Fragrances can be classified by certain olfactive families, or themes, or accords. In this guide I will briefly discuss the various themes.
Oriental:
Orientals are warm, spicy, intense, heady and are the longest lasting type of women’s perfumes.
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Amber orientals have the notes of vanilla and “amber” Ambergris (the synthetic is known as “amber” in the perfumery world) is a substance excreted by the sperm whale after eating cuttlefish and found in lumps of varying size floating in tropical seas or washed ashore. Ambergris must be weathered for at least three years before use. Although ambergris was used for centuries as a perfume, no one knew the exact source. True ambergris has not been used in perfumery in over thirty years. Today, perfumers use synthetic chemicals like Ambreine to recreate the scent of ambergris, but other sources such as plant based ingredients ambrette seed or labdanum can impart an ambergris note to many fragrances.
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Spicy Orientals are rich with clove, nutmeg, incense and cinnamon.
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Floral Orientals, also known as Florientals combine two favorite fragrance families, a subgroup of florientals in the sheer florientals which are lighter in scent than other oriental type perfumes.
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The subdivisions of classifications in this family are:
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Perfumes which are classified as Oriental are:
Oriental:
Orientals are warm, spicy, intense, heady and are the longest lasting type of women’s perfumes.
Amber orientals have the notes of vanilla and “amber” Ambergris (the synthetic is known as “amber” in the perfumery world) is a substance excreted by the sperm whale after eating cuttlefish and found in lumps of varying size floating in tropical seas or washed ashore. Ambergris must be weathered for at least three years before use. Although ambergris was used for centuries as a perfume, no one knew the exact source. True ambergris has not been used in perfumery in over thirty years. Today, perfumers use synthetic chemicals like Ambreine to recreate the scent of ambergris, but other sources such as plant based ingredients ambrette seed or labdanum can impart an ambergris note to many fragrances.
Spicy Orientals are rich with clove, nutmeg, incense and cinnamon.
Floral Orientals, also known as Florientals combine two favorite fragrance families, a subgroup of florientals in the sheer florientals which are lighter in scent than other oriental type perfumes.
The subdivisions of classifications in this family are:
- floral oriental
- floral woody amber
- floral spicy amber
- soft amber
- citrus amber
- floral semi-amber
Perfumes which are classified as Oriental are:
- Shocking by Schiaparelli
- Bijan by Bijan
- Passion by Elizabeth Taylor
- JOOP! by JOOP
- Habanita by Molinard
- Samsara by Guerlain
- L’Heure Bleue by Guerlain
- Soir de Paris by Bourjois
- Poison by Christian Dior
- Vol de Nuit by Guerlain
- Byzance by Rochas
- Magie Noire by Lancome
- Red Door by Elizabeth Arden
- Tabu by Dana
- Chantilly by Houbigant
- Shalimar by Guerlain
- Youth Dew by Estee Lauder
- Opium by Yves Saint Laurent
- Dioressence by Christian Dior
- Oscar by Oscar de la Renta
- Nicole Miller byNicole Miller
- Allure by Chanel
- Galanos by Galanos
- Lou Lou by Cacharel
- Must de Cartier
- Obsession by Calvin Klein
- Cinnabar by Estee Lauder