty self-explanatory: they’re best characterised by the smell of flowers! As there are many different florals around, you can expect notes of rose, lilies, blossom, lavender, iris and jasmine. Floral is the arguably the most popular fragrance family, and you’ll tend to see more female-focused scents within this category.

Choose Floral if: You love the idea of smelling like a meadow or a freshly cut bouquet of flowers.

Top picks for floral fragrances for men: Diptyque Do Son, Louis Vuitton Fleur Du Désert, Acqua Di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Mandorlo di Sicilia

Top picks for floral fragrances for women: Lancome La Vie est Belle, Paco Rabanne Lady Million, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

Fresh

Another aptly named fragrance family, the fresh family is extremely light and ‘clean’, making it ideal for daily wear, particularly in the office. Fresh fragrances are extremely versatile, so you may find citrus, fruit or woody scents that fall under the fresh category. But essentially, if it smells quite refreshing and bright, it’s a fresh fragrance.

Choose Fresh if: You want to smell bright and clean, and typically prefer daytime perfumes to evening fragrances.

Top picks for fresh fragrances for men: Boss Bottled, Creed Aventus, Calvin Klein CK One

Top picks for fresh fragrances for women: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Giorgio Armani Si, Dior Miss Dior

Woody

Similar to amber, the woody fragrance family is rich, warm and earthy. As a more natural scent, wood is the most common category that moves across genders, so you’ll see lots of unisex wood scents. Notes you can expect to find include cedarwood, sandalwood, musk, oak and rosewood.

Choose Woody if: You’d rather be surrounded by nature or getting lost in a forest than cooped up inside.

Top picks for woody fragrances for men: Chanel Bleu de Chanel, Paco Rabanne 1 Million, Diesel Only The Brave

Top picks for woody fragrances for women: Marc Jacobs Decadence, La Labo Santal 33, Tom Ford Oud Wood

Additional fragrance families

While amber, floral, fresh and woody are the four main fragrance families, others have emerged from them. Although these next three don’t feature on the Fragrance Wheel, many believe they do deserve their own category.

Chypre

Chypre is a scent all of its own, but it’s best described as a mixture of amber, floral and woody. It’s named after Cyprus, as the notes are based on the aromatics that are grown there. Expect notes of wood, moss, citrus and florals with a hint of spice and warmth.

Choose Chypre if: You like a blend of woody and floral notes, and lend toward more aromatic scents.

Top picks for chypre fragrances for men: Tom Ford Rose Prick, Givenchy Gentleman, Dsquared2 Green Wood

Top picks for chypre fragrances for women: Givenchy Ysatis, Diptyque Olene, Elie Saab Le Parfum

Citrus

The citrus fragrance family is closely linked to the fresh category. With notes of citrus fruits, like oranges, lemons and limes, citrus scents are bright and zesty, and can lean towards subtle and fruity or more powerful and herby.

Choose Citrus if: You want something in between floral and fruity, and you’re drawn to lemon, orange and grapefruit scents.

Top picks for citrus fragrances for men: Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, Missoni Wave, Clinique Happy For Men

Top picks for citrus fragrances for women: Givenchy Eau De Givenchy, Acqua di Parma Yuzu, Jo Malone London Lime Basil & Mandarin

Fougère

Fougère is another category that links to the amber fragrance family, although it tends to be a little sweeter, spicier and more herbal. The word fougère translates to fern, and the scents found under the name have notes like hay, wood, oakmoss and lavender.

Choose Fougère if: You want something strong and spicy that falls in between amber and woody.

Top picks for fougère fragrances for men: Emporio Armani Stronger With You Intensely Mens, Dior Sauvage, Moncler Pour Homme

Top picks for fougère fragrances for women: Hèrmes Elixir Des Merveilles, Creed Royal Oud, Valentino Born In Roma Uomo Green Stravaganza