Fragrance families explained
Perfumers sort scents into families such as floral, fresh, woody, amber and gourmand. Knowing your favorite family makes choosing candles and perfumes much easier.
Why families help
There are thousands of candle scents, and their names can be poetic rather than helpful. "Midnight Garden" or "Velvet Evening" does not tell you much. Fragrance families group scents by their main character, so once you know which families you like, you can predict whether you will enjoy a new candle before you smell it.
A popular way to show the families is a fragrance wheel, a circle where neighboring families blend smoothly into each other. The perfume writer Michael Edwards published an influential version in 1983, and many retailers still use a simplified form of it.
The main families
| Family | Smells like | Typical ingredients | Mood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floral | Fresh-cut or dried flowers | Rose, jasmine, gardenia, peony, orange blossom | Romantic, soft, feminine |
| Fresh | Clean, bright, airy | Citrus, green leaves, sea notes, clean cotton | Energizing, tidy |
| Woody | Warm, dry, grounded | Sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, oud | Calm, elegant |
| Amber (oriental) | Rich, warm, slightly sweet | Vanilla, resins, spices, labdanum | Cozy, luxurious |
| Gourmand | Edible, dessert-like | Vanilla, caramel, coffee, chocolate, honey | Comforting, playful |
| Aromatic and herbal | Green, herbal | Lavender, rosemary, mint, sage | Relaxing or refreshing |
Some guides call the amber family "oriental". Many in the fragrance industry now prefer "amber".
Floral
Florals are the largest family. Single-flower scents focus on one bloom, such as rose. Floral bouquets blend several. Soft florals like peony suit bedrooms; heady white florals like jasmine and tuberose are bolder and better for larger rooms.
Fresh
Fresh scents include citrus (lemon, bergamot, grapefruit), green (cut grass, fig leaf), water and marine notes and the "clean laundry" style. They work well in kitchens and bathrooms and on hot days.
Woody
Woody scents feel calm and polished. Cedarwood is dry and pencil-like, sandalwood is creamy and smooth, and oud is deep and smoky. See oud, amber and bakhoor.
Amber and gourmand
These are the cozy end of the wheel. Amber blends are warm and resinous. Gourmands smell good enough to eat. Vanilla sits in both, which is part of why it is one of the most popular candle scents of all.
Finding your family
- Write down three candles or perfumes you love.
- Look up their main notes.
- Look for the family they share.
- Try the neighboring family on the wheel next. If you love woody scents, try amber or aromatic scents.
If you are buying for someone else, stay close to the center of a family: a soft vanilla, a clean cotton or a light rose is rarely a miss.
Next, learn how a single scent is built in layers in top, heart and base notes.
