We love perfume, but don’t you find yourself leaning towards a particular kind of scent? You might like something fresh, fruity and floral, something that reminds of you of a warm day on a beach, or something more mysterious and musky. It’s hard to put your finger on why. So, here we are to make it all easy for you. The fragrance world consists of four types of “notes” and every single kind of perfume fits into one of the categories (and its various sub-heads). To break it down even further, here is a fragrance wheel that will help you to get a better understanding of these notes.
Floral Notes
This note is the most popular one. Notes range from a concentrated theme of a single floral note to a concoction of separate notes. Then there are soft floral notes that are combination of aldehydes (which are found in rose and citrus oils) and delicate flowers. A blend of orange flowers and sweet spices gives rise to oriental floral notes.
Perfumes: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Dior J’Adore, Bvlgari Pour Femme, Gucci Envy Me, Ralph Lauren Romance.
Oriental Notes
Think of strong, sensual and full-bodied, musky fragrances mixed with rich resins … these qualify as oriental notes. Then there are woody oriental notes, which are a concoction of oriental notes with woody fragrance like sandalwood and patchouli.
Perfumes: Guerlain Shalimar, Yves Saint Laurent Opium, Chanel Allure for Women, Jean Paul Gaultier Classique for Women, Burberry London for Women.
Woody Notes
Heady fragrances like pine, sandalwood and patchouli are classic woody scents. But lately, they have been reinvented. Once these are mixed with forest notes like oakmoss, amber and citrus Chypre. They become as mossy woods notes. Mossy woods notes are categorised as dry woods notes once blended with tobacco and burnt wood notes.
Perfumes: Prada Ambre, Oscar de la Renta Extraordinary, Calvin Klein Euphoria, Christian Dior Miss Dior
Fresh Notes
Fresh notes are all about the fragrances that rejuvenate you. There are green notes that smell like fresh-cut grass and violet leaves, lavender and a sea breeze. There can be aromatic fresh notes that are a combination of lavender and oriental wood notes. Then, there are these zesty citrus notes which comprise grapefruit, bergamot, lemons and mandarin and are added to oriental and woody notes to enhance their character. Water notes hold true to their name, as they feel sea breezes. These marine notes are often used to add character to floral and woody fragrances. Fruity notes are a twist on tropical fruits like peaches and pears or punchy berries.
Perfumes: Issey Miyake L’Eau de Issey, Versace Eros Pour Femme, Lubin Grisette, Tom Ford Fleur De Portofino.
