The 6 Olfactive Families
Written on 10 March 2023
A brief introduction for perfume lovers.
In one of our latest articles we discussed the characteristics of traditionally masculine or feminine perfumes, with the conclusion that today these classifications are no longer necessary ; as we should wear the perfume we love without being influenced by marketing or fashion.
At Galimard we still have the classic « masculines » and « feminine » fragrances, as well as a unisex collection : « Collection Privée » to facilitate the quest for your perfect perfume. The options are vast, and we would like to further help by answering the question often asked by our clients : To which family belongs the perfume that I love or that I created ?
Let’s go over the 6 main olfactive families, and their subgroups called « facets »:
Florals
This is the most well-known and often used olfactive family and is traditionally associated with femininity. This family encompasses all the essences created from only one flower (soliflore rose, jasmine, violet) or from a composition of multiple flowers. Two emblematic flowers of this family are jasmine and rose, but others such as ylang ylang, muguet, tuberose, carnation, and iris also play an important role in this olfactive family.
Within the Floral olfactive family are the following facets:
- « fresh floral » with essences evoking springtime, for example, our perfume « Brindille » with a base of Lily of the Valley and other white flowers.
- « fruity floral » with notes of blackcurrant, pineapple, peach and apple associated with floral themes. Our latest creation « Printemps étoilé » or our classic « Pêle-mêle » perfectly represent this fragrance facet.
- « powdery floral » iris, violet, or gardenia belong to this elegant facet which you will find in our perfume : « Ambre Iris ».
Hesperides
A fabulous unisex olfactive family, bringing together all compositions with citrus (cultivated historically in The Garden of Hespérides, the provenance of its name). Essential oils of lemon, bergamot, grapefruit, and orange are obtained from zest in order to be used in perfumery – they were renowned as the first Eaux de Cologne.
Within the Hesperides olfactive family we find the following facets :
- Hesperides – floral – cyprus: associated with jasmine, woody and mossy notes.
- Hesperides – spicy : associated with clove, nutmeg, pepper, or cinnamon.
- Hesperides – aromatic: associated with thyme, clary sage, rosemary, and mint.
Are you a fan of the Hesperides family ? Try out our latest cologne « Verveine-agrumes », our fragrance« Journal intime » for her or « 1747 » for him. And if you have the opportunity, come discover the lesser known citruses, such as yuzu, at our Studio des Fragrances !
Aromatics
This family is often associated with masculine fragrances. Thyme, rosemary, sage, lavander, green and white tea, are the characteristic notes of this family which includes the following facets:
- Rustic Aromatic : The scent of hay or freshly cut grass
- Aquatic Aromatic : Fragrances reminiscent of the ocean, open air, and salt (as in our fragrance « N°1 »)
- Forest Aromatic : reminiscent of forest walks with woody and mossy notes
- Hesperide Aromatic : the freshness of citrus, as in our « Aigues Vives Intense », or grapefruit, associated with basil and sage.
Ambers
This family includes unisex notes evoking warmth and sensuality with powerful, long-lasting fragrances like musk, vanilla, precious wood, resin, baumes of exotic flowers and spices. Within this family we find the following facets :
- Amber: Following a head note of hesperide rides an opulant base of amber and vanilla. « Nuit câline » for her is a soft and woody variant of an amber perfume.
- Spicy Amber : These are perfumes with strong character, rich in spices such as cinnamon or ginger, posed on dry woody notes like cedar and sandalwood, amber and animal like leather. In our collection, an example of this would be « Accroche-cœur » with a touch of comforting cinnamon.
- Amber Gourmand : We find warm notes in this facets like tonka bean, reminiscent of chocolate. If you like this type of perfume we would recommend « Canaïca », a warm and inviting fragrance.
Wood
This unisex family can be used in multiple compositions. Within its characteristic notes we find sandalwood, patchouli, cedar, vetiver… The following facets make up this family :
- Wood Aromatic: with head notes containing lavender, thyme, and sage, perfectly paired with citrus, as in our « Hiver à Grasse ».
- Wood Spice : In this facet we find a heart note of cinnamon, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Wood Leather: Here we find base notes which reinforce the composition such as soot, burning wood, tanned leather, softened by heart notes of honey for example.
- Wood Floral Musk : Here, classic flowers like jasmine and rose accompany wood base notes of musk and animal. Within our collection, « Bois de lune » is a great example, as well as « Oud Jasmin » from our Collection Privée.
Cyprus
It was François Coty’s famous perfume « Chypre » created in 1917 which created this olfactive family with principal notes of oak moss, labdanum, and patchouli, mixed with fresh hesperides like rose and jasmine. Within this family are two facets :
- Cyprus-Wood : with characteristic essences of a cyprus perfume mixed with sandalwood and vetiver.
- Cyprus-Leather: This is a traditionally masculine facet with smokey notes of leather associated with conifers like the Siberian Pine.
- Cyprus-Fruit: A feminine facet which is fruity and sweet, a perfect example is our fragrance « Songeries », with cassis, citrus, rose, moss and patchouli.
As you can see, there are multiple facets of every olfactive family. Some notes can even be associated within multiple families, creating a magnificent base on which perfumeries can demonstrate their creativity, using over 1500 primary materials in new and exciting ways.
With the knowledge of these olfactive families as a base, almost anything is possible. And who knows, maybe you could become the author of a completely new facet while creating your own perfume at one of our ateliers ?
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