How to Understand the Fragrance Wheel
For decades, perfume fragrances were classified according to families, but the system was confusing to most people outside the fragrance industry. In 1983, after attending a workshop on fragrances, perfumer Michael Edwards developed the Fragrance Wheel, a graphical illustration of fragrance families and their relationship to each other. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Examine the Fragrance Wheel (see Resources below) and learn the five main fragrance families represented: Fresh, Woody, Oriental, Floral and Fougere. Fougere sits at the center because it combines elements of each of the other four and is thought to have more universal appeal. The others are arranged around the wheel's circumference.
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Study the sub-groupings in each family. Each of the four in the outer wheel are divided into sub-families that result when their essence is combined with the family on either side of it. These are: Floral, Soft Floral, Floral Oriental, Oriental, Soft Oriental, Woody Oriental, Mossy Woods, Dry Woods, Citrus, Green and Water.
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Look up which family your favorite perfumes belong to. This will help you to learn your own preferred scent family.
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Use a Fragrance Wheel to help you blend your own scents, if you like. Combine scents from families that overlap to create harmonious perfumes.
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Tips & Warnings
Masculine fragrances mainly appear in Fougere, Woody Oriental, Mossy Woods, Dry Woods and Citrus sections.
