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Image via Millefiori Milano

It can be tough finding a fragrance that you’re immediately drawn to. Sometimes, you just don’t have the time to scour through the fragrance section of a store testing every second eau de toilette until you find one that’s just right. To make the fragrance hunt easier for you, I’ve created a guide separating the main types of fragrances on offer, describing each one with suggestions!

1. Aromatic – Aromatic fragrances are more or less a combination of sage, rosemary, thyme and lavender, frequently harmonised with citrus. You may choose to go with an aromatic fougère (meaning ‘fern’ in French) perfume like Dolce&Gabbana ‘Pour Homme’, described as having a calming, slightly herbal yet very masculine smell. Or Yves Saint Laurent’s ‘Rive Gauche Pour Homme’ – an aromatic rustic perfume – is another choice, if you prefer the homely smell of the countryside.

d&gImage via Dolce&Gabbana

yves saint laurent
Image via Yves Saint Laurent

2. Citrus – Citrus fragrances consist of aromas that come from bergamot, lemon, orange, tangerine, grapefruit and the like. These citrus ingredients are more often than not intermixed with aromatic ingredients. Two citrus aromatic perfumes are ‘Eau Sauvage’ by Dior and ‘Pour Homme’ by Boucheron; the refreshing lightness of the citrus is accompanied by a hint of rosemary or lavender.

covers_Y0897240Image via Dior

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Image via Boucheron

3. Oriental – Oriental fragrances garner their rich and sophisticated character from substances such as amber, resin, tobacco, spices and exotic woods. The oriental scent is spiced up with nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom or other spices to produce an oriental spicy perfume, an example being Burberry ‘London For Men’. Thierry Mugler’s ‘A*Men’ is an oriental woody perfume that has a base savour of vanilla, enhanced by patchouli, sandalwood and cedar.

burberryImage via Burberry

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Image via Thierry Mugler

4. Woody – Woody fragrances give off warmth and opulence if they comprise patchouli or sandalwood, while dryness is derived from cedar and vetiver. When woody and oceanic smells merge, you get a woody aquatic fragrance – ‘Acqua Di Gio Essenza’ by Giorgio Armani is one of the popular perfumes in this subtype. Woody floral musk perfumes, like the ‘Egoiste Platinum’ by Chanel, encompass woody and floral scents with musky undertones for that lingering effect.

ADGH Essenza - Straub ImageImage via Giorgio Armani

chanelImage via Chanel

 

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Ms Chinoiserie Says: With so many aromatic fragrances on offer, you could definitely have a couple to suit different occasions – perhaps a citrus one for summer or try an oriental fragrance for the cooler months!