All about Fragrance Groups

Finding a statement perfume that you'll love forever is like finding a needle in a haystack. Plain and simple. It's especially fumigating when you think that you've found the one- you fork out £70 and buy the biggest bottle thinking you'll use it every single day, and then you get bored of it half way through (that's a key indicator that that perfume is not the one, btw), talk about tedious! As a girl that works in  perfume, I thought I'd share with you some sweet techniques that I always recommend to customers in their quest to finding their perfect scent. 
The main thing that you need to remember is that you tend to like one fragrance group the most. If you're wondering what I mean by 'fragrance group,' smells fit in to different categories depending on their ingredients. Here's some detailed info.:

Floral: is exactly that... floral, full of flowery accords and heavy bottled bouquets. An example - Nina L'Eau - Nina Ricci, 2013.
Soft Floral: then you have your soft florals, similar to florals but with aldehydes included, transporting that floral into a soft floral. An example - Cherish - Ghost, 2005.

Floral Oriental: oriental fragrances are by far the vastest scent group. Combine that floral fragrance with a sweet spice like cinnamon and there's your floral oriental. An example - Posion - Dior, 1985.
Soft Oriental: a typical oriental with a little bit of incense and some florals. Sometimes including sweet spices and amber to promote the softness. An example - Cinnabar - Estée Lauder, 1978.
Oriental: here we are at the birth of the orientals. Oriental promotes exoticness and sensuality. These fragrances contain spices, musk and vanilla. An example - Dior Addict EDP - Dior, 2002.

Woody Oriental: the final of the orientals, woody oriental is an oriental with ingredients such as sandalwood and oakwood included. An example - Deep Red - Hugo Boss, 2001 (one of my favourite atm).
Wood: a new exotic type of fragrance that includes cedar, pine and oak woods. An example - the world famous Angel - Thierry Mugler, 1992. 
Mossy Wood: think woods with more earthy ingredients like oakmoss and citrus. An example - Flora - Gucci, 2009.
Dry Wood: the final wood category contains more leathery tones, and could be defined as a more old fashioned category. Includes tobacco, cedar wood and burnt wood notes. An example - L'eau D'issey Pour Home Nuit - Issey Miyake, 2014. 

Aromatic: could be defined as a category that everyone takes a fancy to, some more than others. In my opinion, aromatics are very 'easy on the nose' if you know what I mean. Aromatics promote masculinity and confidence. They include a range of ingredients; sweet spices, citrus, lavender. An example - Jimmy Choo Man - Jimmy Choo, 2014. 

Citrus: one of the freshest categories of fragrance, including everything zesty and citrus. Citrus fragrances are clean, fresh, awake and alert. An example - Eau Savage Pour Homme - Dior 1966. 

Water: a rather new category. If it reminds you of marine moments and the sea, you're smelling a water fragrance. Fresh air, waterfalls and the sea in a bottle. An example - L'eau D'issey - Issey Miyake, 1992. 

Green: now we're moving on to a more older category, the green fragrances. Freshly cut grass creates a sharp scent creating a very fresh appeal. An example - Private Collection - Estée Lauder, 1973. 

Fruity: the final category is one of summertimes favourite scents. Peaches, pears, plums and apples create a fruity twist in a bottle. An example - Ralph - Ralph Lauren, 2000.
FRAGRANT TIP: going on a quest for the ingredient you love? Pick three of your favourite scents and find out the common ingredients. Then look for scents with that common ingredient in. Fragrantica.com is a great place to start! 
Have you found 'the one?' Let me know below!
Emily

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.