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Fashion is not just about clothing and accessories but about the scent you choose to envelope yourself in. Fragrance has been around for a long time and dates back to the Egyptians as early as 1000 BC. Other cultures soon followed suit in using perfume, however it was the Egyptians who were believed to have been the inventors of glass and one of the very first things glass was used for was to make bottles to hold perfume.

The Consistency of Perfume

Perfume has often been described as being the ultimate sensory experience, conjuring up emotions and many forgotten memories. Perfume consists of a combination of fragrant oils that have been diluted in high-grade alcohol. This concentration contains 90 to 95 percent pure alcohol and 15 to 25 percent oil. Perfume is often referred to as a parfum. If a mixture of scent has a lower proportion of oil than it does of alcohol then it is known as an eau (which stands for water in French).

There is more than one strength of eau and the names or initials of it are decided upon according to the strength of the scent, or else what percentage of perfume oil in its purest form was used to make the fragrant product. The smell is not affected one way or the other however what is affected is how long the scent remains on the skin.

In the most general way the terms EDC, EDT, EDP and parfum are used. EDC stands for eau de cologne and it is the least concentrated kind of fragrance on the market (2 to 5 percent perfume oil is dissolved in water and high-grade alcohol). An EDT stands for eau de toilette, which is 4 to 10 percent water and alcohol. This is followed by EDP, which is eau de parfum and is 8 to 15 percent water and alcohol and the most concentrated of all, as previously mentioned, is parfum (or perfume), which is 15 to 25 percent water and alcohol respectively. Sometimes you will see a fragrance that is called a parfum de toilette and different companies will classify this differently. Some will use that term for an eau de toilette while others might designate that the product falls somewhere between an eau de parfum and a parfum.

Be aware that an eau de toilette is meant to refresh and energize you but it will not last for the duration of the day. In fact 80 percent of eau de toilettes will lose their scent in three hours time and will need to be reapplied. Perfume on the other hand has a softer scent to it but it is possible that it can last up to 24 hours. Just make sure not to overdo it when you apply it so you do not overpower other people around you!

Categories of Fragrance

There is technically no known system of categorizing fragrance however the August French Society of Perfumers has created six fragrance families, some with subcategories to help demystify the sometimes confusing world of scent for consumers. These fragrance families are recognized by perfumers the world over. The six categories include floral, citrus, green, fougere, chypre and oriental. The floral category is the most popular of all of the categories of scents for women and it can be either subtle or sweet as it brings out the young girl in any woman, no matter how old she is. The citrus category provides a very clean fresh scent that is reminiscent of just washed linen or the refreshing quality of soap. The green category is also a very fresh, down-to-earth, no nonsense type of scent that many women enjoy. The fougere category is sexy, strong and suggestive which makes it popular among women who know exactly what they want and how to go after it. Chypre (pronounced shee-pra) is named after the Mediterranean Island of Cypress, as chypre is the French way of saying cypress. The chypre scent is a touch of the mysterious with its mixture of earthy and floral scents. The oriental fragrance family is for the confident, self-assured woman who likes to feel exotic and exude sensuality.

Let us take a closer look at each one of these fragrance families.

Floral Fragrance Family

The floral fragrance family is sometimes referred to as floral/sweet. It is the most popular category as well as the largest category of fragrances. The floral family is ruled by the scent of either one or a variety of different kinds of flowers. When one type of flower is used it is referred to as a soliflore. This perfume family ranges from sweet to subtle and everything that falls in between. This is a youthful scent and is perfectly suited for the woman who enjoys being playful and girlish whenever she wishes to be. The primary ingredients for this category of perfume come from flowers such as gardenia, carnation, jasmine, rose, orange-blossom, ylang-ylang and violet. Examples of popular brands of perfumes from the floral family include Carolina Herrara, White Diamonds and Paris.

There are also subcategories of the floral family as well. These include floral-green, floral-ambery, floral-fruity, floral-citrus and floral-woody. Examples of popular perfumes in the floral-green subcategory include Bvlgari and Chanel 19; in the floral-ambery group, Adrienne Vittadini; in the floral-fruity group, Amarige and Baby Doll; in the floral-citrus group, Curve and finally in the floral-woody subcategory, 1881 Cerruti and Romance.

Citrus Fragrance Family

The citrus fragrance family is sometimes referred to as sporty/clean as this scent has a very clean, fresh-out-of-the-shower scent and is comparable to the clean fragrance of soap. Citrus fragrances are often described as freshening and are commonly found in eau de colognes. This is the family of fragrances that athletic women often prefer. The citrus scents are more common in fragrances made for men than women but they are becoming increasingly popular for women as well. The citrus scents are one of the oldest of all of the fragrance groups and they date back to the Egyptians in ancient times. The citrus fragrance family gets its names from the citrus fruit scents such as lemon, lime, mandarin, tangerine and bergamot (sometimes known as hesperides) that are combined together to create a fragrance that is considered to be effervescent in quality. A popular example of a citrus fragrance is the unisex CK One. There is one subcategory of the citrus fragrance family and it is citrus-floral. An example of a citrus-floral fragrance is Jess.

Green Fragrance Family

The green fragrance family is sometimes referred to as green/natural and it is a very fresh, uplifting and down-to-earth type of scent. This is the scent for the woman who likes to be as real and as natural as she possibly can be. When it comes to the green fragrances, the predominant notes are herbs, grass, pine, juniper and leaves. Two examples of green fragrances are Bvlgari, Extreme and Safari. There is no subcategory for this fragrance family.

Fougere Fragrance Family

Fougere (pronounced foozh-air) is French for the word fern. Sometimes the fougere family of fragrances is also known as the musk/oils family. This is the fragrance group that is strong, suggestive and extremely sexy while at the same time leaving little to the imagination. This is a sultry group of scents that is especially good for seductive nights for lovers. Musk gives off the most powerful scent of all of the perfume oils that are available on the market. Most musks are taken from the male musk deer from the Himalayas while some also come from the musk ox and muskrat. Some fougere scents are very herbaceous in nature and contain a base that is mossy and very much like a fern. Cool Water is an example of a popular fougere fragrance. There is no subcategory for this fragrance family.

Chypre Fragrance Family

Chypre (pronounced shee-pra) is sometimes referred to as woody or earthy. Although chypre is no longer manufactured, the word is still used to describe fragrances made in the woody style. This citrusy, woodsy and mossy group of fragrances is composed of the ingredients bergamot, oak moss, citrus, patchouli and jasmine. The chypre fragrance family got its name from Francois Coty who is believed to have named it after the Island of Cypress in the Mediterranean. Chypre stands for cypress in the French language. This fragrance family is a mixture of earth and floral scents and is very similar to the delicious flavors of apricot and custard merged together. The chypre fragrance is often worn by a woman who enjoys the beauty of nature and the outdoors in all of its splendor. Examples of popular chypre fragrances are Dalimix and Y.

There are three subcategories of the chypre fragrance and these include chypre-fruity, chypre-floral and chypre-animalic. An example of a chypre-fruity scent is Femme; examples of chypre-floral scents are Fendi and Paloma Picasso and two examples of chypre-animalic scents are Miss Dior and Ysatis.

Oriental Fragrance Family

The oriental fragrance family is sometimes referred to as the oriental/spicy family, which are also commonly referred to as ambers. This popular fragrance family, which is full-bodied, is a combination of animal scents (such as musks), as well as balsams, spices, resins and vanilla mixed with flowers. The mixture of incense resins and camphorous oils enhances the oriental fragrances even more. This family of fragrances is both spicy as well as exotic and is not for the faint at heart. This is the type of fragrance that appeals to the self-confident woman who is strong and enjoys being bold and radiant in everything she does. The oriental family of fragrances conjures up images of the Victorian era in both the Middle East as well as the Far East. Examples of the oriental family of fragrances include Contradiction, Shalimar and Royal Secret.

There are five subcategories of oriental fragrances. These subcategories include oriental-citrusy, oriental-ambery, oriental-spicy, floriental and oriental gourmand. An example of an oriental-citrusy fragrance is Candies while a classic example of an oriental-ambery scent is Obsession. An example of an oriental-spicy scent is Opium while two examples of floriental are Hugo Woman and Wings. Finally, three examples of oriental-gourmand are Angel, Cashmir and Wish.

Point of Clarification to Fragrance Lovers

It is important to point out that there is some overlapping when it comes to the fragrance families, as it is not an exact science. Some sources where you might choose to seek out information on fragrance families will have slight variations to the way I have listed perfumes but here I have laid out the general categories. For example, I noted in my own research that one website placed the fragrance Ysatis by Givenchy in the oriental fragrance family while another placed it in the chypre family. Here I have classified Ysatis as a chypre fragrance and more specifically as belonging to the subcategory of chypre known as chypre-animalic. To a certain extent, the choice of fragrance families is left up to ones own discretion. Whatever you do, just make sure that you find a fragrance (or fragrances) that appeal to you and enjoy them as fragrances are meant to be a fun way to express your personality!