⊛ learn · lesson 2

the families

citrus, floral, fougère, chypre, woody, amber, leather

perfumers sort perfumes into families.

the french society of perfumers first drew up its list in 1984. it now has seven families, each grouping perfumes built around similar materials.

two names that fool you.

chypre is french for cyprus, an island with a very old perfume history. fougère is french for fern, but these perfumes don't smell of ferns: they are built on lavender.

one perfume can set a family's shape.

coty's chypre, from 1917, gave the chypre family its shape. the original fougère royale, from the 1880s, did the same for fougère. both are in the collection of the osmothèque, the perfume archive.

a newer style: gourmand.

the modern gourmand style, perfumes that smell edible, is usually dated from angel by mugler, in 1992. it is not one of the seven families on the french list.

oriental or amber?

both names are in use. in 2021 michael edwards, who writes a well-known guide, dropped oriental from his fragrance wheel. the french list had long said amber.