Talking scents

Diptyque eau de Neroli. Photo / Supplied

Fragrance has historically been divided into four main families (the first four listed below), but these days generally accepted categorisation is ever broadening. A baffling language all of its own surrounds perfume and its devotees debate endlessly online on a number of perfume blogs. They also use the internet to search out rarities.

We decode scent speak:

Floral: The easiest to understand of the fragrance families, based on essential oil extracts from flowers, which these days can be distilled but are increasingly synthetically created accords. Think rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, etc. Often mixed with fruity and fresh aromas. Classic bouquets include Joy (1935) and L'Air du Temps (1947).

Oriental: Spicy, heady ingredients dominate in oriental or amber fragrances, as typified by the likes of Shalimar and Opium. The overall effect is sweet, intense and exotic, with base notes such as musk, sandalwood and vanilla. The first oriental fragrance was Jicky by Guerlain in 1889, with the same house releasing Samsara a century later.

Mixed with the floral family, oriental perfumes produce florientals.

Chypre: Mixes green or floral notes, with a deep base such as citrusy bergamot, amber and mossy aromas.

The distinctive and long-lasting group for men and women takes its name from the island of Cyprus, which exported scent in Roman times. Scents tends to be dry and elegant rather than sweet, with examples being Mitsouko (1919) by Guerlain, and Cristalle (1974) by Chanel.

Fougere: This French word means "fern" and the fern-like, moss family is mainly used for men's aromas. Also contains fresh, herbal notes, typically lavender. Old Spice and Brut are fougeres.

Aromatic: Herbs and spices predominate.

Citrus: Fresh, light scents utilising lemon, bergamot, orange, grapefruit, mandarin, etc. Often used as top notes or combined with other fruits, the florals or chypres for a softer edge. Although time-honoured, these light scents appeal as modern and summery and include Bulgari.

Elemental: Conceptual scents are the new frontier, conjuring up aromas for man-made objects (concrete for instance), imagined environments (outer space), or even states of mind.

Fruity: Non-citrus fruits such as apple, berries and melons have joined the perfume inventory, again often as top notes or in combination with florals.

Gourmand: Refers to Food-inspired aromas such as chocolate and candy, detected in the likes of Angel and Fantasy.

Green: An outdoorsy blend of herbs, ferns, mosses and citrus fruits, that can be lush or fresh. Includes Chanel No. 19. Balsamic greens are softer and sweeter with the addition of resins and balsams.