A Guide To Fragrance Strengths & Types
Shopping for your next fragrance can be a tricky business; after all, with so many to choose from, how do you decide? Let our guide to fragrance strengths and fragrance types help you figure out what perfume or aftershave you should go for next!
Fresh
Fresh fragrances usually comprise of citrus, water and green notes. This means they have refreshing, zesty and vibrant smells. Citrus-based fragrances are usually created with lemon, mandarin and bergamot, while water fragrances are made with aquatic notes like sea spray; think L’Eau d’Issey by Issey Miyake, or Acqua di Gio by Armani.
Fresh green fragrances are often reminiscent of herbal and leafy scents for a crisp, uplifting smell. They can sometimes be referred to as aromatic fougère fragrances, created with notes of lavender, rosemary or basil.
Floral
Floral fragrances are one of the most popular families, and one of the broadest. Any fragrance that has a sweet and flowery scent will belong under this family, using notes such as roses, jasmine, lilies and peonies.
Floral fragrances can range from being light and delicate, to more complex and intense.
Oriental
Oriental fragrances are warm, sweet and even a little spicy. A more luxurious fragrance family, oriental fragrances vary from floral oriental, soft oriental and woody oriental.
Perfumes and aftershaves in this family are rich and sensual, often made with interesting notes of cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla alongside the likes of jasmine, orchid and orange blossom.
Woody
Woody fragrances are another warm family, with a mysterious and captivating scent that is often favoured amongst aftershaves in particular. Using wood-based smells like cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver and amber, it’s a great choice for wearing in the evening.
Woody fragrances are split into mossy woods with an earthy, sweet undertone, and dry woods, which often have a smoky, leathery smell to them.
Understanding Fragrance Notes
You will often see top, middle and base notes being used to describe a fragrance.
The top notes of a fragrance, also known as the head or opening notes, are what you smell immediately after spraying your perfume or aftershave; they evaporate quickly but will form the first impression of the fragrance.
The middle, or heart, notes appear once the top notes have disappeared. These notes are considered to be the main body of the fragrance, lasting longer than the top notes and are usually well-rounded.
Base notes are what is left at the end; it is this smell that you remember the most. The base notes are the longest lasting, mixing with middle notes to create the full body of the perfume of aftershave.