Fragrance Families
We believe that finding the perfect fragrance should be simple and easy to choose, so here’s a guide on how to follow your nose.
Notes are the ingredients that make up a perfume. They fall into one of three categories: head notes, heart notes and base notes, and together they form an accord, which gives a fragrance its character. The job of the perfumer is to be a composer, to string these elements together and paint an olfactory picture.
Fragrances are broadly classified into families. They help us identify their style; whether they're woody, floral, fresh or oriental. Using fragrance families is a great way to narrow your search and help you find a perfume that you'll love. In this spirit, we've created some detailed buyers guides to help you explore the wonderful world of perfumery.
The journey of a perfume...
Head Notes
Head notes form the top layer of a fragrance. In other words, head notes are the ones you first detect after spraying a perfume. Head notes are often volatile, their presence is fleeting, but they serve an important purpose in introducing the wearer to the fragrance.
Heart Notes
With the fading of the head notes, the "heart" of the fragrance emerges. Heart notes retain some of the character of the top notes, but they are also transitionary; their purpose is to linger on the skin while the base notes mature and slowly come into play.
Base Notes
Base notes are the foundation of a perfume; they provide a fragrance with its longevity. Usually kicking in after about 30 minutes, they can last for hours, sometimes days. Together with heart notes, base notes form accords. This is the true personality of a perfume.
Explore the Fragrance Families:
Floral
The floral fragrance family is the largest and most popular in perfumery. To help navigate your way, we’ve created a detailed buyers guide to help you along the way.
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Oriental
Oriental fragrances have a truly mesmerising quality to them. To find out what makes them so magical, why not take a look at our guide to the oriental fragrance family.
Woody
Woody fragrances have a magnetic charm to them. To help with your exploration, we've created this buyer's guide to introduce you to this enchanting and ethereal fragrance family.
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Fresh
For those who like something slightly fresher, we’ve gathered all of our fresh fragrances in one place for you to explore. Watch out for our buyers guide that’s coming soon!
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