And of course, then there are the endless fragrance families: Fresh, Woody, Floral, Spicy, Fruity, Oriental, Green, just to name a quick few. And within each of these are the scents that combine features of two or more styles: Woody Orientals, Fruity Florals, and so on.<\/p>\n
Still here? It\u2019s enough to send anyone even slightly curious running back to the first bottle that they got A Nice Compliment From Wearing That One Time.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s hope. A British man named Michael Edwards, who many consider to be the finest \u201cnose\u201d in the world, created a scented color wheel of sorts back in 1983, that helps to classify the many different types of perfume <\/a>available and how they\u2019re related.<\/p>\n And just like knowing which hue and tones are complementary when designing a home or an outfit, it\u2019s helpful to know which styles of scent are similar or different. Once you know your way around the Fragrance Wheel, you can start exploring different perfumes to find ones you love most, and give up the guilt from adding another sad bottle to the costly \u201cone-and-dones\u201d on your dresser.<\/p>\n The Fragrance Wheel breaks perfumes down into several main categories, and then similar subcategories within each: Floral, Soft Floral, Oriental, Woody Oriental, Floral Oriental, etc. It can help you sort out scent \u201cneighborhoods\u201d a lot quicker than just blindly sampling at a department store until your nose gives out.<\/p>\n For example, let\u2019s take a classic scent: Chanel No. 5. This is the Floral scent<\/a> that created the entire perfume industry nearly overnight. It\u2019s sparkling, citrusy, and powdery with a sweet vanilla-like drydown.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a perfume from the high classic style of 100 years ago, and while it may seem like your grandmother\u2019s perfume now, at the turn of the century it was as shocking as wearing a Lady Gaga meat suit.<\/p>\n The Fragrance Wheel puts Chanel no. 5 in its Soft Floral category, mainly due to the powdery texture and the aldehydes<\/a> it has in the top notes. (FUN FACT AGAIN<\/strong><\/em>: Aldehydes are carbon compounds that, depending on which link in the carbon chain you use in a perfume, can smell like champagne, butter, cheese or even strawberries<\/em>.)<\/p>\n So if you fancy that throwback drama, other Soft Florals might appeal to you as well. Perfumes like Joy by Jean Patou, and First by Van Cleef and Arpels are other examples of this type of scent. For something similar but modern, Scentbird suggests Baiser Vole from Cartier, or Dia Woman from Amouage<\/strong>. Both are highly floral, sparkling and powdery scents that gracefully refer back to the classic days of French perfumery.<\/p>\n Now say that maybe Floral scents aren\u2019t your thing at all \u2013 what about colognes for men?<\/p>\n Most men start wearing bright, zesty Sport scents when they get into perfume, and many of today\u2019s offerings would fall under the Fresh Citrus category on the Wheel. But perhaps one day you want to try something similar, but with more spice?<\/p>\n To the left of the Fresh Citrus on the Wheel is a wide category called Aromatic Fougeres \u2013 this is where you\u2019ll find perfumes with a little hit of citrus at the top, but which also feature other herbal and spicy notes to deepen the impact. Hermes \u2013 Terre D\u2019Hermes is a fantastic example. As you follow your nose around the Wheel, you begin to understand where the boundaries in scent are, which makes gambling on a new fragrance a lot safer.<\/p>\n If you like bright citrus notes it might be enjoyable to try something across from these on the Fragrance Wheel. Floral Orientals, with their dusky orange blossom notes and opulent spices, can be a sensual way to carry citrusy tones in an intriguing new direction.<\/p>\n Or if that\u2019s too much of a stretch, you might try similar styles under the same category: if Fresh scents are your jam, then why not try the coastal vibe of a Watery aquatic scent like Bvlgari Aqua?<\/strong><\/p>\n
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