Every fragrance you can think of, has a particular scent, right? But, can you pinpoint whether that scent is floral or woodier perhaps? Many of us, without even knowing it, are able to pinpoint a perfume scent without even trying and this is our nose’s ability to distinguish scents that we recognise and that we can associate with something else like a Rose or an Orange.
At ACS Promotions, we have been creating signature scents for our customers for years. We understand the nuances involved in creating a perfume in order to make it woody or fresher. Allow us to take you on a journey to find out more about the different types of perfume scents and explain the concept of the fragrance wheel to you now. Read on to find out more.
What are the different types of perfume scents?
British fragrance expert, Michael Edwards, first created the fragrance wheel which classified scents into groups or families in order to be able to create and distinguish them from one another.
More about the fragrance wheel shortly. To start, it’s important to understand what the main different types of perfume scents are, namely floral notes, oriental notes, woody notes and fresh notes. These scents are also known as fragrance families and we’ve all smelt a perfume that exhibits these notes. Think of you favourite perfume, which type of note does it display? Perfume creation is such a wonderful art because of the subjective nature of scents. One person may love the deep, heady layers of an oriental noted fragrance while another person may prefer the softer, simpler smell of a fresh noted perfume.
What is a fragrance family or fragrance wheel?
Let’s dive in to explaining the fragrance wheel in detail. As explained, the fragrance wheel is divided into four families, floral notes, oriental notes, woody notes and fresh notes. Within each of these four families exist sub-families. Creator Michael Edwards, designed the wheel this way in order to group fragrances according to their similarities to each other based on shared olfactory characteristics.
Floral Notes
When it comes to floral notes, there are four sub-families which exist namely fruity, floral, soft floral and floral oriental. These fragrances often offer common notes of Rose or Jasmine and are often soft or sweet smelling.
Oriental Notes
Under oriental notes exist four sub-families as well, including soft oriental, oriental, woody oriental and woody. These fragrances offer a warmer, earthier and more seductive scents with common notes of Vanilla or Anise in them.
Woody Notes
Woody, mossy woody, dry wood and aromatic are the four sub-families which exist in the woody note’s family. Scents of Patchouli and Sandalwood can often be picked up and these fragrances offer a smoky, woodier olfactory experience.
Fresh Notes
Fresh notes consist of a sub-family of notes called aromatic, citrus, water and green. These are often fragrances that are explained as smelling clean, fresh and even zesty. Common scents in fresh noted fragrances include Grapefruit and Bergamot.
How do I create a perfume with a fragrance note I love?
When creating your own scent or a signature scent to put out to market, we often encourage our customers to tell us what they are inspired by. It is often easier to find the scent you love by first beginning with a well-known fragrance you already enjoy and creating a scent that is inspired by it.
Find out more about fragrance notes, in our blog on What Are Fragrance Notes
Keen to create a signature scent inspired by the perfect notes of your favourite perfume? Chat to the ACS Promotions team about how today on 011 783 0605.
